Eri Kisaki and Yukiko Fujimine exchanged a sharp glance. As if driven by the same competitive instinct, they both tried to step forward at the exact same time. The result was inevitable—
Thud!
"Ow!"
The two collided once again, and this time, the impact was hard enough to make their shoulders ache.
"Um... Kisaki-senpai, Fujimine-senpai?"
Midori Orikasa appeared at the doorway at some unknown point, cradling a bouquet of fresh flowers in her arms. She tilted her head, looking at the two women who had just crashed into each other with a look of pure bewilderment. "What are you two doing?"
"Nothing..." Eri muttered, cupping her sore nose, her voice sounding muffled and strained.
Yukiko, meanwhile, rubbed her forehead and forced a strained smile. "Oh, it's just Midori. Thank you for looking after things while I was away. It must have been hard work."
"It's what I should do," Midori said, waving her hand dismissively. "After all, Shuichi-senpai has been teaching me how to cook."
Yukiko narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing this junior who had "ulterior motives" and had managed to worm her way into the Izakaya during her absence.
Midori was still wearing that school uniform with a skirt that nearly brushed the floor. However, compared to the delinquent aura she gave off when they first met, she seemed much softer now. In fact... she almost looked cute?
Hmph, it must be an illusion!
"I'm back now," Yukiko announced, tilting her chin up and intentionally raising her voice. "From now on, you can just follow me to learn culinary skills."
"…That," Midori frowned slightly, instinctively looking toward the interior of the Izakaya. "I think I'll wait for Senpai's arrangements."
Hmph, this little vixen still wants to cling to Shuichi...
Yukiko's eyes thinned into slits. She was just about to say something sharp when she realized that while she was busy talking to Midori, Eri Kisaki had already seized the opening and slipped into the Izakaya ahead of her.
"Ah! Damn it! You cheated!" Yukiko stomped her foot. Ignoring the "small fry" that was Midori, she chased after Eri like a cat with its fur standing on end, puffing her cheeks in indignation.
Midori watched her retreating back with a confused expression before following them inside.
Since Yukiko had returned from her film shoot, Hayashi Shuichi wanted to prepare something special to celebrate.
Upon hearing this, Yukiko rushed to find her work uniform and hurriedly threw it on. While she was away, Midori had been helping out in the shop, and she had been wearing Yukiko's uniform the whole time. Yukiko had been obsessing over her clothes for days.
She had assumed that without a uniform, Midori wouldn't be able to work tonight and would be forced to leave. To her surprise, the girl simply walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a brand-new set of work clothes.
"Senpai had this custom-made for me a few days ago," Midori explained, noticing Yukiko's bewildered stare.
Hmph, he certainly prepared everything thoroughly for this little vixen!
Yukiko shot an annoyed glare at Hayashi Shuichi.
Once changed, Midori began skillfully assisting Shuichi. Ironically, Yukiko—having been away for a while—seemed a bit out of practice.
"Fujimine-senpai, you don't slice potatoes like that," Midori pointed out helpfully. "Senpai is planning to make..."
"This is for my own use!" Yukiko huffed. "I don't need you to—"
Before she could finish, perhaps because she put too much force into the knife, a slice of potato suddenly went flying.
Slap!
It landed squarely on the forehead of Eri Kisaki, who was currently standing by the water dispenser getting a drink.
The kitchen fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"I... I didn't mean to..."
Yukiko started to apologize, but when she saw Eri's dark expression paired with the potato slice stuck to her forehead, she couldn't help it. She let out a sudden, sharp "Pfft!" and burst into laughter.
Eri expressionlessly peeled the potato slice off her face. "Childish."
Yukiko, who was holding a bowl and scooping out some flour, immediately fired back, "Who are you calling childish?"
"Whoever responds is the one I'm talking about," Eri replied coldly.
Seeing that the two were about to descend into another argument, Hayashi Shuichi quickly stepped in to change the subject. "Midori, can you help me get the seasoning? It's on the shelf behind you."
"Okay, Senpai," Midori nodded obediently. But as she turned around, she accidentally stepped on the trailing strap of Yukiko's apron.
"Ah!" Yukiko stumbled, and the bowl in her hand went flying. Flour arched through the air in a white, powdery blur.
Eri ducked out of the way with agile grace. The bowl hit the wall with a loud clatter, and flour sprayed everywhere, coating the floor like a light dusting of snow.
"I-I'm sorry!" Midori bowed frantically, her black ponytail swaying with the movement.
Yukiko stomped her foot in rage, the bow on her apron now sitting crooked. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
"I didn't..." Midori's brow furrowed.
"Alright, alright," Shuichi stepped between them, gently placing a hand on Yukiko's shoulder to calm her. "Midori, why don't you go get some onions and carrots for me?"
"Okay," Midori nodded and turned toward the storage room.
Once she was gone, Shuichi sighed and asked in a low voice, "Why are you making things hard for Midori? If she hadn't been here during this time, I wouldn't have been able to manage the shop by myself."
"I wasn't making things hard for her," Yukiko retorted defensively.
Seeing Shuichi staring at her, she finally pouted and whispered, "When I wasn't here, she was your assistant. Now that I'm back, does she really think she can keep my spot?"
"Midori is my apprentice. I promised to teach her how to cook properly," Shuichi said with a faint smile. "As for my assistant... there has only ever been one, hasn't there?"
Hearing this, Yukiko's face immediately brightened into a beaming smile. She then mumbled under her breath, "It would be nice if there was only one of me in other areas, too."
That was a difficult comment to respond to, so Shuichi pretended not to hear it and offered a warning instead. "Don't bully Midori anymore. Don't forget, she used to be a delinquent and she's a master of Kendo. If you really push her too far and she loses her temper, you definitely won't win in a fight."
"Even if I can't win, isn't there—"
Before Yukiko could finish her sentence, the front door of the Izakaya was pushed open. A figure wearing a purple Gothic-style dress stood at the entrance. A large hood almost completely covered her face, revealing only a graceful jawline and lips painted with dark lipstick.
Just as Yukiko was wondering who the newcomer was, the girl pushed back her hood, revealing an exquisite, enchanting face.
"Eh? Who are you?" the girl asked, sounding confused. "What are you doing inside the Izakaya?"
"I should be asking you that," Yukiko said crossly. "I'm the chef here, so of course I'm in the shop."
"Isn't the chef Hayashi Shuichi?" the girl asked, puzzled.
"She's Yukiko," Shuichi introduced them. "And this girl in the strange outfit is our new transfer classmate, Akane Koizumi."
"So, you're the fraud who took my spot?"
"And you're that Mount Fuji?"
The two girls shouted at the same time, then immediately followed up with indignant questions:
"What Mount Fuji?!"
"Who are you calling a fraud?!"
Seeing that neither was willing to explain themselves, Yukiko and Akane both turned their heads in unison to glare at Hayashi Shuichi. Their burning gazes were intense enough to feel like they were boring holes right through him...
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