My deskmate is actually my yandere reader.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm—"

……

After washing up, the two ate breakfast together and then prepared to go out to buy groceries.

The two held hands and went to a nearby supermarket. While strolling through the food section, their eyes darted over the dazzling array of ingredients.

The ingredients include seasonal vegetables, pork, beef, seafood, and more.

But—there was no turkey!

Kurose Izumi stroked her chin and muttered, "Shouldn't we have turkey for Christmas?"

Turkeys don't actually taste good; they're just for decoration and symbolism.

Shiraishi Chiren put a hand to her forehead and said with a light scolding, "Idiot, supermarkets don't sell turkeys."

"I see..." Kurose Izumi nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Where can I buy it?"

"Go to the market to buy it. Quan, you're not good at managing a household, how would you know about these things?"

"Yes, yes, Qianlian is so virtuous. She will definitely be a good wife in the future."

Faced with Shiraishi Chire's scolding, Kurose Izumi nodded repeatedly, a gentle smile on her face.

“Hmm… I like hearing that.” Shiraishi Chiren nodded and smiled.

Finally, the ingredients they picked filled two vegetable baskets, which must have weighed at least five or six pounds!

Considering it's Christmas today and that more people will be coming, I bought a little extra.

There's a saying that goes, "Better safe than sorry."

Since we can't use it all, we can save it to make more tomorrow, or eat it tomorrow.

After leaving the supermarket, they went to Tsukiji Market to buy turkeys.

During this process, I bought some fresh seafood before going home.

Kurose Izumi's hands were full of all sorts of bags, filled with a wide variety of ingredients, from rare meats to seasonings.

Shiraishi Chiren also had both hands full.

181. Christmas and Birthday

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

ding dong~

The two people, who were snuggling together on the living room sofa watching TV, heard the doorbell ring from the entrance.

"Is that Mother? I'll go open the door."

Kurose Izumi removed her arm from Shiraishi Chiren's shoulder, got up, walked to the entrance, and opened the door.

Behind the door stood her still beautiful and dignified mother—Shiraishi Airen.

"Long time no see, Izumi-kun," Shiraishi's mother greeted him with a smile.

"It's been a long time, Mother. How have you been?"

"very good."

"Then I'm relieved..."

After a brief chat, Shiraishi's mother entered the entryway and changed into indoor shoes.

She shifted her gaze from Izumi Kurose and immediately saw Chire Shiraishi on the living room sofa.

At this moment, Shiraishi Chiren also stood up and greeted her, "Mother, it's been a long time."

"Yes, it's been a long time."

Shiraishi's mother nodded and said, "Seeing you living happily makes me feel at ease."

If it were Izumi Kurose or Chire Shiraishi, they wouldn't make the same mistake as her, right?

Even if their child is as indifferent as Shiraishi Chiren, they will still warm their heart.

"Oh right, this is a gift for both of you."

As if suddenly remembering something, Shiraishi's mother took out two gift boxes tied with beautiful ribbons from her bag while speaking.

"Thank you, Mother."

The two reached out and took it, thanking them in unison.

Afterwards, they went back to their room and took out the gifts they had prepared for Shiraishi's mother.

Kurose Izumi gave her a scarf that she had knitted herself.

For this, he also sought a lot of advice from Shiraishi Chiren.

Even so, he spent more than ten hours knitting it seriously!

What Shiraishi Chiren gave was a women's belt.

Shiraishi's mother took the scarf and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, Izumi-kun, did you knit this yourself?"

"Yes, I knitted it myself." Kurose Izumi nodded with a smile.

"Chiren won't be jealous, will she? Hmph." Shiraishi's mother glanced at Shiraishi Chiren and smiled like a young girl.

"Mother, please don't do this..."

Kurose Izumi, on the other hand, couldn't laugh; she just looked troubled.

Indeed, Shiraishi Chire was quite unhappy with his decision to give Shiraishi's mother a scarf.

He had to persuade Shiraishi Chiren quite a bit before he could convince her.

Yes, Shiraishi Chire is just that jealous.

"I'm sorry, I was being too mean."

"No... there's no need to apologize."

After exchanging gifts, it was time to make dinner.

Because there are many dishes to cook tonight, I need to start preparing now.

Seeing the two head towards the kitchen, Shiraishi's mother said, "Let me help you."

"No, no, no!" Kurose Izumi quickly waved her hand. "You can sit here. Chire and I will be fine."

"Are you afraid I'll mess it up? Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite good at cooking!"

"Do not……"

Just as Izumi Kurose was about to refuse, Chiren Shiraishi suddenly spoke up: "Izumi, just let your mother do it. If she wants to do it, let her do it."

"This……"

Kurose Izumi glanced at Shiraishi Chiren and sighed softly, "Alright, let's go together then."

"Hmph, Chire is so much better, she helps her mother~" Shiraishi's mother clasped her hands together, a gentle smile on her face.

"...I just don't want to waste time on this pointless agonizing."

"Izumi-kun, is this tsundere?"

"I guess so, but I don't really understand either..."

Afterwards, the three of them went into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.

Chiharu Shiraishi and her mother were in charge of cooking, while Izumi Kurose assisted them.

First, Izumi Kurose prepared the still very lively eel, giving it a satisfying meal.

Remove the head, cut it open from the back and abdomen, clean the internal organs and blood, and trim off any unnecessary skin.

In this way, the eel was prepared in five minutes and placed in a clean bowl for later use.

Then, they started washing and chopping vegetables, followed by chopping meat and vegetables...

On the other side, Shiraishi's mother came to the kitchen stove, set up a soup pot, and began to simmer seafood miso soup.

This is typical of island nation cuisine; miso soup is an indispensable dish at every meal.

After all, it's easy to make, tastes good, and there are many ways to make it, depending entirely on personal preference.

After putting all the seasonings for the miso soup in place, Shiraishi's mother began working on the next dish—fried pork cutlet!

Coat the pork chops with a layer of low-fat flour and deep-fry them twice in hot oil to ensure that they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The final step is to prepare the sauce. Put soy sauce, mirin, sugar, water, salt, and black pepper sauce into a pot and simmer until thickened. Set aside.

While Shiraishi's mother was focused on cooking, Shiraishi Chiren was also busy.

She took out the eel, which had been cut into sections and marinated, and prepared to fry it.

First, pour an appropriate amount of oil into the pan and swirl it around for a while to ensure that the oil is evenly distributed. This will prevent the food from sticking to the pan when frying.

Once the pot is hot, add the eel cut into two pieces.

At that moment, a sizzling sound rang out, and oil splattered everywhere, flying in all directions.

Chiharu Shiraishi was already used to this kind of thing, and she didn't dodge the oil splatter, since it wouldn't do anything if she got hit, she would just feel a burning sensation for a moment.

Once one side is golden brown, flip the eel over and continue frying.

Her technique was very delicate, and she worked hard to keep the fish meat intact and not fall apart.

After frying the eel until it was golden brown, Shiraishi Chiren placed it on a plate and drizzled it with black pepper sauce.

While Shiraishi and his companion were proceeding smoothly, Kurose Izumi's end was also going well.

After preparing the ingredients, he found himself with nothing to do, so he started roasting a turkey.

"Hmph hmph hmph~"

Kurose Izumi hummed a lighthearted tune as she carefully brushed the turkey all over with honey and seasoning.

He then put the turkey in the oven and took it out after forty minutes.