Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818792438940130021
One evening
“Ryo kun, let’s cook dinner together.”
While I was studying at Toka’s place, she suddenly popped that invitation out of nowhere.
“What’s with the sudden invitation?”
“I figured it wouldn’t do for a girlfriend to be worse at cooking than her boyfriend.”
She held a knife in her right hand and a pot lid in her left, her face full of determination. Honestly, she looked like she was wearing the starting gear from an RPG.
“But I’m already making dinner…”
Ever since the housing incident, Toka basically ate at the Kuga household. The biggest challenge of the re-education plan—the food problem—was already solved!
“You know, I’ve started wondering if maybe my ‘girl power’ is low.”
“Now!?”
“See—! That’s exactly what I mean!”
That Toka started using words like “Girl power.”
What the heck?! What on earth possessed her?!
“So, what are you planning to make?”
“Omelet rice!”
Toka declared proudly! Well, not proudly—that’s why she’s making it now!
“Isn’t omelet rice kinda hard?”
“Is it?”
“Getting the eggs just right and runny… that’s gotta be tricky, right?”
“Then! I’ll start with a regular rolled omelet!”
With that, Toka strode quickly toward the kitchen. I hurriedly followed after her.
“Toka, don’t move around holding a knife! That’s dangerous!”
“Ugh, you’re talking to me like I’m a kid.”
“It doesn’t matter if it sounds childish—dangerous is dangerous! I’d hate for anything to happen to you, Toka.”
“…You’d hate it?”
“Of course I would.”
“Fuheh.”
A strange sound escaped Toka. The corners of her mouth looked incredibly happy!
“Alrighty! Toka-sama’s Fun Cooking Class is about to begin!”
“I’m the one teaching, though.”
“You’re so nitpicky, Ryo-kun.”
“You’re the one who’s careless!”
While exchanging that baffling dialogue, we got to work preparing the eggs.
Toka cracked an egg open with one hand. And without dropping a single piece of shell!
“Ryo-kun, what’s wrong? You look kind of unhappy.”
“Nothing…”
Just now, I felt like I witnessed the world’s absurdity.
She’s so careless by nature, yet she does things so effortlessly and skillfully…
“Alright, next, mix it!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll hold the bowl for you.”
Toka twirled the chopsticks around in one hand, whisking the eggs with a shaka-shaka sound.
Her profile looked somehow more grown-up than usual, making my heart beat a little faster.
“By the way, why’d you suddenly start caring about your ‘girl power’?”
“…Because I wanted my boyfriend to keep telling me I’m cute.”
She stopped twirling the chopsticks and glanced at me. That face was dangerously unfair.
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“It’s not.”
Saying that, Toka gently stood on tiptoe and planted a light kiss on my cheek.
“That totally is cheating!”
“I told you it’s not.”
Toka covered her face with both hands, peeking out just a little and smiling shyly. Then she gripped the chopsticks again and started mixing the eggs… but her hands were clearly shaking.
“I have to make the omelet rice…”
“Yeah, you’re making it, right?”
“Yeah, but… before that, can we do it one more time…?”
The moment she whispered that, my heart started pounding again. In the evening kitchen, enveloped by the scent of eggs and sweet air, a world just for the two of us quietly unfolded.
◇
“Waaah, it turned out great!”
“……”
Toka jumped up, throwing her arms in the air. …The way the ribbon on her apron fluttered with that movement was strangely cute. Before me lay a perfectly formed omelet rice. The egg was a bit firm, but it was a nice, neat oval shape.
Seriously, what am I supposed to do with being this good!? Maybe it’s because I’ve been cooking more often lately, but I feel like my skill level is rising faster and faster.
“Get delicious, get delicious.”
Toka was writing something in ketchup on top of the omelet rice. Sorry, but I think that’s a bit off.
“Okay, done! Let’s take a picture.”
Written in big letters with ketchup on top of the omelet rice was “Ryo-kun LOVE”.
“Stop it! This kind of thing is the most embarrassing!”
“Ehehe, then I’ll feed it to you!”
Toka scooped up a spoonful and thrust it towards my mouth.
“Here, open wide ♡”
“…Nah, I’ll eat it myself.”
“No way! This is a ritual to boost my girl power!”
The moment I reluctantly opened my mouth—
“…Ah”
Toka’s hand slipped, and the omelet rice smacked right onto my cheek.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!”
“S-sorry! But… ahahahaha!”
Toka wiped my cheek with a towel while laughing hysterically. But she was laughing so hard she couldn’t wipe it off at all.
“Ehehe, but since ‘Ryo-kun LOVE’ went on your cheek, I guess this counts as a success?”
“Total failure! If that’s the case, give it to my mouth!”
“Oh, Ryo-kun, you’re such a pervert.”
“Where!?”
Saying that, Toka burst into laughter again.
…I’ll keep quiet about how I feel like her comedy skills have grown more than her feminine charm.
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