Sato looked at Takanashi Toka in shock, unable to understand why she would suddenly make such a request.
"Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean…"
"I didn't explain it clearly."
Takanashi Toka let out a light sigh, then looked at him seriously and said, "Here's the situation. A few days ago, my senior, Shinomiya Kojirou, returned from France. He is an outstanding French chef and owns a French restaurant there."
"Because I want to further my studies in culinary arts, I plan to join his restaurant."
"To learn authentic French cuisine, he invited me to go with him to France to study at his restaurant. At the same time, he hopes that I can take on the role of head chef at a new French restaurant he plans to open in Japan."
"Senior Shinomiya Kojirou is a chef with remarkable achievements in French cuisine. If I study under him, I will gain a lot and improve significantly. But this will take several months, so…"
Takanashi Toka looked at him, the implication clear.
I see.
Sato understood the reason, but still found it somewhat strange.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Why would you choose me to take care of Takanashi Rikka?"
This really puzzled him. Normally, such a responsibility should be entrusted to relatives, not to a neighbor he had only known for a short time and had little interaction with.
Although he was neighbors with the Takanashi family and friends with Takanashi Rikka, they had not known each other for long. After all, appearances could be deceiving, and some level of caution was necessary.
Takanashi Toka said calmly, "Because I trust you."
Trust me?
Sato's face reddened slightly. Being told something like that directly was honestly a bit embarrassing…
But… that reason felt a bit too flimsy.
From his perspective, no matter what, he would not easily say "I trust you" to someone he had only known for a few months and barely interacted with.
If it were Takanashi Rikka, whom he interacted with often, he might understand, but Takanashi Toka was clearly not in that category.
Moreover, Takanashi Toka was a mature adult. She would not trust others so easily like inexperienced teenagers, and she also bore the responsibility of being Rikka's guardian. She should be even more cautious.
After calming down, Sato looked steadily at Takanashi Toka, clearly showing that he did not believe her explanation.
The two stared at each other for a long time before Takanashi Toka finally relented.
She looked at Sato with a hint of surprise and said, "It seems you are even more trustworthy than I initially thought."
"The real reason?" Sato asked.
Takanashi Toka's expression did not change in the slightest as she calmly explained.
"First, you are living here alone, which shows you have the ability to live independently."
"Second, judging from your current social situation, you are not someone with psychological issues."
"Third, you are Rikka's friend."
"Fourth, Rikka actually has the ability to live independently. What I need is simply a point of contact, someone who can observe her living condition."
Although Takanashi Toka listed four reasons, the most important one was clearly the last.
Sato immediately understood, though he still felt a bit puzzled.
"Sato."
At that moment, Kanna came out of the bathroom after finishing her bath. She was wearing the pajamas Sato had bought for her earlier, and droplets of water still clung to her hair, falling to the floor one by one.
"Your hair isn't dry yet. Go wipe it."
"Oh!"
Takanashi Toka frowned slightly at the sight and asked, "Your sister?"
Didn't he live alone?
When did a child appear?
Since Kanna had only just moved in, Takanashi Toka had not seen her before.
"No, she's Tohru's younger sister. She's just staying here temporarily."
Sato gave the explanation he had already prepared.
Takanashi Toka's brows remained furrowed, clearly unconvinced.
Strange.
The word echoed in her mind.
Not just about Sato, but also about Kobayashi, the programmer who lived next door to her.
At some point, she had been shocked to discover that her neighbor had suddenly gained a maid. She was somewhat familiar with Kobayashi.
Kobayashi, female, easygoing personality, a miserable programmer who often worked late into the night before stumbling home drunk, complaining about her bald supervisor…
She had never seen any trace of a wealthy young lady's background in Kobayashi, nor would any proper young lady choose to be a programmer. Yet one day, a maid had suddenly appeared in her home…
Although she found it strange, she did not look into it further, as she did not think knowing the truth would change anything.
"Actually, I've always had a question."
Sato suddenly looked at Takanashi Toka.
She glanced at him. "Go ahead."
"I've never heard Rikka mention your parents. Last time, she even asked me a rather strange question. If it's inconvenient to answer, that's fine…"
"This…"
Takanashi Toka fell silent. After a long pause, she slowly said, "It's not anything particularly significant. When Rikka was about to enter middle school, our father suddenly passed away…"
"Because of that, our mother couldn't handle the shock and left home. Rikka has never been able to accept this reality. Later, after coming into contact with chuunibyou ideas, she became convinced that our father is still alive in another world."
So that's how it is.
Sato frowned slightly and nodded.