This place is ridiculously huge!!
Although she had mentally prepared herself at the front gate, Kagura was still thoroughly shaken when she stepped into Akikawa Yayoi's home. Not only was it massive, but it radiated luxury in every corner.
Kagura couldn't help mentally calculating the cost, comparing it to her own pitiful income. The conclusion was harsh: whether it was her past self or her current self, even generously underestimating, she probably couldn't afford even one-tenth of this house's area if she worked until retirement.
I've confirmed it—this place is way beyond me…
But then again, Yayoi-san was someone who regularly made charitable decisions at Tracen Academy; having this kind of financial capability wasn't entirely surprising.
"Kagura-chan, Tazuna-san, please go ahead and sit in the living room! I'll prepare dinner!"
Akikawa Yayoi waved Kagura toward the sofa in the living room while already pulling out an apron and gathering ingredients, clearly ready to start cooking.
"I'll help too!"
Kagura naturally couldn't sit still. She sprang up and darted toward the kitchen like a gust of wind. Tazuna-san immediately reached out to try to stop her, but Kagura's reflexes and agility seemed strangely enhanced in this state—Tazuna-san couldn't even grab her sleeve.
Watching helplessly from the sofa, Tazuna-san just smiled wryly, shaking her head. Yayoi-san, who had already expected this, simply waved at Tazuna-san to let it go and brought Kagura into the kitchen.
"Good grief… Kagura-chan, I was hoping you'd relax a bit… You're still young, so don't overwork yourself."
Maybe because she'd already revealed it in the car, Akikawa Yayoi didn't keep up her quirky speech pattern at home. Yet, even without the verbal quirk, her tone still retained that upbeat, energetic vibe, as if it had permanently become part of her way of speaking.
"Being young is exactly why I have the energy! Director, Tazuna-san, do you have any particular preferences?"
"Anything tasty is good! Especially your Chinese cooking, Kagura-chan!"
Though Yayoi had accepted Kagura's help, she had no intention of setting down her own kitchen knife entirely. She insisted that one dish had to be personally prepared by herself, though the rest could be left to Kagura. From Yayoi's description, it seemed she intended to make Hamburg steak.
The kitchen in Yayoi-san's home was spacious enough that her cooking wouldn't get in Kagura's way. Kagura didn't mind Yayoi working alongside her; back home, the reason she usually chased people out was that her kitchen had always been too cramped.
This girl…her movements are incredibly skilled…
While chopping meat, Yayoi sneaked a glance at Kagura. Her movements were graceful and fluid—her knife skills, the cooking process, everything appeared practiced to perfection, like a seasoned chef with many years of experience, or perhaps a devoted wife who regularly cooked at home.
At that moment, Yayoi-san's cat wandered into the kitchen. It jumped up briefly beside Yayoi, looked around, then trotted over curiously toward Kagura, staring up at her and pawing gently at her leg.
"Hm? Little one, do you need something?"
Standing there waiting for the water to boil, Kagura felt the cat pawing her and squatted down, lightly stroking the cat's head.
"Meow!"
The cat affectionately rubbed itself against Kagura's hand, narrowing its eyes contentedly.
"How rare. This child usually avoids people and only likes sitting on my head. How come it's not scared of you at all?"
Yayoi-san was genuinely curious, seeing her shy cat so eagerly attached to someone else for the first time.
After a brief cuddle, the cat suddenly stood up on its hind legs, stretching its paws upward, clearly signaling, "Pick me up!" When Kagura reached out her hand, the cat climbed swiftly up her arm and settled comfortably atop her head.
"Ah…"
Kagura gently poked it, but the cat seemed determined not to move. Helpless, she turned toward Yayoi-san for assistance.
Laughing, Yayoi quickly walked over, expertly loosened the cat's grip, scratched it soothingly until the cat relaxed, and then gently lifted it down from Kagura's head.
"Alright now, don't go sitting on other people's heads, okay~?"
"Meow—"
The cat let out a drawn-out protest, waving its paws slightly in Yayoi's arms.
Since cooking was clearly impossible with a cat perched on one's head, Yayoi-san promptly carried it out and entrusted it to Tazuna-san's care.
Preparing dinner for just three people didn't take much time. These were all simple home-cooked dishes, and with Yayoi-san herself taking care of a significant portion, Kagura finished preparations quite swiftly.
"So good——! It's been half a month since I tasted Kagura-chan's cooking! Your dishes really leave a lasting impression!"
Yayoi-san wolfed down the meal eagerly, barely keeping any dignified image. Tazuna-san fared slightly better—while she also ate fairly quickly, it was still within a normal speed.
Meanwhile, Kagura hesitantly stared at the massive carrot Hamburg steak placed in front of her. It was so huge she wasn't even sure how to begin. Although juicy and appetizing, she noticed she was the only one given such an extra-large serving, leaving her uncertain whether she should eat it or not.
"Don't worry, Kagura-chan. Whenever students at Tracen show outstanding performance, the Director personally prepares Hamburg steak as a reward."
Seeing Kagura's hesitation with her knife and fork, Tazuna-san quickly understood what was going through Kagura's mind.
"Mmhm! Kagura-chan, as the year's most outstanding Support Uma, you absolutely deserve this special reward! Eat up, don't hold back!"
Yayoi, briefly lifting her head from the bowl she'd been burying her face in, chimed in enthusiastically, then immediately went back to devouring her food. It'd been half a month since she last visited the cafeteria to sample Kagura's cooking, and now she acted almost like she was suffering withdrawal.
Finally making up her mind, Kagura took a deep breath, grasped her utensils decisively, and began tackling the huge Hamburg steak.
Come to think of it… What exactly did the Director call me here today for?
Only now did Kagura suddenly realize how late she was in considering this question—she had accepted Yayoi's invitation without even knowing the reason.
She couldn't have invited me to her house just to praise an excellent student…right?
Kagura puzzled over it quietly. As far as she knew, no other student had ever received such treatment before. Yet she honestly couldn't think of another plausible reason why Yayoi-san would specifically call her here.
Eventually, unable to figure out a reason—and already somewhat hungry anyway—Kagura chose to bury the thought for now and began eating earnestly.
Looking at her up close like this… She really does resemble her…
Because Kagura was preoccupied, she didn't notice Yayoi-san had finished eating at some point and was now staring intently at her.