Nakano Nino noticed Shiro Sakamaki suddenly glance to the side. She felt a bit confused, but at the moment, all she wanted was to eat and get back to sleep—no energy left to dwell on anything else.
Still, the two newcomers in the izakaya caught her attention.
One of them, despite wearing a suit, looked completely disheveled. His shirt was rumpled, and his demeanor screamed "trouble." He had the look of someone who picked fights for fun.
He must've noticed Nino looking, because he shot her a sharp glare.
Already shaken from the bloodshed she witnessed earlier, Nino flinched instinctively and scooted closer into Shiro Sakamaki's side, almost hiding in his arms.
Shiro let out a light sigh and gently patted her head.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
Unfortunately, that small gesture triggered the messy man.
He stood up, scowling, and marched over, reaching out to grab Shiro's collar.
"Oi, brat—what was that supposed to mean? You mocking me or something!?"
Shiro didn't respond. His eyes calmly shifted to the other man still sitting at the table, waiting to see if he would intervene. If not, he had no problem handling it himself.
It was one thing to see scenes like this in anime. But when it happened in real life, it wasn't amusing—it was irritating.
The man leaned in, growing more aggressive.
"You deaf or something? Talk, dammit!"
Just then, the seated man finally spoke.
"Enough. Sit down."
His voice was flat, but held an authority that instantly made the angry man falter. Though reluctant, he backed off with a glare.
"Tch. You're lucky."
Shiro gave a calm smile.
"A wise choice."
At that moment, the boss returned with their food. The tomato pasta came topped with a fried egg, its sweet aroma wafting through the air. Nino's eyes lit up.
Shiro received his plate of fried chicken with a side of cabbage, and the boss poured a cold beer into a glass before handing it over.
The first bite of fried chicken surprised Shiro—it was crispy outside, juicy and tender inside. Flavor burst in his mouth, like a savory bomb.
Meanwhile, Nino twirled some pasta onto her fork and took a bite. The tangy tomato sauce mixed perfectly with fresh mushrooms and al dente noodles.
"Mmm~ This is so good! Shiro-kun, want to try?" she asked, offering her fork.
"Sure."
Before she could even react, he leaned in and ate the pasta straight off the fork.
Her face turned pink. Wait—she'd just eaten from that fork! That was practically an indirect kiss!
Flustered, she went quiet and stared down at her plate, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.
Shiro smirked to himself. So easy to tease.
"Nino, the fried chicken's great too. Want a bite?"
He offered her a piece. She said nothing, simply leaned forward and took the chicken into her mouth in one swift bite. In her rush, she even accidentally licked his fingers.
Caught red-handed by his amused expression, she realized she'd just walked into another one of his traps. Annoyed and embarrassed, she stomped hard on his foot.
Neither of them realized how they looked to others: feeding each other like an affectionate couple. Even the boss raised a brow and smiled to himself.
The portions weren't huge, so the food disappeared quickly.
"Boss, how much?" Shiro asked.
The boss leaned against the doorway, taking a long drag on his cigarette.
"5,500 yen."
Nino reached for her wallet—only to realize she'd forgotten it in her rush out earlier.
Without a word, Shiro pulled out a 7,000 yen note and handed it over. The boss returned 1,500 yen in change.
"Come by again. That includes you, young lady."
"Yes! Boss, can you teach me how to make this pasta?" Nino asked hopefully as they were leaving.
"Of course, but not tonight. It's late. Next time."
"Then I'll come back this weekend!"
As they walked out, the boss took another drag and smiled.
"Ah... young love."
The disheveled man from earlier remained silent, poking at the octopus sausage in front of him. He paused at the boss's comment, but said nothing and resumed eating.
---
Back at the apartment, it was already 1:30 AM by the time they arrived.
"That's it, go get some rest," Shiro said.
"Okay. Good night, Shiro-kun."
Once Nino was inside, Shiro shut his door and threw himself onto his favorite lazy sofa.
"Man, this is the best."
He stretched out, eyes drifting to the ceiling.
"Hope Nino doesn't get nightmares tonight…"
He remembered how Megumi Kato reacted the first time she witnessed something like that. Compared to her, Nino was even more emotionally expressive—it wouldn't be surprising if the impact hit her even harder.
After a hot shower, he dried off and checked his phone before going to bed. A few messages had come in:
Megumi Kato: Sakamaki-kun, are you free this weekend?
Shiro Sakamaki: Tell me what it is first. I'll decide if I can make time (laughs).
Eiriri: When are we leaving this weekend?
Shiro Sakamaki: The Tōtsuki breakfast review is on Sunday. Let's head out Saturday afternoon.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Shiro-kun, are you free this weekend? I have an invite to the Tōtsuki Culinary Academy breakfast review. Want to come with me?
Shiro Sakamaki:
My family's actually a shareholder of Tōtsuki. I already got an invite. See you there.
Megumi and Eiriri didn't respond—likely asleep by now.
To his surprise, Yukinoshita Haruno replied instantly. She was even typing a response.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Eh? Shiro-kun's family is a shareholder?
Shiro Sakamaki: Yeah, but they don't bother with it. I usually go in their place.
Shiro Sakamaki: By the way, Senpai, you're still up? It's late.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Mo~ don't call me Senpai like that. Makes me feel old!
Shiro Sakamaki: Okay, Senpai. No problem, Senpai (laughs).
Yukinoshita Haruno: You're going to make me dump you if you keep this up!
Shiro Sakamaki: But I haven't even gotten you yet, how can I lose you?
Yukinoshita Haruno: Naa~ if Shiro-kun wants, I'm always here, you know.
Shiro Sakamaki: Alright, enough teasing. It's late. Get some rest. Good night.
---
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