TSSITWON Chapter 232: Woken Up by the Smell of Food

When Aoki arrived in front of Misuki's house, he let out a light sigh. The house was indeed simple, but it felt warm and cozy.

As Aoki pushed the door open slightly, a piece of paper he had previously wedged to keep the door open fell to the floor. Aoki bent down to pick it up and then stepped inside.

Inside, the atmosphere of the house felt so calm. The living room contained a long wooden table with several chairs around it.

Morning sunlight sneaked through the window gaps, casting soft shadows on the wooden floor. Not far from there, a small hallway led to the rooms, while on the other side, a small, simple kitchen was situated right in the corner of the room.

Aoki walked towards the kitchen, opened a small cupboard, and searched for plates and spoons. However, after rummaging a bit, Aoki realized he couldn't find any chopsticks.

With a slight sigh, Aoki returned to the living room and placed the utensils on the table. One by one, Aoki took out five packs of rice from a plastic bag, arranging them neatly on a plate. Then, Aoki grabbed a plastic bag containing egg satay and poured it onto another plate.

Seeing the food neatly arranged on the table, Aoki smiled faintly. A feeling of satisfaction arose in Aoki's chest. He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for the others to wake up.

It didn't take long before footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway. A boy with messy hair appeared, his face still half-asleep.

"Boss? You're already up...? Yawn!" Tetsu yawned widely while rubbing his eyes, his gaze still heavy with sleep.

Aoki glanced at Tetsu and smiled slightly. "Yeah, you’re up? I thought you would sleep longer."

Tetsu awkwardly scratched his head. "Uh... I smell food..." Tetsu said in a soft voice, his face slightly reddening with embarrassment.

Aoki chuckled softly at Tetsu's confession.

Not long after, an elderly woman with silver hair emerged from one of the rooms. It was Misuki, the owner of the house and the healer who had taken care of them.

"Hm? You’re all awake?" Misuki scanned the living room, her eyes landing on the food arranged on the table. "Eh? Did you buy food?"

"Yes, I bought some for you too, Miss Misuki," Aoki replied, nodding politely.

Misuki looked surprised for a moment, then smiled gently. "Really? Thank you, dear..." Misuki said sincerely.

"You're welcome," Aoki said, feeling satisfied to see the happy expression on the elderly woman's face.

Suddenly, a little girl appeared from the hallway, walking slowly. It was Ajisai.

"Tetsu, Boss," Ajisai greeted in a small voice, her still-sleepy eyes observing them one by one.

"Oh! Ajisai, you’re awake?" Aoki asked, smiling at Ajisai.

Before Ajisai could answer, another girl emerged from the adjacent room. Her hair was a bit messy, and there was a bandage on her left shoulder. It was Mei.

"Mei? You're awake?" Aoki asked, looking at her.

Mei smiled faintly. "Yeah, I heard your voices, so I woke up."

Aoki felt a bit guilty. "Ah! Sorry about that..." Aoki said quickly.

Mei shook her head. "It's okay."

Aoki then patted the chair next to him. "Well then, come here. I'll help you eat."

Mei immediately flinched. Her face turned red instantly. "W-What?! No! I can eat by myself!" Mei stammered.

To which Aoki simply smiled casually. "Your left shoulder is still injured, right? You shouldn't force your right hand just yet. So, let me feed you."