Meanwhile, Andrew, who was sitting on the living room sofa not far away, overheard Evelyn's phone conversation and had a good idea of what had happened. Looks like the breakfast they were supposed to have was now off the table.
Andrew had already eaten, so it didn't matter to him, but judging by Evelyn's reaction, both she and Astra Yao were starving.
He was just sitting around anyway. Rather than let the two women go hungry while he was full, he might as well cook something for them.
After all, he was getting paid a lot, and they had been considerate towards him. Putting in a little extra effort to whip up a simple meal was no problem at all.
So, Andrew spoke up:
"Miss Evelyn, could I possibly borrow the kitchen?"
Hearing this, Evelyn looked at Andrew with some surprise. She never would have guessed that Andrew, who seemed just as much a combat specialist as she was, would have such a skill.
So, even though she knew it might be a bit rude, Evelyn asked with a hint of doubt:
"You... you actually know how to cook?"
In response to her question, Andrew nodded without hesitation. He tapped his chest plate, producing a couple of dull thuds, and said confidently:
"Of course! And I guarantee it'll be delicious!"
Since Andrew was so sure of himself, Evelyn hesitated for a moment before replying:
"Alright, be my guest. The fridge has ingredients from yesterday's shopping and plenty of rice. You can use whatever you need."
She glanced at the time, however, and after another brief hesitation, added:
"But we don't have a lot of time. Including time to eat, we probably have about twenty-four minutes. Also... I'll need to supervise."
"Twenty-four minutes?"
That was more than enough. And as for her watching, that wasn't an issue either.
Andrew figured she was just a bit wary of a stranger preparing their food, so he didn't mind at all.
With her approval, Andrew immediately got to work in the kitchen, while Evelyn observed him carefully from a short distance.
It was as if she was trying to confirm whether Andrew could actually cook.
Based on the stories circulating about Andrew on the Proxy Net, he was purely a combatant, just like her. Could a fighter like that really have the spare time to master another powerful skill?
Evelyn was skeptical.
She... she had actually wanted to try cooking for a long time, but she'd never gotten around to actually doing it. The idea had first sprouted on her first day here, after tasting Astra Yao's fried rice.
A month later, the thought was now constantly popping into her head.
But Evelyn always hesitated.
She hesitated, wondering if she—a tool who, from beginning to end, possessed only the skills of slaughter—could really do something that normal people did?
Evelyn, who had undergone training in countless secret organizations since childhood and had never hesitated no matter what she faced.
Yet, when faced with a trivial matter like cooking, she found herself agonizing over it for the first time.
As someone who had always lived as a professional spy, Evelyn didn't realize that what made her hesitate was never the so-called difficulty, nor was it simply about cooking.
It was about whether a cold machine, one that had only ever completed missions, devoid of emotion or attachment, could truly become a living, breathing person.
A person who could live a normal life.
Like other people—cooking, working, living, making friends, liking cute things, going shopping with friends.
These were all things Evelyn had never considered or even imagined before meeting Astra Yao.
Taking the first step is always the hardest part.
Because the unknowns that lie beyond it are too many, and the cost might be too heavy for her to bear.
Astra Yao's light had illuminated her, making her want to try. But it was also because of Astra Yao.
She was too dazzling, which in turn made Evelyn, a person who lived in the shadows, feel insecure about whether she could ever become her true friend.
It was this insecurity that had caused her to hesitate until now.
But as they spent more time together, the desire to take that first step grew stronger and more urgent.
Evelyn's mind was in turmoil.
Lately, she had been agonizing over this alone for a long time. She would get lost in her thoughts, only snapping out of it when a finished-with-her-work Astra Yao would call out to her.
Andrew, however, didn't notice Evelyn's wandering thoughts. Expecting someone you've known for less than an hour to understand such complex emotions... that wasn't high emotional intelligence; that was mind-reading.
Evelyn's gaze didn't affect Andrew in the slightest. After all, he was used to people watching him cook.
He checked the fridge. The kitchen didn't show much sign of use, but the refrigerator was surprisingly well-stocked.
He spotted a large bowl of cooked rice, clearly prepared in advance.
An idea of what to make immediately formed in Andrew's mind.
Twenty minutes wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. He couldn't make anything too complicated, but it was more than enough time to whip up a couple of servings of fried rice.
Under Andrew's knife, several side ingredients were diced with clean, uniform precision.
Watching him, Evelyn saw how his perfect grip on the blade and the precision of his cuts indirectly showcased his complete control over his body and strength.
Combined with the extremely heavy weapon he wielded so effortlessly, there was no way he could be weak.
However, Evelyn was still skeptical about his claim that the three-meter-long tachi was his main weapon.
After all, that weapon didn't look like something a normal human could possibly use.
Watching Andrew's movements, Evelyn's thoughts gradually returned to the present.
She couldn't possibly confide her inner turmoil to someone else, but she still wanted to seek an answer from Andrew.
After a moment's hesitation, she finally asked:
"I have a friend... she's only ever known combat skills, but now she wants to try cooking. Do you think... there would be any problem with that?"
"A problem?"
As he mixed a raw egg yolk into the rice he had warmed slightly in the microwave, Andrew paused, a little taken aback by her question.
He replied, somewhat confused:
"Of course not. What problem could there be? It's just cooking."
Andrew's response didn't ease Evelyn's worries at all. She pressed on:
"But... my friend... she's always lived in the gray areas, out of the light. With only a lifetime of killing skills... can she really do something like this?"
This 'friend'... you wouldn't be talking about yourself, would you?
Still, for someone who wanted to try cooking but was too afraid of failure to even start, Andrew's approach was naturally one of encouragement.
"Of course she can. Skills are just tools. Used in different situations, they produce completely different results. What matters... is the person using them."
"It only matters... who the person is..."
____
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