"For example, making eerie, unsettling laughs or saying some strange, inexplicable words," Sui remarked.
"That's all? Well, that's a relief," Utaha sighed softly, thankful that she hadn't done anything too embarrassing.
"And... I think I also heard you call my name?" Sui hesitated, unsure.
"You must have misheard," Utaha's cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she quickly turned her head, avoiding Sui's gaze.
"You weren't imagining me as some scummy character in a novel, were you?" Sui asked, eyeing her with suspicion.
"Y-you're mistaken. It's nothing like that," Utaha's blush deepened, but she maintained a calm tone, pretending nothing had happened.
"Alright," Sui said, shaking his head. Without any concrete evidence, there was no point in pushing the issue further.
"I'll be heading out now," he said, preparing to leave.
"Yeah," Utaha nodded. As her gaze fell on the empty plate in Sui's hand, she asked curiously, "Were you eating just now?"
"No, this is the plate you left behind," Sui clarified.
"Wait, I already ate?" Utaha was taken aback. No wonder she didn't feel hungry despite not remembering eating all day.
"Yeah, and I fed you," Sui added with a matter-of-fact tone.
"You… fed me?" Utaha's composed demeanor finally cracked.
"Yeah, didn't you say you wanted omurice? After I made it, you just sat there with your mouth open. So, I had no choice but to feed you, one bite at a time," Sui explained helplessly.
"O-One bite at a time...?" Utaha's face flushed even redder, utterly embarrassed by the thought of being fed mouthful by mouthful by a boy.
"Maybe you were just too focused, and that's why you didn't notice it," Sui offered, trying to ease her embarrassment. "Anyway, I'll take my leave now."
"Mhm," Utaha nodded, following him to the door. After closing it behind him, she leaned her back against the door, her cheeks still hot, and muttered to herself, "How embarrassing."
——
A few days passed, during which Sui successfully aced his final exams in the spice and dessert classes. Throughout this time, he also became more familiar with his new neighbors. Utaha and Eriri frequently dropped by for dinner, much to Tohru's dismay, who was growing annoyed by their freeloading.
Of course, Utaha would occasionally fall into strange trances like before. Whenever this happened, Sui would end up feeding her again, bite by bite. Although he found it baffling, he had to admit that feeding a beautiful girl was an oddly enjoyable experience.
——
One evening, after returning home from the shop, Sui sat down in the living room to watch TV with Tohru. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Sui went to open it, revealing Eriri standing there, dressed in green sportswear and black-framed glasses—a look she typically sported when she was working on her art at home.
"Didn't you just eat? Are you hungry again?" Sui asked with a hint of exasperation. After spending a few days together, the two had become quite familiar with each other.
"No!" Eriri's face turned red as she angrily retorted, "I'm not here to mooch off your food!"
"Then why are you here?" Sui asked, puzzled. Knowing her otaku tendencies, he could hardly imagine any other reason she'd visit unless she was hungry.
"Well… there's something I'd like your help with," Eriri hesitated before finally speaking.
"And what's that?" Sui asked.
"Come with me first," Eriri said, glancing around furtively before heading toward her room.
Sui sighed and followed her inside.
"What exactly do you need help with?" Sui asked as they entered her room.
Eriri sat down on a chair, crossing her legs and absentmindedly twirling a paintbrush in her hand. After a moment of hesitation, she finally explained, "The Winter Comiket is coming up soon, and I'm having some trouble with my new project. I need your help with that."
"Creative troubles?" Sui blinked in surprise. "But I don't know much about drawing or making comics."
Cooking was one thing, but comic creation was far beyond his expertise.
"It's not really about drawing. I'm struggling with character development and setting up certain scenes," Eriri admitted, her tone betraying some reluctance. "Anyway, Sui, could you help me?"
"If it's something I can help with, then of course," Sui nodded, still unsure what exactly she wanted from him. Nevertheless, he didn't feel like turning her down.
"Great!" Eriri smiled, her expression brightening. "Have you seen 'The Prism of That Snow'?"
"No, I haven't," Sui admitted. He wasn't much of an anime fan.
"It's okay if you haven't," Eriri replied nonchalantly. She rummaged through a nearby bookshelf before handing him a comic book. "Here, this is the comic version. Take a look."
"Uh… alright," Sui took the book and, despite himself, started reading.
An hour later, he finished flipping through the pages.
"So, what do you think?" Eriri asked expectantly.
"It's pretty good," Sui replied. "But what exactly are you planning to do with this?"
"I'm planning to draw my own fanbook based on it," Eriri nodded confidently.
Sui's expression shifted to one of understanding. "Ah, so that's what this is about. You're a veteran at this, I see."
"If it's not a little racy, it won't sell well. That's just the reality," Eriri said with a matter-of-fact tone, completely unbothered.
Sui raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you need me for? To be a test reader or something?"
He still wasn't sure why she'd called him over, but if it was just to preview the story, he wouldn't mind.
"Actually," Eriri began, her face turning slightly red, "I need your help with role-playing. You'll play the male protagonist, and I'll be Mariko."
"Huh??"
Sui stared at her, dumbfounded.