Amano Hiro returned home carrying the ingredients he had bought at the supermarket. After neatly changing into slippers, he went straight to the kitchen.
Rize was wearing that pink apron, properly tending the stew pot.
The aroma drifting from the pot made one's mouth water. She turned back with a radiant smile. "Hiro's back."
Amano Hiro set the ingredients on the counter and reached out to gently pinch her chin.
He fiercely sucked on those cherry lips, then said viciously, "Tonight I'll make you cry and beg for mercy."
Rize did not fear him and instead smiled provocatively, her eyes flowing with teasing challenge. "Alright, dear. I'll be waiting."
She turned to start sorting the ingredients. Amano Hiro wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Eto sent a message," he whispered by her ear. "The attack on Cochlea is the day after tomorrow. I'll go rescue your father then."
Rize's movements handling the ingredients paused slightly, then returned to normal. "Then I'll wait for you at home."
She did not ask to go along, because she knew he would not agree, and because she had almost blind confidence in Amano Hiro.
In her heart, there was no one in this world who could defeat him.
Kamishiro Matasaka, former leader of the 6th Ward, codename "Orca," was Rize's adoptive father, yet he treated her as his own.
Although the CCG rated his threat level as SS, in truth he possessed SSS-class strength.
As an old friend of Manager Yoshimura, he not only gave Rize food when she was hungry, but also bought her books and taught her knowledge, fulfilling every duty a father should.
Although Rize at the time had been too rebellious and often ignored his teachings, and later he was captured by Arima Kishou and imprisoned in Cochlea, this father-daughter bond always held a place in her heart.
The kitchen knife in Rize's hand sliced skillfully through the beef, but her gaze could not help softening slightly.
She neatly arranged the prepared ingredients, turned, and gently pushed Amano Hiro's chest. "Hiro, go wait outside first. You're too much of a hindrance to my performance here."
Amano Hiro obediently raised both hands, indulgent laughter in his eyes. "Alright, alright. I'll go out now. I won't delay the chef showing her skills."
He walked out of the kitchen and sank back into the soft sofa.
The anime on the TV screen was still playing. He casually picked up the remote and adjusted the volume, but his gaze drifted toward the kitchen.
Through the frosted glass door, he could vaguely see Rize's slender figure busy in her apron.
The sounds of spatula and wok clashing, accompanied by light humming, made the whole house filled with warmth.
He opened another bottle of cola and took a sip. His gaze returned to the screen, yet a faint smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.
Before long, Rize finished preparing the meal. The two sat facing each other at the table.
Amano Hiro picked up a bite of food and put it into his mouth, slightly surprised.
The heat was just right, and the seasoning perfectly balanced. It did not taste like something a beginner could make at all.
"How is it?" Rize folded her hands at the table edge, leaning slightly forward, her eyes full of anticipation.
Amano Hiro chewed and swallowed, then nodded. "Mm. It tastes very good."
Rize immediately beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. "That's great. I knew following the recipe would work."
She happily picked up the wine bottle and refilled both their glasses.
The light fell softly over the table. They ate and chatted, their glasses lightly clinking with crisp sounds.
The atmosphere in the room gradually became warm and relaxed, as if even the air had been dyed with gentle warmth.
After a few mouthfuls of wine, Rize began to grow restless.
She quietly slipped her foot out of her slipper and gently pressed it against Amano Hiro's leg, slowly sliding up along his thigh, nearly reaching a dangerous area.
Amano Hiro reacted quickly. He grabbed her mischievous ankle, clamped his legs, and firmly pinned her foot in place.
"Don't make trouble," he said in a low voice.
As if nothing had happened, he picked up another bite of food and calmly ate it, savoring it carefully.
Rize tried to pull her foot back, but after several failed attempts, she gave up and simply left it there.
Just as she raised her wine glass to clink with Amano Hiro's, the sole of her foot suddenly felt a slight scraping touch.
The sensation vanished instantly, yet carried a clear tingling numbness, like a thread of electricity shooting up her spine, making her scalp prickle.
She instinctively looked up at Amano Hiro across from her. He was calmly picking up food, expression unchanged, as if everything had only been her illusion.
The wine glass she was about to extend trembled slightly, and the liquid nearly sloshed out. Rize's heart jumped. Both his hands were clearly on the table, so just now...
A thought flashed. She suddenly turned sideways and looked down beneath the table.
In the dim light under the table, one of Amano Hiro's kagune tentacles was quietly curled beside her foot, its tip innocently tapping the floor.
Rize froze for a moment, then understood. Her cheeks uncontrollably began to heat.
"So that's what it was. She even thought..." she breathed in relief inwardly, yet mixed with a faint, indescribable disappointment.
Amano Hiro took in this whole series of her small movements, yet merely lifted his wine glass without a word, the corner of his lips lifting imperceptibly.
He did not expose it, only occasionally letting the tip of the Carnage-type tentacle hidden beneath the table lightly brush her sole again.
Each touch made Rize's body pause slightly, her chopsticks slowing by half a beat, a blush creeping to the roots of her ears.
She forced composure and continued eating, occasionally glancing up to glare at him in mock reproach, receiving an increasingly innocent look in return.
This back-and-forth secret interaction became an unspoken understanding at the table, serving as a special seasoning for the dinner.
Toward the end, Amano Hiro stopped pretending and began a fierce attack on the sole of Rize's foot.
Rize's whole body trembled, her toes curling involuntarily.
She bit her lip, her cheeks flushed red, clearly suppressing laughter.
"Still quite enduring?" Amano Hiro raised a brow, his movements quickening.
This time Rize completely lost control and burst into laughter. "Hahaha... stop, stop. I was wrong, Hiro. I really know I was wrong."
She laughed until her body went limp, tears forming at the corners of her eyes, repeatedly begging for mercy.
Amid the cheerful play, the meal neared its end. Amano Hiro set down his chopsticks, drained his glass, glanced at the time, and said, "It's about time."
Rize was a bit puzzled. "About time for what? Didn't you say the attack on Cochlea is the day after tomorrow?"
Amano Hiro's expression turned serious. "Today there's another place that needs to be attacked."
"Another place?"
"Yes. Over two mountain peaks, across the plains, there's a deep cave that needs to be assaulted." As he spoke, Amano Hiro walked around the table toward Rize.
Under Rize's slightly dazed gaze, Amano Hiro scooped her up and dashed straight toward the bedroom.