How to raise a random guy's wife

Aki Tomoya looked on expectantly, "So what's so good about it?"

"Fortunately..." Kobayashi Sora looked at the crumpled paper, "Hmm... give me a little more time."

An Yilun also said: "..."

"Well, putting the proposal aside, Tomoya's proposal is still very good." Kobayashi Sora carefully chose his words. "The fact that he can dictate so much content from just one piece of paper is enough to prove his experience in games and his familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of other games. If we can apply this to the game we are making, it will be a great success."

“If the application you’re referring to is this Frankenstein-like thing,” Kasumigaoka Utaha sneered, turning and walking away, “you might as well buy some building blocks and play with them at home.”

"If you want to waste time, then waste it yourself!" Eriri turned and left, slamming the door shut behind her.

“How could this be…” Aki Tomoya reached out his hand toward the classroom door.

"Don't be discouraged, Rinya," Kobayashi Sora comforted him. "Everyone is like this at the beginning."

"Really? Your initial proposal was like this too?"

"Well... you can think of it that way."

An Yilun also said: "..."

"Game development is a long process. Don't be afraid of the difficulties you face now; the toughest days are yet to come."

Is this supposed to be comforting?

“What I mean is, it’s not time to despair yet. Compared to yesterday’s vague ideas, haven’t you already written a proposal today? That’s growth.” Kobayashi Sora placed a hand on Aki Tomoya’s shoulder. “This is a great start, and we need to keep going.”

"But they already..."

"This is the producer's job. Don't worry, I'll bring them back, as long as you can write a decent proposal."

"I...I..." Aki Tomoya lowered his head. "I don't know. I seem to have so many thoughts, but I can't write anything down. If only I could find..."

“According to the agreement, I can’t interfere with the game’s development,” Kobayashi Sora interrupted Aki Tomoya. “But as a friend, I can’t just stand by and watch you go downhill. I have two project proposals here.” He handed Aki Tomoya two folders. “Although I can’t interfere with the game’s development, I can offer some help, right?”

Aki Tomoya frowned, "I can't..."

"Let's take a look first," Kobayashi Sora interrupted Aki Tomoya's excuses. "Even if you don't use it, you can still use it as a reference."

"Okay, then let's find someone..."

Click!

The classroom door made a soft sound.

Noticing their gazes, Kato Megumi put on an innocent expression and said, "The door seems to be broken; it's come out of the track."

"I'll help." Kobayashi Sora patted Aki Tomoya on the shoulder. "Go back and take a good rest over the weekend, and think it over carefully."

"......Um."

After Aki Tomoya left, Kobayashi Sora and Kato Megumi, who had fixed the door, locked it and also left the school.

"It doesn't seem to be going smoothly."

"Actually, this is considered good. At least everyone can freely express their thoughts," Kobayashi Sora chuckled. "I've seen much worse."

"Eh?"

“There was an illustrator in our club before who stopped drawing halfway through.”

"What should we do then?"

"We communicated with him. One of my colleagues, who is also a high school student like me, is a very talented person. He found the concept artist and hopes that he can come back to complete the task, since that concept artist's art style is quite unique."

"The original artist is back?"

"No, if he wanted to come back, he wouldn't have left."

"Huh?" Kato Megumi asked curiously, "Then what should we do?"

“I found the club where he was working and entrusted the original artwork to that club,” Kobayashi Sora recalled. “The club president took one look and thought, ‘Ah, someone in my club can draw this style,’ so he let that animator continue drawing.”

“…You’re naughty.” Kato Megumi glanced at her phone. “Tomorrow’s the weekend.”

"Oh right, I almost forgot." Kobayashi Sora realized, "Senior's autograph session is tomorrow, I need to remind her so she doesn't forget."

"Oh." Kato Megumi opened her mouth, her gaze lingering on Kobayashi Sora for a moment before subtly looking away.

As Kobayashi Sora walked, she edited a message to remind Kasumigaoka Utaha not to forget about tomorrow's autograph session.

"Understood"—this is how Kasumigaoka Utaha replied.

Upon receiving the reply, Kobayashi Sora made another call to Machida Sonoko to confirm the schedule for tomorrow.

"By the way," Kobayashi Sora put down her phone, "have you read my book, 'Love Metronome'?"

No.

"I have one at home; you can take a look if you're interested."

"Okay." Kato Megumi nodded and stopped at the fork in the road. "I'm going home now."

"Ah... um." Kobayashi Sora waved goodbye. "Are you free tomorrow... um, the day after tomorrow, Sunday?"

"Ok?"

"Didn't we agree to go to a six-day event? I have work tomorrow, do you have time the day after tomorrow?"

So you remember...

Kato Megumi blinked. "Nothing else."

"Then it's settled."

"Hmm, I want to eat Mapo Tofu today."

"Huh?" Kobayashi Sora was stunned for a moment.

"I forgot the toy I bought for Nian Gao at home, so I need to go back and get it."

A smile bloomed on her face, and Kobayashi Sora's eyes sparkled. "Would you like authentic Mapo Tofu, or Japanese style?"

Is there a big difference?

"Super big."

"I've never had the authentic one yet."

"The opportunity will come today," Kobayashi Sora chuckled. "See you in a bit."

Kato Megumi waved goodbye and returned home, saying, "I'm back."

"Welcome back," came the older sister's voice from deep within the living room. "Sister, what a pleasant surprise!"

"What's so surprising?"

"I feel like I'm already experiencing what my parents are going through," Hiromi Kato said, leaning against the sofa. "Our lovely daughter might not come home at any time."

“Even though she often stays out all night,” Kato Megumi put down her bag, “she still asks me to help her lie.”

"So now your older sister will help you too," Kato Hiromi smiled. "Remember to bring your toiletries when you leave, otherwise the kiss in the morning won't smell good."

"I didn't say I was leaving."

“Some things don’t need to be said.” Kato Hiromi looked at her sister’s faint smile. “They’re written all over her face.”

Chapter 48 Mapo Tofu

Meow~ Meow~ Meow~

With Mochi's impatient meows, Kato Megumi finally finished setting up the cat toy. "Now that the cat toy is fixed to the ground, Mochi can play by herself."

The flexible, slender rod is fixed to the floor at one end, and a feather at the other.

"Isn't it a bit too high?" Kobayashi Sora pointed at the feather. "The rice cake can reach..."

Before the words were even finished, the long-waiting rice cake leaped up, grabbed the feather ball with its two front paws and pressed it to the ground. It curled up its body and began to kick hard with its hind legs, making the bells on the feather ball ring continuously.

Kato Megumi smiled and said, "Don't underestimate cats."

"Impressive, impressive." Kobayashi Sora looked away from the rice cake that was having so much fun. "Let's eat."

"Wash your hands first," Kato Megumi reminded. "Even your cat at home can have bacteria on it."

"oh oh."

After the two washed their hands, Nian Gao was still happily playing.

The tempting Mapo Tofu was served, its steaming heat and the spiciness of the chili peppers whetting the appetite.

"It looks so spicy..." Kato Megumi said curiously. "The tofu looks so whole, while the ones I make are all broken."

"Boil the soft tofu with salt for a while to remove the beany taste and make it firmer." Kobayashi Sora handed the drink to Kato Megumi. "After putting it in the pot, don't stir it. Gently push it with the back of a spoon so it won't break so easily."

"So that's how it is." Kato Megumi scooped up a spoonful of trembling, fiery red tofu and placed it on top of the slightly cooled rice. She put half a spoonful of tofu and half a spoonful of rice into her mouth. The spicy, savory, hot, and tender flavors blended and exploded in her mouth, like rolling waves crashing against the girl's delicate tongue.

"Ugh!" Tears welled up in Kato Megumi's eyes, her face flushed red, and she frantically fanned her protruding pink tongue with her small hand. "It's so spicy!"

Noticing the drink that Kobayashi Sora had handed her earlier, Kato Megumi quickly took a sip, which made her feel a little better.

“I deliberately didn’t make it too spicy, but it still isn’t spicy enough…” Kobayashi Sora took a bite. “I’ll make another one.”

"Hmm...no." Kato Megumi took another bite. "It's not spicy, it feels more numbing than Mom's, and it also tastes a bit more fragrant."

"Oh? How did Mom do it?"

"Cooking bag."

"Hmm... Next time, I can try roasting the Sichuan peppercorns fresh, crushing them, sifting them, and adding them in two batches."

"I thought it would be pretty easy at first," Kato Megumi said, taking another bite, her face flushed.

"That's how cooking works. Anyone can make it if they're willing to put their mind to it. But to improve the flavor, you have to go through all sorts of trouble."

"I feel like I'm just at the tip of my limit." Kato Megumi took another bite. "The more I eat, the more I want to eat."

"I'm glad you like it." Kobayashi Sora felt the same way when she ate Sichuan hot pot for the first time.

However, what impressed him most was houttuynia cordata, which seemed to have a built-in memory erasure function.

I took one bite, and it tasted awful. I'll never eat it again.

A little while later... what was that smell again?

Try it.