The person who likes me is a yandere.

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Qiong rushed towards the dried fish vendor with the lightness of a cat. After taking a sample from the auntie, she asked, "Should I eat it from the head? Or the tail? Hmm—"

She hesitated. It's not like it's taiyaki; dried fish doesn't matter where you eat it, right?

Even so, I originally thought she would eat it all in one bite, but Hinata actually ate the dried fish in two bites with ease. Incidentally, she ate it from the top.

I couldn't bear to leave Qiong, who was happily munching on dried fish like she was filming a commercial, so I went to her side...

"Come on, young man, try some too."

Naturally, my aunt let me try some dried anchovies. No, I'm not against eating dried anchovies in themselves, but since Qiong was enjoying them so much, my aunt saw this as a golden opportunity to sell them…

"These are domestically produced dried anchovies. Besides being very fragrant, they are also very nutritious. Are you two still growing? Don't just eat fast food; you need to eat this kind of thing too. This can be used as a base for miso soup. I'll also give you a small recipe book for dried anchovy dishes. How about we have a dried anchovy party tonight?"

She launched into her sales pitch like a Gatling gun firing off a barrage of bullets.

Qiong, who had sampled the food before me, naturally finished eating first and exclaimed, "Ah, that's right!" before being drawn to the food in other stores and quickly leaving the dried fish store.

The tasting lady and I were left standing there.

Like food tasting, drawing the Joker card creates a sense of tension that rises rapidly when the two are alone together.

I tried to come up with a reason in my head not to buy dried fish, or rather, a reason why I couldn't buy it even if I wanted to... Hmm, every reason felt too hypocritical.

I am allergic to dried small fish.

Since they've already eaten it, this lie is really unconvincing.

I don't have money to buy dried fish.

Then why come to buy things?

Because of religious reasons, I cannot buy dried small fish.

...It feels like the lies are getting further and further absurd.

To be honest, lying about feeling guilty for not being able to reciprocate the enthusiasm of the tasting aunt is a guilty thing.

It's better not to lie and leave.

that's it.

As other customers walked by, and the auntie proudly offered them dried fish samples, I quickly left the store, holding my breath like a stagehand (author: a staff member in Kabuki who wears black clothes and a black headscarf to help actors perform or operate stage equipment).

That'll be fine.

I don't need to suffer the pangs of conscience by telling unnecessary lies, and I also avoid having my aunt hear me tell lies that are easily exposed.

In the end, the whole thing just left me with some abundant nutrients. How wonderful!

Freed from the psychological pressure, I searched lightly for my sister's whereabouts...

"Mmm...delicious...tasty...shrimp shreds!"

I found Qiong, who was spouting words synonymous with delicious food from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign.

She was actually tasting steak.

"……hateful."

I always get completely outmaneuvered by the freelancer at the food market.

Although I felt an urge to rush over and take a bite, I decided to just watch as Qiong walked away unscathed from the tasting area without buying anything, hehehe... Just as I made up my mind to stay out of it...

"Come over here, it's delicious!"

She struck up a conversation with a beaming smile. How could my sister be so terrifying? Am I destined to be led by the nose by her?

The kind-looking auntie handed over a small foil dish containing a small piece of meat and said, "Here, have a taste."

A fragrant aroma.

I succumbed to the urge to bite into the meat.

"Delicious!"

This wasn't just polite talk; I couldn't help but exclaim in genuine admiration. How could this meat be so tender and delicious?

"Right, right?"

The aunt nodded with a smug look on her face.

I haven't decided what to eat tonight yet, but it wouldn't be bad to splurge on a steak once in a while...

After seeing the price tags on the steaks displayed in the store, that thought vanished from my mind.

...One hundred grams for three thousand yen?

We need to take refuge quickly!

"It's really good... steak truly lives up to its reputation as the king of beef."

Qiong was completely captivated by the deliciousness of the beef, and told a lame joke about "steak" and "ace." I winked at Qiong.

Check the price.

It seems her brother's thoughts have been conveyed to her. Qiong noticed the price of the steak and instantly became expressionless.

Chapter Five: So Shameless

This time, Qiong didn't abandon me. A look of contemplation crossed her face as she considered how the two siblings could escape unscathed without buying meat. Auntie immediately realized our intention to run away and began her sales pitch.

"If you buy 200 grams, we'll give you 50 grams as a discount. This is a special offer, so please don't tell other customers."

Is this woman mentally sound?

Two hundred grams would cost six thousand yuan!

If you buy 200 grams of chicken during a limited-time auction, it won't even cost 150 yen!

Qiong seemed to sense that something was wrong and used a small punch to restrain him.

"But I ate meat last night."

It's worth mentioning that last night's menu featured stewed white radish.

If we don't categorize fish and sausages as meat, it feels like we haven't eaten meat in a long time.

"Eating meat again today is a bit too much... Maybe next time."

Qiong threw a series of jabs to keep the opponent at bay. Auntie, of course, wouldn't just stand there and take the hits. She unleashed a powerful counter-punch.

"You're all so young, you must crave meat every day. Come on, try our Japanese-style grated radish soy sauce this time."

What's scary is that she handed us a second plate of meat to try.

We cannot accept the second dish.

I feel that if I eat a second plate during the tasting, the psychological pressure of not being able to resist buying it will be even heavier.

Even if the police officer or even God allowed it, the tasting aunt probably wouldn't allow someone to leave without buying anything.

Those selling are working themselves to the bone, and we, who want to get away with not spending any money, are also working ourselves to the bone.

Buying this piece of beef is the end of the world. If we do, we'll probably be reduced to eating bean sprouts for the rest of the week, no, for the entire month.

Although I prayed that reinforcements (shoppers) would appear, just like when I was at the dried fish market, it's possible that the 3,000 yuan per 100 grams of meat had a certain aura that made no one dare to approach easily.

Unlike me, who was helpless except to pray, Qiong, the freelancer at the food market, winked at me.

Leave it to Qiong, brother.

Her eyes spoke volumes. Sister, I'm counting on you.

Qiong glanced at the distance of the food market and let out an "Ah".

"Huh? Isn't that Mr. Shimazu?"

I don't recognize any teacher whose surname is the same as a powerful figure from the Warring States period. Qiong pretended to see a familiar face in the distance and tried to lead me away. I wouldn't let her efforts go to waste.

"Oh! That can't be wrong. It's Old Island!"

I used nicknames to make Shimazu-sensei seem more real.

"Let's go say hello."

Qiong and I started walking towards our fictional teacher... Just then—

My aunt, unwilling to admit defeat, spat at my and Qiong's receding figures:

"It seems that steak is not suitable for the two of you."

Feeling that she had said something very rude, we stopped in our tracks and turned around...

The aunt said again:

"If I were to stay next to such an affectionate newlywed couple, I think even a rare steak would burn."

The aunt declared loudly, full of pride.

In her manner, as if she had just delivered a crucial line that would decide the outcome of a battle, there was no trace of embarrassment or hesitation. She was as spirited as an entertainer revealing a punchline, which suggests that she probably often says this to young couples.

Even so...

We were obviously wearing school uniforms; if you said we were a couple, that would be fine...

Calling them newlyweds is a stretch.

"Although burning is not good, I highly recommend grilling it until it sizzles before eating. This grilling method is called well-done."

The auntie continued to aggressively push her steak onto us.

That's truly remarkable professionalism.

However, we've already gained the upper hand in this battle. Because Sora and I need to go and greet Shimazu-sensei (a fictional character).

Come on, let's leave the store.

Thank you for the steak.

I started walking.

But after I took a few steps, I realized that Qiong hadn't followed.

Qiong stared blankly at the boxed meat marked with bourgeois prices, and murmured softly, "Newlyweds."