Chapter 41 A chaotic mess, a battle of wits and strength, Taichuang…
After their playful fight, Nekono Ikuya led Furuya Rei and Morofushi Kagemitsu on a tour of the Nekono family mansion. They saw portraits of Nekono Ikuya's family.
Influenced by the witch, the Nekono family prefers to leave portraits rather than photographs.
Rei Furuya suddenly realized, "No wonder you like blue-eyed outfits so much; your mother has beautiful black hair and blue eyes." Since her mother's eyes are blue, it's perfectly normal for Nekono to prefer blue eyes.
Incidentally, Nekono's father's eyes weren't blue; he had pure black hair and black eyes, with a more rounded and softer phoenix-shaped eye than a typical phoenix eye. Nekono Ikuya also inherited her cat-like eyes from her mother.
“Right, right.” Nekono Ikumi instantly grasped the key point she wanted to hear, “Black hair and blue eyes are really pretty, aren’t they?” My mom is really pretty, isn’t she?
Zhu Fu, who also had black hair and blue eyes, nodded in agreement: "Yes, black hair and blue eyes are very beautiful." After saying that, he touched the corner of his eye and smiled.
Nekono Ikuya smiled as he looked at Morofushi Kagemitsu beside him. Black hair! Blue eyes! And cat-like eyes! This was a major reason why Morofushi Kagemitsu initially had a high level of goodwill towards Nekono Ikuya, and why the two quickly became friends.
Rei Furuya tilted his head to look at Ikuya Nekono, curious: "Nekono-kun, what was your initial reason for disguising yourself? Was it to make yourself look more like your family?"
There must have been a reason why Nekono-kun is so unconventional and likes to change her expression. What is it? Furuya Rei asked bluntly, showing his keen interest in exploring everything about Nekono Ikuya.
"Hmm? Why?" He really hadn't thought about that question. Nekono Ikuya pondered for a moment, then quickly smiled purely.
He also looked at Rei Furuya, winked playfully, and said, "Can't it just be because I like it? Just like some people don't like wearing the same clothes all the time, I don't like using the same face all the time either. And I happen to be able to disguise myself, so I did it."
An unexpected yet not entirely surprising answer—that's typical of Nekono Ikuya. While comparing changing faces to changing clothes might seem odd, Morofushi Hiromitsu and Furuya Rei understood Nekono Ikuya's meaning.
Why so many whys? Yeah, why so many whys? Just do what you like as long as it's legal.
Her mindset is enviable; it's clear at a glance that Ikuya Nekono grew up in a loving and supportive environment.
However, Sakura-on Elementary School does have a loving and inclusive school spirit and atmosphere, and is willing to cultivate students' unique personalities and different hobbies.
The reporter loves interviewing, the president of the performing arts club enjoys screenwriting. Others are passionate about photography, design, painting... almost every student has one or two hobbies, and they can all showcase them to their fullest potential in our inclusive campus.
Nekono Ikuya is simply exceptionally talented in costume changes and performances. She might be described as unique at Sakurane Elementary School, but she's definitely not considered an outlier.
Sakura-on Elementary School is such a magical and inclusive school, and it often produces unique and outstanding individuals.
Now, Rei Furuya and Kagemitsu Morofushi are also students at this school, and this loving and inclusive environment for growth will belong to them from now on.
After touring the Nekono family mansion, Nekono Ikuya and the others played games in the game room for a while, watched a movie in the cinema room, and explored various functional areas such as the indoor swimming pool and outdoor observation deck. Completely exhausted, they finally realized they were a little hungry.
"How about some afternoon tea?" Nekono Ikumi pondered, rubbing his flat stomach. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him, and a lightbulb went off in his head.
"Friends, why don't we try cooking for ourselves?" Nekono Ikumi said with a look that said, "I've suddenly had a great idea."
"?!?" Furuya Rei and Morofushi Kagemitsu's eyes lit up at the same time, eager to try it out.
The compulsory home economics course, which teaches life skills such as cooking and sewing, is offered in the fifth grade, but that doesn't stop them from previewing it in advance.
For children, it's like magic when colorful ingredients are transformed into delicious food through a series of complex seasonings and cooking methods!
Seeing that the other two were also interested and had reached a consensus, Nekono Ikuya nodded in satisfaction.
So let's do it.
"Snap!" Nekono Ikuya snapped her fingers coolly, summoning the omnipotent Black. "Black!"
“Young Master Yu Mi, I’m here.” A steady voice suddenly came from the corner.
Rei Furuya and Kagemitsu Morofushi turned around in shock and discovered a dark figure silently taking a step forward from the shadows they hadn't noticed before.
Light and darkness intertwined on him in an instant, and only in the next moment did his presence truly become apparent.
"Wow!" Furuya Rei and Morofushi Kagemitsu exclaimed in surprise, then clapped like seals. How did they do that? They hadn't even noticed anyone here before.
Furuya Rei's eyes were particularly sharp, after all, he had been working hard to improve his stealth skills recently, vowing to avenge himself if he had the chance.
His purplish-grey eyes shone brightly as he watched Blake appear and disappear with ease, a thirst for knowledge in his gaze. Amazing! Coach, I want to learn that!
Unaware of his two friends' expressions, Nekono Yuuya smiled and said to Black, "Black, please help me prepare some ingredients. We want to try cooking ourselves."
"Should we arrange a cooking instructor?" Blake was calm, not at all bothered by Nekono Ikuya's sudden whim.
Nekono Ikumi thought for a moment and then shook her head decisively, "No, just the recipe is fine." It wouldn't be fun if it became a tutorial; it's only interesting when you explore it yourself.
“I understand.” Blake nodded calmly and began contacting the squads near the villa.
At the same time, he didn't forget to contact the chef to send three smaller afternoon tea portions. If you want to save room to enjoy the food you made yourself, you can eat a little less for afternoon tea, but there's no need to starve yourself.
Anyway, the cooking process will take quite a while, enough time for the child to digest. He could already hear Nekono Yuumi's stomach rumbling.
Nekono Yuya smiled sweetly and did not refuse. He, Furuya Rei, and Morofushi Kagemitsu sat in the outdoor pavilion, chewing as they waited.
A few moments later, a spacious kitchen, suitable for children's height, was hastily erected.
Rei Furuya tugged at his surprisingly stylish protective suit. "Do we really have to wear this?"
"Huh? What's wrong? Isn't this good?" Nekono Ikumi, who had also changed into a stylish protective suit, looked down at her own clothes, puzzled.
"Does Furuya-kun think this outfit doesn't look good? I think it's alright." Nekono Ikuya spun around in a daze, then thought for a moment and said, "If you really don't like this style, you can change it. I remember there are several other styles. Right, Black?"
Blake didn't say anything, but instead quickly pulled out three or four different but equally stylish protective suits from somewhere, demonstrating his skills through his actions.
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." Furuya Rei broke out in a cold sweat and quickly waved his hands in refusal. He wasn't complaining about the clothes.
Morofushi Kagemitsu silently came to the rescue: "Zero means that we put on a full set of protective clothing just because we were trying to cook. Isn't that a bit too much?"
Even adults don't cook like this! Even fifth-graders don't cook like this in their home economics class!
Rei Furuya nodded frantically. Kagemitsu was right; that was exactly what he meant.
"Just to be safe." Nekono Ikuya didn't think anything of it and reached for the spatula. The kitchen utensils were also specially made in a small size, suitable for children to handle.
It's hard to imagine how Blake managed to prepare all of this so methodically in such a short time.
"Blake said this would prevent hot oil from accidentally splashing on him, which would hurt a lot!"
Blake, standing to the side, nodded silently with a serious expression. Yes, that was what he said. He was also the one who prepared and suggested that the three little ones, Nekono Yuya, wear the protective suits.
Nekono Ikuya can make wildly imaginative suggestions and come up with any idea that isn't illegal, and his job is to minimize the risks involved.
So, it's perfectly fine for someone of Nekono Ikuya's age to try cooking with friends, but it's best to wear the protective suit he prepared just in case.
But isn't this a bit too much? They're fully armed; anyone who didn't know better would think they were conducting a dangerous chemical experiment. Morofushi Kagemitsu and Furuya Rei stared silently at the protective masks in their hands.
The two exchanged a glance, shrugged helplessly, and snapped the masks onto their faces. Anyway, the protective suits Blake had prepared were lightweight and stylish, and wouldn't get in the way at all, so they figured it was up to him.
"Thump—whoosh!"
Red juice splattered in front of her eyes, and Nekono Ikuya raised her hand to wipe her mask. "Be careful, Furuya-kun, your tomato juice is splashed on my face."
"Excuse me—" Furuya Rei was about to speak.
"—Yumi, watch out, your eggs!" Moribushi Kagemitsu was shocked and turned around instinctively.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Nekono Ikuya's raised hand accidentally knocked over the egg, which bounced immediately. He froze and hurriedly reached out, but failed to catch it.
"Splat!" The egg vomited, dying with its eyes wide open.
"Kagemitsu, potatoes!" Furuya Rei watched as the potatoes began to roll around as Morofushi Kagemitsu turned around, and his hand involuntarily squeezed them. "Whoosh!"
Morofushi Kagemitsu turned around: "!!!" Crash! Potato had already jumped off the cliff!
Huff, watching the deep red juice splashing again in front of the mask, Nekono Ikuya slowly closed her eyes.
The scene instantly became a mess, and the three exchanged awkward yet polite smiles. A bad feeling crept in after such a poor start.
After a series of comical scenes involving chickens and eggs flying everywhere, potatoes disappearing underground, and ingredients flying in all directions, they managed to clean up the mess and move on to the next step.
But chaos always accompanied them—
Zhu Fujingguang cried out in alarm, "Oil, oil, oil! It's hot! Ingredients!" He frantically poured in the ingredients, and with a "sizzle," he frantically lifted the pot lid.
"How much is 'a little'?" Furuya Rei looked at the recipe, bewildered.
"Which is sugar and which is salt?" Nekono Ikumi pondered for a moment, then threw away the recipe and started sprinkling the seasonings by feel.
Accompanied by the occasional, ominous clanging of pots and pans, Nekono Ikuya and the others finally ended their battle.
The three men, each with a different expression, carried out their spoils of war. The only similar sentiment they shared was that it was fortunate they had protective suits; the protective suits had made a great contribution!
Nekono Ikuya's eyes sparkled: "Come and try my creative dishes."
"It's too creative, it makes me a little hesitant to try it." Rei Furuya glanced at Ikuya Nekono's dish, recalling the scene of the other woman throwing away the recipe and casually sprinkling seasonings—her confidence was frightening, he said honestly.
"Let me try it." Morobushi Kagemitsu was very obliging and took a bite with his chopsticks without saying a word.
With a smile on his face, Zhu Fujingguang decisively reached for his chopsticks and put them in his mouth without hesitation. He chewed them calmly, his expression subtle.
Morofushi Kagemitsu: "..."
"How is it? How does it taste?" Furuya Rei was even more curious than Nekono Ikuya.
Zhu Fujingguang hesitated: "Is it strange?"
He thought for a moment, then took another bite, his expression still subtle. "But surprisingly, it's not bad."
Is Kagemitsu trying to trick him again? Furuya Rei, who has been tricked by his malicious friend for too long, is suspicious.
Nekono Ikuya had already started eating. He chewed for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Delicious."
Rei Furuya hesitated for a moment before taking a bite, and then his expression became subtle. It wasn't that it tasted bad, but it was unexpected.
Every bite tastes different from what you expect, just like the enigmatic person Ikuya Nekono. Does cooking reflect the person?
Afterwards, they all tried Morofushi Kagemitsu's cooking, which was delicious. As for Furuya Rei's cooking? Hmm, it was cooked, edible. This clearly shows the difference in the three's culinary skills. Furuya Rei: "..."
"Let's celebrate this gathering together, cheers!" Nekono Ikumi secretly took out a wine glass and pretended to pour a glass of rice wine.
"Cheers!" Morofushi Kagemitsu and Furuya Rei drank the sake heartily in unison.
Then—"thud," Nekono Ikuya collapsed to the ground instantly.
"Nekono-kun/Ikuya?" Morofushi Kagemitsu and Furuya Rei were shocked. Rice wine can make you drunk?!
The gathering thus ended rather undignifiedly, leaving Nekono Ikuya completely drunk after just one drink: QAQ~
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