Nemu Kurotsuchi felt as if she were standing at a crossroads.
To the right lies the road to the past. Don't worry about anything else; just put Mayuri in the most important position.
To the left is a path never before imagined, full of unknowns. Mayuri- sama is still important, but no longer the only one.
In the past, she would have chosen to go right without hesitation. The things she has experienced in recent days may not be considered earth-shattering events.
But that's life; it's made up of many trivial and inconspicuous little things that quietly change a person.
She is currently unable to decisively choose the right side.
Nemu Kurotsuchi lowered her eyes, deciding to finish processing the sturgeon before thinking about it, and scraped off the scales with a sharp knife.
Oh no, there's still steak, carrots, tomatoes, chicken breast... After washing and chopping all the ingredients, she thought to herself, "I'll think about it more carefully after I've cooked these."
Light a fire, set up a wok, pour in oil, and drop in sturgeon chunks coated in batter. A sizzling sound fills the air as the sturgeon chunks gradually turn golden brown.
Put the chicken cutlet into a frying pan and fry it.
She Isshin multitask without finding it difficult.
After turning the ingredients into delicious dishes, she wanted to take a shower; she felt smelly and couldn't think about anything.
After showering, she started to shake off the Shihakushō, wrapping it around her right hand, bringing her left hand closer, and rapidly spinning her right hand while the Shihakushō slapped against her left hand, shaking off the water with a series of "plop" sounds.
It makes the already damp Shihakushō look damp, neither dry nor wet, and wearing it feels like wearing a layer of greasy snakeskin.
She voluntarily ran a lap outside.
The sweltering heat dried her Shihakushō. She returned to the cave and saw Shiraishi eating sturgeon Shiraishi, making big slurping noises and even stuffing steak into her mouth, wolfing it down as usual.
Nemu Kurotsuchi wasn't happy as usual; instead, she felt irritated and leaned closer to stare at him.
"Cough cough," Shiraishi swallowed the meat, coughed twice, and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
"I don't know," Nemu Kurotsuchi answered truthfully.
Shiraishi rolled his eyes, speechless, and said, "Sorry, I didn't wait for you, I was just too hungry."
Is that the reason? Nemu Kurotsuchi always felt that it wasn't, but then she felt that thinking about these things was too troublesome, and that it was much easier to not think about anything at all like before.
At most, he'd get a beating from Mayuri -sama, or lie on the lab table; he was already used to those physical stimuli.
This headache and chest tightness caused by constant thinking were new to her; she wondered if cutting open her head and chest would provide relief.
Nemu Kurotsuchi started thinking again. She clearly didn't want to think about those things, but she couldn't help but think about them. When did things start to change?
She wasn't sure; all she knew was that she couldn't stop this change, and she didn't know if it was good or bad.
Beneath a calm exterior, a storm raged within her heart.
The man in front of her, completely oblivious to her unusual behavior, continued to enjoy his dinner happily.
Ah, that's what made her angry.
Having figured this out, she leaned closer again and stared intently.
Shiraishi lost interest in the sturgeon tempura in his mouth, chewed it haphazardly a couple of times, swallowed it, and said with a helpless expression, "Why are you staring at me again?"
Nemu Kurotsuchi tilted her head and asked, "Will this affect your meal?"
"Of course it affects me," Shiraishi replied. He found it hard to enjoy his meal when people were watching him eat; he always felt uncomfortable.
"Okay, that's good," Nemu Kurotsuchi nodded, feeling satisfied that she had made Shiraishi experience the same feelings.
Shiraishi looked completely bewildered.
Nemu Kurotsuchi sat beside her, slowly chewing her food, using it to escape the problem. She couldn't imagine losing Mayuri- sama, but...
" Shiraishi."
"Um?"
"If you fail, will I never be able to let you try new dishes again, never listen to your boring ramblings, and never see you again?"
"So you think I'm a chatterbox?"
Shiraishi couldn't help but remark, looking at her profile, her expression full of seriousness, "She's so cute."
"I thought you were thinking about something else, but it turns out it's this kind of thing. Don't worry, I will definitely not die."
"Our opponent is Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
Nemu Kurotsuchi replied sullenly, "Even Mayuri -sama, who respects the Captain-Commander, can feel his undeniable power, even though I've never seen him fight."
Shiraishi ruffled her hair and said, "It's not like we're going to fight head-on, don't overthink it."
Nemu Kurotsuchi persisted, asking, "What if we're discovered?"
"Well," Shiraishi was about to suggest Barbie Q, but seeing her expression, he changed his mind and said, "I can run away too, don't worry. I'm known as the man who's like the wind; my escape skills are absolutely top-notch."
"Oh." Nemu Kurotsuchi continued eating, feeling somewhat better, but she still couldn't shake off that problem.
Shiraishi helps her friends, but what about her?
She couldn't find the answer, and time didn't stop for her troubles, continuing its slow, leisurely march forward.
Until the 9th, Nemu Kurotsuchi still hadn't made a choice, but she still went to the vegetable market in Beginning of Spring Town to buy groceries.
This town is the only one in the entire West District Ten with a vegetable market; the rest of the area doesn't. Most of the Rukongai residents have enough drinking water to survive.
If you want to eat, there used to be Saito House in Rice Village, but it's gone now, so everyone who wants to eat has to go to Beginning of Spring Town.
Knowing full well the surveillance methods used by the Projection Hall, Nemu Kurotsuchi quickly followed the shadows to the vegetable market.
People come and go here.
Her arrival was met with a warm welcome from the vegetable vendors.
A burly man with a menacing face shouted, "Young lady! My sturgeon is very fresh today, half price for you!"
The middle-aged Big Mom with a thick waist retorted, " Nemu, your dishes are absolutely fresh!"
The man wearing flowers waved a handkerchief. " Nemu- chan, this beef was just slaughtered this morning, would you like some?"
"Hmm." Nemu Kurotsuchi once again succumbed to the calls of the uncles Big Mom, her money flowing out of her hands and her belongings piling up.
Simply because the price was much cheaper than what I originally bought.
She's well-behaved and beautiful, and is now the darling of the market; no one dares to overcharge her.
" Nemu- chan, you haven't been looking quite right lately. Is something on your mind?"
I'm pondering a problem, but I can't come up with an answer.
Nemu Kurotsuchi answered truthfully.
"What's the problem?" "Idiot, at this age, it's definitely related to romance." " Nemu is in love?" "No, I don't believe it!"
Whether they were Big Mom or men, they all gathered around, and apart from a certain heartbroken young man, everyone showed great interest.
Nemu Kurotsuchi didn't understand at all, but still said, "My friend is going to do something dangerous. I want to help him, but if I help him, I might lose another important person. What should I do?"
"Help." "Nonsense, not hearing is dangerous, just leave it alone." "Your safety is the most important." "Right, right."
Everyone chimed in with their opinions, but no one offered any good suggestions. It was the market manager who uttered a philosophical remark. "It's better to do something and then regret it than to regret not doing it."
Nemu Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up, and she made her choice.