Can you handle my Hikigaya's cooking?

"Miura is such a jerk. He doesn't let anyone off the hook..."

To be honest, Hachiman has never really been exposed to cooking. From childhood to adulthood, he has always been a food taster, constantly tasting Komachi and his father's cooking, and also feeling their progress.

There is also a past that is too painful to recall. When he couldn't even tell what dark cuisine was... Hachiman once swallowed it directly into his stomach as if it were a delicacy. As a result, the shadow of his childhood has always lingered in his heart, and he is also afraid that the food he makes will be as unpalatable as the so-called dark cuisine.

However, it would be a big mistake to say that Hachiman knows nothing about cooking...

After all, every time they cook, Hachiman is watching, so...

"Luckily they didn't find the fried rice that Komachi gave me. As long as it's heated up a little, it can probably be used as a staple food."

If Miura outside knew that Hachiman was feeding her with leftover rice as her staple food, he would probably run in and fight her to the death.

Of course, the reason why I collected Komachi’s fried rice wasn’t because Hachiman was a perverted sister-con, but because I had anticipated such a day, so... okay.

The seafood purchased from the market was dead after all, so the sooner it was processed, the better. Hachiman took out a knife and began to operate clumsily.

"Hey, are you done? I've been waiting for so long that the flowers are wilting!" Miura, who had been waiting in the hall, was already getting a little impatient.

Hachiman: "Soon..."

There is an unwritten rule in private restaurants that if you urge the chef to hurry up, you will spit into his mouth. But Hachiman is obviously not such a low-quality chef. He is also very clear about how bad his knife skills are. In fact, this is his first time holding a knife.

The problem is still not solved. Even with the added bonus of Komachi fried rice, it is very difficult to change the mind of a customer who instinctively does not want to say "delicious", and there is no sauce at all.

So...

Looking at the dragonfish and sunfish on the side, I immediately had a new idea.

My dad once showed me that when there is no sauce available, you can use the essence of the broth cooked from the raw materials as a sauce, so...it should also be suitable for fried rice.

As long as you add the essence of the broth as water into the fried rice, and then double the heat to melt the broth into the fried rice, the final dish will definitely have distinct grains and a unique taste.

Without any hesitation, Hachiman did what he said...

After processing the king crab in front of him, Hachiman immediately stir-fried the fried rice left by Komachi for a second time.

"If I remember correctly, my dad stir-fried it 99 times, and each time was about three seconds apart. After 251 seconds of high-temperature roasting, it was the best time to take it out of the pot."

"Add the mashed crab meat and broth when the stir-fry is 77 times, and increase the heat and speed at the same time, increasing the stir-fry speed to once every second..."

It sounds simple, but it takes more than just a mouth to do it.

"I have to thank myself for riding my bike to school regardless of spring, autumn, winter or summer. Otherwise, it would be a big problem to finish cooking a meal."

I tried my best to learn how to stir-fry like my dad, but even so, I was unable to do it as calmly as him. I couldn't even keep up with the height and speed.

The more times like this happened, the more Hikigaya admired his younger sister, Komachi. As a girl, she possessed such physical strength. It was amazing, really amazing.

With the last stir-fry, Hachiman placed all the rice on a shiny and clean tableware like a rice bowl.

"It seems that this is the best cooking I can do now..."

Gently wiping the sweat from his forehead, Hachiman felt a little nervous as he raised the food.

However, this nervousness did not come from the pressure of the restaurant. Instead, it was the first time in his life that he felt, as a chef, the fear of not wanting to be denied when facing his guests.

Under the instructions of Miura and her assistant, Hachiman finally walked out slowly from the kitchen.

Miura still had that smug smile on his face:

"I thought you were so scared that you didn't know what to do. It seems you didn't run away like you did after graduation."

Hachiman: "A well-trained loner will not repeat the same mistakes. I am the strongest among all the experienced warriors. Even I have something I cannot give up. For Komachi... I can only do this."

He opened the metal lid, and a sense of excitement from the deep sea instantly surrounded everyone in the hall, and the excitement from the seafood instantly rushed into their nostrils.

"Crab fried rice! Enjoy."

The moment she saw the food, Miura's face showed unprecedented shock. It seemed that her body could no longer support her to continue standing proudly. She just said to her assistant with some blame:

"Didn't they say all the ingredients were stolen?! Why is there still rice?"

Assistant: "Impossible... We have confirmed again and again that there are no ingredients left!"

The aroma of burnt rice continued to rise. It was just an ordinary fried rice, but it had such a compelling aura, as if thousands of troops were galloping past Miura and rubbing against her body repeatedly.

Before they even tried it, everyone couldn't take their eyes away from the fried rice in front of them.

Miura: "How is it possible... How is it possible... I have eaten so many five-star restaurants, how could I be tempted by a mere crab fried rice!"

Hachiman: "Whether it's just for show or not, you'll know after you take a bite."

The reason why food is called food is that you cannot determine what is inside just by looking at the appearance. This alone is the same as the "real thing" that Hachiman has always pursued.

Only by truly trying it can you know the ups and downs of it. Only by feeling the impact of the dish will all previous hypocrisy be shattered.

The moment each portion of cutlery was placed on the spoon, both the assistant and Miura, as if completely out of their own mental control, slowly picked up the spoon and then slowly reached out for the exquisite crab roe fried rice.

"Then the victory or defeat will be decided at this moment..."

"I think the observations over the past decade were all for this moment..."

Chapter 6 Miura: How can I be convinced by a plate of fried rice!

Inside [Hikigaya Hotel], an invisible confrontation is still going on.

Faced with the crab roe fried rice dish that Hachiman brought out, Miura's body seemed to be out of conscious control, and he relied on instinct to move closer to the fried rice step by step.

"I'm telling you...I must deny your cooking!"

A strong will continued in her heart. In order to get rid of Hotel Hikigaya and to vent her anger for her good friend Yui, she must, must... must deny the guy in front of her.

The spoon was placed lightly on the fried rice, as if just a simple touch would bounce back with this unique smoothness. Miura pressed the spoon down hard, and each grain of fried rice automatically spread out like marbles. No matter how you looked at it, the grains were distinct enough. At the same time, the umami flavor of the broth from the deep sea unfolded, bursting out with an irresistible aroma.

Until the spoonful of fried rice finally crossed the long river and came into Miura's mouth, the physical desire at this moment had completely broken through her inner defenses. She just swallowed it gently and chewed it gently...

"Ah... um~"

Miura originally just wanted to swallow the food without chewing, but she failed due to desire. If she let such delicious food slip away from her tongue, could she really forgive herself?

Every time he chewed, he tasted the essence of the fully cooked broth. The delicious taste from the deep sea once again hit Miura's taste buds. After just one bite, Miura's body collapsed as if it was completely out of control. He could only support his body with his hands.

Miura, who was wearing a black suit, could no longer control the trembling of his body. The two peaks that stood firmly in front of Hachiman were also shaking at this moment, as if they were about to explode and die in the next moment.

"Is it delicious?"

Facing Hachiman's question, Miura's face could no longer control the blush, and he was just too stunned to speak.

But...the instinct coming from the body cannot be deceived.

Once again, he stretched out his spoon out of desire, but he didn't know that Hachiman had already picked up the fried rice, leaving Miura with nothing.

"How...how could this be..."

"I've eaten so many delicious dishes before... but... no dish can give me this feeling..."

"This kind of thing can't even be called a dish..."

"It's just a fried rice, just a simple fried noodle dish. Damn it, you bastard, it's worse than a trotter!"

Eating is eating, why are you so impatient?

Looking at Miura who was twisting his body, Hachiman was not in a hurry. It was not so easy to pry open the mouth of a guy who was resisting, so he just needed to use a little trick...

Hachiman picked up the plate and walked to the kitchen, muttering:

"Some dishes will lose their flavor if you don't eat them while they're hot. For example, the crab fried rice in front of you, you may never be able to taste it again in your lifetime."

"If you want to continue eating, just swear a simple oath. After all, as an old classmate, I won't make things difficult for you. As long as you don't cause us any more trouble in the future, I'm still willing to treat you as a guest..."

Facing this Hikigaya who was completely different from the one he was in school, Miura's heart fell into an unprecedented struggle. Her body was still twisted and she was reluctant to put down the spoon in her hand.

"Who... who would take that kind of oath..."

Hachiman sighed, and walked straight to the kitchen as if he had made up his mind: "In this case, this dish can only be thrown away. After all, it is not delicious at all."

As Hachiman walked further and further away, Miura finally couldn't hide the primitive desire in his heart: "Wait... wait a minute! I swear... I swear!"

"Yui...I'm sorry..."

"I want~I really want~that dish~more...that~"

"Please give it to me~"

Having obtained the result, Hachiman first breathed a sigh of relief, then faced everyone's gaze and came to Miura again, gently putting down the first dish that represented the beginning of his chef career.

In just a moment, the rich aroma of seafood burst out again, and the tempted Miura and his assistant completely lost the power to resist. With each delicious spoonful of fried rice put into their mouths, the broth contained in it instantly shot out, constantly surging in their mouths, and finally allowing the fried rice to smoothly enter their stomachs.

Miura: "I actually...actually succumbed to a plate of fried rice."

"But... it is this fried rice that I can't help myself. Every grain of rice that is separated into dry and wet parts has completely filled my body. No matter where in my body, it is emitting this unique flavor."

"It's like a man with a burning desire, constantly caressing my body, and finally seducing out the unique smell of a woman..."

"I want...I want more...I want more..."

“Delicious…delicious! So delicious!”

Even Miura, who had always maintained the image of a lady, let go of her womanly reserve and tasted the food in big mouthfuls.

It seems as if it has broken through all the restraints on its body, and its clothes might be torn into pieces by the beating of this fiery pulse, impacting the taste buds of everyone who tastes this dish.

Finally...the crowd lost their last bit of strength to fight back and could only collapse powerlessly to the ground.

Hachiman: "If she were to taste dad and Komachi's fried rice, she would probably be even more surprised."

Having protected this restaurant that supported the Hikigaya family, Hachiman felt relieved, and his cooking skills would probably only be displayed at such special times.

In his heart, he thought that his cooking skills would never be better than Komachi and his father, so when he looked at the crab fried rice in front of him, his heart suddenly recalled the dark dishes his father had made for him.

He shook his head and ultimately refused to try his fried rice.

Just leave this kind of troublesome things to Komachi and dad. As for myself... steel wool is my true companion.

In Hachiman's heart, if nothing unexpected happens, their lives will continue like this, with a happy and tiring daily routine. It may be mediocre, but Hachiman has no complaints.

However, this idea is ultimately wishful thinking. Even if this [Hotel Hikigaya] is preserved, it may not necessarily lead to the future that one hopes for.

Chapter 7 Let the past be the past, look forward!

After a long time, Miura, who had finally recovered from the delicious food, stood up again with her body twisted. However, compared to before, her arrogance had completely disappeared, leaving only the unique blush on her face that could not be dispelled.

Hachiman handed over a cup of cool lemon tea. Facing this old classmate, he didn't actually hate her too much in his heart. After all, she was an extremely real person who would express all her thoughts, and Hachiman naturally appreciated this.

Miura had never thought that Hikigaya would have such a unique skill. She used to just stand up for her friend Yui, but now... she really wanted to get to know this classmate again.

Yawata: "According to the agreement, our restaurant will not close down."

Miura had an unnatural expression on his face, and he was holding his chest as if he was a little angry:

"Is Yumiko such a dishonest person in your eyes, Hikigaya? Oh no...it's Hikigaya."

"No... I just wanted to confirm that as long as you don't mind our food, you can come to our Hotel Hikigaya more often in the future."

Hearing Hikigaya's invitation, a faint blush appeared on Miura's face at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Idiot, bastard, Hikigaya!"

Is this some new way of cursing? Nothing new at all.

"However, I didn't expect that we would be able to meet in this way a year later. You know, we didn't have much communication in school. You can only blame your dead fish eyes."

"Yes Yes..."

At this point, Miura seemed to be thinking of something from the past, and said earnestly:

"Although more than half a year has passed, I am not involved in the matter, so I won't comment too much on your affairs, but... as far as I know, after graduation, Yui went to the shopping street in Tokyo to sell cookies. Did you know about this?"

Hachiman really knew nothing about this matter, so he shook his head helplessly.

"Although I don't know why you disappeared without leaving any news, Yui must still be looking forward to meeting you. If there is a chance... meet her. After all, she needs your help. It is said that many people in our junior high school class want to enter the school called 'Totsuki', and Yui seems to be working hard too."