Vol. 2 Chapter 88 – The Sea, Popular Types, and a Luxury Resort (12)

“Reiya-kun doesn’t just work at a restaurant, he lives alone too! You can ask him anything about cooking!” (Hikaru)

As I was being overwhelmed by the girls’ barrage of questions, Hikaru, who had been dismantling her own block of meat, stopped her work and joined the conversation.

“Eeeh!? Kageyama-kun, you live by yourself!?”

“Ah… yeah, well, due to family circumstances…” (Reiya)

“Ehh, that’s amazing…! So, does that mean you usually cook at home…?”

“No, not really to that extent—” (Reiya)

“Yes! His cooking skills are already completely pro-level!” (Hikaru)

“Hey… Hikaru, what are you—” (Reiya)

“The curry he made for me the other day was sooo delicious!” (Hikaru)

Cutting me off twice, Hikaru exaggerated things a hundredfold.

It’s true I served her curry before, but it was just a retort pouch with a bit of my own seasoning; it wasn’t something you could even call cooking.

In the first place, I only have some cooking knowledge because I help Ichiru-san. Other than in games like C**king Simulator or Overc**ked, I hardly ever cook. (Reiya)
I usually just eat store-bought bento or side dishes at home, and even when I do use the kitchen, it’s just to heat up frozen food or retort pouches— (Reiya)

“Guys who can cook are great, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, it gives off an independent man vibe, high points for that.”

“Super high! Such a modern guy!”

I didn’t even have a moment to retort “What points are you talking about?” as my stock price among the girls continued to skyrocket due to false positive information.

However, seeing Hikaru’s proud, beaming face, I couldn’t say anything.

Normally, this would be a situation where I’d definitely feel jealous, but it seemed my happiness at being praised was winning out.

“Kage-P~… Help me too~…! How should I cut this meat~…?” (Chisato)

Takasaki-san brought over the meat she’d been entrusted with on a cutting board.

I glanced over at Hikaru for confirmation—

She gave a deep nod, as if to say, “Show them what you’re made of.”

“Umm… for this kind of meat, you check the direction of the grain from directly above and cut across it… Then, if you lightly score the sinew in the cut pieces, it prevents them from curling up when cooked because the sinew shrinks, allowing the heat to distribute evenly and improving the texture… I think.” (Reiya)

I cut the meat while offering the explanation I’d picked up from Ichiru-san.

At that, cheers like “Heeh…” and “Oooh…” rose from those around me.

What? I just cut the meat, that's all. Seriously... (Reiya)

“Ehh~… Kage-P, you’re good at handling not just veggies but meat too~…” (Chisato)

“No, no, I just cut it normally…” (Reiya)

“I love meat, so I’m looking forward to it~…! Do you like meat too, Kage-P?” (Chisato)

“W-well, I like it as much as the next person…” (Reiya)

“Oh really… so you like meat, huh…” (Chisato)

As she said that, Takasaki-san leaned closer, suggestively drawing attention to her chest. I tried to maintain some distance when—

“Hey, Kageyama-kun… could you teach me how to use a knife too…?” (Haruna)

This time, Komiya-kun’s girlfriend, Fujimoto-san, approached.

“Please… I want to impress Shuu-kun…! How do I hold it? Like this?” (Haruna)

She came towards me, holding the kitchen knife in a reverse grip, like a dagger.

“I-I’ll teach you, so first, let’s stop holding it like that… It’s seriously dangerous…” (Reiya)

She's not Cr**ser from B**o 4 or Sn*ke from M*tal Gear... (Reiya)

“Then… how should I hold it?” (Haruna)

“Umm… instead of gripping it tightly with all five fingers, place your index finger on the spine… rest your thumb on the handle, and lightly grip it with the other three fingers…” (Reiya)

I gave a light demonstration over the cutting board, as if cutting an invisible vegetable.

“…Like this?” (Haruna)

“Yes, yes… and then, cut by pulling it towards you…” (Reiya)

“…I did it! Kageyama-kun, you’re amazing…! A knife genius…!” (Haruna)

“That’s an exaggeration…” (Reiya)

Fujimoto-san was as delighted as an elementary schooler using a knife for the first time helping out at home.

When it came to cooking, I was always the one being taught, so teaching someone else was a first for me, but it left me with a somewhat heartwarming feeling.

During the rest of the preparations, everyone sought my opinion, whether they needed it or not.

“Kageyama-kun, do you think it’s better to grill the corn as is? Or should we—”

“Kageyama-kun, we’re making curry too, what should we put in as a secret ingredient—”

“Kageyama-kun, I tried mixing some fish sauce into the meat marinade, could you taste it a bit—”

“Kageyama-kun.” “Kageyama-kun.” “Kageyama-kun.” “Kageyama-kun.” “Kageyama-kun.”

I think the girls probably called my name enough times today to last a lifetime.

Of course, I didn’t mind being relied upon, but it was incredibly tiring.

“E-everyone… It’s fine to rely on me, but aren’t you getting a little too close…!?” (Hikaru)

And what’s more, in the end, Hikaru couldn’t hold back either and her jealousy exploded.