"Itadakimasu!"
"Gochisousama deshita!"
The food had just been served, and in less than ten minutes, almost all of it was finished—except for the green peppers that Shin-chan had pushed to the side and half a bowl of miso soup.
Misae tapped Shin-chan on the head with the back of her chopsticks. "Shin-chan, no picky eating!"
Without turning his head, Shin-chan ran outside. "I don't want to!"
"This kid."
Misae rubbed her forehead, looking utterly helpless.
"Mrs. Nohara, what is this child's name?" Souya asked, already knowing the answer, as he glanced at Himawari, who was clinging to him.
Misae answered, clearing the dishes, "This little one is Himawari, and the one who just ran out is Shin-chan."
Souya quickly stood up to help Misae clear the table. Himawari clung to him like a koala, so he freed one hand to hold her. "Mrs. Nohara, both of your children are quite charming."
"Little Himawari, do you want to be friends with me?"
He placed the dishes he had gathered into the sink and used his free hand to gently pinch her cheek.
"Eee, ah, ah!"
Himawari happily clapped her hands, seemingly agreeing to his suggestion.
"Himawari is making her first friend," Misae said, smiling at Himawari's joy as she finished placing the dishes and walked over to Kurasaki Souya.
[Congratulations, host! Task completed. You have become friends with Nohara Himawari. Reward: A two-story villa located near the Nohara residence. The keys have been placed in the host's pocket.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have made your first friend! First-time reward: Cooking Mastery. Rewards are given for each friend made. Additional rewards are unlocked when a friend's affection reaches certain levels.]
"I haven't asked for your name yet."
Misae's voice interrupted Souya's thoughts.
Souya replied, "Sorry, I forgot to mention it when I came in. My name is Kurasaki Souya, and I'm your new neighbor."
As a transmigrator, he only knew his name and had no other information about his previous life. Of course, he couldn't return to where he originally lived.
"Ah? So you're the new neighbor! Kurasaki-kun, feel free to visit Himawari whenever you have time. She really likes you," said Misae, surprised. She took Himawari from Souya's arms.
"Sure, I won't disturb you any further, Mrs. Nohara. I haven't found my villa yet."
Kurasaki made up an excuse to leave. He just wanted to hurry and see his two-story villa.
Misae nodded. "No wonder Shin-chan said you were lost. So that's what happened."
As they spoke, they walked to the entrance. Souya waved his hand. "See you next time, Mrs. Nohara."
"Okay, see you next time."
After leaving the Nohara residence, Souya followed the directions from the system and found his villa. It was directly across from the Nohara house, about 50 meters away.
Standing at the entrance, he looked at the nameplate bearing the surname "Kurasaki," then stepped inside.
His villa was similar to the Noharas': a two-story detached house with a yard. In fact, his property was about twice the size of theirs.
"Ooh, so this is your house, mister?"
Shin-chan had somehow appeared on Souya's shoulder again, and he hadn't noticed.
Kurasaki nodded, took out the keys, and opened the door. "Shin-chan, do you want to come in and take a look? I just bought this house and haven't been inside yet."
"Okay!"
Shin-chan responded. He ran to the entrance, kicked off his shoes, and quickly dashed into the house.
"This kid..."
Souya smiled and followed him inside. After looking around, he had a general idea of the layout of the house.
Souya was lying in the middle of the living room. The villa was fully furnished with brand new furniture. The floor was made of a high-quality material that was soft to lie on, yet not too soft.
"Mister, would you like some tea?"
While Kurasaki was lost in thought, Shin-chan brought two cups of tea to the living room, placed them on the table, and sat down.
"You're really making yourself at home, kid. It's like I'm the guest here and you're the host," said Souya, sounding both amused and exasperated.
Shin-chan scratched his head sheepishly. "Oh, it's not as great as you say."
Suddenly, Souya thought of something. He winked at Shin-chan and said, "Since you're so diligent, Shin-chan, I'll give you a little reward."
"Mm! A reward! Are they bear-shaped cookies?" Shin-chan asked excitedly.
"Not bear-shaped cookies. It's something you'll like even more!"
Souya smiled mysteriously. Seeing his expression, Shin-chan instantly understood.
Then...
The two of them sat in front of the TV and started watching women's wrestling.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh!"
Shin-chan stared intently at the screen, his eyes wide open, afraid to miss a thing!
The intensity of the match exhilarated Shin-chan. Even Souya had to admit that the competition was captivating and knew how to grab the audience's attention.
By the time the match ended at 4 p.m., Shin-chan was reluctant to glance at the commercials now playing on TV; his mind was still replaying the thrilling match he had just watched.
"Shin-chan, would you like to watch more in the future?"
Souya's question interrupted his thoughts. Without hesitation, Shin-chan replied, "Yes!"
"Ahem."
"Shin-chan, we're friends, right?"
Souya cleared his throat and spoke with a serious expression.
"Yes! We're the best of friends!" Shin-chan answered excitedly. He looked at Souya with anticipation, as if he already knew what the next sentence would be.
["Congratulations, host! You have made your second friend! First-time reward: Dodge Mastery."]
["Congratulations, host! Your friend Nohara Shin-chan's affection for you has reached 42. Reward: Social Skills Mastery.]
Since the host is unfamiliar with affection values, here is an explanation:
[0-10: Stranger]
[11-20: Casual Friend]
[21-30: Good Friend]
[31-40: Close Friend]
[41-50: More Than Friends, Less Than Lovers]
[51-60: Unwavering Brotherhood]
[61-70: Devoted Lovers]
[71-80: Life-and-Death Companions]
[81-100: Eternal Soulmates]
[Reminder: Someone can only be considered a friend and added to the friend list when affection exceeds 20. Verbal agreements made before reaching the required affection level are invalid.]
Souya quickly grasped the meaning of the system's prompts.
He reached out and ruffled Shin-chan's bristly hair. "Shin-chan, if you have time in the future, you can come to my house and watch TV with me. You're always welcome here."