By the time Miki Kashiwagi brought out three dishes and a soup, it was already a quarter to nine in the evening.
"Old chicken stewed with white Chinese angelica, stir-fried garlic sprouts with Chinese sausage, steamed cured meats, and blanched choi sum. Please enjoy. These are my absolute favorite dishes from my hometown, and I've mastered them straight from my mom..."
Sakiko Toyokawa felt that Miki Kashiwagi was being a bit overly enthusiastic. She didn't quite catch everything he said, but she could clearly sense the pride he took in his culinary skills and an inexplicable sense of superiority radiating between his lines.
In truth, Sakiko's craving for protein had long since overpowered the lack of appetite brought on by her high fever. Heaven knew what kind of days she had been surviving through over the past few months.
Of course, she still had to put up a polite front; otherwise, it would be terribly rude.
"Itadakimasu." Sakiko swallowed hard, feigned calm as she went through the motions of a pre-meal blessing, and then picked up her bowl and chopsticks, first helping herself to a bite of rice topped with the steamed sausage.
The rich oils and savory-salty flavors burst in her mouth, filling her entire palate.
"...Delicious!" Sakiko let out a low gasp, her composure instantly crumbling as sheer happiness and satisfaction were written all over her face.
As Miki dished out the soup, seeing Sakiko's delightful expression and pretty profile, he couldn't help scooping himself an extra portion of rice. Sure enough, a beautiful girl made meals even more appetizing than the local LOL league matches.
Come to think of it, the timeline of the Bang Dream world had probably advanced to the very beginning of summer in 2023. Aside from a few alterations in Japan, the rest of the world was largely similar to his original one—a fact he had gathered from the LPL league.
The mid-laner for JDG was still Yagao, and JDG Gaming was still slaying gods and Buddhas alike within the league.
Though watching matches he had already seen in his past life wasn't all that interesting anymore, after all, nobody had a grudge against money.
Sure, he might not remember the scores of every football match, but could he forget the scores of the World Championship and MSI?
With that thought, combined with the hefty sum of money deposited into his account not long ago, Miki's appetite grew even heartier.
And so the two of them ate in relative silence, burying themselves in their food. Sakiko was far more focused on her eating, while Miki chewed with a radiant smile.
"Delicious... These greens are so crisp... The chicken is so tender, and the soup is so fresh and sweet... Dr. Kashiwagi, please give me another bowl of rice..."
What person from Guangdong could bear to refuse such a pretty, adorable guest whose very words struck right at a Cantonese person's weak spot?
Dig in and stuff your face! There's plenty more!
"Thank you—*hic*, thank you for the meal." Sakiko set down her bowl and chopsticks with a look of complete contentment, her eyebrows curving into crescents. Even the physical discomfort caused by illness and stuffing herself couldn't outweigh the sheer joy of enjoying good food.
"As long as you're full," Miki replied with a smile, though inwardly he couldn't help marveling.
Namu-san, what a magnificent face!
[Cooking skill upgraded, upgraded from Lv.3 to Lv.4]
An honored guest! From now on, he absolutely had to invite classmate Sakiko over for dinner more often!
After the meal, Miki cleared the table and cleaned up while Sakiko sat straight on the sofa, making small talk with him off and on.
"Dr. Kashiwagi..."
"Call me Dr. Kashiwagi. All my friends call me that, and I prefer it anyway."
"Dr. Kashiwagi, I've really troubled you a lot today. Your cooking is truly amazing."
"When I was little, my elders started teaching me how to take care of my own life. I suppose every person from the Central Plains has been raised like that; it's just that some people take it seriously while others don't."
"That's seriously impressive. You must have gone through quite a lot of tempering, right?"
"Actually, I quite enjoy it. The cuts from the knife, the redness and swelling from the splashing oil drops—the moment you enjoy the food you made yourself, all of that turns into a badge of honor, and the sense of pride completely triumphs over the pain."
"What you're saying is so philosophical..." In truth, Sakiko didn't quite know how to respond. She glanced at the time; it was already approaching ten o'clock. "It's getting late. For the sake of your reputation, I shouldn't impose on you any longer tonight."
She still had a useless old man of a father to take care of back home.
"Is your body really alright, classmate Sakiko?"
"Yes, I've already taken medicine here and gotten plenty of rest. If I were to stay any longer, it would put you in a difficult position."
She had missed a day of customer service work, which meant a huge chunk of her income for this month was gone. She had to hurry home, tidy up, and hide the remaining money so her old dad wouldn't use it to buy booze; otherwise, life really wouldn't go on.
Fine then.
Anyway, Miki's only goal was to make Sakiko remember that he existed; there was no need to forcefully keep her here, or else a prideful girl like Sakiko might end up resenting him.
"Alright, I'll drive you back in a bit. There's no need to go to school if your body hasn't recovered anyway. Besides, the leave roster is in my hands, so I'll forge it for you." Miki shrugged, then fished out his household medical kit, packed it with plenty of medicine, and handed the package to Sakiko. "The medicine inside can handle most common illnesses. Take it back with you."
"How can I do this? If I take it, what will you use?" Sakiko resolutely refused. Eating someone's food left you indebted, and now accepting someone's things made your hands even shorter—how would she ever repay Dr. Kashiwagi's kindness in the future?
"Just some common medicines, not worth much. Besides—" Miki didn't finish, merely giving her a meaningful look. That look made Sakiko, sitting on the sofa, feel rather restless.
It was as if he was telling her that her family was already in such a state, there was no need to stubbornly cling to pride and suffer for it.
"...I already said please don't make wild guesses about my privacy." Sakiko's face flushed red and turned pale by turns, and in the end, she only offered a faint, remarkably weak defense.
"I haven't even finished saying what 'besides' was."
"You—do as you please. Anyway, I can't argue with you." Sakiko remained stubborn as ever, merely averting her gaze to keep Miki from continuing to look into her eyes. The rising blood sugar made Sakiko's complexion ruddy, her amber-like eyes sparkling, while her deep blue hair looked a bit dry yet still retained its luster. Her slender frame was outlined by a clean white blouse and a plaid pleated skirt, fully displaying the charm of youth at this moment.
My goodness, what a succubus of a Sakiko.
Calm down. Calm down.
His fists clenched and unclenched, Miki let out a long breath, switched to a gentle expression, and said in a magnetic voice, "There's no need to use so many honorifics when talking to me. Essentially, there's less than ten years' difference between us; we're all peers, after all."
"Don't worry, no matter what you've been through, I will keep your secret—so you really..."
"Dr. Kashiwagi!" Sakiko grew anxious, though her angry expression looked pretty much like acting spoiled in Miki's eyes.
"Fine, fine, I won't ask, I won't ask."
Turning off the lights in the apartment, they stepped out of the elevator and into the underground parking garage. Sakiko walked quietly behind Miki, watching the hem of his trench coat sway rhythmically with his footsteps like roadside leaves fluttering in the wind. She rubbed the handle of the medicine kit in her hand, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts.
After all, being young, illnesses came fast and went fast; her fever had already subsided quite a bit. Having recovered her normal train of thought, Sakiko began to reflect on herself: why had she accepted someone else's goodwill with such peace of mind?
Other people couldn't help you for a lifetime; kindness as vast as the heavens could also rot one day. The only thing you could truly rely on was yourself.
Only yourself.
"Ouch!" Lost in thought, Sakiko suddenly bumped into Miki's back, stumbling back several steps. Miki looked at her with a worried gaze. "Are you really alright? How about you just stay here and get a good night's rest?"
"Sorry, I was just..." Meeting Miki's gaze, Sakiko's heart stirred once more.
Back in the infirmary when she first met his gaze, it had been this exact same gentle yet piercing look—as if he knew everything yet said nothing, simply wanting to redeem everyone's suffering. Did all doctors have this kind of expression? But why did she have the illusion of feeling this way for the first time today?
"...Sigh, please get in the car, classmate Sakiko." Miki pulled open the car door. As far as he was concerned, Sakiko simply wasn't fully recovered, and her mouth was stiffer than anything else.