The two delinquents instinctively wanted to resist.
But just as they opened their mouths to curse,
A chilling sensation raced up their spines and settled at the nape of their necks.
The boy standing before them seemed to have transformed into a venomous snake, poised to devour its prey, its imagined tongue flicking menacingly near their throats.
"S-sorry!"
The two girls bowed their heads in fright, apologizing.
"Get lost."
Yukima Azuma ordered.
Immediately, the two fled, stumbling and falling as they ran, their appearance utterly pathetic.
Watching their retreating, miserable figures, the anger in Yukima Azuma's chest subsided somewhat.
The oppressive atmosphere dissipated along with it.
Ever since he reached his current level in shogi a mastery often referred to as "transcendent skill" Yukima Azuma had realized he could project the aura he used on the shogi board into real life.
...Even if it was just a little.
It was like the air of someone holding ultimate authority, ready to overwhelm everything.
Someone standing at the peak, stepping over countless players to become an undefeated genius.
That aura, even in small doses, was enough to leave two high school girls utterly defenseless.
"You..." Eriri was about to ask, "Why did you follow me?" But her gaze lowered for a moment, and she froze. The question immediately changed: "You're injured!"
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma calmed down, reining in his emotions.
Then, following Eriri's gaze, he looked down.
On the back of his right hand, fresh blood flowed in thin rivulets.
The dark red drops gathered at his fingertips before falling to the ground, forming stark crimson spots.
Yukima Azuma lightly waved his hand, as if dismissing the injury.
He felt nothing in particular.
It must have been from earlier, when he slapped away the gyaru girl's hand and her nails accidentally scratched him.
The wound didn't seem too deep.
Seeing Yukima Azuma disregard the injury, Eriri immediately tensed up.
Instinctively, she stepped forward and grabbed his hand.
"Don't move!" Eriri said, pulling out a bandage from her bag.
After rinsing the wound with mineral water, she carefully applied the bandage to the injury.
When she finished, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... ehh!?"
Realizing what she had just done, Eriri's face flushed bright red.
"This... this is just because you helped me! It's just a simple thank-you! Don't get any ideas!"
Her words came out in her familiar tsundere style.
Yukima Azuma didn't respond.
Even though he could now fully grasp the meaning behind tsundere remarks,
When it came to Eriri, Yukima Azuma preferred not to engage.
After all, it was for this very reason that they had broken up.
"Let's go grab something to eat," Yukima Azuma said.
"Huh? Why should I eat with you? That's so ridiculous..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her stomach let out a loud grrr.
This time, Eriri's face turned completely red.
Her delicate features, from her flushed cheeks to her ears, resembled a Christmas apple.
Yukima Azuma chuckled softly.
Eriri was just like thatnormally, she wouldn't easily go out.
She probably only attended a manga exhibition.
Judging by the timing, she must have just left the venue and hadn't had dinner yet.
And for this frail "otaku" girl, after spending the entire day exploring the exhibition, claiming she wasn't hungry would've been absurd.
At this moment, simply bringing up the topic of food would inevitably cause her body to betray her, no matter how much she tried to deny it.
Just like what happened now.
This was exactly the classic example of "complaining with the mouth, but honest in action"!
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If you like this story, please leave me a comment, review and power stones if you can. I would be very happy about that.
If you want to read the advanced chapters that I have translated in advance and support me to have more motivation to continue as a translator, here is my p.a.t.r.e.o.n patreon.com/curse_heian_chef
Chapter 18: Eriri Slowly Understands Everything!
Chapter 18: Eriri Slowly Understands Everything!
"Guru-guru..."
Eriri's delicate face turned crimson, and for a moment, she had no idea how to explain herself.
In the end, she slumped to the ground, clutching her stomach.
"Let's go, let's grab something to eat first."
Yukima Azuma didn't tease her; he simply waved his hand lightly.
If he poked fun at her now, this twin-tailed tsundere would definitely explode.
"I..."
Eriri hesitated slightly.
Conceding so easily didn't sit right with her.
After all, he had just called her "Sawamura-san" earlier.
But if she refused...
The memory of his back shielding her moments ago,
His actions and those incredibly cool words...
Eriri couldn't find a good reason to say no.
Besides, she was really hungry.
As Eriri continued to deliberate,
Yukima Azuma pulled out his phone.
"Oh, right." Yukima Azuma began dialing, casually muttering as if by accident: "I should let Sayuri-obasan know first."
Hearing this, Eriri's eyes widened immediately.
"Huh!?"
She felt utterly incredulous.
Then she could only watch helplessly as Yukima Azuma made the call.
What's more, the call quickly connected, and her mother's voice came through the line.
Eriri gritted her teeth softly.
This guy!
He had clearly blocked all her attempts to contact him,
And yet he still had her mother's number saved? How outrageous!
While Eriri simmered in frustration,
Yukima Azuma finished his conversation.
"Let's go. Sayuri-obasan's already back home, and it seems like she doesn't plan on cooking for you tonight."
Hearing this, Eriri felt even more dejected.
"What did you say to my mom, anyway?"
Eriri turned her face away, asking in a questioning tone.
Faced with her inquiry, Yukima Azuma's expression turned a little strange.
But Eriri didn't notice.
"I told her I found you. She said she knew and told me to make sure you got home safely."
Eriri let out a huff of frustration.
'Seriously, Mom, how could you just leave your daughter in the care of some random high school guy? Show a little more concern!'
Though she thought that,
The word "random" was really just her venting.
In reality, Sayuri and Yukima Azuma were quite close.
Sayuri entrusted Eriri to Yukima Azuma with complete confidence.
This was evident from Sayuri's actions in the past.
When Eriri and Yukima Azuma had broken up,
Sayuri had been upset for quite some time.
Now, with this reunion, Sayuri seemed all too eager to play the role of a "helpful accomplice."
For example...
"Sayuri-obasan also said that it's fine if you don't come home tonight, as long as you stay safe."
"And she even prepared some 'gear' for you. It's in the inner pocket of your sports jacket."
Yukima Azuma said, his expression turning increasingly odd.
Hearing this, a series of question marks filled Eriri's mind.
What do you mean it's fine if I don't come home!?
It's NOT fine!
"Honestly, what nonsense is my mom saying? Even if she's carefree, she should worry about her daughter a little!"
While complaining, Eriri's curiosity got the better of her, and she unzipped her sports jacket.
The 'gear' that Sayuri had mentioned piqued her interest.
'What could possibly be in here? And when did Mom even put it in?'
Eriri reached into the inner pocket, and sure enough, there was something inside.
She wore this sports jacket regularly.
Sayuri hadn't touched it recently.
Which meant that this 'gear' had been prepared quite some time ago.
What on earth could it be?
'A credit card? Or maybe a contact lens case?'
Eriri speculated while reaching into the pocket to retrieve the item.
But before her hand was even halfway out, Yukima Azuma swiftly stopped her.
"What are you doing?" Eriri glared at Yukima Azuma, her expression a mix of confusion and annoyance.
With a serious face, Yukima Azuma responded, "Young lady, ahead lies nothing but the abyss."
Given Sayuri's personality, Yukima Azuma had more or less guessed what the 'gear' could be.
So...
Eriri, stunned by his ominous warning, froze mid-action. Her hand remained stuck in the pocket.
Left with no other choice, she glanced down inside the jacket to take a look herself.
The moment her eyes landed on the so-called 'gear,'
A giant question mark popped up over Eriri's head.
And then, as if a geyser had erupted, imaginary steam whooshed out from her blonde hair.
In her hand was a small box containing... condoms.
The sheer embarrassment was overwhelming.
Eriri's otaku-brained mind immediately went into system crash mode.
Seeing her reaction, Yukima Azuma knew his prediction had been spot on.
Thankfully, he had stopped her in time, preventing her from fully taking it out.
Otherwise, with this level of mortification, Eriri might have crossed some emotional threshold and burst into tears right there on the spot.
Yukima Azuma gently removed her hand from the pocket and zipped up her jacket to cover it again.
Then, without a word, he began leading her toward a nearby family restaurant.
Eriri, still in crash mode, followed him like a lifeless doll being tugged along.
It wasn't until they reached the restaurant's entrance that she finally snapped out of it.
'Who am I? Where am I? How did I get here?'
As these disoriented thoughts filled her head, Eriri suddenly realized that Yukima Azuma had let go of her wrist.
The warm sensation on her skin vanished in an instant.
Eriri felt a little disappointed, even wanting to reach out and grab his hand again.
"Why are you zoning out? Come on in."
Yukima Azuma's call snapped Eriri back to reality.
She looked up and saw him holding the restaurant door open, signaling for her to enter.
Her heart, which had been frozen by the way he had called her "Sawamura-san," melted completely in that moment.
They chose a seat at a corner table, as Eriri usually felt a little shy when eating out.
Yukima Azuma casually pulled out her chair, waited for her to sit, then gently pushed it back, keeping just the right amount of distance.
He called the server, ordered a bowl of scrambled eggs on rice with a sweet flavor, and asked for extra tomato sauce.
As he did this, Eriri's eyes started to shine brighter and brighter.
'What's going on? Clearly, he still cares about me!'
If there was no one around right now, Eriri would probably be standing with her hands on her hips, head held high in smug satisfaction.
"Sawamura-san, aren't you going to eat?"
Yukima Azuma's voice brought her out of her daydreams.
Eriri shot him a furious glare.
This guy!
Every little thing he did showed how much he cared, yet he kept calling her "Sawamura" over and over again.
He was totally a tsundere!
Eriri: I'm starting to understand everything now!
— — — — — — — — — — —
If you like this story, please leave me a comment, review and power stones if you can. I would be very happy about that.
If you want to read the advanced chapters that I have translated in advance and support me to have more motivation to continue as a translator, here is my p.a.t.r.e.o.n patreon.com/curse_heian_chef
Chapter 19: How to Tame Your Tsundere Waifu
Eriri: I'm starting to understand everything now!
Clearly, every little gesture is screaming: "I like you."
But the words used are so distant and formal.
This is the legendary tsundere, isn't it?
The corner of Eriri's mouth curled into a proud smile.
Umu, I'm so smart!
And then, she got a tap on the forehead.
Yukima Azuma withdrew his hand, looking at Eriri, who was holding her forehead and raising an eyebrow.
"I get the feeling you're thinking something really rude, so I had to tap you."
"Haven't you already tapped me!? You're supposed to say that before tapping me! No, you're not allowed to tap me!"
Eriri bared her small fangs, as if trying to intimidate him.
Eriri is super aggressive.jpg
Looking at Eriri's expression, Yukima Azuma knew exactly what she was thinking.
A tsundere thinking someone else is a tsundere.
In reality, Yukima Azuma was just "taming" her.
Getting back together with Eriri was actually very simple.
The flower that represents Sawamura Spencer Eriri is the lily.
The meaning of this flower is: Pure love, dignity, and a harmonious soul.
Eriri is the type of person who, once she likes someone, will almost never change her feelings.
Even though she's a tsundere, all she needs is a little coaxing.
However, if you just do that, it won't mean anything.
Because Eriri always says one thing and thinks something else, being in a relationship with her is truly exhausting.
If they just got back together without any changes, they would just repeat the same mistakes as before.
If they've broken up, they should at least be more mature about it.
Yukima Azuma decided to "tame" Eriri, so that she would change her stubborn tsundere ways a little.
At the very least, Eriri needed to learn to be more proactive in love.
As for how to tame a tsundere?
The most important thing is to know how to pull and push.
Pull a little, push a little, and magic will happen!
Keep the relationship in a state of being half-close, half-distant, so that the tsundere feels bittersweet but not too bitter to lose all hope.
"Nom-nom, where did you go to high school?"
"Finish your food before talking!"
"Where did you go to high school?"
"Toyosaki Private School."
Hearing that, Eriri's heart was suddenly filled with joy.
She was also attending Toyosaki Private School.
Does that mean, after this spring break...
She and he would be able to go to school together?
Moreover, Toyosaki Private School didn't sort classes based on academic performance.
This meant:
"There's a chance we'll be in the same class!"
Just the thought of it made Eriri feel incredibly happy.
Fortunately, Toyosaki didn't divide classes by performance.
If they did, there's no way they'd be in the same class.
Eriri's Japanese literature score was just average, her math wasn't any better, and her English was a complete disaster.
It's clear that Eriri is half-Japanese, half-British.
Yet her English grades never seem to pass average.
It felt like the British blood running through her veins was crying out in agony!
