Chapter 33: Could You Cook for Me for the Rest of My Life?
As a close friend who had practically grown up with Miko, Yurikawa Hana might be careless about other things, but not when it came to Miko.
Having been with her day in and day out, she instantly sensed that something was off with Miko! Miko, who usually went to the cake shop with her after school for sweets, had today declined her invitation, saying she had an appointment with a new male friend.
Most importantly, that guy allegedly claimed to be a great cook!
Hana's sense of crisis immediately spiked!
As a deity in the field of eating, she knew all too well that people often used the pretense of having decent cooking skills to get close to girls, only to be exposed the moment they actually had to perform.
It wasn't that boys had to know how to cook, but starting off with such a claim to approach a girl was clearly deceptive.
Therefore, to ensure that the boy in front of her wasn't that kind of liar, she had to first ascertain his skill level! Though he looked handsome and kind, cooking skill wasn't something that could be improved by looks alone.
"Hmm..."
After being introduced to each other by Yotsuya Miko, Emiya did not immediately step forward to politely greet her. Because, though Hana thought her thoughts were confined to her mind, that expression, seemingly filled with resentment, was entirely present in her eyes and demeanor.
'How is this child so unable to hide what she's thinking? Did I offend her somewhere?'
After a brief, fruitless thought, Emiya still nodded to her.
"Hello, I'm Emiya Shirou. You can just call me Emiya, or Emiya-kun."
"Huh?... Hi!"
"I'm Yurikawa Hana. You can call me Hana-chan too!"
Upon receiving Emiya's greeting, Hana immediately straightened up and flashed a bright smile, changing her expression so quickly it rivaled the art of Sichuan opera mask changes.
However, it was also possible that the previous look was an illusion, and this sunny demeanor was her true nature being revealed.
"Speaking of which, Yotsuya-san... maybe we should eat the bento first?" Emiya quickly shifted his gaze back to Yotsuya Miko.
Even though he had considered preservation and portability when making it, a good part of the day had passed, and it was best to eat food quickly.
"Yes, absolutely! I've been looking forward to your cooking, Emiya-kun."
Honestly, Miko had only asked him to bring a bento in a fleeting moment of excitement to smooth things over. But wasn't it a happy occasion that Emiya actually brought her a homemade bento? Not only did he listen to her, but he also put effort into it.
Now, she was extremely eager to see what food he had brought for her. Her curiosity was already irresistible.
Yotsuya Miko took the bento box from Emiya's hands and immediately opened the lid to look inside.
She was instantly shocked by the exquisite ingredients within. Not only were the rice balls and side dishes neatly arranged, but even the temporary sweets were shaped into incredibly cute forms, increasing her appetite just by looking at them.
Regardless of the taste, the appearance had already won over half the battle. The food at those star-rated hotels isn't necessarily more delicious, but at least the presentation is always excellent, isn't it?
"Wow... did you really make this yourself, Emiya-kun?" Yotsuya Miko was stunned.
With this kind of skill, if the taste was also great, he could surely apply to be a head chef, couldn't he? When you think about it, he might even earn more money than being a Sorcerer.
"I apologize. I was in a bit of a rush this morning, so the result may not be the best..." Emiya was genuinely telling the truth. Because he didn't want to keep Gojo waiting too long, he didn't make anything that required much time; he only processed the existing ingredients.
"No, no, no. This is already amazing!"
"At the very least, it looks incredibly appetizing, and you can't buy a carefully prepared bento like this anywhere outside."
When choosing between a chef who cooks for hundreds or thousands of people every day and one who meticulously prepares a meal just for you, who wouldn't know which to pick?
Yotsuya Miko had initially assumed Emiya's cooking was only at a beginner's level.
She never expected his knife skills and manual dexterity to be this impressive!
'No way, I thought you were joking, but you're telling me you're a real chef?'
In that case... maybe she should taste it first?
Swallowing the saliva that had instinctively built up, Yotsuya Miko picked up a pair of chopsticks from the bento box, gently grabbed a piece of the sweet, and put it into her mouth.
'Goo-good... it's delicious!'
What kind of sensation was that? A sweetness that was just right lingered in her mouth. It was a dessert that should only be enjoyed occasionally, yet it didn't give her a cloying feeling at all—only smooth enjoyment.
Coupled with the hunger she felt after spending the entire afternoon in school, after just one bite, her continuous salivary secretion couldn't be stopped.
This was a temptation and a delicacy superior to what her mind had imagined—it was instinct!
"Well, well, how is it? How does it taste?!" The one who asked the question wasn't Emiya, but Hana, who had been silently watching nearby.
When she saw how good the bento looked, she could hardly restrain herself. But this was prepared for her best friend; how could she directly snatch the first bite?
"It's yummy!" Yotsuya Miko's answer was completely heartfelt.
"Really? Really? Then Miko, can I please have a little too?"
"Of course." Facing her best friend's request, Yotsuya Miko, as usual, subconsciously chose an affectionate, positive answer, oblivious to the catastrophe she was inviting.
"Miko, thank you!" In the blink of an eye, the chopsticks and bento box in Yotsuya Miko's hands had vanished, transferring instantly to Yurikawa Hana's grasp.
"Eh?!"
The slower person was still dazed, but the truly clever one was already digging in headfirst. As she ate, a few tears even seemed to well up in Hana's eyes.
'He's truly this amazing! I actually wanted to slander such a wonderful person who cooks so deliciously! I was so mean! How could there be a person like her!'
Apology. An apology must be made!
After managing to shove almost all the bento into her mouth in the time it takes to change a few slides, she literally flashed across the ground and grabbed Emiya's arm.
"Please, please cook for me for the rest of my life! Miko can cook everything herself, anyway."
"...Huh??"
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