Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

Yui Yuigahama shivered as she stood nearby, wanting to warn Abby, but fearing she might become the target herself.

Well, well, there has to be a Lich King, and Abyss's barometer-like expression is indeed quite interesting.

"Let's go, Yuihama, what are you still standing there for?"

The shouts woke Yui Yuigahama from her thoughts. She looked up and saw a taxi had stopped. She quickly ran over, shouting, "They're here! They're here! Yukino and Fujimaru are such bullies, always leaving us behind!"

"It's because you're always so absent-minded, okay?"

"Same here. Yui, you're easily marginalized like this. Be careful not to become a tool, like that Yui who gets persecuted for a long time. Speaking of which, you two pronounce it exactly the same..."

"Fujimaru, you're talking nonsense again."

The taxi started up, carrying a few noisy fellows, and headed west.

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The quiet, upscale apartment was suddenly filled with a few noisy guys.

Yukino Yukinoshita appeared to have a cold expression, but the corners of her eyes were naturally relaxed, indicating that she was in a good mood. She asked Fujimaru Ritsuka and Yuigahama Yui to put their things in the guest room and personally decorated Abigail's future bedroom.

The room, which was originally monotonous in color, was decorated with cozy little ornaments and a cute Garfield bed, and slowly it began to have a touch of life.

"How is it?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked Abigail in a soft voice.

Looking at the bedroom, Abby first hugged the teddy bear in her hands, then placed it neatly on the table in the room, revealing an adorable smile full of sweetness: "I like it very much, Yukino-neechan."

She hugged Yukino Yukinoshita and said, "I'm so happy to have met the leader, met the kind older sisters, and have such a lovely room. Abby is so happy."

Fujimaru Ritsuka chimed in from the side, "Hey, Yukinoshita, Abi's hug is very precious. It wouldn't be right if you didn't show off your cooking skills."

"Yes, yes, Yukino, of all the things Fujimaru said today, this is the one I think makes the most sense."

Yukino glared at the two people beside her who were putting pressure on her, and said reluctantly, "Fine. Then I'll cook a meal and let you two freeloaders try the Yukino family's cuisine."

She gently withdrew from Abby's embrace and walked lightly towards the kitchen.

Abi was a little embarrassed: "Captain, you guys are making us urge Yukinoshita to cook, and she doesn't seem too happy about it."

Fujimaru Ritsuka gave a soft shush, looked around to make sure Yukinoshita wasn't nearby, and said softly, "Abby, let me teach you some life lessons. Yukinoshita is a bit of an awkward person; she always likes to hide her feelings. Even if she wants something, she'll always say no. Don't worry about it when you live with her; just be direct and express your feelings. As they say, natural talent beats tsundere; being straightforward is the way to go."

"Yes, yes, you also need to be more outgoing. As long as you think it's right, just stick to it shamelessly. Yukino is the least susceptible to this kind of thing." Yui Yuigahama also quietly analyzed her secret to winning over Yukino.

The two of them went back and forth, leaving Abigail completely bewildered, but their arguments actually seemed to make some sense. After all, Abigail also felt that Yukino Yukinoshita wasn't as unhappy as she appeared on the surface.

"What are you talking about?"

Yukino suddenly leaned out, looking suspiciously at the two guys who were whistling and staring at the ceiling. But she didn't hear anything, so she put her doubts aside for the moment and said, "I didn't notice the food in the fridge is almost gone. Fujimaru, come with me to buy some more."

53. What should we do about our children's education?

"Aren't you worried about leaving Yuihama and Abby alone?" Fujimaru Ritsuka said, holding a tomato and winking at Yukino Yukinoshita.

"This isn't fresh." Yukino took the tomato from his hand and put it back, calmly putting her hands behind her back. "What? Are you here to test my opinion?"

Yukino Yukinoshita understood Fujimaru Ritsuka's subtext: Aren't you worried about Abigail and Yuigahama Yui being together because they are related to the evil god?

This guy spoils Abby so much, he probably doesn't want to warn me to be careful around Abby, but rather wants to find out if I'm wary of Abby.

Fujimaru Ritsuka looked at her face, trying to see if she was angry—well, she had a blank expression and her eyes were slanted up. Rather than being angry because she was misunderstood, she seemed a little confused.

He quickly raised his hand to clarify his meaning: "No, it's just that the child is a bit special... otherwise why would I ask the beautiful and kind Yukinoshita-sama? We're comrades-in-arms, you can forgive me for speaking my mind so frankly."

"Stop flattering me, stop being so mysterious, just tell me already." Yukino Yukinoshita glared at Ritsuka Fujimaru, but it had no effect whatsoever.

Fujimaru Ritsuka put on an exaggeratedly timid expression: "Ah, don't frighten me, you imposing Yukinoshita. Let me explain slowly. Abigail, well, she's actually a Servant from Chaldea [over there]."

Yukino nodded. She had already figured it out. Both Meltlilith and Murasaki Shikibu on that fat woman knew about the situation in Chaldea.

“Abby’s biggest difference is probably the power residing in her body.” Fujimaru Ritsuka sighed. “She can be described as an innocent witch. Even if it is not her own will, the power radiating from her body may slowly affect the rationality of the people around her, undermine their fragile common sense and moral concepts, and trigger a chain of misfortunes.”

"This is too much trouble." Yukino Yukinoshita frowned, unconsciously crossing her arms. "How am I going to find a school for Abby now?"

Huh? After hearing all this, all you can think about is education?

Fujimaru Ritsuka was dumbfounded; he never imagined that he would be so shocked by Yukino's unconventional ideas.

Yukino gave him a disapproving look and warned him, "You haven't even thought about Abby's schooling, have you? Well, you probably just want to spoil Abby and support her for the rest of her life."

"Ahem, I won't admit to that." Fujimaru Ritsuka blushed, indicating that you shouldn't slander an innocent boy like him.

"Hehe, I'll just take it seriously."

"...Yukinoshita, you have quite a talent for being an Onmyoji."

The two women stared at each other with forced smiles, while several middle-aged housewives who had come closer to buy things whispered among themselves:

"They seem to be talking about school. How come young couples these days are already thinking about their children's education?" "They even had a fight. Wow, this young couple has quite the charm." "Are you envious? They're so young, this is what newlyweds are like."

Fujimaru Ritsuka almost choked, and Yukino Yukinoshita awkwardly turned her head to continue picking out vegetables. The middle-aged women realized that they had been caught eavesdropping, and they laughed and walked away with their things.

"This tomato is quite good, take it."

"Oh, oh..." Yukino Yukinoshita didn't even look up, tacitly accepting the gift and putting it into her shopping bag.

The two silently and quickly selected a large amount of meat and vegetables, paid the bill, and walked back.

The luxury apartment wasn't too far from the supermarket, only a few minutes' walk away.

Yukino Yukinoshita tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and broke the silence that had lasted the whole way: "Actually, it's not that I'm not worried. But I still believe in that child. Although we haven't known each other for long, only two days, I can feel her kindness. I don't think we should judge Abby negatively because of her power."

"Yukinoshita, you're such a good person," Fujimaru Ritsuka said sincerely. "After all, I've met some people who are really strange. They get negative emotions because of other people's excellence, strength, or incompatibility."

"Tsk...Isn't it a strange phenomenon that often occurs in this country for the weak to band together to bully the strong? But that's just a show of bravado hidden behind the group. Besides, aren't we the ones who are easily ostracized now?" Yukino spoke her mind as she watched the numbers on the elevator screen change.

"Okay, let's keep up the good work. The first step is to find a place for Abby to go to school." Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled slightly at Yukino, holding up the groceries she was carrying. "But before that, we need to cook something delicious and feed those two gluttons, right?"

"Not including you?" Yukino teased Fujimaru Ritsuka as she stepped out of the elevator and opened the door to her room.

Then her expression turned cold, and Fujimaru Ritsuka followed her inside, secretly exclaiming, "Good heavens!"

The two people, one big and one small, were sitting on the sofa, their hands frozen in place, ready to stuff potato chips into their mouths.

There were still quite a few opened packages on the table. Fujimaru Ritsuka thought that the two guys who defied the rules were doomed.

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Yui Yuigahama, wearing a sign that reads "[I shouldn't have eaten snacks before meals]", is sitting obediently on the sofa. Abi, receiving the same treatment, is also covering her sign and sitting there deeply reflecting on her mistake.

Fujimaru Ritsuka peeked into the kitchen and saw Yui and Abi pleading with him through teary eyes.

—Please put in a good word for us!

—I'm afraid it's beyond our control.

—At least... don't let our desserts disappear.

"How was it, Fujimaru?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka, keeping her eyes downcast and speaking in a serious tone, said, "After the reasonable, scientific, and serious ideological education from Lady Yukinoshita, the two of you have realized your sins and deeply reflected on your inappropriate behavior of being unable to resist the temptation of snacks. They beg Your Honor to be lenient with them."

"Then let's share the pudding between the two of us," Yukino Yukinoshita replied irritably, then washed the ingredients and began preparing the meal.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was a little surprised when she saw that she had taken out four tomatoes, and then, after thinking for a moment, she took out ginger, garlic, onions, scallions, and beef bones. She was even more surprised when she found some pickled millet peppers.

"What are they doing?" This combination looks so familiar.

Yukino twirled her knife and said smugly, "Recently, there have been a few famous hot pot restaurants with a Chinese style. I specifically searched for them online and found that this broth is sweet and sour, which is perfect for those two idiots whose appetites have been reduced by snacks."

She deftly blanched the beef bones to remove the scum, then added ginger and cooking wine to simmer the original broth at the bottom of the pot.

Fujimaru Ritsuka also got itchy hands and took the initiative to come over to wash and cut things.

Yui and Abi, who were sitting in the living room with furrowed brows, heard the noise from the kitchen and both touched their lower bellies, a little worried about whether they would be able to eat later.

But half an hour later, the sweet and sour aroma of stir-fried tomatoes in the kitchen made them both involuntarily swallow: it seemed pretty good.

54. Not gaining weight or muscle, it's truly enviable.

A bright red pot of steam rose from the pot, and the unique sweet and sour aroma of tomatoes filled the air above the table, making one's mouth water and one's stomach rumble.

"Yukino, your cooking is amazing!" Yui Yuigahama exclaimed, her praise overflowing, though she was hampered by her limited vocabulary.

Yukino was a little embarrassed. When she was making beef bone broth, she initially followed the Japanese sukiyaki habit and didn't add much water. She was even planning to put other ingredients in to stew together, but Fujimaru Ritsuka pointed out the correct way.

Does this guy even know about hot pot, a dish unique to China?

"The ingredients have been prepared. Just dip them in the hot pot for about ten seconds and then you can eat them with the dipping sauce." Recalling what Fujimaru Ritsuka said, she laid out four special dipping sauces made with scallions, fermented bean curd, soy sauce, broth, and sesame seeds in front of everyone.

When it was Fujimaru Ritsuka's turn, she glared at him: Why did you make me come? Wasn't it all your doing?

Fujimaru Ritsuka smiled amiably, pretending not to know anything: "Of course you're in charge of your own home. I'm just a guest."

Yui and Abi quickly picked up their chopsticks and looked at the things on the table: beef slices, konjac, meatballs, tofu, and seafood. After looking around, they unanimously picked up the beef.

Originally intended for stir-frying or stewing, the beef was skillfully sliced ​​into thin, fine pieces with meticulous knife work. Before being served, it was marinated in beer, egg white, cornstarch, and black pepper. After being dipped in the pot for about ten seconds until it changed color, it was placed in a dipping sauce to ease the scalding heat, and the two hurriedly put it into their mouths.

"Mmm~~ This sweet and sour taste, and the incredibly tender texture, is it A5 grade Wagyu beef?" Yui's eyes were shining as she ate, and Fujimaru Ritsuka was worried that her clothes might burst off at any moment.

Please have some if you can.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, lamenting the world's impeccable health, casually sipped her beef: "This isn't right, Yui. Top-grade Wagyu isn't suitable for hot pot, it's too greasy. A5 Wagyu is better for sashimi, grilling, or steak. And this is just regular beef. Hmm... it's actually quite good."

He gave Yukinoshita a thumbs-up, praising her cooking skills.

Aren't they all your suggestions?

Although that's what she was thinking, Yukino Yukinoshita didn't realize that she was secretly showing a smug smile.

Abby picked up a snow-white slice of basa fish and put it into the hot pot. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Yukino and Fujimaru Ritsuka's secret interaction. Her lips pursed so much they could hang an oil can on them: How come in the short time it took to buy groceries and cook, it seems like Yukino and the leader had some special experience again? So annoying! Abby is going to try to steal the leader away!

"Abby, let me try this fish slice you cooked." Yui looked at her blankly for a moment, then decisively snatched the fish slice from the pot, which was soaked with the wonderful tomato broth.

Abby was furious: "You're the one who's messing around, Yui-bin-neechan! Stealing things from a child is so unbecoming of an adult!"

"Hehehe..." Yuihama, who was increasingly heading towards becoming one of the three great dogs, didn't hesitate and devoured Abi's hard-earned fruit in one gulp.

Hot pot is all about shouting and scrambling to eat it, right?