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“Mom, why are you still standing there?”

Sakura Yamauchi, having changed into her sportswear, came out and looked curiously at her mother, who was still standing by the door in the same posture as before.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just waiting to go down with you.”

“Then let’s go quickly.”

As she spoke, Sakura couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

“Sakura, are you ready to go for a run already?”

“Not at all! I just… want to see what Kyosuke Hojo brought for me to eat first!”

Though still a child, Sakura already had her own logic. For instance, even though she hadn’t seen Kyosuke yet, she knew he had brought something delicious, hoping she would go running with him.

So even if the treats weren’t tasty, Sakura would still go running with him—not for the gift, but for the thought behind it.

She genuinely wanted to play with this neighbor boy. Though they had only just met, she already felt that compared to other kids her age, Kyosuke was distinctly different—like an older brother.

Although running yesterday morning had been exhausting, the experience was still enjoyable.

When she wanted to stop because she couldn’t keep running, he kept encouraging her.

When she couldn’t run anymore, he came over, took her hand, and ran with her.

After finishing, he even gave her some delicious juice and patiently taught her how to stretch to avoid muscle pain.

Sigh, let’s just say that Lady Sakura took pity on him for running alone and decided to accompany him.

Arriving in the living room, Sakura saw Kyosuke Hojo.

His hair was freshly tousled, his features sharp and defined, and his eyes held an indescribable tenderness as they looked at her. Wearing the same style of sportswear but in a different color, he sat on the sofa holding a thermos.

“Sakura Yamauchi, you’re here.”

Kyosuke smiled broadly when he saw the little girl in sportswear. Perfect, the plan is working!

“What are you doing here? I told you I’m not running with you!”

Sakura’s cheeks flushed from his smile, and she said with a tsundere pout.

“Papaya stewed in fresh milk—come try it while it’s still warm.”

Ignoring her tsundere act, Kyosuke opened the thermos and took out a spoon from the bottom.

Wow, it smells so good!

Before opening the thermos, Sakura thought her mother had made it up to get her out of bed. But as soon as the lid was off, a rich milky aroma blended with the fruity scent of papaya wafted into her nose.

“Give it to me, give it to me!”

Sakura immediately ran over. She wasn’t really a tsundere heroine, but rather a lively and straightforward type. She had only pretended to be aloof so Kyosuke wouldn’t think she was a glutton. Now seeing something delicious, she dropped the act instantly.

Taking the thermos, she saw yellow, round papaya balls floating in the milk, gently bobbing as steam rose.

This looks way too delicious! Sakura’s heart shouted, and she immediately scooped a papaya ball into her mouth.

Delicious! The papaya was soft and tender, fully infused with milk. The fragrance of milk and the fresh aroma of papaya mingled perfectly. Just a gentle chew released the flavor that spread throughout her mouth.

One more spoonful, then another!

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut in bliss, her expression one of pure enjoyment.

“Eat less, you still have to run. It’ll taste just as good later if you eat it from the thermos.”

“Ugh! Can’t you wait until I finish eating before saying that?”

Sakura’s expression suddenly stiffened as she complained, but her spoon obediently paused.

“If you eat too much, your stomach will hurt during the run.”

“Okay, okay! Let’s go!”

She closed the thermos lid and stood up.

What a tough morning. Why does a third-grade girl like me have to suffer like this?

When Kyosuke finally declared the run over, Sakura collapsed onto the floor, wearing a look of having just escaped a disaster.

“Get up, Sakura. You can’t sit down right after running. You have to walk for a while.”

“I can’t! Absolutely can’t! Just kill me now—I won’t walk!”

Sakura protested weakly.

“Come on, I’ll help you.”

Kyosuke smiled, came back to her side, crouched down, helped her up, and let the small girl lean completely against him as he slowly led her forward.

“Hey, Kyosuke, don’t you know you’re not supposed to touch girls like that?”

Sakura’s cheeks reddened as she shouted.

“But we’re both just third graders.”

“Oh, right. Then I forgive you.”

After stretching and rehydrating, they returned to Sakura’s home.

“This is so delicious. Did Aunt Mikiko make this?”

Sakura asked while eating the papaya stewed in fresh milk.

“No, I made it myself.”

Kyosuke sat nearby drinking water and smiled contentedly at Sakura’s ravenous eating.

Hopefully, her pancreas won’t give her any more trouble, he thought.

“You made this yourself!?”

Sakura looked up, shocked at the boy her age.

“Kyosuke, you made this?”

Maki Yamauchi, standing nearby, also asked in surprise.

“Yes. It’s not difficult. You just scoop the papaya into balls with a spoon, then put them in a stewing pot with milk.”

“Really? That’s amazing!”

Sakura shouted excitedly.

“If you like, I can make it for you every morning.”

“No, if I eat it every day, delicious things won’t taste delicious anymore!”

“Don’t worry about that. I can also make other desserts.”

“You can make other tasty things?!”

Stars sparkled in Sakura’s eyes.

“Yeah, even papaya stewed in milk has many variations. You can add white fungus to make papaya with white fungus, or mix in fruits like dragon fruit to make mixed fruit papaya milk. There’s also papaya coconut jelly, and papaya with lotus root and lily bulbs.”

Kyosuke glanced at Sakura, who was drooling as she listened attentively. He felt a twinge of guilt, as if he were tempting a little girl, but for the greater plan, he kept sharing the nutritious desserts he had practiced making.

“If you get tired of papaya, there are yam-based desserts too.”

“Yam? It’s all sticky—I never eat that stuff!”

Sakura shouted.

“Are you sure? Yam pancakes are made by steaming yam, then mashing it with milk, eggs, and sugar. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top and fry until both sides are golden. When you bite in, the crispy surface cracks open, revealing a soft, fragrant filling rich with milk and egg flavors.”

Hearing Kyosuke’s description, Sakura’s mental image of sticky yam was replaced by the word “delicious,” and she pictured golden pancakes sprinkled with sesame.

“Yam ice cream is made by mashing steamed yam with milk and sugar, then freezing it into balls. Drizzle with blueberry or strawberry sauce—my hometown is famous for blueberries. It’s super tasty.”

“What?! Yam can even be made into ice cream?”

“Of course, and yam cakes too…”

“Stop, stop. I get it! I’ll obediently go running with you every morning!”

Sakura clasped her hands above her head.

“Please make all of those for me from now on!”

“Alright, alright, you’re a good kid.”

Kyosuke smiled contentedly and ruffled Sakura’s hair.

Maki Yamauchi sat nearby, watching the two children interact, utterly amazed by the desserts Kyosuke described—desserts she herself couldn’t make.

“Um, Kyosuke, did your mother teach you all this?”

Maki recalled Mrs. Mikiko Hojo, who single-handedly took care of her child’s schooling. That lady had a youthful innocence at odds with her status, looking like a girl in the throes of first love. When Maki first met her, she wondered if Mrs. Hojo even knew how to cook.

“No, it’s just my personal hobby. To be honest, my mother is actually not good at cooking.”

“Then why are all these desserts made with yam and papaya?”

“Yeah, why, Kyosuke?”

Sakura chimed in, thinking: Amazing! I only know how to heat milk in the oven, and he can make so many dishes!

“Just call me Kyosuke, Sakura.”

“Then you call me Sakura!”

“Okay, Sakura. As for why it’s all papaya and yam, it’s because eating these foods is good for the pancreas!”

Kyosuke said matter-of-factly. If not for that, he wouldn’t bother with these desserts that little girls like. Oh, and his immature mother liked them too.

“Good for the pancreas?”

Mother and daughter exchanged puzzled glances.

“Yes. Sakura, you need to avoid high-fat and high-calorie foods, carbonated drinks are a definite no, meals should be regular and moderate, no binge eating, to reduce the burden on your pancreas, and eat less…”

Listening to Kyosuke’s sermon-like advice, Sakura sank into despair, imagining a miserable future.

Maki was speechless—how did this kid start adopting a health-conscious lifestyle at such a young age? Running and healthy eating…

Mrs. Yamauchi couldn’t understand this, just as Sakura didn’t know that when Kyosuke first met her, a string of characters appeared above her head:

“I want to eat your pancreas—Sakura Yamauchi (protagonist).”

At the same time, this was the trigger for Kyosuke’s system to activate. Before meeting Sakura, he had tried in many ways to find a special ability as a transmigrator, but failed.

Kyosuke, expecting a normal inheritance of the family business, had his world changed when a little girl moved in next door due to her father’s job transfer. The system’s alert sounded at once, revealing everything.

Unlike Shoko Nishimiya, Kyosuke didn’t know Sakura’s fate. But her story was vivid in his memory; in a past life, he had mourned for her deeply.

She suffered from pancreatic disease, with only a short time left to live, yet she faced life with a smile, straightforward, brave, and full of energy until the moment she was killed by a murderer.

From the moment he saw her, Kyosuke knew what he must do.

First, he would exercise with Sakura, convinced that a strong body would lessen the chance of illness.

Second, while strengthening her physique, he would guide her toward a healthy diet. Pancreatic disease was clearly related to nutrition, so he would have her eat foods beneficial to the pancreas and avoid those harmful to it.

With this resolve, Kyosuke began his strategy to protect the little girl.

Yet, many years after they met, Kyosuke still hadn’t received the “gift of a young lady,” meaning Sakura’s fate hadn’t changed.

He couldn’t be sure if her illness was unchanged or if the murderer’s fate remained the same.

He could only continue with the plan: exercise together, prepare nourishing foods, and keep the little girl healthy.

Back to the present: now in sixth grade, Sakura was accustomed to running every morning with Kyosuke and receiving his snacks, even reporting her daily diet to him.

The little girl didn’t feel constrained by this—she could sense Kyosuke’s genuine care. Whether exercise or diet, everything was for her well-being.

Kyosuke must have liked me from the start! Otherwise, why would he be so kind? Besides my mother, who else would cook for me all day and constantly update training plans based on my physical condition?

Well, it was a bit annoying when Kyosuke restricted her from eating fried foods and sodas, but only a little. Tasting his carefully prepared “health foods” made her forget all discomfort instantly.

Ah, I suppose I can forgive him, since he likes me so much.

With such thoughts, the girl hopped along behind Kyosuke, the two walking home together.

“Kyosuke, what’s your class planning to sing for the choir competition?”

“Are you trying to spy on military secrets?”

“What! I already know your class is singing ‘The Monster’s Ballad.’ I’m just giving you a chance to show off!”

“You’re asking even though you already know.”

“Even if you don’t tell me your class’s performance, I would tell you if you asked.”

Just as Sakura was used to running with him, Kyosuke was used to her lively spirit and her twisted logic.

“Oh, Sakura, please tell me what your class will perform at the choir competition.”

Kyosuke said casually.

“Since you’re begging, I have no choice. Listen carefully: our class is performing ‘Red Dragonfly.’” Sakura’s voice carried a hint of coyness, making her exceptionally adorable.