The Paradise of Reincarnation Begins with Eriri

It's really hard to catch an insect with just two fingers, so... you have to use your whole hand.

Thump, thump.

As the scalding heat and the clear muscle contours traveled from her palms back to her mind, Rio Futaba could clearly hear her heartbeat quickening.

(Stay calm, take a deep breath.)

(Keep your mind free of distractions.)

(It's just a regular rectus abdominis muscle, with standard muscle fiber orientation, and a body fat percentage of approximately... wait! Don't overthink it!)

Rio Futaba bit her lower lip, struggling against her shame, and her small hands quickly began to explore Makoto Kiyono's abdomen.

Not long after.

The sensation of the insect returned to my fingertips.

"...Found it."

Rio Futaba's eyes lit up, and she immediately put the arrest plan into action.

Just then, a dog barked outside the window, startling Rio Futaba. The beetle on her fingertip broke free of its restraints again and scurried downwards.

"Oh no, that location is..."

Rio Futaba opened her eyes wide in panic, but her body moved faster than her brain, her right hand swiftly chasing after the beetle and finally catching it amidst the chaos.

Makoto Kiyono: "......"

Futaba Rio: "..."

Their eyes met.

The air suddenly became quiet.

Feeling the sudden surge of killing intent in her hand, Futaba's face flushed red at a visible speed. At this moment, even quantum mechanics could not suppress the girl's surging shame.

Swoosh—

Rio Futaba reacted as if electrocuted, quickly pulling out her right hand, turning her face away in a panic, her voice trembling slightly:

"...I've caught the bug, I'm going out!"

Before Kiyono could even speak, Rio Futaba lowered her head and dashed out of the kitchen.

"Why don't you check your apron for any other bugs...?"

Kiyono Makoto thought to himself.

Theoretically speaking, I was just taken advantage of, but psychologically, I don't feel like I lost out at all.

"call......"

Rio Futaba quickly fled the kitchen, walked to the window, and threw the little beetle out of her hand, but the scene from just now kept replaying in her mind.

(What I just encountered was...)

(Stop, stop!)

(Don't think about it anymore! It was just an accident!)

Rio Futaba quickly went into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and washed her face with cold water, which slightly extinguished the shame in her heart.

For the rest of the time, Futaba stayed quietly in the living room, not daring to step into the kitchen.

Seino Makoto was preparing the food alone in the kitchen.

Half an hour later.

Splash!

The glass partition door was pushed open, and Kiyono Makoto's voice rang out:

"The food is ready, wash your hands and eat."

"......good."

Rio Futaba quickly agreed, got up to wash her hands, then bit her pink lower lip with her pearly teeth and stepped into the kitchen.

"Kiyono-kun, you've worked hard... I'll help you."

Seino Makoto looked at Futaba.

The girl's pretty face flushed slightly, and although she seemed to have regained her composure, she would still unconsciously turn her face away the moment their eyes met.

"Take the bowls and chopsticks out, then serve two bowls of rice."

Kiyono Makoto naturally ordered Futaba around.

Leave it to me.

Futaba nodded quickly, and the two tacitly skipped over the earlier incident.

The two worked together and quickly set the dishes on the table.

"I'm starting to eat."

Rio Futaba picked up a piece of dry-fried shrimp and put it in her mouth. The sweet, sour, tender and smooth taste exploded on her tongue. After taking a bite of rice, the most primal satisfaction made Futaba's eyes crinkle into a smile.

"Kiyono's cooking is delicious."

Rio Futaba praised her quietly.

That's because you've been eating too many cup noodles.

Upon hearing this, Kiyono Makoto retorted, "Eating instant noodles once in a while is fine, but eating them every day will make your body sick of them."

Rio Futaba unconsciously turned her face away, feeling slightly guilty.

"I don't eat it every day."

"About once every three days, right?"

"..."

Rio Futaba fell silent.

"Try Mapo Tofu."

Makoto Kiyono recommended, "This is my best dish."

"it is good."

Rio Futaba scooped a spoonful of tofu into her mouth, and felt the spicy and savory flavor explode on her tongue. She couldn't help but stick out her pink tongue, panting from the spiciness.

"It's so spicy..."

"Have a sip of milk."

Kiyono Makoto handed him a bottle of milk, saying, "You ate too much in one go."

Rio Futaba quickly took the milk, tilted her head back, took a sip, and gently exhaled:

"It's very spicy... but surprisingly delicious."

The lenses of her glasses were damp from the steam of the cooking. Through her blurry glasses, Rio Futaba looked at the boy sitting across the square table and felt that the deep-seated inferiority, loneliness, and solitude she felt were being quietly melted away by an indescribable warmth.

In the classroom, Rio Futaba saw many classmates happily planning trips with their families. The whole class was unusually noisy, and even the most rigid teacher had a smile on his face, but all this noise had nothing to do with her.

My parents are still working abroad and show no intention of coming back.

The memory of having dinner with my family last time has become blurred with time.

Rio Futaba had expected that tonight would be another lonely night with her cup noodles, cold and quiet.

But when Kiyono Makoto barged in as a dining companion, the house suddenly became lively.

"If...if only Kiyono-san were here every day..."

Upon realizing her own thoughts, Rio Futaba's heart suddenly raced, and her face involuntarily flushed red.

(How strange...why would I have this thought?)

(Could it be that I...?)

(According to Occam's Razor, entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily. The simpler the relationship, the more stable it is in the long run, so don't overthink it...)

"Did it get too spicy again?"

Kiyono Makoto handed over the milk.

"No."

Rio Futaba shook her head softly.

"Your face is so red, don't try to be brave."

Kiyono Makoto casually remarked, "Hurry up and drink some milk."

Rio Futaba turned her pretty face slightly away and muttered to herself:

"......Fool."

It wasn't because the spiciness made my face turn red.

(Bonus chapter! More bonus chapters for [Anrang]!)

Chapter 106 Ice Magic and Group Buying Time.

"...I'm done eating."

After drinking the last of the miso soup, Rio Futaba clasped her hands together, completely satisfied.

Seino Makoto sat next to him:

The last person to finish eating is responsible for washing the dishes.

"Even if I'm not the last to finish eating, I'll still be responsible for washing the dishes."

Rio Futaba spoke naturally, getting up to clear the table. "Since Kiyono-kun prepared the meal, it's only fair that I take on the responsibility of cleaning up the food scraps."

"Futaba's level of awareness is at least two stories high."

Kiyono Makoto gave a thumbs up, "It's a pity we can't share an apartment."

"Huh?"

"I quite enjoy cooking, but I really dislike washing dishes. If we were roommates, we would complement each other perfectly and be the perfect dining partners."

"..."

Rio Futaba gently pursed her beautiful lips and muttered a complaint:

"It's too casual to share an apartment just because you have a meal together... The probability of arguments and friction is actually higher when two people with different lifestyles suddenly live together, unless they make a three-point agreement beforehand and clearly define each other's responsibilities and concerns."

"I was just mentioning it casually; there's no need to overthink it."

Kiyono Makoto waved his hand speechlessly, "Hurry up and wash the dishes, then forge the equipment."

"..."

A moment later.

"Kiyono-kun, the dishes are clean."

Rio Futaba came out of the kitchen.

"Let's go forge some equipment."

Upon hearing this, Kiyono Makoto put away his phone. "I'll go home once I'm done."

"it is good."

The two quickly entered the room.

Give me your hand.

Kiyono Makoto sat down in the chair he had used yesterday, naturally extending his left hand.

"..."

Rio Futaba blushed slightly, hesitated for half a second, and then gently grasped Makoto Kiyono's fingers.

The moment their skin touched, Futaba's mind involuntarily conjured up some indescribable and horrible images.

(My palms aren't that hot...)