Chapter 62 Don't leave, stay and accompany me
At this moment, Mayumi had become oblivious to her surroundings, completely immersed in her cooking.
The snickering on her face…
No, that had already surpassed snickering, evolving from "hehehehehe" to "huhuhuhuhu…" or "gegegegege…"
It was as if she was attempting to poison someone; it was a tiny bit scary.
She even pulled out a bottle of high-proof alcohol from somewhere, and before anyone could react, she twisted off the cap and poured it directly onto the grill.
Who taught you to grill meat using high-proof alcohol, huh?!
As the flickering flames illuminated her snow-white cheeks, she looked just like a Fire Witch.
Having a blast!
"Alright, come and try my cooking."
A moment later, Mayumi placed the grilled skewers on the table.
The problem was, it wasn't so much grilled meat as it was some kind of indescribable, completely black object.
"This..."
Miyuki looked at the plate of grilled meat with some difficulty, but not wanting to refuse the President's kind offer, she picked up the smallest one.
Minami also followed suit, picking up a skewer.
As for the twins, they had already slipped away, hiding in a blind spot where Mayumi couldn't find them.
And Mahiro?
Under Mayumi's pressuring gaze of "Why aren't you eating?", he bravely sacrificed himself, picking up the largest skewer.
Although he really wanted to ask, "Is this even edible?"
But under Mayumi's sincere gaze, he couldn't help but swallow his words.
Slowly, he brought the grilled meat to his mouth.
"Forget it, I'll die if I die! I can't die anyway!"
Under the gazes of Miyuki, Minami, and Mayumi, Mahiro took a bite.
Crunch!
That's right, it was a crunch!
The moment it entered his mouth, there was an intense crispiness, followed by an endless bitterness, a pungent alcoholic taste that hadn't fully dissipated, and tough muscle fibers that were difficult to chew.
Looking down, beneath the black exterior, the meat inside was still a bright red color.
There were even a few drops of blood slowly dripping from it.
Just as expected...
"Mahiro-sama (Mahiro-sama)... Are you alright?"
Looking at his frozen expression, Miyuki and Minami's faces were filled with worry.
"I'm, I'm fine..."
Slowly turning his head, his lips, stained with an unknown black substance, tried to form a smile, but Mahiro hadn't even finished speaking when his vision suddenly went black.
Self-repair spell, automatically activated.
Reading core individual information from the backup system.
Magic formula loading — complete.
Self-repair — complete.
At the moment of almost fainting, he completed the self-repair, then forcefully stepped back, finally stabilizing his body.
"Um... Mahiru? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
After one repair, Mahiro had developed a tiny bit of resistance to this dark cuisine. After swallowing the half-raw meat in his mouth, he smiled slightly and said,
"It's just... Senpai, the meat you grilled might not be cooked through."
"Eh? Not cooked? Impossible? I followed the cooking book's times exactly," Mayumi said, surprised.
Leaving aside whether such a thing as a cooking book can actually teach someone to cook, just the fact of grilling meat directly over an open flame while spraying strong alcohol—a cooking book certainly wouldn't teach that.
Mayumi, not believing it, picked up a skewer of grilled meat and put it directly into her mouth.
President / Sister / Saegusa-sama, truly a brave warrior...
At this moment, Miyuki, Minami, and the twins wanted to praise her like that.
But the next second, Mayumi's face suddenly changed dramatically, her fair and rosy cheeks suddenly turning ashen, and she quickly turned around and spat out what was in her mouth.
She grabbed a drink and desperately rinsed her mouth.
After a long while, she finally recovered, dejectedly putting the skewers back onto the tray.
"Ugh... So disgusting... Failed again... So embarrassing..."
"It's alright, Senpai, just practice more, practice makes perfect," Yotsuba Mahiro patted her shoulder, comforting her.
Your friend, the master of conversation, Mahiro-kun, has come online.
Just one sentence was enough to completely shut Mayumi down.
Her resentful little eyes stared directly at Mahiro, while her sisters were trying to hold back their laughter.
"Oh, you don't have to look at me like that, I'm just telling the truth. But looking at the grill now, the fire is just right, so let me show you how to grill meat."
As he was speaking, the grill fire had slowly died down, with no strong open flames, only residual embers.
"Mahiru, you can cook?!" Mayumi's eyes widened slightly, as if she had discovered a new world.
Miyuki and Minami exchanged glances, seeing the words "don't know" in each other's eyes.
It was the first time they knew that Mahiro could cook!
"Of course, this time I'll show you what real skill is!"
As he spoke, Mahiro had already picked up several skewers of meat, as well as some seafood, and arranged them on the grill, immediately producing sizzling sounds.
As golden fat dripped, soft flames rose from inside the grill, gently licking the surface of the meat.
Before long, the aroma of grilled meat had spread from the coastline.
Unfortunately, the seasonings weren't complete, so he only sprinkled a few pinches of salt.
Fortunately, the quality of the meat was very high, so it was delicious even without using too many seasonings.
"Come and try it."
Mahiro arranged the perfectly grilled skewers and seafood neatly on a tray and pushed it in front of them.
"(╯▽╰) So fragrant~~~" Kasumi picked up one of the skewers and took a big bite, immediately showing a look of intoxication.
"Mm-hmm, I didn't expect Mahiro-sama to be handsome and powerful in magic, and even so good at grilling meat," Izumi's eyes were already sparkling with admiration.
"Mmm~ The grilled meat Mahiro-sama made is indeed very delicious. Right, Minami?"
"Yes, Miyuki-sama, the heat is just right, Minami feels ashamed in comparison."
Minami and Miyuki chewed the meat in small bites, with happy smiles on their faces.
"Ugh... It's really delicious."
Even Mayumi was moved as she ate the grilled meat, but her heart was filled with a strong sense of defeat.
Powerful in magic, able to write spells, excellent in physical combat, and now even so good at cooking...
She was very curious, what else was there that Mahiro couldn't do?
Seeing their happy smiles, Mahiro smiled indifferently.
As a Transmigrator from China, isn't grilling a natural innate skill?
...
.....
....
The next day.
Since they had already played on the beach yesterday, the girls decided to go sightseeing in other places today.
Although there was a small commercial center on this island, when they learned that the commercial street on the nearby South Shield Island was even livelier, they decided to head there.
Perhaps due to its proximity to South Asia, South Shield Island was filled with a rich Southeast Asian atmosphere.
The only thing that seemed out of place was the naval base not far from the commercial street on South Shield Island.
"Mahiro-sama, hurry, hurry!"
Just as Mahiro was observing the military base, which was only separated by a waterway, he was called away by the two sisters, Kasumi and Izumi.
Kasumi pulled Izumi.
Miyuki led Minami.
And he and Mayumi followed at the back.
The group of five girls and one boy formed a particularly striking scenic line on South Shield Island. Passing tourists couldn't help but stop and take a few extra glances at them.
"You're really lucky, so many beautiful girls and you're the only boy," Mayumi poked Mahiro with her finger.
"Is it my fault?" Mahiro shrugged innocently, whispering, "Who made me so charming?"
"Mahiru, you're really narcissistic."
Mayumi hummed softly, "Since that's the case, then I'll trouble the charming Mahiru to help us carry our luggage and be our escort."
"Of course, no problem, leave it to me."
However, when he said this, he had no idea how serious the situation was.
He even regretted it a little.
They say that shopping is a woman's nature, and Mahiro completely realized that this statement was indeed true.
From morning until evening, these girls, except for a quick lunch, were shopping the entire time, without even stopping!
Fortunately, most of the time they just looked and didn't buy, so he didn't become a complete luggage carrier.
It wasn't until the sun set that they unhurriedly headed to the hotel Mayumi had arranged earlier.
After finishing dinner and returning to his room to rest.
Suddenly, Mahiro's door was knocked.
"Mahiru, you haven't rested yet, have you?"
"Ah, not yet, is something wrong, Senpai?"
It was Mayumi.
Not only did she come to knock on his door at night, but she also suddenly asked him to go out for a walk with her.
Although he didn't understand what she meant, he still accepted the invitation.
Feeling the cool sea breeze blowing under the night sky, he had to admit that the nights by the sea were much better than the daytime heat.
Mayumi was wearing a white dress and a straw sun hat, with her hair tied into a single strand and placed over her chest.
Compared to the sexiness of her swimsuit yesterday, she now inexplicably had a few more hints of a married woman.
Perhaps it was because of that dangerous 'wife' hairstyle?
However, Mayumi then proposed something even more outrageous.
"A bar?"
Mahiro looked at the Senpai beside him with a strange expression and said, "...Senpai, are you joking? I know you're already an adult and will graduate high school soon, but I'm still a minor."
"Oh, don't be like that, it's okay to let loose once in a while, besides, Mahiro, you don't look like a minor at all right now~"
Indeed, just as Senpai said.
At this moment, he wasn't wearing beach shorts and a thin jacket, but a formal suit that the girls had forced him to buy in the commercial street during the day.
After putting it on, he indeed no longer looked like an underage student, but rather a young, ambitious, successful person.
Therefore, Mayumi forcibly dragged him to experience the nightlife—
In front of a bar.
Even before entering, Mayumi turned back, stood on her tiptoes, and leaned close to his ear, whispering,
"No calling me Senpai here, call me Mayumi, okay? Of course, I'll call you Mahiro-san too."
She really thought of everything.
Moreover, the place Mayumi chose wasn't chaotic; though the lighting was dim, it was exceptionally quiet.
It felt more like a coffee shop open at night than a bar.
Mayumi led him directly to the counter and sat down.
"Boss, one Alexander, please. Mahiro-kun, what would you like to drink?"
Mayumi seemed like an old regular, knowing exactly what to order right away.
This was a bit surprising; he hadn't expected this Senior, who seemed like such a good girl, to have such a rebellious side.
Under the bartender's gaze, he casually replied, "I'll have a Long Island Iced Tea."
The bartender looked at him with a hint of surprise but said nothing, silently picking up a measuring cup to mix the drink.
"Long Island Iced Tea? Is it non-alcoholic?"
Mayumi hadn't heard of it, so she was curious, and since it had "tea" in the name, it should be non-alcoholic, right?
It couldn't be like Flammable Oolong Tea, could it?
"This drink, sir, Long Island Iced Tea is not a non-alcoholic beverage; it's a strong liquor."
Just then, the bartender explained while mixing the drink, "It's made with vodka, white rum, lemon juice, gin, tequila, orange liqueur, bourbon, and brandy, plus a little syrup, cola, and ice.
I must say, this customer knows his drinks."
"Eh? Is that so?"
Mayumi blinked in surprise.
On one hand, she was surprised that Long Island Iced Tea was indeed like Flammable Oolong Tea, and on the other, she was surprised by Mahiro.
She crossed her arms, making frequent "hmm~" sounds as she pondered.
She was as cute as a character from a manga.
"Don't look at me like that, I really am here for the first time."
Mahiro spread his hands innocently; it was indeed his first time in this life.
"Boss, make me a Long Island Iced Tea too."
"Don't mess around."
No sooner had she spoken than he stopped this fearless, bold Senior, saying, "Long Island Iced Tea also has another name: 'Date Rape Drink.' Are you sure you want to drink it?"
"Eh? Da-Date Rape Drink???"
Mayumi seemed to realize something, her face instantly turning red as she shook her head and said, "Then I'd rather not…."
"Heh heh, it seems you two must be a couple, right?"
The bartender placed the prepared Alexander in front of Mayumi.
It was a tea-colored, creamy cocktail, emitting a sweet fragrance from the rim of the glass.
Mayumi picked up the stemmed glass, took a small sip, and said cheerfully, "Boss, are we that obvious?"
"Heh heh."
The boss chuckled and began mixing another drink.
"You are indeed very obvious. Normally, if a woman coming to a bar wants a Long Island Iced Tea, the accompanying man wouldn't stop her, but your boyfriend is different; he's very considerate of you."
The boss's brief remark filled Mayumi with joy.
"Boss, another one!"
She even drank a few more because of it.
Although Alexander is made with low-proof liqueur and cream, it is still alcohol. After three drinks, Mayumi was clearly showing signs of intoxication.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her wine-red eyes had become hazy.
"Such a low alcohol tolerance…."
Looking at the half-drunk Senior, he first apologized to the boss, then paid and carried her out of the bar, returning to the hotel.
"Senior, we're in the room, wake up!"
"Mm… Thank you—Mahiro-kun."
Mayumi looked as if she was about to fall asleep.
When he set her down, she leaned against the doorframe and slowly slid down to sit on the floor.
"I say, Senior, where's the room key?"
"Here—"
Mayumi held up the card key and waved it repeatedly.
Just when he thought she was about to do something, she suddenly tucked the room card into her clothes.
She seemed to want to wedge it in the appropriate place, but it was too small, and it slid straight down without any obstruction.
Yotsuba Mahiro: "..."
I told you, if your chest is small, don't do things like that!
She's really drunk and still doesn't forget to play pranks.
"Troublesome…."
Helpless, he picked Mayumi up again and shook her, and the card fell out from under her skirt.
However, as he bent down to pick it up, Mayumi suddenly leaned onto his back, whispering into his ear:
"…Mahiro-kun, do you know? After you left that day, Dad and I and my sisters talked a lot…."
"Dad wants me and my sisters to marry you…."
"As an older sister… I should have given this opportunity to my younger sisters, but I didn't…. Do you think I'm a bad woman for snatching a man from my sisters…."
"That's not your problem, and you've never been a bad older sister. On the contrary, if I could, I'd also want an older sister like you."
Beep! With a sound, Mahiro swiped open the room door.
"Is that so… But I clearly know you already have Sayaka-senpai… Yet I shamelessly want to get involved. Do you think I'm a Senior with no integrity…."
"How could that be? Senior Mayumi, you are always the most outstanding, the pride of First High. Ultimately, it's not your fault, but mine."
He carried Mayumi all the way to the bed, slowly laying her down.
"Senior Mayumi, it's better to take off your clothes, otherwise this beautiful dress will get wrinkled."
However, Mayumi raised both hands in front of him.
"Help me take them off—"
"..."
As expected.
He simply didn't bother to think about those troublesome things; he not only helped Mayumi take off her shoes and put them away but also helped her take off her long dress, folded it, and placed it on the chair.
It was just that Mayumi's current appearance made his nose feel hot.
White hollow tourbillon….
Incongruous with her petite figure was a slightly fuller bosom.
Her full hips and slender waist outlined a perfect body curve.
Wrapped in flesh-colored sheer silk, her long, intertwined, curled legs were as smooth as fine jade, giving an impression of gentle purity.
"…Senior, I'll be leaving now."
Just as he placed the room card on the bedside table and turned to leave, his waist suddenly tightened.
"I say, Senior, what are you trying to do now? You're playing with fire like this, you know? And I seriously doubt whether you're actually drunk!"
However, he did not receive a reply from Mayumi.
It wasn't until his hand landed on her lotus-white arm, intending to remove it, that Mayumi's voice softly echoed again.
"Mahiro, stay with me tonight, okay…?"