Chapter 129: Eriri's Growth
After pondering Asakura Reiko's words for a while, Sawamura Sayuri looked at her and asked, "Are you serious?"
"Of course. I've been thinking about it for days, or I wouldn't be bringing it up to you now."
"Hiss... You really have a lot of nerve!"
Crossing her arms, Sawamura Sayuri began to think seriously: "Actually, I've also thought lately that based on the current situation, these two kids will definitely stay together in the future. And before that, living together for a while to get used to it isn't a problem. But... isn't it a bit early now?"
In Sawamura Sayuri's mind, this matter could be arranged however the children liked once they were in college, but pushing it now was something she hadn't expected.
Asakura Reiko smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, the timing isn't the issue at all. Isn't it enough that the two children have good feelings for each other?"
"Sigh... You really think big. I wouldn't dare think that way."
Sighing, Sawamura Sayuri knew Asakura Reiko had a point. Putting aside everything else, the fact that the two children were currently collaborating on a serialized manga would consume a lot of time and energy. If they moved in together, they could completely save on unnecessary costs.
Of course, having Eriri stay at the Asakura Family residence, or having Kaede stay at the Sawamura Family residence, were both possible, but neither was quite suitable. The most straightforward method was actually letting the two children live on their own. Nowadays, it was not uncommon for non-local students to rent apartments outside.
"I'll discuss this matter with my husband when I get back."
Seeing Sawamura Sayuri concede slightly, Asakura Reiko nodded happily: "Indeed, we should discuss it thoroughly. Besides, there's another point here, Sayuri, look: if the children move out and become independent, won't we adults have more time for our own couple time?"
"... That was actually your main goal for suggesting this, wasn't it?"
"No, that's just a bonus!"
Asakura Reiko was all smiles, making Sawamura Sayuri feel that, thinking about it that way, it really wasn't a bad idea. After all, since having children, the amount of time the couple originally spent going out together for couple time had greatly diminished. Not to mention that both of them were currently busy with their respective work matters.
However... this felt a bit unfair to Eriri.
Sawamura Sayuri shook her head, deciding not to think about that for now, and started the car to continue driving toward their destination, the shopping mall
On the other side, at the Asakura Family residence.
"Achoo!"
"Achoo!"
Kaede and Eriri sneezed simultaneously, then looked at each other.
"Did you catch a chill from the air conditioner?"
Looking at Eriri, who was resting her head on his lap, Kaede reached out and touched her neck; it felt slightly cool. He picked up the remote control nearby and adjusted the temperature to 27 degrees.
"24 degrees is still too low. Let's raise it a bit. As long as it's not hot, it's fine."
"Wuu... I didn't catch a chill. I just suddenly sneezed, and I don't know why," Eriri said, reaching out for the remote control. However, Kaede immediately tossed it backward onto the bed, out of her reach.
"Alright, settle down."
Seeing Eriri try to sit up, Kaede simply hugged her, letting her lean against his chest, and said while placing his palm on Eriri's flat stomach: "I can feel the cold even through your clothes. Stop worrying about the remote control. Instead of thinking about that, why don't we discuss what we should eat for lunch?"
"Oh right, Auntie Reiko didn't prepare lunch for us."
Thinking of this, Eriri flashed a sly smile, turned her head to Kaede, and said: "Kaede-kun, how about I cook for you this afternoon?"
"Huh? Seriously? You?"
"What kind of tone is that? Don't you trust me?"
Turning around to face Kaede, Eriri huffed and said: "Since that's the case, I'll show you what I can do!"
"...Are you serious?"
Kaede was still somewhat skeptical, as Eriri had never shown any sign of knowing how to cook during the past period.
Eriri knew this would happen, so she raised her small head and said smugly: "If that's the case, how about a bet?"
"A bet?"
"That's right!" Eriri held up one finger and said, "A bet! If I can successfully cook lunch today, then Kaede-kun, you must agree to one condition of mine. Conversely, if I fail, I'll agree to one of yours!"
"A bet like that?"
Kaede thought about it. There was no harm in playing a game like this occasionally, so he agreed: "That's fine, but let's set a rule first: the judgment of the lunch you prepare must be that it is at least edible and not unpleasant."
"Hmph, I will naturally abide by that; you don't need to lecture me, Kaede-kun! Besides, you underestimate me too much if you think merely 'not unpleasant' counts as a win for me. I'm going to make sure you see how much I've improved!"
"OK, then I look forward to it."
Kaede glanced at his watch and smiled, saying: "We're not in a rush, though, since there's still a long time until lunch. Before then, now that we're rested, shall we finish drawing the two pages of manga we have left?"
"Sounds good!"
A little over an hour later, the time reached 11:00 AM. After finishing the manga pages, the two came downstairs.
The moment they descended, they felt the stuffy heat, a stark contrast to the coolness of the bedroom. Without Eriri needing to say anything, Kaede turned on the air conditioner in the living room, ignoring the electricity bill and maximizing the fan speed. Only after the cold air reached the kitchen area did the two enter.
Having been to the Asakura Family residence many times, Eriri opened the refrigerator with familiarity and took out various ingredients.
"Hmm, there are quite a few things here. There's chicken, beef, and a few vegetables. Kaede-kun, what would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine. It depends on your creativity, Eriri."
Kaede washed his hands while saying: "Although we made a bet, for efficiency, let me assist you. I'll handle the chopping."
"Hehe, that would be perfect."
Eriri agreed with a smile. Although she had diligently learned some cooking skills from her mother recently, she hadn't quite mastered using a kitchen knife; it was inefficient, and her cuts weren't very neat.
After contemplating the ingredients for a while, Eriri said: "I see there are noodles, so let's make some beef and tomato spaghetti, and two small side dishes!"
Following Eriri's instructions, Kaede chopped all the ingredients. Once the preparation was complete, he stood aside to watch Eriri's performance.
Watching Eriri, who had undone her twin tails, tied her hair into a single ponytail, and put on an apron with great vigor, Kaede couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
It seemed she really had learned something in secret.