Game Developer in the World of Anime

After chatting for a while, Hiratsuka Shizuka finally arrived.

As both a teacher and a friend, she, of course, didn't come empty-handed. Her gift? Several hardcover, autographed books.

"Here you go, Yukino. I'm not really good at picking out gifts, but I know you like reading, so I got you this set."

Taking the books, Yukino gave her a small smile. "Thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei. Please have a seat. Dinner will still take a bit more time."

She moved to the living room and sat down, where Haruno poured her a cup of tea.

"Thanks."

After taking a sip, Hiratsuka glanced around at the apartment's layout and asked, "This is a pretty nice place. How much did it cost?"

Haruno smiled. "Nice, right? This whole building belongs to our family. As for the price… well, Shizuka, if you're relying solely on your teacher's salary, buying it outright might be a bit difficult. But with a down payment and a mortgage, it's doable."

"Then forget it."

Hiratsuka rejected the idea without hesitation. "I'm pretty comfy in my little place. No way am I tying myself to a mortgage. If I had that kind of money, I'd rather buy a new car."

Ichin raised an eyebrow. "Hiratsuka-sensei, isn't your Aston Martin enough?"

"Hey now~~ you can never have too many nice cars!"

Utaha chimed in with her own opinion. "Buying a new car might not be a problem for you, Hiratsuka-sensei, but what about the parking situation at your apartment? Is there even enough space?"

Haruno's eyes narrowed mischievously. She patted Hiratsuka's shoulder like a kind older sister. "Shizuka, if you're that into cars, why not just buy a place here? I'll personally make sure you get two extra parking spots as a bonus!"

"I knew you were up to something."

Glaring at Haruno, Hiratsuka didn't respond further. She simply picked up a slice of apple from the fruit plate and took a bite.

"Either way, I'm not buying. I don't have that kind of money. But if you gave me a place, I wouldn't say no. Anyway, I haven't gotten a proper look around yet. Let me check out Yukino's new place."

Finishing the apple, she stood up and walked off to explore the other rooms.

Since Ichin and the others had already seen everything, Haruno went with her, giving her a private tour around the new home.

When they returned, Hiratsuka sat down with a neutral expression and took another sip of tea.

"Hmm, it's alright, I guess."

The very next moment, everyone gave her a look of pure disdain.

If you're not jealous, then at least try not to act like it shows on your face.

Luckily, Ichin was considerate enough to change the topic and smooth things over, which helped stabilize Hiratsuka's mood.

By 5:30, Yukino had finished preparing dinner.

As she brought out dish after dish to the table, Hiratsuka was genuinely surprised.

"Wow! This is the first time I've realized how good you are at cooking, Yukino!"

Eriri, who was sitting nearby, replied, "You didn't know? You've stopped by the Service Club plenty of times at lunchtime. Yukino's always made her own meals."

"Well, I never really paid attention to that."

Hiratsuka Shizuka sat down and poured herself a glass of cola. After glancing over the dishes on the table, her eyes landed on two in particular.

"Sweet and sour pork ribs? And is that Mapo Tofu? Yukino, you can cook Chinese food too?!"

Yukino, who had taken a seat beside Haruno, nodded slightly.

"Mm. I learned quite a bit from Senpai and Rin-nee. I've more or less mastered a few dishes."

Although Yukino was a quick learner, mastering Chinese cuisine wasn't easy. She wasn't being modest—she had truly only learned to make a few dishes well. Some others she could cook, but not yet well enough to serve to guests.

Eriri, curious, picked up a piece of sweet and sour rib with her chopsticks.

"I always thought you hadn't learned. I mean, I've never seen you bring any Chinese dishes in your lunch before. Ah—mm! Delicious!"

Yukino served herself some Mapo Tofu and explained,

"Mornings are usually too rushed. My old apartment was a bit far from school, so I didn't have time to cook anything fancy. But now that I've moved here, I can afford to spend a little time cooking in the mornings. Even if it gets cold, there's a microwave at school."

For example, Ichin and Utaha always brought their lunches to the teacher's office to reheat in the microwave.

Cold bentos? Ichin couldn't stand them. They were hard on the stomach, too.

And now, even Utaha followed his lead—she no longer ate cold lunches either.

While Yukino's cooking wasn't on the same level as Toyama Rin's, it was more than enough to serve guests. By the end of the meal, everyone had eaten until their stomachs were full.

Hiratsuka took a sip of tea and said with a satisfied expression,

"That was a wonderful meal. Honestly… what's with high schoolers these days? How are all of you so talented? Even Haruno knows how to cook. I'm the only one who can't."

At that moment, Eriri, who was lounging on a single-seat sofa, raised her hand.

"Um… I can't cook either."

She looked a bit embarrassed as she said it—after all, among everyone here, only she and Hiratsuka couldn't cook. Even Utaha had become quite skilled; she could whip up an entire delicious spread all on her own now.

So… should I learn to cook too?

But then again—what for?

She wasn't like Utaha, who had a boyfriend to cook for.

And she wasn't like Yukino, who had moved out and needed to cook for herself.

She had no plans to move out of her family home anytime soon, and she absolutely wasn't looking to get a boyfriend in the next few years. So why was she even thinking about learning to cook?

Forget it—I'll just go with the flow!

Eriri's expression instantly turned lazy. Slouching back on the sofa, she glanced over at Hiratsuka and said,

"Sensei, I think you really should consider learning to cook. I mean, what if you get a boyfriend someday and you don't know how to cook? That'd be super awkward!"

"..."

Hiratsuka could feel her rage rising.

Then, just as Eriri let out a lazy yawn, she pounced—rushing over and pulling Eriri into her arms.

"You little brat! Talking back like that—seems like someone doesn't understand what it means to respect her elders!"

"UWAAAHH! HELP MEEE!"

With her cheeks pinched by Hiratsuka, Eriri struggled instinctively.

Now that they were up close, Eriri twitched her nose a little and mumbled,

"Uuuuhh… Sensei, you smell like smoke…"

"That's called the scent of a mature woman, you little brat! You wouldn't get it!"

Sitting beside Haruno, Utaha leaned over and whispered,

"Has Hiratsuka-sensei really never had a boyfriend before?"

Haruno thought for a moment and shook her head.

"As far as I know, she really hasn't. I've known Shizuka since I was a kid."

"Really? Not even in high school?"

"Nope." Haruno confirmed without hesitation. "Shizuka was super strong. You know One Punch Man, right?"

"Y-Yeah, I do."

Utaha could now clearly imagine what kind of terrifying powerhouse Hiratsuka Shizuka had been in high school.

...

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