Stealing Spree

Chapter 2811: Lunch and Chocolate Surprise?

After finishing prepping the table, I called for the girls who were still crowding on the opposite side of the kitchen. They already finished melting the chocolates and whatever they needed, but I guess they’re still trying to craft that surprise they wanted to give to me.

But we couldn’t let the food go cold, right?

That’s why I couldn’t help but raise my voice a little louder than usual to make sure they heard me over their excited whispers and the clink of utensils.

"Girls! Lunch is ready. Come on, before it gets cold. The chocolates can wait for dessert. My stir-fried beef is made especially for all of you."

With those words, the girls immediately reacted.

Eimi’s head turned first as her eyes sparkled while her cheeks seemed to be dusted with a faint smear of chocolate.

"Already? But we’re almost done shaping them! Five more minutes, Ruki?"

"Dumb-senpai’s right, though. I’m starving again after all that stirring. And since he made it for us... I can’t wait to taste it. Sister Eimi, let’s pause. We can finish after eating." Ria added. I could see her intelligent eyes narrowing playfully as she assessed the table.

Anzu-nee chimed in last. She grabbed a towel and wiped her hands while wearing a wry smile. "You two are hopeless. Come on, listen to the brat for once. He slaved over that stove while we experimented with his chocolates."

Akane, who was already standing next to me, chuckled softly as she pulled out chairs for everyone. "Husband’s cooking is always worth dropping everything for. Machida-san even said it smelled amazing. High praise from someone who’s probably never eaten his cooking before.

"

Machida flinched slightly as she was once again dragged into the equation. She put on a half-amused and half-bewildered expression before nodding awkwardly. "High praise... That’s not what I said but... I believe it will taste great. It shouldn’t have a disparity between the appearance and taste, right?”

“Pfft. Of course. Husband has been cooking for himself for a long time. He knows his way around the kitchen. He’s your perfect husband if you want to look for one.” Akane impishly winked as she added that last line full of implications.

Machida could only avert her gaze from me and not respond in order to avoid more awkwardness.

“Uhm. Thanks for letting me stay, Onoda-kun. And also, Nikaido... I mean, this wasn’t what I expected when I came over to their house earlier but I couldn’t back out now, right?"

"No problem," I replied, pulling out a chair for her before she could protest. "Sit. Eat. Consider it payment for getting dragged into our chaos."

“Un. It’s no problem, Machida-san.” Eimi also said before walking over to pick the place she wanted to sit on.

With Akane and the birthday girl, Ria, here with us, she was probably hesitating whether to take the seat on my other side. But before she could decide, Akane had already taken her seat, taking the one next to where Ria settled, leaving the other side of my seat open.

As for Machida, she also hesitated for a split second, her sharp eyes flicking between the spread on the table and the girls, but then she sat down with a small, reluctant smile. "You all left me no choice... Thank you."

I patted her shoulder gently before walking over to the seat next to Ria. And naturally, Eimi took the one on my other side while Anzu-nee sat opposite us, joining Machida there.

Ria tugged on my sleeve before leaning over to whisper, "Dumb-senpai, I find Machida-san interesting. She’s got that tough exterior, but I can tell she’s curious about you. About all of this."

I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "Girl, don’t say it like that. It’ll be uncomfortable for her.

She shook her head, that mature glint in her eyes shining through. "Why not? If she’s truly uncomfortable, she would’ve run out by now. She’s got potential."

Akane caught the tail end of that and leaned over with a teasing grin. "Potential for what, Ria-chan? Don’t give husband ideas. He’s greedy enough as it is."

“Hehe. Sister Akane, you know what I mean. Besides, it’s you who started it.”

Machida, who’d recovered from her near-choking incident, looked between us with wide eyes. "Wait, what? Potential for... no. Absolutely not. I’m just here because Akane kidnapped me."

Everyone burst into laughter at that, the tension dissolving like sugar in hot tea.

Then, Anzu-nee started passing around the serving bowls, "Relax, girl. Don’t mind them too much. You’re playing into their game. Let’s eat up before these get cold."

“Uhm... You’re right. Thank you...” Machida answered with a small nod as she took the bowl from Anzu-nee.

From where I sat, I could see her cheeks still tinged with that faint embarrassment from the earlier teasing.

Well, it’s really difficult to escape from that with all these girls around.

She scooped a modest portion of the stir-fry onto her plate. The steam rose in mesmerizing curls, carrying the savory aroma of soy and garlic that seemed to ease the last bit of tension from her shoulders.

Everyone else followed suit. But I especially scooped the portions for the birthday girl and Eimi.

Akane stared at me as if I wasn’t favoring her so I also ended up doing it for her. As for Anzu-nee, she raised her chopsticks and pointed them at me threateningly, silently saying ‘do not try’. Of course, she’s just trying to portray herself as the most mature and the oldest of our current group.

So despite her warnings, I still stood up and scooped a portion into her bowl of rice.

“You’re so extra, shameless brat.” Or so she said but her lips betrayed her satisfaction.

Like this, we started eating. Ria was the first to break the quiet with a satisfied sigh after her first bite, praising the beef’s tenderness and the veggies’ crunchiness. She even noted the sauce that I added.

Then, after her, Akane and Eimi also piled up, doling out praises to my cooking.

Machida was even roped in to agree but upon looking at her delighted expression, she truly found the meal delicious.

And so, I was a little flattered by that.

At one point, Ria demanded to be spoonfed and that quickly spiraled to Akane and Eimi joining in.

Perhaps if not for Machida being present, all three of them would climb up my lap alternately to get the best experience out of it.

Like this, we eventually finished our lunch without any major fuss.

But then, Akane locked on my seat while Ria and Eimi went back to the kitchen to finish or maybe to get their surprise for me.

Machida tilted her head at the sight but she was clearly amused at the sudden turn of events. Anzu-nee, on the other hand, moved over to the place Eimi vacated, helping Akane in locking me in my seat.

“Alright... Looks like you girls planned this out. I thought it was going to be a dessert. Why am I being treated like a prisoner? What did I do to deserve this?" I acted pitiful which earned me the roll of Machida’s eyes.

Anzu-nee giggled before saying, "Prisoner? You? Don’t kid yourself, shameless brat. We’re just making sure you don’t sneak a peek at the surprise."

Akane nodded enthusiastically from my other side, her golden hair brushing my shoulder as she pressed closer. "Exactly, husband. Sit tight and let the birthday girl have her moment. Ria-chan worked hard on this."

Machida watched the whole exchange with wide eyes, her chopsticks paused mid-air like she’d forgotten about the last bite of stir-fry on her plate. She glanced between us, then at the kitchen, where muffled giggles and the clink of trays echoed out.

"Uh... should I... go help them or something?" She asked awkwardly, clearly feeling like the odd one out in this whirlwind of affection and teasing.

Anzu-nee waved her off with a laugh. "Nope, you’re good here. Let those two finish their surprise for this guy.”

Machida looked at me, perhaps trying to get my opinion. But all I could do was nod my head.

A few minutes later, Ria and Eimi returned with a triumphant smile on their lips.

“Ruki, close your eyes first.”

“That’s right, Dumb-senpai. Hurry.”

I followed their instructions. Soon, Akane and Anzu loosened their grip, followed by the sound of the plates and bowls being cleaned up from the table.

Then, a few seconds later, I felt something being placed in front of me with a soft thud, followed by the rich scent of chocolate wafting up stronger than before.

"Open your eyes now, Dumb-senpai," Ria said, her voice bubbling with excitement.

I blinked them open, and there it was. A platter of handmade chocolates is arranged in a heart-shaped pattern on the table.

Some were smooth and glossy, dusted with cocoa powder or sprinkled with nuts, while others had little swirls of white chocolate drizzled on top. A few were even molded into cute shapes like stars or tiny basketballs, probably Eimi’s touch, since she knew about Satsuki’s sport. In the center, spelled out in uneven chocolate letters, was "Happy Late Birthday, Ruki/Dumb-senpai" with a little heart dotting the ‘i’.

The whole thing looked a bit lopsided, like they’d rushed the final touches, but that just made it more endearing. These girls are really something else.