They all have hidden attributes!

In Japan, the New Year's dishes are called "Osechi Ryori," and there are many customs involved. In addition to soba noodles, a box of exquisite cold New Year's dishes must also be prepared.

It seemed that Maya Uesugi was going to focus all her energy on cooking, so Makoto Takahashi bought hot coffee and a sandwich at a coffee shop in Jiyugaoka.

Back at the apartment, Uesugi Maya and Shiraishi Junka, both wearing aprons, were indeed busy in the kitchen.

Fortunately, we had done a thorough cleaning in advance, so apart from preparing the New Year's dishes, there wasn't much else to do today.

"Lunch is back, and so is coffee," Makoto Takahashi called out to the kitchen.

"Put it in the living room, we'll eat it later."

Maya Uesugi took the fish and egg rolls out of the pot and handed them to Junka Shiraishi, instructing her to let them cool before packing them into a heavy box.

"Makoto, welcome home." Shiraishi Junka greeted him with a smile as she peeled shrimp.

"I am back."

Makoto Takahashi nodded to her, then turned to Maya Uesugi with a look of genuine admiration for her talent: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Do you think you can be of help?" Maya Uesugi asked in return.

"It seems not."

"Don't get in the way here."

After being expelled, Makoto Takahashi glanced at the large, gold-leaf-covered trunk, his gaze sweeping over the various ingredients in the kitchen, before leaving without a word of complaint.

The custom of eating cold food on the first day of the new year is to put all the dishes into a square lacquer box, also known as a "double box".

Each layer of the heavy box represents an accumulation of good fortune, with the most classic being a four-layer structure. The heavy box prepared by Maya Uesugi is definitely heavyweight in size.

Preparing New Year's dishes is a troublesome chore that even housewives find daunting, but these two beautiful young women are determined to do it twice as hard, which really surprised Makoto Takahashi.

This also shows how fulfilling his meals have become since he met Uesugi Maya.

Last New Year's Eve, Makoto Takahashi ate instant noodles alone in Yamanashi.

Thanks to Uesugi Maya, there will definitely be a delicious soba noodle soup tonight.

I hope we can spend next year together and create wonderful memories.

No, not just next year.

After this thought popped into his head, Makoto Takahashi sat on the sofa, looked up at the ceiling, and began to search for his vague memories.

To those who don't know her well, Uesugi Maya is a difficult girl to get along with, cold in attitude, and not very pleasant to talk to—a Hell Girl.

When we first met, I didn't really like her.

In retrospect, Maya Uesugi is actually a very suitable wife.

Cute, good at housework, reliable and trustworthy, though not the gentlest, she respects those she cares about, and her cooking is so delicious you can't stop eating it...

We need to be more persistent with her.

Chapter 184 New Year’s Eve

The warm afternoon sun slanted through the clean, bright glass, filling the living room.

Makoto Takahashi lay on the sofa, having finished reading a light novel. Maya Uesugi and Junka Shiraishi also came out of the kitchen, took off their aprons, and rested for a while.

"The coffee seems a bit cold."

Makoto Takahashi sat up from the sofa, put down the book in his hand, and planned to have lunch with the two of them: "Sandwiches are cold anyway, if you want to eat something, I can go to the convenience store downstairs to buy it."

While the two of them were extremely busy, he would steal a moment to relax. Now that they finally had some time to rest, Makoto Takahashi was happy to help run errands.

“No need.” Uesugi Maya sat down on the sofa opposite him and took the sandwich from his hand to eat.

Because Shiraishi Junko was present, she acted quite coldly.

Shiraishi Junka sat down next to Takahashi Makoto, leaning against him wearily, closing her eyes to rest, looking like she was about to fall asleep at any moment.

"How are the New Year's dishes coming along?" Takahashi Makoto asked with concern.

"Almost. There are still quite a few dishes waiting to cool down. Black beans take a long time to cook, so go buy some ready-made ones..."

He carefully wrote down Uesugi Maya's instructions on his phone so as not to miss anything.

After she finished speaking, Makoto Takahashi looked up at her with a simple, questioning gaze: "Want to drink tonight?"

Maya Uesugi's expression was somewhat subtle. Her caramel-colored eyes shifted, seemingly deep in thought, but actually struggling with whether to agree.

Knowing her as Makoto Takahashi does, he knows that if he were to be more proactive at this point, Hakiya would reluctantly agree.

"It's the New Year after all. Do you prefer sake or Western liquor?" Takahashi Makoto pressed.

"We'll have buckwheat noodles for dinner."

Eating only buckwheat noodles is clearly not a good idea when it comes to drinking alcohol.

"Only soba noodles? I heard from Hina that Hokkaido still has the custom of 'New Year's Eve dinner,' where they start eating 'Osechi Ryori' in the evening."

Considering he was going to the Tatsumi family's house tomorrow and might not get to eat much of the traditional Osechi cuisine, Uesugi Maya swallowed the food in her mouth and gave them a helpless look:

"It's up to you to decide."

"Then sake will do. I'll buy some this afternoon."

Makoto Takahashi took a bite of his sandwich and mumbled, "I should buy some more red envelopes and give them to Hanaori."

"Hmm." Uesugi Maya nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating her approval.

After resting for a while, Shiraishi Junko regained her energy and ate lunch.

Seeing her raise her face and swallow her coffee with a graceful sway of her swan neck, Makoto Takahashi picked up his phone and added a new item to his notes app.

I need to say hello to Aunt Tachimi this afternoon and prepare a kimono for Shiraishi Junka.

"Come to think of it, I feel like we've eaten a lot of buckwheat noodles together."

Makoto Takahashi turned to look at Maya Uesugi and casually remarked, "Remember to add extra fish cakes and shrimp tempura."

"Troublesome." Uesugi Maya rolled her eyes at him with an obvious look of disgust.

There was no refusal.

After the sun sets, a cold winter night descends.

Makoto Takahashi got his wish and received a super luxurious New Year's Eve soba, which was definitely a luxury compared to last year's instant noodles.

In the bowl of buckwheat noodles, thick slices of beef are arranged in a fan shape, accompanied by pumpkin tempura and spinach, and the garnish of scallions and fish cakes is also very refreshing.

In addition to the New Year's dishes enjoyed in advance, there was also fried shrimp tempura served separately on a plate.

The warm aroma of buckwheat noodles filled the air, creating a relaxing atmosphere as the three of them sat around in the living room, enjoying the leisurely ambiance after a busy day.

"It feels more like the Lunar New Year than before." Shiraishi Junka put her hands together to express her gratitude for the food.

"Indeed, a lot has happened this year." Makoto Takahashi turned on the TV with the remote control; the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) had just begun.

Watching TV with your favorite girl, leisurely eating soba noodles, and waiting for the New Year is definitely more enjoyable than going to the NHK Concert Hall for a live performance.

"I won't accept the invitation next year either."

Hearing Takahashi Makoto's remark, Uesugi Maya looked up and unexpectedly met his gaze: "What are you looking at me for?"

"I'm really grateful for your help this year." Takahashi Makoto's eyes were sincere.

Uesugi Maya awkwardly touched the tip of her ear, her beautiful caramel-colored eyes melting with a gentle and pleasant feeling: "It's nothing serious."

"You've worked hard, Cheng."

Shiraishi Junko drank her noodle soup and let out a soft sigh: "Everyone has received a lot of care from you, and she takes up most of it."

"...That's what they say."

Takahashi Makoto wanted to prevent a possible argument between the two, but he didn't expect Uesugi Maya to be unusually frank today.

"That's true. Please continue to support us next year as well."

After saying that, she picked up the wine pot and poured it into a wine glass: "Let's eat."

Makoto Takahashi picked up a soba noodle with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The warm feeling spread from his stomach to his whole body, and a feeling of "a year has passed" welled up in his heart.

“Let’s make a new album when the new semester starts,” he suggested.

“Okay.” Shiraishi Junko picked up the fried shrimp tempura with her chopsticks and held it to Takahashi Makoto’s lips.

After taking the bite, he asked Uesugi Maya, "Do you have time, or are you writing a book?"

“Writing the book can wait.” Uesugi Maya rebuked Shiraishi Junka with a dissatisfied look, as the tempura was all her doing.

But Uesugi Maya clearly couldn't feed him casually.

"Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the New Year's shrine together, and then I'll head out." Takahashi Makoto deliberately avoided mentioning the young lady's name.

When the topic of New Year's shrine visits came up, his gaze lingered between Maya Uesugi and Junka Shiraishi, who were not dressed up in any special way despite it being New Year's Eve.

"Are you ready to wear kimonos?"

“It’s inconvenient to cook dinner while wearing that kind of thing,” Uesugi Maya nodded.

"I ordered a new kimono, I'll wear it for you tonight." Shiraishi Junka gave him a charming smile, her tone somewhat meaningful.

Receiving a signal from Makoto Takahashi, Maya Uesugi did not show any hostility towards her.

Tonight, Hakeem Oklahoma City was booked back on Christmas Day.

After finishing their buckwheat noodles, the three of them watched the Red and White Song Festival on the sofa, drinking and chatting happily. Before they knew it, it was almost midnight, and the new year was about to begin.

"The new year is almost here."

Makoto Takahashi raised his wrist, glanced at the watch face, and was just marveling at how quickly time was passing when Junka Shiraishi, sitting next to him, leaned closer:

"Let's stay together next year too."

“Of course.” He raised his hand to stroke his elegant, long black hair.

After the Red and White Song Festival ended, the television screen switched to a live broadcast, showing the three of them quietly listening to the chimes of the New Year's Eve bell amidst a scene of New Year's Eve bells.

A moment later, the 108th bell rang.

The system panel popped up in front of him, and Makoto Takahashi immediately closed it.

"Happy New Year," he said to the two men in turn.