A blinding flash hit Alice Nakiri head-on. She felt an urge to bury her face and cry!
But Renz quickly realized a new problem. While it was certain that his future self possessed culinary talent, merely relying on muscle memory from his body wasn't enough to create proper dishes. Cooking wasn't just about knife skills.
Darn it. Subconsciously wanting to defend Erina Nakiri when Alice came in guns blazing, Renz had shot back. Now his own situation was a bit awkward. What if Alice wanted to eat his cooking? It wasn't realistic for him to complete a dish alone. Lacking extensive experience in cooking, Renz didn't possess that ability yet. At the very least, he needed a recipe to know the next steps.
"Renz and I are researching a new dish. He wants to cook for me, but my God's Tongue might not agree to that request. It's better if I'm the head chef," Erina, also aware of this, quickly found an excuse to help Renz.
Renz breathed a sigh of relief. The great tsundere, though sometimes foolish, was mostly a very intelligent person. The fact that she noticed such crucial information this time, even if partly due to the abundance of information giving her room to guess, still proved that this culinary genius was quite sharp. If her emotional intelligence were higher and her tsundere tendencies decreased, she would be the perfect girlfriend.
Alice, standing by, felt like she, a single person, had been struck another blow to the knee.
Cooking together? A husband-and-wife team?
A sous-chef and a head chef? One helping with chopping, the other cooking?
And then Rina and Haruna watching their parents cook together with wide eyes, and the whole family happily sitting down to dinner.
Alice felt this scene was too perfect and unsuitable for a single person like her to keep enduring such emotional attacks.
"Ugh, I'm leaving!" Alice stamped her foot in frustration. But she had already said harsh words before coming, claiming she wouldn't be envious and that she'd be happier single than they were as a couple, so she definitely wouldn't show any signs of jealousy.
This time, it was Alice giving them a break. She came in furiously, and she would leave with her head held high!
Alice slammed the door shut and left the kitchen like she was speedwalking. Her "head held high" now looked more like a frantic escape caused by being force-fed sweetness.
That disgusting kitchen! Good riddance!
"Huh? What's wrong with her?" Renz was momentarily stunned. He only wanted to retort to Alice, but why did she get so furious?
"I don't know, who knows? Alice would throw inexplicable tantrums even as a child; I don't understand her," Erina withdrew her gaze.
As she turned, she saw Renz's eyes on her.
"You're a pervert!" Erina's heart involuntarily raced under that gaze. This was definitely a reaction transmitted from her future body! The feeling of her heart pounding like a drum made Erina very uncomfortable.
"Why are you staring at me?" Erina said, her face slightly flushed, deliberately using a "disgruntled" tone.
"No, you're criticizing me for this too?" Renz retorted. "Isn't it polite to look at someone directly when talking? Am I supposed to talk to you while staring at the wall?"
"Hmph," Erina snorted.
"Still, thank you for helping me out just now. Otherwise, if Alice wanted to eat my cooking, I really wouldn't have anything to offer. After all, besides physical instinct, I know nothing about cooking," Renz said, putting the chef's knife back in its place.
"Don't mention it. You were speaking up for me too," Erina shook her head. Alice's words had been directed at her. Erina hadn't even thought about how to respond when Renz helped her by retorting. It was only fair; Renz spoke up for her, so it was only natural for her to help Renz out of a jam.
Looking at the sliced bitter gourd on the chopping board, Erina assumed a thoughtful pose. Perhaps it was the "husband filter," but Erina in this serious, contemplative stance had a unique charm. Her beautiful, delicate face was unforgettable, and her golden hair shimmered softly under the lights. Perhaps it was because the future Erina maintained herself well; her good figure combined with her perfect face added an extra touch of stunning beauty.
And just as Erina had mentioned "eye contact" earlier, Renz found himself taking a few extra glances without realizing it. Renz felt he could gaze at her for a long time without getting tired. It was hard to imagine how he managed to make such an Erina his future wife.
"Oh, right, Renz, starting this week, let's establish a 'Hug Day' once a week," Erina had actually been unable to say this, but finally made the decision.
Erina knew she was a bit unforthcoming, but so far, Renz's actions had consistently left a good impression on her. He wasn't someone she disliked. Playing the role of a married couple was also becoming more natural.
However, there had been several close calls. For example, their daughter, Rina, had noticed their recent "discordant" living situation. In other words, those closest to them, those living nearby, were more likely to spot such abnormalities. To dispel this "discord," the unspoken understanding and intimacy between a couple needed to be improved.
Erina had recently watched many light novels and TV dramas to better play the role of a wife. One TV drama had a plot very similar to their situation: a fake married couple whose colleagues noticed a lack of romantic chemistry. To cultivate their understanding, they established a weekly "Hug Day," and this method proved effective in the drama.
"Why?" Renz couldn't quite follow Erina's train of thought.
"To cultivate understanding between a couple. Our compatibility is too low, and it's easy to be found out. 'Hug Day' is meant to increase our understanding. I learned this from a TV drama," Erina said seriously.
"Is that so?" Renz pondered. "So, which day will 'Hug Day' be?"
"Today is Saturday, so let's start from today, every Saturday," Erina considered. "That way, our disguise will only become more elaborate."
Finally, Erina looked at Renz.
"Come on, hug me."
She said, then slowly closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly. Although she had found a way to increase compatibility in a TV drama and even proposed the idea, putting it into practice was another matter entirely. Renz saw Erina's slightly anxious little movements.
He inwardly spat out old blood.
Stubborn tsundere!
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What do you think will happen during their first "Hug Day"?
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