Sam certainly wasn’t lacking a place to eat or company to dine with.
He simply relished the monts he spent with this girl nad Sophie.
So, in this regard, even though Sophie was stubborn, it was sothing Sam could tolerate, even find endearing.
"You really have nothing better to do, hanging around my place like this?" Sophie said, unable to hold back as she watched Sam fiddling with his phone. Experience new stories on .Côm
Did this boy have nowhere else to eat? Insisting on eating at her place... and with no groceries at ho, and Sophie not knowing how to cook—often resorting to fast food—the contents of her fridge could hardly be called ingredients.
Sam, while ordering groceries online, calmly replied, "I haven’t eaten yet. I’ll leave after we eat."
"Why can’t you eat at your own ho? Why do you have to co here and make a ss? Then I’ll have to clean up."
The thought of the chaos that might ensue in her kitchen was troubling for Sophie. She wasn’t good at housework, and keeping her room tidy was already an achievent.
"Is it because you don’t want to clean up, that’s why you don’t cook?"
"Of course!"
"It’s not because you can’t cook?"
Sam purchased so groceries online and then looked at the girl with a smile.
Sophie’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she brushed her hair behind her ear with a huff.
"What’s it to you? Of course, I can cook. It’s just been a while."
Sam looked at her thoughtfully. "It seems I’m not yet privileged enough to taste Miss Sophie’s cooking."
He was clearly teasing her about her pretense.
Sophie could tell, of course. She didn’t bother to respond and just leaned back on the sofa, clutching a familiar pillow. In the presence of this boy, she always felt a unique sense of security.
"What are you planning to cook?"
Despite her words, Sophie could still recall the taste of the als Sam had prepared. That indescribable, magical flavor seed unforgettable, as if once tasted, similar food could never be found again in a lifeti. She wouldn’t admit it aloud, but her mouth was already watering in anticipation.
Sam put away his phone and looked at Sophie. "You’ll know once I’ve cooked it. Are you already hungry?"
Sophie huffed. "I’m just preparing myself to reluctantly eat whatever you make. If you cook sothing I don’t like, you’re cleaning up."
Sam couldn’t help but laugh. "Nice plan there. I cook for you, and I clean up too? How would I know what you don’t like? You could make up any excuse, and I’d end up washing the dishes."
Sophie smiled. "It’s not like I asked you to cook for . You brought this on yourself."
"Really playing the ’ice queen’ role, aren’t you, Miss Sophie?"
Sam sighed in feigned despair.
Sophie wasn’t fooled by his poor acting. "Having special expectations of is your biggest mistake."
"Then I’ll just cook the food at your place and take it ho to eat."
Sophie paused. "Then what will I eat?"
"What if you don’t like it? It’s pointless to go to all that effort for nothing."
"But you’re using my kitchen, you should pay a price!"
Sam nodded. "Alright, how about this? When the groceries arrive, I’ll take them and go cook at my place. That way I don’t owe you anything, right?"
That infuriating jerk!
Sophie watched Sam trying to hold back his laughter, but it was as if she could hear him snickering inside. He was clearly mocking her, the jerk...
Sophie’s gaze turned icy. "Then you can leave now. Who needs your cooking anyway!?"
Sam stretched lazily and then smiled. "When you can finally get over your stubbornness, you’ll be unstoppable."
Sophie rolled her eyes. She knew all too well about her own stubborn streak.
But it was a long-ingrained habit. How could she just change it on a whim?
And why should she change for Sam?
She wasn’t lacking anything, and it was his uninvited entry that had disrupted her peaceful life. If anyone should change, it shouldn’t be her.
Soon, the delivery arrived.
Sam took the items and started cooking without delay.
Initially, Sophie pretended to read a book, but as the enticing aroma filled the air, she found it increasingly difficult to resist.
The words on the pages seed to transform into delicious pieces of grilled at.
If it weren’t for Sam being there, she probably would have been sitting at the dining table already.
But she needed to hold out, so she waited another few minutes.
Finally, she heard Sam’s voice. "Alright, stop pretending to read and co eat."
Sophie imdiately put down her book and stood up, walking towards the dining table, though her movents were deliberately slow, almost as if she were modeling on a runway.
"Who’s pretending? Don’t act like everyone’s dying to eat your cooking."
As she spoke, she picked up a spoon and fork.
Sam couldn’t be bothered to expose her pretense anymore. "Alright, alright, I’m treating you, okay? Miss Sophie, please do the honor of tasting it."
Sophie tilted her head slightly, elegantly picked up her fork, and sat up straight, as if it were a necessary ritual.
Sophie spoke little while eating.
It wasn’t that she was particularly polite by nature; it was just that Sam’s cooking... left no room for talking.
She could only keep eating, continuously loading her plate with the fork, afraid of missing out on any part of this delicious al.
Sam ate slowly, his mind wandering to mundane thoughts as he enjoyed the quiet atmosphere—an atmosphere so serene that he found himself relishing it.
Every Sam’s initial dream was simple, really.
To have a ho of his own, and to have a girl like her to share dinners with at dusk. No need for much talk, just the presence of such an atmosphere was enough to bring peace, enough to calm any storm from the outside world.
"You... did you only eat one chicken leg?"
Sam was lost in these trivial yet important thoughts when he suddenly heard Sophie’s voice.
He looked across the table to see the girl trying to appear calm, though her cheeks were tinged with a shy blush.
Sam glanced at the nearly empty plate on the table. He had fried four chicken legs, and having eaten just one, only one remained.
The situation was clear.
Sam looked at her and then flashed a grin, showing his teeth.
"Yeah, I only ate one. Did you eat two?"
Sophie paused, seemingly caught off guard by his straightforward response.
Wasn’t he supposed to play dumb and offer it to her?
She looked regretfully at the chicken leg.
"I see... I thought as much. You better eat it before it gets cold... gulp." As she spoke, Sophie swallowed her saliva.
Sam stifled a laugh and deliberately looked up at the ceiling. "What’s that sound? Is it leaking?"
"...I don’t know, I didn’t hear anything."
"Oh, okay then, I guess I’ll take this last chicken leg."
Sophie held her own plate, but her eyes were fixed intently on Sam’s movents.
Sam’s movents were painfully slow, like those deliberately paced slow-motion scenes in movies. As he reached for the chicken leg to place it in his bowl, Sophie’s gaze grew intense.
Just then, Sam suddenly spoke up.
"Ah... I’m kind of full, might not finish this chicken leg. Maybe I should take it ho?"
"Take it ho?!" Sophie was stunned, her hopeful eyes suddenly filled with confusion.
Sam nodded as if it were the most natural thing to do.
"Yeah, wouldn’t it be a waste otherwise? You’ve already had two, you probably can’t eat anymore, right?"
Sophie’s eyes darted away, her voice trembling slightly.
"I... can."
"Oh? What was that?"
"I said I... can eat it!"
Sam nodded.
He held a chicken leg up with his fork, suspended in the air halfway between them, as if she could easily reach it, yet he could snatch it back in an instant.
"So... do you want this chicken leg?"
He asked with a smile, the light casting shadows on his face, making him look like a mischievous imp.
Despite knowing it might be a tease, Sophie could only grit her teeth and say,
"Yes."
"What? I didn’t catch that."
"I said I want it!"
"Want what?"
"The chicken leg!!"
Finally, Sophie couldn’t take it anymore. She looked as if she was about to flip the table, almost shoving her spoon up Sam’s nose.
"Clang."
But in the next mont, Sam quickly placed the chicken leg into Sophie’s bowl.
"Go ahead and eat, I’ll wash the dishes after."
"...You’ll wash the dishes?"
Suddenly, her anger dissipated with this unexpectedly pleasant offer.
She couldn’t believe it—Sam actually had such considerate monts.
Sam shrugged nonchalantly.
"Since you’re too lazy to wash and I’ve got nothing else to do, I might as well. It won’t delay anything, and since I used your kitchen, it’s only right."
"Suit yourself!"
The al was finished in calm, and Sam kept his promise, quietly washing the dishes in the kitchen.
"You seem to really enjoy doing household chores."
Sophie had appeared behind him at so point, leaning slightly against the wall, watching his movents.
Sam continued his thodical work, unfazed.
"It’s not that I enjoy it, but I believe in finishing what I start. Just thinking about these dishes possibly sitting here for days without being cleaned up makes uncomfortable."
"Why would that bother you... I wouldn’t leave them for days."
Sophie rolled her eyes.
Just because Sophie didn’t want to do it... didn’t an the other soul inside her felt the sa.
Sam chuckled.
"I don’t know, maybe it’s OCD? By the way, exams are a week away. Do you think you can beat ?"
Sophie scoffed at the change in topic.
"Get it straight, I’ve always been top of the class, always first in every test. It’s not about whether I can beat you; it’s about whether you have any chance of catching up to ."
"Pretty confident, huh? What if you slip up this ti? It’s not impossible, right?"
"It’s absolutely impossible for , unless I decide I don’t want to."
No one seed more confident in their academic prowess than this girl.
Sam finished washing the last utensil, placed it on the rack, then washed his hands and turned around.
He shook his water-splattered hands. "Since you’re so confident, how about we make a bet on this upcoming exam?"
"A bet? What kind of bet?"
Sophie crossed her arms over her ’non-existent’ chest, looking down imperiously like a valkyrie ready to accept a mortal’s challenge.
Sam smiled and said,
"If I score the sa as you on this test, or higher... you’ll wash my clothes for a month, and call ’dear Sam’ for a month."
"In your dreams!!"
Sophie’s cheeks flushed with anger as she glared at Sam.
Sam casually spread his hands. "You’re so confident in yourself, yet you’re afraid to take this bet?"
Sophie sneered.
"This has nothing to do with my confidence. A bet should have equal stakes, and you need to offer sothing that interests if you lose."
Sam shrugged nonchalantly.
"If I lose, even by just one point, I’ll cook for you for a month and do all the household chores. I’ll provide all the groceries at no cost to you, and you can even co over to eat at my place without having to use any of your own supplies."
"Deal!"
"That quick?"
Sam was taken aback. He hadn’t even finished speaking, and Sophie had already sealed the deal?
Well, that’s sothing. Was her earlier indignation just for show? Had she been waiting for Sam to offer these terms?
Sophie struggled to keep her lips from curling up too much.
A whole month, huh.
Free als for a month, no expenses, and delicious food at that... not to ntion no chores!
Why would anyone refuse such a tempting offer?
Sophie spun around gracefully, her hair swirling slightly, her whole deanor as poised as a lotus blooming in a pond.
"I’m not one to dilly-dally, of course. But if you want to back out, that’s fine too..."
"No need to back out, I’m looking forward to you calling ’dear Sam’ for a month."
"Heh, wishful thinking."
"Be careful, overconfidence can lead to unexpected losses. Nothing in this world is absolute."
Hearing this, Sophie turned sharply, pointing a finger at Sam’s nose.
"That’s right, nothing in this world is absolute. But Sophie is definitely smarter than Sam."
Sam was sowhat amazed by her extre confidence.
How can she be so shalessly confident, yet so adorable?
He didn’t quite understand, but Sam was ready to head ho.
"Let’s see what the results say then. See you tomorrow."
Watching Sam turn and walk to the door, Sophie felt a strange emptiness, a touch of boredom. But her personality ant she wouldn’t actively try to stop him. Her gaze shifted away, feigning indifference.
"Hurry up and go, and rember to take the trash with you."
"I’ve got it, you lazybones."
"Hmph, mind your own business."
"Off I go."
"Bang."
Sam, holding the trash bag, disappeared from Sophie’s sight, even closing the door behind him, eliminating any chance of a parting shot.
Yet, an invisible boorang pierced the young girl’s heart.
Looking around the now empty room, it seed to still carry his presence.
Sophie sighed inexplicably. "Why have I also beco so weird..."
Sam didn’t linger on the road; he dropped the trash in the bin and headed straight ho.
But as soon as he got ho, he heard strange noises.
From... his bathroom?
Sam frowned and walked towards the bathroom, only to see the light on and... the sound of running water.
What’s going on? Who’s taking a shower in his house?!
The mont Sam questioned this, he thought of the answer. It couldn’t be a thief; no thief would be that absurd.
So, the only person with the audacity and leisure to use his bathroom... could only be that woman.
Sam approached the closed bathroom door.
Then he knocked.
"Zoe... is that you?"
The person inside didn’t respond.
Instead.
Suddenly, the door was unexpectedly pulled open.
Sam’s eyes widened, seeing only a mist of water... not even making out any specific details.
"Bang!"
Sam was abruptly pulled inside.
Like an innocent traveler swallowed by the abyss...
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