"The Sauerkraut fish is here~"
"Wow!!!"
"Hey! Stop nitpicking, go wash your hands first."
Rin slapped away Marisa's paw as a warning. Everyone who had been planning to sneak a bite could only obediently line up to wash their hands.
Reimu, who had already prepared herself, was the first to sit at the table. She closed her eyes and prayed devoutly—
"Indeed, doing good deeds and accumulating virtue in life is somewhat useful."
"Ancestors, please bless me so that I can live this dreamlike life every day from now on. I promise to burn more paper money for you in return."
"Oh, and Mr. Rin's ancestors, please bless us too. Please let this grocery store stay open longer."
"If possible, please also send more dreams to remind Mr. Rin that if something happens to him one day, he can write my name as the heir, or if he has children, he can ask me to be the guardian to help take care of the property..."
Smack!
"Ouch—"
Rin's karate chop made Reimu shrink her head, and she immediately sat up straight, behaving obediently.
"Is this sauerkraut fish extra spicy? Why does it look like there are so many chili peppers?"
Marisa, who had just returned, clicked her tongue as she looked at the bowl full of chili peppers. Even before tasting it, she could already sense the spiciness.
"These chili peppers are mostly for aroma, not just for spiciness. After all, we have to consider the kids too."
Rin explained, rubbing Chen's little head before picking up a piece of fish and feeding it into her mouth.
Chen chewed a few times, and her fluffy cat ears perked up instantly.
"It's delicious!"
Before Rin could say anything, she eagerly grabbed her chopsticks and started fishing for more fish.
With her leading the way, everyone else stopped worrying and quickly took their seats, diving into the food.
Even though they had been snacking all morning, they still acted like they were starving.
"Slow down, don't choke."
"Marisa, no picky eating. You have to eat your vegetables too."
"Hey, hey, don't steal from my bowl just because you can't grab enough."
"Yukari, why are you competing with the kids?!"
For a moment, Rin was like a mother hen, taking care of these unruly bunch.
Meanwhile, Yukari Yakumo, after calming down a bit, quietly packed a large bowl of food and slipped it into a gap.
"Are you packing that for a midnight snack?"
"I just want my shikigami to have a taste too. It's pitiful to leave her alone in an empty room."
"If she's satisfied with this meal, maybe Mr. Lin's future wife will be settled~"
Yukari explained with a smile. After all, both she and Chen had eaten their fill, so they couldn't forget about Ran.
Hearing this, Rin's eyes lit up, and he quickly ran back to the kitchen, bringing out a plate of fried tofu and a bowl of cold noodles.
Yukari's eye twitched, and her expression became微妙.
"Boss, why are you hiding food?"
"Have you seen how crazy you all eat? If I didn't save some, I wouldn't have anything left for a midnight snack."
Rin glared at her but still handed over the dishes.
"Here, take these two dishes to her. If it's not enough, I can cook more."
"Oh my, so thoughtful. I'm almost envious."
Yukari teased but still took the dishes and sent them through the gap.
On the other side, Ran, who had already put on an apron and was preparing to cook, was searching the house for Chen.
"Chen—————"
"Chen, where did you run off to?"
"It's time to eat. Stop running around."
"Chen!!!"
After calling out for a while, there was no response from inside or outside the house. It was as if Chen had vanished along with Yukari.
An unprecedented sense of loneliness and emptiness welled up in Ran's heart. She sat in the living room with a worried expression, her fox ears and tail drooping.
'If Yukari-sama disappeared, that was one thing, but why did Chen run off too?'
But before Ran could wallow in her sadness for too long, a familiar gap suddenly opened in front of her.
As several dishes were placed in front of her, Ran was stunned.
Did Lady Yukari raid a restaurant's kitchen?!
"Lady Yukari, where's Chen?"
Ran asked into the gap, but there was no response. Instead, a photo of Rin was handed over.
Staring blankly at the familiar face, before she could ask more questions, the gap closed again.
'Does Yukari-sama really have a partner now? What about Chen? Was she taken along as a stepdaughter? And what about me? How did I lose my place in the house in just a few days?!'
Realizing the severity of the situation, Ran's pupils trembled violently.
Meanwhile, Yukari, completely unaware of Ran's inner turmoil, was happily digging into her bowl of rice.
After devouring three large bowls of rice, she finally leaned back in her rocking chair, looking completely satisfied, as if she had no regrets in life.
But as she lounged, her gaze drifted toward an apple on the table.
Just as she reached out to grab it, a nut accurately bounced off her forehead.
"Keep your hands off. That's mine."
"Eh~ I want some fruit. Just a slice would be fine."
Yukari mumbled. The more Rin resisted, the more she wanted that apple.
Before she could complain further, a figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the grocery store.
"Boss, do you have... Huh? It's you?"
Seeing Rin's familiar face, Sakuya was momentarily stunned.
"I'm the owner here. What do you need?"
"I need to buy some seasonings. We've run out at home. Also, I want to get some drinks for the kids."
"Right this way."
As Rin led Sakuya to the appropriate shelves, Yukari's eyes gradually sharpened.
'Something's off!' Her intuition told her this woman was trouble.
As Sakuya passed by the counter, she noticed the apple still sitting there and asked curiously—
"Don't you like apples?"
"Seems like I should have brought you something else."
"It's fine. I've just been busy cooking and feeding the family, so I haven't had time to eat it."
"Taking care of family can keep you busy. The two little ones at my home often give me headaches too."
...
Listening to their conversation, Yukari's eyes twitched.
Family? Who's the "old" one here?!
Sensing Yukari's piercing gaze, Rin remained unfazed.
Yukari, however, stared at the two standing close together, especially focusing on Sakuya's cool and attractive appearance. Her heart sank.
Ran has a rival!
A terrifying threat is invading this grocery store!
Her carefree, lazy life is being seriously challenged!
After a moment of silence, she casually asked—
"Rin~ when are you planning to meet the wife I promised you? It's not good to delay too long~"