The Appearance of an Old Friend

"Come in." Saten Ruiko opened the dorm door and invited the two inside with a smile.

"Excuse us." Rod took off his shoes as he entered, the first thing he did being to look over the dorm room.

The dorm was not large, but it had everything it needed. A low table stood in the center, with a single bed beside it and a desk pressed up against the window. The girl's room was clean and orderly, reflecting her capable nature.

"E-Excuse me..." Frenda swallowed nervously and crept inside like a thief.

Rod gave Frenda a speechless look. That single glance nearly made her heart leap out of her chest—not from embarrassment, but from fright.

"I'm not going to eat you," Rod said with an amused laugh.

"Eek!? I-I'm not scared!" Frenda answered tremulously.

Right now, she truly wanted to cry. She wanted to slip away, but she was afraid Rod would blame her.

Seeing this, Rod shook his head helplessly and stopped paying attention to her, sitting down cross-legged.

"Mr. Rod, would oolong tea be all right?" Saten Ruiko asked, taking canned oolong tea from the refrigerator.

"That's fine." Rod nodded casually.

"Come sit over here too, Frenda." After serving Rod a cup of oolong tea, Saten Ruiko looked speechlessly at Frenda, who was shrinking off to the side.

"Uh, n-no... okay." Just as Frenda was about to refuse, she glimpsed Rod's expression. The instant she noticed the slightest change in his face, she appeared before the wooden table as though she had teleported.

"So fast. Are you an esper with spatial abilities too?" Saten Ruiko teased as she pushed the oolong tea in front of Frenda.

"Ughhh..." Frenda puffed out her cheeks and glared at Saten Ruiko irritably.

Seemingly seeing nothing wrong with it, Saten Ruiko stood up and carried a can of mackerel into the kitchen.

"Just wait a moment. I'll start cooking right away."

The kitchen door then closed, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Rod silently took a sip of tea before casually asking, "Has ITEM had no missions lately?"

"Y-Yes. We haven't received any missions recently. We're all resting right now." Sitting formally on her knees, Frenda answered Rod's question with a serious expression.

"You're a Level 0, right?"

"Yes, I'm a Level 0, but... but I've done extensive research into explosives and firearms." Thinking Rod was looking down on her for being a Level 0, Frenda hurriedly defended herself.

If Rod said anything to Mugino Shizuri, she was certain she would be kicked out. Who knew why Mugino was so obsessed with the man in front of her?

He was only somewhat good-looking, with a deep, magnetic voice, and a personality that treated himself as supreme.

The more Frenda thought about it, the more her eyes turned into spirals and the redder her cheeks became.

"What's wrong?" Rod's deep voice reached her ears, making even Frenda's ears flush as her head grew light and fuzzy.

"N-Nothing." Frenda's beautiful legs, clad in black stockings, pressed together slightly as she answered in a quivering voice.

Th-That reaction... I never expected this girl to be such a pervert.

Rod had clearly misunderstood something. After all, he had watched at least several hundred hentai in his past life, if not a thousand, especially ones like Raika Ken; he could type in the URLs with perfect accuracy.

Seeing this, Rod did not continue questioning her and simply let the girl entertain herself.

Not understanding why, Frenda chose to keep quiet. If she had known what Rod was thinking, who knew how she would have reacted.

"The curry's here!" As time passed, the kitchen door opened and the aroma of curry drifted out. Carrying two plates of mackerel curry and rice, Saten Ruiko walked out.

"You used precious canned mackerel to make curry? Unbelievable!?" Frenda slammed her hands on the table and sprang to her feet, clearly believing that turning the mackerel she cherished into curry was a desecration.

"Curry has such a heavy flavor that whatever ingredients you add get buried under it. The mackerel's flavor and deliciousness are gone—completely ruined!? How could that kind of dish possibly be—"

However, the moment she tasted the mackerel curry, Frenda's face turned blank with astonishment. Then she began devouring it wildly, offering heartfelt praise between bites.

"It's delicious!?"

"The spicy curry and the rich, savory mackerel don't cancel each other out at all. They complement and elevate each other, dancing wonderfully on the tip of the tongue."

Her food critic act stood in stark contrast to her earlier rejection of the dish.

This behavior reminds me of an old acquaintance.

Resting his cheek against one hand, Rod shook his head with an amused smile.

"Don't talk while you're eating." Saten Ruiko instinctively lectured her, as though she were scolding her own younger brother.

"Mmm~ Delicious^o^!?"

"Agent?" Saten Ruiko tilted her head in confusion, not understanding.

"It means it's tasty! Nom nom~" Frenda explained while shoveling curry into her mouth.

"A foreign language? Well, as long as it suits your tastes." Saten Ruiko smiled awkwardly.

"Another bowl!?" Completely unfamiliar with the concept of restraint, Frenda held her already empty plate out to Saten Ruiko.

"You really don't hold back, do you? So, Mr. Rod, does it suit your tastes?" Saten Ruiko rolled her eyes at Frenda and ignored her request for more rice, then nervously turned to Rod.

"It's delicious. It's no worse than food from some restaurants. Ruiko, you have excellent cooking skills." Chewing the mackerel together with the spicy fragrance of the curry, Rod praised her sincerely.

"Then please eat plenty, Mr. Rod. There's more in the pot if it isn't enough." Praised by someone she admired—and addressed by name with such intimacy—Saten Ruiko's face flushed shyly as sweetness filled her heart.

"Ugh!? Another bowl." For some reason, Frenda felt annoyed at the sight. She waved her empty plate in front of Saten Ruiko.

"Go serve yourself from the pot!?" Saten Ruiko instantly lost her shy demeanor. With a dark expression, she pointed toward the kitchen as she spoke to Frenda.

Feeling the overwhelming pressure, Frenda did not dare say another word and slunk into the kitchen.

"Hmph!? I see through you now, Saten Ruiko. But this curry really is so delicious..." Though Frenda complained, she still filled her plate with curry, tears of sorrow streaming from the corners of her mouth.