Chapter 12 – Strong determination

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Although Sadao had repeatedly warned her not to meddle, Utaha was determined to offer some insignificant help to this respected kohai.

Of course, Sadao was unaware of her thoughts. If he knew, he would definitely have a lengthy discussion with her to make her understand the concept of "lying down flat"!

Unfortunately, he didn't know that after dinner, he began installing the monitor himself.

This task wasn't too complicated. After drilling holes in the wall with an impact drill at suitable locations, aligning with the wall bracket's screw ports, he could secure the wall bracket with screws. The rest was just mounting the monitor.

As for the subsequent adjustments, connecting it to the computer was straightforward.

In no time, he had completed everything.

However, after finishing all of this, Sadao suddenly sighed, "A big screen..."

"What's wrong?" Utaha was a bit puzzled. Out of nowhere, how did he suddenly enter the melancholic mode of an old man?

"You wouldn't understand, and I don't know how to explain it to you..." Sadao shook his head. He recalled past times, when he could barely make ends meet, and high-tech derivatives like this were out of reach. But now, he could easily get his hands on them.

Upon careful reflection, he hadn't played games for many years to survive at Totsuki. Was it really worth giving up his original interests for a relationship with Erina Nakiri, unsure if it would work out?

Sadao didn't know, but one thing was certain: he had completely awakened. For him now, only good food, games, and anime were things not to be neglected. As for other matters, it was all fate.

Seeing his expression change from melancholy to firm, Utaha was somewhat surprised. What kind of determination had he made?

However, Sadao's reaction sparked her interest. She was curious to know what experiences had led him to develop such a peculiar personality.

"By the way, dinner is over. Aren't you going back?" Now that his mood had calmed down, Sadao began ushering guests out. As for whether this would affect the business of his store, he didn't care!

"Uh..." Utaha was initially startled, then her mouth twitched. "Kohai-kun, are you sure this is the way to treat guests?"

"Of course not..." Sadao confidently smiled and unhesitatingly gave a negative answer. "...But in this store, there's no such thing as a proper way to treat guests. How to treat guests depends on the store manager's mood!"

"This won't do..." Although his culinary skills were outstanding, with such a rude way of treating guests, would he still have repeat customers?

However, as she had this thought, Utaha sadly realized that there would indeed be repeat customers... at least, she was sure she would be one.

"Anyway, my store doesn't serve late-night snacks. Please leave if you have nothing else to do!" However, Sadao turned a deaf ear to her remarks. He didn't want to bother with so many messy things; he just wanted to live freely!

"Late-night snacks!?" Utaha was initially surprised, then revealed a playful smile. "I see, are you worried that I'll come and snatch your food again?"

Speaking of this, Sadao felt a bit suffocated. He gave her an annoyed look. "You're quite right. Thanks to you, my late-night snacks menu has already been ruined, and now I have to think of a new one!"

"Is it the stir-fried rice noodles from earlier?" Utaha was a smart person. Recalling his unwilling appearance earlier, she had a good idea.

"That's right, that was originally my late-night snack!"

After receiving a confirmation, Utaha smiled joyfully. She knew that her cheerful smile might be interpreted as provocative, but she couldn't help it. Sadao's reaction was just too amusing. "I wonder if I'm lucky enough to have late-night snacks with you?"

"Ha..." Sadao was dumbfounded. Senpai, I've already said so much, and you still want to stay for late-night snacks? I know my culinary skills are exceptional, but do you need to get addicted to this extent?

Sadao sighed helplessly and asked, "Can I refuse?"

"I personally hope that you agree." Utaha still had a smiling expression, seeming confident that he wouldn't refuse.

"Alright..." Sadao furrowed his brow. Honestly, he really wanted to refuse. He no longer wanted to live a life where he did things he didn't want to do. However, Megumi Kato's temptation was not insignificant. Even if he ended up not being with her, making friends with her wouldn't be a loss. Moreover, if they were destined, then Utaha, the person used to obstruct the heroine, would be quite useful. In this situation, it wasn't wise to antagonize her. Besides, her request wasn't unreasonable—just preparing a late-night snack for her, and she would even pay for it.

Noticing Sadao's change in expression, Utaha became more and more interested in Megumi Kato. What kind of person was she to make this eccentric person go to such lengths for her?

"Can I decide on the late-night snack menu?" Just as she was contemplating, Sadao's voice suddenly came over.

"Of course, let the decision be in the hands of the great chef!" Utaha nodded repeatedly. She was completely clueless about Chinese cuisine, and accidentally ordering a Chinese dish would be embarrassing. In this situation, letting the Chinese chef decide was the wise choice.

"Then let's have dumplings... Although you've probably had dumplings before, the dumplings I make will taste very different from what you usually eat."

"Mm-hmm..." Utaha nodded repeatedly. "I'll leave it all to you."

Seeing that she had no objections, Sadao couldn't be bothered with her anymore. It was rare to obtain such a large screen; it would be a waste not to use it properly.

With that in mind, he thought about changing his computer. If he was going to play games, he needed a computer specifically designed for gaming!

He had always been a person who acted decisively. After making up his mind, he started investigating computer components online...

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