Chapter 442: Today's Meal at Senpai Mai's House

At 11:30 AM, a cold wind blew fiercely outside in Ginza, and a light rain began to fall in the air.

Inside the top-floor penthouse of the luxury high-rise in Roppongi where Mai-senpai lives, however, it was warm and cozy.

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows shut out the severe cold outside, and underfloor heating made the glossy wooden floor radiate a comfortable warmth. The air was filled with a complex aroma that made one's index finger twitch — the rich, mellow scent of thick broth mixed with the unique, pleasant charred fragrance of freshly fried food.

Saito Asuka took off her thick wool coat, revealing a soft off-white cable-knit shirt underneath, cuffs slightly rolled up, and a slightly oversized dark blue apron tied around her waist, forming an interesting contrast with her petite figure.

She was carefully placing three huge, golden-crisp shrimp tempura — the shrimp meat so plump it nearly burst through the thin, translucent batter — gently atop a ramen bowl filled with rich tonkotsu broth. The bowl already cradled a perfectly soft-boiled egg, glossy braised pork, vivid green onions, crunchy wood ear mushroom strips, and a sheet of nori printed with the restaurant's logo. This was by no means ordinary convenience store ramen, but a "premium set meal" Asuka had put her heart into and practiced hard for a long time recently.

There's no way I'd make this for that fat woman who goes oink-oink all day with fat sizzling off her body!

I only make it for Mai-neesan and Uesugi-san!

The Chosen Girl looked smug.

"Done! Sōsetsu-san, Mai-sama, please enjoy!" Asuka's voice carried a hint of elation and nervousness after completing a challenge, her cheeks faintly flushed from the kitchen's heat. She set the final set meal, accompanied by pickles in a delicate small dish and a small bowl of rice, steadily on the bar counter.

Having finished business talk, Shirakawa Mai and Uesugi Muneyuki had long been drawn by the aroma and sat around the bar by the open-plan kitchen. Today Mai wore comfortable loungewear paired with alluring transparent grey pantyhose, her whole person exuding a lazy, gentle homely vibe, while Sōsetsu wore simple dark clothing, looking steady and composed.

"Wow! Asuka-chan, this is amazing!" Mai's eyes sparkled as she looked at the ramen set meal before her, a work of art, and praised sincerely, "Just this fried shrimp — the batter so thin and transparent, the shrimp meat so plump — it looks delicious!" She picked up her chopsticks and lightly poked through a tempura shrimp, emitting a crisp "crack" sound, hot steam carrying the fresh sweetness of seafood rushing toward her face.

Uesugi Muneyuki also nodded in agreement: "Indeed exceeds expectations. This broth's color and aroma are very professional. Asuka, thanks for the trouble." He smiled gently, expressing gratitude for Asuka's thoughtfulness.

The three picked up chopsticks and began eating amid the steaming heat. Crispy tempura dipped into the rich broth let out a faint "sizzle" sound; the half-melted batter absorbed the soup, intertwining with the springy shrimp meat to create an exquisite texture in the mouth. The tonkotsu broth was mellow and fragrant, with just the right amount of richness, warmth spreading instantly from the stomach through the whole body, dispelling the last trace of wintry chill outside the window.

"Mmm... so satisfying!" Mai let out a happy sigh, her cheeks steamed pink by the heat, "Asuka's cooking keeps getting better, you could open a shop in the future."

Asuka waved her hand a bit embarrassedly: "Just followed a recipe, and the ingredients were good. Mainly wanted to thank Mai-sama and Uesugi-san for always taking care of me." She slurped noodles in small mouthfuls, her movements still carrying that unique bird-like cuteness.

Topics flowed naturally under the comfort of good food. They chatted about recent schedules, mutual friends' updates, the atmosphere relaxed and warm.

"Speaking of which," Sōsetsu seemed to recall something, wiped his mouth corner with a tissue, tone carrying a touch of emotion: "You two should know about the Metropolitan Police Department's recent case, right."

"Ah, I know, it's Yamada Nanase's wife!" Mai-senpai immediately chimed in, eyes flashing with interest, "Yeah, I've been keeping an eye on Junior-kun too, so pitiful, so young and her husband died, I remember she married at 23, she's only 24 this year, right?"

"Mhm mhm, Minami-neesan told me too!" Asuka also nodded vigorously, mouth still half-full of noodles, somewhat moved: "I watched that police funeral, that kind of resilient yet gentle feeling, so pitiful! And..." she swallowed the noodles, added, "And I don't know why, I always feel like I've met her before."

"I have that feeling too! Though I don't know her, she feels so familiar, like in a past life we were in an idol group together serving as W-CENTER!" Mai-senpai agreed: "Maybe in a past life we were in a group called Shirohaku!"

"Then me and Mai-neesan would be Shiratori!" Asuka wrinkled her nose, noticeably more lively in front of Mai-senpai: "Asuka-chan can also translate to Tsubasa~"

"Yamada-san has already formally joined the Metropolitan Police Department Police Affairs Department Personnel Division." Uesugi Muneyuki added, as an insider his information was more comprehensive: "Although they're all clerical female officers, the Personnel Division side actually... has quite a bit of status and power, this is already the highest treatment Headquarters could secure for her."

Finishing, Uesugi Muneyuki looked a bit helpless: "If you count Yamada Keibu's survivor pension and various extra income, her income is almost higher than my previous after-tax take-home pay, not to mention this kind of line-of-duty death also gives nearly 20 million yen in one lump sum."

"Sigh, Junior-kun, why do you care so much about money, don't you still have me?" Mai-senpai was both exasperated and amused, she thought a moment, changed the subject: "Also congratulations to you, Sōsetsu, 24 years old, Investigation Division 1 Chief Medical Examiner, Tokyo University Clinical Specialized Physician, National Forensic Medical Examiner with annual salary 12 million take-home 9.4 million, me, I really watched you walk step by step from a small forensic examiner at Fuji TV to where you are now."

As she spoke, Shirakawa Mai's bright face showed a gratified and proud smile, as if Uesugi Muneyuki's achievements were her own glory: "Really wonderful. Watching you walk step by step to now, finding the path most suited to you, shining bright, truly makes me happy, as your senior and Gunma Tokiwa Middle School I also share in the honor!"

Mai-senpai said it half-jokingly, tone full of sincere blessings.

"Uesugi-san, super strong, super amazing, super considerate!" Asuka waved her small fist, said in a low voice, the girl not good at flattery, but her Uesugi-san deserved all praise.

Under warm lamplight, ramen steam curled upward, the three's laughter and talk of successfully solved cases intertwined, outside the window was Tokyo's early March biting spring chill, inside the window was a small world built from friendship, food, and sincere joy for a partner's success, isolating the cold, filled with warmth.

Asuka looked at Uesugi Shiro's happy appearance, then at the luxurious ramen nearly swept clean before her, and smiled satisfied, feeling her serious preparation was truly worth it.

Only by Uesugi-san's side could she feel the warmth belonging to home.

But Asuka soon discovered, seems this home here is the same.

After finishing the meal, she was clearing dishes when she saw Uesugi following behind Shiro up the stairs, Shirakawa Mai's two jade-pillar-like gray silk beautiful legs swaying slightly, her round plump silk-stockinged beautiful buttocks twisting and swaying fully displayed before Uesugi Muneyuki, moving back and forth with her steps.

And Uesugi Muneyuki followed close behind her, the two disappearing together into the upper floor.

"Ashūshū, you rest a bit, the guest room is over there~"

"Sōsetsu and I have some things to discuss~"

The moment Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai disappeared, Asuka saw Uesugi Muneyuki's large hand just slip under Mai-senpai's skirt, gripping the space between her thighs covered in gray silk stockings, feeling the stockings' slipperiness and elasticity, casually kneading and playing with them, and Mai-senpai let him grope her, even deliberately slowing her steps to encourage larger movements, and at that moment Asuka saw spirit power gathering on Uesugi Muneyuki's arm.

Mai-senpai calling Asuka to her home had another important reason: to try to test her Inner World talent.

But the meal was done, and Asuka thought: what about me?

You two, how come you went up first?

Asuka simply washed dishes with the dishwasher, cleared the desk surface, and angrily went to the first-floor guest room to lie down, but just as she lay down she faintly heard Mai-neesan's "ooh~ oink~" sounds from upstairs.

The girl was so mad she directly covered her cute face with the blanket, truly wanting to cry but having no tears.

How come she oinks over at Sakata Bridge side, and oinks here at Roppongi too?

Then didn't I come for nothing?

Damn it! When will I grow up, when will it be my turn?!

(Chapter End)