The Saintess Next Door is a Super Popular VTuber Whose Character was Designed by Me
Tonari ni Sunderu Seijo-sama wa Ore ga Chara-Design o Tantoushita Daininki VTuber deshita
Chapter 20 - The Saintess's Homemade Meal and a New Experience
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About an hour and a half had passed since Asumi started preparing dinner, and soon enough, the dining table was lined with dishes like ehomaki (sushi roll) and clear broth soup.
"Shall we have dinner now?"
"Oh, is it that time already? Wow, this looks delicious."
"All the ingredients are top-notch."
Taking off her apron and letting her hair down, she said this as she sat down.
Iori also put away his tablet, washed his hands, and took a seat. The two of them pressed their hands together in thanks before starting the meal.
Asumi had made two types of ehomaki: one seafood and one salad.
The seafood ehomaki was packed with blanched shrimp, salmon roe, tuna, and salmon, making it quite thick.
The salad ehomaki was wrapped with lettuce, tuna, egg, and salmon.
"Which direction is the lucky one for this year's ehomaki again?"
"Pretty sure it's north-northwest."
"I wonder who decides that anyway?"
"It’s determined by the direction of a god called Toshitokujin, based on the ten celestial stems each year."
"Huh, interesting."
"By the way, there are only four directions out of the sixteen that can be considered lucky."
"You're so knowledgeable."
Iori had just casually asked, but Asumi gave a detailed explanation, and he was impressed.
Knowing that only four directions could be considered lucky showed quite a bit of knowledge.
With that bit of trivia over, Iori and Asumi each took an ehomaki in hand and turned towards this year’s lucky direction.
(These are surprisingly big.)
Even though they were facing the right direction, the ehomaki were larger than expected since Asumi had used up all the ingredients, making it a bit intimidating to take a bite.
Glancing over, he saw that Asumi seemed to be struggling with how to start eating hers as well.
With such a small mouth, taking a big bite all at once would be difficult for her.
"Please don't stare at me too much. It’s embarrassing to open my mouth wide."
"Is it really?"
Finding her struggle amusing, Iori kept watching her, only for Asumi to complain.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"It really is! It's unladylike, isn't it."
"I don't think anyone would care though."
"But I care! Geez, Tokisaka-san, look the other way."
"Doesn't that defeat the whole point of facing the lucky direction?"
"For you, the direction of misfortune is enough."
"My bad, my bad. I won't stare anymore, so please forgive me."
For a girl, opening her mouth wide can feel embarrassing. Having never worried about something like that, Iori couldn’t quite relate.
Lacking a bit of delicacy, Iori ended up getting scolded by Asumi, almost being made to face the direction of misfortune.
Then, Iori quickly apologized, responding to that, Asumi sighed, saying, "It can't be helped then," before finally taking a bite of her ehomaki.
"Mmff, mmm..."
As the two of them began eating their ehomaki, they followed the custom of eating in silence, focusing solely on their food.
Even though Asumi had told him not to look, Iori couldn’t help but feel curious. Glancing to the side, he saw Asumi struggling with her ehomaki.
The sight of her biting into it with her small mouth had an unexpectedly sensual quality, causing Iori to quickly avert his gaze.
(I shouldn't have looked.)
At first, he had just been curious, with no ulterior motives. But after seeing her like that, a faint, inappropriate thought started to stir within him.
As a man, it wasn’t right, and it was far too disrespectful to her. But once he had seen it, there was no undoing it.
Filled with regret and a sense of guilt, Iori silently focused on devouring his ehomaki, determined to keep his thoughts in check.
"Ahh, that was delicious! Thanks for the meal."
"I'm glad it suited your taste."
"Yeah, it was the right choice to leave the ingredients to you, Minase."
After finishing all of Asumi's home-cooked dishes, Iori, feeling very satisfied, thanked her.
Asumi didn't show much outward joy, but it seemed like she felt relieved.
After taking a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes and allowed a small, relaxed smile to form on her lips.
Considering that Asumi was usually the one eating Iori’s cooking, there must have been some unspoken pressure on her.
Although ehomaki isn’t particularly difficult to make, its simplicity highlights important details like the way it's rolled, the balance of the vinegared rice, and the quality of the cooked rice.
Perhaps that was why she had asked for his opinion on the taste several times while cooking.
Whatever the reason, the meal had been so delicious that Iori couldn’t help but shower her with praise, even though she had used premium ingredients.
"If I knew you'd been cooking meals this good, I wouldn’t have minded if the identity leak happened a bit earlier."
"Fufu, you're right. I never knew what it felt like to make someone happy through cooking until now, so in that sense, I agree with you."
At first, it had seemed like a disaster when his secret came out, but now, with the benefit of home-cooked meals during busy times, his perspective had shifted.
Asumi, too, seemed to have realized that the experience of making someone happy by cooking for them was new and not at all unpleasant.
"Did you ever cook for your parents?"
"No, never. I couldn’t imagine letting my parents eat something I made."
"I see..."
Iori had assumed that, given how skilled she was, maybe she had practiced cooking with her family, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.
Asumi spoke in a cold, self-deprecating tone, which caught him off guard.
Her words had a hint of sadness that confused him, but she quickly masked it with a forced smile.
"Sorry if I brought the mood down."
"No, it’s fine. I’m the one at fault for asking about your family."
From Iori’s perspective, Asumi had no reason to apologize.
He realized that family matters can be sensitive for some people, and regretted bringing it up in the first place.
"Umm, but, I was really happy that you enjoyed the meal, Tokisaka-san. Please let me cook for you again."
"Of course. I'll be counting on you from now on."
"Yes, it's all for the sake of your artworks, after all."
"I really can’t thank you enough, Minase."
The forced smile that had been plastered on Asumi’s face faded, replaced by a softer, albeit slightly awkward, smile as she spoke.
Naturally, Iori intended to keep their mutual promise: whenever either of them needed help, they would cook for one another.
Without Asumi's help, whether with cooking or cleaning, he would end up overwhelmed, returning to the chaotic lifestyle of living alone.
It meant a lot to him that she expressed such willingness to help.
"Still, there's something nice about sharing a meal with someone, isn’t there?"
"Yeah, it really is. Last year, I was always eating alone. But, having someone enjoy the food I make, becomes one of the best feelings I ever felt."
Asumi sipped her warm tea, speaking in a reflective tone.
Iori nodded in full agreement, understanding that sentiment deeply.
"Exactly. I think I’ll always remember this feeling I discovered today."
"That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?"
"Not at all. I mean it, I don't want to forget it."
Asumi gazed down at her teacup, her words filled with sincerity.
Though Iori gave a wry smile, it was clear she was serious. She shook her head, reaffirming her statement.
This must have been an especially significant experience for her.
Iori didn't know much about her past or her family, but whatever the reason, it was obvious this moment mattered deeply to her.
"Sorry. I guess I got a little sentimental today."
"It's fine once in a while, you know. Maybe it’s just that things are usually a bit too noisy."
Asumi smiled ruefully and apologized, but Iori wasn’t bothered by it at all.
They didn’t often sit and talk leisurely after a meal like this.
Usually, Asumi would clean up quickly and leave, while Iori would dive back into his work.
Regardless of the atmosphere, there was a part of them that acted in a businesslike and matter-of-fact manner.
"Besides, there’s no stream tonight, so why not take it easy?"
"That's true. Let’s clean up in a little while, then."
"Yeah."
As Iori reassured her, Asumi closed her eyes and relaxed, resting her body against the back of the chair.
For a while, they just chatted about trivial things, sipped their tea, and let the quiet, unhurried moments drift by. It was a rare and peaceful time for the two of them.
[To be Continued]
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