Before dinner

(Ryoto's pov)

School had ended without any more sensations, so after saying my goodbyes Lala and I needed to do groceries.

It went easier than usual. I didn't need to hit an old lady with a stick this time to get vegetables.

This reminds me that I forgot to say goodbye to Nakame-san. I'll need to apologize to her when I get back. Maybe I'll make her some of my now famous sweets. Thanks to Kaede, I had a lot of practice with them.

Back to groceries, I chose only the best of the ingredients. I used both my eyes and prediction calculation to choose only the freshest of vegetables, meat, and other things. I also bought an apron for myself since I liked how it looked.

Should I do 'naked apron'... no, better not. I'll do it when I'm alone with Lala and have some fun then. Maybe some other time, we'll switch roles, and she'll be the one wearing only an apron.

Who am I kidding? All I need to do is ask, and she will do it.

Now that we were done with groceries, it was time to return home.

As we were near home, we met Mikan and her two friends.

Sachie: "Hello Onii-san! Nice to see you again!"

Said a blonde girl energetically.

Mami: "Hello, sorry for the intrusion."

Said the black-haired girl more shyly than the first one.

Ryoto: "Hello to both of you. I didn't expect guests today, but how about coming to dinner since you're here. Today I'll be the one making it, so I hope you didn't eat anything in a while because I guarantee you won't want to stop eating once you taste my cooking."

Mikan: "A lot of confidence for someone who never made a dinner in his life."

I didn't say anything, but I knew that Mikan would be for a surprise soon.

Mikan: "By the way, why do you have a dog sitting in your head."

That's right! Utsu was currently lying on my head, and it wasn't because he was lazy... OK, it was, but it wasn't the only reason. Using Utsu's cuteness and charm, I got a few deals on the market.

Ryoto: "He was my helper in saving money."

Mikan: "...Sure, then why does it have a bat?"

Ryoto: "Because he is a good boy on a mission."

As I said that, I patted his head gently, which he enjoyed.

Mikan: "...He is our new pet, isn't he?"

Ryoto: "He sure is."

Mikan: "You're going to transform our house into a zoo at this rate."

Ryoto: "Don't worry about it. It won't happen... probably."

We went inside the house, and I noticed that Mikan did groceries as well. I forgot that she was the one who did it almost exclusively, but because of my living alone, it became kind of a habit. At least we had enough ingredients for our guests.

Rito wasn't home as he to Saruyama's house today. He'll probably ask him for some advice about Haruna, but I don't think he asks the best person out there.

In the kitchen, I put on my newly bought apron, and I did my usual routine of making delicious food and finished it after a while.

The finished product looked great, and I was about to bring it to them, but Lala appeared behind me as soon as I finished. Living with me for almost a year, she knew how long I usually take to make dinner. That or she observed me the whole time.

Walking out of the kitchen and entering the living room, I saw penguins getting along with Utsu. I saw traces of bonking on Skipper.

I'll need to remind him to stay away from Mikan's room. I don't want another incident like on the first day.

I, of course, didn't forget about my summons while making food, so I gave it to them. I was curious how Utsu would eat since he still had a bat in his mouth, but the baseball bat disappeared in light particles, and the good boy started eating happily.

So he can make it disappear at will, but why didn't he do it before? Maybe he wanted to bonk as soon as he saw the target?

Nevermind that. I focused on a table where I put my dishes on the table. Mikan seeing them, widened her eyes, not believing that they looked edible.

Mikan: "What kind of magic did you use!?"

Ryoto: "Excuse me?"

(Mikan's pov)

I went home with Sachie and Mami after we did the groceries. In front of the home, I met up with Ryoto, who surprisingly did the same thing I did.

He also had a dog on his head.

Not the strangest thing he brought home. It's more normal than the penguins, at least.

Nevermind that. Right now, I'm planning to witness what Ryoto is planning. After all, he can't cook.

While he was in the kitchen, we played with Utsu for a while, and the penguins joined too. Skipper was hit with a bat, but he didn't look hurt.

Skipper: "Hey, what do you think you're doing, you furball on four legs!?"

Use: "Woof!"

Skipper: "All muscles? Ha! You would succeed as a comedian with jokes like these."

Use: "Woof!"

Skipper looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

Skipper: "H-how do you know that?"

Use: "Woof! (There are no secrets in front of mighty bonk.)

Skipper: "What does it even mean!?"

...

I don't know what to say. Does Utsu blackmail Skipper?

Mami: "Ooh, they get along already."

I looked strangely at my friend. Do we see the same thing?

Ryoto: "Food incoming!"

It seemed that Ryoto had finished preparing dinner, so we sat at the table.

The dishes on the plates looked... absolutely stunning. I couldn't believe my own eyes.

Mikan: "What kind of magic did you use?"

Ryoto: "Excuse me?

Mikan: "We both know that you're not capable of cooking so well."

Ryoto: "My heart bleeds hearing your words Mikan, but I understand your skepticism. So why don't you take a bite and see for yourself if it's good? I can taste it first if you want to be entirely sure if it's edible."

Am I overthinking? Ryoto could learn how to cook in secret or even in school. It's just a lot of strange things that happened in a short amount of time, so maybe I'm on guard because of that.

My older brother wanted to do something nice for me, and I doubted him.

I'm starting to feel a little bit guilty.

Mikan: "No, you don't need to."

Ryoto: "Ah, before you start, you should prepare spare clothes for you and your friends."

Mikan: "Ryoto, we aren't children. I doubt we'll need them."

I mean, we won't get dirty from the food if we're careful.

Ryoto didn't argue about it, but I didn't notice that he smiled evilly just before we took the first bite of his food.

---

END

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