The sun was setting, its golden rays spilling across the horizon like a brushstroke on canvas. Everything was bathed in a warm, dazzling glow as if the world itself had been dipped into liquid gold. The quiet suburban street leading to the Kasumigaoka residence seemed unusually serene under this light.
Izumi Masamune arrived at the Kasumigaoka household, only to be struck speechless by the sight in the living room. Sitting gracefully on the sofa was a silver-haired girl, her beauty so striking that he froze at the entrance for several seconds. He turned to Kasumigaoka Touji with a questioning look, his eyes filled with both curiosity and disbelief.
"This is…?"
"Kani Nayuta-sensei," Touji answered with nonchalance, though his words carried a surprising weight. "She's transferred here recently and is now my classmate."
Masamune blinked. "Ehh?"
Of course, he knew Kani Nayuta. Who didn't? She was a new author, barely debuted, yet her novel's popularity already outstripped his by several times over. Half a month ago she had been buzzing around Touji's live stream, showing the enthusiasm of a die-hard fan. But never in his wildest imagination did he think this so-called fan was actually a silver-haired bishoujo close to his own age!
"…Seriously, what's with this trend?" Masamune muttered internally, sweat forming at his temples. "Why are beautiful girls writing novels all of a sudden? Kasumigaoka Utaha-senpai is one, Yamada Elf next door is another… and now even Kani Nayuta?!"
What made his chest tighten with suspicion was that Kani Nayuta hadn't just appeared here by chance. She had actually transferred into Touji's class. For Masamune, no matter how he spun it, something about this situation felt off.
Subconsciously, his gaze shifted toward Utaha, who sat composedly nearby. She was sipping tea, her posture elegant, her expression calm—almost too calm. She didn't show a trace of irritation or jealousy, which only made Masamune's confusion deepen.
"Hello, Izumi-sensei," Kani Nayuta suddenly stood up and greeted politely, her hands clasped neatly before her. "I've heard Winter-sensei mention you often."
Masamune almost choked. The way she said it carried the same cadence as a wife introducing herself to her husband's acquaintance. He could almost hear the subtext: Hello, my husband has told me about you.
"…Hello," he replied awkwardly, forcing a smile. "I'm Izumi Masamune. My representative work is The Reincarnated Silver Wolf…"
Before he could finish, Touji leaned forward with casual interest. "How's your new book? Have you started writing it?"
The question pierced Masamune like an arrow. He sank onto the sofa, lowering his head in quiet defeat. "…Two of my manuscripts have already been rejected."
Utaha set her teacup down, lips twitching slightly. She would never admit it aloud, but she sometimes envied how Masamune could churn out drafts so quickly. Even if they were rejected, the ability to produce work that fast was, in itself, a rare kind of talent.
Kani Nayuta tilted her head, sympathy flashing across her delicate features. She already knew a little about Masamune's struggles thanks to Touji's casual mentions. Writing wasn't easy, and in truth, she herself had been lucky—her very first manuscript had been accepted, only needing light revisions.
"Were those manuscripts also campus supernatural battle stories?" Touji asked, adjusting his glasses with curiosity.
Masamune nodded. "Yeah. After the success of Reincarnated Silver Wolf, I thought I had some talent in that direction. Plus, I'd been writing in that genre, so it felt easy to handle." He paused, then gave a bitter laugh. "But reality slapped me hard."
Rejections were no stranger to him, yet the sting never lessened. Still, Touji didn't bother to sugarcoat anything. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That genre's kind of niche right now. Of course, some outliers hit big, but they're rare. These days, the isekai reincarnation type is more widely accepted. You should try broadening your scope."
"I've thought about that," Masamune admitted. "I even started outlining something new already."
The conversation drifted, and before long, the clock struck five. Right on time, Kasumigaoka Touji—who had been bustling in the kitchen—signaled the start of his cooking live stream. The ring light clicked on, and the camera lens pointed toward the counter where fresh ingredients were laid out like an artist's palette.
For Kani Nayuta, this was her first time witnessing Touji's live broadcast in person. Her eyes sparkled with uncontainable excitement, her hands pressed to her chest as if she were witnessing something sacred. In her gaze, Touji wasn't just Touji—he was her idol, her muse, and her beloved all rolled into one.
"…That's definitely the look of a fangirl meeting her idol," Masamune muttered under his breath as he adjusted the camera tripod.
Just a moment ago, Izumi Masamune had keenly noticed something unusual between the Kasumigaoka siblings and Kani Nayuta. He couldn't help but feel like his childhood friend had somehow "cheated," but strangely enough, Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't shown the dramatic reactions he'd expected. This wasn't normal! Back then, Utaha-senpai would have shot daggers with her eyes. Izumi Masamune simply couldn't understand.
Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka Touji was already in his element, standing in front of the camera with a confident smile beneath his fox mask. He gave his usual opening speech, his voice smooth and engaging as countless viewers tuned in.
"At the beginning of the month, my parents transferred to Hokkaido for work," Touji explained, gesturing grandly toward the kitchen counter. "Just recently, they sent us a huge supply of fresh, high-quality ingredients. So today, minna-san, I'll be preparing a full Hokkaido-style seafood feast just for you!"
He motioned for Izumi Masamune, who dutifully picked up the phone stand and adjusted the angle. The lens shifted to reveal the dazzling spread across the stove—ingredients so extravagant that the comments section practically exploded.
Inside a wooden box filled with shavings rested a massive, hibernating red king crab. Next to it lay a North Sea striped shrimp, nearly fifteen centimeters long, with three bold stripes on its glossy green back. Nearby were palm-sized scallops, spiny Ezo purple sea urchins that looked dangerous just sitting there, and an arm-length Okhotsk salmon glinting in the light.
"Uwaaaah, today's ingredients are insane!" "I love watching things I can't afford, fufufu~." "Winter-sensei, make me drool already!" "Seafood feast? My body is ready!" "My mouth is watering! (ˉ﹃ˉ*)" "It's decided—I'm hitting the seafood buffet tonight!" "Winter-sensei's mom, please send me some ingredients too, onegaishimasu ╰(゜▽゜)╯!"
The bullet comments scrolled endlessly across the screen.
Touji gave a playful snort. "Oi, correction—my mom, not your mom!"
The audience burst out laughing, spamming rows of 'wwwwww.'
"Back to the main topic!" Touji clapped his hands dramatically, holding up eight fingers. "Today I'll be preparing eight dishes. Each one will use a different cooking method—no repeats, I promise!"
He started pointing to the ingredients one by one, explaining like a pro chef.
"First, the red king crab. The rich meat from the body will go into steamed egg custard, while the legs will be served as sashimi. The shell, along with salmon bones and shrimp shells, will be boiled into a hearty seafood miso soup. The shrimp meat from the North Sea striped shrimp will be tempura. The scallops will be steamed with garlic and vermicelli. Oysters—charcoal grilled. The salmon—smoked. And lastly, the sea urchin will top a luxurious uni-don, sea urchin rice bowl!"
The live comments went wild:
"He even uses the shells and bones—nothing goes to waste!" "One crab, three ways? Winter-sensei, you're a genius!" "Why not add salmon sashimi too? Don't hold back, sensei!" "Uni-don! My absolute favorite!" "Garlic vermicelli seafood again? He really loves that, huh? But honestly, it's always delicious!" "Learned something new today!"
Touji glanced over the chatter, amused, before sliding on a pair of thick rubber gloves. He reached into the box and lifted the giant red king crab, easily larger than his masked face.
"This one's a monster… must be about two kilos." His voice carried a teasing lilt as he placed it in the sink, turning on the faucet to wash away the wood shavings.
Izumi Masamune followed close behind with the camera, zooming in just as the water splashed over the crab. The creature twitched, eyes snapping open. Startled awake from hibernation, it stood tall in the sink, its massive claws spreading wide in defiance. Its size and strength alone made everyone tense.
Kani Nayuta gasped softly, her silver lashes trembling. "Touji-sensei… careful! If that thing pinches you, even gloves won't help!"
Utaha folded her arms, but her brows furrowed. "Baka otouto… don't get cocky just because you've handled crabs before. This one isn't the same as those little ones."
Even Izumi Masamune broke out in a sweat, watching the claws snap menacingly.
Touji, however, simply tilted his head. "Strange… isn't this guy way too lively? Waking up from hibernation, it should still be sluggish."
The bullet comments fired off again:
"That crab's got fighting spirit!" "Send it to me, Winter-sensei! I'll 'take care' of it, lol." "Or give it to me, I'm a pro chef!" "Where do you live, sensei? I'll swing by and pick it up for you~."
Touji sighed dramatically. "Kind-hearted viewers, aren't you?"
Ignoring the wave of laughter, he pressed firmly on the crab's back with gloved hands, gripping it expertly by the sides of its carapace. With one swift motion, he hoisted it out of the sink, droplets of water and shavings cascading down.
The crab flailed harder, its limbs thrashing wildly. Touji wasted no time. He slammed it onto the cutting board, pinning it in place with one arm. Then, with smooth precision, he used his knife to detach its eight legs and two claws, slicing them neatly into sections.
The crab finally stilled.
"First obstacle cleared," Touji announced, placing the legs and claws neatly onto a nearby plate. He then grabbed a pair of sharp scissors, inserting them into the mouth of the crab. As he worked, he explained calmly for the viewers:
"These parts here—the gills, stomach, intestines, and heart—are inedible. Always remove them when cleaning crab."
He spoke like a seasoned teacher, carefully lifting away the internal organs before rinsing the shell clean under the faucet. With a smaller knife, he meticulously scooped out the tender meat, setting it aside for later use.
The whole process looked effortless, almost elegant. Combined with his tall figure and the mystique of his fox mask, Touji seemed less like a mere streamer and more like a professional chef—or even a stage performer, commanding the spotlight.
And seated nearby, a certain silver-haired girl clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling brighter than ever, utterly captivated by him…
…