Ch 72 - Pinky Promise

Toma stepped out of the game capsule and realized it was still only eleven in the morning. The house was unbelievably quiet, almost completely silent, except for a faint humming drifting from one of the rooms. It seemed to be coming from his bedroom.

He walked over without much thought. That was definitely Zetia's voice, though he had no idea what she was doing in there. He also knew Lina had already left for the day. She had recently started a new job, and while most of her work could be done from home, she still needed to go out every now and then.

When he reached the room, he saw the bedroom door standing open. He stepped inside quietly.

"Zetia," he called as he spotted the girl sitting on the floor. Sunlight poured through the open window, filling the room with a warm glow. She stopped humming and turned to look at him.

"Toma, you're awake," she said.

Toma walked farther into the room. Several boxes were scattered across the floor, and a number of belongings had already been neatly packed away.

"I've been cleaning out this closet and sorting through the old things. Then I found this," she said.

Toma moved closer before crouching for a moment, then sat down beside her as she held up a small box filled with old photographs.

"Look at this. That's you, isn't it?" she asked with a quiet laugh.

Toma looked at the picture. It showed a messy seven-year-old boy with black hair. Standing beside him was Lina, already much taller than him, gently holding his hand.

"I didn't know there was such a big age gap between you and Lina."

Toma smiled and nodded. He and Lina were six years apart in age. Because of that, it was hard to describe them as ordinary childhood friends, even though they had grown up together. Lina had always been much more like someone who helped raise him while he was still a child.

Especially after that time, when Lina's family had fallen apart so quickly following her mother's death.

"Mortals are so cute..." she said after a moment.

"Because we have such short lifespans?" he asked as he turned to look at her.

Zetia lifted her head and met his gaze.

"Yes. And now I'm the same as all of you," she replied with a soft laugh.

Even after living there for several weeks, with no clear identity and no one knowing where she had truly come from, Zetia still stayed completely committed to the role she had introduced herself with from the very beginning: the Goddess of Chaos.

Toma smiled again before giving it some thought.

"When you said we were going to move, I was a little surprised. I thought you'd never leave this place since it holds so many memories," she said.

He let out a quiet smile.

"We need a bigger place to live. For me, you, and the game capsules. I'm planning to buy another one later."

She tilted her head. “Game capsule?”

"Wouldn't it be better if you logged into the game while I'm in there too? That way you wouldn't have to stay here all by yourself, getting bored and trying to find ways to pass the time."

"No, Toma," she said with a gentle smile. "I've never said I was bored, have I? I actually enjoy living in this house. Cleaning the rooms, taking care of everything... I've even started learning how to cook, you know. I like doing all these little things. It's surprisingly satisfying to accomplish them with my own hands."

She spoke with genuine excitement, her whole body moving as she acted out what she was saying.

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"Like cooking. It's really fun." She mimed stirring something in an invisible pot. "My first attempt was a complete disaster. It tasted so awful that even I couldn't eat it." She laughed again.

"I wasted the groceries you bought. But you still ate it anyway, and that made me feel so guilty. Still, I've gotten much better since then. I'll show you today."

"Really? You're not going to poison me again this time?"

"I promise!" she said, holding out her pinky.

Toma smiled before hooking his little finger around hers.

"Do the deities in the Heavenly Realm make promises by linking pinkies like this too?"

She let out a soft laugh.

"I'm just copying how humans do it. This is how people make promises, isn't it?"

"Not officially. Usually there are documents, contracts, signatures, and all that. But... yeah, this works too."

She giggled again, her smile growing even brighter.

Toma stood first, brushing the dust from his hands before offering one of them to her. She smiled softly and accepted it, allowing him to help her to her feet. As she stood, her long silver hair slipped gracefully over her shoulders, catching the sunlight streaming through the open window.

They walked out of the room together. Zetia continued chatting with the same excitement, happily telling him everything she had done that day. By the time they reached the kitchen, she was already tying on an apron.

"See? I've already chopped all the vegetables, the meat, and even prepared the seasonings. This was so much fun." She let out a small giggle. "I might have gone a little overboard, though. I think I made way too much. Hopefully Lina gets home on time so she can help us finish it."

Toma looked over everything she had prepared. The vegetables were neatly sliced, the ingredients were carefully separated, and the countertop was surprisingly clean.

"You learn pretty fast. Then again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You're a goddess, after all."

She laughed softly.

"I don't think being a goddess has anything to do with chopping vegetables."

As she turned on the stove and placed the pan over the flame, Toma naturally stepped beside her.

"What do you need?"

"The oil first."

He handed her the bottle.

"And the garlic."

Before she even finished asking, the small bowl was already in front of her.

She blinked.

"...I was just about to ask for that."

"You were looking at it."

"So you knew."

"It wasn't hard to guess."

A moment later she reached toward the counter.

"The pepper..."

Toma had already picked it up and held it out.

She couldn't help laughing. "You're doing it again."

"I'm just trying to be helpful."

"You are." She smiled as she accepted it. "But now it feels like you're reading my mind."

"I don't have to. Your eyes give everything away."

She puffed her cheeks for a second before laughing again. "Then I'll have to be more mysterious."

"I'll look forward to seeing you try."

The rest of the cooking continued with the same easy rhythm. Before Zetia could ask for another ingredient, Toma would quietly pass it to her. Whenever she reached for a plate or a utensil, it somehow ended up in her hands before she even touched it.

At first she found it surprising. Then she simply started smiling every time it happened.

Working together felt strangely natural, as though they had been sharing the same kitchen for years instead of only a few weeks.

After a while, the rich aroma of the finished meal filled the house. Zetia turned off the stove with a satisfied nod while Toma carried the dishes over to the dining table.

When everything was finally ready, they sat down across from each other. Several warm dishes rested in the middle of the table, steam slowly rising into the quiet afternoon air.

Zetia looked at the food with bright, expectant eyes before turning to Toma.

"...I'm a little nervous."

Toma picked up his chopsticks and smiled. As the aroma reached him, he paused for a moment. It smelled surprisingly rich and inviting, like something prepared by a professional chef.

"I think I finally know where all the groceries I've been buying have been going."

Zetia narrowed her eyes with a playful smile. "You didn't read my mind, did you?"

He chuckled. "Then let's see how much you've improved."

As Toma reached for the serving spoon, Zetia did the same. Their hands lightly bumped together over the table, causing both of them to stop. They looked at each other for a brief second before smiling.

"Let me serve you," Zetia said softly. "You're the one tasting it first."

Toma withdrew his hand. "All right."

She carefully scooped some onto his plate before setting the spoon back down. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, almost at the same time, they let out quiet laughs.

"What?" Toma asked.

"Nothing," Zetia replied, still smiling. "It just felt... a little funny."

"It did."

Toma finally picked up a piece of meat and took his first bite. The moment the flavor spread across his tongue, his eyes widened slightly. The seasoning was perfectly balanced, the meat was tender, and every ingredient came together so naturally that nothing stood out more than the rest. It was astonishingly good.

He slowly looked up at Zetia.

The nervousness that had filled her face moments ago disappeared the instant she saw his reaction. Relief washed over her expression, followed by a bright, hopeful smile.

"So?" she asked. "What do you think, Toma?"

He took another bite before answering.

"...It's perfect."

"Really?"

Toma nodded. "I'm serious. This is honestly better than a lot of restaurant food."

For a brief moment, Zetia simply stared at him. Then her smile grew even wider.

"I actually did it."

She laughed quietly, unable to hide how happy she was.