IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Blueberry Cheesecake


After sending Chiharu-kun to the guest room and returning to the living room, Aoi-san embraced me tightly.

“Hey, Chi… Chi’s in the room!”

“It’s just hugging tightly! I mean, Chi’s parents will French kiss without hesitation in front of him”

“Aoi-san, you should stop that.”

“I’m not the kind of person who can be stopped.”

What kind of people are Chiharu-kun’s parents? Like, are they of Latin descent?

“Anyway, let go.”

“…”

“Aoi-san?”

“…I must be out of my mind today… I’m sorry.”

Aoi-san slowly let go of me.

“Go take a bath. I took one with Chi.”

“Yeah… Aoi-san.”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

“Why are you saying that now?”

“Because I think Aoi-san is an amazing person.”

“Do you have any idea how much I’ve been holding back?”

“I love you.”

“Dammit.”

“I’m going to take a bath.”

“Can I join you?”

“I’ll gouge your eyeballs out.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

I chuckled and headed to the bathroom.


After getting out of the bath and drying my hair, I went to the living room where Aoi-san had cut a cheesecake with plenty of blueberry jam on top.

“Even though Chiharu-kun fell asleep, you’re going to eat now?”

“If I eat in front of Chi when he’s full, wouldn’t that be pitiful? I’ll save it for tomorrow for Chi…. even if it costs me my life…”

When Aoi-san turned his face toward me, he froze.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re dangerously sexy.”

“Oh, didn’t you prepare it for me to wear, Aoi-san?”

My current outfit consisted of Aoi-san’s gray T-shirt and his unused boxer shorts. Aoi-san’s T-shirt was big and comfortable.

“I’ll use it as pajamas, so can I have this T-shirt?”

“Could you wear this white T-shirt instead?”

“It’s see-through, so I don’t want to.”

“That’s exactly why it’s fine!”

“Give me the cheesecake.”

“You’re always taking and never giving back, aren’t you?”

I kissed Aoi-san’s cheek. After a moment of silence, Aoi-san muttered softly.

“… How easily swayed am I?”

“Was it no good?”

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t bad. But if possible, could you say it out loud?”

“Next time, then.”

“Dammit.”

“Give me the cheesecake.”

Aoi-san cut the cheesecake for me.

I accepted it and stuck the fork into the cheesecake, then brought it to my mouth.

“Happy~!”

“Would you prefer tea or champagne?”

“Champagne!”

“Sure.”

While Aoi-san went to get the champagne, I happily devoured the cheesecake

“Foodie.”

“Yes, that’s right. More, please.”

“Yeah, yeah… Are you going to put on the trousers?”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s not about you being fine. Bare legs are risky.”

“I’m not very confident, so please don’t look.”

“No, it’s more than enough and just my type.”

“Give me the trousers, too.”

“…”

“You said it yourself!”

Aoi held his head in his hands.

“Seems like a waste!”

“You said it yourself.”

Reluctantly, Aoi went to fetch the trousers.


When Aoi came back, he spoke earnestly.

“Let me touch it before you put on the trousers.”

“You’re such a pervert.”

“If you’re a guy, it’s normal!”

“Even if you’re being so cocky…”

“Just a little bit, I beg you.”

Even if you beg…

I made Aoi sit on the sofa, then I sat beside him, grabbing Aoi’s hand and placing it on my thigh.

Aoi stared at me intently and then gently stroked my thigh.

It tickled.

“Is it enough?”

“I wasn’t supposed to just touch.”

“You said you wanted to touch, didn’t you?”

“I want to touch more. I want to touch every part of you.”

“!!”

“Legs alone aren’t enough.”

Saying this, Aoi pushed me down onto the sofa.

“I love you, Iwabuchi.”

Aoi’s face drew closer.

Aoi’s nose touched mine.

This is going to be a kiss.

Vaguely thinking that, I closed my eyes.

At that moment, I felt the sense of the living room door opening.

“Hey, Ao-chan, sorry, where’s the toilet paper?”

“… Chi, can’t you read the situation?”

“Yeah. Sorry, where’s the toilet paper?”

“… I’ll bring it out now, so wait.”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

Aoi looked awkward as he moved away from me, then left the living room to get the toilet paper.

I was feeling pretty awkward too.

“Sorry, Miko-chan.”

“Oh, you don’t need to apologize…”

“… Miko-chaaan.”

Chi-kun either in a half-asleep state or drowsy, hugged onto me.

So cute.

When I gently stroked Chiharu-kun’s soft hair, he gave me an angelic smile.

A critical hit to my moe-loving heart.

“Hey, what the heck are you two doing?”

Aoi, with a roll of toilet paper in one hand, furrowed his brow.

“Miko-chan’s boobs are fluffy and smell nice.”

“It’s because I just got out of the bath.”

When I shifted my gaze to Aoi,his face was so angry that his veins seemed like they were about to pop out.

“…I haven’t even touched you properly…”

“Aoi-san! Chii-kun is just a child.”

“12 years old isn’t a child! Chi, get away from my girl!”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Aoi peeled Chii-kun off me and carried the half-asleep Chii-kun in a princess-style.

I-It somehow suits them.

Princess carry is nice, huh? It’s something most girls would long for at least once in their lives.

“Go to the bathroom and sleep.”

“Toilet paper.”

“We have it, so come on.”

It’s quite surreal to carry someone to the toilet in a princess carry.

Perhaps because he is a child.

Before Aoi returned, I put on the trousers he brought me.

When Aoi came back after putting Chi-kun to bed and saw me with the trousers on my legs, it’s needless to say that he lowered their head.


IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Sleepover


I think Aoi is very fond of children.

Ever since she realized that Chiharu’s father wasn’t coming to pick him up, she’s been taking care of him diligently, like Chiharu’s own father.

“Come on, go brush your teeth.”

“Okay, Papa~”

“I’m not your daddy.”

“But you’re more like a dad than my real father.”

“Is that something to be happy about?”

“Then, am I like a mom?”

“Miko-chan is… a big eater.”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Chiharu laughed cutely.

It’s heartwarming.

“Let’s brush our teeth together!”

“Yeah!”

When I tried to hold Chiharu’s hand and go to the bathroom, Aoi slapped my hand away.

“Don’t just keep flirting around, you two!”

“Ao-chan is so demanding.”

“Saying childish things doesn’t make you cute.”

“Can I cry once? I was supposed to have a sweet time with you today! But it’s all ‘Chii’ this and ‘Chii’ that…”

When I looked at him with a troubled expression, Chiharu smiled and said:

“I’ll go brush my teeth, so feel free to flirt! Or maybe I’ll go to bed early, and you can take a bath together?”

Wait, you brat! Don’t say weird things!

“Mikoto!”

“Don’t expect too much, Aoi! Chii-chan, be quiet.”

“Yes.”

Both of them looked a bit disappointed, but it doesn’t matter.


After Chiharu went to brush their teeth, I peeked at Aoi’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

He was sulking completely.

I want to say, “You can’t just be all lovey-dovey when you don’t even know how long teeth brushing will take!” But I held back.

“When should we have our next date?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow… Can I come to pick up my change of clothes?”

“…Does Miko like… me?”

“If I didn’t like you, would I be here?”

“…Yeah.”

“I do like you.”

“Aaaah, I really like you! Why is Chii here today of all days!”

You were supposed to look after him…

Looking closely, Chiharu had just come back.

“Why are you yelling, Aoi-chan? It’s scary.”

“Can I hug you once?”

“No, it’s gross.”

“Not you! Obviously, I meant Miko!”

“Why didn’t you do it while I was gone?”

“Because you came back so soon!”

“Teeth brushing doesn’t take that long, you know?”

Chiharu, you’re quite sensible.

“Since Miko-chan is feeling sorry for Aoi-chan, why don’t you give him a kiss or something!”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

What was a kiss again?

If I imitated a mouse… they might find it weird…

“If you don’t want to get hit, shut up.”

For now, I tried threatening them.

Both of them became quiet.

I reluctantly gave each of them a kiss on the cheek.

“I like Miko-chan!”

“Why are you even doing that to Chii?”

“Well, the young and fresh skin… it’s tough.”

“Your skin is also fresh, Miko-chan!”

“Calling someone with teenage skin ‘fresh’… that’s a bit too much.”

Chiharu gave a wry smile and then, as if he had thought of something, he covered my cheek with both hands and said,

“Miko-chan’s skin is soft and looks delicious!”

“…Thank you! I can’t fully agree, but I’m touched by Chii-chan’s kindness!”

“That’s why! Why are you so flirty with Chii!”

Sorry, Aoi, we kind of got lost in our own world!


While the three of us were watching TV, Chiharu yawned.

“Feeling sleepy?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then, shall we go to bed?”

“Yeah.”

“Aoi-san, I’m taking Chii-chan to the guest room.”

“Don’t sleep together.”

“Yeahhh~ i know it”

I led Chiharu to the guest room.

“Miko-chan, make sure to have some romantic time with Aoi-chan.”

“I will not do it”

“No, you must. Ao-chan deserves it.”

“It’s okay, once Chii-chan leaves, we’ll have plenty of romantic time.”

“…I don’t really mind,” Chiharu replied.

I stayed silent for a while and then said,

“Actually, I haven’t really kissed Aoi-san properly yet.”

“Huh?”

“So, I think the first time should be when we’re alone together.”

“…What’s Aoi-chan up to?”

“Well… he’s treating me really well.”

“…That’s what you like about him.”

“It’s embarrassing to say that I felt happy when you got ridiculously jealous, right?”

I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.

Chiharu had an angelic smile on his face as he said,

“Aoi-chan’s room is soundproofed so he can focus on work. You can flirt without worries. Goodnight.”

With that, Chiharu went into the guest room.

Soundproofed?

Even so, it’s still awkward!

As Aoi headed toward the living room where I was waiting, needless to say, I became quite restless.


IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 13 (Part 2)

Chapter 13 (Part 2) – Tempura


I turned around and met Aoi-san’s gaze.

“Since I’ve arranged to have beef tongue ordered, I’ll leave the cooking to Aoi-san.”

Aoi-san looked a bit complex before speaking.

“How far are you going with these jobs?”

“From cleaning up the Clumsy Brothers’ messes to assisting the boss?”

Aoi-san crossed her arms and started to worry.

Chi-kun, who had a slightly concerned look, said in a hesitant tone.

“Is Miko-chan going to decide the boss’s daughter’s birthday present too?”

“Oh, no. It’s different. His daughter emails me a list of things she wants. She got into the habit of secretly looking at the boss’s phone and sending me the emails. She’s a clever kid.”

Both Chi-kun and Aoi-san fell silent, so I decided to order pumpkin tempura, sweet potato tempura, and squid tempura next.

Lately, even the boss’s wife emails me lists of things she wants and asks for help with resolving fights.

I think to myself that they should handle their own affairs, but somehow, I end up getting involved due to my weakness.

“Miko-chan, you’re good at taking care of others.”

“Isn’t it more like meddling?”

“No, you’re caring, aren’t you?”

“Well, I guess so.”

While we were talking like that, Aoi-san’s phone rang this time.

“Oh, it’s Chi’s dad.”

“I don’t call him ‘dad.'”

“Hello, is this Kouji Yukiharu?… Huh? No, it’s impossible! I can’t do it! Come pick him up!… Didn’t I tell you I have a date today?”

Based on what Aoi-san was saying, it seems like Chi-kun’s pickup isn’t likely to come.

“It’s because they sometimes entrust me with him during his dates with his girlfriend. That’s why it turns out like this. You know, dad and mom have left me with Ao-chan before, and they’ve never come back in just two hours! Miko-chan, are you staying over at Ao-chan’s house today? Are you guys going to take a bath together and sleep together?”

“Hey! Chi-kun! What kind of promise are you making? There’s no way I’m allowing that!”

“Oh, really? Were you listening? I’m still a kid!”

“Don’t mess around!”

“Ao-chan is stingy.”

“A 12-year-old is a respectable man! Don’t let it come to your life!”

“Stingy!”

Aoi-san seems to be irritated about various things.

Or maybe Chi-kun doesn’t look 12.

Is he the type to act all grown-up at the front of the line?

“Miko-chan, is it not okay?”

“It’s not okay!”

“Geez, but I really like Miko-chan.”

“Thank you.”


It seems like Aoi-san is still talking with Chiha-kun’s dad.

“Do you like Ao-chan, Miko-chan?”

“I do.”

“What about him?”

“The part where he’s good at cooking.”

“Miko-chan, you’re quite a foodie, aren’t you?”

“… … Yeah.”

“Well, whatever! I’ll be on Miko-chan’s side. So today, I’ll sleep quietly in the guest room, so you and Ao-chan can snuggle up.”

Hey, that little brat.

I think it’s only natural for such words to come to mind.

“I won’t snuggle up.”

“You won’t snuggle up?”

“I won’t!”

“You won’t, huh?”

In the end, Aoi-san teased me!

“Well, well, you can’t really snuggle up when it’s not just the two of you, right?”

“Even when it’s just the two of us, you won’t snuggle up to me!”

“… … Really? … …”

Chi-kun’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Ao-chan, sorry about that.”

“It’s not Chi’s fault… Yukiharu will deal with it later… damn it~”

It seemed that Aoi-san had realized that we definitely wouldn’t be able to snuggle up today, and he lowered his head in frustration.


IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? – Chapter 13 (Part 1)

Chapter 13 (Part 1) – Tempura


“Alright, next is shrimp!”

“Hey, you’ve only been eating shrimp this whole time! Have some mushrooms too.”

“I don’t want to! I don’t like mushrooms!”

At the tempura restaurant, while I was feeling uneasy about its upscale nature, Aoi-san and Chi-kun ordered with a familiar attitude, ignoring me.

Honestly, if you’re not going to eat them, give the mushrooms to me.

“Chi, how about sweet potatoes or pumpkins?”

“I like them! Miko-chan likes them too!”

Those words said so casually made my heart flutter!

“I like Chi-kun too.”

“Call me Chi or Chi-chan! Please!”

Uh-oh, I’m going to die from this cuteness!

I hope my nose isn’t bleeding!

So adorable~!

“What about me, Iwabuchi?”

“What about it?”

“… …”

Aoi-san hung her head, and Chi-kun patted her on the back.

“Aoi-san!”

“What?”

“Um, I have a favor to ask… um…”

“?”

“Well, you see, a kiss.”

“!”

“Order a tempura kiss.”

“A fish, seriously?!”

“Don’t make a scene in a place like this!”

As I was getting flustered, the server who had been serving me tempura started laughing. It’s Aoi-san’s fault.

“You don’t have to be scared, just ask directly, it’s okay.”

“I-I’m sorry… Well then, please give me tempura kiss and tempura shishito pepper.”

“Understood.”

Truly a high-class restaurant!

“Ao-chan… Miko-chan is cheating.”

“She makes that cute face for anyone who gives her delicious food!”

“Huh?”

“It’s unconscious!”

“The bad part of you is your lack of self-awareness!”

Ignoring that, I sprinkle a bit of coarse salt on the tempura kiss and tempura shishito pepper that have been served to me and take a bite.

“So delicious~! Thanks for bringing me here, Aoi-san!”

For now, I express my gratitude.

The two of them fall silent for a while.

It’s Chiha-kun who speaks first.

“Anyone would want to give her food.”

“I understand.”

Aoi-san smiles and gives me a playful look.

At that moment, I realize that the vibrating sound of my phone is coming from my bag.

I wanted to ignore it, but if it’s from a client, it could be important.

Reluctantly, I take out my phone.

The screen displays “Boss.”

I sighed and told Aoi-san before answering the call.

“Iwabuchi-kun! Help me! That, um, that thing, where is it?”

“First, calm down. What are you talking about?”

“The documents, um, um…”

“… … The boss is going on a business trip tomorrow, right? I’ll give you the locations in order: A, the third drawer of Boss A’s desk; B, the red file in Ishiyama’s desk; C, the blue file in Hayama’s desk; X, the file labeled ‘For Boss’ in my computer’s folder. By the way, I’ve put everything together and given it to Ishiyama-senpai.”

“Ishiyama’s not here! I’m going to kill him! Seriously, I’m going to punch him until he spits blood!”

“… … Please calm down. You have my permission to punch him. And while you’re at it, punch Hayama too.”

“Oh, and I heard you were confessed to in front of everyone? Are you dating?”

“If you’re saying that knowing how much trouble I’ve had with the Clumsy Brothers, I’ll punch the boss. Of course, I’ll punch him until he pukes blood.”

“I-I’m sorry… Ah, I’ve got all the files now.”

“A box of beef tongue would be a nice souvenir.”

“I’m not going to Sendai, you know?”

“I know. Bring back some beef tongue.”

“… … I’ll order it online.”

“Very well. Then, I’ll expect that. Have a good time.”

“… … I’m going… There’s actually one more thing I want to ask…”

“The list of gifts for your daughter’s birthday is in the top drawer of the boss’s desk. Please choose something on your own.”

“I asked Iwabuchi-kun because I got scolded after choosing on my own.”

“Don’t act tough!”

“Yes…”

“I’ll pray for your consideration.”

I say that and hang up the phone.


IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone – Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Sauteed White Fish, Genovese Style


The store In the showcase that Aoi claimed as their work, there were sparkling items displayed on a velvet fabric of azure hue.

“So beautiful.”

 Aoi brought me to was truly luxurious, and I was taken aback.

“This is my creation,” Aoi said.

“It’s so beautiful.”

“Right? Do you want it?”

I glanced at the price and felt my heart might leap out of my chest at Aoi’s words.

An approaching staff member, with an incredibly salesy smile, seemed about to approach.

“I don’t need it!”

“Are you sure about that? You seem upset!”

“No, I don’t mean that. Just looking at it is enough.”

“Why not?”

Can I really say that I’m shocked by the price?

“I really want to try Aoi’s cooking soon.”

Trying to change the subject, I knew it was a bit strained, but I conveyed that I was hungry.

“…You seem kinda lewd.”

“Why would you say that? It’s not true! I’m just saying I’m starving!”

“…Sigh… Let’s buy some alcohol and go back.”

Aoi gave up, put his arm around my shoulder, and we left the store.


Purchasing white wine, rosé wine, and rosé champagne that caught my interest, I was led to an apartment so large and spacious that I couldn’t even begin to guess how much it cost.

Aoi is wealthy.

“I bet you’re popular…”

“Huh? What’s up?”

“You’re never short on female company, right?”

“I’ve been burdened by female company.”

Ah, so he is only been with demanding women. Tough luck.

“And it’s easy to bring someone to this room, right?”

“The women who come into this house are experiencing life for the first time.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“Because they dare to mess up my oasis of a kitchen, I don’t offer them anything.”

“Oh, they were trying to show off their feminine skills and failed?”

Aoi sighed and then said.

“Not exactly a failure… at least according to them. To me, it was a huge failure in taste… for everyone.”

“So, I don’t need to step into the kitchen? I can help with cleanup if needed.”

“There’s a dishwasher, so all you have to do is carry the dishes.”

“Huh? Is this heaven?”

“Hahaha.”

Aoi genuinely smiled, radiating happiness.

I couldn’t help but smile along.


“Welcome to my castle.”

“Are you playing the prince?”

“No, I’m playing the lord!”

“Haha… Silly lord?”

“You hurt me!”

“S-Sorry! I blurted it out without thinking!”

Aoi playfully tapped my head in response to my wry smile.

“Let’s eat. I’ll prepare something quickly, so just have a seat.”

“Okay!”

Honestly, the heavens do grant multiple blessings to those who are already blessed.

Before me, the rugged and handsome guy was elegantly enjoying the sautéed white fish, Genovese style.

I also took a slow bite of the white fish.

“Is it delicious?”

“Everything is delicious… Aoi, is there anything you’re not good at?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you seem to be good at everything.”

“I have my dislikes too! I definitely fall asleep during romantic movies, I can’t stand having my kitchen messed up, and I dislike the smell of makeup and perfume.”

“I wear makeup too. So, does that mean we can’t even kiss?”

“…Are you even interested?”

“…Not at this moment.”

Aoi downed the champagne in their glass.

“Don’t be so cautious. I’m not thinking about doing anything right now!”

“…Aoi, don’t drink too much.”

“…Yeah, I know. When you are around me, I tend to mess up my pace.”

Aoi chuckled wryly.

“Do you want some water or not??”

“May I have it?”

“Sure, wait a sec.”

While Aoi got some water, I took a bite of the white fish.

It’s so delicious.

Aoi would make a good wife.

As I thought that, something descended from above.

Looking up, Aoi was standing behind me, lowering a necklace in front of me.

“I’m doing it.”

“Huh?”

“This is a prototype, so it’s different from what you’d find in a store. Please don’t worry and accept it.”

“…I’m curious.”

“Should I have taken you to the store?”

The necklace swaying before me had a design with silver leaves sprouting from a blue stone, making it look cute.

“Kyanite, while not a very expensive stone itself, has the effect of enhancing inspiration. Wouldn’t that be good for your work?”

Aoi slowly put the necklace around my neck.

“Is it too childish for you?”

“…But I like it.”

“…”

“Out of all the creations of yours I’ve seen, this one might be my favorite.”

Aoi let out a soft sigh.

“Fall for me.”

“I like you… probably…”

“Probably, huh? Well then, compared to those two guys who were there the other day, how about me?”

“I love Aoi!”

“…Huh?”

I finished the remaining champagne.

“Compared to those two, I really, really, really, really love you, Aoi!”

Aoi looked quite surprised.

“I thought those guys were quite handsome, you know?”

“Even if they have good looks, I hate those bumbling brothers! They’re annoying. Like, today, when I said I was going to Aoi’s house, they kept bothering me not to go because they thought you would eat me! Aoi would never do something like that, right? Right?”

“…Wait, did I just get nailed?”

“Did I hit the nail on the head?”

“You definitely did!”

Somehow, I smiled at the somewhat dejected Aoi.

“After we finish eating, I should leave.”

“You should stay the night.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry, the guest room has a lock. I want to talk with you more than anything else.”

Hey, are you trying to give me a heart attack from cuteness?

“…Is this a well-practiced approach?”

“It’s my first time using this approach!”

Aoi grinned.

What should I do?

Aoi poured champagne into my glass, then handed it to me.

I drank it all in one go.

Yes, it’s needless to say that I got completely tipsy.


IHEFE

Is Happiness Equal For Everyone? Chapter 5 – Part 2

Chapter 5 – Sea Bream Rice (Part 2)


“Here’s the tamagoyaki.”

“Wow… so fluffy… delightful!”

“Do you like jealous men?”

I answering immediately to his sudden question.

“Annoying.”

“…I thought so.”

Aoi, who had been in high spirits until now, seemed a bit sullen this time.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re acting angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

The head chef chuckled and said, “He isn’t angry, he is jealous, miss.”

“Head chef!”

“Jealous? Why?”

Aoi downed his drink and replied, “Because you’re enjoying the chef’s cooking too much!”

“Huh? Is that not okay? Then why did you bring me here?”

Aoi scratched his head in frustration.

“I like watching you eat.”

“Thank you.”

“I want you to enjoy the food I make the most.”

?

“So why did you bring me here?”

“Because… I thought I would enjoy watching you eat.”

“And?”

“…I envy the head chef… is this interrogation going to continue?”

I couldn’t resist and patted Aoi’s head, which he had rested on the counter, and ruffled his hair a bit.

“I’m going to swoon.”

“You’re drunk.”

What is this? This guy is unexpectedly cute. Even though he doesn’t look cute, but he’s adorable. He’s the one making me swoon.

“Tai-meshi (sea bream rice) is ready.”

“Wow~”

The head chef served me a nabe with a whole sea bream on top.

“May I break it apart?”

“Please do.”

In front of me, the sea bream was skillfully disassembled the bones and difficult-to-eat parts were removed. Then, the rice underneath the sea bream was mixed, and chopped ginger was sprinkled on top. It was served in a bowl in front of me.

“It looks delicious!”

“And there’s that cute face again.”

“Come on, you drunkard. You’re getting annoying!”

“I can’t help it, I’m drunk!”

Ignoring Aoi, I indulged in the taimeshi.

“Head chef! You’re a genius! I might fall for you!”

“Thank you very much.”

The head chef smiled.

“Head chef, I envy you!”

Aoi said this while downing another drink.

“Aoi-san, take it easy!”

“I’m drowning my sorrows!”

“Aoi, I was looking forward to having tart today, you know. So, even if you can’t watch me eat because you’re drunk, don’t worry about it.”

“…I don’t like that.”

“See? Now, let’s enjoy the tai-meshi. It’s incredibly delicious, as expected from Aoi’s recommendation.”

As I smiled, Aoi reluctantly started eating the tai-meshi.

“Next time, I’ll make the taimeshi. I heard it’s even better with cherry blossoms pickled in salt, so I want to try it.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“…”

For some reason, Aoi roughly patted my head.

My hair got all messed up.

What am I going to do with this guy? My head is a mess now!

“You’re a strong woman,” the chef said.

“Huh?”

“You’ve tamed someone like Kawaue-san.”

“Uh, excuse me?”

“I thought Kawaue-san didn’t get along with women in general. But it seems different with you.”

I looked at Aoi.

Aoi lightly pinched and touched my hair.

Please don’t create a sweet atmosphere on your own.

“…Another serving, please.”

“Sure thing.”

The head chef chuckled as he brought another serving for us.


itsyoii note: Helloooo~ from this week i will update 3 days every week; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! Enjoy~~

WLORITET

Wen Le of Rebirth in the End Times (BL) – Chapter 61 Zombie Tide

With a low growl from Liu Yikun, people on both sides of Xiao Wen and Lin Yan were called out.

“What’s going on?” Wen Le and Xiao Wen directly approached Liu Yikun with a serious look.

It can be said that everyone in the three rooms gathered at the door and looked at Liu Yikun. Even Li Yunsheng and Mo Gang, who had nothing to do with the matter, came forward with the old people arranged by the young people.

Liu Yikun kept panting and trying to speak, but he couldn’t because he ran too fast.

As soon as he received the news, he was rushed back by Bai Yang to notify the soldiers who were left behind by Li Ran and the others, as well as the people like Xiao Wen.

Just when others were eager to give him two punches, Liu Yikun finally calmed down.

Lin Yan smiled slightly. “Our reinforcements have arrived.”

“Just now, the soldiers who were guarding the gate sounded the alarm. All officers above the platoon level received orders to gather their teams urgently. Boss Bai asked me to come and inform you that you should stay in the building and not go out. This is the most central and safest place in the military area. However, you must always pay attention to the situation outside. If you find something wrong, retreat directly from the direction of the animal husbandry. If it really comes to that point, when you get to the animal husbandry, you might have a chance to escape by taking advantage of the chaos caused by the group of animals!” Liu Yikun relayed all of Bai Yang’s words in one breath.

Xiao Wen slapped Liu Yikun’s shoulder, which was enough to calm him down.

Liu Yikun did calm down and swallowed his saliva before looking at Xiao Wen.

“You said a lot. What exactly happened?!” Wen Le was so anxious that he wished he had the ability to search Liu Yikun’s memory directly.

“Zombies! A lot of zombies! They are all coming towards us, densely packed and endless!” Liu Yikun took a deep breath and spoke in a deep voice.

The whole corridor instantly fell into silence, and not even the sound of breathing could be heard. After a while, everyone exclaimed in fear.

After relaying all the messages, Liu Yikun turned around and ran towards the stairs. He had to meet up with the rest of the troops.

The next second, Bai Yun broke through the crowd and ran towards Liu Yikun, but was quickly stopped by Xiao Wen.

“What are you doing!” Xiao Wen asked urgently.

“I want to go to my dad!” Bai Yun’s lips couldn’t stop trembling.

Xiao Wen quickly turned around and threw Bai Yun towards Han Yifeng, who had squeezed over.

“Watch her, she can’t go anywhere unless everyone evacuates!” he instructed.

“No!” Bai Yun screamed. “I want to go to my dad! He’s in danger!”

Before a furious response could come from Xiao Wen, Wen Le slapped Bai Yun.

Snap!

Bai Yun’s scream was cut short.

“Are you done screaming?” Wen Le asked. “Do you know why Brother Bai asked us to stay here? Why didn’t he let us go and help the survivors in the warehouse? It’s because of you! Your father wants us to protect you!”

Wen Le faced Bai Yun’s gaze without expression and said coldly, “In your father’s eyes, you are more important than those survivors. So he would rather we don’t go anywhere just to ensure that you can survive! And then what? Do you want to go and die? Brother Bai has been a soldier all his life, always putting the people of the country first. But now, he has given up letting us continue to help protect the people he has been protecting all his life and is selfishly guarding you instead. And for his belief, he is now standing in the most dangerous place. You tell me, as his daughter, what do you want to do now?”

Under Wen Le’s emotionless gaze, Bai Yun shuddered involuntarily. At this moment, she finally understood why Yin Chengyang and the others would obediently pretend to be rabbits at the slightest change in Wen Le’s expression. Under Wen Le’s gaze, her impulse from earlier was instantly cooled, to the point where it penetrated her bones.

“Tell me, what do you want to do now?” Wen Le repeated without softening his heart, despite Bai Yun’s fearful expression.

Bai Yun lowered her head and said, “I…I’ll stay here, I won’t go anywhere”

Wen Le withdrew his gaze and said, “Han Ya, you and Lin Yan guard this side, send someone to the rooftop to observe the situation, I and Xiao Wen will go out and take a look.”

“Be careful” Han Ya nodded, now only he could still respond normally in front of Wen Le.

As soon as Han Ya finished speaking, Xiao Wen pulled Wen Le onto himself, picked up his speed, and disappeared in front of everyone.

“Wen Shao… really scary,” Lin Yan exclaimed, feeling like wiping his cold sweat.

Han Ya turned around and looked at the others with a somewhat relieved expression.

“Among us, Wen Shao is probably the best at handling situations like this. But now, is everyone not as panicked as before?!”

Lin Yan was stunned, realizing the meaning behind Han Ya’s words.

It seems that Wen Le’s series of actions just now were just to divert everyone’s attention. Lin Yan sighed. Wen Le did succeed, at least he could be sure that now, in everyone’s mind, the zombie siege wasn’t as terrifying as Wen Le alone.

After everyone scattered into the house, Bai Yun nestled in Han Yifeng’s arms until she finally realized what had happened.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she looked up at Han Yifeng, who was holding her.

“Is it because of me that Wen Shao was so angry?” she asked.

Han Yifeng nodded.

“I’m just a cannon fodder?” Bai Yun recovered and touched her bruised cheek.

Han Yifeng shrugged helplessly. “Who asked you to get so excited and make Wen Shao eliminate you as a target?”

Bai Yun glared at him. “That’s your father! How can you speak so coldly?”

Han Yifeng quickly admitted his mistake, “No no no, isn’t your dad my dad too? How could I not be anxious? But now if we go out, we can’t do anything except drag our dad down. Does your face still hurt? Wen Shao’s slap just now was pretty loud.”

Bai Yun shook her head, “Wen Shao still cares about me.”

Han Yifeng nodded, secretly thinking: Of course he does. These past few days, Wen Shao almost treated you as his own disciple, and he probably wishes he could transfer all his spiritual experience to your head. How could he be willing to use too much force on you?! Your face is so fair and delicate, there isn’t even a red mark left from that slap just now. Who would have thought you actually got slapped?!

But enough of these thoughts. Although Wen Shao did the right thing, Han Yifeng still felt heartbroken seeing his wife getting hurt like this. Even if he didn’t feel hurt, he would rather take the slap himself.

But if it was him instead, he probably would have swollen up like a steamed bun.

After Han Ya arranged for Mo Yan and Chen Ye to go observe on the rooftop, he turned around and listened to the back and forth conversation between the young couple, unable to resist smiling.

On the other side, Wen Le lay on Xiao Wen’s body as they headed straight towards the direction of the rescue station’s main entrance.

The area in front of the rescue station was chaotic, with soldiers coming and going. When no one was paying attention, the two climbed onto the outer wall and looked out into the distance, where a black line cut through the sky and earth. Wen Le pulled out two telescopes from his space and handed one to Xiao Wen.

Through the telescope, the black line in the distance was completely made up of densely packed zombies, an endless army of the undead slowly making its way towards the rescue station.

Wen Le watched the speed at which the zombies were moving and estimated that it would take just over ten minutes from when the soldiers at the door noticed the anomaly and reported it to Liu Yikun. Looking behind them, the seemingly disorderly soldiers were actually transporting ammunition and other supplies in an orderly fashion to the outskirts.

“Let’s take a detour and have a look,” Xiao Wen said to Wen Le.

Wen Le nodded and climbed onto Xiao Wen’s back as he ran along the city wall, circling around the rescue station. The two of them carefully observed from all four directions. The entire rescue station had already been surrounded, with large groups of zombies converging from all directions, but it was still unclear which side had more or fewer zombies.

“It seems that second-level psychic zombies have appeared,” muttered Wen Le to himself.

Xiao Wen looked at him but didn’t interrupt his thoughts.

After the second mutation, there were not many humans who evolved into second-level ability users. Among Wen Le, Xiao Wen, and their group of people, there were many ability users, but none of them had evolved into second-level ability users. The same was true for Bai Yang’s team.

However, there were many second-level zombies among the zombies. But second-level zombies and second-level ability users were not on the same level. Second-level zombies were actually zombies that had previously moved slowly and had now triggered abilities similar to those of humans, equivalent to primary-level ability users among humans.

However, the biggest difference or danger between zombie evolution and human evolution is that the psychic abilities of zombies can control and guide zombies at the same level or lower. However, human psychic abilities cannot do this. After all, humans have conscious thought, which makes it difficult to be controlled by others. Maybe when psychic abilities evolve to a certain degree, it is possible that fifth or sixth level psychic abilities can control ordinary people, but this is only speculation. Who knows if the third level psychic abilities that Wen Le knew before his rebirth were the pinnacle of human evolution, and maybe there will never be fifth or sixth level abilities. However, zombies are unconscious, and it is said that only second-level or higher psychic zombies will develop intelligence, just like now, knowing how to win by quantity and implement a strategy of surrounding the rescue station.

“Let’s go back. At this speed, the real battle is estimated to be in the evening.” Wen Le climbed on Xiao Wen’s back and let him take him back.

Xiao Wen hugged Wen Le with a smile. Although Wen Le’s expression was still serious, Xiao Wen liked his unconscious dependence on him in seriousness. Just like now, Wen Le found it uncomfortable to carry him on his back, but since Xiao Wen was fast and no one could see clearly, he just let Xiao Wen carry him.

“How is it?” As soon as the two returned to the dormitory, they were surrounded by Han Ya and Lin Yan.

The other people in the room had already been chased out by Han Ya. Bai Yun also followed Ye Lan’s example, collecting the large items in the other room into her space and laying a thick layer of bedding on the ground, allowing everyone to rest on the spot.

Xiao Wen shook his head, “The situation is not good. The entire rescue station has been surrounded. Zombies are gathering towards us from all four directions. However, the zombies’ speed is not very fast, and the distance is not close. If we wait for them to arrive here, we will only have a fight at night.”

“The military cannot just stay here and not take the initiative to attack. Once we are really surrounded, the situation will be dangerous,” Lin Yan continued.

Han Ya also nodded in agreement, “Yes, no one would be foolish enough to wait for the zombies to attack. Since the military has already formed a formation, they are probably preparing to launch an attack.”

“Just now when we were observing, we couldn’t tell how many zombies were coming from each of the four directions, but I think these zombies should be coming from X City. Otherwise, zombies from other places wouldn’t arrive so quickly. The side of the rescue station that is closer to X City should have the most zombies, and the other three sides should be where the zombies are coming from far away, but they weren’t noticed when they were surrounding us,” said Xiao Wen, expressing his guess.

Han Ya thought for a moment, “So, the east side opposite to X City is probably the direction with the fewest zombies?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, if we can’t hold this place, we’ll retreat to that side.”

Everyone in the room nodded. If it really came to that point, they could only choose a direction with relatively fewer zombies and run.

After finishing his words, Han Ya remembered the message that Bai Yang asked Liu Yikun to convey.

“Although the mutated animals are in the northwest corner, we can still find a way to lure them to the northeast and use them to relieve some of the pressure.”

Xiao Wen and the others had no objections, so they first set a retreat route.