Chapter 160
Seeing Honoka looking at her with such teasing eyes, Minami Kotori felt an immediate rush of shame. She lowered her head nervously, her hands gripping her skirt tightly.
"Honoka... Honoka, what... what are you saying."
"I... I just feel a bit excited because it's the first time I've met Mineo-oniichan."
"There's... there's absolutely no heart-pounding feeling.... If anything, Honoka... you seemed a little nervous yourself just now, didn't you?"
Seeing Kotori turn the subject back on her, Honoka let out a small giggle and said:
"It's my first time meeting Mineo-oniichan too. It's only natural to feel nervous, but look at me now, I'm totally relaxed. It's just Umi and Kotori who look like you're trying to bury your heads in your chests. I noticed that both of you keep stealing glances at Mineo-oniichan, you know."
When it came to social skills and conversation, Honoka—as the driving leader of the group—possessed abilities far beyond those of Kotori and Umi.
Every few minutes, she managed to turn her two friends beet-red with her words. Time flew by in an instant. After waiting for about half an hour, Mineo finally emerged from the kitchen.
Mineo could be seen pushing a small trolley toward their table. The attention of the three girls immediately snapped to the dishes Mineo had personally prepared!
In an instant, a spark of surprised wonder flowed from the eyes of Minami Kotori and the others.
"Mineo-oniichan! You're amazing!"
"Did you really make these dishes yourself?"
"Are these for us to taste?"
Hearing Minami Kotori and the others, Mineo smiled and said:
"If they aren't for you, then who else would they be for? Come, Kotori, this dish is yours! A Double-Layer Tiramisu Cheesecake. Go ahead and try it."
"Umi, this treat is for you. A Golden Steamed Cake with a very intense coconut milk aroma; it should be more to your taste."
"And Honoka, I remember you seem to really love eating bread, so I made you a Seven-Layer Stretchy Cheese Bread. Each layer uses a different flavored stretchy cheese filling..."
The dishes Mineo had made, even just looking at them visually, already had the three girls completely mesmerized.
They looked beautiful, delicate, and possessed an alluring color.
Combined with the sweet and fragrant aroma wafting from the food, even the most nitpicky gourmet wouldn't be able to find a single flaw.
After hearing Mineo's words, Honoka thanked him with great joy. She couldn't wait to receive the plate Mineo brought over.
Just as Honoka picked up her knife and fork to cut into the dish, she suddenly paused. Honoka raised her head and looked at Mineo with curiosity.
"Mineo-oniichan, how did you know I liked eating bread? Did I tell you about this before?"
"That's right, you told me a long time ago, and I haven't forgotten it to this day."
Mineo looked at Honoka, smiled, and said:
"I remember a time when Honoka seemed to be forced by her mother every day to eat sweets from the family shop, and then you complained bitterly to me over the phone. I remember you said that you'd eaten the family's sweets too often and that you really wanted to eat some delicious bread."
At Mineo's words, Honoka also smiled bashfully.
"I didn't expect Mineo-oniichan to remember even that! It's true! My family runs a traditional Japanese sweets shop, so I rarely get to eat bakery-style bread; that's why I love the scent of bread so much. By the way, were the dishes Kotori and the others are tasting also made according to their tastes?"
Hearing Honoka's question, Kotori and Umi also immediately looked toward Mineo. Mineo met their gazes and spoke softly:
"More or less. You've told me about the dishes you like before. Kotori loves eating cheesecake, and her most hated thing is garlic. Am I right?"
Seeing Mineo looking at her with a bright smile, Kotori lowered her head in embarrassment.
"I... I didn't think Mineo-oniichan would remember that too. I... I really do love cheesecake the most and hate the smell of garlic."
"Since it's your favorite, Kotori, I made sure to remember it. As for Umi, she's a bit different from you."
Mineo looked at Umi, who also appeared tense, then smiled and continued:
"Umi is Honoka's best friend. The thing she likes most is actually your family's homemade sweets, Honoka. Meanwhile, the thing she hates most should be carbonated drinks. If I recall correctly, the specific reason is because she's afraid that drinking too many carbonated drinks will make her gain weight..."
Honestly, seeing Mineo remember the foods they liked and hated so clearly sparked an indescribable feeling of warmth in the hearts of Minami Kotori and the others.
As they looked at the dishes before them, which Mineo had personally cooked to suit each of their specific tastes, a complex wave of emotions flowed through the eyes of Kotori and her friends.
"Thank you for the meal, Mineo-oniichan!"
"Itadakimasu!"
After clapping their hands together in a pre-meal prayer, Minami Kotori and the others finally began the official tasting.
Minami Kotori could be seen carefully holding her knife and fork, slicing a tiny corner of that beautiful cheesecake before putting it into her mouth.
Kotori subconsciously closed both eyes; her adorable little mouth moved slightly. A few seconds later, a fresh and extraordinarily delicious sweetness flowed slowly over the tip of her tongue.
How could one describe this feeling?
Roughly speaking, it was like being completely immersed in nature, feeling a gentle breeze against her face and the soft flow of a small stream against her hands. Kotori felt as if her entire body was being soaked in an ocean of deliciousness!
Without realizing it, Kotori's breathing became a bit faster. Her exhales made a small, cute sound, as if her very consciousness had drifted away into a world of imagination.
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