I'm in Tokyo, and I'm a professional boyfriend.

"About a week later?"

Around April 28th or 29th.

“Every time Mom has a holiday, she always drags Dad out of the company to play.”

"It should usually be around this time."

"A week?"

Shiina Iori nodded: "Then, let's do special training."

"By the way, all my home skills training courses are paid courses, and they will be charged according to my boyfriend's rates."

"When you come back, Igarashi-san, remember to make up for the time on the app."

"Huh? Do I have to spend money on this too?"

"I'm helping you correct your lazy lifestyle, dear Ms. Igarashi."

"......Yes."

Yui Igarashi lowered her head helplessly and let out a long sigh.

Shiina Iori smiled and handed over the plate she had just used to eat her sandwich.

"Let's start with the simplest one."

"Go and wash the dishes."

【088】Shopping Street

"I...Iori..."

Shiina Iori was walking forward carrying a cloth bag when she heard a panting shout from behind her.

Turning around, Yui followed behind him, her steps unsteady, carrying a small cloth bag in her hand, looking weak and shaky.

Shiina originally planned to make some beef bone soup and braised pork for dinner, but when she was halfway through preparing the soup ingredients, she realized that there wasn't enough pork and other side dishes.

Since the soup takes a long time to cook, Shiina left Nagisa at home to watch the pot while she took Igarashi out to buy some groceries.

This will also give her some experience.

But now it seems,

Failed.

Seeing Shiina stop, Yui collapsed as if she were paralyzed, clutching her knees and panting heavily.

"Hoo~ Ha~ Hoo~"

"No, don't run so fast!"

"I... I'm not good at sports..."

Shiina Iori looked down at her feet, then at Igarashi, who looked just like the real deal.

"It's because your health is too poor, Igarashi-san."

We were clearly walking at a normal pace just now, weren't we?

"But, but! We've walked so far... Where exactly is that shopping street?"

"Can't we take a taxi there?"

Igarashi was panting heavily.

The big seal wobbled along, its little face covered in sweat from exhaustion.

Shiina Iori looked up at the apartment building that was clearly visible in the distance.

Somewhat speechless: "It's less than a kilometer, isn't it?"

"What?!"

Yui Igarashi was shocked: "Did I really walk a kilometer today?"

"If it's that far, why don't we drive there?"

"Because there's nowhere to park in the shopping street."

"Then let's go to the supermarket!"

"It's too expensive there, and the ingredients aren't fresh."

"Oh......"

Igarashi nodded, seemingly understanding.

Shiina thought that she probably wanted to know what "new" meant.

He couldn't help but sigh when he thought about this.

Should we start teaching from here?

"Igarashi-san, fresh means just picked or just delivered."

"I do know about that kind of thing!"

Upon hearing this, Igarashi's face flushed slightly, whether from shortness of breath or from feeling looked down upon.

However, new things are not necessarily the best.

"Huh?"

Igarashi was somewhat incredulous: "Isn't everyone saying that fresh vegetables and fruits are the best?"

Seeing that she had rested enough, Shiina Iori continued walking forward, explaining, "If it's meat, of course, freshly slaughtered meat is more active."

"But for fruits and vegetables, there isn't much difference between them being left for a few days and when they were just delivered—some aren't even fully ripe yet."

"Then why do so many people want new ones?"

Yui Igarashi, puzzled, followed along and tilted her head to ask curiously.

"Because of its condition."

"Condition?"

"Correct."

Shiina Iori led Igarashi down a side street, taking a shortcut directly into a long shopping street.

At the street corner is a large sign that reads "Sawami Taiyoji Shopping Street".

It looks a bit rustic.

The streets are lined with shops of all sizes.

These small shops may not have the same sophisticated signage as those in the commercial districts outside, but they have everything from bakeries and vegetable shops to spice shops and butcher shops.

Some of these shops had discount signs hanging outside, some had set up tasting stations, and some simply piled up fruits and vegetables outside. Some fish shops even had rows of tanks and nets in front of them.

The streets were surprisingly lively even though it wasn't evening yet, and there were an unexpectedly large number of women.

The people ranged in age from teenagers to those in their seventies and eighties, and each carried a bamboo bag or cloth bag containing a few items as they went back and forth to choose.

Yui Igarashi followed Shiina closely, watching intently.

Unexpectedly, the two became the focus of everyone's attention as soon as they entered the shopping street.

"Shiina-kun, you're buying groceries today too?"

"Shiina-kun, the beef tenderloin is really fresh today! Would you like some?"

"Shiina-kun, would you like to see some strawberries? It's peak season now! They're really cheap... Why do you have a plaster on your neck?"

"Hey! Shiina-kun actually brought a girl today! Is she his girlfriend? Is she his girlfriend?"

"What's your name, Miss Girlfriend?"

"Shiina's girlfriend, want an apple?"

Shopkeepers and passersby alike gathered around to chat, creating an overly enthusiastic atmosphere that was too much for Igarashi, who wasn't good at socializing, to handle. He kept refusing the fruit offered to him.

Further away, several young women with empty pockets were pacing back and forth, staring at Igarashi with resentful, dark eyes.

At this moment, Yui, who usually seems quite talkative, couldn't utter a single word, only nodding timidly in agreement and gratitude.

She doesn't seem to be very good at accepting kindness from strangers.

On the contrary, they are exceptionally skilled at dealing with trouble.

Shiina Iori handled the situation with ease: "Do you still have star anise and Sichuan peppercorns? I'd also like some mustard greens or spinach... Do you have any pork belly left?"

"It just arrived at noon! Shiina-kun, take a look!"

Shiina Iori led Igarashi, who was surrounded by the crowd, to the butcher shop, explaining as she looked: "Look, this kind of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat is streaky pork."

"This type of meat mainly comes from the pig's belly. It tastes very good, but the fat content is a bit high. It can be used to make many dishes."

As Shiina Iori spoke, she picked out a slightly smaller piece: "This kind of meat has a bright color, a very even ratio of red to white, and a suitable distribution of fat; that's what we call good quality."

"This piece, for example, has a thin skin and just the right thickness. It's clearly a piece of meat from near the rump, and the fat distribution is also nice. It will be very fragrant when cooked."

"When you eat it, there won't be a situation where only the lean meat or the fatty meat is left."

"The reason we rush to get freshness is not because we want the freshest meat or vegetables, but because we want to get there early so we have the chance to pick out good meat and vegetables like these."

"If we had come any later, this kind of meat would have been taken by someone else."

"Moreover, Uncle Tachibana's family owns a factory, so the meat quality is very good and the price is reasonable. I haven't seen any water-injected meat or old meat yet. Next time you need to buy meat, just remember to come here to choose."

Shiina Iori praised it earnestly, while Igarashi Yui subconsciously glanced at the shop sign.

"Haha, Shiina-kun knows a lot!"

The butcher smiled and chopped the meat off for him.

How much do you want today?

"Uncle Tachibana will give you a 20% discount!"

"Oh!!!"

Yui Igarashi's eyes sparkled, as if they had gotten a great deal.