The Cooking Club and a Sister’s Jealousy

Emmm, I took the form and read the requirements written on it. I hesitated for a moment. Then, I made a decision.

“Don’t, don’t tear up the form!” Yanxue saw me place both hands on the form, pinching it between my thumbs and index fingers, a clear expression of ‘I’m going to tear this damn thing’ on my face. She reached out and stopped my indecisive hands.

For the sake of my sister making more female friends, I decided to endure it. A monthly club fee of 50 yuan. Even though the club activities would generally be held at noon—meaning I’d have to handle lunch myself—I knew exactly how much I spent on lunch each day. Sigh, I’d have to suppress my desire to spend on in-game purchases.

“Huaimo-kun, do you dislike the cooking club?” Yuetong Fangying also reached out, taking my hands in hers. Her black eyes shimmered like rippling water, unblinkingly meeting mine.

“It’s not that, I just…” ‘I’m just too poor,’ but I didn’t say it out loud.

“Huaimo, join us, join us!” Qian Tangjin also extended her slender fingers, layering them over those of the two girls.

“Mm.” Hearing my affirmative reply, they relaxed and released my hands. But then—

“Huaixin, you too! Don’t, don’t tear up the form!”

Beside me, my sister was also frowning, her hands gripping the top of the form with an expression that screamed ‘I’m going to tear this damn thing too,’ her body trembling slightly.

Finally, we finished signing and handed the forms to Yanxue. Then we collapsed onto the living room floor, muttering to ourselves unconsciously.

“Brother-brother-brother belongs to his sister…”

“Gold coins, gold coins, gold—I’m getting poorer and poorer…”

“A-are you okay? Is the club fee too expensive?” Yanxue looked at us nervously, then at the forms, her expression uncertain.

“That’s not a problem. I just spend a bit too much. When do we pay the fee?” I lay sprawled on the floor, speaking weakly.

“At the beginning of each month, when classes start. You can pay in the morning or after school. No need during winter and summer breaks unless there are special circumstances.”

“Then no problem.”

“Great.”

The three girls visibly relaxed again, heaving deep sighs. Hmm? Looks like they were quite worried about us.

“Well, since you’re all here, and last time we used your club fees to cook noodles, how about we eat at my place today?” I stood up, pulling my dazed sister along as I spoke to the three of them.

“Free food!~” “Free food!~” “I-I’ll gladly accept.”

****

“Huaimo-kun’s knife skills are amazing.” As she spoke, Yuetong Fangying moved a little closer to me, though still maintaining some distance.

Tsk, if she got a bit closer, I might accidentally brush against her chest. Too bad, really too bad.

“Indeed,” Yanxue said, turning around while adjusting the sauce. Since we were relatively close, her chest brushed against my arm, sending a jolt through my nerves.

Hmm, C-cup. Not bad, not bad. The touch just now was top-notch! Ah, joining the cooking club is wonderful. Cute girls everywhere, a harem full of possibilities—this is pure bliss.

“Huai-Huaixin, your hand, your hand is shaking. Are you okay?”

Hearing Qian Tangjin’s uneasy voice, I turned my head to look at my sister, who seemed about to faint. She wore an expression that screamed ‘white blade in, red blade out,’ gripping the knife so tightly that her hand trembled involuntarily. Her eyes were wide open, bloodshot from lack of blinking.

Was it too hasty to let my sister join the cooking club? I’d hoped to help her depression by integrating her into a group, making friends, and enjoying campus life instead of sticking with me, a shut-in, all day. But maybe I was too impatient.

I stopped what I was doing, walked over, and stood behind her, gently taking her hand.

“Come on, take it slow. Big brother is right here.”

“Ah, mm.”

My sister murmured a few vague words, her body gradually relaxing.

****

There wasn’t much conversation at the dinner table. My sister kept her head down, so we didn’t chat much. After eating our fill, it was time to part.

“See you then, Huaimo-kun.”

“Bye. We’ll officially start activities next month. You all have my WeChat, right? If I call, make sure you reply.”

“Got it. Bye.”

“Then, Huaimo, I’ll take my leave too.”

“Mm. Are you going home alone?”

“No. Ah, my dad is here to pick me up. Bye, Huaimo.”

“Mm, bye.”

Looking at the Rolls-Royce parked not far from my doorstep, I thought: ‘if only I could afford that luxury car… at least the solid gold Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament.’

But I was surprised that Qian Tangjin’s father didn’t object to his daughter visiting someone else’s home. He sat in the driver’s seat, smiling and waving at me. Out of politeness toward the wealthy, I bowed. After Qian Tangjin got into the passenger seat, the car left with a pleasant engine roar.

Luckily, my parents were working overtime today, or they’d have been shocked. My heart was still pounding. If Qian Tangjin gets diarrhea tomorrow, I feel like I’ll be dragged off and given a ‘physical’ punishment.

Letting out a big sigh, I went back inside and up to the second floor.

“Brother.”

When I reached the stairs, a whiny voice came, touching my heart like a dragonfly skimming water. Ripples spread. I gently responded to my sister, who was leaning against my bedroom door with a worried expression.

“Sigh, even though I think breaking promises is bad… today is an exception. I’ll sleep in your room.”

Looking at my sister, for some reason, I felt a vague sense of impending doom. Like the prelude to a collapse, or the calm before a storm. Even if I tried to prepare, fate’s tempest would still break through the barriers and sweep over me.

I…

“Great!~ I love my brother the most! Then…”

My sister reached behind her back and, with a relieved expression, brought out a gleamingly polished kitchen knife. Grinning at me, she enunciated each word.

“Then, my suddenly overjoyed little sister won’t have to kill everyone in the cooking club~”

“…” I was speechless. Looking at my sister like this, I realized how little I understood her mental illness.

“Hug for my dearest brother~ Come on, let’s go to my room. Today~ is still a safe day.”

Still a safe day, huh…

Right, today is still a ‘safe day.’ At least my sister hasn’t done anything extreme. Yet an inexplicable panic kept swirling in my mind.

Will I be able to cure my sister’s yandere depression in the end? Even just alleviating it would be good.

After much thought, when it was time to sleep, I went to my sister’s room and lay down on the bed. A faint fragrance wafted over. Her room was simple, without fancy decorations or displays—certainly not walls plastered with my photos. Soon, overcome by drowsiness, I slowly drifted into a dream.