Chapter 35: Expired strawberries...just this time.
Chaomu felt that Midorikawa Kei was just treating her like a child.
Come on, she's still working. How could she just leave for a late-night barbecue? She hasn't even finished searching the trash can yet...
Therefore, the player righteously rejected the other party's untimely invitation: "I'm still working, barbecue will wait for next time..."
"...You can come to my house, too." Before she finished her words, the cat-eyed young man curved his brows slightly, clasped his fingertips around her wrist, and softly suggested, "You said you wanted to come visit me before, but I..."
The change was followed by a suggestive silence. Those blue eyes were filled with sincere apology, their frozen crust melting away, their aloofness gone. Following his suggestion, he leaned forward slightly, his jacket zipper unseen, revealing the outline of his chest beneath his shirt.
"Ever since that day, I've been wanting to apologize to you—Miss Chaomu, is there anything you'd like to eat? The supermarket should still be open, so we still have time to buy some of your favorite ingredients..."
…It seems her previous judgment was slightly wrong.
Chaomu fell into a brief moment of contemplation.
I can't say Midorikawa is completely unsuitable for this line of work... I have a feeling he's actually quite good at it. Is this just an illusion?
She blinked and looked back at the young man in front of her. His eyebrows were slightly curved as he stared at her quietly, not urging her, simply waiting for a response.
Is this the confidence of a high-Charm NPC? I feel like he's certain he'll agree... Is he so confident he can manipulate people like that? Last time, he said they were just casual acquaintances and didn't know each other at all!
Remembering the last time he was shunned, the player's brows furrowed, a rebellious mentality suddenly rising. He opened his mouth to refuse: "Midorikawa-kun and I are not that familiar with each other. In any case, please stay away from me..."
Outside the door, Zhu Xingda tapped the earphone lightly, reminding that time was passing.
The study's ceiling light flickered as Chaomu's refusal faded. Midorikawa Jing's eyelashes cast a shattered shadow beneath his eyes as he lowered his gaze. He deliberately slowed down his movements as he released her wrist, his fingertips brushing the lines of her palm.
"...That's such a pity," he sighed softly, his coat draped over his elbows. As he turned, his shoulder blades rose and fell in a lonely arc under the fabric. "I had originally reserved a piece of Wagyu beef to share with a friend..."
"If you go to the supermarket at this time, there should be a lot of meat and seafood on sale. Since the prices are affordable, you can get a lot more for the same budget. My grill pan at home is heated perfectly, and the roast beef and pork belly only need a simple marinade to be juicy and tender. Grilled shrimp, scallops, and oysters can be added with minced garlic..."
He recited the dishes so smoothly, and his voice was so pleasant that tears streamed down his cheeks. Even though he wasn't feeling hungry, Chaomu could still feel his saliva secretion speeding up.
Noticing her gaze becoming increasingly focused, the cat-eyed young man curled his fingertips slightly and finished with a smile: "Finally, fry the toast on a baking sheet with melted butter. Top the toast with apple slices and the crispy edges... and add a scoop of ice cream."
"Of course, you can also add baked pudding."
Chaomu: “…………”
This guy...
She wiped the corner of her mouth, her golden eyes staring coldly at the young man in front of her: "Midoka-kun, do you think I'm the kind of fool who would be tempted by food?"
When that face looked gloomy, it was still quite intimidating. Zhu Xingda, who was outside the door, was sensitive to the atmosphere. He raised his eyebrows slightly and was worried about his companion.
Midorikawa Kei had developed a certain resistance to her unpredictable behavior and remained calm. "Ms. Asagiri is certainly not stupid...Ms. Asagiri is simply more tolerant and willing to agree to my request out of consideration for my feelings."
A very good NPC!
Chaomu patted his shoulder approvingly: "Then I will agree with all my reluctance."
She rushed to the trash can in the study like a whirlwind, searched around it, vacuumed the surroundings, and followed the cat-eyed young man out of Qingshui House.
Anyway, there was nothing worth touching in this trash can, so it was no big deal to leave it there for the time being; she wasn't going there to eat, her main purpose was to go to the NPC's house and complete the interview mission - and then touch his... trash can.
What skills are there in Midorikawa's trash can? What are some stray cat survival tips?
Midorikawa Kei took the excited girl's arm and left a final message for his companion. After the two left together, Moroboshi immediately took over the scene and continued to decrypt the safe.
When Gin arrived at the scene, all he saw was a spotless study and Moroboshi Dai, who had just opened the safe. The woman who had caused his blood pressure to soar was nowhere to be seen, not even a speck of dust left behind.
"... Where's Midorikawa?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, glaring at the black-haired sniper with the same long hair as him, "And that..."
"Midorikawa just cleared out the outsiders," the stern-faced sniper replied casually, having just opened the safe. "There seems to be something wrong with the intelligence team's information—the only thing in the safe is a love letter from Councillor Fujita to Ms. Shimizu. Do you want to take a look for yourself, Gin?"
...outsiders...tsk.
Gin walked into the study with a cold face and picked up the stack of letter papers casually.
The paper was filled with corny lines like, "Because of my deep longing for you, I always see you in my dreams," and "Your shadow is in every dream." The more he read, the uglier his expression grew. He wanted to crumple the letter and throw it away, but in the end, he just snorted coldly, put the letter back, and asked Zhu Xingda to pick it up and put it back.
The silver-haired killer exuded a cold air. Moroboshi calmly picked up the letter and put it back into the safe intact: It seems that Gin is quite dissatisfied with Rum and the intelligence team, and may be angry with him and Midorikawa... The cold snort just now was probably because the other party felt that they were a little out of touch and were actually tripped up by a housekeeper.
Thinking of this, the black-haired sniper cleaned up all traces and sent a message to his companion saying "I'm off duty", which was also a reminder that Midorikawa owed him one.
Midorikawa's relationship with that girl seems to be complicated, so he shouldn't mind paying a little "favor" for it - in order to let Midorikawa date his girlfriend, he worked overtime and faced his angry boss alone, so it's natural to ask for some compensation.
"Buzz—"
A faint voice came from the headset, confirming the mission was over. The young man with cat eyes took off the black ornament on his earlobe while adjusting his hair and put it in his pocket. His eyes fell on the girl beside him. The latter's golden eyes sparkled, reflecting the light with anticipation.
The crisis brought by Gin has been temporarily resolved, and he can actually get rid of her... But if he does so, he will definitely be completely hated, right... ?
Before he could even come to a conclusion, the sudden chill on his neck jolted him back to reality. The short-haired girl stood on tiptoe, pressing the unopened, icy bottle of Coke against his neck. As he stared blankly, she withdrew her hand nonchalantly. "Even if you pretend to be dazed before paying, I won't pay, Midorikawa-kun."
Midorikawa Jing: “…………”
Like a frizzy cat whose owner was using it to wipe his hands, he slowly calmed down, covered his neck, and sighed helplessly: "Don't worry... I will pay the bill."
Chaomu nodded, but didn't say whether he believed it or not.
...Is it because of his sudden departure last time that she doesn't trust him...That's a good thing.
The young man with cat eyes turned away and put a box of shellfish into the cart.
After all, she shouldn't have been too close to him... It was best to keep her distance. Today was a special case, and then as expected...
“Can I buy blueberries that aren’t on sale?”
He felt a sudden poke in the lower back, his train of thought abruptly interrupted. A girl's furry head popped out from behind him, holding two large boxes of blueberries—she looked like she was planning to eat one and take one away.
"...Okay." Midorikawa Jing pressed his forehead and exhaled softly, "Don't worry about the budget... Just take whatever you want to eat."
Having obtained permission to make the most of the products, the hooded girl went all out and rushed to the delicatessen section, clearing out the shelves like a whirlwind.
The late-night supermarket was about to close, and the special offers were dazzling. The light softened her outline. The cat-eyed young man looked at her back, and the corners of his lips, which had been depressed, curled up slightly.
"Saury special..." He also turned his attention to the ingredients, "I need to buy two lemons..."
The weighed lemons were quickly thrown into the shopping cart. Chaomu, who seemed to have run away, came back like a whirlwind, holding two sweet potatoes in his hands: "Do you have a spray gun at home? Can you make those caramel sweet potatoes and then cover them with ice cream balls——"
"Not yet," Midorikawa, who was usually better at traditional Japanese cooking, replied subconsciously, "I'll have to buy a spray gun from a specialized store. Maybe next time..."
"Hmm... Fine, I'll let you go this time." Chaomu reluctantly said, "You need to be sincere enough to become my disciple, Midorikawa-kun! It's okay if I ask you, but if Ms. Shimizu asks you if you can do it and you say no, you're out! A man can't say he can't do it!"
...So she still thought of him as a gigolo who wanted to take shortcuts... Where did this deep-rooted impression come from... Has she seen a lot of men like him recently...?
Midorikawa Jing was at a loss for words: "I'm not..."
"Don't just talk, prove it with your actions." Chaomu grabbed another box of strawberries and piled it on top of the shopping cart. "Prove it to me next time, Midorikawa-kun."
She said she wanted to prove it, but she didn't dwell on it for too long and just floated away like the wind.
He should have been more concerned about the "next time" that was inexplicably set. The young man's fingertips rested on the expiring discount label on the box of strawberries and unconsciously picked at the folded corner.
If I'm careful and it only happens once or twice... This kind of interaction should also be part of the disguise of "Midori Kawakami"...
The refrigerator containing strawberries was right next to him, so he put the box of strawberries, which had become a little stale, back on the shelf and replaced it with a box that had a longer shelf life and was not on sale for a limited time.
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Author's words: Hiro: One step closer to being a raccoon keeper.
Finally finished writing, happy new year babies!
The New Year holidays are so busy... I feel like I can't concentrate at all when there are other people at home) I originally planned to write about 5,000 or 6,000 words for this chapter, including the Cowherd Special Training, but I finally gave up the struggle... I'll go back and work on it tomorrow.
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