"You guys watch TV, I'm going to prepare dinner."
Sora turned and headed to the kitchen.
"Sora, let me help, okay?"
Anna stepped forward and followed him.
"Let's pass for today." Sora turned his head to look. His gaze involuntarily landed on Anna's chest. A bathrobe is ultimately just a bathrobe, unable to conceal everything tightly. The girl's delicate and cute collarbones were faintly visible. "Just wait until it's time to eat."
"T-Then alright..."
Sensing the boy's gaze, Anna's pretty face flushed slightly. She covered her chest with her right arm, but didn't leave. Instead, she leaned in close to whisper in his ear.
"Sora, are Witches very dangerous? Your safety isn't an issue, right?"
The girl's breath was warm, tickling his ear.
It's just... why did she smell like ramen?
"Don't worry." Sora replied in a low voice. "Take Elf for example. Aside from turning invisible, she has completely no other abilities. One punch and she'd cry for a long time."
Smack.
Anna raised her right hand and lightly patted Sora's arm.
"Don't bully kids."
Sora had already started heating the oil in the pan.
"Go on out, Anna, I'm starting to cook."
"Okay..."
Anna pursed her moist pink lips. In the end, she didn't ask for the identity of the black-haired girl.
A smart childhood friend doesn't just act jealous!
An hour later.
Sora untied his apron and stepped out of the kitchen.
"You can wash your hands and eat."
"Coming, coming." Anna quickly got up from the sofa and volunteered by raising her right hand. "I'll help bring out the food."
"Where is Sagiri?"
Sora scanned the room but didn't see his sister.
"Sagiri went back to her room." Elf's voice was crisp, her golden hair exceptionally dazzling under the lights. "Shall I go call her down?"
"No need." Sora shook his head. "I'll go call her."
Although Sagiri had been very strange these past two days, the possibility of her coming down to eat together was very small. Now that she wasn't familiar with Elf, if Elf went to knock on the door, she probably wouldn't even dare to speak.
Sora walked upstairs and quickly arrived at Sagiri's door.
After knocking, the sound of patter-patter footsteps quickly came from behind the door. Following that, the door quietly opened a crack, and half of a cute small face peeked out.
"Nii-san, what is it?"
Sora asked.
"Dinner is ready, do you want to come downstairs and eat together?"
While speaking, Sora was already prepared to be rejected.
But the next second, Sagiri's answer left him dumbfounded.
"Okay, wait for me a moment, Nii-san."
"Wait, are you sure you heard me correctly?" Sora looked over in shock. "I said come downstairs and eat together."
"I heard you clearly." Sagiri tilted her head in confusion. "I'll change my clothes and then go downstairs."
Sora: "..."
You usually hide in your room acting like an otaku, refusing to even open the door, but today you actually agreed to come down and eat. There's definitely something wrong with you!
"Nii-san, don't look at me with that kind of gaze." Sagiri guiltily averted her gaze, and with a thud, closed the door. "This is only for today. I definitely won't come downstairs tomorrow."
Having returned for her second playthrough, Sagiri was very familiar with Anna and Elf, so the mechanism of being afraid of strangers wasn't triggered.
Also, Sagiri was super curious about Elf suddenly becoming a magical girl and naturally wanted to continue observing.
"...I'll wait for you in the living room."
When Sora turned and went downstairs, he saw that Anna had already brought all the dishes to the table. She was holding a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, serving rice for everyone, naturally assuming the role of the lady of the house.
"Sora, is your little sister coming down to eat with us?"
Anna looked up.
"She's coming down to eat with us."
"Okay then, I'll serve a bowl of rice for Sagiri-chan first."
"..."
Sora walked to the table. Just as he was about to pull out a chair, a hand quickly reached over.
"Heave-ho~"
Anna swiftly pulled the chair out, then looked up. A bright smile, like the midday sun, appeared on her pretty face. Her azure eyes sparkled.
"Thank you for your hard work preparing the meal, Sora. Please have a seat."
Clearly, with delicious food in front of her, Anna had already forgotten her earlier humiliating experience.
As for the bowl of ramen she ate in the evening... it was long digested, so it didn't hinder her from continuing to feast now!
"Thank you."
Sora expressed his thanks softly and sat down on the chair.
"Sora, you're so amazing now." Anna rested her chin on her hands, her pretty face full of amazement and admiration. "I remember during home economics class in middle school, you couldn't even make omurice properly. Now you can actually make such delicious food. Could it be the legendary Innate Culinary Physique?"
Sora gave her a speechless look.
"Please don't force the praise. At least taste it before evaluating, alright?"
Anna's eyes sparkled. "Just looking at the color and smell, I can already give it a perfect score."
Sora: "..."
No wonder you have so many friends at school, you've maxed out the emotional value you provide to others!
As they spoke, Elf came out of the restroom, and Sagiri came downstairs in her slippers. The two girls quickly took their seats.
"...Thank you for the meal."
As Sora picked up his chopsticks, dinner officially began.
The dishes included braised beef, salt and pepper prawns, tomato and egg stir-fry, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, and tofu kelp miso soup. Only the braised beef took time, but with a pressure cooker, finishing it in an hour was absolutely no problem.
During this period, Sora prepared breakfast every morning and dinner every evening. He didn't need to specifically grind for levels; his cooking skill level was still steadily rising.
"Mmm~"
Anna gave a big thumbs up, her pretty face brimming with happiness.
"Super delicious!"
"The taste is indeed very good." Elf gave a good review while using her chopsticks. "You barely qualify to come be a chef at my house."
The ahoge on top of Sagiri's head swayed gently. "Nii-san's cooking is getting more and more delicious."
"..."
Sora was quietly eating his food. Just as he finished half a bowl, an empty bowl was suddenly thrust in front of him.
"Sora, another bowl please!"
Anna, with a grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth, looked over with sparkling eyes.
Sora: "..."
Finished a bowl of rice in three minutes?
You're actually the legendary Sea Otter King, aren't you!
The dinner was enjoyed by all. With Anna there, the dishes were eaten clean, with absolutely nothing left over.
In the end, Sora ate two bowls, Anna ate two and a half bowls, and Elf and Sagiri each ate only one bowl of rice... The reason it was two and a half bowls was that there was only half a bowl of rice left in the rice cooker.
That was the limit of the rice cooker, but far from Anna's limit...