My love index is at its maximum.

Tsukasa Tazaki found it odd: "Shikami seems to be in a pretty good mood."

"Of course." The sister-in-law chuckled.

Their bickering and playful arguments had forged a strong bond of friendship, but in the past, Hoshino Shikami always wore a displeased expression whenever she saw Tazaki Tsukasa. This time, after being dumped by his sister, his sister-in-law was overjoyed, boasting as if she wanted to show off: "Let me tell you, my sister's body is so warm! Now you can't hug her anymore, can you? Haha... From now on, my sister belongs to Shikami alone! After a long and arduous struggle, Shikami has finally won!"

Words were not enough to express her excitement; she even clenched her two little fists, making "hoho" noises, and struck a boxing-like attack pose at Tsukasa Tazaki.

Tsukasa Tazaki: "...Whatever makes you happy."

In the past, whenever the two met, they would start their conversation by arguing, and occasionally they would even fight. To each other, they were like rivals in love. The younger sister had been at a disadvantage for so long, and now that she had finally turned the tables, she naturally wanted to seize every opportunity to show off.

Tsukasa Tazaki could easily see through her little scheme, but considering she was a beautiful young woman and his sister-in-law, he decided not to hold it against her and let her be happy for a while longer.

Moreover... the great undertaking of winning back her older sister's heart wouldn't be complete without the younger sister's hard work and effort.

Just like this time, he had Shikami bring his sister to Fukuoka, and then had Shikami deliberately reveal a flaw so that his sister would discover it was his idea.

What is the purpose?

Isn't it just to let my older sister know that my cooking skills have improved by leaps and bounds after all this hard work?

With Lu Jian's help, he can not only get his older sister to accept his feelings without her being offended, but also show off his master-level cooking skills, killing two birds with one stone!

After preparing all the ingredients, Tsukasa Tazaki began making the first dish: stir-fried crab meat with ginger and scallions.

Heat oil in a pan, add sliced ​​ginger and sauté until fragrant, then remove and set aside. Add chopped crab meat and pan-fry until fragrant on both sides.

The crab meat in its shell sizzled and bubbled in the pot, releasing a fragrant heat that washed over Tazaki Tsukasa's masked face.

"It smells so good~" Hoshino Shikami sniffed and asked, "Is there anything else I can help with?"

"Go get some ice..." Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at her, "Wash the crab legs I cut with ice water, then dry them with absorbent paper and spread them out on the ice."

"okay."

Hoshino Shika ran out to ask the chef for ice, washed the crab leg meat with ice water, and then spread out a thick sheet of absorbent paper, neatly arranging the crab meat on it.

Tsukasa Tazaki turned around, added some butter to the pan-fried crab meat, and waited for the crab meat to melt. Then he added scallion segments, garlic slices, and the ginger slices that had been sautéed earlier.

Stir-fry all ingredients evenly, then drizzle with a suitable amount of sake for aroma, add a spoonful of water, a little oyster sauce for seasoning, and a pinch of sugar for flavor. Cook over high heat for one minute, then thicken with a suitable amount of cornstarch slurry. Turn the heat to high and frequently stir the ingredients with a spatula to ensure the sauce evenly coats each piece of crab meat before removing from heat.

Hoshino Shika placed all the crab leg meat on the ice plate, then turned to watch Tazaki Tsukasa's cool wok-tossing motion and couldn't help but say admiringly, "You're really good at cooking."

"It's not that I can cook."

With a graceful flick of the ladle, Tsukasa Tazaki finished preparing the first dish. Turning to look at his sister-in-law, a smirk played on his lips: "It's just that you put your love into it and do it seriously, which is why you seem so good at cooking. It's a matter of attitude. As long as you try your best to love something, you can complete it with a certain degree of joy. If you maintain that love in your heart for a long time, you'll eventually get what you want."

"..." The silly deer didn't know how to understand the sentence for a moment. She just bit her hand blankly and stared into his eyes. The flickering flames in the gas stove cast a thin red glow on the boy's handsome face, making his serious smile look incredibly charming.

As Tsukasa Tazaki turned around, picked up the crab shell, and prepared to prepare the second dish, two system prompts popped up.

[…Shikami thinks this guy isn’t so bad after all~! Hoshino Shikami’s stock index rose 20 points, current stock price: 81]

[Hmph, so glib-tongued! Hoshino Hanami's stock index rose 5 points, current stock price: 66]

Yay!

Tazaki Tsukasa resisted the urge to turn around and look for Hoshino Hanami, and used a spoon to scoop out the steamed crab roe from the crab shell.

The second dish, crab roe fried rice, was officially prepared.

Heat some oil in a frying pan, add half of the beaten eggs, and stir-fry until they are about half-cooked. Then add the cold rice and stir-fry for two to three minutes. While stir-frying, continuously press the rice clumps with a spatula to loosen them.

Three minutes later, add the remaining half of the egg mixture and continue to stir-fry until evenly mixed.

As the white rice in the pot gradually turns yellow, the grains that were originally stuck together become separate. At this point, you can add corn kernels, diced bell peppers, and diced ham, drizzle with soy sauce for added aroma, and then stir-fry over high heat to bring out the wok hei (wok aroma).

When it was almost done, Tsukasa Tazaki gave the pan a strong shake.

"Splash!"

The distinct grains of rice were tossed into the air like paddy rice, and then fell back into the pot like grains of wheat.

The enticing aroma immediately wafted around, and Hoshino Shikami couldn't help but lick her lips, moving closer to him and staring at the sizzling fried rice: "It smells so good, Shikami wants to eat!"

Without realizing it, her tone shifted to the reduplicated tone she usually used when flirting with her older sister.

"It will be ready soon, just wait a little longer."

Tazaki Tsukasa added the prepared crab roe to the fried rice, along with a handful of chopped green onions. After stir-frying over high heat for one minute, he stuffed the fried rice into the crab shell, and the crab roe fried rice was ready. His expression was meticulous, and his movements were fluid and graceful. Anyone who saw it would praise his professionalism and coolness!

The third dish was winter melon and crab leg soup.

This is a soup carefully prepared by Tsukasa Tazaki. The stir-fried crab meat and fried rice are both quite hot, while the winter melon is cooling and can reduce internal heat, which can just balance out the heat from the former two.

Pan-fry the crab legs in a clay pot until fragrant, then add some pre-fried ginger and garlic, and a splash of sake. Once the aroma of the sake has dissipated, add the winter melon and enough water to cover, and simmer for five minutes. Season with salt, fish sauce, pepper, and sesame oil, and it's ready to serve.

The last dish was crab leg sashimi.

My silly sister-in-law has already taken care of it, so Tsukasa Tazaki doesn't need to do it himself.

The two carried the dishes out of the kitchen and went up to the guest rooms on the third floor.

As soon as the door opened, Hoshino Shikami asked softly, "Do you want to come in?"

Tsukasa Tazaki pointed to the bruises on his face: "You want to kill me?"

"Haha~"

The younger sister-in-law smiled smugly, tilting her head to the side: "Next up, it'll be just the two of us, my sister and I."

"Hurry up, the food's getting cold." Tazaki Tsukasa pushed her into the room, but didn't leave himself. Instead, he hid in the entryway and eavesdropped on what was happening inside.

Inside the room, Hoshino Hanami sat on the sofa by the bed watching TV. Outside the window, it was pitch black, without a single ray of light.

Seeing her younger sister walk in, she looked up at the four dishes on the tray. Her curled-up toes twitched incessantly, and her ahoge (cowlick) stood up high, wagging like a dog's tail.

Of course, Hoshino Shikami knew that her older sister was in a very good mood because she had seen something delicious.

Tazaki Tsukasa is still somewhat useful; from now on, he'll be in charge of cooking for me and my sister... The sister-in-law proudly assigned Tazaki Tsukasa his future position and greeted her sister, "Sister, hurry up, the seafood won't taste good if it gets cold."

Hoshino Hanami picked up her water glass, took a sip, then used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of crab leg stir-fried with ginger and scallions, and savored it slowly with her soft, sexy lips.

The crab meat was very fresh, with a firm and tender texture and extremely fine fibers. With each bite, the natural freshness of this high-end seafood burst forth in your mouth. Coated in the sauce, it was exquisitely delicate, leaving a lingering and unforgettable taste.

Thank you, little crab... Hoshino Hanami closed her eyes and couldn't help but groan inwardly.

"Sister." Hoshino Shikami swallowed hard and asked impatiently, "Is it delicious? How is Tazaki's cooking?"

This question was asked by Tsukasa Tazaki, who was eavesdropping outside the door, on behalf of his sister-in-law.

Hoshino Hanami opened her eyes and said disdainfully, "The crab meat is tough and dry, a failure! The seasoning is too strong and overpowering, a complete failure!"

"..." Hoshino Shika took a bite with some skepticism, then exclaimed in surprise, "You're lying! The sauce has seeped into the crab meat; it's delicious!"

Before she could finish speaking, she filled a bowl with fried rice, scooped out a large spoonful, opened her mouth wide, and ate it in one bite, her cheeks puffing out: "Mmm... the fried rice is so delicious, Tazaki is the best!"

"What a spineless coward!"

Hoshino Hanami rolled her eyes at her younger sister, then eagerly filled a small bowl with fried rice and scooped a spoonful into her mouth.

The fried rice grains are distinct, springy, and delicious. The umami flavor of the crab roe has permeated every grain, creating an explosive combination in your mouth – so good!

My older sister closed her eyes comfortably and chewed the fried rice with gusto. At this moment, the happiness and satisfaction of enjoying the food were fully released.

"Sister," Hoshino Shikami asked, her words slightly mumbled, as she shoveled rice into her mouth, "How's the fried rice?"

"The rice was mushy and lacked chewiness—a failure! The crab roe had too much of a fishy smell—a complete failure!"

"Have a taste of the soup."

Hoshino Hanami sipped the sweet winter melon soup and complained, "The winter melon is overcooked, what a failure!"

[Delicious! Hoshino Hanami's stock index rose 10 points, current stock price 76]

Tazaki Tsukasa couldn't help but think with a sigh, "Food is definitely Da'ai's Achilles' heel."

After listening in silence for a while, I quietly left and walked back to the hot spring inn alone.

From the window of the guest room, Hoshino Hanami stared blankly at him leaving through the gap in the curtains. The sky was covered with thick clouds, and only a few rays of moonlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds, vaguely illuminating his back.

Four minutes later, he was out of sight. There was no one on the road, only the moonlight illuminating the smooth asphalt surface.

Hoshino Hanami stood still, gazing at him for a long time.

"Sister..." The younger sister hugged her waist from behind and asked, "Will you forgive him?"

"will not!"

Hoshino Hanami shook her head, returned to the sofa, and continued to eat the dinner he had prepared.

……

There weren't many pedestrians on the road, and the roadside trees and power lines swayed gently in the evening breeze.

Tired from the journey, his legs ached, so Tazaki Tsukasa leaned against a rusty roadside railing to rest. A large, fat crow with a big beak looked down at him from above a rusty traffic light in front of him.

A man and a bird stared at each other, casting two shadows on the ground.

Occasionally, a car with its high beams on will drive from the opposite direction, the lights so dazzling that it's hard to open your eyes.

After resting for a while, Tsukasa Tazaki took out his phone, stared blankly at the screen, and resisted the urge to call Shikami Hoshino and ask her to talk to her sister.

Yes.

I'm too ashamed to talk to her...

Da Ke'ai is always so radiant, with an intelligent face and a straightforward, optimistic personality... From her, Tazaki Tsukasa senses something he lacks, a feeling that can be called admiration. She has suffered, or perhaps it is precisely because she has grown tenaciously from those difficult past experiences that she radiates an admirable glow from within.

Ugh, what a scumbag...

After muttering a few curses under his breath, Tsukasa Tazaki returned to the hot spring inn.

Murakami Mizuiro was lying on the bed, playing Breath of the Wild on her Nintendo Switch. When she saw him come in, she looked up and said, "Where have you been? Ninomiya came looking for you earlier."

Did she say what it was about?

"No, I just wanted to know if you were there."

"understood."

Tazaki Tsukasa took out a change of clothes, silently took a shower, brushed her teeth, and went back to bed.

I chatted with Murakami Mizuiro for a while about the latest game, NASA's newest Mars exploration plan, and why deep-sea creatures can look so bizarre. Of course, the conversation also included some risqué topics like girls' measurements and panties.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Yui Kichikawa came over with a late-night snack.

Tsukasa Tazaki hadn't eaten all night, so he took the food from the golden retriever and then locked her out of the door.