All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends-Chapter 229: A Mysterious Sense of Familiarity
When the ribbon bow was untied.
The box was opened.
A fresh cream birthday cake with a predominantly white color scheme appeared on the dining table.
There were no overly extravagant decorations.
Yet it exuded a feeling—this cake was undoubtedly delicious.
Seeing the words "Happy Birthday" written in jam on the cake—
Izumi Sagiri unconsciously broke into a sweet smile.
(๑>◡<๑)
She was truly happy.
What little girl wouldn't want to celebrate her birthday?
At Sagiri's age—
Having a special older brother bring a cake to celebrate her birthday—
This kind of thoughtfulness was something she could remember for a lifetime.
On the other side, Sagiri's mother was also slightly taken aback when she saw the cake.
She had assumed that Yukima Azuma had bought it from a bakery somewhere.
But upon closer inspection, that clearly wasn't the case.
This cake was undoubtedly handmade.
With her exceptional culinary skills, Mrs. Izumi could easily tell the difference between a store-bought cake and a homemade one.
And a handmade cake—
In terms of sincerity, it simply couldn't compare to a store-bought one.
To put it simply—
This was true love!
(∩˃o˂∩)♡
Sagiri's mother, Mrs. Izumi, cast a meaningful glance at Yukima Azuma.
(˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)
Then, she took the initiative to speak: "Yukima-kun, this cake doesn't seem to be from a bakery, does it?"
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma nodded.
"My friend and I made it together."
Upon hearing that, Izumi Sagiri's eyes sparkled even more.
ヾ(｡✪ω✪｡)ｼ
This was the fundamental difference between boys and girls.
If it were a boy, most wouldn't care whether the cake was handmade or not.
What they'd care about more was whether it tasted good.
Whether bought or made, they'd be equally grateful.
But girls were more sensitive.
Knowing that Yukima Azuma had personally made the cake—
Gave it an entirely different meaning.
Before even tasting it, her heart was already filled with sweetness.
(づ> v <)づ♡
Mrs. Izumi took a kitchen knife and cut a small piece for Izumi Sagiri.
Ordinarily, desserts shouldn't be eaten before the main meal.
But looking at her daughter, it was obvious that she couldn't wait any longer.
So be it, just a little taste first.
Then, Mrs. Izumi cut another portion for Yukima Azuma and herself.
Taking a bite, her eyes lit up with surprise.
(っ˘ڡ˘ς) Oishi~~~.
What an impressive skill.
As a housewife, Mrs. Izumi had always been confident in her cooking.
Yet this young boy was far more skilled than she was.
Internally, she added another point for Yukima Azuma.
ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
Being good at cooking was an important bonus.
Since Izumi Sagiri had been raised by her since she was little—
And as the first-generation Eromanga-sensei, Mrs. Izumi had a stable income and knew how to enjoy life—
This little girl had been spoiled into a picky eater.
If Sagiri's future husband couldn't take good care of her diet, that would be unacceptable.
As for Izumi Sagiri, after taking a bite—
A completely enchanted expression appeared on her delicate face.
( ∩´͈ ᐜ `͈∩)
This was the first time in her life she had ever eaten such a delicious cake.
She had loved good food since she was little—
So upon encountering such a delicacy, her affection level instantly skyrocketed.
Sagiri: (づ๑•ᴗ•๑)づ♡ Affection +999999999.
Seeing her looking so blissful—
Yukima Azuma smiled faintly.
But deep inside, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
It seemed that Izumi Sagiri truly loved delicious food.
But in the Previous Timeline—
This child could only stay cooped up in her room, ordering takeout every day.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.
Even though there were quite a few delivery restaurants nearby—
Day after day, she had probably cycled through all of them long ago.
Moreover, delivered food took time to arrive, and after being trapped in the packaging for a while, it would lose the fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.
In the previous timeline, no wonder Izumi Sagiri was easily won over by the delicious meals he cooked.
The only question was, when she ate—
Did she ever think of the dishes Mrs. Izumi used to make?
Tch, just thinking about it felt pitiful.
Luckily, that won't happen anymore.
Izumi Sagiri, who was happily eating the cake piece by piece—
As if sensing something, suddenly lifted her gaze toward Yukima Azuma.
Her deep blue eyes met his.
A sudden, indescribable sourness welled up—
Making her want to cry.
｡ﾟ(₌இᆽஇ₌)ﾟ｡
Thankfully, the feeling came and went quickly.
Placing her cake down, Izumi Sagiri suddenly felt like eating a proper meal.
The lavish dishes were already laid out before her.
She picked up her chopsticks and began eating heartily.
Today, everything tasted better than usual.
...
—After the meal.
Mrs. Izumi, having finished cleaning up the dining table—
Announced that she had to go out for a bit.
Leaving her daughter and Yukima Azuma home alone.
She was practically broadcasting her intention to "give them some alone time" on her face.
If it were a stranger—
Mrs. Izumi would have been much more cautious.
There was no way she would leave her precious daughter alone with some unknown man.
But with Yukima Azuma, she felt completely at ease.
Part of it was because he was a young literary genius who had gained fame early on.
Of course, talent didn't necessarily equate to virtue, but it was at least some kind of reassurance.
Moreover, when Izumi Sagiri signed a contract with Laplace Corporation—
As a mother, Mrs. Izumi had thoroughly researched the company.
Laplace Corporation could be considered one of the most ethical companies in Japan.
After all—
Unlike corporations that originated from industrial enterprises—
Laplace Corporation's industry wasn't purely driven by profit.
They treated their employees with remarkable care.
Their reputation was impeccable.
And as the President of such a conscientious company, Yukima Azuma's character should be at least somewhat trustworthy.
Today, Mrs. Izumi became even more certain—
This young man was genuinely fond of her daughter.
Now, she could be completely at ease.
(Note: No no no, this sounds very unsafe. Readers with children, please do not follow this example.)
...
After Mrs. Izumi left.
Only Sagiri and Yukima Azuma remained in the house.
She felt a bit shy.
(,,¬﹏¬,,)
Even though this was her first time meeting him—
There was an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
As if she had met Yukima Azuma before.
Not only that—
It felt like they had even shared some intimate moments.
Like… h*lding h*nds, for example.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
This realization made Izumi Sagiri flustered.
It was as if she were a wicked young girl—
Daring to have such improper thoughts about a boy.
Too embarrassed, Izumi Sagiri decided to find a topic to talk about.
Talking about anime/manga should be safe, right!?
"I have a new game disc in my room. Do you want to play together?"
The moment she finished speaking, she suddenly realized—
That sounded like an invitation for him to enter her room.
It was a classic case of her mouth moving faster than her brain.
Before Yukima Azuma could even respond, her face had already turned bright red.
Seeing Izumi Sagiri fluster herself, Yukima Azuma chuckled softly and nodded.
Since she was the one who made the offer, there was no backing out now.
So, Izumi Sagiri had no choice but to lead Yukima Azuma upstairs, toward her room.
When the door opened, she nervously said:
"P...please come in."
(,,¬﹏¬,,)
The room had changed quite a bit from Yukima Azuma's memories.
Although the main theme was still that of a pink-toned girl's bedroom—
There were clearly more plush toys than before.
One glance, and it was obvious they came from claw machines.
There were also some decorative souvenirs from festivals.
These things—
In the previous timeline, would never have appeared in Izumi Sagiri's room.
Because—
In that timeline, Izumi Sagiri hadn't even stepped out of her room.
Let alone gone to a game center or attended a festival.
...
Izumi Sagiri walked to her gaming console, turned it on, and inserted the new game disc.
When she turned back around, she saw Yukima Azuma looking around her room.
The embarrassment unique to young girls instantly surged within her.
"H-hey! What are you looking at!?"
( //>///<//)
Hearing that, Yukima Azuma smiled gently at her.
"Just thinking that Sagiri's room is really cute."
Upon hearing that, Izumi Sagiri became even more flustered.
She let out a small huff without responding—
But it was clear she was happy.
...
While playing the game—
Izumi Sagiri, still holding the controller, casually asked:
"Azuma... do you believe in magic?"
Hearing this, Yukima Azuma's expression shifted slightly.
He more or less guessed why Izumi Sagiri would ask something like that.
"I've never seen it before, but I guess it might exist."
He gave a vague response.
Izumi Sagiri, however, probably wasn't expecting a satisfying answer from him in the first place.
Or rather—she herself didn't have a satisfying answer, either.
She simply wanted to talk about it.
"When I was little, I once saw a Golden Snitch."
"You know... the Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. Have you read Harry Potter before?"
Yukima Azuma thought to himself—so that's how it is.
Not only had he read it.
That Golden Snitch—was something he had personally released.
Even now, it was still wriggling in Sagiri drawer.
Restlessly trying to fly back into his palm.
Perhaps because Yukima Azuma's current identity was rather complicated—
Both a friend of her father—
And someone she could chat with comfortably.
Izumi Sagiri simply confided in this boy she had just met—
Sharing stories buried deep in her heart.
Yukima Azuma simply listened quietly—
Becoming a sincere listener for her.
The story began with a Golden Snitch.
And ended with an unexpected incident and a lingering regret.
After hearing Izumi Sagiri's story—
Yukima Azuma couldn't help but click his tongue.
So after the timeline changed, things had unfolded this way.
Although he had prevented the tragedy that claimed the lives of the Izumi couple—
In the end, a small yet undeniable regret remained.
However—
Compared to leaving Izumi Sagiri imprisoned in her own room for a lifetime—
A minor regret was already a much better outcome.
Of course, Izumi Sagiri would likely never know—
What would have happened if her parents had actually gone on that honeymoon.
But... perhaps it was better that way.
