Hearing that, Izumi Sagiri gave a small nod.
She reached for the ribbon tied around the box.
With a slight pull
She undid the bow.
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 229: A Mysterious Sense of Familiarity
When the ribbon bow was untied.
The box was opened.
A fresh cream birthday cake with a predominantly white color scheme appeared on the dining table.
There were no overly extravagant decorations.
Yet it exuded a feelingthis cake was undoubtedly delicious.
Seeing the words "Happy Birthday" written in jam on the cake
Izumi Sagiri unconsciously broke into a sweet smile.
(><)
She was truly happy.
What little girl wouldn't want to celebrate her birthday?
At Sagiri's age
Having a special older brother bring a cake to celebrate her birthday
This kind of thoughtfulness was something she could remember for a lifetime.
On the other side, Sagiri's mother was also slightly taken aback when she saw the cake.
She had assumed that Yukima Azuma had bought it from a bakery somewhere.
But upon closer inspection, that clearly wasn't the case.
This cake was undoubtedly handmade.
With her exceptional culinary skills, Mrs. Izumi could easily tell the difference between a store-bought cake and a homemade one.
And a handmade cake
In terms of sincerity, it simply couldn't compare to a store-bought one.
To put it simply
This was true love!
(o)
Sagiri's mother, Mrs. Izumi, cast a meaningful glance at Yukima Azuma.
( )
Then, she took the initiative to speak: "Yukima-kun, this cake doesn't seem to be from a bakery, does it?"
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma nodded.
"My friend and I made it together."
Upon hearing that, Izumi Sagiri's eyes sparkled even more.
()
This was the fundamental difference between boys and girls.
If it were a boy, most wouldn't care whether the cake was handmade or not.
What they'd care about more was whether it tasted good.
Whether bought or made, they'd be equally grateful.
But girls were more sensitive.
Knowing that Yukima Azuma had personally made the cake
Gave it an entirely different meaning.
Before even tasting it, her heart was already filled with sweetness.
(> v <)
Mrs. Izumi took a kitchen knife and cut a small piece for Izumi Sagiri.
Ordinarily, desserts shouldn't be eaten before the main meal.
But looking at her daughter, it was obvious that she couldn't wait any longer.
So be it, just a little taste first.
Then, Mrs. Izumi cut another portion for Yukima Azuma and herself.
Taking a bite, her eyes lit up with surprise.
() Oishi~~~.
What an impressive skill.
As a housewife, Mrs. Izumi had always been confident in her cooking.
Yet this young boy was far more skilled than she was.
Internally, she added another point for Yukima Azuma.
)
Being good at cooking was an important bonus.
Since Izumi Sagiri had been raised by her since she was little
And as the first-generation Eromanga-sensei, Mrs. Izumi had a stable income and knew how to enjoy life
This little girl had been spoiled into a picky eater.
If Sagiri's future husband couldn't take good care of her diet, that would be unacceptable.
As for Izumi Sagiri, after taking a bite
A completely enchanted expression appeared on her delicate face.
( `)
This was the first time in her life she had ever eaten such a delicious cake.
She had loved good food since she was little
So upon encountering such a delicacy, her affection level instantly skyrocketed.
Sagiri: () Affection +999999999.
Seeing her looking so blissful
Yukima Azuma smiled faintly.
But deep inside, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
It seemed that Izumi Sagiri truly loved delicious food.
But in the Previous Timeline
This child could only stay cooped up in her room, ordering takeout every day.
Even though there were quite a few delivery restaurants nearby
Day after day, she had probably cycled through all of them long ago.
Moreover, delivered food took time to arrive, and after being trapped in the packaging for a while, it would lose the fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.
In the previous timeline, no wonder Izumi Sagiri was easily won over by the delicious meals he cooked.
The only question was, when she ate
Did she ever think of the dishes Mrs. Izumi used to make?
Tch, just thinking about it felt pitiful.
Luckily, that won't happen anymore.
Izumi Sagiri, who was happily eating the cake piece by piece
As if sensing something, suddenly lifted her gaze toward Yukima Azuma.
Her deep blue eyes met his.
A sudden, indescribable sourness welled up
Making her want to cry.
()
Thankfully, the feeling came and went quickly.
Placing her cake down, Izumi Sagiri suddenly felt like eating a proper meal.
The lavish dishes were already laid out before her.
She picked up her chopsticks and began eating heartily.
Today, everything tasted better than usual.
...
After the meal.
Mrs. Izumi, having finished cleaning up the dining table
Announced that she had to go out for a bit.
Leaving her daughter and Yukima Azuma home alone.
She was practically broadcasting her intention to "give them some alone time" on her face.
If it were a stranger
Mrs. Izumi would have been much more cautious.
There was no way she would leave her precious daughter alone with some unknown man.
But with Yukima Azuma, she felt completely at ease.
Part of it was because he was a young literary genius who had gained fame early on.
Of course, talent didn't necessarily equate to virtue, but it was at least some kind of reassurance.
Moreover, when Izumi Sagiri signed a contract with Laplace Corporation
As a mother, Mrs. Izumi had thoroughly researched the company.
Laplace Corporation could be considered one of the most ethical companies in Japan.
After all
Unlike corporations that originated from industrial enterprises
Laplace Corporation's industry wasn't purely driven by profit.
They treated their employees with remarkable care.
Their reputation was impeccable.
And as the President of such a conscientious company, Yukima Azuma's character should be at least somewhat trustworthy.
Today, Mrs. Izumi became even more certain
This young man was genuinely fond of her daughter.
Now, she could be completely at ease.
(Note: No no no, this sounds very unsafe. Readers with children, please do not follow this example.)
...
After Mrs. Izumi left.
Only Sagiri and Yukima Azuma remained in the house.
She felt a bit shy.
(,,,,)
Even though this was her first time meeting him
There was an inexplicable sense of dj vu.
As if she had met Yukima Azuma before.
Not only that
It felt like they had even shared some intimate moments.
Like h*lding h*nds, for example.
( ® ®)
This realization made Izumi Sagiri flustered.
It was as if she were a wicked young girl
Daring to have such improper thoughts about a boy.
Too embarrassed, Izumi Sagiri decided to find a topic to talk about.
Talking about anime/manga should be safe, right!?
"I have a new game disc in my room. Do you want to play together?"
The moment she finished speaking, she suddenly realized
That sounded like an invitation for him to enter her room.
It was a classic case of her mouth moving faster than her brain.
Before Yukima Azuma could even respond, her face had already turned bright red.
Seeing Izumi Sagiri fluster herself, Yukima Azuma chuckled softly and nodded.
Since she was the one who made the offer, there was no backing out now.
So, Izumi Sagiri had no choice but to lead Yukima Azuma upstairs, toward her room.
When the door opened, she nervously said:
"P...please come in."
(,,,,)
The room had changed quite a bit from Yukima Azuma's memories.
Although the main theme was still that of a pink-toned girl's bedroom
There were clearly more plush toys than before.
One glance, and it was obvious they came from claw machines.
There were also some decorative souvenirs from festivals.
These things
In the previous timeline, would never have appeared in Izumi Sagiri's room.
Because
In that timeline, Izumi Sagiri hadn't even stepped out of her room.
Let alone gone to a game center or attended a festival.
...
Izumi Sagiri walked to her gaming console, turned it on, and inserted the new game disc.
When she turned back around, she saw Yukima Azuma looking around her room.
The embarrassment unique to young girls instantly surged within her.
"H-hey! What are you looking at!?"
( //>///
Hearing that, Yukima Azuma smiled gently at her.
"Just thinking that Sagiri's room is really cute."
Upon hearing that, Izumi Sagiri became even more flustered.
She let out a small huff without responding
But it was clear she was happy.
...
While playing the game
Izumi Sagiri, still holding the controller, casually asked:
"Azuma... do you believe in magic?"
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma's expression shifted slightly.
He more or less guessed why Izumi Sagiri would ask something like that.
"I've never seen it before, but I guess it might exist."
He gave a vague response.
Izumi Sagiri, however, probably wasn't expecting a satisfying answer from him in the first place.
Or rathershe herself didn't have a satisfying answer, either.
She simply wanted to talk about it.
"When I was little, I once saw a Golden Snitch."
"You know... the Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. Have you read Harry Potter before?"
Yukima Azuma thought to himselfso that's how it is.
Not only had he read it.
That Golden Snitchwas something he had personally released.
Even now, it was still wriggling in Sagiri drawer.
Restlessly trying to fly back into his palm.
Perhaps because Yukima Azuma's current identity was rather complicated
Both a friend of her father
And someone she could chat with comfortably.
Izumi Sagiri simply confided in this boy she had just met
Sharing stories buried deep in her heart.
Yukima Azuma simply listened quietly
Becoming a sincere listener for her.
The story began with a Golden Snitch.
And ended with an unexpected incident and a lingering regret.
After hearing Izumi Sagiri's story
Yukima Azuma couldn't help but click his tongue.
So after the timeline changed, things had unfolded this way.
Although he had prevented the tragedy that claimed the lives of the Izumi couple
In the end, a small yet undeniable regret remained.
However
Compared to leaving Izumi Sagiri imprisoned in her own room for a lifetime
A minor regret was already a much better outcome.
Of course, Izumi Sagiri would likely never know
What would have happened if her parents had actually gone on that honeymoon.
But... perhaps it was better that way.
Chapter 230: Ma'am, You Gonna Die!
"Th-thank you... for listening to me."
After pouring out her heart
Izumi Sagiri felt noticeably lighter.
Many things didn't actually need to be resolved completely.
Just having someone to talk to
Was enough to ease the burden.
Her voice was small, but Yukima Azuma heard it clearly.
Being thanked by Sagiri wasn't an easy thing.
But he didn't dwell on the topic
Instead, he suddenly asked:
"Sagiri, don't you go to school?"
Since today was the weekend, it wasn't unusual for her to be home.
But in her room, there were no signs of a school uniform or textbooks.
Only a drawing tablet and light novels on her desk.
At the mention of this
Izumi Sagiri lowered her head.
()
Her silver hair cascaded down, covering her face, making her expression unreadable.
"I... I'm not really used to it, so I'm currently on leave."
This silver-haired girl
Still wasn't accustomed to socializing.
Her personality was part of the reason.
But more importantly
Izumi Sagiri barely had anything in common with people her age.
She liked light novels, anime, and games.
A textbook otaku.
This situation was reminiscent of Eriri's childhood.
Back then, Eriri had struggled quite a bit in class.
During that process, she had even been bullied.
Later, with Yukima Azuma's help, she rebuilt her image.
And eventually became a standout student at school.
Just that alone showed
If Izumi Sagiri were to have a good school life...
She would first need to change her image.
However
Sagiri wasn't the type who was good at acting or lying.
Nor did she have the refined air of an Oujou-sama trained from a young age.
Telling her not to talk about anime
Would probably make it hard for her to even find a topic to discuss.
...
When the topic of school came up
Izumi Sagiri anxiously looked at Yukima Azuma.
(><)
Every person she had met
After learning that she wasn't attending school at her age
Would show an expression of, "How could you not be in school!?"
Even her mother, who was usually very open-minded
Hadn't smiled at all while handling her leave of absence.
But if possible
Sagiri also wanted to experience a youthful school life like other girls.
It was just
Her experiences at school had been truly painful.
A kind of suffering that adults couldn't understand.
Even if she spoke about it, nothing would change.
On the contrary, she'd be told she was overreacting.
Izumi Sagiri thought of her aunt.
Izumi Kyouka was exactly like that!
However
After observing Yukima Azuma for a long while
Izumi Sagiri realized that his expression hadn't changed at all.
On the contrary
He seemed to be seriously thinking about it.
( _)
"Sagiri."
"Yes!"
"Have you considered hiring a tutor?"
"Huh... huh? A tutor?"
Yukima Azuma's suggestion made Izumi Sagiri momentarily stunned.
This idea was indeed acceptable
After all, studying at home meant she wouldn't be bullied.
