When a girl doesn't refuse to share a pair of chopsticks with you, it usually means she has a good impression of you and is waiting for you to make the next move.

Ryohei took the chopsticks and smiled, a bright, sunny expression on his face. He then picked up a paper-thin slice of fish, dipped it in the sauce, and brought it to his mouth.

"Unbelievably good—!"

The moment it entered his mouth, Ryohei's eyes lit up with pure astonishment.

"The paper-thin fish is so incredibly smooth, you barely need to chew. It just melts on your tongue like a snowflake," he said, half to himself. "The pure sweetness of the fish blossoms on the palate, intertwining with the rich, complex flavors of the sauce. It's so delicious you could get lost in it, like being at the center of a grand feast for the senses!"

Yurine looked up at him, and seeing him with his chin slightly raised, praising his own cooking with such passion, she couldn't help but smile. Of course, she also felt a strange little flutter in her heart; after all, they had just had an indirect kiss.

"Yurine, the rest is for you," Ryohei said, handing the chopsticks back to her. He was already thinking about what other dishes he could try to make now that he had his ability. He was curious to see how his old recipes would taste with the [Glowing Cuisine] buff. Maybe he could even recreate some of the classic dishes from anime, like the Rising Dragon Dumplings or the Comet Fried Rice from Cooking Master Boy. The thought was exciting.

"What is it you want me to eat, Ryohei-kun?" Yurine asked, a playful glint in her eye as she took back the chopsticks, her gaze lingering for a second on the still-damp tip. The words just slipped out, and she immediately felt a little flustered.

Ryohei looked at her, surprised. He glanced at her full, cherry-pink lips and thought for a moment. "You might not believe this," he said with a straight face, "but my mouth is sweet."

"...Is that the line you use to trick all the young girls?" Yurine asked with a teasing smile.

"You wound me! There aren't any girls for me to trick!" he replied, holding up his hands in a gesture of innocence.

"I don't believe you," she said, shaking her head as she picked up a slice of fish.

Is that a rejection of a kiss? Ryohei thought, a little disappointed. But he quickly recovered, sighing dramatically. "In this day and age, a man can't even get credit for telling the truth."

"I'll pretend I believe you," Yurine said, closing her eyes to savor the sashimi. She then peeked at him through one eye, turned her head slightly, and whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "Baka. I just don't want my first kiss to taste like sea bream…" Her cheeks felt hot; they were probably blushing.

"Oh, is that so?" The tables had turned. Ryohei, who had been about to get back to work, felt a surge of joy, a smile he couldn't contain spreading across his face. He thought about it. It wasn't really a good time for a kiss right now, and they had to go buy furniture and move in the afternoon. So… maybe tonight, after they had washed up and were ready for bed? Yes. That was a good time.

With that happy thought, he got back to work, a new spring in his step. It seemed he might have a girlfriend soon…

"Jashin-chan, is he making all seafood for lunch?" Minos asked, sitting on the tatami and repeatedly glancing toward the kitchen. First, she had smelled the rich garlic, then a warm, inviting aroma of fish and tofu, followed by a spicy, savory smell of shrimp, and now the fragrant, spicy scent of crab. Minos had to admit, Jashin-chan's subject had skills. His cooking was no worse than Jashin-chan's—in fact, it was leagues better.

"I don't know, it seems like it. A seafood feast, maybe?" Jashin-chan replied. She hadn't gone shopping with them, so she had no idea what the menu was. The enticing smells, however, spurred her regeneration. She was now fully recovered, but the process had used a lot of energy. She was starving and desperately needed some of Ryohei's food to soothe her body and soul.

"Ugh—! I'm starving, I'm going to go see," she announced, and slithered toward the kitchen.

"I'll go too," Medusa said, gracefully getting to her feet.

"Eh?" Minos scratched her head. If they're both going, I'll go too!

"Whoa—! I'm starving! Subject, is there anything I can have a bite of first?" Jashin-chan whined as she entered the kitchen. She saw Yurine and immediately froze, pulling Medusa in front of her like a shield. "I have a hostage!"

Medusa: "..." I'm used to it.

Yurine just gave Jashin-chan a look you'd give an idiot. Ryohei, who was plating a dish of spicy crab, also looked over in surprise. "You really are a scumbag, Jashin-chan."

"Ehehe~, I'm not that great~," she replied with a goofy grin, misinterpreting the insult as a compliment.

"I don't think he was praising you," Minos said, arriving at the doorway and giving Jashin-chan a sidelong glance.

"Yurine, could you take these out?" Ryohei said, then pointed at Jashin-chan. "You, serve the rice." He had originally planned not to make her any lunch as punishment, but he relented since she had brought Minos over.

"Oh, okay," Jashin-chan said, releasing Medusa. When Ryohei gave her a job, Yurine usually left her alone. She was safe for now.

It was then that Medusa and Minos finally noticed the food.

"The food… it's glowing!" Medusa gasped, her pure purple eyes wide with amazement.

Minos tilted her head, intrigued. "Strange, I don't sense any magic…" She didn't understand.

"Make way, make way," Yurine said, carrying out two large plates of food. The two demons obediently stepped aside.

Today's lunch was a massive feast: a Chef's Special Sashimi Platter (Ise Lobster and Sea Bream), Salt-Grilled Sea Bream, Chili Garlic Crab, Sea Bream Head and Bone Soup with Tofu, Steamed Abalone with Glowing Garlic Sauce, Steamed Ise Lobster with the same sauce, and Clam Chawanmushi. They would eat in courses, as not everything could fit on the small table.

While the others set the table, Minos saw the oven beep. Feeling like she should help, she walked over. "The heatproof gloves are to the left of the oven," Ryohei called out.

"Oh." Minos found them but didn't use them. Despite her delicate appearance, she had high defense and wasn't afraid of the heat.

Soon, they were all gathered around the low table. Yurine poured sake for everyone. When all the cups were full, Ryohei raised his. "Well then… let's have a toast!"

"Kanpai—!"

The moment the toast was over, Jashin-chan, looking famished, immediately swept a large portion of sashimi onto her plate. "Ooh~! Delicious~!" she cried out, her body trembling with pleasure.

Minos, having also taken some sashimi, marveled at how thinly it was sliced before putting a piece in her mouth.

"Eh…?" Her mind went blank for a second. When she came to, the fish had vanished, replaced by a surging wave of incredible flavor. Her ruby-red eyes widened in shock.

Sunlight pierced the surface of the ocean, casting shimmering patterns on the magnificent and mysterious world below. On the seafloor, a large, red-shelled lobster waved its long antennae, its claws poised. Its eyes met Minos's. She was completely bewildered.

The next moment, her consciousness returned to reality.

"I…!" She turned to Ryohei, her face a mask of disbelief. "I think I was just at the bottom of the ocean, and I saw a small lobster!" (The Ise lobster wasn't small, but compared to the ones in the Demon World, it was.)

"That's normal," Ryohei said, already eating a piece of grilled fish. "Eating my food often leads to some strange… I mean, some unbelievable experiences."

"Sugoi!" Minos exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. This was the coolest thing she had ever experienced. But most importantly— "It's so delicious!" she declared, and began to eat the rest of her sashimi, this time savoring it slowly. The flavor was clean and sweet, the texture unbelievably tender. It was a true feast for the senses.

"Whoa—!" she marveled again, her eyes now gleaming as she looked at the other dishes. If the sashimi is this good, what about the rest? She excitedly picked up a pair of serving chopsticks.

Ryohei savored his salt-grilled sea bream. The skin was golden and crispy, the flesh tender and moist. The simple sea salt brought out the fish's natural sweetness perfectly. "High-quality ingredients," he said aloud, "often only require the simplest cooking methods."

"You really have a way with words," Minos said, happily crunching on a prawn—shell, head, and all. She gave him a big thumbs-up. "But I acknowledge your skill! I declare you the strongest!" This prawn was absolutely amazing. It was a stunner for her bovine life. If I could eat like this all the time… For the first time, Minos seriously considered the offer to stay in the human world and protect Ryohei.

"This…!" Medusa pointed excitedly at her bowl of soup. "This fish head soup is incredible, too! It has such a comforting flavor!" Her affection score for Ryohei was shooting through the roof.

"Hoo…" Yurine was fanning her mouth, her little pink tongue sticking out. "So fragrant, so spicy! And a little numbing… but so good!" She couldn't stop eating the chili garlic crab, even though it was burning her tongue.

Ryohei smiled, watching them all. Yurine was cute, Medusa was cute, Minos was great, and Jashin-chan… well, she was eating a bit too fast, but she was fine. He figured the water in the steamer was boiling by now. "You guys keep eating," he said, getting up. "I'm going to go steam the last three dishes."

"There's more?" Minos asked, her mouth full of oil, a look of shocked delight on her face.

"Of course," Ryohei said. "I said it was a seafood feast, didn't I?" He then turned and headed back to the kitchen.