Raising a Suzune Horikita (Continued)

Before me was a sandwich that had already been bitten several times, and next to the plate was a glass of milk that looked like it had been sipped twice.

Now that you mention it, the scene in my field of vision seems to be someone having breakfast.

Horikita Suzune made a judgment in a daze.

In the morning, I got up as usual, washed up as usual, sat at the table as usual, ate the same unchanging breakfast as usual, and stuffed the food into my not-so-appetizing stomach as usual.

I don't know when it started, but Horikita Suzune's craving for food suddenly disappeared, even though children are usually the most greedy.

But compared to taste, it suddenly seems that food that is good for the body is the most important thing.

Breakfast is essential because failing to raise blood sugar levels can negatively impact daytime learning. However, it's also crucial to control carbohydrate intake, as it can cause drowsiness and affect concentration during class.

Choose foods that are beneficial to your health to ensure healthy physical and brain development.

Why?

The same ritual is repeated every day.

Are you spacing out?

When the voice came again, she realized that the person in front of her was her brother.

Looking up, you can see his posture on the far opposite side.

The figure was almost blurred, as if it had been pixelated.

Upon noticing the other person's presence, his body immediately felt as heavy as if filled with lead, but his consciousness instantly returned.

Horikita Suzune finally realized that all her changes began the moment Horikita Manabu stood in front of her.

The girl opened her eyes, and the familiar ceiling came into view.

What just happened was just a dream, but it was indeed Matoba that actually occurred in the past.

It's kind of funny, Horikita Suzune often tries to recall Horikita Manabu's image to motivate herself, but she always realizes that the time she spends alone with Horikita Manabu is pitifully short.

They are biological siblings, but the time they spend together each year is so little that it's less than that of ordinary friends.

Especially after Horikita Manabu chose to enter the fully enclosed Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, he didn't even make a single phone call.

The memories between the two were like a barren mine, easily discernible at a glance, yet able to be lit up in just a few nights.

Horikita Suzune chuckled self-deprecatingly; perhaps this was one of the reasons for her persistence.

Because there are so few memories, she thinks about them again and again. Those few memories are frozen, thawed, and reheated over and over again, so much so that the simple words "likes long hair" are enough for Horikita Suzune to willingly give up her past favorite hairstyle.

Horikita Suzune struggled to get out of bed. It was already dusk, and the setting sun outside the window was casting its last rays upon the earth. Winter was just around the corner, and the days were getting shorter and shorter.

She felt much better. In fact, Horikita Suzune was already quite physically fit, and after a day of rest and medication, she was almost fully recovered. After all, she used to just tough it out when she encountered minor illnesses like this.

Unfortunately, Horikita Suzune's record of never missing a day or taking a day off, which she had maintained since childhood, was finally broken. However, while feeling upset, she also felt a little relieved.

Horikita Suzune easily found her slippers, as they were neatly placed beside the bed. Looking up, she saw a glass of warm water on the bedside table, just the right temperature to hold or drink on this slightly chilly early autumn night.

After finishing the water in her glass in one gulp, Horikita Suzune stretched. Her already well-developed figure possessed both the innocence of a young girl and the charm of a woman.

Horikita Suzune pushed open the door and went out. She was covered in sweat on the bed and decided to take a shower first.

However, the sweet scent in the air caught Horikita Suzune's attention even faster. She sniffed it and walked towards the kitchen.

"Caramel pudding, peach mousse cake, candied apple, yogurt cheesecake mousse, mango double-skin milk pudding, sesame sweet potato cake, mango mochi, dorayaki, blueberry pie."

"Hmm, that should be about right."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded at the seven or eight neatly arranged plates of delicate desserts on the cutting board. The portions weren't large, but they should be enough for a sample.

However, she still noticed Horikita Suzune approaching, since Horikita Suzune hadn't made any effort to conceal her footsteps.

"Suzune is awake? Are you feeling any better?"

Kitagawa Ryo slowly took off the gloves he had been wearing while cooking. His slender hands and fingers gradually freed themselves from their restraints. It was an ordinary action, but when he did it, it always carried a subtle allure.

"It's alright now."

Horikita Suzune casually replied that she was more curious about the desserts on the table. Although Kitagawa Ryo had been taking care of dinners at home during his stay, this was the first time she had seen him make desserts on such a large scale.

Although Horikita Suzune is very good at cooking and is considered one of the best among her peers, she actually doesn't have much experience in desserts.

Since it's unnecessary, it's meaningless, so there's no need to learn it.

A simple and straightforward syllogism.

"Since we've got nothing else to do and want to have some fun, Suzune, would you like to try some?"

Noticing Horikita Suzune's gaze, Kitagawa Ryo casually grabbed a plate of desserts and handed it over.

"I might open a dessert shop someday, just like a taste test."

"... I'm not interested in desserts; excessive sugar intake only leads to weight gain and offers no other benefits."

"Besides, I haven't eaten much of it myself, so I can't fulfill your request to try it."

Horikita Suzune shook her head decisively. She had always been a girl with strong goals, ambition, and self-discipline. For her, cooking was almost not about satisfying her appetite, but about physical development.

That's her cooking style, and she chooses ingredients that are good for the body. This is one of the reasons why Horikita Suzune let Kitagawa Ryo stay here, because Kitagawa Ryo can fully fulfill Horikita Suzune's wishes and make suitable dishes in conjunction with her daily training.

In conclusion, Horikita Suzune believes she has no affinity for desserts.

Although she often heard her classmates discussing which dessert shop nearby had launched new products during class breaks, she also frequently saw students sitting at table after table in coffee shops after club activities.

However, Horikita Suzune genuinely disliked and had never tried desserts.

"People always have to try new things. After all, before today, Suzune was a well-behaved child with a zero absence rate."

Kitagawa Ryo had already prepared the small spoon, and he placed it along with the plate into Horikita Suzune's hand.

"If you don't try them, you won't find your favorite flavor."

Horikita Suzune looked at the dessert that had been stuffed into her arms with a bit of a flurry of activity. The small and lovely blueberry pie was proudly displaying itself, and with the slightest touch of a spoon, its molten center was revealed.

Thinking it was just to help the other person, Horikita Suzune tentatively scooped out a piece and put it in her mouth.

Then, without realizing it, she finished the whole plate.

Horikita Suzune only came to her senses after the spoon mechanically reached into the plate and then slammed against the empty bottom.

"I feel like it will sell very well."

Horikita Suzune hadn't forgotten Kitagawa Ryo's words, and she affirmed them from a business perspective.

"How does Suzune feel about it herself? For example, is it too sweet or not sweet enough...?"

"I think it's delicious. If all desserts outside are made like this, then I can understand why those girls are so enthusiastic."

Desserts that are beautiful, delicious, and easy to take photos with are hard for girls to resist.

"So, does Suzune like it?"

Kitagawa Ryo's tone carried a mischievous smile:

"After all, Suzune just said she wouldn't accept desserts."

"... It's okay to eat it occasionally."

Horikita Suzune had somehow gotten another dorayaki, and she mumbled something while biting into the soft outer layer.

"Since Suzune has said so, then my plan to open a dessert shop should be fine."

Kitagawa Ryo clapped his hands, patiently watching Horikita Suzune try this and that, completely forgetting about taking a bath, until all the desserts were in Horikita Suzune's stomach, then he smiled and said:

"We'll need to ask Suzune for help then."

The last bite of cream choked Horikita Suzune, her purplish-red pupils widening slightly, filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"You ate my food, didn't you?"

Kitagawa Ryo said this with his arms crossed.

"... Isn't this supposed to be a tasting?"

Have you ever seen someone who eats every last bite of everything during a food tasting?

Horikita Suzune then noticed that the seven or eight plates were now empty, and she nodded stiffly.

This practice of offering payment first and then making demands is utterly despicable.

I can use it myself later.

The girl nodded secretly.

Having learned his lesson from the previous simulation with Karuizawa Kei, Kitagawa Ryo appeared quite casual in this simulation with Horikita Suzune.

Especially after Sakayanagi Arisu exposed Horikita Suzune's illusion, Kitagawa Ryo, realizing that this simulation had little hope, simply adopted a laissez-faire approach.

Opening a dessert shop was something he had always thought about, because he had worked in a dessert shop in his previous life. At the end of the day, he would occasionally receive unsold desserts from the shop owner that weren't very good in appearance, which was a vivid memory for Kitagawa Ryo.

Just like his obsession with video games in Karuizawa Kei's second simulation, now that I think about it, it was actually because his previous desires were forcibly suppressed by his past self, and then finally erupted in the simulation.

It's probably similar to the retaliatory consumption behavior of someone who had to give up a toy as a child due to financial constraints, and then buying a dozen or twenty of them all at once when they grow up and have enough money.

Even though I may no longer be interested in this, it's like I'm trying to make up for my past self.

Therefore, Kitagawa Ryo plans to open his own dessert shop in this simulation.

And I also happened to draw the [God of Cooking] talent.

Kitagawa Ryo has already decided on a name: [Hotaru], which will be perfect for the little guy to be the mascot.

[Modest Assets] Talent has already reserved a property for him, and the start-up capital has been gradually raised over the past few years.

During the days that Horikita Suzune was attending school, Kitagawa Ryo was busy with these things.

However, because she is a minor, Horikita Suzune's father has always acted as her guardian.

Since the "relatives" (family and friends) are related to the Horikita family by blood, there's no harm in using them.

The shop isn't big; it's just something we open for fun. Kitagawa Ryo is a pastry chef himself, and the goal is to hire two servers and a receptionist, all of which have been arranged in advance.

So, in early autumn, September, a dessert shop called [Firefly] quietly appeared on the corner of the commercial street. There were several high schools and junior high schools nearby, so there was no need to worry about the number of customers.

When this dessert shop was first being renovated, the cafes, milk tea shops, and other dessert shops next door were already eager to try their luck.

In particular, the owner of a nearby maid café personally spent a long time researching the business. After all, competitors are rivals, and he was initially a little wary of whether this shop was similar to his own, easily capturing students' wallets with maids and anime as gimmicks.

However, after observing that the store's decor was fresh and elegant, the wallpaper was ordinary, and the sales staff were well-behaved, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It doesn't seem to be very competitive.

He made this judgment with a cold laugh.

However, things quickly developed in a way that exceeded his expectations.

The shop was packed with people in just one afternoon on its opening day, all because of an adorable lucky cat.

Unlike the plastic lucky cats in the shop that are painted gold and only wave their arms up and down, the one sitting on the counter, waving its paws cutely to attract customers, is an incredibly well-behaved and lovable real cat.

It's alive! It can move! And it can even be cute!

If that's the case, then so be it, since there are other cat cafes along this street that also use cute animals as their selling point.

The owner of the maid café was full of confidence because he believed that no matter what, the allure of a pet could not compare to a waitress who would sweetly call you "Master" and wear a black and white checkered maid outfit.

Still too inexperienced.

The man adjusted the glasses on his nose.

Just a cat.

But then he suddenly realized that the students who had been drawn into the shop by the cat never came out again, followed by exclamations of "Wow!" "I've never had such delicious desserts before!" and "I feel like what I ate before was a mixture of sand and rubber."

Only at that moment did he finally understand a truth.

A dessert shop, at its core, is still about selling desserts.

No, I can't just give up like that!

The next day, a student passing by rubbed his eyes and asked his friend uncertainly:

"Aren't the skirts in this store... a little too short again?"

My friend examined it politely and nodded firmly.

Yes, that's right.

"Shall we go in?"