Cooking King Shota (2)
Chop-chop-chop-chop-!! I swiftly sliced the cabbage into thin shreds. Right after, I pulled out my secret weapon.
It was surprisingly something we had at home.
"What's that? Butter?" Eri tilted her head and asked.
"Heh. That question alone reveals your low level."
I smirked, wrapped the lard around the heated frying pan.
"Urghhh!! Gross!!!" Eri reacted immediately.
"Ahh... this is lard," I enlightened the ignorant one.
That's right. It was solidified pork fat. Frying anything in pork fat made it delicious. It was on another level from regular cooking oil in terms of umami. Sure, overuse could clog the drains, but who cared about Japan's sewer system? Right now, I was a seeker on the path of fine cuisine.
Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle-!!! As the oil heated up, I tossed in the cabbage and meat and started stir-frying. When it was half-cooked, I dumped in the teriyaki sauce. No need to make it from scratch—store-bought was better. It was the optimal sauce refined by food company geniuses who pulled all-nighters. If you couldn't make it right, just use the pros' version.
Sizzle! Sizzle! I stir-fried the veggies and meat vigorously.
"Wait... you're just stir-frying. Why the dramatics?" Eri immediately nitpicked.
"Ahh... so to your eyes, it just looks like stir-frying? Can't be helped."
I shrugged.
"Argh! Everything you say pisses me off!!"
Eri fumed but kept cooking diligently. She didn't want to lose this matchup either.
One more key point: fry it until it's slightly charred. That burnt flavor was the ultimate spice.
"Chaa!!" At the perfect moment, I killed the flame and let the residual heat simmer the teriyaki sauce down to a glossy reduction.
"No... khh... stop with the... sound effects every time...! Hh-haha!!"
Eri stifled her laughter as she powered through her cooking.
Anyway, one dish complete. I wiped the pan roughly and tossed in more lard. A hint of soy sauce lingered, but it actually worked in my favor. Then I whipped up some Chinese-style fried rice.
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Eri had finished her cooking too. The food was laid out on the table.
Blue corner: My Chinese fried rice and yakisoba veggie stir-fry.
White corner: Eri's standard home cooking. Grilled fish, miso soup, rolled omelet, and salad—the classic combo.
"Heh." Victory was mine. Eri was definitely a good cook. But that was it. No impact. No impact.
"Alright, let's all dig in?" Mom smiled and picked up her chopsticks.
We had to eat anyway, so I tried Eri's food, and she tried mine.
"By the way, Shota, where'd you learn to cook? You've never done it before in your life."
Mom asked me.
"........."
Honestly, it hit a nerve. Transmigrator perk. No way they'd buy that. They'd just drag me to a psych ward.
"Learned it on NewTube." I cited the all-knowing info hub.
"Oh, I see?" Mom accepted it immediately.
Impressive. NewTube really was something.
"NewTube's got tons of useful stuff," Eri nodded.
"Well then... let's eat?" Mom smiled and raised her chopsticks.
"Thanks for the meal." Eri immediately dug into my fried rice and yakisoba.
"Oh, and... don't tip off the media. If they call me a royal chef or something, it'll be a hassle. I just wanna live a normal high school life."
I warned Eri before she ate.
"You asshole!!!!! Always with the bullshit!!" Eri giggled and shoveled in the fried rice.
Soon, her eyes widened.
"I-it's... so good..."
Eri started devouring the fried rice and yakisoba in shock.
"Why state the obvious? The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. My cooking is delicious."
"Don't get all dramatic!! I'm eating here... pfft-hahaha!!"
Eri laughed as she ate my food.
Soon, she stared at me intently. Probably wanting feedback on hers.
I piled some fish on rice for a bite. Then a piece of rolled omelet, rinsed with miso soup, and salad to clear the richness. This was the little course meal of everyday life.
"It's good..." I admitted.
Honestly, I'd assumed she was a bad cook, but no. It was solidly tasty.
"See?! I'm pretty good! I do all the cooking at home!!" Eri boasted.
"Ooh... impressive," I said to her.
It really was.
"My house... lots of little siblings. I handle all the housework."
Eri said.
Eri... was more admirable than I thought.
"Eri'd make a great daughter-in-law someday."
The words slipped out.
"Y-yeah... you think?" Eri's face flushed bright red, then she beamed happily.
"Eri, after graduation, wanna be our daughter-in-law? I'd feel safe with someone like you."
Mom smiled.
"I'd love that!!! Can I call you Mom?!!"
Eri immediately hugged my mom.
"O-one more..."
Mom took a critical hit.
"Mooom!" Eri said with a cutesy nasal whine.
"Khuhh...!" Mom clutched her heart.
"Y-you can live here too!!"
Mom suddenly floored it.
"No... that's not happening."
I reined Mom in.
-------
Anyway, we had a fun dinner.
"So, Mom, who's the winner?" I asked about the verdict.
Mom had the tough job. She had to declare my victory. But that'd spark bias accusations. I understood her dilemma.
"Eri-chan wins."
Mom raised Eri's hand immediately. I was the one getting biased against.
"Yayyyy!!!" Eri jumped for joy.
"Wh-why..."
Honestly, my food tasted better. The empty plates proved it—everyone ate more of mine.
But why!!!
"Not enough nutrition... or love."
Mom said.
"Eri's cooking is filled with the desire to nourish the eater balancedly. That's love. Your food is delicious, Shota... but that's all. No heart."
Mom said solemnly.
My mom... had a knack for the mood.
"Heart... I see. The human heart..."
Was I bested by humanity again? Humans held a warm light I, a machine, couldn't grasp.
"Ahh... this warmth, this is the... human heart?"
I turned my head with a creak, mimicking an android awakening to emotion.
"Uhahahaha!! What the hell's that acting?!! But it's good!!! I'm dying. Hahaha!!"
Eri burst out laughing.
In the end, Eri won.
"Ahh... that was fun."
Eri was heading home. Her siblings would be back from school soon; she had to prep.
"I'll walk you."
I offered.
"Eh... really?" Eri's eyes widened.
"It's polite. And..." I had to say this.
"I had fun too. Let's stay friends. Eri."
My honest feelings.
"........."
Eri went blank for a moment. Her face oddly flushed.
"Seriously... Shota's got that devilish charm."
She muttered something incomprehensible, then linked arms with me.
"Escort me."
"Sure."
I'd walk her home. Eri's place wasn't far. A bad premonition she might drop by daily.
"See ya tomorrow."
I waved.
"Yeah."
Eri headed for the gate. But it was a feint.
Mwah-!! She stole a surprise kiss.
Then, like a ninja drawing a shuriken, she whipped out her smartphone and snapped a photo.
Click!
Our kiss captured on her phone.
"Ehehe. Gonna treasure this forever."
Eri spun around laughing.
"...I love you. Shota."
She blurted it out, then scampered inside.
"........."
I stood there dumbfounded. Never thought I'd get confessed to.
How do I handle this? I pondered.
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Eri, who'd spent a fun day with Shota, stood at her entrance trying to calm her racing heart.
"...I just marked him as a low-stakes guy for dating XP."
That's how it started. Shota seemed nice enough, low-pressure for a first boyfriend. Plus, poking at Umi's odd interest.
"But... I actually fell for him."
Eri had to admit it. Shota was sweet. Always cracking her up with his nonsense.
That focused look when writing his novel... so cool. Sharply intense. Slender neckline too... Her face heated up again.
Falling first meant defeat. And Eri conceded.
She was head over heels for Shota.
"Gotta declare war on Umi fair and square."
Stealing midway wasn't her style. Eri forwarded the kiss photo.
'Stole Shota's lips.'
Playful caption included. Who knew one photo would spark a tectonic shift?
---------
Umi, lounging idly in her room, got a photo from Eri.
"Huh...?"
Her face hardened.
Eri forcibly kissing Shota.
"Huuuh?!!!!!"
Three seconds later, Umi screamed.
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Anyway, back to Shota's POV. Evening schedule wrapped... now for tonight's Other Side patrol.
Three novel chapters done—no perfecter day.
Right on cue. A text from Taiga. Super curt and bossy. Classic Taiga.
I sent a cute 'Yeah'. Taiga brushed off my aegyo.
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Midnight. I grabbed the steel pipe from behind the closet and slipped out the window into the night streets, as usual.
The site Taiga mentioned was pretty significant in the game. Near where Arikiri Shota gets murdered in the original story. Someone else died, but same spot.
Players investigate, encounter Other Side monsters first time. Then recruit allies one by one—classic urban fantasy route.
"Yo. You made it."
I waved at Taiga.
She stood imposingly near the site, gripping her signature baseball bat. Big-sis intimidation cranked up with the bat.
"Yeah... after midnight, the streets definitely feel off."
Taiga said.
"Yeah. Once monsters spawn, normal folks' perception drops."
I explained the game's lore casually. Civilians can't see monsters, barely notice people wandering. Everything gets hazy.
"Usually this hour, cops hassle you with ID checks. Not tonight."
Taiga said.
"But... why here?"
I asked.
"The body found recently? Monster did it. My grandma... died the same way."
Taiga said.
"........."
"Casualties mean a nasty monster nearby. Let's kill it."
Taiga grinned ferociously.
"Right..."
'Kill it' was harsh wording, but I got the job. Good chance to level her up too.
With that in mind, I scouted the scene.