[45] The Flame Empress

After paying, the two of them exited the store, but Yui still had the heart-shaped hairband on her head, and she hadn't taken it off.

Touching the bun on her head, Yui wore a happy smile.

"Yui, how about some takoyaki?" Hachiman asked, seeing a street food stall nearby.

"Sure!" Yui, feeling a bit hungry, nodded.

Approaching the takoyaki stall, Hachiman ordered, "One serving of takoyaki, please."

"Sure thing, young man. Please wait a moment," the stall owner, a middle-aged man, replied.

When it comes to Japanese street food, takoyaki is a classic that can't be missed.

Unlike the ones found in many other countries where they're mostly dough, these Japanese takoyaki balls were plump, and with each bite, you could taste the tender and chewy octopus inside.

They were garnished with bonito flakes, seaweed shreds, and mayonnaise, giving them a flavorful and savory taste that people loved.

Moreover, they weren't expensive at all, typically priced at around 400-500 yen per serving, quite affordable.

"Hey, young man, your girlfriend is really beautiful. You better treasure her," the stall owner, the friendly uncle, said as he watched Hachiman and Yui.

"Huh? We're..."

"Haha, don't worry, Uncle. I'll definitely treasure her," Hachiman responded with a chuckle, picking up where the owner left off.

In no time, the takoyaki was ready.

"All done! Seeing how well-matched you two are, I'll give you two extra pieces," the stall owner said with a chuckle.

"Haha, thank you so much for that," Hachiman accepted the takoyaki and thanked the owner with a smile.

After paying, Hachiman led Yui to a bench.

"Here, Yui, for you," he said, handing her a bamboo skewer.

Hachiman skewered one of the takoyaki balls, blew on it, and took a bite.

The combination of the tender filling and chewy octopus was a unique and delightful flavor.

"Wow, this is really delicious," Yui exclaimed beside him.

"Yeah, the taste is excellent. The various fillings are well-balanced, the octopus is plump, and most importantly, they've cooked it to perfection," Hachiman added appreciatively.

Hearing Hachiman's insightful analysis, Yui was somewhat surprised.

"Hikki, are you good at cooking, by any chance?"

"Yeah, to be honest, I'm quite skilled in cooking," Hachiman said with a hint of pride. "If there's a chance, I'll let you taste something I've prepared myself."

Cooking was one of the skills he used most often in his daily life.

Without any surprises, he would likely advance from level three to level four in his cooking skill within a month.

At level four, his cooking skills would probably surpass those of the Elite Ten Council.

"Uh, I'm so envious. When it comes to cooking, I'm definitely not good at it," Yui said, sounding somewhat disheartened.

Even though her mother was such a great cook, she couldn't seem to get the hang of it herself.

Hachiman couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed when Yui mentioned her cooking skills.

Yours must be considered "dark cuisine," he thought to himself.

Thinking about the cookies she had made in the original story, Hachiman's stomach churned uneasily.

He decided that Yui should stay away from cooking, and he could handle the cooking at home in the future.

That way, they could avoid any unnecessary trips to the hospital.

With this thought in mind, Hachiman couldn't help but pat himself on the back for his wisdom.

"Hmm..." After eating three takoyaki balls and biting into the fourth, Yui furrowed her brow slightly.

"What's wrong, Yui?" Seeing her expression, Hachiman asked with concern.

"I can't eat anymore," Yui said, feeling the fullness in her stomach and looking troubled.

"It's okay, I'll finish the rest," Hachiman reassured her.

A few takoyaki balls wouldn't be a problem for him.

"But..." Yui hesitated as she looked at the half-eaten takoyaki ball in her hand.

Before she could finish her thought, Hachiman simply took a bite of the takoyaki ball in her hand.

"Ah, Hikki, you..."

This is like an indirect kiss!

Seeing him eat the half she was holding, Yui blushed and exclaimed shyly.

"I don't want to waste it, and I think this takoyaki ball is more delicious than the others," Hachiman chuckled.

Having finished the one in her hand, Hachiman continued to eat the remaining takoyaki balls.

After finishing the takoyaki, Hachiman turned and saw Yui pouting, looking a bit sulky.

"Alright, Yui, don't be upset. Look, there's a claw machine over there. How about we try to grab some dolls?"

Hachiman reached over and ruffled the bun on her head, smiling as he pointed to the nearby claw machine.

The Japanese claw machine was quite remarkable.

It didn't just contain plush toys; it was filled with a variety of everyday items like cigarettes, lipstick, tissues, shoes, and even seafood, alongside action figures, DVDs, and more.

"Grabbing some dolls sounds fun," Yui replied, her interest piqued at the idea.

The two of them approached the claw machine, which held relatively ordinary plush toys inside.

They inserted a 500 yen coin and received five attempts.

"Yui, why don't you give it a try?"

"Sure, I'll give it a shot." Yui grasped the joystick, beginning her first attempt.

"However, everyone is familiar with how claw machines work. Although the joystick makes it easy to control left and right movements, the claw's gripping strength is rather weak.

So, while Yui managed to grab a plush toy, she couldn't hold onto it, and the toy eventually fell.

"Oh, I didn't get it," Yui said with a hint of disappointment as she watched the toy drop.

"It's okay, let's try again," Hachiman reassured her.

"Uh... it fell again."

Unfortunately, the second attempt had the same result.

"Hikki, you give it a try," Yui said, stepping aside in frustration.

"Don't worry, Yui. Which one do you want?" Hachiman asked.

"Hmm... I'll go for that small dog plush."

"No problem, leave it to me!"

Hachiman had some tricks up his sleeve when it came to claw machines.

This kind of thing required finesse—controlling the claw to the right position.

However, instead of using the claw to grab the plush toy, he swung the joystick left and right, hooking the loop behind the toy with the claw.

"Wow, Hikki, you're really good at this!" Yui exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly as the plush toy was smoothly lifted.

"For you, Yui." He retrieved the plush toy from the machine and handed it to her.

"Thanks, Hikki, hehe."

Taking the plush toy, Yui's face lit up with a radiant, goofy smile.

As he watched her infectious grin, Hachiman couldn't help but feel his own mood brighten.

Indeed, that kind of silliness was quite contagious.

"Hey, isn't that Yui?" At that moment, a slightly proud voice sounded, and a blonde figure approached them.

"Yumiko?!"

The person approaching was none other than Miura Yumiko, the Flame Empress of Sobu High School!

----------------------------------

A/N:

"Flame Empress" is not a literal title but a metaphorical one often used in storytelling to describe a character's dominant, assertive, or strong-willed personality. I gave this nickname to Miura Yukino to emphasize her authoritative and confident demeanor. It's not an official or formal title but a descriptive one based on her character traits.

--------------------------------------

Chapter 46: Familiar Faces Arriving One After Another

Chapter 47: The Outcome of the Serene and Lovely Blind Date Was Less Than Ideal

Can we return to the top 10 guys? I'll provide an extra chapter if we make it back.