In Tokyo: They are heavily dependent on me

Chapter 30. Shibuya! Shibuya!

Walking a short distance uphill along Dogenzaka, you'll come into view a crossroads that can accommodate thousands of people, with an estimated hundred crossing at the same time.

Looking up through the gaps between the tall buildings, the sky was already pitch black. In the human subconscious, the night is frightening and dangerous, yet the ground below was still brightly lit. The memory deeply ingrained in our genes seemed to have completely disappeared at this moment.

Kaoru and Rin walked into a barbecue restaurant by the roadside, and the cold air that hit them immediately enveloped them.

Rin huddled up, feeling cold. The air conditioning in the barbecue restaurant was very strong, and she regretted not wearing an extra coat.

Kaoru sat down at an empty seat and ordered premium beef tongue, premium pork tenderloin, king oyster mushrooms, and orange juice.

Soon, the ordered ingredients were brought up, along with seasonings, lemons to neutralize the smell of the grilled meat, salt (essential for grilling), and complimentary ice cream.

"Do you need any help?"

The waiter had a professional smile on his face as he spoke. Xun had experience with barbecue before. After Xun said, "Thank you, I can do it myself," the waiter bowed to him and then left.

Place the sliced ​​beef tongue on a grill rack with tongs, brush it with a layer of grease, and occasionally drip grease onto the dark red flames. Whenever this happens, flames leap out and lick the surrounding air.

The premium beef tongue sizzled as it was grilled, and Rin couldn't sit still any longer. She looked through the rising smoke at Kaoru.

"Brother, is it almost done? The meat seems to be cooked enough."

"It's not fully cooked yet, let's bake it a little longer."

Xun was somewhat relieved that his sister's taste was exactly the same as his. Unlike some heartless guys who were interested in rare or medium-rare grilled meat, he preferred well-done, or at least medium-well.

Rin is the same, and she has a high tolerance for spiciness, so Kaoru can add her favorite seasonings without worry.

After grilling for a few more minutes, the beef tongue was done. Kaoru placed all three slices of beef tongue into the plate in front of Rin.

"You eat first, I'll grill some more."

"No! My brother wants some too!"

Rin used one hand to hold the grilled beef tongue, and with the other hand, he picked up the plate and brought the beef tongue to his mouth.

"Brother, you should eat first. After all, you're the one who works."

"Since you've put it that way, I won't stand on ceremony."

Kaoru bit into the beef tongue, and the splattering oil made his face contort in pain. Seeing this, Rin quickly handed him some chilled orange juice.

"Ah, I'm saved..."

After taking a sip of orange juice, Xun's complexion finally returned to normal.

It's too hot! We should eat it later.

"Brother...I'm sorry...I should have blew on it first before giving it to you..."

"It's okay, it's not hot, I just choked by accident."

Xun grabbed a tissue to wipe away the tears that had streamed down her face from the burn, and continued grilling the meat.

Rin's gaze lingered on the glass of orange juice that had been drunk from.

She hesitated for a moment, then, taking advantage of Xun's inattention, she swapped the drink she had taken with the one her brother had taken.

There was still obvious saliva residue on the straw that had been bitten flat by teeth.

Rin carefully brought the juice close to her cheek and sucked on the cool liquid inside... Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she could clearly feel that the orange juice tasted better.

Xun, who had been grilling meat for a while, was a little hungry. She picked up the orange juice and took a sip, completely unaware that the juice had been secretly switched.

Soon, the next batch of beef tongue, king oyster mushrooms, and pork tenderloin were also grilled together.

The school's cooking class taught related courses, and Xun memorized them after learning them once. He was very experienced in grilling meat, and the taste of his grilled meat was comparable to that of professional chefs in barbecue restaurants.

The orange juice was quickly finished, but there was still more than half of the pork tenderloin and beef tongue left. Xun ordered two more glasses of orange juice and was about to continue enjoying the barbecue when the screen of her phone, which was placed next to her, lit up.

He glanced at it; it was a message from Xiaolin.

[This is so annoying, just tell me, I'm busy]

Xun picked up her chopsticks with one hand and replied to the message with the other.

[At next month's school festival, the school will be recruiting volunteers to maintain order and cleanliness. Ms. Shoko is planning to have you participate. Although there's no money involved, it can improve your grades and earn you the favor of the academic director.]

Oh, I see.

The process was surprisingly easy; to his surprise, Kobayashi agreed so quickly.

Kaoru planned to continue grilling meat, but seeing so much beef tongue and premium pork tenderloin left, he knew the two of them couldn't possibly finish it all. To avoid waste... he finally decided...

With a "click," the flash went off, and after taking the photo, he sent it to Xiaolin.

Want to have some barbecue together? Rin's here too. We just started eating and ordered a bit too much.

I won't help you with the bill, I'll only help you with the barbecue!

No problem, come on over quickly, I remember you live nearby.

Xun sent the address and quickly received a reply.

You said it yourself, I would eat all the barbecue.

He had just put down his phone when Rin, sitting opposite him, asked curiously, "Is brother chatting with another girl?"

Seeing her somewhat strange look, Kaoru casually replied, "Yeah, I gave Kobayashi some tasks assigned by the teacher and also invited her over for barbecue."

He swallowed the pork tenderloin and added, "We can't waste food."

Less than five minutes later, the door of the barbecue restaurant was pushed open. Kobayashi looked around and quickly noticed the two people sitting in the seats.

Good evening, Rin.

"Ah, good evening, Chio-chan."

She put down her bag, sat down next to Rin, and then looked at Kaoru across from her.

"Tell me quickly."

Xun placed the set of cutlery and orange juice she had asked the waiter in front of her.

"Tch... Good evening, Hoshino-kun."

The amount of meat to be grilled became enough for three people, which was a bit difficult for Kaoru to handle by himself. He couldn't even free his hands to eat the grilled meat, so Rin kept blowing on the grilled meat to cool it down before feeding it to him.

"Rin, you have a different hairstyle today... It's so cute."

As Kobayashi ate her grilled meat alone, she noticed the twin ponytails hanging down behind her.

Yes, it's a different hairstyle than before. Although I think it's the first time she's tried it, it suits her surprisingly well.

"Chio-chan is so cute! I'd like to get my hair permed if I could."

Rinten didn't have time to answer her question; he was feeding Kaoru while stuffing beef tongue into his own mouth.

"No need, Chio-chan is cute just the way she is."

Kobayashi swallowed the beef tongue, savoring the tender oil melting on her tongue and the taste of the premium meat. She slightly raised her face and looked at Rin beside her with some envy.

This guy... he's handsome, gets good grades, and is liked by teachers, that's all.

Even the grilled meat tastes so good...

For a fleeting moment, she even wanted to be this guy's sister...