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[Game] Chapter 80: Not Cute at All (Part 3/5)
🕑 Added 2024-12-31 09:45:52 +0000 UTCAs someone who rarely plays games, Yukino Yukinoshita found Slay the Spire to be a surprisingly good entry point. With her sharp intellect, she quickly grasped the gameplay mechanics.
To Eriri’s astonishment, Yukino defeated the Act 3 boss and achieved her first clear on just her second attempt.
Stretching her neck slightly, Yukino closed the game, made a mental note of its name, and decided to download Steam on her home computer later to purchase the game. As a way to relax after studying, this game was quite effective.
Glancing at the clock on the computer, she noticed it was almost 4 p.m. “Sawamura-san, it’s getting late. I should head home,” Yukino said.
“Huh? You’re leaving already?” Eriri looked at Yukino in surprise; she was hoping to play a bit longer.
However, seeing that the others were also preparing to leave, Eriri reluctantly followed Yukino. After all, they had plans to review for the upcoming midterm exams tomorrow. For the time being, she resolved to behave herself until the exams were over.
Soon, everyone had tidied up and left the office in a flash.
After ensuring that everything was turned off and the windows were secure, Ichin locked up the studio and headed out with Utaha Kasumigaoka.
When they returned upstairs to Ichin’s apartment, he unlocked the door and noticed that Kasumigaoka was still following him. “Aren’t you heading home?” he asked curiously.
With her hands clasped behind her back, Utaha smiled. “No rush. There’s still plenty of time. Besides, didn’t you say you’d cook for me? I’ll let my mom know that I’ll be having dinner at your place tonight.”
“Hmm… sure, why not.” Ichin nodded and opened the door, letting them both inside.
Still, wasn’t this essentially broadcasting to her mom that their relationship was anything but ordinary? However, considering how Utaha’s mother treated him, Ichin figured it wouldn’t be an issue.
Inside, Ichin gestured for Utaha to make herself comfortable while he put his laptop back in his room.
When he returned to the living room, Kasumigaoka was already watching TV.
Looking at the sofa, Ichin couldn’t help but recall the events of that morning. Scratching his cheek awkwardly, he quickly turned away under Utaha’s amused gaze.
“I’ll go grab us some drinks,” he mumbled, heading to the kitchen.
Utaha couldn’t hold back her laughter as she covered her mouth. Her boyfriend was unexpectedly adorable.
Before long, Ichin returned with two bottles of juice, his expression back to normal. Sitting down beside Utaha, he asked, “What do you want for dinner?”
“Can I make requests?” Utaha asked with a smile.
Seeing him nod, she replied, “Then let’s have some braised pork and a vegetable dish. It’s just the two of us, so we don’t need too much.”
“Vegetables, huh…” Ichin thought for a moment. “I have some cabbage and asparagus at home. I’ll make two vegetarian dishes to go with it. You watch TV—I’ll get started on dinner.”
Noting how Ichin barely sat down before heading to the kitchen, Utaha resisted the urge to follow him immediately. Instead, she pulled out her phone to text her mom, letting her know she wouldn’t be home for dinner.
After getting an affirmative reply, Utaha finally stood up and walked into the kitchen.
Inside, Ichin was defrosting some meat while chopping vegetables.
"Ichin-kun, is there anything I can help with?" she asked.
Effortlessly slicing up the cabbage and soaking some vermicelli from the fridge, Ichin shook his head. "No need. You can just relax; I can handle this by myself."
Utaha narrowed her eyes and suddenly hugged Ichin's arm. Looking at him, she asked, "Are you thinking that if I help, I'd just get in the way?"
Ichin paused, his hand hovering over the knife, and looked at her. With a soft sigh, he replied, "If you already know that, then why say it out loud? I was trying to spare your feelings."
Utaha stared into his eyes, silently retracting her earlier thought.
Her boyfriend wasn’t cute at all!
With a small huff, she lightly kicked Ichin and left the kitchen, returning to the sofa.
After Utaha left, Ichin poked his head out of the kitchen and glanced at her in the living room. Smiling, he asked, "Are you upset?"
"No," came Utaha’s calm reply from the couch. "What you said is true, after all. I really am bad at cooking."
Her expression, however, clearly betrayed her irritation.
Smiling, Ichin walked over to her, gently draping an arm around her shoulder. "It’s fine. I don’t mind these things. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Cooking is just something I can manage a few dishes of; I’m far from an expert myself."
"I know, but it’s still a bit frustrating," Utaha muttered with a slight frown. "My mom’s a great cook, so why can’t I learn?"
After a moment of thought, Ichin asked, "By the way, is your dad good at cooking?"
"My dad?" Utaha scoffed. "Not at all. He’s even worse than me. Don’t tell me, Ichin-kun, are you trying to say I inherited my lack of cooking skills from him?"
"It’s possible," Ichin said with a playful shrug.
Utaha tilted her head, considering the idea. It did seem plausible.
"No way! I’ll make sure to learn properly next time!" she declared.
It was fine now, but what if she met Ichin’s mother someday and couldn’t even manage basic cooking? That would be humiliating.
Seeing how determined Utaha was, Ichin decided not to discourage her. Worst case, he’d supervise closely when she practiced.
He gently pinched her soft cheek and said, "Alright, go watch TV for now. I’ll get back to cooking."
"No, I’m coming with you to learn!"
Utaha grabbed a notebook and pen and followed Ichin back into the kitchen.
Though it might be challenging for her to cook right away, she could at least take detailed notes for now and study them later. There was no way she wouldn’t be able to cook a dish armed with enough theoretical knowledge!
Standing by Ichin’s side, she had him explain the cooking process in detail as she diligently recorded everything.
One braised pork dish, stir-fried cabbage with vermicelli, and sautéed asparagus later, the three dishes were finally done, and dinner was ready to be served.
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