They're All Really Good at It

As soon as Kitagawa Ryo spoke, Amasawa Ichika swiftly surrendered, then giggled and pulled him out of the clothing store, heading straight for the first floor in the Sakayanagi Arisu, leaving behind a shop assistant who was wondering if she was part of the student couple's play.

After returning all the new clothes they had just bought, including swimsuits and pajamas, to Amasawa Ichika's room, the two went straight to the vicinity of the bow deck. While gazing at the vast blue sea, they began to chat idly.

"Did Ryo help Katsuragi from Class D at noon because his motive was his sister?"

As Amasawa Ichika began secretly plotting preparations for the evening, she subtly hinted at this.

"While this is the most crucial factor, it's also closely related to Katsuragi's usual character... Okay, I admit it, if he hadn't wanted to give his sister a gift, I probably wouldn't have taken the potential risks. After all, even if Katsuragi didn't intend to scheme against anyone, there's still Ayanokoji in the class."

Perhaps because he was being stared at by Amasawa Ichika's bright, fluorescent eyes, Kitagawa Ryo had originally intended to tell a serious lie, changed his mind halfway through and revealed his true thoughts.

"I might actually find it hard to refuse a family background where he has to rely on his frail and sickly younger sister. If there were a rating system for affection in real life, Katsuragi Kohei would probably be almost maxed out in my eyes."

Although the two seem to be rivals from different classes, Kitagawa Ryo doesn't really care about that, and he doesn't harbor any preconceived hostility or prejudice towards students from other classes because of the system at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. In terms of personality alone, he currently has a good impression of Katsuragi Kohei.

"I remember Honami also has a younger sister, the girl who's always in the same frame as Hotaru in the photos Ryo showed me."

"You mean Maki? She's two years younger than Honami and is still in the second year of junior high school. Hotaru and she get along quite well."

"What about cold?"

Adhering to a rigorous scientific research spirit, Amasawa Ichika began to probe Kitagawa Ryo's attitude and opinion towards girls with this "little sister" attribute.

"Ah, me? I'm probably someone I know well, a friend of my sister?"

When Amasawa Ichika asked him this, Kitagawa Ryo suddenly recalled the first two simulations, as well as the talent 'Attracted to Younger Women' that changed the course of the story to some extent. It's just a good thing that this didn't materialize in reality... Why does this idea seem a little less firm?

"Oh right, I remember Xue also has a younger sister!"

Seemingly sensing Kitagawa Ryo's wavering, Amasawa Ichika seized the opportunity and found another younger sister in his network of relationships.

"You mean Sakurako? That child clearly prefers to cling to her older sister more than me."

Upon hearing Amasawa Ichika mention this person, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head helplessly. He and Yuki's biological younger sister had indeed only met a few times. After all, the two had only met once or twice in the simulation, let alone in the real world line.

Just like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also made a cameo appearance in the final simulation, had no memory of this aspect, the simulator's impact on people was limited to the exceptions of Yuki and Amasawa Ichika, who only gained this access after completing all chapters and using the ultimate reward.

"But Ichika that you mention it, I feel like the chances of this child starting school with Xue next year have suddenly increased a lot. Ah, just thinking about it makes me feel so troubled--"

Although he did indeed use the simulator's memory replacement technique to bring Yuki back from her psychological trauma in reality, Yuki's family must have had mixed feelings watching their daughter and sister suddenly change from "I don't want to remember anything about the White Room" to "I feel that Ryo's memories in the White Room are also precious."

However, they cannot deny that the situation is indeed changing for the better. People are no longer locking themselves in their rooms, but are slowly becoming more willing to go out and communicate with others, dress up like girls, and their mental age is no longer stuck in the past.

That's why they allowed Kitagawa Ryo and Yuki to communicate, even though the price was that they would often be given strange looks by Yuki's younger sister.

Seeing Kitagawa Ryo's melancholy tone, indicating he didn't want to continue the topic, Amasawa Ichika, who had already gathered enough information, immediately changed the subject, stretching lazily in the sea breeze:

"Alright, we've seen enough of the scenery here, let's go back quickly."

"I remember our DIY kitchen session was scheduled to start at 3 o'clock, right? It's about time, let's go!"

For Amasawa Ichika, the most regrettable thing about the entire Uninhabited Island Special Exam was that she couldn't stay in Kitagawa Ryo's group to freeload and enjoy the unique camping feast, which was said to be even more lavish than what the teachers ate.

She and Sakura Airi were actually a good match in many ways, but unfortunately, neither of them were very good at cooking. After all, cooking was too challenging for these two beautiful girls, one from the White Room and the other a popular idol. Therefore, they mainly ate convenience foods or canned goods that they exchanged with the school.

Later, Karuizawa Kei finally joined the class, the food quality improved a little. However, considering that Megumi's cooking skills were only around average, and that she had also benefited from Kitagawa Ryo's cooking at several class banquets, she felt increasingly aggrieved. That's why she specially booked a facility on the cruise ship that provided students with ingredients and cooking utensils so they could freely DIY their own cooking.

Simply put, it means having Liang cook for her all by herself!

Looking at the smiling profile of Amasawa Ichika, who was holding his hand and walking briskly, Kitagawa Ryo also found it a little funny.

In a sense, this means that the other party is already enjoying the benefits and perks that Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu imagined after becoming the Student Council President.

"What would you like to eat, Ichika? You're probably not too hungry yet, since it's not long before lunchtime. How about we try some dessert first?"

"OK."

Since most students wouldn't think of cooking for themselves when the school provides free, luxurious breakfasts and dinners, this facility is naturally quite unpopular, or rather, almost no one comes here. Therefore, Kitagawa Ryo and Amasawa Ichika simply made a reservation and did not spend extra money to book the entire place.

But just as Kitagawa Ryo and Amasawa Ichika walked into the store chatting and laughing, he suddenly heard a voice that sounded all too familiar.

"I think there's no problem with this seasoning."

With her long, black hair simply tied back in a bun, wearing a white cook's hat and a plain apron, Horikita Suzune, who had been dragged into the deep pit of cooking by him, was holding a soup ladle and skillfully taking a small sip of soup in front of a stew pot.

However, this overwhelming sense of domesticity and femininity still brought back some distant memories for Kitagawa Ryo. He couldn't help but wonder, what should he do when he felt that a certain Kamuro from Class D was more like the past version of Suzune than the current Suzune was?

Chapter 253: They are really good at it

"Huh? What brings Ryo here? And Amasawa too?"

After all, they were two living, breathing people who had suddenly walked in. No matter how immersed she was in her own culinary world, Horikita Suzune quickly noticed their arrival. Like a child who had been caught doing something wrong, she hurriedly adjusted her cook's hat, even dropping the ladle in her hand into the pot.

"... Actually, I also want to ask Suzune why she's here."

Whether it was because he used up all his good luck while with Karuizawa Kei yesterday, or because most students had already finished resting and were out and about on the second day of their holiday, Kitagawa Ryo felt that the chances of bumping into girls had increased dramatically today.

"Didn't you participate in the Treasure Hunt Game this afternoon?"

"Treasure Hunt Game? Oh, Ryo, you mean that QR code scanning activity? I'm not really interested in that, but Arisu did tell me to just use my phone to find any QR code, scan it, take a picture, and send it to her."

Compared to Kitagawa Ryo's inquiries about the Treasure Hunt Game, Horikita Suzune, who had already recovered, seemed more concerned about the stew in front of her. Calmly lowering her eyes, she turned off the induction cooker, then expertly put on two thick heat-resistant gloves, gripped the handles on either side, and lifted the steaming stew pot off the stove.

"Would you like to try some?"

"... Well, it's more accurate to say that the seasoning was designed for a cold flavor, so it should taste good?"

The further Horikita Suzune went on the path of cooking, the more she understood the meaning of Kitagawa Ryo's words. "Food has no fixed taste; what suits one's palate is precious." Perhaps the same principle applies to interpersonal relationships and even love.

Just like the widely circulated saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach," if you can truly win a man's heart through his stomach, it means that you know all his likes and dislikes, or that the fact that he is willing to eat the food you cook is itself a symbol of a close relationship.

"Of course, Amasawa can try it if he'd like."

As she spoke, Horikita Suzune untied her apron and took three pairs of bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard next to her, politely greeting Amasawa Ichika.

Although Amasawa Ichika really wanted to say something like, "I'll have to save my stomach for Ryo later," after hearing Horikita Suzune say that this was Kitagawa Ryo's usual favorite flavor, she couldn't resist her curiosity and nodded in agreement.

"Suzune's cooking skills have indeed improved again."

Seeing that Horikita Suzune kept stealing glances at him from time to time while drinking her soup, Kitagawa Ryo didn't hold back his praise. After quickly finishing his own bowl, he handed out an empty bowl to her.

"Could I have another one?"

"Um."

After standing up and adding another bowl for Kitagawa Ryo, Horikita Suzune seemed relieved and began to enjoy her own portion with a smile on her face.

"How are you feeling, Amasawa? Since I didn't know about your dietary restrictions, don't force yourself if you don't like the taste."

"It's okay, it's okay. Liang and I actually have similar tastes. I can eat what he can eat. There's a saying that 'couples' and marital partners' tastes gradually become similar in the end,' so that's probably how it feels."

In response to Horikita Suzune's question, Amasawa Ichika smiled and gave a reply.

"I didn't know there was such a saying? No wonder I've felt that Ryo's tastes have become more and more similar since junior high. Well, otherwise, when we live together in the future, we'll have to use different ingredients to cook two different dishes..."

Hearing Horikita Suzune mutter this to herself, Amasawa Ichika took a deep breath, smiled, and grabbed Kitagawa Ryo's arm:

"Now that we've tasted the food, Ryo and I will head to the other kitchen. Ryo said she'd make me afternoon tea desserts. Well then, goodbye, Horikita."

"... I see."

Hearing Amasawa Ichika mention desserts, Horikita Suzune's heart skipped a beat. She naturally recalled a dessert shop called "Hotaru" that she and Kitagawa Ryo had run together in a simulation. To this day, it remains a cherished memory in the softest and deepest part of her heart.

In this respect, she can probably be considered one of Kitagawa Ryo's captivated subjects.

But there are differences.

Although she Sakayanagi Arisu on the Uninhabited Island that she would bring Kitagawa Ryo to the Student Council to be her personal chef after becoming the Student Council President, Horikita Suzune knew from the beginning that this was not the Matoba she hoped for and wanted to achieve.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Horikita Suzune took two steps forward and, in front of Amasawa Ichika, whispered in Kitagawa Ryo's ear, extending an invitation:

"Let's come here again in a couple of days, just the two of us."

"... I'll cook for you."

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to learn to cook, starting from scratch!"

Since Horikita Suzune hadn't lowered her voice at all, Amasawa Ichika, who was standing next to her, naturally heard everything. After moving into her designated kitchen area and getting a little away from her, she spoke up somewhat angrily.

"The last person to say that was Honami, I think. The process was quite brutal, and the result wasn't particularly good either."

Although I really didn't want to discourage Amasawa Ichika's confidence, this kind of statement that felt so familiar still reminded Kitagawa Ryo of Kitagawa Ryo Ichinose Honami's kitchen experience. A prime example was when she took the initiative to say on the Uninhabited Island, "I put salt in instead of sugar, then searched online and found that adding vinegar could neutralize it. As a result, a minute later I went online again to ask how to fix it after I put vinegar in soy sauce." It was a somewhat ridiculous incident.

It must be said that it's not difficult to quickly learn to cook to an inedible level, but to earn genuine praise for how delicious it is still requires some talent, as well as time and effort.

In response, Kitagawa Ryo stated that his current culinary skills are entirely due to years of diligent practice and have little to do with the golden talent of "God of Cooking" that he possesses. Yes, I'm sure of it.

As expected, Amasawa Ichika, a complete novice in the kitchen, quickly and decisively failed at the egg-beating stage. In no time, her hands were covered in sticky, transparent egg white, and she pouted and complained:

"So why aren't there any cooking training courses in the White Room?"

"Forget about culinary training, the food there was probably just nutritional supplements and compressed meals... I still remember the taste to this day."

Seeing that Amasawa Ichika showed no intention of washing her hands, but instead thoughtfully stuck out her tongue and licked her hands covered in Amasawa Ichika white scum, as if trying to taste it, and exuding a subtle astringent aura, Kitagawa Ryo also withdrew his gaze and began to concentrate on studying the lump of dough in front of him.

Having skillfully completed the baking of a cake, Kitagawa Ryo was preparing the cream and putting it into a piping bag to start decorating when Amasawa Ichika, who hadn't had a chance to join in, quickly joined in and soon painted a... well, a strange-looking pattern on the surface of the cake.

The last time Kitagawa Ryo saw such an abstract design was on Sakura Airi's first limited edition fan outfit; Sakura had drawn a curtain monster from her childhood fantasies. As for Amasawa Ichika's—

After getting closer and studying it for a while, Kitagawa Ryo announced that he was giving up.

"... Ichika, please don't tell me that this painting is of me or you."

Whether it was a misperception or not, after he said that, Amasawa Ichika, who seemed to have finished, blushed again, took the piping bag, and, like a child in a fit of pique, brushed on many layers of snow-capped cream, completely covering up the previous design.

"Hmph, it's gone now."

After saying that, Amasawa Ichika took the cake piled high with cream and prepared to move it to the table next to her.

Be careful.

Before Kitagawa Ryo could finish his warning, the snow-capped mountain, which was already teetering due to its excessive height, began to slide down, finally tilting halfway and crashing head-on into Amasawa Ichika's face and chest.

"It really collapsed, let's clean it up quickly."

Feeling a bit exhausted, Kitagawa Ryo quickly took the cake, then grabbed two tissues from the side and handed them to Amasawa Ichika. After setting the cake down, he also started wiping Ichika's face.

"So sweet--"

After Kitagawa Ryo carefully knelt down in front of her to wipe her face, Amasawa Ichika simply stopped what she was doing and let him do as he pleased. She stuck out her tongue and licked the cream off her lips, then gently scraped the cream off her nose with her right index finger before putting it in her mouth with satisfaction, uttering a somewhat indistinctly sweet comment.

As it turns out, Amasawa Ichika's various ways of playing are indeed endless.

The price was that her shirt got dirty again.

"I always feel like my clothes wear out way too quickly when I'm with Ichika..."

In response, Kitagawa Ryo smirked and made a sarcastic remark.

From the moment his last remaining change of clothes was physically destroyed on the Uninhabited Island, forcing him to ask Ryuen Kakeru for clothes, the rate of clothing destruction during his interactions with Amasawa Ichika has been ridiculously high.

Why did they go to the store in the afternoon to buy so many swimsuits and pajamas? The former was naturally because the two of them had ruined two swimsuits in the changing room of their private pool that morning. As for the latter... in a sense, it was a kind of foresight.

"Mmm--"

Of course, Ms. Amasawa Ichika didn't have any particular feelings about this.

Ultimately, after these two minor hiccups, the two were able to enjoy afternoon tea desserts as they had hoped.

"Can you still eat cold food? I think you ate several bowls at Horikita's place just now, didn't you?"

"No problem, I can still eat."

When cutting the cake, Amasawa Ichika asked him this question with some concern, but Kitagawa Ryo nodded nonchalantly to indicate that it was no problem.

After all, he was already eating three different bento boxes made by three different girls in one meal during junior high school, so this level of activity is really nothing compared to that.

"But after this meal, I feel like I can definitely eat less for dinner."

Sweetness is indeed one of the easiest ways to get happiness. After eating a couple of pieces of cake that had been turned into cream cakes due to Amasawa Ichika's actions, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but smile.

"If you're going to exercise in the evening, it's really not good to eat too much."

Amasawa Ichika nodded in agreement, though her tone sounded a little frivolous.

After focusing intently on eating the two pieces of cake on her plate, whether intentionally or unintentionally, a little bit of white cream naturally stained the corner of her mouth, making it quite noticeable. Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously reached out again to wipe it off with an Amasawa Ichika.

"At times like these, I always feel a chill, a bit like... my mother."

"It's probably because of the influence of that experiment back then."

Hearing Amasawa Ichika's statement, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head helplessly and shared his thoughts:

"This relationship and perception are clearly abnormal. It's best not to think this way after this Ichika, and I don't like this feeling either."

"... I'm sorry, I won't say that again."