They all have hidden attributes!

The moment she saw this oil painting, Tachibana Yuki fell into a fateful love affair. She had never longed so intensely to know the answer to what was going on in his heart.

"Saya is really going too far, showing up at Cheng-kun's house on the weekend like that."

When Tachibana Yuki opened his eyes, a deep gloom filled his gaze, and his face was grim: "He needs to be properly disciplined."

"A competition for love? My mother wants to get involved too."

As soon as Qin Ye finished speaking, seeing her daughter turn around and shoot her a dangerous, unapproachable look, she quickly smiled and waved her hand, jokingly saying:

"If Sachi loses, I can adopt Takahashi-kun as my godson. In any case, we'll become family."

"I won't lose."

Yuki Tatsumi knew very well why Maya Uesugi had called specifically; she wouldn't give up her current advantage.

Knowing full well that her daughter was a master of all trades, Li Jianqin gently reminded her:

"Hmm~ Xiaoxing, you should enjoy your relationship. Don't try to control it this time just because you think it's a waste of time. You two actually need emotional support and companionship."

......

Night had completely enveloped Tokyo, and the daytime heat had only just subsided slightly.

The aroma of food wafted through the air, and he could almost hear faint sounds coming from the kitchen. Makoto Takahashi sat up in bed, took another nap, and only then did his mind fully clear.

It seems like Uesugi-kun came to help clean the apartment today. Has he not left yet?

He took out some light, loose pants and a T-shirt from the closet, put them on, opened the door and walked out of the bedroom. The hallway was filled with delicious aromas that whetted his appetite.

Upon entering the kitchen, the man found himself in the romantic scene he had always dreamed of—a woman wearing an apron.

Wearing a white apron, Maya Uesugi stood in the kitchen cooking dinner, her hair tied in a bun at the back of her head swaying as she did so.

Makoto Takahashi bit his tongue, making sure it wasn't his imagination, and tentatively asked, "Uesugi-kun, what are you doing?"

"Are you blind?" She turned her head to look at him coldly, her gaze enough to kill.

The fact that Uesugi Maya took the initiative to contact Tachimi Yuki made her feel very bad, because it was tantamount to admitting her own shortcomings.

If it weren't for her poor relationship with her family, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology would mean nothing to her.

"Sorry, I'm still half asleep."

Makoto Takahashi immediately clasped his hands together, revealing a devout expression: "I am deeply grateful and humbled."

Being verbally abused by Hell Girl is definitely not a dream.

"I've already cleaned the living room. Go to the sofa and wait for dinner." Uesugi Maya's cold expression softened a little.

"Yes, you are the real angel."

"Don't think about strange things."

“I can’t do it.” Makoto Takahashi spread his hands and shrugged.

A beautiful girl standing in her own kitchen is bound to have all sorts of fantasies, especially when it's Hell Girl herself cooking for her—it's truly touching.

Seeing his open expression, Uesugi Maya sighed helplessly and turned back to continue stirring the stew with a ladle: "Just fall in love with me like this."

Chapter 42 A Perfect Omelet

Under the cool white light of the living room, the food laid out on the coffee table slowly rose with milky white steam.

Maya Uesugi decided on a menu focused on healthy dishes: rice, miso soup, stir-fried eggplant with pork, omelet...

Perhaps because it was the first time using the new kitchen, the dishes were all very simple, but even so, the colors and plating were impeccable.

There are two sets of bowls and chopsticks, of course.

With a sense of disbelief, Makoto Takahashi waited on the sofa for a while. About ten minutes later, Maya Uesugi came out of the kitchen carrying the last stew.

She placed the stew in the center of the coffee table, untied her apron, and sat down on the sofa opposite Makoto Takahashi. At that moment, the aroma of the stew wafted over.

The stew, made with several root vegetables and chicken, has a slightly light-colored broth that highlights the vibrant carrots and the lentils. All the brightly colored ingredients are cut into bite-sized pieces.

Judging from the color, the sauce used to stir-fry the eggplant and pork was miso-flavored. The golden eggplant and the glistening pork stimulated the already hungry Takahashi Makoto's appetite.

"I'm starting to eat." He picked up his chopsticks impatiently.

The food in front of me looks really delicious.

"You don't have any food allergies, right? Of course, picky eating is not my responsibility."

Uesugi Maya kept a cold expression, her caramel-colored eyes carefully observing his expression: "This is the first time I've let someone else eat my cooking, so there may be individual differences in taste."

"I would be very grateful if there was dinner to eat."

With that, Makoto Takahashi drank a mouthful of miso soup.

The flavors of miso and dashi spread in the mouth, and the salty and mild tastes are perfectly balanced. It is a mild flavor that is quite different from the instant miso soup in home restaurants, and it is quite appetizing.

"Delicious."

Hearing him frankly express his feelings, Uesugi Maya finally picked up her chopsticks: "Thank you for the compliment."

Makoto Takahashi's quick reaction put her completely at ease, and her expression gradually softened.

He reached for the other dishes with his chopsticks.

The omelet's seasoning perfectly suited Makoto Takahashi's taste; it was made with broth and had a slightly sweet flavor, resulting in an elegant and even somewhat touching taste.

The broth for the stew doesn't use pre-made powdered seasonings, but rather a rich stock made by simmering bonito and kelp over low heat. Its sweet and savory flavor is worth savoring, the vegetables are flavorful, and the chicken is tender and soft—it's simply impeccable.

Even though Makoto Takahashi doesn't like eating vegetables, he can still enjoy them.

"good to eat."

Makoto Takahashi muttered something to himself, then took another bite.

For a female student, her cooking skills were incredibly high. Maya Uesugi's culinary skills could not have been developed through home economics classes or a few simple cooking experiences.

"You're such a good cook!"

"During my primary school years, I started to study on my own so that I wouldn't starve to death."

Maya Uesugi calmly replied, "I'm glad you like it."

Her personality remained as aloof as ever, but Makoto Takahashi was already used to this unapproachable demeanor.

No matter how cold-hearted Uesugi Maya may appear, the truth is she is enjoying a sumptuous and delicious dinner, with a beautiful girl sitting in front of her.

—There's a feeling I can't quite describe.

Besides being happy, I also felt a little scared.

Because Maya Uesugi's cooking was so delicious and addictive, my appetite was completely captured.

If she continues to provide meals, it will eventually become a matter of life and death; if she stops providing them, people will definitely find the ready-made food from convenience stores tasteless tomorrow.

After tasting all the dishes on the table, he picked up a piece of omelet, which was full of broth and had a tender texture, and put it in his mouth. He quietly enjoyed the delicious food and thought to himself that Uesugi Maya's cooking skills were indeed very good.

“I threw away all the flyers that were piled up on the coffee table for you.”

Uesugi Maya ate her dinner slowly, her black hair casting shadows on her delicate, fair face. She asked indifferently, "Has Tatsumi contacted you?"

Flyers? You mean those friend-seeking letters, right?

Makoto Takahashi realized what was happening, shook his head nonchalantly, and raised and lowered his chopsticks: "No. As for Kashima-senpai, it shouldn't be too difficult."

He was still in a daze, and besides, Uesugi Maya hadn't explained herself completely; one of them was talking about oil paintings, and the other about bands.

Realizing that Makoto Takahashi was not on the same wavelength as her, Maya Uesugi felt inexplicably tired. Of course, this was also partly because she had just finished making dinner, as cooking is actually quite a tiring task.

She wanted to talk about oil paintings, traditional art, and the seniority system in Japan, but her pink lips moved slightly as she didn't know where to begin.

Whether the painting "Fireworks" is truly a priceless work of art remains to be seen, and discussing it now would likely be a waste of time.

In the end, Maya Uesugi fell silent.

Makoto Takahashi assumed he had started the silence, so he initiated a conversation, asking her, "How's your archery practice going? Do you need any guidance?"

"No need. Just hitting the target is no problem at all. I'm still adjusting my etiquette and posture."

Are you confident you can beat senior student Ritsu?

"I don't know much about her condition."

Hearing Uesugi Maya say this, Takahashi Makoto suddenly remembered that Tachimi Yuki had been imitating his shooting style, and if she continued like this, her archery skills could be said to be completely ruined.

"What do you think of [a perfect shot]?" He then changed the subject.

"No one has the right to define [what is correct], don't you think?"

Maya Uesugi looked up and met his gaze. Seeing Makoto Takahashi nod, she replied, "I think so too."

The two chatted idly through dinner, and after Uesugi Maya cleaned up the dishes and kitchen, Takahashi Makoto, as usual, took her to the train station.

The two walked quietly along the shopping street. On one side, neon signs were stacked with colorful lights, and on the other side, cars occasionally drove by, their white headlights casting long shadows on the ground.

There was no small talk, but the atmosphere was not awkward at all, and I didn't feel bored at all. Everything was calm and peaceful.

Maya Uesugi walked along the side closest to the building, occasionally glancing at the brightly lit shop windows. In the hazy light and shadow, her profile was elegant and exceptionally charming.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Makoto Takahashi strolled along the outside, leisurely enjoying the cool evening breeze.

To passersby, the harmonious scene looked exactly like a couple taking a walk after dinner.

Arriving at the train station, Maya Uesugi stopped in front of the ticket gate, suddenly turned around, and stared at him with caramel-colored eyes, looking at him with concern.

This was the first time Makoto Takahashi had seen her with such a look in her eyes, and her expression was not as cold as usual, so he felt a little nervous and his breathing became shallow.

Is she going to humiliate me?

The answer was quickly revealed: there were no insults as expected, only concern and worry from a friend.

"Takahashi-kun, please remember what I'm about to say."

Maya Uesugi took a deep breath and said in a calm, serious, and emotionless tone, "Whether you're an entertainer, musician, or writer, the higher your popularity, the more attacks you'll face."

"People who think they are superior and take advantage of others' adversity to bite back, or who attack successful people as soon as they see a weakness, are everywhere."

"The number of likes and dislikes is directly proportional, and the most terrifying thing is a windless state that receives neither affirmation nor denial."

Looking into her beautiful caramel-colored eyes, Makoto Takahashi felt a delicate emotion touching him—a simple feeling of wanting to become stronger.

"How much of a burden do you see me as?" he asked helplessly, spreading his hands, his eyes showing a hint of distress.