My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

“Books? What books?” Yukari’s attention was not on the topic, and it was only when Kitahara Hideji lifted the book “Essentials of Acupuncture” that she realized and said with a smile, “Oh, those are my dad’s.”

“Fukuzawa-san knows traditional Chinese medicine?” It was surprising to hear this, as traditional Chinese medicine had somewhat declined in popularity in Japan. However, it remained quite popular in neighboring countries, especially in South Korea, where it was even called “Han-yi” (Korean Medicine) and “Han-fang” (Korean Herbal Medicine).

“Yes, he spent some time in China, and that’s where he met my mother.”

“Both your parents have been to China… What were they doing there?” Kitahara Hideji’s curiosity grew stronger.

“My mom was studying in China, and my dad seemed to be traveling. I don’t know what he was doing exactly, but he shamelessly followed my mom back here, and they got married.”

Kitahara Hideji hadn’t expected to inquire about their parents’ love story. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he changed the subject and patted the books, saying, “Having traditional Chinese medicine as a hobby is quite rare.”

It truly was rare, akin to a fisherman being fond of flower arrangement.

Yukari had already sat down, eagerly waiting to start eating. She casually replied, “It’s not a hobby, my dad used to run a medical clinic.”

Kitahara Hideji was taken aback. He wondered if the doctor had changed careers to become a chef. The transition seemed quite significant. He couldn’t help but ask, “Then why did he open an Izakaya now?”

“He wasn’t skilled enough in medicine and couldn’t sustain it. He even lost some money… He used to run a Kendo dojo before, but nobody came to learn, so he couldn’t find any students. After reaching a dead end, he changed to the medical clinic, but that didn’t last long either. Finally, it became an Izakaya, and it’s been operating for just over a year. The future is uncertain.” Fukuzawa Yukari was straightforward and treated Kitahara Hideji like a close friend, telling him everything without reservation.

“This…” Kitahara Hideji really didn’t expect Fukuzawa’s father to have such experiences. However, Yukari didn’t seem to care at all and continued in a carefree manner, joking, “Don’t be surprised. My mom used to say that my dad is a first-rate drinker, second-rate swordsman, third-rate doctor, fourth-rate chef, and fifth-rate husband. Hahaha!”

She laughed for a while and then leaned mysteriously on Kitahara Hideji’s shoulder, saying, “Don’t be fooled by my dad’s serious appearance. After drinking, he’s just a silly egghead. I don’t know how my mom got deceived into marrying him.”

The warm breath from Yukari blew into Kitahara Hideji’s ear, carrying a faint scent of honey, and her touch on his shoulder was soft and elastic. Kitahara Hideji couldn’t help but tilt his head and glance at her, wondering, “Are you sure you weren’t born when your dad was drunk? Is it really appropriate for you to talk to me about these things? We should maintain a proper distance as men and women. Is it really okay for you to lean on me like this?”

Yukari didn’t care how others saw her and didn’t mind at all. After finishing her words, she returned to her previous position. The girl occupied quite a large space, swaying her body back and forth with ample curves. As soon as Fuyumi entered the room, she shot Yukari a disdainful look, then put down the pot and smacked the back of Yukari’s head, scolding, “Sit properly, stop fidgeting!”

The smack was really loud, and it made Kitahara Hideji’s scalp tingle just listening to it. Yukari immediately behaved, tucking her feet under her bottom and rubbing the back of her head pitifully.

Haruna also came in skillfully holding two large trays with various dishes on them. Fuyumi, having dealt with Yukari, started serving the soup and rice without looking at Kitahara Hideji. He hesitated for a moment, looked towards the entrance, and didn’t see Fukuzawa Naotaka. So, he asked Yukari, “Isn’t Fukuzawa-san eating with us?”

Yukari didn’t answer; she was too focused on drooling. Unexpectedly, Fuyumi responded instead. She tilted her head without looking at Kitahara Hideji, as if speaking to an invisible person. “He’ll be outside tending to the shop, in case customers arrive suddenly. Don’t worry about him; he usually eats after closing the shop… You just focus on eating. I don’t want our affairs to involve my siblings. Work is work, and our grievances are our own. They shouldn’t be mixed together. So, we’ll resolve our matters privately—fairly and justly! But I’ll never forget the insult you’ve caused me. One day, I’ll settle the old scores with you!”

Yukari nodded repeatedly beside her and chimed in, “That’s right! My sister just told us outside that this is a matter between her and you. It’s a tangle of love and hate between you two, and it has nothing to do with us. She doesn’t want us to get involved, so we’ll interact with you however you want us to…” Before she could finish her sentence, she received another slap on the back of her head, and Fuyumi exclaimed, “Stop talking nonsense!”

Yukari’s head was shaken, and she muttered in a low voice, “I just wanted to speak elegantly. As long as the meaning is conveyed, why does everyone care so much…”

Kitahara Hideji was a bit surprised, not because of Yukari – he could ignore her nonsensical remarks – but because Fuyumi’s expression didn’t seem like she was lying. He found it rather astonishing that the usually stoic girl was talking so reasonably. It was as if the sun had risen from the west and set in the north.

Nevertheless, he didn’t really care and replied with a smile, “I’ll be ready anytime!”

Fuyumi gave a soft hum and served the soup. Kitahara Hideji noticed that he got fewer pieces of tofu compared to the others, but he didn’t mind. The dinner was simple, with rice, miso tofu soup, natto, fried fish cake, pickled vegetables, salted fish, and stir-fried vegetables. It was a typical and modest Japanese family dinner.

Kitahara Hideji joined everyone in saying “Itadakimasu” before gently lifting his bowl and taking a sip of the warm miso tofu soup. To his mild surprise, it wasn’t delicious, but rather average. The dishes were well prepared, and the effort was apparent, but he had expected more since the izakaya seemed so meticulous even in simple matters like cooking rice and boiling eggs.

He plucked a grain of rice with his chopsticks, and it looked perfectly cooked and translucent. His mind wandered, thinking that perhaps his taste preferences differed from the Japanese. Just as he was about to pick some stir-fried vegetables, he found that the two plates that were there earlier were now empty, except for a short vegetable stalk.

He was bewildered and looked up, only to see Fuyumi deftly serving herself and Akitaro. She would fill her own bowl with rice, then give a spoonful of vegetables to Akitaro, followed by a sip of soup for him. Akitaro’s chubby cheeks puffed up like a little hamster as he ate. Haruna, on the other hand, ate slowly and methodically, covering her bowl with a thick layer of vegetables as usual, showing no sign of surprise or hurry.

Natsuo and Natsuha kept passing dishes to each other, switching chopsticks between their left and right hands, creating a synchronized and mesmerizing display around the table. Meanwhile, Yukari was making pig-like sounds as she buried her head in a bowl…

Kitahara Hideji was even more puzzled. Why did Yukari have a whole basin of food? He looked inside and found it filled with mixed rice and some dishes that weren’t served today.

Yukari wiped her mouth and asked in a muffled voice, “Why aren’t you eating? Is it because the taste is too bad to swallow? I already told you, my old man is just a fourth-rate cook, so just bear with it!”

“No, the taste is actually very good!” Kitahara Hideji forced himself to compliment. Curious, he asked, “Why are you eating something different from everyone else?”

Yukari, with a half-fish tail still on her lips, smirked, “This? It’s the leftovers from yesterday. I can’t waste it… Um, would you like to try some? I can share it with you.” She seemed hesitant and reluctant.

Kitahara Hideji quickly declined, “No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll pass. Please enjoy your meal.” I don’t want to eat something that you’ve been eating like a pig, and you’re probably just being polite anyway, not really intending to share with me.

Yukari let out a sigh of relief and urged him, “Then you better start eating too. If you’re too slow, there won’t be anything left!” She quickly resumed devouring her food like a wild animal.

Kitahara Hideji looked back at the dining table and saw that even the salted fish was almost gone, with only two small fish heads left in the plate, looking like they were rolling their eyes, unwilling to die without closure.

Alright then, I’ll eat the fish head for brain enhancement.

He was about to use his chopsticks when a gust of foul wind suddenly blew by him. His vision blurred, and he saw Yukari toss two fish heads into her mouth and chew them loudly. Then she went back to shoveling rice into her mouth.

At the other end of the table, Fuyumi was serving rice and scolding Akitaro, “You’re almost four years old now, already a little man. How can you just eat one bowl of rice? Eat another one! Don’t leave any leftovers! Huh? What’s with that expression? No crying allowed, if you dare to cry, I’ll spank you!”

The whole dining table was chaotic. Yukari was feeding herself like a pig, Fuyumi was disciplining her child, Haruna was quietly advising, Natsuo and Natsuha were fighting over food, stealing from each other’s bowls…

Kitahara Hideji was truly speechless. “Are you all fake Japanese? Japanese dramas depict everyone eating slowly, savoring their food, and being polite to each other!”

He felt powerless to comment further and just picked up a piece of pickled vegetable and started mixing it with his rice. On the table, except for the pickled vegetables and natto, everything else was pretty much gone. Luckily, there was enough miso soup, which could barely make up for a meal.

After finishing one bowl of rice and a bowl of soup, Fuyumi glanced at him from a distance and gestured to Haruna, “Haruna, refill his rice and soup.”

This pretty boy eats so much…

“Thank you!” Kitahara Hideji handed his empty bowl over. Next to him, Yukari wiped her mouth and extended her basin, mumbling, “Haruna, refill mine too, just fill it up…” Then she glanced at Fuyumi, lowered her voice, and said, “Let’s start with half a bowl!”

Kitahara Hideji looked at her in surprise. So, you weren’t using a basin, but your own special rice bowl?

The dinner continued with this chaotic atmosphere, and Kitahara Hideji realized that this family was really something else. They had their own unique way of doing things, and he couldn’t help but find it amusing and intriguing.