Chapter 1001

"Broly, you came into the bookstore just to buy a recipe book and take it back?"

Seeing the books Broly had selected, Nakiri Erina raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Mm, the number of dishes I can cook is still relatively few, so I plan to look at recipe books and learn a bit."

Broly nodded, but in reality he simply didn't have anything he particularly wanted to buy, so he just casually picked a few that looked useful.

"Reading recipe books, what true skill can that teach? Especially the authors listed above — they're basically all guys whose names I've never heard of."

Nakiri Erina was somewhat dissatisfied with Broly buying recipe books, because he had her — a super powerful teacher right by his side — yet didn't consult her, and instead planned to learn cooking from recipe books edited by some unknown minor characters.

"Erina-sama, the authors on those are actually relatively famous; some are even seniors who successfully graduated from our Totsuki Academy."

Arato Hisako glanced at the author names on some of the recipe books in Broly's hands, and had to lean close to her own Big Sister's ear to remind her in a small voice.

"Uh————"

Nakiri Erina was choked for a moment, but Totsuki Academy is an enterprise run by the Nakiri family; she, as the Nakiri family's Big Sister, couldn't possibly deliberately dismantle the platform her own family built.

However, stubborn as she was, she absolutely couldn't admit she had misspoken; she could only cross her arms and retort stubbornly: "So what? Are those people more powerful than me? Broly, leaving me — a more powerful teacher — unconsulted, and instead planning to self-study cooking by reading books, isn't that just being a total idiot?"

"Erina-sensei, you have time to instruct me now?"

Hearing this, Broly's eyes lit up as he asked; currently the person mainly instructing him in cooking was Arato Hisako; Nakiri Erina had only personally instructed him for the first few days after he entered the Sixth Cooking Building; after that she threw the whole thing to Arato Hisako to handle.

"Ah, this————"

Nakiri Erina also reacted to this matter, but having her take back her previous words seemed a bit like slapping her own face.

"If I have time, I will definitely instruct you————"

In the end, Nakiri Erina could only say this, forcibly saving face for herself.

"Then fine, I won't buy these recipe books; if there's any cooking I want to learn in the future, I'll just go directly to consult Erina-sensei."

Broly hadn't entered the bookstore to buy recipe books in the first place; now hearing there would be a chance to have more contact with Nakiri Erina in the future, he decisively put the recipe books back.

Books teaching is not as good as a girl teaching; being taught by books only satisfies the appetite, but being taught by a girl, who knows — maybe in the process one can cultivate more factors that produce Happiness Value.

"I said I would personally instruct you only if I have time————"

Nakiri Erina corrected his words from the side.

"I know, so, to increase the probability of Erina-sensei having time to instruct me, I plan to give you some more gifts."

Broly went along with the flow and nodded.

"Gifts? Let me tell you first, ordinary gifts, I won't even look at."

"Rest assured, the gifts I want to give are books; Erina-sensei, you can select whatever books you like in this bookstore and take them back."

Gift-giving must hit the key point; Nakiri Erina chooses the gifts herself, and Broly decided just being the final payer was enough.

"Any books at all?!"

Nakiri Erina's eyes widened as she asked.

"Mm, any books at all, as long as you like them."

Broly nodded in reply.

"Great, finally I can buy all the comic books I want to read and take them back."

The words she was delighted to say in her heart, Nakiri Erina did not speak aloud; she is the Nakiri family's Big Sister, a current member of the Totsuki Ten, a dazzling figure in others' eyes.

And a hobby like liking to read shoujo comic books, so like an otaku's taste — how could it be easily exposed before outsiders?

"Hmph, ordinary bookstore-purchasable books related to cooking, I don't need at all."

Unable to directly reveal her true preference, Nakiri Erina started sulking again, and replied to Broly somewhat displeasedly.

"Then I won't give cooking books; hmm, let me think what books would be good to give; right, how about I give Erina-sensei some comic books?"

Broly had seen all of Nakiri Erina's reactions after entering the bookstore; at first he thought she was paying extra attention to the bookstore for the sake of knowledge.

But after discovering what Nakiri Erina was looking at, Broly had already overturned that idea, and now he was confirming whether what she paid extra attention to was as he had observed.

"Really?!"

And Nakiri Erina's reaction was exceptionally genuine; upon hearing Broly would give some comic books, her eyes lit up.

But immediately after, she reacted that her own expressed attitude was a bit off, and hurriedly coughed lightly and said: "I'm actually not interested in comic books or the like."

"Then I'll change to a different type of book to give?"

"Wait————"

"Hm?"

"Cough, what I mean is, the books here are basically of no use to me; between useless and useless, comic books at least serve the function of killing time.

Yes, if you insist on giving, I feel this type of book would be more meaningful than other types; it might even give me more free time to teach you some new cooking methods."

Having finished speaking, Nakiri Erina didn't forget to add: "Mm, that's right, this is just picking the tallest among the short; it's absolutely not that I really want those comic books."

The girl's justification was more like a 'there's no silver buried here' situation; Broly, Arato Hisako, and Mito Ikumi — the three of them — seeing her shining eyes and serious look as she said this, all simultaneously produced a similar retort in their hearts: 【Clearly she looks like she really wants them————】

Of course, exposing her is impossible; a capture target with a somewhat tsundere personality must be stroked the right way.

Broly walked to the bookshelf where comic books were placed, looking at the numerous comic books, with prices basically all between 500~600 yen.

He really wanted to say 【One of each, wrap them all up】, but considering his wallet wasn't very full, he still restrained himself from this rather generous act.

"Erina-sensei, the funds in my pocket aren't quite enough to buy you one of everything, but I don't know what types of comic books you like, so I'll pick a few for you."

"Mm, I want————"

Nakiri Erina subconsciously wanted to directly say the shoujo manga she wanted to read, but her voice stopped halfway, because she reacted that she had to maintain her persona of not liking shoujo manga, so she opened her mouth and said: "I don't usually read these things; you just randomly pick one you think looks good, a newly released comic book is fine."

【Although I can't make up for the parts I didn't read before, at least I can see the latest parts; that's right, just pick the latest volumes of shoujo manga that just came out recently, the ones I haven't found an excuse to have Hisako help me buy yet — any of them is fine————】

"Since that's the case, then I'll pick this one."

After hearing Nakiri Erina's words, Broly casually picked up a comic book he thought looked good and said to the girl.

"Boy, fight with all your might in another world, then go meet different types of girls, Volume 3."

Arato Hisako read out the comic book's title; Nakiri Erina's face subsequently darkened to the bottom of a pot; this manga's title, one listen and it's clearly a harem manga; a shounen hot-blooded manga she could still accept, but who wants to watch a paper character run a grand harem in a comic book!

No, otome-oriented harem manga, she still prefers that kind, for example the type like 【Sakura X School Male PR Department】.

【Nakiri Erina, Happiness Value decreasing————】

"Uh, Teacher Erina, you don't like this kind?"

Broly picked it up because he felt it was close/intimate due to having isekai elements and meeting different types of girls, but now it seems the girl doesn't like it.

"What, do you think I'd like watching a story about a male paper person opening a harem in another world?"

Nakiri Erina refuted him with a question instead of answering.

"Uh————"

Broly suddenly felt that the path of capture in this world was long and arduous.

However, he soon put away the gloom in his heart; at first unwilling to accept being a harem wife, actually could change bit by bit.

Mm, once feelings deepen, one naturally becomes willing to tolerate one's own flaws, and now, he must make the girl before him who refuses harem elements

deepen her feelings for him.

"Then I'll change books."

Broly started picking books not according to his own taste, but picking them up one by one and holding them up for Nakiri Erina to see.

And Nakiri Erina's tsundere personality did not directly say which ones she liked, but answered that this one was pleasing to the eye, that one was not that great.

Broly used the increases and decreases of Nakiri Erina's Happiness Value on the Crystal Palace Panel as a reference, and quickly picked out manga the other party liked from a pile of comic books.

Broly went to the reception to pay, and after handing the thick paper package containing comic books to Erina, he received the Crystal Palace prompt message that the other party's Happiness Value continued to rise.

Of course, even without this message, Nakiri Erina's happiness after getting the manga she wanted could also be completely seen on her face.

【I just thought she wanted knowledge, but actually wanted manga books; then, I just thought Ikumi Mito liked shooting games, but what the other party truly wanted, is it really that?】

Broly helped hold Erina's doll, looking at the three girls walking ahead, such a thought involuntarily arose in his heart.

【Mm, rather than guessing wildly on my own, it's better to directly ask the other party's thoughts————】

Broly stepped forward, drew level with Ikumi Mito, and took the initiative to speak: "Miss Mito."

", Broly, what is it, do you want to ask me about meat dishes?"

Ikumi Mito looked at him curiously.

"No, I just want to ask, do you like shooting games?"

Broly shook his head and spoke straightforwardly.

"Uh, I don't like them, what's wrong?"

Ikumi Mito told the truth.

"So, what you truly like is actually this doll bear in your hand?"

Broly said again.

"Ah, you, you don't talk nonsense, I actually don't like this one————"

Ikumi Mito subconsciously denied it, but her body was very honest, hugging the doll bear in her arms tightly, afraid that the doll bear in her arms would be taken away by someone.

"It's fine, I also like dolls, but I won't snatch yours."

Broly hurriedly soothed her.

"Uh————"

Ikumi Mito reacted; the person beside her was not her domineering father at home, and would not snatch the doll bear in her arms and break it.

"Sorry, I overreacted a bit."

Ikumi Mito took the initiative to apologize.

"It's fine, but I'm a bit curious, why do you deny the things you like?"

Saying this, Broly lowered his voice.

"After all, Miss Mito, you don't give me the feeling of being a girl like Teacher Erina."

Hisako Arato walking in the middle also pricked up her ears, while Nakiri Erina walking at the very front paid no attention to the situation behind them at all.

"I————"

Ikumi Mito hesitated for a moment, thinking of the boy beside her who had stood up to protect her tonight, and spoke a bit about the toy doll bear birthday gift her mother had given her when she was young, which her father had torn and broken.

"My father doesn't allow me to like dolls, things only girls like, and I don't want my liking to lead to it being broken, so I subconsciously denied it."

"I see, but Miss Mito, aren't you a girl?"

"I am a girl, but I'm the only girl in my family, and the future Heir of the Mito Family cannot be a weak girl, must be someone stronger than boys who can shoulder the family business, so, although I am a girl, my father does not allow me to become a normal kind of girl————"

After Ikumi Mito finished speaking, she apologized to Broly: "Sorry, I picked a fight with you tonight."

"It's fine, I don't blame you at all."

"You, this guy, you're actually a pretty good person."

"I'm only good to a few people, mm, Miss Mito, do you hate your father?"

"Uh, I was a bit afraid before, but it hasn't reached the point of hating him."

Ikumi Mito told the truth; Broly silently thought for a while, then said: "Since that's the case, I won't do much, but there's one thing: you don't need to worry."

", What thing?"

"The doll in your hand was shot down by me and given to you; if your father discovers it later, your father won't allow you to like it, and might even want to destroy it.

Then, you just tell me, I will protect it well, absolutely won't let it be destroyed by your father at will like your old doll bear.

Mm, at that time, I will personally go persuade your father, and tell him, you also have the right to choose what you like."

After Broly finished speaking, Ikumi Mito stared blankly at him; while her Happiness Value rose rapidly, the gyaru girl's cheeks also gradually turned red.

Broly's words sounded a bit chuunibyou-ish, but this was the first time anyone had told her she had the right to choose what she liked.

Ikumi Mito only felt her heart beating a bit fast, and this feeling was also something she experienced for the first time————

However, before this feeling could brew, Nakiri Erina walking ahead discovered that the three people behind had fallen out of line.

Turning around and running back, she started complaining dissatisfiedly at the three who had fallen behind: "What are you guys doing, walking so slow, why don't you hurry up and catch up?"

"Ah, yes, Erina-sama."

Ikumi Mito completely came back to her senses and hurriedly replied.

"What's wrong, Hisako, why are you looking at me with this kind of strange expression?"

Erina noticed her childhood friend secretary's expression was off and subconsciously asked.

"No, it's just, it's not that we walked slow, but that Erina-sama you walked fast————

【So fast that you directly missed just now behind you, a somewhat shoujo manga development plot.】

Hisako Arato replied on the surface, but in her heart she retorted with a sentence.

Not to mention, this feeling of secretly shipping a CP, is still quite interesting.

"Was it me who walked fast?"

Nakiri Erina was somewhat doubtful, but the heavy paper bag in her hand made her feel this might be the truth.

"Sorry, then I'll walk slower?"

She indeed was somewhat impatient, wanting to go back and read the new manga.