Journey to Planar World

Two days later.

In a simple yet cozy hideout, the aroma of Nino's cooking filled the air.

With her long hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a white apron, Nino stood in front of the stove, checking the simmering soup broth. Occasionally, she tasted it with a small spoon, ensuring the seasoning was just right.

"Almost done."

Cooking for nine people was a challenge, even for her who was used to preparing meals for five at once.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from behind. Without turning around, Nino already knew who was coming.

"Itsuki, don't interrupt! If you want to eat, wait a little longer!"

This wasn't the first time Itsuki had sneakily tasted the food before it was served on the table.

"Ugh..."

Itsuki, who was ready to grab a small piece of meat from the pan, immediately stopped. With her wilted ahoge, she raised both hands in surrender.

"I just wanted to make sure it's good." She said before leaving the kitchen.

In the living room, a relaxed atmosphere was evident, contrasting with the delicious aroma of cooking filling the air. Raiha and Miku were fiercely competing in a video game, while Aishia sat beside them, observing them play with an emotionless expression.

On another sofa, Ichika was watching a drama while scrolling through her phone, she was learning acting self-taught through movies. Itsuki sat beside her with a disgruntled expression, still feeling resentful for being kicked out of the kitchen by Nino.

Meanwhile, Fuutarou was in his room, working on practice problems. He took advantage of the quiet time to study even though their current situation was far from normal. For him, his goal of getting a scholarship remained unchanged. After all, his family was poor. Especially after their father passed away, the responsibility of earning a living fell on him.

"Yotsuba, please wake up Charlie! Lunch is almost ready!" Nino's voice came from the kitchen.

Yotsuba immediately saluted in a military style.

"Ready, Nino!" She said enthusiastically before jumping off the sofa and running towards the stairs.

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

Arriving in front of Charlie's room, Yotsuba knocked lightly.

"Charlie-san, wake up! Nino said lunch is almost ready!"

"..."

No response.

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

Yotsuba knocked again, this time louder.

"Charlie-san! Come on, wake up or you'll miss lunch."

"..."

When there was still no answer, Yotsuba opened the door slightly and peeked inside.

"Zzzz..."

Charlie was lying in his bed, seemingly fast asleep.

Yotsuba approached and gently shook his shoulder.

"Charlie-san, wake up! Lunch is ready."

"Mhm~..."

Opening his eyes slowly, Charlie looked at Yotsuba with a half-conscious expression.

"Lunch is ready?" He asked in a lethargic voice.

"Yes. Nino cooked Charlie-san's favorite food, rendang! She learned how to cook it specifically for you, don't forget to praise her later, okay? By the way, don't tell her I said this, or she'll scold me for not being able to keep a secret." Yotsuba said with a bright smile, then left the room.

"Rendang, huh... That tsundere girl... Doesn't Nino know tsundere is outdated? Well, Nino is different from other tsundere girls, who often use violence to cover up their shame. That's why Nakano Nino is loved by many people in the original work."

Yesterday, Nino asked about his favorite food, Charlie told her that he liked rendang, the tastiest food in the world according to CNN International in 2018.

Unexpectedly, Nino learned the recipe in one day and made it the next day.

"No matter how I look at it, Nakano Nino is the ideal wife, but Uesugi Fuutarou chose Nakano Yotsuba instead. While in other series, the childhood friend attribute is universally recognized as a loser, here the childhood friend is the strongest contender."

Thinking about those absurd things for a moment, his drowsiness disappeared completely. Sighing, Charlie finally got out of bed. He tidied his hair slightly and put on a T-shirt hanging nearby.

"This..."

When Charlie arrived in the dining room, he was greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of cooking. His eyes were fixed on a plate of rendang located in the center of the table.

"Hmph~"

Seeing his reaction, Nino, who had just come out of the kitchen carrying the last dish, raised her chin proudly.

"This is the first time I've cooked rendang, don't expect too much. Consider it my thanks for protecting us." She said with a faint smile on her face.

Normally, a tsundere girl would say, "Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't make it for you! It's just a coincidence, don't think anything strange!". However, Nino's actions were different, although she was a bit tsundere, she wasn't as wordy as typical tsundere girls, and she frankly showed her feelings.

"Thank you, Nino. I really appreciate it." Charlie smiled, his eyes warming.

Nino's face instantly flushed, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be busy arranging the other dishes.

"H-hmph! Don't talk too much. Sit down quickly!"

Not far from there, Ichika, sitting on the sofa, smiled thinly, watching their interaction.

"Nino, you're getting more honest lately."

"Shut up, Ichika!" Nino quickly replied, still with a slightly flushed face.

Raiha, standing near the stairs, called out to her brother who was still studying in his room.

"Onii-chan! Lunch is ready!"

A few moments later, Fuutarou appeared, still with his usual serious expression.

When everyone was seated, Yotsuba was enthusiastic as always.

"Okay, let's eat! Itadakimasu!"

"Ittadakimasu." 6x

Only Charlie and Aishia didn't say 'Ittadakimasu', both of them didn't have that habit before eating.

"...!!!"

Immediately, Charlie took a bite of the rendang. The aroma of spices was strong, and the texture of the meat was tender. He paused for a moment after the first bite and felt nostalgic.

Seeing his reaction, Nino felt a little anxious even though she didn't show it.

"How does it taste? If it's not good, don't eat it. Let Itsuki eat it, she can eat anything."

"Nino, don't treat me like a pig eating leftovers." Itsuki complained resentfully but didn't stop chewing the food in her mouth.

"It's good enough for a first try. You did a good job." Charlie praised subjectively.

He had to admit Nino's cooking skills were above average for Gen Z women, who were notoriously lazy about cooking and considered men who looked for women who could cook as treating women like servant.

"Of course! If I was serious, I could easily beat a five-star chef!"

Happy to hear the praise, Nino pretended to be indifferent.

"It's delicious." Aishia commented after tasting the rendang.

Ichika, Miku, and Yotsuba took turns tasting the rendang.

"Hmm, it's unique. I like it." Ichika said as she gracefully placed her spoon down.

"The spice flavor is strong, but… it's good." Miku added, nodding slightly.

"Wow, Nino! You have to cook this again sometime." Yotsuba exclaimed enthusiastically.

Itsuki, who was initially focused on the soup, finally tried the rendang as well. She nodded in agreement.

"This is really good."

Seeing everyone's praise, Nino felt relieved even though she still pretended to be nonchalant.

After lunch was over, everyone took turns cleaning the table and washing the dishes, while Charlie returned to his room to prepare himself.

The reason he slept until noon was so that he would be in optimal condition and not sleepy. After all, at midnight, the Abyssal Devourer would summon the third villain.

Charlie didn't want any of his protected targets to die due to carelessness.

"The Eclipse Aegis robe was destroyed in the previous fight, let's make some defensive equipment."

Relying on the Mystery Development Abilities, he began working on producing low-quality magic items. After all, Mystery was only Rank I.