After a round of tense and thrilling verbal sparring, the mother and daughter, who seemed like 'mortal enemies' from a past life, finally called a ceasefire to rest.
Looking at his wife, whose expressionless face practically screamed 'we'll resume this battle when we get home,' Naoki slightly turned his head to look at his daughter. She was poking the lobster meat on her plate half-heartedly with her fork, looking like she wanted to eat it but didn't dare.
Silently swallowing, Naoki quietly lowered his head and continued eating his lunch without a word.
Let them mother and daughter keep at it. I'm not getting involved.
Feeling a bit hungry, and having just finished a rare verbal bout with her mom, Utaha debated for a few seconds between her weight and her beloved lobster. Finally, she raised her fork and, with a conflicted expression, put the lobster meat, radiating a rich cheese aroma, into her mouth.
Chew... chew... chew chew... gulp—!
"It still tastes a bit better when Miyahito makes ginger pork..."
Subconsciously recalling last night's dinner, and comparing the 'ginger pork' Miyahito made by hand with the taste of this lobster dish, Utaha couldn't help but feel a slight trace of disappointment in her heart.
Yeah... disappointment in this 'cheese lobster' cooked by a chef who used to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
However, Utaha forgot one thing at this moment: she was eating with her parents.
Naturally, her muttering was heard by the Kasumigaoka couple.
Fortunately, though.
"Utaha, what did you just say?"
Hearing the sound but not catching the content, Naoki looked up and subconsciously asked. His gaze happened to land on the slight disappointment on his daughter's face.
Mistaking it for dissatisfaction with the food, he naturally asked, "Is the food not good?"
Utaha paused slightly, her expression quickly returning to normal as she shook her head. "No, it's delicious."
However, while saying this, she silently added in her heart:
It's just not as good as what Miyahito makes, that's all.
This time, conscious of her slip, she didn't voice this thought out loud. Her expression remained perfectly calm as she continued eating.
Seeing this, Naoki silently told himself in his heart, Looks like Utaha doesn't really like this restaurant. Mm! I'll get up early tomorrow and go to the docks to check.
I'll let my daughter properly taste Dad's cooking then!
At this moment, Kao, who hadn't said a word just now, felt her husband's burning fighting spirit. She shot him a helpless glare, then turned her head to give a meaningful look at her daughter, who was eating lobster with her head down.
Hehe. Although she, just like her husband, didn't completely hear what their daughter muttered.
But unlike Naoki, Kao faintly heard a few vague keywords like 'delicious' and 'no'.
Combining this with their current surroundings and a perfectly timed association.
The answer gradually surfaced in Kao's mind.
'No wonder Utaha's complexion looks even better than before she left home this time.'
Turns out there's a 'great contributor' behind it all... And he's been working tirelessly to take care of their daughter on their behalf.
Tsk tsk.....
Just as Kao was about to use this guess to start the second round of verbal sparring with her daughter, the words reached her lips when she suddenly realized her husband Naoki was sitting right next to her.
And, not long ago, a certain father had just declared... his intention to invite those 'bad boys' who wanted to pursue his daughter over to their house to properly admire his collection of famous swords.
Thinking about it, Kao silently swallowed her words back into her stomach.
Just the second after she dismissed the idea of starting round two with her daughter.
'What is it?'
Feeling an indescribable chill in her heart, Utaha nervously looked up, her gaze subconsciously locking onto her mother, who was eating her pasta with extreme elegance.
"Hmm? What's wrong, my dear daughter?"
"....It's nothing. Please continue eating your noodles."
....
Carrying a sports bag with his athletic gear, dressed casually in a collared T-shirt and shorts, Miyahito happily raised his hand and waved cheerfully at the two muscle-bound tough guys standing in front of the ramen shop.
"Jiro-senpai! Shinji-senpai!"
"Oh, Miyahito."
Hearing the call, Jiro looked up, smiling as he nudged Shinji, who was currently looking down at his phone chatting with his girlfriend, with his elbow. "Hey, Shinji. Miyahito's here."
"Mm." Nodding, Shinji replied to his girlfriend with a text: 'My junior is here, I'll call you tonight,' then naturally put his phone back in his pocket. He turned and smiled at Miyahito, who had jogged over. "Long time no see, Miyahito."
"Yeah, long time no see, Jiro-senpai, Shinji-senpai." Smiling somewhat goofily, Miyahito raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, greeting his two seniors somewhat bashfully.
"Haha, how did you get so serious now, Miyahito?" Laughing heartily, Jiro reached out and clamped Miyahito's neck under his arm, his other hand unceremoniously vigorously rubbing Miyahito's head. "You've even learned to be polite with us two? Looks like I need to remind you how to interact with your seniors."
"Eh? That's not fair!" Being vigorously rubbed on the head, Miyahito shouted, "You ambushed me! Damn it!" while struggling to escape Jiro's enthusiastic headlock.
As for Shinji... well, he crossed his arms, looking at the head-rubbed Miyahito with a gratified expression, and said with deep emotion, "Miyahito has grown quite a bit. He's almost as tall as me and Jiro now."
Hearing his old friend say this, Jiro let go of the struggling Miyahito, looked him over, and agreed. "Yeah, it's been a while, he really has grown a lot."
"Isn't that a matter of course?" Miyahito complained helplessly, fixing his clothes and hair. "Speaking of which, senpai, your muscles are ridiculously exaggerated."
"I thought I saw things wrong just now."
Hearing this, Jiro and Shinji exchanged a glance, laughed in unison, and then simultaneously struck a bodybuilder pose, saying to Miyahito in perfect sync:
""Jealous? Then come build muscles with us, young man!""
"...."
For a moment, under the 'passionate' burning gazes of his two seniors, Miyahito, a drop of cold sweat on his forehead, subconsciously took a small step back, swallowed, and said, "I'll pass."
After speaking, Miyahito subconsciously took out his phone, lit up the screen, and looked at the picture of him and Utaha.
Mm.... Utaha really is the best after all!