Chapter 301: A New Application of Sword Aura
After seeing Yukino off at the apartment building and saying their goodbyes, Hachiman headed towards his own home.
On the way, he discussed their plans for going to the beach during the summer vacation with the girl. Despite his pride taking a hit from the "sphere" incident last time, after some thought, she agreed to join.
However, when passing by a convenience store, Hachiman paused.
The ingredients in the fridge seemed to be running low, so it was a good opportunity to restock.
With that in mind, he entered the convenience store.
Picking up a shopping basket at the entrance, Hachiman planned to buy some vegetables and meat.
When he reached the bento section, he heard a familiar voice.
Cherry-colored long hair, bangs neatly covering the forehead, two strands of hair on the sides braided into twists, dressed in a professional OL outfit, long legs adorned with black stockings, and feet in a pair of dark high heels.
It was his current history teacher and also neighbor, Mafuyu Kirisu.
"Mafuyu-sensei," Hachiman greeted as he approached.
Startled by someone calling her name, Kirisu, who was earnestly choosing a bento, turned around and saw Hachiman's familiar face, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, it's Hikigaya-kun. Good afternoon."
"Yeah, good afternoon, Mafuyu-sensei." Hachiman nodded and noticed the budget bento she held.
"Do you have bentos for dinner, Mafuyu-sensei?"
"Yes, I do. I'm not very good at cooking."
Speaking of which, Kirisu couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Not only was she not skilled in cooking, but she was a complete novice in household chores, even struggling with tidying up her room.
Hearing her admission, Hachiman was somewhat surprised.
You should be aware that despite recently joining Sobu High, Kirisu has already gained considerable popularity among students due to her exquisite appearance and excellent teaching quality.
Well, mainly because of her appearance. After all, this is a world where looks matter. And during high school, both boys and girls often have those kinds of fantasies...
But unexpectedly, this highly popular teacher among students doesn't know how to cook.
Well, nobody is perfect.
"Eating bentos every day is not good." Hachiman shook his head, then smiled and invited, "How about this, Mafuyu-sensei, come to my place for dinner tonight?"
"Huh? This..."
Hearing this, Kirisu hesitated a bit. After all, she is a teacher, and regularly going to a student's house for meals might seem a bit inappropriate. However, Hachiman's cooking skills are just too amazing. Every time she eats, it leaves her wanting more.
"Well... if you don't mind, then I'd be happy to."
In the end, unable to resist the temptation of delicious food, she agreed.
Seeing Kirisu agreeing, a smile appeared on Hachiman's face.
"Then let's choose some ingredients together."
"Yeah, sure."
Saying that, the two of them started picking out ingredients together. If you ignore their clothing, you might mistake them for a couple or newlyweds.
But that's not possible now. One is wearing Sobu High's school uniform, and the other is in work attire. Even if someone were to make that mistake...
Emmmm
It seems like they could also be mistaken for an older sister supporting a male high school student.
Soon, the two of them selected some ingredients, completed the payment at the cashier, and left the convenience store together.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance of Hachiman's house.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back, Onii-chan."
Opening the door, Komachi naturally greeted them, and then she saw Mafuyu Kirisu, who came in with Hachiman.
"Huh... Kirisu-neesan?"
Hachiman explained with a smile, "We happened to run into Mafuyu-sensei while buying ingredients at the convenience store, so I invited her to have dinner with us."
"I see." Komachi nodded understandingly.
"Please come in, Mafuyu-sensei."
"Well... sorry for the intrusion." Coming to a student's house for a meal again, Kirisu couldn't help feeling a bit shy.
After changing into indoor slippers, the three of them walked into the living room.
"I'll go start cooking." Hachiman took the purchased ingredients and headed to the kitchen, but he suddenly thought of something and turned back.
"By the way, Komachi, since the opportunity is here, why not let Mafuyu-sensei help you with your homework."
Upon hearing this, Kirisu's eyes lit up.
"Sure, I can totally do that."
Tutoring homework is also part of being a teacher, and it can be considered a form of "meal fee" as well.
"Um... okay."
Although Komachi was a bit unwilling, she's now in her third year of junior high, aiming for good grades to smoothly enter Sobu High. So, she obediently took out her homework and textbooks.
While the two were engaged in homework assistance, Hachiman started preparing the meal in the kitchen. Wielding the knife with a few graceful swings, the ingredients on the cutting board transformed into the desired shapes. Satisfied with the result, he nodded, realizing that using sword techniques for chopping vegetables was quite convenient. If those swordmasters saw this scene, they would probably be horrified, considering the sword aura they spent a lifetime cultivating was being used by Hachiman to chop vegetables.
Once all the ingredients were prepared, he heated the oil in the pan. Before long, the kitchen was filled with delightful aromas. After about half an hour, dinner was finally ready.
"Alright, it's time to eat." Taking off the apron and washing his hands in the kitchen, Hachiman called out to the two in the living room.
"Yay!" Komachi cheered and hurried to the bathroom to wash her hands, with Kirisu following suit, equally eager. The aroma that wafted from the kitchen moments ago had captivated their attention.
"I'm starting—!" As the three sat down, the customary pre-meal phrase echoed, and dinner officially began. Picking up a piece of sweet and sour spare ribs, Kirisu placed it in her mouth. The tangy sauce and rich meat flavor instantly filled her taste buds, causing her to involuntarily squint in satisfaction.
"Mmm... it's so delicious; Hikigaya-kun's cooking is amazing."
"Exactly, Onii-chan's culinary skills are the best." Komachi also picked up a piece of ribs and put it in her mouth, expressing her satisfaction with a slightly mumbled remark.
In response to their compliments, Hachiman smiled.
"If you like it, feel free to eat more."
"Mafuyu-sensei, if you ever want to eat, you're welcome to come to our place anytime."
Upon hearing this, Kirisu's face showed a hint of interest, and then she harshly scolded herself in her mind.
"Oh, Mafuyu Kirisu, Mafuyu Kirisu, you're a teacher, you shouldn't be thinking about freeloading at your student's house, even though it's really delicious."
After inwardly scolding herself, she immediately took another bite of the sweet and sour spare ribs.
Ah, so delicious.