Chapter 8 – Unexpected guest returns

The worrying situation Sadao feared never happened. Although Ruri, the little cat, was amiable, there didn't seem to be anything particularly special about her.

It's somewhat regrettable, but Sadao thought it's highly unlikely for her to transform into a beautiful girl to repay her gratitude. Regardless, having a amiable cat was not all bad; at least, he didn't have to worry about Ruri causing trouble in the store.

After preparing dinner for Ruri, Sadao started preparing his own. Despite living in this country for many years and developing a more discerning taste, his eating habits hadn't changed much. He still enjoyed Chinese cuisine and the familiar home-cooked dishes found everywhere in China.

Only those common dishes could bring a sense of familiarity after being away from home for so long.

Thinking about it, I must be completely incompatible with Erina Nakiri... Is it fortunate that I haven't gotten too close to her?

He chuckled and shook his head, unsure if he felt fortunate or regretful.

Regardless of his thoughts, his hands moved rapidly. After washing the rice and putting it in the rice cooker, he started preparing the dish, Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables, a Cantonese dish. Though a common home-cooked dish with a straightforward cooking process, can it still be called home-cooked if it's not simple?

Dealing with pork belly was a piece of cake for him, being a Chinese culinary master, and soaking the preserved mustard greens was even simpler.

Once everything was prepared, he began crafting the crucial sauce.

The taste of Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables depended on the quality of the sauce, despite the pork belly and preserved mustard greens' qualities. If the sauce was poorly made, no matter how well the pork belly was prepared or how high-quality the preserved mustard greens were, the dish would still be a failure.

Sadao wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection for his dinner. The sauce he concocted was undoubtedly a masterpiece.

With the sauce ready, he fried the cooked pork belly. The delightful aroma filled the air instantly.

This is life, this is enjoyment...

Sadao once again realized how dull his life had been at Totsuki. This was the life he truly desired – free from constraints, not worrying about the future, and not entangled in the schemes of others. Could there be a better life than this?

The answer was a resounding no, at least in Sadao's opinion.

Over an hour later, a tantalizing dish of Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables was finally ready. After filling a large bowl with fragrant white rice, he sat down and enjoyed it heartily.

Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables and white rice were a perfect match. The meticulously cooked pork belly burst with exquisite sauce when he took a bite. Paired with the aromatic white rice, it truly made him feel like he was in heaven.

However, after a while, Sadao felt that just eating wasn't enough. He took a chilled beer from the refrigerator.

White rice, Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables, and ice-cold beer – facing this trio, Sadao chose to surrender outright. He sighed from the bottom of his heart, "This is life!"

"Oh... listening to you, kohai-kun, it seems like you had a tough life before?" Out of nowhere, Utaha Kasumigaoka's voice suddenly interrupted Sadao's hard-earned tranquility.

"Huh!?" Not surprisingly, Sadao was startled by this unexpected voice. When he turned around, who else but Utaha Kasumigaoka?

"Why are you here again?" Instinctively, Sadao blurted out his thoughts.

"Why can't I come?" Utaha was clearly annoyed by his reaction. "Am I that annoying to you?"

"No, no..." Sadao hurriedly shook his head and quickly realized, "...I was just surprised. Why did you come at this time, Senpai?"

Unfortunately, Utaha, who saw through his true thoughts, didn't give him a good expression. "This is a restaurant; what do you think I came here for?"

Honestly, she didn't plan on showing up twice in a day, but unfortunately, her parents were conveniently not around today. Faced with such perfect timing, how could she not seize the opportunity to satisfy her cravings?

Sadao twitched his mouth, feeling utterly defeated by Utaha Kasumigaoka.

Even though there's a variety of delicious food here, do you really have to come twice a day? Can't you use those diligent little hands for something else?

"I wonder what Senpai would like to eat?" Although he didn't want to have too much interaction with Utaha until he got hold of Megumi Kato, she still had some useful value until then. Picking a fight with her wasn't a wise choice.

"What are you eating?" Utaha didn't answer but was captivated by the plate of Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables, which was incredibly appetizing. Well, despite this kohai's quirky and annoying temper, his culinary skills were undeniably praiseworthy.

"Uh..." Sadao was at a loss for words. He was getting frustrated. Seriously, are you going to steal my dinner again!?

"Can't you answer me?" Seeing him in a dilemma, Utaha laughed with a somewhat mischievous delight in her expression.

"It's Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables..." Sadao sighed inwardly and reluctantly answered her question. "Categorically, it belongs to the Guangdong cuisine." 

(t/n: Guangdong is a province of China)

"Can I taste it?"

As expected, after hearing his introduction, Utaha immediately pushed her luck and made a more unreasonable request.

"You can only try a bit..." Sadao decided to endure it for now. Before Megumi Kato officially appeared, he'd let this girl enjoy herself for a while.

"Well, I won't be polite then..." Saying that, Utaha picked up disposable chopsticks and eagerly started tasting.

Don't take too much... Hey...

Sadao was going crazy. I just wanted you to try the taste, don't take advantage of the situation, okay!?

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