Don't use Type-Moon references in Oregairu!

The clear broth made from kelp and bonito flakes, mixed with the restaurant's special sweet sauce, is like a strong, fit senior student being thrown into the pot by Fujimaru Ritsuka, breaking the harmony between the butter and the beef.

In the fierce triangular struggle, the beef was being fried in butter on one side and scalded by broth on the other, wavering between the two. Finally, it was completely overwhelmed by the attack from both sides and was about to become well-done.

But Fujimaru Ritsuka turned off the stove. He gently picked up the still partially red beef and told her, "You're still a good girl. Forget about those two," before completely immersing himself in the egg mixture...

"Mmm↗Mmm↘So delicious, the egg is so tender~" Yui Yuigahama, who occasionally showed her silly side, was so hot from not dipping the egg in enough liquid that she could barely speak. She had tears in her eyes but refused to give up—what a greedy woman!

Look how elegant she is under the snow, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with one hand, swirling the beef evenly in the egg mixture, and then gracefully taking a bite.

The egg mixture lowers the temperature of the beef, providing a smooth and tender texture, while also reducing the sweetness from the sauce and broth. The outside of the beef is seared to a caramelized brown with butter and plum, while the inside is tenderized by the sauce. This perfect combination of ingredients makes the beef incredibly versatile, as captivating as a beautiful woman.

Fujimaru Ritsuka observed them discreetly for a moment, then suddenly sensed something was off; were they moving a little too fast...?

"Wait! Don't take everything! Leave some for me!"

Chopsticks clatter, and the dinner table is a scene of constant struggle and conflict. The tragic struggle for food has never ceased since ancient times. Humans, you never seem to learn from your mistakes!

After searing three rounds of beef, Fujimaru Ritsuka stopped adding more, ignoring the two pairs of unsatisfied eyes, and curled her fingers: "Do you know how many ways there are to eat sukiyaki?"

The two thought, "Does someone who cooks like this even deserve to test us?" So they lowered their heads, stared at the beef, and ignored it.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, unfazed by the lack of a straight man, tapped the table with her long, slender fingers: "Two kinds. Usually, you've had the Kanto style, where meat and vegetables are piled high and slowly cooked in a pot with sauce. But this time, we're having Kansai-style sukiyaki, which is both pan-fried and simmered."

“It’s time to move on to Phase Two!” Fujimaru Ritsuka raised her voice, like an old general on a theatrical stage.

He put the scallions into the pan and sautéed them until fragrant, the aroma of the scallions mingling with the butter.

Neatly place the cabbage and onions at the bottom of the pot, then pour in the clear broth made from kelp and bonito flakes.

"Ah, thank goodness I did it myself. Japanese people eat this way too sweetly!"

"Hey, Fujimaru-kun is acting like he's not Japanese... By the way, what's the significance of that?" Curious Yui Yuigahama chimed in.

Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself—"What's the point of you asking this, you kitchen devil? You'll still mess it up anyway. Wait...it seems like her cooking skills have improved."

"This step involves using clear broth to reduce the sweetness. Others like to add more sauce at this stage and cook it together with the remaining sauce in the pot, which makes it too sweet. I prefer to use clear broth to reduce the concentration of mirin and sweet soy sauce in the sauce, and then draw out the moisture from the vegetables to increase their natural sweetness, making it more delicate, light, and layered."

As Fujimaru Ritsuka explained, she added ingredients such as pan-fried firm tofu, chrysanthemum greens, and mushrooms with slits cut into them, along with the centerpiece, beef. The broth covered the ingredients, bubbling gently in the warm flames. Soon, the pot boiled.

They picked up their chopsticks without saying a word, each one quicker and faster than the last.

"Aww~" Yui Yuigahama picked up a piece of firm tofu. The crispy exterior carried the unique flavor of soybeans. Biting through the skin revealed a soft and fluffy interior, which had absorbed a lot of delicious broth, bursting in her mouth.

Yukino Yukinoshita has a fondness for mushrooms. The delicious broth seeps into the mushrooms after they've been scored, and their unique mushroom flavor is unforgettable. And strangely enough, each bite gives her a sense of pleasure, as if she's venting her resentment towards someone.

Of course, the carnivorous Fujimaru Ritsuka would choose beef! Compared to the previous taste, the cooked beef is much more tender, with glistening white marbling between the brown meat. When you put it in your mouth, the delicious juices are irresistible.

After a hard-fought battle, comrades and I would gather around the pot, scrambling for beef. All the hardships and troubles would vanish in the fragrant aroma.

Delicious food can soothe the weary, worried, and lost. The warmth of the stomach can give one the strength to start anew.

Finally, as the broth thickened, Fujimaru Ritsuka also added a plate of udon noodles.

The udon noodles, glistening with thick sauce, were plump and white, making them incredibly tempting. Even the girls who had already stopped eating hesitated and shared the main dish with Fujimaru Ritsuka. Afterwards, all three of them, with their bellies protruding, reclined without a care for decorum.

Fujimaru glanced at the two of them, lost in thought. If someone were to walk in now, wouldn't he have to declare first, "I didn't do it"?

38. Tense Yang Nai

"This scene really feels familiar, it's a pity someone is missing." Yukino Yukinoshita leaned back comfortably in her chair, her eyes narrowed with satisfaction, but her words were laced with sarcasm.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was a bit speechless, while Yukino Yukinoshita still had some opinions about Hachiman Hikigaya.

Indeed, as comrades-in-arms, they had fought side by side several times before, but in the end, Yukino Yukinoshita discovered that she had been tricked. She was intolerant of any wrongdoing and deeply hated being deceived.

Even though I let go of some of my resentment back then, I'm still angry now.

However, these menacing words were immediately refuted and countered by a certain simpleton.

"Hey! Yui, you three actually went to eat together without even calling me. I'm so sad~" Yui Yuigahama pounced on him, rubbing her face against his, just like a large Samoyed that hadn't seen its owner in a long time, very clingy.

Yukino Yukinoshita was completely unable to resist and pushed him away, her face flushed red.

Ah, science is right. After eating so much, all the blood went to my stomach, leaving my brain completely incapable of thinking. Yukino Yukinoshita, who was flawless, was once again devoured by the dango.

After admiring the blooming lilies for a while, Fujimaru Ritsuka stopped Yuigahama Yui from continuing to grope Yukino and got down to business: "Regarding Hachiman's matter, isn't it a bit unfair to him to just rely on one's own opinion? Do you have any plans for the Golden Week holiday?"

"Yui doesn't have any plans! Maybe she'll go shopping with Yumiko and the others later~ What are your plans, Fujimaru-kun?"

Yukino Yukinoshita shook off the enthusiastic little dog, straightened her disheveled clothes, coughed, and indicated that she had no plans.

Fujimaru Ritsuka was very satisfied: "Then let's go to the Hikigaya family together tomorrow and pay them a visit!"

A cold gaze pierced him: "It's not to satisfy your strange motives towards someone else's sister, is it?"

“How could that be?” Fujimaru Ritsuka said matter-of-factly. “Aren’t you curious about what Hachiman wants to do with the Holy Grail Drops? As his friends, we should also be concerned about his sister’s condition, right?”

"And don't you want to know what information Hachiman is hiding about our powers, the enemies we face?"

Furthermore, Hachiman Hikigaya stated that there is an organization above the Shinsengumi. However, the name "Kashinkai" (Reform Society) doesn't reveal anything about it, and even the organization's purpose is unclear.

Yui Yuigahama shook her head with a laugh, she was a little tempted, while Yukino Yukinoshita lowered her head to think.

"...Alright then."

A reluctant tone.

Fujimaru Ritsuka acted swiftly and decisively, setting a time immediately: "Let's meet at the station at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll email Hachiman when I get back and ask for the address."

"By the way, Yuihama-san, could you please give me your email address as well, so we can keep in touch?"

"Oh, okay." Yui Yuigahama nodded blankly and exchanged email addresses with Ritsuka Fujimaru.

Pretty skilled, Mr. Fujimaru...

Yukino Yukinoshita stared at him sideways, remaining motionless.

Oblivious to the fact that someone was being stared at like a knife, he gestured to Yukino: "See you tomorrow, Yukinoshita?"

Something touched her, and like a frozen river thawing and buds blooming on spring branches, Yukino Yukinoshita lowered her eyelids and gently replied, "Ah, see you tomorrow."

"Hiss, are you possessed by something? Yukinoshita can't possibly be that gentle."

"Shut up, you scum!"

"That's it!"

-------------------------------------

At Narita Airport, the plane door opened, and a professional woman stepped off the plane first. She was dressed in all white, emphasizing her curvaceous figure. The light lace accentuated her gentle temperament, and her striking black hair and fair skin made her unforgettable.

Yukino gazed into the distance, at the location of Chiba City, and sighed deeply, "I never imagined that even Shizuka would come into contact with things from that world. I hope Yukino is alright..."

As someone who can't openly express her brotherly love, she has excellent professional ethics and asks her family's bodyguards to regularly gather intelligence. However, there have been quite a few recent "incidents," and as an ordinary person, she's been working non-stop and hasn't had time to listen to the bodyguards' reports.

In the past, I probably would have just asked Hiratsuka Shizuka to take care of Yukino... Maybe I started acting a little abnormal about six months ago.

With mixed feelings, she got into her family's car under the attentive care of the bodyguards who came to pick her up.

Let's find out what's going on on our way home...

"Aside from the fact that quite a few students collapsed from anemia a while ago, nothing else has happened?" Yukinoshita Haruno opened her beautiful eyes wide and stared at this idiot with murderous intent.

Seeing that this guy was completely clueless and covered in cold sweat, Yang felt a little lost.

Indeed, if you don't know the details of the "event," you can just treat it as a strange tale.

Overwhelmed with sorrow that no one could share, Haruno pressed for details about the recent situation in Chiba City, growing more and more frightened as she listened.

"Several bizarre cases... the East City Group has been mobilized on a large scale... and there are students with anemia..." A storm is brewing!

Without further hesitation, Yang urged the driver to speed up. She wanted to get Yukino out of Chiba as far away as possible. Whatever happened, she could leave it to that department to handle.

After thinking it through, Yang Nai took out her phone and quickly sent the information she had obtained to the contact person's email address, along with her own conjecture.

Afterwards, she called Hiratsuka Shizuka—if Shizuka hadn't asked her, she wouldn't have been able to rush back, let alone take Yukino away from the center of the vortex.

She wanted to thank Hiratsuka Shizuka and advised her to leave quickly. It's best not to get involved in these kinds of strange encounters with ordinary people, and not to get as deeply involved as she did.

"Hey, Haruno~ What's up? Didn't we say we'd talk when we got back to Chiba?"

"This isn't the time to talk about this! Shizuka-sensei! Let's take advantage of the long holiday and leave Chiba City!" Yukinoshita Haruno spoke rapidly, not giving the other person a chance to interrupt. "Since you know about the anomalies, I won't explain further. Chiba City is a powder keg right now. You should leave first, taking your family and friends with you. Leave this to the professionals."

"Uh, but..."

"No buts! Although we're not that close, I still owe you a favor, otherwise this will implicate Yukino..."

On the other end of the phone, Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't hold back any longer. She used all her lung capacity to drown out the panicked, sister-complex-loving man's words: "Stop! It's all resolved! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"what?"

39. Haruno's Mistake (1/3)

Yukino Yukinoshita strolled along the road. May was approaching, the beautiful cherry blossoms were almost gone, and it was time for the wisteria to bloom.

Japanese people love cherry blossoms, admiring their brilliance and fleeting nature. Isn't it the most romantic thing for them to wither at their most beautiful moment? That's what they say.

Yukino Yukinoshita doesn't like cherry blossoms; she prefers wisteria.

The clusters of purple and blue flowers are as beautiful as the clouds on the horizon.

I heard that the flower language of this flower is "long-lasting longing and attachment". I used to look down on things like flower language that are given by man, but now I find it quite interesting.

Isn't it only natural for a girl to protect her own relationship?

Oh dear, that guy really said something embarrassing in a very straightforward way.

However, when it comes to romance...

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled faintly—"Let's go see the wisteria in Fukuoka Prefecture later. There's a sea of ​​wisteria there that's over 600 years old. I have a feeling that if we don't go now, it'll be gone."

With a faint sense of joy, she stepped into the tower apartment and opened the door.

Ugh, I'm not in the mood anymore...

Yukino Yukinoshita looked at the elegant figure sitting on the sofa with a cold expression: "Sister, what brings you here?"

"Ugh, Yukino's so cold! I came straight from the airport to see you, sister. Aren't you going to smile and give your family some comfort after their long journey?"