14. A Family Member (2)

After about fifteen minutes, Haruki skimmed the surface of the curry and added some curry roux. He let the pot simmer uncovered while frequently stirring.

He also began to prepare some rice.

Mikan sat in a daze. The smell of the curry soup flooded the room. She still couldn't believe that this intoxicating smell was created by her brother.

"Can you set the table? I'm almost done cooking."

"Okay."

Mikan didn't mind helping out. As much as she was in disbelief, she was actually looking forward to his food.

It didn't take long for Haruki to finish cooking. He dished out two plates and brought them to the table.

Haruki looked at Mikan and waited for her to taste the food. She hesitantly took a spoonful into her mouth. A look of surprise came into her face.

"It's good!"

"I'm glad."

Haruki smiled as he watched Mikan eat. Watching his sister savour his cooking brought him a sense of fulfilment he hadn't felt in a while.

Mikan blushed as she ate. To think that her brother's food was delicious. She even felt like his cooking was better than hers.

The siblings ate their dinner in this comfortable silence. Haruki didn't find this awkward at all. He was used to this stillness. Mikan was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice this.

Haruki finished his food and stood up to take his dishes to the sink, only to get stopped by Mikan.

"Don't. I'll do the dishes."

"It's fine."

"I'm not asking you."

Haruki showed some surprise before smiling. He patted Mikan's head.

"It's nice having such a responsible sister."

"Didn't I say to not mess with my hair?"

"Yeah yeah. I'm going to take a bath."

Haruki stopped teasing his sister as he went into the bathroom, unaware of his sister's complex thoughts as she blushed.

Haruki cleaned himself off and got into the bath. He thought about his day as a smile appeared on his face. The day was filled with many surprises. To think that he could live such a carefree life.

"Oh right. System?"

[STATUS :

Name: Haruki

Lv: 1

Age: 15

STATS:

Str: 11

Vit: 13

Dex: 12

Agi: 10

Int: 28

Titles: [The Prodigy]

Traits: [Locked]

Skills: [Cooking (LV: 2/10)], [Tea Artistry(LV: 1/10)], [Calligraphy (LV: 3/10)], [Piano Mastery (LV: 5/10)], [Language Mastery (LV: 6/10)], [Mathematics (LV: 9/10)], [Concentration (LV: 9/10)], [Training (LV: 7/10)], [Running (LV: 3/10)], [Historiography (LV: 5/10)]

Items: [Training Field], [Experience Boost Potion], [Teleportation Scroll]

Comment: A mind vastly superior to its body]

Haruki looked at his status in confusion. Not only had his stats increased, but he had also gained many skills.

He didn't even think that [Running] would be a skill, much less concepts like [Concentration] and even [Training].

(I just figured I should add some of the skills I missed. Everything is up for discussion.)

Haruki tried to think about how these skills would affect each other. He wondered if skills like [Training] and [Concentration] along with his title [The Prodigy] would superimpose on one another.

Unfortunately, the system rarely offered any explanations.

After analysing all of this, Haruki decided to forget about it. It currently wasn't worth the stress.

He enjoyed his bath in serenity, his mind free from any thoughts. He hadn't felt this content in a while.

Haruki jumped out of the bath when he noticed himself getting sleepy. He still needed to do his homework.

Haruki walked into his bedroom with a smile. The room was simple. Bookshelves and a study desk sat on a wooden floor.

He changed into his pyjamas and sat cross legged on his bed. With his book sitting on his lap, he leaned against his pillows as he began to read.

His homework was mainly reading, so it wasn't anything that stressed him.

Soon the day caught up with him and his eyes began to flutter. He gradually fell asleep as the book fell from his lap.

After a while, Mikan walked in to see this capture this scene. Haruki looked like the image of tranquillity. His serene expression always captivated her.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. In fact, this was a regular scene. She often sat and observed this scene for periods at a time.

She held a blanket in her hand that she put over Haruki. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at him.

Suddenly, a blush appeared on her face. After a moment of hesitation, she neared Haruki's face and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight, onii-chan."

Mikan's face flushed as she swiftly exited the room. This moment would only be known by her and her alone.