Haruto took a sip of his drink and calmly said, "These are the new rules of the game. All rights to interpretation belong to me. If you want, you can, as long as you win the game."
After a pause, he looked toward Itsuki: "Itsuki, the meat bun is still hot, so eat it quickly, or it won't taste good when it gets cold."
Hearing this, a few girls glanced at Itsuki.
*JIII*
Feeling everyone's gaze on her, a few black lines appeared on Itsuki's forehead, and she couldn't help but complain: "What are you all looking at?"
Yotsuba: "I want to eat."
Ichika: "Kuromori-kun's meat bun must be delicious, right?"
Nino: "I just want to see how bad it tastes."
Miku: "I'm curious."
Itsuki puffed up her cheeks: "The meat bun is mine, don't think about it, Yotsuba, don't come too close!"
This was the first gift Haruto had given her, and no matter what, she couldn't just give it away!
But... was it really that bad?
Itsuki glanced at Haruto. In front of so many people, even if it tasted awful, she had to finish it. Otherwise, he'd feel embarrassed.
She'd heard from Nino that men were very concerned about their pride.
Thinking this, Itsuki didn't hesitate anymore. She took the meat bun and bit into it in one big bite, then paused and unconsciously widened her eyes.
The little ahoge (hair strand) on top of her head instantly stood straight.
It wasn't bad—quite the opposite—it was incredibly delicious!
Itsuki had eaten many meat buns before and could even be considered a gourmet. But she was certain that none of the buns she'd ever eaten tasted as good as this one.
Her sisters asked one after another: "How is it, Itsuki?"
Itsuki unconsciously rolled her eyes: "Hmm... it's really delicious."
"..."
Was this a joke?
They stared at her without blinking.
But unfortunately, Itsuki's expression showed no sign of reluctance. On the contrary, she displayed a face of pure happiness and satisfaction, as though she had just eaten something heavenly! The four sisters were speechless.
Something was definitely wrong with this script. Wasn't it supposed to be awful, with Itsuki grimacing as she ate it?
But here she was, showing pure joy and satisfaction!
Nino hesitated: "No way? Could it really taste good?"
"But Itsuki's not good at lying..." Ichika said, her eyes blinking.
Yotsuba gave a thumbs-up: "As expected of Kuromori-san!"
Miku: "...I'm curious."
Haruto calmly replied: "Anything I make is always of high quality."
"Ow!"
"So arrogant!"
"Kuromori-san, I want some too."
"I want it too!"
You want to eat?
You want to get something for free?
How nice of you all to think that way!
If you really want to know how it tastes, come and learn!
Haruto firmly said: "No, I'll do it myself."
"No, no, Kuromori-kun, you need to share. Otherwise, we'll get jealous..." Ichika said in a playful tone, her voice soft and sweet.
Haruto didn't budge.
Rewards were rewards, but they still wanted things for free?
No way!
❀❀❀
After lunch, when Haruto passed by the staff office, he unconsciously glanced inside through the window and saw Hiratsuka focused on her work.
He thought for a moment, stopped, and stepped forward to knock on the door.
"Come in."
Hiratsuka's voice came, and she lifted her head just as Haruto pushed the door open and walked in.
Seeing him, Hiratsuka raised her eyebrows slightly, and an awkward moment flashed across her face.
That night, she had been shouting about touching his muscles or something like that.
It could go straight into the hall of shame and never be mentioned again!
Like a curse.
Hiratsuka still remembered the feeling clearly. One thing she had to admit was that his figure was impressive...
Stop!
She quickly shut down her wild thoughts!
Her face slightly warmed, and she quickly shifted her focus.
But she was an adult. Although that night had been deeply embarrassing to think about, she wouldn't be embarrassed when seeing Haruto again.
So, she quickly recovered.
Hiratsuka leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and arms, and said in a slightly annoyed tone: "You took the initiative to come see me... Why, aren't you with the Nakano quintuplets today?"
Haruto pulled out a chair and sat down: "I've already been with you."
"That's such an annoying answer."
Hiratsuka pouted, then said with a slight smile: "I suggest you be careful. It's best not to go to rooftops and other secluded places in the future. I don't want to see you on the news someday."
"You don't need to worry about that."
Haruto said seriously: "Hiratsuka-sensei, please pay attention today. If you notice anything unusual, remember to call me."
Unusual?
Hiratsuka thought of something and couldn't help but say: "Kuromori, are you talking about the Demon Summoning incident that's been circulating on the internet?"
Haruto nodded: "That's right."
Reminding Hiratsuka was to prevent her from being caught off guard and getting hurt.
This wasn't impossible.
This kindhearted, quiet creature had a tendency to step up for justice, but once it crossed into oddity territory, the first thing she should do was get away from danger.
If Hiratsuka were to get hurt, Mafuyu would be devastated, right?
So, Haruto had to give her a heads-up, just in case.
"Wait... is it real?"
Hiratsuka was startled and instinctively clenched her fists: "I heard that over a hundred people have disappeared in this incident. What happened to them..."
"..."
Wasn't the answer obvious?
Haruto didn't say anything.
Hiratsuka saw his expression and understood immediately. She took a deep breath and said seriously: "I get it."
It's always better to call for backup when needed.
And even without Haruto's reminder, if anything strange happened, Hiratsuka felt she'd probably call him anyway... though she hated to admit it, this guy really made people feel secure.
"Alright, I'll be going now."
Haruto stood up, about to say goodbye and leave.
"Wait."
Seeing him pause, Hiratsuka looked directly into his eyes and said seriously: "Kuromori, please be careful."
"..."
After Haruto left, Hiratsuka sighed and murmured: "It must be tough, for Mafuyu or for him."
Sigh...
Hiratsuka took a deep breath, rubbed her temples, and felt a bit irritated.
"What's going on?"
"What's this Demon Summoning incident?"
"What's happening in Ichinose City? And how is Kuromori connected to all this?"
"And those people, are they really dead?"
"..."