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Chapter 365: Chapter 361 ~ The First Sister

"Girls, here you go. I baked some more cookies. I tried using almond flour. Tell me if it tastes good."

Nino walked into the living room carrying a plate filled with several bite-sized chocolate chip cookies. She set the plate down on the coffee table, right in the middle of the scattered textbooks, notebooks, and stationery that Miku, Yotsuba, and Itsuki were using for their study session.

"Yay~! Thank you, Nino!" Yotsuba cheered.

"Ah, I'm taking one." 

Ichika said lazily from the couch.

The two of them immediately grabbed a cookie and popped it into their mouths.

Yotsuba went right back to her math workbook, while Ichika resumed lounging on the couch with her phone.

Miku quietly reached for one as well. She picked it up with her left hand, while her right hand continued scribbling in her notebook. She was still struggling with her science homework, though thanks to Yuuji's earlier help, it was noticeably less painful than before.

Itsuki, however, didn't move at all.

She was far too focused on completing Yuuji's challenge—solving the next passage analysis within five minutes.

Her pencil moved quickly as she reread the text again and again.

After setting the plate down, Nino removed her apron and tossed it casually onto the couch before sitting down.

Moments later, the familiar motion of her finger scrolling across her screen made it obvious she was browsing through social media.

Seeing this, Yuuji sighed inwardly.

"Can I have one?"

He asked, looking toward her.

Nino's finger stopped mid-scroll. She hesitated.

On one hand, she was worried. What if the cookies turned out bad…? If Yuuji tasted them, he would definitely notice.

But on the other hand… She also wanted to know.

She wanted to know if he liked them.

Her cheeks turned faintly red as she struggled between the two thoughts.

A few seconds passed before she finally blurted out her answer.

"J-Just take one! I put them there for a reason…!"

She quickly added, trying to sound casual.

"T-Tell me what you think!"

Yuuji nodded and picked up a cookie before placing it into his mouth.

The flavor hit him immediately. The butter came first—rich and fragrant. Clearly an expensive brand. But she had used too much of it.

The buttery heaviness coated his tongue, overpowering the taste of the chocolate chips.

On top of that, she had used almond flour instead of regular flour. Almond flour naturally contained more oils and had a heavier texture, which made the cookie even richer and denser.

The texture was also a bit too crunchy. He could taste faint burnt edges around the sides.

Still, for a home baker who wasn't a professional, it wasn't bad.

Yuuji's judgment was simply stricter due to his own cooking skills and the level of food he usually prepared and eat.

"…How is it?"

Nino asked nervously. Her eyes peeked just above the top of her phone screen, watching him carefully. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Hm…"

Yuuji swallowed and nodded.

"It tastes good."

Nino's eyebrows immediately furrowed.

"…You're lying."

She lowered her phone and glared at him.

"Just tell me the truth!"

Yuuji let out a small sigh.

"…It's passable for a non-professional." 

He admitted honestly. And all the girls nearby paused slightly.

"The ingredients are good, but you used too much butter, and you baked them a bit too long."

He gestured lightly toward the cookie.

"You should reduce the butter, especially when using almond flour. Almond flour already has a lot of natural oil. And try baking them about ten minutes less. That should give you the crisp texture you want without burning the edges."

"…"

The room went quiet.

Nino stared at him, and so did her sisters.

None of them had expected such a precise and detailed critique. Only then did it click in their minds.

Yuuji was the one who prepared Yuna and Nina's lunchboxes. And those lunchboxes were practically legendary at school for how delicious they were.

That meant—

He wasn't just casually commenting. He actually knew what he was talking about.

Nino couldn't simply ignore advice from someone like that.

Her lips tightened slightly. Frustration appeared in her expression.

She had been experimenting with this recipe for quite a while, and this batch was the best one she had made so far.

She had hoped to bring these cookies to the upcoming hanami and share them with her friends.

But now—

Hearing the flaws pointed out so clearly…

"…."

Seeing her reaction, Yuuji sighed softly.

"Do you want help?"

Nino looked up.

"I've made cookies before."

Or rather—

Thousands of them.

Considering the bottomless snack appetites of Ophis, Alice, Aria, and Est.

"…Really?"

Nino asked quietly.

Yuuji nodded.

"But only if you finish your homework today."

Her expression instantly soured.

"Ughhh…"

The mere thought of studying made her flinch. But…

She wanted that recipe. She wanted the cookies to be perfect for the hanami.

"F-Fine! I'll do it!"

She slammed her phone down onto the couch.

Then she ran upstairs in a hurry.

A minute later, she came rushing back down with her homework and textbooks.

She plopped down beside Miku and immediately began working.

Her pencil moved awkwardly as she struggled through the problems.

Yuuji smiled slightly.

The study group that had originally been three had now grown into four.

There was still one girl who wasn't studying.

But after his conversation with Nino, Yuuji had clearly noticed a certain someone's gaze lingering on his back.

Time passed quietly as the four girls continued working.

Eventually, Yuuji stood up.

"I'm going to grab some water."

Earlier, Yotsuba had told him where everything was in the kitchen. So he walked over and stepped inside.

The kitchen was quiet. He poured himself a glass of water.

But just as he took a sip… He felt someone enter behind him.

The faint sound of footsteps. And a moment later, a familiar voice spoke.

"That was impressive~"

Ichika leaned against the kitchen counter with a playful smile.

"I didn't expect you to get even Nino to study~"

Yuuji turned toward her, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.

He hadn't expected Ichika to follow him into the kitchen, much less start a private conversation.

"It wasn't that impressive. After all, I didn't even manage to get you to study."

He said with a small shake of his head, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. 

Ichika simply shrugged, leaning casually against the counter with an easygoing smile.

"It'd just be a waste of time for me."

Yuuji raised an eyebrow.

"Going to school during summer vacation for remedial classes would be an even bigger waste of time, though."

"…"

Ichika fell silent.

Unfortunately, she couldn't argue with that logic.

The thought of attending remedial classes during summer break was something she had been dreading for weeks.

But between her school responsibilities and the acting work she had been quietly pursuing…

There was only so much she could juggle. In the end, all she could do was try her best to balance everything.

Just as she was thinking about that, Yuuji spoke again.

"By the way… you're an aspiring actress, right?"

"Eh?"

Ichika's eyes widened instantly.

"H-How did you—"

"Yotsuba mentioned it once. When she was talking about you and your sisters."

He took another sip of water.

"She said Ichika is a great performer and that you're working really hard to improve your acting."

"T-That girl…!"

Ichika's face turned bright red.

Her fist clenched tightly in embarrassment. How could Yotsuba reveal something like that so casually?! And to Yuuji, of all people!

She could already imagine it. Later tonight, she was absolutely going to pinch Yotsuba's cheeks until she felt satisfied.

Yuuji chuckled quietly at her reaction.

"You've also been spending your time doing acting gigs, haven't you? Trying to gain more experience and improve your career."

"…"

Ichika froze. The tension in her clenched fist slowly disappeared.

She looked away, avoiding his gaze. A faint blush colored her cheeks.

Yuuji watched her for a moment before smiling gently.

"It's admirable to pursue your dreams."

Ichika blinked slightly.

"I'll be supporting you."

He walked past her, the glass of water still in one hand.

As he passed, his other hand briefly rested on her shoulder.

"I'll make sure the other four pass their exams." 

Then he added—

"And if you want to avoid those extra lessons during summer vacation… just tell me."

"I'll do my best to help you too."

With that, he walked out of the kitchen and returned to the living room, leaving Ichika standing there in silence.

Alone with her thoughts…

The rest of the study session went surprisingly well.

Despite the occasional groans, sighs, and frustrated pouts, all four girls eventually managed to finish their homework. Ichika was the only one who didn't. She returned to her room right after her conversation with Yuuji, saying she was tired and was going for a nap.

Yotsuba celebrated loudly.

Itsuki proudly declared that she had solved the literature passage within the time limit.

Miku quietly finished the last problem in her science workbook with a relieved sigh.

And even Nino, after much struggling, managed to complete her assignments.

As a reward, Yuuji brought out several cakes he had prepared earlier and stored in his [Inventory].

The moment he revealed them, the girls' spirits immediately skyrocketed.

He also handed Nino a small piece of paper. On it was a chocolate chip cookie recipe that he had written down while they were studying.

Nino stared at it for a moment before carefully folding it and slipping it into her pocket. She tried to hide it, but the small smile on her face gave her away. Excitement.

By the time the study session ended, evening had already arrived.

Yuuji said his goodbyes and made his way home.

He arrived just before dinner, perfectly in time to eat with his family.

The atmosphere at home was lively as usual. After finishing the meal and chatting for a while, Yuuji headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Once he finished, he changed into a fresh outfit. A black collared shirt and simple long pants. 

Then he picked up his phone, and sent a text.

[Tsubakihara Yuuji : "Kallen, I'm coming to see you. Are you free?."

Her reply was immediate.

[Kallen Kozuki: "I am! Come here quickly!"]

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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!! 

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