"Alright, everyone, this live stream will temporarily end here. I'm going to eat now, and I'll sing for you again at 8 PM."
Standing by the dining table, Kasumigaoka Touji, still wearing his panda-print apron, smiled and waved at the camera. The table was already set with dinner, steam rising from the dishes.
Immediately, the live chat exploded in protest:
"Nooo! Not yet!", "I wanted to see Winter-sensei eat!", "Ending it before two hours? Unforgivable! (╯#-_- )╯ ╧═╧", "See you at 8, Winter-sensei~", "Going to eat dinner with my family too~!"
With a flicker, the stream went dark—Izumi Masamune had already helped him end it with practiced ease.
"Izumi, go ahead and take your sister's portion first," Touji said as he unhooked the amp from his waist and removed his mask and headset.
"Got it," Izumi Masamune nodded. He picked up the prepared plate and, tempted by the rich aroma, sped up as he exited the room.
Touji turned and unfastened his apron, placing it neatly aside before stepping over to retrieve his slightly overheated streaming phone. He casually glanced over to Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had stood up from the wooden barstool and was stretching.
"There are four collab proposals pinned for you to check," she reported coolly. "Also, Kani Nayuta wants to add you on Line. I pinned that chat too. Up to you whether to accept it."
"Kani Nayuta...?" Touji's brows rose slightly.
Taking her seat, he clicked open the private message interface. As Utaha said, five pinned chats were waiting, plus a few new messages that had come in post-stream.
He scrolled first to the collaboration requests. Two were store visits—one from "Sweet Memories," a French dessert shop in Setagaya, Tokyo, and another from "The Big Eater BBQ" in Abiko City, Chiba.
Abiko City, huh? Touji suppressed the urge to complain about how odd the name sounded. What were the city planners thinking?
Anyway—
Both stores weren't too far, and the timeframes were flexible. One offered 350,000 yen, the other 300,000 yen. A little low, but... negotiable.
He opened their menu attachments and turned to Utaha.
"Utaha-chan, either of those interest you?"
"The dessert place."
Still thumbing her phone, probably replying to someone on Line, Utaha didn't even look up.
As expected. Girls and sweets were a tale as old as time.
Touji chuckled, then declined the BBQ collab and unpinned it.
The other two collaborations were for online product sales: matcha cream dorayaki and assorted snow meiniang. Standard influencer deals, offering 15% of profits.
He messaged both brands back, asking for samples to be sent to the nearest convenience store address. Never home, never sorry—a golden rule to keep the weirdos at bay.
Finally, he tapped on Kani Nayuta's chat.
Normally, he wouldn't be eager to add a stranger... but this was Kani Nayuta. Author of "The Silvery Landscape." Big spender in the stream. And... well, he had a soft spot for the character even before his reincarnation.
He sent the friend request. It was accepted almost instantly.
[Kani Nayuta]: "Is this really Winter-sensei? (\uff61･•ω•･)"
Touji: "Yep."
[Kani Nayuta]: "Waaah~! Finally got to add you!"
Touji smiled. Even through text and emoji, her excitement came through loud and clear.
Touji: "Did you try to add me before?"
[Kani Nayuta]: "I sent you private messages before but you never answered... ( ╥_╥ )"
Touji: "Ah... sorry, I probably cleared them.
Touji: "I get a lot of DMs every day, so I don't really check them one by one… Gomen."
[Kani Nayuta]: "It's okay! At least we're connected now~! (≧◡≦)♡"
"...She's really energetic, huh," Touji muttered with a half-smile, warmth subtly blooming in his chest.
While the two continued their chat, Izumi Masamune returned from delivering dinner to his imouto.
"Thanks for waiting. I'm starving!" he said as he stepped inside.
"Perfect timing." Touji stood from his seat and waved them over. "Utaha-chan, Izumi, dinner's ready."
Everyone gathered around the table. As the clock neared seven, hunger was already gnawing at their stomachs. Together, they clasped their hands and echoed in harmony—
"Itadakimasu!"
The room filled with the cozy sounds of clinking dishes and the warm scent of homecooked food.
"This is so delicious—!"
The rich, mellow aroma of garlic gently subdued the seafood's fishy notes. The moment Izumi bit into a shrimp, he felt the plump texture burst on his tongue, paired with the glossy vermicelli that slid smoothly down his throat.
A symphony of flavor.
For Izumi, the best part of the steamed prawns with garlic vermicelli was always the noodles themselves— Having soaked up all the umami of the shrimp, the vermicelli had transformed into something magical. Twisting around the shrimp, they added not just flavor, but an elegant texture. Layered and vibrant.
"My childhood friend's cooking is better than half the chefs I've seen on food shows…" Izumi murmured, eyes shining.
Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka Utaha started with the grilled mackerel. Simply seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, a splash of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon, it burst with refined, clean flavor.
That first bite? Pure bliss.
To think, once upon a time, she used to rely on store-bought bentos… Since her parents moved, meals had changed for the better.
"..."
Seeing the two of them savoring every bite with delight written across their faces, Kasumigaoka Touji smiled warmly. Their happiness made his own food taste even better.
He quickly downed a few more bites, then picked up his phone to handle some messages.
First, a reply to Kani Nayuta. Then, he shifted gears—negotiating the terms for the dessert shop collaboration.
He started off with his preferred minimum: 400,000 yen.
Back and forth they went.
After providing screenshots of his previous promotional results and emphasizing he'd only be taking one store collab this month, he successfully raised the offer to 420,000 yen.
A solid win.
Very satisfied, he moved on to schedule the store visit.
Checking the weather forecast and confirming with Utaha, he finally set the visit for the afternoon of the seventh—right after school next Wednesday.
Another job, another day. But with food, friends, and a flurry of messages waiting, life was anything but ordinary.