"Well then—" Yuu put on his apron and stretched his arms at the kitchen.

"Can I help, Yuu?"

"Ah, sure— then, can you prep these?"

Aoi also went to the kitchen with her apron on started helping Yuu.

"These two are so synchronized…" Hina sulked while sipping on her drink.

"That's right, it's like they have bern newlyweds for years."

"I can hear you"

Yuu turned to them and Sora just gave a wry smile.

"Ah, are those your books, Yuu?"

"Hm, they are. Feel free to read them if you want."

"Sure, thank you."

Sora stood up and went to the bookshelf by the TV and picked up a book and started reading. Hina as well finished her drink and took a book herself and started reading to pass the time while the two worked in the kitchen.

"Here, is this good?"

"Thank you, Aoi. It's perfect, you can wait with them for a few minutes."

"Sure."

Aoi took out her apron and hanged it, and walked towards the living room where the two are still reading peacefully.

𝘕𝘰𝘸— 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴!

Yuu started cooking as he prepared the four cups with a little bit of the prepared drinks in it. That said, he took another three saucers and placed squared flaky bread in it. By now, he should already be calling them, but he still didn't, and continued on cooking. That said, he's only simmering so he has no problem anymore. 

𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩…

"Everyone, it's ready. Aoi, please lead them to the dining room."

"Yeees~" 

Aoi led them to the dining room and let them sit down and went to the kitchen after letting them so.

"Ah, no. I'm fine." Yuu saw her and immediately tried to tell her to go back, but Aoi insisted.

"It's fine, it's fine. That's why I'm here. Let me help."

"Then, if you insist—" Yuu handed her a tray of three plates of the flaky bread.

"Eh? Only three?"

"Mm. I'll just eat some of yours, didn't you notice? One has a larger portion."

"Ah, that's right."

And so, the two of them went to the table with trays in their hands. Aoi holding a tray of three plates, and Yuu holding a tray of four beverages.

"This is?"

After Aoi and Yuu placed the plates on Hina and Sora's side, Hina immediately asked a question, meanwhile, Aoi quietly sat down and Yuu placed the cups to the respective places it's supposed to go.

"Appetizers, Focaccia col Formaggio. And your drinks."

"Fo...what?" Hina dumbfoundedly tried to pronounce it but failed.

"Nevermind the pronunciation, eat up." Yuu said as he sat down next to Aoi while holding a piece of the so-called appetizer.

"!!!" the noises of them biting into the bread can be heard so vividly as it is so flaky and crispy.

"What is this, it's delicious!" Hina said enthusiastically as she continued chomping.

"That's right. And this is just the appetizers?"

Sora also commented on this, and Aoi… just enjoyed eating with a warm smile on her face, and a puffed up mouth.

"Also, Sora, your drink is better warm, so drink up before it gets too cold. That said, you two can also take a sip if you wish to. I'll be back."

Yuu left and returned to the kitchen. He took out his apron and served the dish. He prepared four bowls and placed the dish there. On the side is still another pot simmering at low heat, but he paid no mind to that and carried the tray towards the table.

"Here, the main dish — Boeuf Bourguignon!" Yuu enthusiastically served them their bowls with a spoon.

"Well then—"

𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘶~

The four said in unison as the closed their hands together. After that, Hina was the first and fastest to put her spoon.

"It's still warm, so be careful, Hina." Sora immediately noticed this and warned her as Hina almost placed it in her mouth.

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘵, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵… Yuu thought to himself, but he also decided that it was pointless to think about what the enthusiastic and cheerful Hina would think.

"Thank you, Sora. Fuu~" Hina expressed how cute she is by lightly blowing on the spoonful of the Boeuf Bourguignon she's holding, and stuffed it in her mouth.

"WHAT IS THIS, IT'S SO GOOD!" Hina loudly exclaimed as she continued to stuff her mouth.

"That's right, Yuu. This is amazing, to think my classmate and best friend about the same age as me cooks something this amazing!" 

"That's right. Yuu is amazing, right?! That's why I love him!" Aoi, without even showing a hint of embarrassment from the last phrase she said, said so enthusiastically.

"You guys… stop it, it's… embarrassing…."

"Hehe, I know it is. But to think you're weak to compliments, you basically do not do anything much to be complimented on so I didn't know." Hina chuckled. "But Aoi, please refrain from saying such things in front of other people, even if it's us. It's too much to handle, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Aoi just dumbfoundedly tilted her head while poking her cheek to what Hina said.

"Ahaha, she can be a little airheaded sometimes, but I'll try educating her about it."

"That's right, I've known her for a while, but she still is an airhead when it comes to things like this, huh."

"Wh-What are you talking about, I'm not an airhead!" that, Aoi could comprehend for some reason, but the two simply chuckled their way.

"That said, we still have dessert, so I'll be back again, seems like you guys are almost done." Yuu stood up after finishing up his bowl and headed back to the kitchen.

That said, the other three were also almost finished, just a few spoonfuls away. On the kitchen, Yuu again prepared four bowls and turned back to them to ask, "Anyone want refills for their drinks?"

"𝐌𝐞!" the three said in unison.

"Is that so? Then, Aoi, can you please bring the cups here? Bring mine as well."

"Sure~"

Aoi took their cups and headed to the kitchen and witnessed something amazing.

"Eh… these are….?!" Aoi didn't notice it earlier since they were just preparing the ingredients. But now that she entered, she immediately noticed it… that everything was homemade, from the appetizers to the drinks. She immediately knew that after seeing the variety of different liquids.

"Ah, right. I made everything homemade." Yuu said nonchalantly as he took the cups Aoi was holding and started refilling it. 

"Homemade— that's… amazing..."

"Is that so? Well, it's not that big of a deal for me, here—" Yuu handed her the tray of drinks whilst he carried the tray of the four bowls of desserts.

Yuu immediately noticed the other two frozen in place, and immediately realized that they must've heard it.

"These… are homemade?!... Even the drinks?...." Hina dumbfoundedly surprised as she said so.

"Hm? That's right. I planned to tell you everything about what I prepared on dessert, so—"

"Then, please tell us!" Sora was the one who said it, with a rarely amazed face. 

"Sure." Yuu placed the bowls to their sides and sat down.

"Well then, let's start with the appetizer. Focaccia col Formaggio originated from Italy. It's a simple, flaky bread filled with cheese. Then, a French Main Dish— Boeuf Bourguignon, a stew made with red wine. And the drinks vary to whoever I gave it to. I gave Hoshizora-san a British cuppa tea, Sora a Turkish Coffee, and Aoi and I a Cola, which originated in the U.S. And finally, the desserts in front of you now. It's a Korean Style Sweet Red Bean Porridge."

"..." the couple froze in place and Aoi just continued stuffing her mouth and puffing her cheeks as she ate.

"You're amazing, Yuu… you should try standing out even more… you might be more famous than me at school if you did…"

"That's right! My Yuu is amazing, isn't he!"

"When did I become yours…"

"You are, right?"

"Ah, right… but, I don't like standing out too much. It's too much of a hassle to interact with a lot of people…"

"Haha, I knew that's what you'd answer. Typical Yuu…." Sora chuckled at the answer Yuu gave.

Meanwhile, beside Sora, Hina continued to savor the final food Yuu had offered, the dessert. Her eyes were practically sparkling, though.

"Although… what did you mean earlier, Yuu? I can't get your preference here. How will I pay you back…"

"Ah, so you didn't get it immediately. But, I'd say it. I don't have any particular preferences. So I can eat anything I want. Besides, anything you cook is delicious. It makes me happy enough." Yuu answered her question with a warm smile, and made Aoi's heart flutter immediately.

"I-Is that so…."

"Mmm…" Yuu held her hands tightly and continued to smile, forgetting the fact that there's two more people with them.

"..."

"I'm thinking the same thing, Hina."

"Really? Then it should be easier."

"That's right. We should finish up quickly and leave this two."

"You're right. I might die from the sweetness of these two… it's too much."

"I can do it to you too…"

"Don't. I'd die. Please don't."

"Is that so?" Sora chuckled and Hina simply blushed cutely. And basically, the two couples flirted on their own without even minding the other couple.

"Then, thanks for the food, Awagami. It was amazing!"

"Mm. You're welcome. That said, you'll still be welcome anytime, but don't make it everyday…"

"All right. Well then— goodbye~"

Hina pulled Sora away and both waved their hands goodbye.

"That said, it was quite an early dinner…."

"You're right, well, we still got some leftovers so we can just eat again later, together."

"Mm…"

By the time the two left, it was just around 5 PM, so they had an earlier dinner than usual, and headed back to sit on their couch.