Stealing Spree

Chapter 2601: Casa de An-rin

As we approached An-rinʼs apartment building, I couldnʼt help but feel that the unit was the kind of place that screamed ʼmy parents have money but Iʼm still a chaotic gremlinʼ. The energetic gyaru fumbled with her keys at the door, muttering about how her dad always locks it like theyʼre guarding a vault.

”Welcome to Casa de An-rin!” She comically declared, flinging the door open dramatically and bowing at us like a skilled attendant. The feather boa sheʼd refused to take off hung down on the floor as she bent her back forward.

Chii and Kushii laughed at her while my head automatically went from left to right.

The place was… exactly what I expected. A mix of trendy furniture and teenage chaos. There was a plush couch sitting under a pile of mismatched throw blankets, a coffee table was littered with manga and half-empty soda cans, and a giant LED TV dominated one wall.

The kitchen looked barely touched, with shiny countertops and a fridge that I was betting held exactly what An-rin had promised: yogurt, ketchup, and maybe some sad lettuce.

”An-rin, do you not clean up for yourself? How long were your parents out?” I said as I set the grocery bags on the counter after putting the prop bag on the side of the couch. ” Are you sure you live here and not just crash for the aesthetic?”

She stuck out her tongue, already digging through the prop bag to pull out the pirate hook. ”Haters gonna hate, Onoda-han! While mom and dad are out, this is my kingdom, and youʼre lucky to be in it! Like, seriously.”

”Kingdom, and yet you made yourself look like a pirate. Shouldnʼt you pull the crown instead?”

”Hmph. Iʼm the King of Pirates then.”

”Whereʼs the straw hat?” I crossed my arms and acted uninterested while looking at her from head to toe.

”Ugh… Chizuru. You gotta stand up for me, yeah? Onoda-han is teasing me!”

Chii snorted and pushed her friend away before turning to the other girl, ”You earned his teasing, An-rin. This kingdom is real messy. Kushii, what do you think?”

”Un. Sheʼs always like this. Give her freedom and An-rinʼs gonna turn the place into a jungle.”

”Huh? Youʼre my bestest of friends and youʼre sellinʼ me out? My heart.” An-rin put on a betrayed expression as she clutched her chest.

Sheʼs great at acting. Iʼll give her that. Because everything can be turned into a ʼfunʼ time for her, she was rarely embarrassed. I guess the only time Iʼve seen her like that was also during the camping trip, when she acted as our lookout while peeking inside the tent occasionally.

”Alright, stop the dramatics, An-rin. Tidy up, or do you want me to do that for you?”

”Nevermind! I can clean up on my own! Kushii, help me?”

”You said ʼon your ownʼ, then youʼre asking for my help.”

”Donʼt mind the details, will yaʼ?” An-rin grinned as she pulled Kushii by the wrist as they began tidying up the living room.

Meanwhile, Chii approached me, picking up two aprons hanging on the wall and handing them to me before saying, ”Help me put this on, Kii. Iʼll help put yours after.”

I smilingly shook my head as she turned around. I couldnʼt resist hugging her from the back first, which got the girl giggling sweetly.

”Come on, Kii. They can see us here.” She said while trying to calm down the blush on her face.𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

”What about it? Itʼs not like they donʼt know about us. Right, An-rin?” I called out.

An-rin instantly put her hands on her hips as she said, ”Onoda-han, the kitchen is a place to cook, not to flirt.”

Then, Kushii also chimed in, ”Cannot hold back anymore?”

Chii pursed her lips, ”Itʼs not like that. This is all Kii! Though… I donʼt mind being held by him like this. Hehe.”

”Ugh, like, what do you think, Kushii? Are we, like, totally wild for inviting Onoda-han to our sleepover or what?”

Kushii tilted her head, a cute grin popping up. ”I mean, maybe? But itʼs not a big deal, you know? Itʼs Onoda-shi! Heʼs, like, totally reliable.”

”Oh my gosh, hold up! Are you, like, super into him now? Crushing hard or what?”

Kushiiʼs cheeks flushed pink as she brushed her hair behind her ear, trying to play it cool. ”N-no way! Itʼs not like that! Heʼs just… really nice, okay? Chill!”

An-rin rolled her eyes and smirked. ”Oh, come on! We all know how nice he is. But, like, girl, youʼre totally blushing!”

Kushii glared at her as she tried to hide her blush. ”Itʼs just warm in here, duh! Plus, weʼre, like, moving around a lot, okay?”

”Uh-huh, moving around and getting all flustered over Kii, right? You should really reel in your charms.” Chii also took a jab before raising her head to scold me.

I laughed, enjoying the banter. ”Why is it my fault now? Youʼre the one who pushed for her, remember?”

”Ugh… Itʼs not like that.”

”Aight, stop flirting, you two. And Onoda-han, we need you to chop the vegetables, like, right now! You cooking dinner for us or what? You promised!” An-rin clapped her hands, redirecting the chaos like a ringmaster corralling her circus.

The pirate hook was still strapped to her hand, swinging wildly as she pointed toward the kitchen. Really, can she get anything done with that?

I raised an eyebrow, finally letting go of Chiiʼs waist to tie the apron around her. ”Pushy, arenʼt you, An-rin? Iʼm on it. But if youʼre gonna order me around, at least take that hook off before you poke someoneʼs eye out.”

She grinned wildly and twirled the hook like a baton. ”No way, Onoda-han! This is my chefʼs assistant vibe now. Iʼm, like, totally inspiring you!”

”Chefʼs assistant? Yeah, right. Youʼre inspiring me to confiscate it,” I muttered as I turned around to let Chii help tie my apron.

She then giggled before grabbing a cutting board from a cabinet. At least that looked neat compared to the current state of the kitchen.

After that, the two in the living room continued tidying up the mess An-rin left behind while Chii and I started preparing for our dinner.

Of course, since I promised to cook for them, Chii was only helping and sheʼs quite good at it. Possibly, sheʼs already learning from her mother. The way she cut the onions and other vegetables was not like Akane during the first time that silly girl tried to cook for me. It was during that time that I was acting indifferent to her. She insisted on making me dinner after she caught me arriving home late at night and guessed I hadnʼt eaten yet. In the end, I found myself saving her from hurting herself by rubbing her eyes with her fingers, which she used to hold a chili.

Anyway, with Chii, I probably didnʼt need to worry like that.

As we started chopping the vegetables, the aroma of fresh ingredients filled the kitchen. Chii expertly sliced through the carrots, which I still secretly hated. Well, Iʼd eat it for her.

While she was doing that, I began to dice the onions, careful not to let my mind wander too much.

The last thing I needed was to lose focus while cooking, especially with CHii so close by.

From time to time, I would check on her, sneak in a kiss or two, earning a playful swat from her each time.

”Kii, focus! Youʼre gonna chop your finger off if you keep that up,” She scolded, but her giggles betrayed her amusement.

”I must say, itʼs worth the risk,” I winked as I slid the diced onions into a bowl.

The kitchen was starting to feel alive. I soon turned on the stove and put the pan on. As I began with the first dish on the menu – stir-fried meat and vegetables – the sizzle of oil and the scent of garlic and ginger mixed with the veggies.

Soon, An-rin and Kushii finally finished tidying the living room, or at least made it look less like a tornado had hit.

An-rin hopped like a rabbit into the kitchen. Sheʼs now wearing an eye-patch along with that fancy hook. ”Yo, Onoda-han, it smells amazeballs in here! Whatcha cookinʼ? Gimme a sneak peek!”

I stirred the pan, tossing in the sliced beef expertly. ”Patience, An-rin. Itʼs stir-fry with a side of miso soup and rice. Nothing fancy, but itʼll fill you up. Unless youʼre still planning to eat ketchup and yogurt for dessert?”

She gasped, clutching her chest like Iʼd stabbed her. ”Rude! My ketchup is, like, gourmet, okay? Youʼre just jealous of my elite taste!”

Kushii drifted in behind her and sent a jab at her friend. ”Elite taste? An-rin, you ate instant ramen with candy sprinkles last week.”

”What?! You traitor!!” An-rin wailed, flinging her arms dramatically, the pirate hook nearly knocking over a stack of plates. ”Kushii, youʼre supposed to be my ride-or-die!”

”Yeah. No. Iʼll jump ship to Onoda-shi.” Kushii said before laughing softly.

Mhm. Now that she could banter with her friend like this again. I guess sheʼs finally becoming comfortable with my presence again.

Anyway, Chii kicked them out after that, saying they should just wait for us to finish. And while doing so, she asked for another kiss, making An-rin call us out again for flirting.

Yeah. This night is going to be long.