Chapter 505: Yukinoshita Takes One Bite

Chapter 505: Yukinoshita Takes One Bite

“Yukino-chan, sorry I’m late.”

When entering the Service Club, seeing Yukinoshita was already waiting, Yuigahama quickly put her hands together in apology, looking very guilty.

However, the reason the girl was late was ultimately Himekoji’s fault.

Himekoji knew this much himself, so he offered a couple of explanations for Yuigahama’s sake.

Hearing Himekoji’s voice, Yukinoshita looked up, surprised.

“You two…”

“Ah, we met on the way, so we came together!”

Meeting Yukinoshita’s thoughtful gaze, Yuigahama flinched guiltily and explained nervously.

“Our usual lunch spot was taken, so…”

Yuigahama wasn’t the only one feeling guilty; Himekoji instinctively offered an excuse too.

It was a flimsy reason, full of holes.

Luckily, Yukinoshita didn’t probe deeper, simply nodding to show she understood.

The girl’s expression didn’t seem very good.

Yuigahama couldn’t help but ask with concern:

“Yukino-chan? What’s wrong?”

As she spoke, she noticed the bento in front of Yukinoshita. Grilled fish skewers, herb leaves, corn rice balls—a good mix of meat and vegetables, neatly arranged. Just a glance would make anyone’s appetite surge, yet Yukinoshita had barely touched it.

“It’s nothing.”

Yukinoshita shook her head, closed the bento, and pushed it aside.

Then, perhaps to reassure Yuigahama, Yukinoshita looked up and offered her a smile.

Anyone could tell how forced that smile was.

“Lost your appetite again?”

Yuigahama fretted for her.

“You hardly ate last night either!”

“I’m fine.”

Yukinoshita waved a hand, not wanting Yuigahama to worry. She lied, saying she was dieting lately.

Though her overly slender figure didn’t suit the word “dieting” at all.

Watching this, Himekoji felt bad.

While the idea of being a dad was joyous, seeing Yukinoshita lose her appetite and unable to eat because of their child made him both worried and guilty.

During pregnancy, expectant mothers often suffer from poor appetite, chills, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and more. Even before being born, the child was already causing trouble.

With the baby making its mom suffer inside, Himekoji, the dad, could only try his best to make up for it from the outside.

“Um, Yukinoshita, while I don’t think you need to slim down… if you insist, I highly recommend one slimming dish—Slimming Carp Soup! It’ll keep you slender and sexy without missing any nutrition!”

Himekoji played along with Yukinoshita’s excuse, afraid she’d use dieting as a reason to refuse him again.

“Here, try it!”

With an air that brooked no refusal, Himekoji presented the Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care like a treasure—a soup blessed by the Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye.

It was soup that glowed!

He believed this Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care, now infused with a soul, would surely restore Yukinoshita’s appetite!

Slender… sexy…

Yukinoshita’s mouth hung slightly open, still stunned. Yuigahama, however, excitedly raised her hand first.

“Aki-kun! Aki-kun! Is that true?”

“Of course.”

It wasn’t.

Himekoji gave a mysterious smile and casually handed her the other, extra serving of Carp Soup.

If it couldn’t be given to Nanami, he’d give it to Yuigahama.

As an apology for making her wait for him so long in the hallway.

“There’s one for me too? Th-Thank you!”

Yuigahama looked both happy and pleasantly surprised, her eyes curved into joyful crescents. She clasped her hands and eagerly said, “Itadakimasu!”

Seeing this, Himekoji felt relieved—

Yes! That’s the way! Well done, Yuigahama!

He secretly gave her a mental thumbs-up.

Yuigahama’s action set a perfect example!

Come on, Yukinoshita! Look at Yuigahama! Don’t hesitate, you try it too!

The carp soup was kept warm in a thermal container. When Yuigahama opened it, little puffs of steam rose.

Of course, compared to the intensely radiant glow, the steam seemed insignificant.

Soup that glowed! Fragrance overflowing!

Himekoji’s top-tier cooking skill, enhanced by the Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye’s soul-infused blessing, had reached its peak!

The light! The color! The aroma! The flavor (though untasted)! The sound!

So divinely made!

Himekoji basked in the glory of his own masterpiece.

“Huh? Wh-What’s that sound?”

Unfortunately, just as he was getting lost in admiration, Yuigahama’s awkward question interrupted him.

Slightly annoyed, Himekoji answered carelessly:

“A sound? Probably the sound of top-tier cooking.”

“Eh? C-cooking makes sounds?”

Yuigahama still didn’t get it.

“It does now, doesn’t it?”

Himekoji didn’t think much of it. He lazily raised an eyelid and pointed perfunctorily at the thermal container Yuigahama held.

Inside, a steady, rhythmic “plop… plop… plop…” sound continued.

The radiant glow gradually faded. The rising steam slowly cleared. The reason behind the “plop plop” sound slowly became real before Himekoji’s eyes—

Because one carp was happily leaping in the soup!

What the hell?!

Himekoji frantically rubbed his eyes!

Wasn’t that the carp he’d chopped into pieces this morning?!

Seriously?!

It came back to life?!

When Himekoji saw it, Yuigahama saw it too. The girl instantly screamed in fright!

The carp jumped even more energetically, more vigorously, higher and faster. It looked like it was about to jump right out of the bento box!

Yuigahama hurriedly pressed the bento lid back into place.

Then, they immediately heard deep, powerful “thump thump thump” sounds.

That dead fish was actually trying to force the lid open with brute strength!

Oh no! Oh no!

The carp turned into magic carp!

Himekoji had worried about this earlier. But after inspecting the bento himself and finding nothing unusual, plus secretly wanting to trust the Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye anyway, he hadn’t dwelled on it.

But clearly, he should have dwelt on it!

“Push! I can’t hold it!”

Yuigahama looked at Himekoji with pleading eyes. Himekoji stopped regretting and rushed over to help.

Even with both of them pushing, it wasn’t safe!

Several times, the pregnancy-care carp spirit almost burst out of the box!

Finally, only when Yuigahama pressed down with her whole chest, holding it for a long time, did the carp spirit inside gradually settle down.

“Di… did it drown?”

Yuigahama patted her chest, which had just done a great deed, and asked uncertainly.

Himekoji almost laughed at this idiot…

Drowned?

Fish can’t drown! Where’s your brain!

Himekoji thought this inside, but managed to stop himself from saying it out loud.

He cautiously watched the thermos bento box. After waiting a bit longer and confirming there was no more movement inside, he wiped his sweat and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He felt a little regretful.

The carefully prepared soul Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care for Yukinoshita… it seemed it could only be thrown away.

Nothing could be done. After all, pregnancy… no, even without pregnancy! This strange, bizarre, and creepy thing absolutely couldn’t be eaten carelessly!

There’d be a disaster if the pregnancy-care soup turned into abortion soup! By then, Himekoji would really be crying too late.

Thinking of this, Himekoji wanted to take both servings of pregnancy-care soup out to throw away.

But then, he glanced towards Yukinoshita and got the shock of his life!

Holy cow!

He saw…

Yukinoshita, squinting slightly, smacking her lips happily, pick up that bowl of Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care, and then—

Down it in one gulp!

Himekoji’s hands were trembling from fright.

It happened so suddenly, he hadn’t had time to stop her!

“Yukinoshita, you… you…”

Hearing Himekoji’s voice, Yukinoshita instinctively looked up. Her face showed she was still savoring the taste, but after only a moment, it was replaced by shyness.

For her, drinking soup so boldly, finishing it in one gulp…

It was the very first time. It was really unladylike.

But she just couldn’t help it.

She hadn’t eaten properly for two whole days. She constantly felt without appetite, empty inside, stomach sticking to her back. Finally encountering a delicious flavor that could actually spark her appetite, how could she possibly restrain herself, how could she be demure?!

So, the moment she smelled it, she forgot everything else.

At that moment, Yukinoshita focused only on what was in front of her!

She hadn’t even noticed Yuigahama and Himekoji battling the carp spirit nearby for, practically, three hundred rounds.

Her belly gradually filled up, feeling full.

This feeling was wonderful!