There were only a handful of girls who ever came looking for Rentaro.
Meanwhile, the flustered Kisara Tendo stood out in the hallway, lightly smacking herself on the forehead.
"I'm such an idiot. I've come here so many times, and I still managed to knock on the wrong door."
She looked up at the nameplate in front of her and mumbled to herself,
"They just moved in, so they probably haven't put up a new nameplate yet. It's only natural that I got confused..."
She was still trying to justify her mistake when her eyes landed on the words engraved on the plate.
Satomi.
Her expression froze.
She hadn't gone to the wrong apartment at all. This was Rentaro Satomi's home.
"Huh?!"
Her eyes widened in disbelief as her thoughts ground to a halt.
What was going on?
This was definitely Rentaro's apartment, so why was there a complete stranger inside claiming to be the new neighbor?
Did Rentaro move?
The thought flashed through her mind.
She dismissed it almost immediately.
If something that important had happened, Rentaro would've told her.
But if that wasn't it...
She stood outside for quite a while, hesitating before finally taking out her phone to call him and ask what was happening.
The moment she unlocked the screen, the front door swung open.
"Are you Miss Tendo?"
"Uh... y-yes..."
Startled, Kisara instinctively took a step backward.
Gojo smiled.
"Sorry about earlier. Rentaro was busy cooking, so he asked me to answer the door."
She blinked, then finally realized she'd made an even bigger fool of herself than she'd thought.
"N-no, it's fine."
Remembering how she'd loudly announced she was starving and proudly talked about buying discounted beef in front of a complete stranger, her cheeks burned.
She had always maintained the image of a refined young lady around outsiders.
This was the first time she'd exposed such an embarrassing side of herself.
"Come on in."
Gojo stepped aside and held the door open.
Face still flushed, Kisara quietly entered.
"I'll carry those for you."
He reached out with perfect gentlemanly manners.
That only made her even more embarrassed.
Moments earlier she'd complained that he hadn't taken the bags from her. There was no way she could let him carry them now.
Especially when the bag was full of discounted beef.
"N-no, really. It's okay."
She clutched the shopping bag tightly, hurriedly changed her shoes, and rushed inside without daring to meet his eyes.
Today was simply too humiliating.
She couldn't bear being alone with him any longer.
Carrying the beef, she made a beeline for the kitchen.
The familiar sight of Rentaro immediately eased her nerves.
"Rentaro, look what I bought... Hm?"
She sniffed the air.
"What's that smell? What are you cooking? It smells incredible."
The rich aroma filling the room was completely different from the bean sprout meals she was used to.
"Oh? Your face is awfully red."
Enju Aihara suddenly popped up beside her with a teasing grin.
"Don't tell me you fell for a handsome guy at first sight."
"Hmph. Unlike me, I'm completely devoted to Rentaro."
"W-who fell for anyone?"
Kisara hurriedly protested, flustered.
"I was just feeling a little hot!"
Today had already been embarrassing enough. The last thing she needed was Enju making things worse.
As she spoke, her eyes drifted downward.
Then she froze.
"A king crab?!"
"Why is there something like this in the house?"
Having grown up in a wealthy family, Kisara naturally recognized expensive ingredients.
That was exactly why she knew they had no business being here.
"Oh, that's nothing."
Enju proudly placed her hands on her hips.
"We've also got caviar, premium wagyu, Australian lobster..."
As she rattled off one luxury ingredient after another like she was reading a menu, Kisara slowly went numb.
Compared to those delicacies, the discounted beef she had proudly brought over felt like something no one would even bother taking out of the trash.
"Oh?"
Enju finally noticed the shopping bag in Kisara's hands.
"How rare. You actually brought something today instead of showing up empty-handed for dinner."
She peeked inside.
"Discounted beef?"
A mischievous smile spread across her face as she opened the refrigerator.
"I'm terribly sorry, but today's fridge doesn't have any room for discounted beef."
Before she could finish, Rentaro brought the side of his hand down onto her head with a light chop.
"Stop saying nonsense."
Smiling apologetically, he accepted the beef from Kisara.
"We were planning to buy some ourselves, but things got a little hectic. If you don't mind, I'll explain everything later."
Curiosity filled Kisara's eyes.
Enju's teasing hadn't bothered her in the slightest.
As someone who had once been the daughter of a prestigious family and who had devoted her life to revenge, she wasn't about to get upset over something so childish, especially from a little girl.
"What exactly is going on?"
"And who is that man?"
She leaned closer and whispered into Rentaro's ear.
"It's... a long story."
After a moment's thought, Rentaro began explaining everything that had happened during the afternoon mission.
Watching the two stand so close together, Enju puffed out her cheeks like an angry chipmunk.
She glared at them for a few seconds before realizing there was nothing she could do.
With an irritated huff, she stomped back into the living room.
Out of sight, out of mind.
There was no point staying there.
Gojo, who was watching television with Betty, smiled when he saw her march over in a huff.
"What happened? Weren't you in a good mood a minute ago? Why are you so angry now?"
"Who else could it be because of?"
Enju plopped onto the sofa and slammed a tiny fist onto the table.
"It's that woman!"
"Every time she shows up, Rentaro gets completely distracted."
"It's only because her chest is a little bigger than mine. She's using that to steal his attention!"
She continued grumbling with a deeply resentful expression.
Yet she couldn't deny reality.
Kisara had known Rentaro far longer.
Their bond was much deeper.
As for their figures...
There wasn't even a comparison.
The more she thought about it, the more dejected she became.
If she didn't like Rentaro so much, she would've given up long ago.
"So..."
She suddenly looked at Gojo.
"What do you think about that woman?"
"Me?"
He pointed at himself with a raised eyebrow.
"In what way?"
"Her looks. Her figure. Whether she'd make a good girlfriend. Stuff like that."
"Hmm..."
Gojo recalled the brief encounter at the front door.
"She's attractive, and she's got a good figure. As for whether she'd make a good girlfriend, that depends on her personality."
"If you think she's pretty too..."
Enju's eyes sparkled.
"Then why don't you date her?"
"I'll introduce the two of you!"
Gojo looked sideways at the increasingly excited little girl, who spoke as though two sentences were all it took to start a relationship.
"What a childish idea."
Without looking away from the television, Betty spoke in a tone full of disdain.
"Only a little kid would come up with something that ridiculous."
Enju immediately glared at her.
"Anyone can sit there and criticize. Why don't you come up with a better idea?"
"Why should I waste my time solving the problems of an elementary school girl's puppy love?"
"And you still have the nerve to mock me!"
The brief truce between the two little girls instantly collapsed, and they started arguing again.
Watching the familiar scene unfold, Gojo couldn't help laughing.
"I don't think that's necessary."
"If Rentaro found out what you were planning, he'd probably scold you."
"I don't care."
Enju crossed her arms.
"As long as you win that woman over, Rentaro will be mine."
"You should have a little confidence. Sure, you're not as handsome as Rentaro. You're a little behind him. But you're still more than good enough for that woman..."
"Heh."
Betty couldn't even be bothered arguing anymore.
She simply let out a cold laugh.
Less handsome than Rentaro?
All she could say was that love truly made people blind.
Gojo's self-confidence could certainly be irritating.
But anyone with functioning eyes could see that, in terms of appearance, he was leagues ahead of Rentaro.
There was no comparison when it came to strength either.
"What was that laugh supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm wrong..."
"What are you all talking about?"
Rentaro and Kisara emerged from the kitchen carrying plate after plate of food and set them on the dining table.
"Dinner's ready."
"Nothing much."
Betty calmly answered before Enju had the chance.
"She was trying to convince Gojo to pursue Miss Tendo so that Rentaro would belong to her alone."
Enju stared at Betty in complete disbelief.
She had just been betrayed without the slightest warning.
Rentaro's smile twitched ever so slightly.
Trying to keep his composure, he reached over, grabbed Enju by the collar, and pulled her closer.
"I'm terribly sorry. She talks without thinking sometimes."
"It's fine."
Gojo glanced toward Kisara, who stood beside Rentaro with an awkward smile, and laughed.
"Let's eat first. I'm getting hungry."
Everyone gathered around the table.
There was no denying it.
Rentaro was a far better cook than Gojo.
Gojo's philosophy toward life skills was simple.
As long as he knew how to do something, that was enough.
Cooking was no exception.
He could cook, but only competently.
Compared to Rentaro, he wasn't even close.
Using all the ingredients they'd bought from the supermarket, Rentaro transformed every one of them into an impressive feast.
While Gojo quietly admired his cooking skills, Kisara observed him just as carefully.
Earlier, while they had been alone in the kitchen, Rentaro had explained everything about Gojo and Betty.
Their mysterious origins.
Their incredible abilities.
Everything.
The more she learned, the more curious she became.
Mysterious test subjects.
Overwhelming strength.
Casual displays of astonishing wealth.
Every detail wrapped Gojo in another layer of mystery.
Unlike a lovestruck girl who lost her senses after seeing a handsome face, Kisara's feelings were something entirely different.
She was wary.
Their backgrounds were simply too strange.
Human experiments.
Superhuman abilities.
When Rentaro first told her, her initial suspicion had been that they were somehow connected to the Tendo family.
She quickly rejected the idea.
If the Tendo family truly possessed the technology and resources to create people like them in secret, they would never have remained content with their current position.
They would've begun plotting to overthrow the current government and replace Seitenshi as ruler of the Tokyo Area long ago.
Nor would they send such valuable assets to stay beside someone as insignificant as herself.
With that possibility eliminated, another theory emerged.
Perhaps they came from another region.
Maybe an organization like the Five Soaring Wings Society that controlled multiple territories.
Or perhaps another nation entirely.
The United States.
Russia.
Only countries or organizations with enormous resources could realistically produce people like them.
The Tokyo Area certainly couldn't.
If that were true, then their purpose in coming here was obvious.
Espionage.
Gathering intelligence.
Perhaps even preparing to overthrow Seitenshi's government.
Of course, every one of those assumptions depended on a single premise.
That Gojo truly possessed the overwhelming power Rentaro described.
That Rentaro hadn't been deceived.
If everything he had said was true...
Then perhaps this was the opportunity she had been searching for.
An opportunity to finally achieve her revenge.
The only question was how.
She would have to continue testing them first.
Only after learning more could she decide her next move.
After all, she and Rentaro alone had no hope of taking revenge against the entire Tendo family.
Ever since leaving that household, she'd been surviving on determination alone.
The state of their lives now was proof enough.
Smiling gently, Kisara pushed those thoughts aside for the moment.
"Go ahead and eat."
Her tone was warm, almost like the hostess welcoming guests into her home.
"Rentaro's cooking is excellent."
Gojo and Betty didn't stand on ceremony.
After tasting the first few dishes, both readily admitted that Rentaro's cooking was exceptional.