Chapter 229: There's a Reason for Being Short
Before Eriri started learning cooking from her mother, she also felt like she couldn't learn it and lacked the talent. But unexpectedly, after studying seriously for a while, she found it wasn't that difficult after all.
By now, Eriri's foundation is quite solid; if she hasn't learned a dish, she can look up recipes online and manage to make it decently after a few attempts.
But she never expected Oosaka Taiga couldn't even manage the basics, even burning two pots in the process.
"Hmm~~~"
With a conflicted expression, Eriri looked at Oosaka Taiga and said, "Taiga, I think you should stop trying to learn for now. The cost is getting a bit high. Just keep freeloading meals at Takasu's place."
Surprisingly, Oosaka Taiga didn't refute Eriri's statement. She nodded with a slightly red face and took a sip of her drink.
Clearly, she was also shocked by her own "talent" in cooking.
The ingredients Eriri bought this morning were for both lunch and dinner today, so even with the addition of Oosaka Taiga for lunch, the stock was still sufficient.
Once finished, the three of them sat down at the dining table.
Looking at the delicious food on the table, Oosaka Taiga twitched her nose, swallowed, and earnestly said, "Thank you very much for today! I will pay for the meal shortly!"
Kaede said with a smile, "There's no need to be so dramatic; it's just a few ingredients. Alright, you look hungry. Let's eat."
"I'm digging in!" x3
Oosaka Taiga picked up a fried chicken wing, dipped it in some homemade sauce, and took a bite.
"Awoo!!! Delicious!"
Almost no one can refuse fried food; the aroma and texture satisfy you no matter how many times you eat it.
While eating, Eriri glanced at Oosaka Taiga and asked with a smile, "Taiga, whose cooking do you think is better, Kaede-kun's or Takasu's?"
"Of course, Ryu..." Just as she was about to say it, Oosaka Taiga stopped, remembering she was freeloading today. She immediately changed her tune, "Ahem, of course, Asakura's cooking is better. Yes, that's right!"
The way she said it looked completely like she was trying to fool them, making both Kaede and Eriri burst out laughing.
Taking a sip of soup, Kaede laughed, "Alright, alright. I know myself that my cooking skills are lacking compared to Takasu. You don't need to flatter me. But at least what I made isn't inedible, right?"
"Of course! It's definitely within the delicious range!"
Oosaka Taiga said without hesitation, "Also, you are more generous with the ingredients than Ryuji. Even though I pay for the meals, there's always more vegetables than meat. I clearly want to eat meat, but Ryuji always nags about balanced nutrition and forces me to eat things I don't like."
She then began listing how many vegetables she disliked were in the meals Takasu Ryuji cooked, causing Eriri, sitting opposite her, to nod occasionally in agreement.
During this, she glanced at the dining table, feeling smug.
She had done the shopping today, so Kaede had no chance to buy any vegetables she disliked. Bell peppers were absolutely off-limits, no matter what, but for other items like carrots and broccoli, while she could eat them, she preferred not to.
And today's menu was completely free of vegetables she disliked—it was perfect!
Kaede saw the expression revealed in Eriri's eyes and had naturally noticed this when cooking. He didn't say much, as Eriri was the one who bought the groceries today, so her preferences counted.
However... "It's not good for you two to be so picky. Leaving Eriri aside, Oosaka, your current height is definitely related to your diet. Your parents should both be quite tall, right?"
"Uh..."
Oosaka Taiga's mouth twitched, leaving her speechless.
Although she didn't particularly like her parents, she had to admit that they were certainly not short, standing above average height. Her own appearance was also excellent, combining the best features of both parents.
But this height was the one sore spot Oosaka Taiga couldn't avoid; being mistaken for a middle schooler or even an elementary school student was a common occurrence.
At 143 cm, she probably wouldn't look out of place even among a group of elementary school students.
"So, it's my diet that's the problem?"
Kaede nodded, "I suspect so. Let me ask you, Oosaka, what do you usually eat when you don't freeload at the Takasu Family Home or when Kushieda doesn't take you out to eat?"
Oosaka Taiga answered without hesitation, "I order takeout or buy bento boxes."
"See? That's the problem," Kaede said, spreading his hands. "Takeout and bento boxes simply cannot compare to home-cooked food in terms of ingredient freshness and nutritional value. Not to mention, most takeout is Western-style or things like sushi. Where's the nutrition in that? At best, it just fills you up."
Oosaka Taiga looked conflicted and retorted, "I... I drink milk! Every day!"
"And has that helped?"
Oosaka Taiga was momentarily speechless, and the meat in her bowl suddenly lost its appeal: "D-Does this mean I'm stuck at this height forever?"
Seeing Oosaka Taiga's reaction, Eriri leaned closer to Kaede and quietly asked, "Kaede-kun, aren't you being a bit too harsh? Taiga is only 16, she still has room to grow."
"But growing taller requires nutritional support. Given her situation, she'd probably have to thank the heavens just to reach close to 150 cm."
Kaede hadn't lowered his voice enough, and Oosaka Taiga heard everything, instantly feeling like she had lost all hope in life.
She originally thought that since she was only 16, she would definitely grow taller in a few years, but she had overlooked other factors.
Now that Kaede had ruthlessly exposed the truth, what could she do? She could only try to make amends immediately.
Looking at Kaede, she asked hopefully, "If I start eating properly now, do I really have a chance to grow taller?"
"Hmm~~ I can't guarantee that," Kaede answered honestly. "But I can say that as long as your daily nutritional intake is sufficient, your height will definitely increase somewhat, and your physical fitness will improve. At least you won't be as thin and tiny as you are now."
Although Oosaka Taiga looks strong, her frame is genuinely thin and small, and her clothes are child-sized. Eliminating possibilities like genetic inheritance or illness, there is only one answer: her nutritional intake is insufficient.
Picky eating, irregular mealtimes, and sometimes skipping meals entirely to just snack on junk food are all major contributing factors to Oosaka Taiga's current small stature.
After hearing Kaede's words, Oosaka Taiga sniffled, picked up her chopsticks again, grabbed a large piece of vegetable, and tearfully put it into her mouth.