Kazuki was in his room, scrolling through his phone, when suddenly, it buzzed with an incoming call. Seeing Shizuka's name flash across the screen, he answered quickly, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Hey, Shizuka. What's up?"
Shizuka's voice was cheerful on the other end. "Kazuki! I was wondering if I could come over for dinner tonight. It's been a while since I had your cooking, and I'm craving something delicious!"
Kazuki chuckled. "Oh, so you're ordering off my personal menu now? Got any special requests?"
"Surprise me!" she replied with a laugh. "Just make sure it's good!"
With a smile, Kazuki agreed. "Alright, I'll make something you'll love. See you tonight."
As he hung up, Kazuki started mentally listing the ingredients he'd need for dinner. Just as he was about to head out, Aoi came into the room, her expression one of pure curiosity.
"Onii-chan, who were you talking to?" she asked, crossing her arms with a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
"Shizuka," he replied, grabbing his wallet and keys. "She's coming over for dinner, so I need to go to the market to pick up a few things."
Aoi's eyes narrowed. "So, she's coming over, huh?"
He nodded, not thinking much of it, but then Aoi suddenly brightened, flashing a mischievous grin. "Well, if you're going shopping, I'm coming too! I can't let you pick all the ingredients alone. Who knows what you might buy?"
Kazuki rolled his eyes but couldn't say no to her. "Alright, but don't slow me down. We don't have all day."
---
As they reached the market, Aoi darted toward the fruit section, looking over the apples and oranges with exaggerated seriousness.
"Onii-chan, we should get strawberries!" she declared, grabbing a pack and waving it around like it was a precious treasure.
"Strawberries? What for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aoi shrugged, giving him an innocent look. "Who doesn't love strawberries? Plus, I bet Shizuka would appreciate a sweet dessert to go with dinner!"
Kazuki stifled a laugh. "Fine, we'll get strawberries."
They moved through the aisles, picking up fresh vegetables and some premium cuts of meat. Kazuki was focused, calculating what he'd need to make a meal that would impress Shizuka. But Aoi, on the other hand, was fully immersed in her own mission.
"Oooh! Look, onii-chan!" Aoi pointed to an unusual-looking vegetable. "What on earth is this?"
Kazuki glanced over, shaking his head with amusement. "That's a daikon, Aoi. You know, the same thing you refused to eat last time I cooked it."
She scrunched her nose. "Oh, right. Still looks weird."
They continued through the aisles, with Aoi making silly comments about almost everything they passed. At one point, she picked up an eggplant, held it up to her face, and asked with mock seriousness, "Onii-chan, do you think I look good in purple?"
Kazuki groaned, laughing despite himself. "Aoi, put that down before people start staring."
But Aoi only grinned, clearly enjoying her antics.
Finally, they made it to the cashier with their cart full of groceries. As Kazuki paid, Aoi, in typical little sister fashion, added one last item—a box of her favorite ice cream. Kazuki gave her a look but let it slide, shaking his head as they left the store with their bags.
---
On the way back, Aoi skipped along beside him, humming happily. "So, onii-chan, what are you planning to cook for Shizuka?"
"You'll just have to wait and see," he replied, keeping the details a secret.
Aoi sighed in exaggerated disappointment. "Keeping secrets, are we? Well, I hope it's good enough to impress her! I don't want my big brother to disappoint!"
Kazuki chuckled, feeling a bit of pressure but mostly amused. "Don't worry. You know I always make sure my cooking's top-notch."
They reached home, and Kazuki set down the bags, ready to start preparing. Aoi hung around, watching him unpack everything, still curious about what he'd make.
As he turned to organize the ingredients, he heard Aoi murmur, "Just don't make it too special… wouldn't want Shizuka to think she's *too* lucky."
Kazuki raised an eyebrow, smirking as he glanced at her. "Jealous, are we?"
Aoi turned pink, giving him a playful glare. "Hmph! Just make sure you save some for me!"
With a grin, Kazuki got to work, knowing that tonight's dinner was sure to be interesting.