Seriously, More Than Cooking
Bang! “Maido!!”
“““Uwaah!!”””
“Joan… that’s bad for my heart.”
“But still, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Wait, what’s with the ‘maido’?”
“Uhh, it’s short for ‘maido ookini’—kind of like a greeting.”
“Oh, that’s the thing Taiki always says.”
“Yep, it basically means ‘thank you as always.’”
“““Hee~”””
“So anyway, I’m gonna make food that goes well with booze and rice!”
“I don’t get the ‘so anyway’ part, but… what are you making?”
“Hmm, fried chicken, butter-sautéed kraken, nanohana with wasabi mayo, and also… this.”
“Hm? Is that a take-shoot?”
“What’s up with this thing?”
“I got it.”
“From who?”
“Secret~”
“““Huh?”””
“But bamboo shoots are so bitter, you can’t eat them, right?”
“Arthur, that’s just because you don’t know how to cook them. Bamboo shoots have strong astringency, so you need to prep them first.”
“Oh really?”
Teret tettette, terere tettette, terettette te-te-te-te, tettette~♪
“W-what’s with that song?”
“Oh, it’s from my previous life. A show where a naked doll dances and teaches you cooking in three minutes.”
“““Huh!?”””
“Wait, was that really cooking? Not some kind of curse ritual?”
“What!? That’s scary!!”
“No, Joan, what you said is scarier!”
“Eh, whatever. Anyway, I’ll explain how to prep bamboo shoots.”
“Wow, quick switch!!”
Ignoring Ben’s jab, I go into explanation.
“First, shave off the dirty part at the bottom. Then cut the top off diagonally, and score it lengthwise. Put the bamboo shoot in a pot with rice bran and enough water to cover it, and heat on medium. Make sure it doesn’t float up—use a plate as a weight. Once it boils, simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes. Let it cool in the water, and the prep’s done.”
“That sounds like a lot of work.”
“But, Head Chef, if it’s for something tasty we’ve got to—”
“And here’s the prepped one~”
“““Eh!?”””
“You already have one?”
“Of course. We don’t have time to do it now. I explained just to teach you the steps. Later, you guys do the prep.”
“““Haa~ Say that first.”””
“So what are we making with the bamboo shoot?”
“Mixed rice and tempura, I think.”
“““Mixed rice?”””
“Yeah, rice cooked together with seasoned ingredients.”
“““Hee~”””
“Okay, let’s get started. Ken, you handle the fried chicken, both garlic soy sauce flavor and salt flavor. Arthur, you do the kraken sauté and the nanohana with wasabi mayo. Ben, the mixed rice. I’ll do the tempura and wakame-bamboo shoot soup.”
“““Got it!!”””
“Ah, wait—what’s nanohana?”
“Huh? You don’t know? It’s a plant that blooms yellow flowers in spring.”
“Nope, never heard of it.”
“Alright, I’ll go ask Grandpa Tom. You guys start on the kraken.”
“Roger.”
“Grandpa Tom! You around?”
I call out at the greenhouse entrance.
“I’m here! Over here. What’s up?”
“Um, do you know nanohana? It’s edible, with yellow flowers in spring.”
“Nanohana… ah, maybe you mean oilseed rape? If so, it’s this way.”
He leads me outside the greenhouse.
“This one here. The flowers aren’t fully bloomed yet though.”
“Ah, yes, this is it. Once they bloom fully they get too tough to eat, so this is perfect.”
“Hm? You eat the stems?”
“Yup. You boil them.”
“Ohh~ I thought they were only for oil.”
“Well then, once it’s ready, share it with everyone. I’ll bring some later.”
“Are you sure? I feel bad, you always bring us things.”
“No, no. Thanks to you I can eat them at all, Grandpa. I’m only grateful. I’ll see you later.”
Back in the kitchen, I tell Arthur to boil the nanohana.
“For the mixed rice, cut dried shiitake, carrots, and bamboo shoots. Season with soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Put that in the washed rice first, then add only enough water to make up the rest, and cook.”
“Got it, makes sense.”
“Then I’ll… start with the soup. Wakame-bamboo, wakame-bamboo~ Bonito flakes, bonito flakes~”
“Haha, you look like you’re having fun.”
“Of course! Just thinking about everyone enjoying what I make makes me happy.”
“Yeah, true that.”
“And when you’re nervous or irritated, cooking’s the best.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because you can lose yourself in it. Like slamming bread dough down hard—great stress relief.”
“Oh yeah, I heard about that. Before the entrance ceremony, you baked bread, right? They said you looked completely wiped afterwards.”
“… Who told you that?”
“Sarah did… ah.”
“Oh? Sarah, huh? So you two talk about me?”
“N-no, I mean… yeah, I guess…”
“That’s fine, isn’t it? It’s good to have topics… Especially when it’s with someone you like~”
“Eh!? How’d you—”
“C’mon, it’s so obvious, Ben. Sadly though, Sarah doesn’t seem to notice.”
“Haah, exactly. Everyone else sees it, but not her.”
“Poor guy… Well, with Sarah, beating around the bush won’t work. Just be straightforward. And grab her stomach while you’re at it.”
“Oh, that might suit me better.”
“Yep, trying too hard to look cool will just backfire. Being yourself works best. But sometimes, show a different side only to the one you like.”
“Why?”
“That’s what they call gap-moe.”
“Gap… moe? What’s that?”
“When someone shows you a side of themselves they don’t show others, it makes your heart skip a beat. Like, someone who’s usually reliable, but sometimes lets slip weakness or secretly feels down—makes you want to protect them, right?”
“““Totally!!”””
“Uwaah! Ken, Arthur—you guys were listening too?”
“As expected of Joan~”
“No, no, it’s just thanks to my past life memories. Oh, but if you want her to notice you first, try giving her special treatment.”
“Special treatment?”
“Anything’s fine. Like when you bake cookies, add a little extra touch just to hers. But—don’t make it too obvious.”
“““Why not?”””
“Because if others notice and tease her about it, she’ll feel awkward instead.”
“““True.”””
“So like, mix in one heart-shaped cookie with the regular ones.”
“““Oooh~”””
… Wait, they’re taking notes?
And seriously—are these three bachelors listening more seriously to this than to the cooking?
What do you think about this chapter?
