Chapter 1975: No playing in the kitchen

From there, everything went smoothly. Having gotten her permission, I immediately put myself to work in her kitchen, waiting for her orders. Seeing me energetically moving around obediently on everything she pointed out, Anzu-nee looked a lot more satisfied every minute that passed.

I helped her chop vegetables, peel onions, look after the boiling water, and many more. She's cooking a lot more than usual and I doubt we'll be able to eat them all. But looking at her merry figure hopping around the place, I couldn't really tell her that my stomach wasn't a black hole.

Well, I doubt she'll ask me to finish them all. For sure, it's going to be her meals for the day. Eimi said they might come home at night so... it's probably a preparation for that.

A few minutes later, Anzu-nee called me to her side and had me taste the sauce she made for her chicken teriyaki. Expecting positive feedback from me, the girl attentively watched me with her glittering eyes.

"Mhm... This is..." I said after taking a bit of the sauce to roll on my tongue. It's savory, not gonna lie and I feel like my appetite is already excited to taste the finished dish.

"What? Don't keep me hanging!"

Perhaps thinking that I was intentionally delaying my feedback, the girl pressed on my side with eager eyes urging me to hurry up to make a decision.

Once again, my perverted senses seemingly woke up as the springy texture of her front pushed against my arm. Even a small movement would give me a better feel of it and with Anzu getting anxious at the possibility of me giving negative feedback, I didn't need to move at all to experience that.

Luckily enough, I was already too used to this that it wouldn't normally show on my face. She'd definitely be embarrassed if she noticed, after all.

"Relax, Nee-san... I'm trying to find my words. Also... let me try it one more time."

Taking the spoon again and sipping on the remaining sauce, I closed my eyes and properly tasted it. However, at the same time as the flavor of the sauce flourished in my mouth, the soothing sensation of her body pressed against me also intensified.

Yep. I'm a hopeless pervert.

I snapped my open and looked at her expectant expression. I should shelve my perverted thoughts and sincerely focus on what she's expecting from me.

"Anzu-nee-san, I should say perfect but... that would be disingenuous. This is probably just my preference but it's a little too sweet. Also, the spiciness is a little lacking. Maybe add more mirin and ginger?"

The girl nodded a few times before taking my spoon and also tasting it herself. That's an indirect kiss right there but knowing her, she'd grow past the point of being bothered by it or she's just slow at realizing what she did. Either way, it's better this way. As much as I wanted to tease her, it's more entertaining to watch her like this.

"You're right. It's sweeter than I intended it to be. I'll follow your suggestion, little brother. I'm cooking for you so... expect it to match your taste preference."

"I feel like I'm being spoiled."

"Heh. You've been a helpful brat to me today. Let this older sister spoil you, okay?"

With satisfaction written on her face as she adjusted the flavor of the sauce, Anzu-nee turned to me and grinned beautifully. That ex of hers doesn't know what he lost.

Look at how wholesome she is. She can already be a housewife, no? But you have to endure her grumpiness every morning. Other than that... she's a wonderful girl who deserves to be appreciated more.

I don't know if I did this unconsciously or if my body simply enacted what was going on in my head. However, before I knew it, I found myself already standing behind her. My arms gradually wrapped around her slender waist.

"I understand... Can I also spoil you, Nee-san?"

As my thoughts continued clashing within my head, I kind of blurted that out as she noticed my hands locking on top of her navel.

"You... Shouldn't you ask first and not while you're making this move?" Glancing back at me, I was subjected to Anzu-nee's reproachful stare as she pointed at my arms.

She wriggled her body a bit but instead of pushing me away, her back rested on me.

Taking that as an opportunity, I tightened my hold on her as my chin intimately landed on her shoulder.

"My body moved automatically, Nee-san. I went ahead and preemptively did what I was about to ask because... it's more than likely for you to reject me."

What a flimsy excuse. But what can I do? That's exactly what happened.

Still, if Anzu-nee would tell me to stop and step back right here, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

With her eyes narrowing to a slit, Anzu-nee let go of the spoon in her hand. Nudged her head on my chest before pinching my arm.

"Naughty brat. No playing in the kitchen."

Sounding a little disappointed right there, Anzu-nee then slowly turned around to face me.

At this point, I have no idea what's going on in her head but it's definitely not anywhere close to considering pushing me away from her.

A moment later, her hand crawled up from my arm before eventually landing on the side of my neck.

It was subtle but her hand was seemingly vibrating as though there was a little resistance in her head, telling her not to do this.

However, looking at how her eyes became stuck on the entirety of my face, scanning every part to its tiniest detail, Anzu-nee was no doubt slowly losing to the temptation.

"It's not playing, Nee-san. I told you, I would like to spoil you."

"How? By hugging me?"

"Yes."

"Nothing more?" Her eyes shook with anticipation.

I took a moment to think of a proper response here. However, I already knew what I was going to answer

"I'm considering it. A way to give you more appreciation."

I don't know if she understood what I meant by that but Anzu-

nee slowly nodded as the anticipation on her eyes seemingly mellowed down. In place of that, I could sense her body heating up as a small smile bloomed from her lips.

"... Okay. You do you. But Onoda-kun. Let's finish cooking first. It's disrespectful to the kitchen."

Upon saying that, her hand left my neck and she turned back around to face the sauce that she was modifying for my preference.

She didn't tell me to let go of my hold of her instead, she simply didn't want me to bother her with what she was doing.

After adding a little bit of ginger and a teaspoon of mirin to the saucepan, she mixed it for about a minute.

Once she was done, Anzu-nee once again used the spoon to let me taste it.

This time she only needed to lift it to her shoulder where my head was resting.

Yeah. This situation is something. Although it was not my intention at first, we somehow ended up like a normal couple, flirting while cooking.

In any case, there's no reason for me to back down anymore. I couldn't simply wave it off as something I did unconsciously. At the end of the day, it's my body.

"It's perfect, Nee-san."

"Great. We're almost done here."

Anzu-nee giggled in satisfaction as she put a lid on the sauce before she let her body squeeze into my embrace.

A few minutes later, while I continued to hold her like this, Anzu-nee finished the other dishes she was preparing.

Only when we were about to set up the table that she ask me to let go of her.

Following that, the two of us ate together and enjoyed our time at the dining table.