"Good morning, Sora~"
Her voice carried a hint of fatigue. With anticipation, the thin blanket slowly slid down. Looking at the handsome man who had opened his eyes and was staring at him at some point, Shiina Mashiro propped herself up on his chest, struggling to sit up, then greeted him.
"Morning."
Swallowing, Hoshino Sora's heart quickened as he looked at Shiina Mashiro, who was completely defenseless against him.
"What time is it now?"
Shiina Shinohiru's voice came from beside him. As she spoke, she searched for her phone. The next moment, the phone's light caught Hoshino Sora's attention, making him turn his head.
"Oh my god, it's already 8 o'clock!?
I'm finished. Last night, I didn't press confirm on the alarm. It's all your fault! Last night, you made my phone drop…"
Seeing the time on her phone, Shiina Shinohiru's face showed shock. She suddenly sat up, and the white sheet slipped from her body due to her drastic movement, revealing her perfect physique.
"How can you blame that on me? Weren't you the one constantly saying 'faster, faster' last night? And wasn't the reason you couldn't hold your phone steady because you insisted on…"
Hearing Shiina Shinohiru's words, Hoshino Sora immediately spoke up defensively, on the verge of spilling everything that happened last night, but he was interrupted by her shriek.
"Ah! Don't keep talking about such embarrassing things!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words and remembering her own wildness from last night, Shiina Shinohiru's cheeks visibly reddened. She then clenched her small fists and hit him.
"What, you dare to do it but not admit it? You weren't saying that last night. You said that, didn't you? This young lady is a female… favored… Mmm… Mmm-mmm…"
Before Hoshino Sora could continue, his mouth was tightly covered by Shiina Shinohiru. The girl's face was flushed crimson. The 'nonsense' she had spoken last night to add to the fun now became the most shameful memory!
"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. It's time to get up. There's a Shokugeki match with Yumeko this afternoon."
Looking at Shiina Shinohiru, who had released her hand, Hoshino Sora stretched lazily, then began to put on the clothes that had 'accidentally' fallen on the floor last night.
The two others behind him did the same, except for the somewhat air-headed Shiina Mashiro, who insisted that Hoshino Sora help her get dressed. Sometimes, Hoshino Sora really wondered if she did it on purpose.
But it didn't matter, because no matter if Shiina Mashiro was doing it on purpose or not, he was always the one who benefited in the end.
Given that, worrying about such things would only be a waste of time.
"You're having a Shokugeki with Yumeko?! Why have I never heard you mention it!? How did you offend her? Does it really have to be resolved through a Shokugeki?"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Shiina Shinohiru said in shock, her small mouth slightly agape, her eyes filled with disbelief.
To her, it seemed there was no conflict between the two of them that needed to be resolved through a Shokugeki, right…
"How could I offend her? I'm not some heinous villain. This is just a very ordinary match. She just thinks a Shokugeki is more formal, so it's a Shokugeki."
Hoshino Sora spoke slowly. The reason he agreed to Yumeko Jabami's Shokugeki was actually for another purpose: to restart the "Hero's Trial" project.
[Quest Name]: Hero's Trial
[Quest Description]: You defeated Kurokiba Ryo in Starry Sky Between and made a boastful declaration. Next, you must accept everyone's challenges. The rewards provided will vary based on the influence of each battle.
[Quest Requirements]: Defeat opponents. If you lose a Shokugeki, the Hero's Trial will completely disappear.
[Quest Reward]: Rewards given based on opponent's strength
That's right, it was the score-grinding quest accepted a long time ago. Last time, because only small fry appeared, even though Hoshino Sora worked hard, he only gained about six thousand prestige points.
This amount of prestige was a lot for him at that time, but for him now, it seemed somewhat insufficient.
But it didn't matter. After defeating Yumeko Jabami, he would release a message: anyone could challenge him, and if they won, they could claim the Ten Elite First Seat.
Such a temptation, he believed no one would be able to resist! Even the current Elite Ten would surely be tempted to challenge him, to climb to the pinnacle of Far Moon!
At that time, as long as Hoshino Sora could hold out until the end, he would definitely gain an unimaginable amount of prestige!
And with prestige, he could expand the Gourmet Manor. An expanded Gourmet Manor could cultivate more mutated ingredients, and then he could also take his wives to see it.
Also, the Dimensional Restaurant needed to be upgraded. It would be lively when multiple planes merged!
However, after the match in the afternoon, he still had to work the night shift. He had to admit that he, as the manager, was somewhat too busy.
However, this feeling of fulfillment was not bad.
The dishes from the daytime matches could be served to guests from the Other World at night, which meant he wouldn't have to rack his brains thinking about menus. No matter how you looked at it, it was a win-win situation!
Having determined his next goal, Hoshino Sora's smile was evident. To Shiina Shinohiru, his smile seemed a bit inexplicable, so she said: "Whatever you want, but you're making it so we don't know who to cheer for."
"It doesn't matter who you cheer for.
But speaking of which, Shinohiru, you managed to pass the promotion exam. You've made great progress during this time."
Looking at Shiina Shinohiru's troubled expression, Hoshino Sora changed the subject. Her successfully passing the promotion assessment was quite surprising to him.
"What are you saying! What is this! Isn't it a given that I would successfully pass the promotion assessment?"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's surprised words, Shiina Shinohiru put her hands on her hips and pretended to be angry, though her tone was full of pride. After all, these were the results of her hard work.
Of course, it also couldn't escape Hoshino Sora's diligent guidance. If he hadn't laid such a solid foundation for her, she would never have been able to present 50 pork dishes in the final assessment!
"That's right, it's only natural for my Shinohiru to pass the assessment! After putting in so much effort, she's finally seeing the rewards."
Hearing Shiina Shinohiru's words, Hoshino Sora smiled. To be honest, when she participated in the promotion assessment, the person he worried about the most was Shiina Shinohiru, fearing she wouldn't pass and would be forced to repeat the year.
However, when he saw her again later, because the girl's demeanor was normal and her behavior was also very normal, he temporarily forgot about it until just now when it suddenly came back to him.
"Actually, a lot of the credit goes to you too. That much is undeniable. Do you know why I fell in love with you? It's not just because of your handsomeness, but also your meticulous care for me."
As she spoke, Shiina Shinohiru hugged Hoshino Sora. At this moment, she wished she could completely melt into his body, while speaking the most sincere confession.
She had wanted to say these words for a long time, but because she never had the chance, she kept them bottled up inside.
The moment she passed the promotion assessment, the person she most wanted to celebrate with was actually Hoshino Sora, but she didn't see him after the assessment ended that day.
Later, when they boarded the train, they weren't in the same carriage.
Helplessly, this plan could only be put on hold.
But now it was fine; the words she wanted to say finally came out. Shiina Shinohiru would never forget Hoshino Sora's kindness for the rest of her life!
Honestly, if it weren't for Hoshino Sora, she might have been eliminated by the graduates during the Hell Training Camp, because her luck had never been very good.
When she was little, she often complained.
But now it seemed that perhaps meeting Hoshino Sora had used up all her luck, which was why she had been so unlucky before then.
"Alright, good girl. I didn't expect Miyu to be so fond of cuddling."
Although he had the intention of making Shiina Shinohiru let go, Hoshino Sora didn't push her away. Instead, he continued to let her cling to him, waiting until she got tired and let go voluntarily before he was free.
"Is that not allowed? I'm just that kind of girl."
"Of course it's allowed. The crying child gets the candy, and the woman who knows how to flirt gets her husband's affection. That's an eternal truth."
Hearing Shiina Shinohiru's seemingly chiding words, Hoshino Sora immediately laughed heartily, his face filled with affection for her.
"What about me? Sora, love me a little more too."
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