Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

Gulp!

She swallowed involuntarily.

An overwhelming aroma of delicious food wafted across the rooftop. It was as if he had opened not a lunchbox, but Pandora's box.

The surge of writing inspiration that had been flowing came to an abrupt halt. Even the constant shaking of her plump thighs suddenly stopped. The rich scent of eel meat frantically stimulated everyone's taste buds.

Utaha stared blankly at the dry sandwich in her hand. At this moment, she finally understood the meaning of "tasteless as chewing wax".

Ginko, sitting in the shade downwind, had it even worse. The rich scent of the eel rice sauce drew her gaze like a magnet.

'First, I had to endure those two being lovey-dovey, and now I have to endure this aroma. I can't stay on this rooftop anymore.' Saki swallowed her food viciously.

Utaha quickly recovered, finished her bread in a few bites, and resumed writing her manuscript, trying to divert her attention.

{On a fine afternoon, Rika stood at the classroom door, facing Taisuke... saying... Die! — I'm so hungry... I'm so hungry... I want to eat eel rice... eel rice... eel rice...}

With restless leg-shaking, her hand moved at lightning speed.

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While the three were suffering, Itsuki descended the central stairway and encountered Ichika.

"How's Yotsuba?"

"Nino just messaged that it's not serious — just a sprained ankle that needs rest."

Ichika sighed with relief. She had feared her sister's injury might require a hospital visit.

"That lunchbox in your hand..."

"It's from Daiki-kun for Miku. He asked me to deliver it to her."

"My, my, who would've thought? Daiki-kun is quite the catch, isn't he?" Ichika's impish grin prompted Itsuki to instinctively shield the lunchbox.

If Ichika and Nino hadn't teased Miku yesterday, causing her to stay up all night and forget to charge her phone, none of this would have happened. Itsuki was determined not to let Ichika meddle again.

"Don't touch it. Daiki-kun prepared this for Miku." Itsuki warned, frowning as she fended off the reaching hand.

"I know, I just want to take a peek. Looking won't make it vanish. Aren't you curious about what Daiki-kun made for Miku? You know, no one's ever made me a lunchbox. Come on, just one look! I promise not to touch anything." Ichika's curiosity was insatiable as she persisted in trying to grab the lunchbox.

To prevent it from tumbling to the ground, Itsuki reluctantly conceded.

"Fine, but remember — look only, don't touch anything."

"Don't worry, you know me!"

As she spoke, Ichika carefully lifted the lid a crack. The rich aroma of eel from the lunchbox immediately wafted out.

"Wow, this smells amazing!" A tingling sensation, like an electric shock, coursed through her body.

Itsuki, standing nearby, also twitched her nose, catching a whiff. The fragrance surpassed even the eel dishes prepared by that renowned chef who once owned a high-end restaurant!

"Say, it should be fine if I taste just a little bit, right?"

Before she finished speaking, Itsuki snatched back the lunchbox protectively.

"How could that be okay? Daiki-kun prepared this for Miku!" Struggling to swallow her saliva, she righteously rejected the proposal.

"What's the big deal! We're quintuplets, you know! The food Miku's boyfriend prepared for her is practically prepared for me too. Miku's boyfriend, that's like... mmph mmph — I'm just kidding, don't cover my nose, I can't breathe..."

Itsuki clamped her hand over Ichika's mouth, fearfully surveying their surroundings. If someone overheard, it would cause a huge commotion.

Seeing that no one else was passing by, she finally released her hand.

"Don't say such things! If someone else hears, we're done for. Miku might get scared into dropping out of school because of rumors! It would be trouble for Daiki-kun too."

Ichika stuck out her tongue sheepishly at her serious and stern look.

"But... if I just taste a little bit, Miku won't mind, right? Surely our bond as quintuplets counts for more than Daiki-kun?" Ichika licked her lips, pleading desperately.

"This isn't right... we should tell Miku first." Itsuki looked troubled, her eyes darting towards the lunchbox.

Truth be told, she also wanted to taste it.

Sensing her inner conflict, Ichika quickly said, "Let's just have a tiny taste. You know what I mean by tiny, right? Just a nibble. Besides, Itsuki, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

As if on cue, Itsuki's stomach growled.

Any other day, she'd be in the cafeteria by now. But today, with Yotsuba's injury and Miku's request, she'd been running around without a single bite of hot food. The tantalizing aroma only intensified her hunger.

Reluctantly rubbing her stomach, she stammered, "So... just a tiny taste?"

"Right, just a tiny taste!"

Exchanging furtive glances, Itsuki and Ichika moved to a corner. Ichika took the lead, picking up a small piece of eel and rice with her chopsticks and popping it into her mouth.

"Mmm... oh my... it's divine! Daiki-kun's cooking is impeccable. If he wasn't Miku's boyfriend... I'd really... uh... just kidding..." Cupping her face, Ichika's words tumbled out. Catching her sister's gaze, she quickly composed herself and smiled sheepishly, "Quick, try it! This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted!"

"Alright, alright, we said just a tiny taste. Can't you control yourself?" Itsuki chided, but then her pupils dilated.

The incomparable aroma made her brain construct an involuntary illusion.

She imagined riding an eel across a sparkling sea, cruising through azure waters. The taste exploded on her tongue — tender fish meat transporting her to the ocean floor, as if listening to its mysteries.

"Wait, we can't eat any more!" Itsuki exclaimed.

Seeing Ichika move her chopsticks again, she hurriedly intervened.

"It's fine." Ichika insisted, "I'll just have two or three grains of rice with the eel sauce. We've already eaten a small piece of eel — what difference do a few grains make?"

Itsuki found herself agreeing. Surely Miku wouldn't mind such a tiny amount.

Following Ichika's lead, she scooped two grains of rice into her mouth.

"That's enough." Itsuki declared, "We can't continue."

"Don't worry." Ichika soothed, "The lunchbox is huge. We said we'd just taste a bit — would Miku even notice a few more grains?"

Itsuki's resolve wavered. After all, wasn't a small bite the same as a big one?

They tasted again.

"If we eat just two or three grains each time, it doesn't matter if we do it more often, right?" Ichika reasoned, "We're eating so little, Miku won't be able to tell."

Surveying the lunchbox, Itsuki noted they'd only tasted a tiny portion. Surely Miku wouldn't notice.

Their hands moved faster, chopsticks a blur.

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T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

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