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Asakura was, of course, just joking.
After all, Yuigahama Yui's cooking skills weren't that bad.
Leaving aside her complete lack of concept for cooking times, her instinctive addition of various off-menu substances to dishes, and her self-understanding of seasoning that surpassed carbon-based life forms, her cooking skills could be considered passable among chordate, mammalian, primate, hominid creatures, including Australopithecus.
Moreover, with hot pot, because there is a large amount of water-based broth, no matter what ingredients she brings, the taste will be diluted and won't truly be inedible.
And there are also ingredients brought by others, which can more or less offset some strange flavors.
Not only that, he himself brought carrots, onions, and celery, which have the ability to absorb flavors. With them, even the peculiar smell of meat that has been frozen for a long time can be removed!
"Aren't you going in? Takuma-kun, you've been standing at the door for three minutes, you know?"
Asagumo Chihaya looked at Asakura and said.
"…Wait a moment, I'm doing some mental preparation."
Stomach medicine and Herbal Medicine were also safely stored in his pants pocket, ready to be taken at any time.
That's right, no matter what, at least his life safety would be guaranteed!
"Chihaya, here we go!"
"Although I don't know why Takuma-kun has a battle-ready expression, it's okay, leave it to Chihaya, you can leave anything to me."
"It's just a joke. After all, it's impossible to go straight into the final battle. At least the initial broth will definitely be fine."
After preparing himself mentally, Asakura opened the sliding door of the clubroom.
Then a strange, fishy smell almost made him stumble backward.
Asakura looked into the clubroom and saw Yanami holding a large ladle, stirring something in the electric pot. The electric pot contained a dark, bubbling concoction.
That scene even gave Asakura the illusion that Yanami was a witch brewing a potion.
After a moment of stiff movement, he decided to treat it all as an illusion and silently closed the clubroom door again.
"Ah… Asakura-kun is running away! Yuigahama Yui, quickly catch him!"
Yanami's voice immediately came out.
Immediately after, Yuigahama Yui pulled open the door, her small face taut with an expression of 'Sorry, I'm a bad person,' and pulled the reluctant but unresisting Asakura into the clubroom.
Although Asagumo Chihaya frowned slightly at the smell, seeing Asakura's reluctance, she still smiled and followed him in.
Once inside the clubroom, Asakura realized that Yukinoshita Yukino was already there, but she was huddled in a corner, looking utterly hopeless, as if she didn't want to interact with anyone.
Considering that she had always regarded the clubroom as the place to fulfill her long-cherished wish, it was not surprising that she would react this way now, as she could only watch Yanami and Yuigahama Yui defile her sacred space with strange dishes.
How to put it… she seemed a little pitiful, but also had a certain cuteness that her usual strong-willed state lacked.
"What exactly are you doing…?"
Asakura looked at the dark concoction and suddenly realized he had smelled this scent before: "Squid ink?"
"That's right, aren't we playing dark hot pot?"
Yanami said triumphantly, "So I specifically brought squid ink, and it's quite fresh. The fish market owner didn't even charge me!"
"The 'darkness' in dark hot pot isn't literal…"
Asakura couldn't help but retort, "And this smell, did you put other seafood in it?"
"Heh heh heh, well, you'll just have to wait and see~"
Yanami's expression became even more triumphant, even a little mischievous, as if she really wanted to see Asakura's expression when he tasted the ingredients in the hot pot.
After a moment of silence, Asakura suddenly said, "Dried squid?"
"How did you smell that?!"
Yuigahama Yui asked in surprise.
"Don't underestimate my emo… sense of smell!"
Asakura curled his lips and said, "In a way, it's quite original… Hmm, there's also bonito flakes, dried kelp, and razor clams. Leaving aside the smell of the soup, the ingredients themselves are quite traditional broth materials."
In fact, squid ink can also be used to make soup. It is said that some places use it for ramen broth, but the cooking method is certainly not like Yanami's chaotic stew.
Moreover, the dried kelp and dried squid clearly hadn't been rehydrated, so the soup would likely have some astringent taste.
No, judging by how Yanami hadn't skimmed the foam much, the taste of the broth would probably be a bit… off.
"Amazing!"
Yuigahama Yui exclaimed sincerely, "You actually smelled it all at once."
"After all, he's a pervert who can even smell the antiperspirant on girls."
Yanami looked at Asakura with an unreadable expression.
"Don't say it as if I deliberately smelled it!"
Asakura retorted.
"Does that mean Takuma-kun is good at cooking?"
Asagumo Chihaya asked curiously.
"Unfortunately, my cooking skills are probably just average."
Asakura shook his head: "Also, compared to ingredients, seasoning is actually quite important… You guys aren't going to pull some stunt like 'ramen seasoning packets count as ingredients,' are you?"
Yanami and Yuigahama Yui both guiltily averted their gazes.
"…I'm such an idiot for thinking you might be reliable sometimes."
Asakura covered his face.
"It's not that bad, I tried it, it's not spicy at all,"
Yanami 'muttered' in a voice everyone could hear, her eyes constantly darting towards Asakura: "And the broth is almost ready. It would be great if we had high-grade ingredients like sea bream right now…"
"Then you'll probably be disappointed. I only brought vegetables."
Asakura took out the prepared onions, carrots, and celery from his bag.
"You're useless, Asakura-kun."
Yanami's expression immediately fell.
"After all, survival is the first priority."
"Meaningless! And humans cannot survive on vegetables alone!"
Yanami pointed her ladle at Asakura and said, "Human civilization began when we could hunt other animals with stone tools! Protein Is Everything!"
"Objection! Plant protein is also protein!"
"Then you didn't bring tofu either!"
"I brought beef."
Asagumo Chihaya suddenly said.
"Chihaya-chan Love!"
Yanami cheered, "A friend of the soul! (Note)"
"Speaking of which, did Yukino bring any ingredients?"
Asakura glanced at Yukino, who was cowering in the corner, feeling melancholic, and asked curiously.
"If you absolutely had to say what she brought, it would probably be knowledge about how to conduct oneself."
Yanami replied dryly.
Asakura: "…"
He occasionally found Yanami's humor incomprehensible.
Or perhaps that silly foodie was actually quite two-faced?
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