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At the door of the rental apartment…
Mahiru Shiina glanced at the hand that was still being held, then looked up at Andrew, a little shyly.
"Um… we're home now. You can let go, right?"
Andrew sighed and finally let go of her hand. He looked at her meaningfully and said,
"My fridge is full of ingredients, but none of them have been touched. I think they're gonna go bad soon."
Mahiru instantly frowned and couldn't help but speak up, "That won't do! Wasting food is wrong!"
"How about this—I'll cook for you and try to use up the ingredients."
"I'll leave it to you, then, my dear angel!"
"I am not an angel! Don't call me that," Mahiru shot him a glare, then followed him inside.
Being back in the place where she'd lost her virginity, Mahiru had a complicated expression on her face.
She took a deep breath, tied her waist-length hair up into a high ponytail, and slipped on an apron.
Then, she headed into the kitchen.
As soon as she saw the fridge packed with fresh ingredients, Mahiru figured it out—he did this on purpose.
They were still fresh and would easily last a few more days.
He totally made up that excuse just to get her to cook for him.
What a sly guy.
Still… it wasn't all bad.
Even when she had trouble with Kurata at work, he rushed over to help her out. That said a lot about how much he cared.
Maybe he noticed that money had been a little tight for her lately, so he stocked up on food for her.
Or maybe… after eating all those burgers she made, he felt guilty and wanted to make it up to her?
Lost in thought, Mahiru's expression softened.
Something told her she might not get much sleep tonight…
Mahiru's cooking skills? No doubt about it—they were top-tier.
Three dishes and a soup, all looking, smelling, and tasting amazing.
Every bite was pure bliss.
"This is so good! Getting to taste Angel's cooking? My life is complete!"
Andrew gave a big thumbs-up, even said it in Mandarin for effect.
Mahiru nearly spat out her food and shot him a glare, half laughing.
"What do you mean 'so good'?! Don't exaggerate! A lifetime's worth?! It's just normal home cooking—anyone who puts in the effort can make food that tastes like this!"
"No way! I'm not lying—your cooking really is on a different level. You've got something special, Mahiru!"
It was probably her natural talent.
If they were in a world like Cooking Master Boy, her dishes would literally sparkle.
Getting such praise, Mahiru couldn't help but smile sweetly, a little embarrassed.
She quickly looked down and pretended to focus on eating, not daring to meet his eyes.
A little while later, both of them were full and satisfied.
Mahiru got up, planning to wash the dishes.
But Andrew suddenly picked her up around the waist and carried her into the bedroom.
The room with the bed.
"W-Wait! I still need to wash the dishes!"
Face flushed red, Mahiru lightly pushed against him. Her heart was racing as she frantically tried to find excuses.
"You can wash them tomorrow—I'll do it."
"B-but… I haven't showered yet! I need to take a bath!"
"Later is fine… Ow—did you just bite me?!"
Andrew looked down at her in surprise. She'd lightly bitten his arm and then let go, glaring at him.
"I said no… I need a bath."
For a girl, cleanliness was a must.
She'd worked up a sweat cooking—what if she smelled bad?
Andrew sighed and reluctantly set his little angel down.
To keep her from escaping, he even locked the front door and stood there like a guard.
Mahiru couldn't help but laugh, half exasperated.
Was he really worried she'd try to run away?
Even if she did, her apartment was right next door. Couldn't he just go over and "bully" her there?
Ten minutes later…
Wearing one of his oversized dress shirts, Mahiru was scooped up in his arms again by Andrew, who'd been waiting at the door.
They returned to that familiar place—the bedroom, the bed—where everything first started.
Andrew gently laid her down and gazed into her face.
Her fair skin had a slight pink flush from the hot shower.
Her delicate features were absolutely stunning, and those soft, rosy lips practically sparkled.
Wearing his shirt only made her figure stand out even more.
The curves under the shirt, the soft dip between them…
Everything about her screamed innocent beauty… and irresistible charm.
Mahiru peeked at him and saw the heat in his eyes. Her own eyes fluttered shut.
"Don't…"
Andrew gently stroked her soft golden hair and chuckled, "Don't what?"
Mahiru bit her lip and placed a small hand on his chest. She could feel his strong heartbeat beneath her palm, and it only made her more embarrassed.
"Don't bully me, you big jerk~"
Her voice was so soft, it sounded like she was pouting.
Andrew thought his ears were about to melt.
His heart was racing.
"Relax. I won't bully you, Mahiru… You're just too adorable…"
Mahiru turned her face away, flustered. "Adorable, huh? So which one do you think is cuter—'Angel Mahiru' that everyone sees, or the real me? The selfish one?"
"Both. No matter which Mahiru Shiina it is, you're always super cute to me!"
"Hmph! I don't believe you! Earlier today, I definitely saw you sneaking peeks at Asada with those pervy eyes! You're such a perv!"
"…Seriously? You're really gonna ruin the mood right now?" Andrew sighed, but his eyes were burning even more.
"And I wasn't peeking—I was admiring her. Besides, she looked so pitiful… I was just being sympathetic, okay?"
Mahiru pouted and rested her cheek on his chest, her voice barely a whisper.
"I'm not saying you can't care about her… It just kinda hurts. You always want me to be gentle with you, but then you go off and take care of other girls… uuu…"
Andrew didn't let her keep going.
He couldn't deal with that guilt.
The sly devil in him decided it was better to make her happy and distract her from his wandering eyes.
After all, he was a hopeless romantic—maybe even a bit of a demon.
But if he didn't keep forming contracts with new followers, how else could he get stronger?
He had to become stronger…
To protect his little angel Mahiru.
"..."
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