Tokyo Soft Rice King.

After reading all the contents in the left hand, Kuroba Akira noticed something very special.

That was the only one among all those with Lv1 proficiency who had reached Lv2 proficiency.

"Cooking Level 2"

Keep in mind that the landlady's cooking level is only Lv1, and she is already over seventy years old.

However, it's rare to see an old woman who has been cooking for decades and is still so bad at cooking. Perhaps the old man left her first because her cooking was too terrible.

According to Kuroba Akira's observation, most housewives are at the Lv2 level.

Level 3 is the level where one can open their own shop, and most of them are chefs in restaurants.

The higher the proficiency level, the harder it is to increase. Without the relevant skills, you will be stuck and unable to make any further progress.

The class monitor has already reached the level of an average housewife at this age, which means she has put a lot of effort into cooking, so her cooking must be delicious.

Okay...it's decided!

He's living off her!

Kuroba Akira put down her hand and said.

"Class monitor, I can tell from your hands that you're a great cook."

"...Kuroba-kun, so you really can read palms."

I started learning it at first because of my mother, who said that if you want to win a man's heart, you must first win his stomach.

Normally, the family's professional chef can cook for them, but the wife's occasional display of superb culinary skills can also make the husband proud.

Although her motives were not pure, Anri Hitomi gradually began to enjoy the learning process, and she could forget her troubles when cooking.

"Then, as my reward for joining the Literature and Art Department, I'll trouble you, class monitor, to bring me lunch."

"So, you mean I have to make a bento for Kuroba-kun?"

"It depends on your own preference. I'm fine as long as I can fill my stomach. I can eat rice balls and bread that I buy."

"..."

"But let me make this clear first, it's not just once. For the rest of the year, I'll be relying on you, class monitor, for my lunch."

Kuroba Akira shamelessly proposed treating the class monitor as a long-term meal ticket, but then felt a little guilty and added that.

"Well, of course I won't really do this for free. If you agree to this condition, I will help you find members who are willing to join the Literature Club, and if someone leaves the club in the middle, I will continue to help you fill the gap... In other words, I will work with you to ensure that the Literature Club is not abolished. That should be reasonable, right?"

"I am willing."

Unexpectedly, the squad leader agreed immediately.

Kuroba Akira turned to look at her, then froze.

Sunlight shone on her face, her eyes sparkled, and a satisfied smile curved her lips.

An angelic, bright smile.

"Starting tomorrow, I will prepare homemade bento boxes for you every day. Please look forward to it, Kuroba-kun."

"Great!"

He's living off a woman!

Chapter 8 I Want to Make Miso Soup for You

"Kuroba-kun's expression is so exaggerated, is he really that happy?"

"Of course! This is the first successful deal in my life!"

To be precise, it was the first transaction of this "life".

"Pfft... My first transaction in life was a semester's worth of lunch... Hahahaha! Kuroba-kun is indeed an interesting person."

Watching Kuroba Akira swing his uppercut and cheer with joy, Anri Hitomi also burst out laughing, clutching her stomach, tears welling up in her eyes.

Phew... How long has it been since I laughed from the bottom of my heart?

A smile has always been just a mask for Hitomi Anri, a weapon used for negotiation, because you can't hit a smiling person, and a smile can ward off a lot of malice.

She should always keep a smile on her face, both for etiquette and for personal gain, that's what her mother taught her.

In order to avoid letting others know that she was faking a smile, Hitomi Anri put a lot of effort into her demeanor and posture.

It can be said that every expression, every movement, and every word she utters has the effect of influencing the emotions of the other person.

Therefore, communication is actually a very mentally taxing and physically and mentally exhausting activity for Hitomi Anri.

And at that moment, she realized for the first time that laughing without thinking about anything, just because it's funny and fun, can make a person feel so relaxed.

It was as if all the pent-up frustration that had been building up in my chest was suddenly released.

That's... terrible.

It's all Kuroba's fault. He found out that he could laugh heartily. What if he can't show a natural (fake) smile anymore because of this?

You have to compensate me!

Since you've said 'you don't need to say those pleasing things to me anymore,' then I don't need to take care of your feelings anymore, right?

In your presence, perhaps I can completely let down my guard... and then I can feel much more relaxed.

The thought of Kuroba Akira coming to the Literature Club's classroom made Hitomi Anri look forward to it.

If the days ahead can be as pleasant as today, then going to school might no longer be just a task for Mom.

Anri Hitomi wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with her thumb, the same finger she had used to wipe Kuroba Akira's tears earlier. Then she placed her thumb against her moist lips and licked the pad of her thumb with her rosy little tongue.

Kuroba Akira looked at her and felt a strange ache in her eyes. Despite her innocent face, she possessed a mature charm that surpassed her actual age.

However, after the class monitor finished licking it, he gave a comment that completely surprised him.

"Tears taste salty."

"Isn't this common sense? Class monitor, you're such a good student, you couldn't possibly not know something like this, could you?"

"I just want to try it, is that not allowed?"

She actually started acting childish.

"Okay, okay, class monitor, you can do whatever you want."

"I wonder whose tears are saltier, mine or Kuroba's."

"How could you possibly taste the difference? Besides, even if you could, what's the point of comparing these things..."

"Let's test the compatibility between me and Kuroba-kun. From a scientific point of view, water will flow from low concentration to high concentration. In other words, the less concentrated tears will tend to be more salty. This is the semi-permeable membrane of the heart."

"What a great new theory! It seems that all of humanity can be united as one."

Brave young girl, go and turn all of humanity into orange juice! You are the Evangelion!

"Hmm... If we can't taste the difference in tears, let's compare it in sweat."

As he spoke, the squad leader moved closer to Hei Yuming, his face getting closer and closer, almost to the point of kissing.

A sudden surge of shame made Kuroba Akira lean back. Being kissed on the cheek by a fifteen-year-old girl was something he couldn't quite accept, even though he was fifteen years old himself.

However, there were vending machines right behind them, leaving them nowhere to retreat.

"Uh, wait a minute, class monitor, this is a bit..."

Making light of things is fine, but actually having physical contact is going too far.

Just as Kuroba Akira nervously closed his eyes, he felt the touch on his face. It wasn't the feeling of moist skin, but rather the feeling of dry fabric.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the class monitor wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, a mischievous grin on his face.

"You think I'd lick it?"

"For a moment...I did think so."

Just now, the famous line from the movie "This is... the taste of a lie!" had even popped into Kuroba Akira's head.

"I'm not such a frivolous girl. Today, I had a lot of new first experiences because of Kuroba-kun."

"So, don't use those kinds of words that could be misunderstood. You were definitely teasing me."

"Hehe, because Kuroba-kun's reaction is quite interesting."

The monitor laughed happily again and put the handkerchief back into his pocket.

Speaking of which... this is the handkerchief that was just used to wrap my underwear, right?

However, Hei Yuming now suspects that she was pretending when she said she would give him underwear.

After all, she has "Acting Skills Level 1" in her skill proficiency rating.

She's probably just teasing the young virgin. Sure enough, the class monitor belongs to the category of mischievous high school girls.

"Well then, I should probably head back now to prepare lunch for Kuroba-kun tomorrow."

"Okay, I'm ready to go back too. Which way are you going, squad leader?"

"I still need to lock the library door and then put the key back in the registrar's office."

"Oh."

"If you come with me, Kuroba-kun, I'll buy you a drink, how about that?"

"Please let me go with you."

Well, perseverance pays off, and I can finally get a drink.

To be honest, this was actually Kuroba Akira's original goal; everything else was just a bonus.

So this tells us that being a simp only makes you a tool to pay the bill, while not being a simp allows you to freeload!

On the way, the squad leader continued to question Kuroba Akira.

"Kuroba-kun, what are some of your favorite foods? Also, could you please give me some advice on what foods you should avoid or can't eat?"

"You can even order food?"

"After all, this is a bento box made for Kuroba-kun, so I hope you can enjoy it."

"Hmm... I'm not a picky eater, so I can eat anything. However, I'm quite sensitive to fishy smells. Although I can eat them, I don't really like them. For example, I can't stand things like vinegared kelp."

People in island nations love to eat fish, but Kuroba Akira lived inland in his previous life and rarely ate fish, so he hated the fishy smell. Even after half a year since he transmigrated, he still hasn't gotten used to it.