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Chapter 22: You Came at the Perfect Time
Just as their passion peaked—
"Don't."
Suyan wanted to take things a step further, but Saeko suddenly caught his wandering hand.
Suyan looked at the girl in front of him and asked, "Really?"
"It's too early for this."
Saeko gently opened her eyes. Her gaze was misty, and her breathing heavy.
Their eyes met, and the girl's gaze wavered, nervously avoiding Suyan's intense stare. "I... I want to take a shower first."
Even though Suyan had assured her she didn't smell bad, she still felt self-conscious about it.
"And after the shower?" Suyan asked gently, caressing her cheek and tucking a stray strand of dark purple hair behind her ear.
"We'll talk about that after I've showered."
Saeko lightly bit her lower lip, dodging the question. With that, she pushed Suyan out of the room.
Suyan stared at the closed door in front of him, scratching his cheek with an excited grin on his face. He took a long, deep breath; the air still seemed to carry the faint fragrance of the girl.
Even though Saeko hadn't given him a direct answer, her silence was the best answer he could ask for.
His thoughts drifted to the flaxen-haired Miyamoto Rei, who had run off earlier. If she had actually followed him back today, he definitely wouldn't have had this opportunity with Saeko tonight. After all, Suyan wasn't scummy enough to rush things; he wanted to give Saeko the most beautiful experience possible for her first time.
When one door closes, a window opens.
Humming a little tune, Suyan strolled into the kitchen with a spring in his step.
He was making extra tonight! After all, he'd need his strength for later, wouldn't he?
Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Saeko was agonizing over a choice.
However, her dilemma wasn't about whether or not to give herself to Suyan. That was never in doubt. Her love was as pure as the blade in her hand; once she made a choice, she absolutely would not hesitate.
No, the problem completely stumped her. What outfit should she change into?
She had never thought she'd actually care about picking out clothes. Much less for a man.
Ever since she realized the dark truth about herself—her innate, bone-deep craving for combat and the madness of slaughter—she hadn't even dared to entertain such thoughts. Yet, Suyan had barged into her world when she was at her most lost. He hadn't cared in the slightest about her flaws, choosing to accept the most twisted parts of her.
Therefore, she wanted to present her best possible self to Suyan and offer herself to him flawlessly.
Saeko looked at the messy pile of clothes spread across the bed and sighed in exasperation.
Eventually, her gaze finally landed on an outfit she had never worn before.
I choose you!
Back in the kitchen.
Suyan's hands moved in a blur, working so fast they practically left afterimages. Yet, his precision wasn't affected in the slightest. His movements were fluid and seamless, as if he wasn't cooking, but conducting a symphony.
Since he wasn't sure if Saeko was accustomed to Chinese cuisine—even if she wasn't, she would most likely just politely praise it as delicious without complaining—he didn't want to force her. So, in addition to his usual Chinese dishes, he decided to make a classic Japanese home-cooked meal.
It was hardly a challenge for him.
Eventually, Saeko stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe, immediately assaulted by the mouth-watering aroma of cooking. Following the scent to the kitchen, the girl found Suyan hard at work.
"Junior Suyan, you actually know how to cook?" Saeko asked, her face full of amazement.
Suyan instinctively replied, "This is nothing. There's a lot more I know how to do."
Just as Suyan turned his head, a soft sensation pressed against his back. A pair of incredibly soft, heavy mounds pressed into him. While they couldn't compare to Shizuka's super-model proportions, they were absolutely unrivaled among girls her own age.
More importantly, it was the vibrant, youthful energy radiating from the girl. That was something aging housewives couldn't buy back, no matter how much they spent on plastic surgery or skincare.
Using one hand to sweep up her damp hair, the girl leaned her weight against Suyan's back, pressing her face close to his and asking curiously, "Is this Nikujaga?"
"That's right." Suyan nodded.
Nikujaga—meat and potato stew—and curry were arguably the most representative Japanese home-cooked dishes. Moreover, it was simple to make; unless someone was a complete disaster in the kitchen, the resulting flavor was usually pretty good. The reason he chose Nikujaga over curry was simply that they didn't have any Japanese curry cubes in the fridge.
"Do you have any other dishes left to cook?"
Saeko's breath smelled like orchids, the warm air brushing against Suyan's face as she spoke. It made his face feel a little ticklish, and his heart too.
"No, that's it," Suyan replied.
"Then leave the rest to me. I know how to make a home-style dish like Nikujaga, too."
Saeko caught Suyan's hand holding the ladle. "You should go take a shower first."
"Are you sure?"
"You want to, don't you? Then let's save time." Saeko lightly tapped Suyan's chest with her index finger, teasing him. "Or are you worried I'm going to poison the food?"
Poison?
What a joke. First of all, Saeko would never do such a thing. Second, what kind of poison in this world could even take down a Nen user?
However, the girl had indeed given Suyan an offer he couldn't refuse.
Did he want it? Desperately! So he really was in a rush.
Unfortunately, Saeko didn't quite understand men. When pushed to top speed, a man could enter a bathroom, shower, and step out in less than three minutes.
Shortly after, at the dining table.
Perhaps because both of them were anticipating what was about to happen, an unusually quiet atmosphere settled over the table.
"Um... Senior Saeko, are you full?" Suyan asked, after haphazardly scarfing down a few bites and looking over at her.
"Mhm."
Saeko looked at her bowl, having barely eaten. Even though the food was genuinely delicious, her mind was so preoccupied with those thoughts that everything tasted like cardboard.
Suyan suggested, "Then..."
"Okay!" Before Suyan could finish, Saeko blurted out the word.
As soon as she said it, she immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.
The romantic tension in the air skyrocketed. Suyan stood up, ready to step forward, take Saeko's soft hand, and proceed to the next stage.
"Little Suyan, I'm home!"
Suddenly, the golden-haired bimbo beauty burst in, utterly destroying the romantic atmosphere. "I smelled it! What delicious food did Little Suyan make today? I'm starving to death, that idiot Minami Rika—"
Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed Saeko in the room and gasped in surprise. "Oh my? Isn't this Busujima-san? Why are you in my house, and why are you wearing my bathrobe?"
"Ah, well... I... I'm full, I'm going back to my room to rest."
Saeko's face instantly flushed a dark, bruised red. She felt an overwhelming, guilty sensation, exactly like being caught red-handed having an affair by the legal wife.
As Saeko bolted in a blind panic, Suyan stood there, mouth agape and speechless. With no other move left, he turned to Shizuka and beamed a "friendly" smile that practically radiated nuclear energy.
He had been one step away from the goal line, only for Shizuka to suddenly burst in and ruin everything.
How dare you ruin my good time?!
Marikawa Shizuka! I'm going to grass-feed you tonight!
"Um... Did I come back at a bad time?"
Looking at the terrifyingly bright smile on Suyan's face, even someone as dense as Shizuka realized something was terribly wrong. She gulped nervously, probing cautiously.
"No, you came at the perfect time." Suyan enunciated every word clearly. "Come on. Into the room."
"Um... My stomach is so empty. Can you let me eat my fill first? Even if I have to die, at least let me die a full ghost?" Shizuka pleaded, rubbing her belly pitifully.
"Don't worry. I guarantee you'll get plenty to eat tonight. You'll be absolutely stuffed."
With that, Suyan stepped forward, grabbed Shizuka, and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
Shizuka weakly patted Suyan's back, dragging out her voice in a long whine: "Nooo~"
Her wail was so tragic that even the two YukimiBotamon resting in the corner jumped in fright. However, upon seeing that it was Shizuka making the noise, they quickly squeezed their eyes shut, not daring to look, terrified of becoming collateral damage.
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