Crossing over, and then being blocked by a rich JK.

Chapter 468 Believing in Her Abilities
When the hour hand of the clock reaches six and the minute hand returns to its original position, the time has once again arrived at 6 PM, dinner time.

"Come to think of it, this seems to be the first time I've ever come here to freeload a meal."

After sitting down at the table, Risa Yasuhara was the first to start the conversation.

Just as she said, although she usually had a good relationship with Watanabe Yu and the others, this was the first time they had come to bother her in a proper way.

"Yes." Watanabe Yu nodded, handed out the chopsticks he had washed to everyone at the table, and then turned to call out to Ryoko, who was still finishing up in the kitchen, "Ryoko, you're the only one left."

"coming!"

Ryoko Hamabe's voice responded from the kitchen.

About ten seconds later, Ryoko Hamabe, having taken off her apron, sat down at the table. She had just finished finishing up the fruit platter.

"Yu."

Sitting next to Watanabe Yu, Amamiya Ayana looked at him and winked meaningfully, signaling him, the head of the family, to say something.

"Now that everyone is here, let's eat and chat. Risa-nee and Eda-nee, please make yourselves at home."

Watanabe Yu nodded knowingly, and then uttered the phrase he had heard for a long time.

"Don't worry, I definitely won't hold back with you."

Risa Yasuhara showed no intention of following the expected script and gave a very straightforward answer.

She has always been clear about her identity. Outside of work, she is not a teacher, but an older sister who is slightly older than You and the others.

When an older sister visits her younger siblings' home for a meal, she will be polite, but she will definitely not be reserved.

"...Me too."

Eda Ikumi glanced at her best friend, then at the delicious-looking dishes on the table. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to follow her heart.

After all, the exquisitely presented Chinese dishes on the table were indeed very tempting to the taste buds, both in appearance and aroma.

Especially since she was already hungry.

"I'm gonna start now."

After the inexplicably synchronized pre-meal ritual, everyone at the table picked up their chopsticks and began to eat the dishes they had already chosen, and a brief silence fell over the table.

Yuki and Ryoko were eating grilled pork ribs, which had been grilled around 4 p.m. and were now fully infused with flavor.

Risa Yasuhara picked up a piece of the spicy chicken stir-fried by Yu Watanabe, while Ikumi Eda and Ayana Amamiya each picked up a piece of steamed fish.

"Ouch! This stuff is so spicy!?"

After taking a small bite of the cut chicken, Risa Yasuhara's expression changed instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. However, she didn't rush to drink the barley tea, but instead tried her best to endure it.

She's not the type of person who can handle spicy food very well.

Whether it's a dinner party during her student days or a dinner party with colleagues after she started working, she is always very cautious about spicy dishes.

The reason she unusually picked up that spicy chicken today was simply because the color looked appealing. The red and green peppers glistened under the restaurant lights, and the aroma was so enticing that she couldn't resist taking a bite.

It's fortunate she was cautious; if it had been a large bite instead of a small, tentative one, she would have been in real trouble.

Despite its spiciness, the aroma of the chicken and the umami of the chili peppers blend together perfectly, creating a truly delightful and lingering flavor.

"well enough?"

Watanabe Yu handed over tissues and a chilled drink.

He had placed the iced drinks on the table from the beginning, just in case of this unexpected situation.

"..."

Risa Yasuhara waved her hand, took only the tissue, and then, with her eyes watering from the spiciness, picked up her chopsticks and ate the rest of the chicken in the bowl.

This dish is a bit spicy, but it's really delicious!

"No, if you can't eat spicy food, then don't force yourself."

While enjoying her steamed fish, Eda Ikumi glanced at her best friend and couldn't help but mutter something. Then she put down her chopsticks, gestured to Watanabe Yu with her chin, and asked him to hand her the iced drink.

"Give."

Watanabe Yu thought for a moment, then handed over two bottles of chilled canned coffee.

"Thanks."

Eda Ikumi took the canned coffee, pulled the tab on one of the cans, and then pushed it in front of her best friend.

In her memory, her best friend wasn't the kind of person who couldn't handle spicy food but insisted on being tough.

Unless the spicy dish really looked too tempting, she meant it smelled too good.

"One thing at a time, um, my tongue is numb."

Risa Yasuhara stuck out her pink tongue, grabbed an iced coffee and took a sip. As the bitterness and coolness of the coffee rose, the fresh and spicy flavor of the chili peppers was slowly suppressed.

"saved!"

She breathed a long sigh of relief, her fair forehead already covered in a layer of fine sweat.

"Is it so delicious?"

Eda Ikumi looked at her best friend with some suspicion.

She was starting to suspect that her best friend was just praising her for the sake of praising her. The steamed fish she had eaten was delicious, but not to this extent.

If this were in an anime, she estimated that Risa's clothes would have already ripped off.

"You'll know after you taste it."

Risa Yasuhara gave her a knowing look that said, "Take your time and savor it," before picking up her second piece of spicy chicken.

She had previously run into Watanabe Yu, who was bringing his lunchbox to the cafeteria to heat up, when she was eating at school.

The dishes in this kid's lunchbox are all Chinese cuisine, and they all look top-notch.

She had already started craving it then, and now that she had actually tasted it, she was once again certain that her initial judgment was completely correct.

"Did Ryoko make this dish?"

Eda Ikumi glanced at her best friend, thought for a moment, and then decided not to rush to pick up the dish. Instead, she asked a question first.

“No, Yumi-nee, this dish was made by Yu.” Hamabe Ryoko shook her head. “If it were me, I wouldn’t have been so heavy-handed. Although Yu always says that his cooking is already quite mild, but…”

She didn't finish her sentence, but instead stuck out her tongue mischievously.

From that numbing and spicy Mapo Tofu, he kept redefining her understanding of spiciness.

Ayana and Yuki have gradually become accustomed to the spiciness over time, but Yuki remains just as sensitive to the spiciness as before.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, the latter is a singer who often uses his voice, so his diet must be relatively light.

"The problem is that I'm telling the truth."

Watanabe Yu shrugged innocently.

He always held back when making spicy dishes. He couldn't possibly follow the example of the Chinese restaurants here and change Mapo Tofu to a sweet and savory flavor just to survive, could he?
And that's why they haven't tried the cuisine of Zigong and Hunan, both of which are incredibly spicy.

Especially in Hunan, everyone says that Sichuan has a strong flavor, but in terms of the intensity of eating chili peppers, it is far less than that of Hunan.

"It's a matter of personal taste, that's normal."

Eda Ikumi smoothed things over, then pulled the tab on her can of iced coffee, picked up a piece of spicy chicken with her chopsticks, put it in her bowl, and ate it along with her rice.

She's the type who can handle spicy food quite well, but her best friend's comments still made her wary; it's always better to be safe than sorry.

then……

She frowned slightly in surprise, then slowly savored the taste.

With the rice neutralizing the spiciness of the chili peppers, the heat is reduced considerably, replaced by a spiciness that accelerates saliva production. The savory aroma of chicken and chili peppers mixed together is incredibly appetizing, and the savory flavor spreads with every chew.

"tasty!"

After finishing her rice and chicken, Eda Ikumi put down her chopsticks, didn't touch her iced coffee, but took a sip of barley tea. Then, she gave Watanabe Yu a very serious thumbs up, giving her the highest praise as a diner.

This dish is absolutely delicious for those who can handle spicy food!
And this dish goes perfectly with rice!

"Thank you."

Watanabe smiled and nodded, then added a piece of spicy chicken to his bowl. It was worth spending so much time picking through those two large baskets of chili peppers.

Worth it.

"I have a question."

Risa Yasuhara put down her bowl, took out a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead, and then asked the question.

"please say."

"Do you make all the lunches you bring to school every day? Or...?"

Risa Yasuhara looked thoughtfully at Ryoko Hamabe.

“Yes, I made some of them, but I did it less often. Ryoko’s skills were more often the main thing.” Watanabe Yu nodded, confirming Risa’s statement. “The pastries or desserts we brought were made by Saintess Dai… I mean, Ayana.”

He just said it offhand.

"Ayana?"

Risa Yasuhara looked at Ayana Amamiya with great surprise.

Not to mention all of them, but as far as she knows, in her circle, including but not limited to those who were already in the circle and those who climbed in by attaching themselves to it, if the family has girls, 98% of them never lift a finger to do housework.

It's not a stereotype, but every household has a chef, so there's no need for them to cook or learn to cook.

As for basic family education courses at schools, most teachers turn a blind eye, especially when the young ladies attend elite private schools.

Of course, there are exceptions. For example, if they have a crush on a boy their own age, they might think of using this kind of thing to express their feelings.

"Why, can't you?"

Ayana Amamiya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked a question with a touch of pride.

She knew what Risa was surprised about, but unfortunately, she was no longer the young lady whose cooking skills were a disaster.

"Of course, it's just a bit...unexpected."

Risa Yasuhara shook her head, thinking to herself that the dessert she saw in the kitchen earlier wasn't store-bought, but made by her.

"Suddenly I feel like the people in the department are eating pig swill."

While Risa Yasuhara was chatting, Ikumi Eda ate several more bites of spicy chicken, and then uttered these words with feeling.

"Don't be ridiculous, the food where you live is alright, you're just tired of it."

Risa Yasuhara rolled her eyes.

The head chefs of the restaurants that partner with your department are crying!
You betrayed us way too quickly!
"I'm telling the truth. The menu is basically the same every week, always the same three dishes. Occasionally there are some changes, but the taste is just so-so. Who can stand that?"

Eda Ikumi then launched into a rant.

If it weren't for concerns about the impact and unexpected events, she would really like to find her own food every day at noon.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh." Risa Yasuhara sighed and gave Yu Watanabe a helpless look. "Now you understand why your sister Yumi and I can get along so well, right?"

They are all foodies.

"Understood."

Watanabe Yu nodded.

That's true; foodies always have endless topics to discuss.

Just like when he discussed the surprises he encountered while exploring restaurants with Ryoko, Yuki, and Ayana, they always had endless things to talk about.

"So, as a fellow food connoisseur, shouldn't you lend a hand?"

Risa Yasuhara raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of help?" Watanabe paused. "I mean, can I handle this?"

Although he understood Risa's personality, he still instinctively grabbed a patch to fix it.

"I just need your help with some ideas."

Risa Yasuhara gave him a playful glare. It was a good thing that he was so meticulous, but saying it at a time like this made him seem like an outsider.

"Feel sorry."

Watanabe Yu uttered those words without even thinking.

“It’s nothing, in fact, being cautious is a good thing, and it’s right not to make promises lightly.” Eda Ikumi chimed in, then began to recount her experience, “It’s like this…”

She spoke at a moderate pace, but her vocabulary was quite concise, and she finished explaining the cause and effect and the whole story in no time.

"If that's the case, then I suggest that you, Sister Jiangtian, don't try to persuade her in a condescending manner, because that will only make her resentful. You need to take a closer approach, like the kind of gentle persuasion that comes with being an older sister."

At this point, Watanabe Yu paused for a moment, and then added a sentence.

"It means don't say those things that people are tired of hearing, and instead tell her the benefits of studying hard."

This is also the most direct and effective method.

Drawing ten thousand pie pictures is not as good as letting someone witness one pie with their own eyes.

"The most important thing is not to pressure her aggressively."

Just like a fable he had read before, the sun and the wind made a bet on who could get someone to take off their clothes.

Constant pressure will only make children who are already in their rebellious phase even more rebellious.

Furthermore, judging from the information revealed by Sister Jiangtian in just a few words, her aunt does fit the character of a 'powerful noblewoman'.

In that case, it doesn't really matter whether her cousin is good at studying or not, as long as she doesn't go astray, she'll definitely be well-off for the rest of her life.

"I'll try my best to do that."

Eda Ikumi pursed her thin lips, a hint of difficulty appearing between her brows.

To be honest, she had indeed considered using force before.

For her happiness, what's wrong with my cousin making a little sacrifice?
But now it seems that this path is no longer viable.

"Not just try, it has to be a must."

Yu Watanabe corrected her statement.

Even if he knew that was what she meant, often the more precise the words, the stronger the psychological suggestion; similarly, the more vague the words, the weaker the psychological suggestion.

"Yes, definitely."

Eda Ikumi nodded heavily.

"Um, I have a favor to ask."

She looked at Watanabe Yu somewhat embarrassedly.

"Ok?"

Despite having a bad feeling, Watanabe Yu continued the conversation.

The atmosphere has been built up to this point; if he doesn't respond, wouldn't it be awkward?

"If I can't win over my cousin, could you please do me a favor?"

As she spoke, Eda Ikumi lowered her head and made a soft, gentle request.

"Because I really need to stop being bothered by blind dates, just as a form of insurance, okay?"

She really didn't want to miss this opportunity.

They didn't want to miss the chance to have someone back them up.

As for the favors she might incur as a result, they are nothing compared to what she gained.

"Row."

After thinking about it for a moment, Watanabe Yu nodded in agreement.

It's just a backup plan; there's no major problem.

He believed that Eda Ikumi was capable enough to handle the situation, or even if she couldn't, she could lay a good foundation for the future, and he could clean up the mess later without much difficulty.

(End of this chapter)