Tokyo landlord: why is the panties of the lady next door in my house?!

Watching the preparation of the skewered bird for the first time, Miss Chiba also stood quietly to one side, looking for any way she might be of help.

"Chiba, go wash the bamboo skewers."

Haruka Yuzan spread the chicken meat out on the cutting board again and said softly.

"Okay, sure."

In the kitchen, the class president hardly ever voiced her opinion, always standing by quietly, helping, or learning.

After the girl finished washing the vegetables, Haruka Yuzan continued,

"Cut the sliced chicken into uniformly sized small pieces, try not to make the pieces too uneven, as this could cause some parts to burn while others remain undercooked during the grilling process."

With knife in hand, the originally irregularly shaped pieces of chicken were cut into small cubes of similar size and texture.

Chiba Shimizu watched from the side as the young man spoke, picking up the washed bamboo skewers nearby and beginning to skewer the meat,

"About three or four pieces of chicken per skewer, and you can also intersperse a bit of vegetable in between—this prevents it from becoming too greasy and gives a richer sensation when eaten."

As he spoke, Haruka Yuzan quickly threaded a skewer of chicken and placed it on a clean plate that was already prepared to the side.

"Got it? It's pretty simple like that."

"Yes, I got it." Chiba Shimizu nodded.

"Alright, then you get these all threaded, and I'll go cut the beef." No reason not to use the readily available manpower, and Miss Chiba probably wanted to experience it for herself too.

What might be boring for someone else is a completely different experience for Miss Chiba...

Looking at the pile of meat cubes on the cutting board, Chiba Shimizu nodded,

"Okay, sure."

Her eye like a calm autumn pool, she held the chicken...meat in one hand and the skewer in the other.

Her delicate fair face was full of seriousness, but she seemed to be in trouble right from the start.

The belly meat was rather tender and tricky to skewer; Chiba Shimizu kept poking at it with the skewer, but couldn't seem to get it through.

"Be careful not to hurt yourself." Seeing this, Haruka Yuzan promptly extended a hand to stop Miss Chiba's actions.

His hand grasped her soft, delicate one, and the young man seemed to envelop the girl from behind,

Her shapely bottom up against the front of the young man's body, a faint scent detectable with a mere sniff of the nose.

A body filled with the vigor of youth, with a magic-like power, like a lethal toxin that caused one to sink further in.

Desperately restraining the desire to embrace the girl, Haruka Yuzan said seriously,

"If the skewer doesn't go through at this angle, try a different one. If you use brute force in one spot, be careful not to poke your fingers; don't underestimate the power of a bamboo skewer."

Saying this, he demonstrated the correct technique with one hand while holding the skewer in the other, illustrating both the right approach and the potential consequences of incorrect handling,

"You're so smart normally; how can you be this clumsy sometimes?"

His tone was that of a boyfriend berating his girlfriend, almost as if he were helplessly infatuated...

Chiba Shimizu didn't reply. The boy's robust body moving closer and his magnetic voice,

made the usually composed Miss Chiba momentarily lose her focus, completely forgetting where she was and what she was supposed to do.

But as the young man's body pressed closer,

Chiba Shimizu came back to her senses,

"Okay, sure."

Her voice seemed to carry a hint of panic as she turned her head to face that fresh and handsome visage.

Gradually, the image seemed to overlap with the one from her dreams, causing her to momentarily freeze...

However, the sight of the elegant girl from Haruka's perspective painted a different picture.

Her usually cool face unexpectedly blushed faintly, her placid eyes disturbed with ripples, and complex emotions unfolded as the coolness melted away with the boy's proximity...

She was usually so proud, so cold, and at that moment... truly... overwhelmingly cute.

It wasn't until Haruka Yuzan's hip bumped into Miss Chiba that the two of them snapped back to reality,

"That... that's fine, as long as you understand...."

He reluctantly let go of her hand,

Getting carried away, Haruka....

Chiba Shimizu nodded and said nothing more, picking up the skewer again to continue threading the chicken.

There was a somewhat stifled atmosphere.

Haruka Yuzan let out a light sigh as he took the beef out of the bag, but then a lively young voice rang out from the kitchen door,

"I'm here! I'm here!"

Misaki Saki jogged up to the kitchen entrance, closely followed by the sprinting orange cat. Whether it was because the cat was moving too fast or the floor was too slippery, it failed to stop in time and was flung three or four meters further away.

Yowling, the chunky cat tumbled back to the entrance and sat there, peering into the kitchen scene.

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"Is there anything I can help with?" Misaki Saki walked in, hands on her hips, looking somewhat puzzled.

Her tiny nose twitched in the air, her large eyes blinking as she sized up both the delicate girl and the boy, each in an apron.

It seemed... she had missed something while she was busy charging up...

"Go over and help Chiba with the skewering."

Watching the little figure move around the kitchen, Haruka Yuzan gave his instructions.

"Okay." Misaki Saki nodded vigorously, then washed her hands, sidled up to the girl, and chuckled, "Hehehe."

"Shimizu, I'll help you."

As she spoke, her bright eyes kept a steady gaze on the girl, and fortunately, Miss Chiba had already regained her composure,