"Is that so? Then I am truly honored."
The anticipated panic did not appear; Dylan merely smiled gently and calmly responded to Rindo Kobayashi's words.
"Hmph, you're no fun at all."
Not getting the reaction she desired, Rindo Kobayashi couldn't help but let out a soft snort, then returned to tidy up the clothes scattered messily around the living room.
"Hah, that one, she's clearly treating me as entertainment."
Watching Rindo Kobayashi suddenly appear at the doorway and then hastily depart, Dylan let out a soft sigh of amusement.
Shaking his head, he refocused his attention on the kitchen counter before him. The cherry blossoms and cherry leaves, originally wrapped in clothes, were now laid out on it.
The first step in making Sakura Mochi was processing the cherry blossoms. A portion of them was washed with water and then left to sun-dry.
The remainder were thoroughly cleaned and dried in a low-temperature oven, then placed in saltwater with the cherry leaves for salting.
Once these steps were complete, all that remained was the red bean paste filling. This was relatively simple to prepare, though it still required time.
The red beans were washed clean, placed in a pressure cooker, and cooked with an appropriate amount of water for thirty-five minutes.
"Hello, Alice? Have someone bring your molecular gastronomy machine to Rindo Kobayashi's house for me. I need to use it for my cooking right now."
After preparing the red beans, Dylan glanced at the cherry blossoms bathing in the sunlight, then walked to the window and dialed Alice Nakiri's number.
Extracting the cherry blossom pigment required chemical methods, all of which would take more than a day.
However, he needed to use it immediately. After much thought, Alice Nakiri's molecular gastronomy machine was the most convenient option, as it could perfectly meet his requirements.
"Kobayashi-senpai's house? Where's that... Also, Dylan-ge, weren't you taking the transfer students on a club tour? How did you end up at Kobayashi-senpai's place?"
After a few seconds of silence, Alice Nakiri's voice, tinged with both confusion and mild accusation, came from the other end of the line.
"We ran into each other on the way. Isn't today a holiday? I thought it wasn't really suitable to cook at home, so I came over to her place. I'll explain in more detail when you get here."
After a brief explanation, Dylan hung up the phone and strode into the living room. The previous mess was now nowhere to be seen.
Although items were still scattered, it was noticeably much tidier.
"Are you done?"
Hearing movement from the kitchen, Rindo Kobayashi, who was holding a rag, immediately looked over, her eyes sparkling, her voice filled with excitement.
"Starting from scratch, how could it be that quick? It'll take at least another hour. Just wait patiently."
Seeing how impatient Rindo Kobayashi was, Dylan couldn't help but feel a little helpless. After raising his hand to tap her head, he sat down on the sofa.
"So slow…"
"Look how clean I've made it."
Walking over, she sat beside Dylan. Tossing aside the rag in her hand, Rindo Kobayashi directly propped her feet onto the table, her arms draped over the edge of the sofa.
"It's certainly clean enough, but your sitting posture is quite ungraceful, isn't it? You're showing everything…"
Turning his head slightly, he could see Rindo Kobayashi's light grey bra strap. Dylan's brows furrowed slightly, caught between looking and not looking.
If he looked and was caught, it would definitely be awkward. But not looking at such a good 'view' felt like a waste. So, Dylan spoke up to warn her.
"What's wrong? Is Dylan-sensei going to get shy just by seeing this?"
Her shapely, straight legs were propped on the coffee table. Her black stockings had long since been taken off by Rindo Kobayashi and placed in the laundry basin, leaving only an expanse of pale, smooth skin for Dylan to see.
And within that paleness, perhaps scorched for too long by his intense gaze, her slightly twitching toes curled subtly, like a shy little girl unwilling to be seen.
"I've seen plenty of things like this, how could I possibly feel shy…"
Seeing that Rindo Kobayashi didn't seem to care much, Dylan said, a bit defiantly, his gaze unwilling to leave as he continued to stare at the girl's delicate feet.
"You've been staring for so long, why don't you just give me a massage? I've been on a fishing boat these past two days, walking back and forth non-stop; it's completely worn me out, and my feet are aching."
Scorched by such a gaze, even Rindo Kobayashi, usually so carefree, felt embarrassed. But she was never one to just take things lying down.
Since Dylan liked to stare, she'd give him something strong, to thoroughly correct his bad habit.
Perfect. She hadn't washed her feet since coming back, and after two days in boots, the smell was definitely not good. That should be enough to shatter Dylan's pleasant fantasy.
"Hmph, run away in embarrassment!"
She placed her exquisite, delicate feet onto Dylan's lap, propping herself up on the sofa and moving her feet towards his chest, attempting to use this move to make him feel ashamed.
Naïve young men like him were the easiest to deal with.
"Alright, sure! I've learned a bit of that before. I guarantee I'll give you a super comfortable massage!"
Unexpectedly, Dylan not only didn't retreat, but a hint of excitement gleamed in his eyes. As he spoke, he grabbed her ankle, his fingers already caressing the sole of her foot.
"Mmm…"
This, in turn, stumped Rindo Kobayashi. She let out a helpless "Mmm…", feeling a bit flustered. But since she had offered her foot herself, it was hard to refuse now.
"Don't worry, it might sting a little at first, but my technique is excellent."
After staring intently for so long, Dylan could no longer hold back. Having said that, he directly pressed down on the arch of her foot.
The girl's delicate feet were warm and soft. Having been cooped up in shoes for so long and worked tirelessly around the house for half a day, they had sweated a little, making their texture incredibly subtle and complex.
However, Dylan's expression remained unchanged. He began massaging her soles with incredible skill; this was a technique he had specifically learned for Alice Nakiri, to help her relax her mind and body.
And Alice Nakiri, considerate of his fatigue, also knew this technique. Every month, they would massage each other's feet to relax.
Massaging someone else's feet, however, this was the first time.
"It hurts so much! Wait… don't press any harder!!!"
"It's always like this the first time. Just bear with it. Once you get past this, it'll start to feel comfortable…"
Watching Rindo Kobayashi, her small face flushed crimson, her body trembling slightly, and her thighs tensed, Dylan still refused to stop, his hand clamping firmly onto her ankle.
Her wild red hair swayed slightly during her struggles, adding a touch of flustered awkwardness to the girl, yet making one's heart beat even faster.
Twenty minutes passed like this. Seeing that she couldn't break free, Rindo Kobayashi gritted her teeth and accepted it.
She had expected it to be a painful ordeal, but as Dylan had said, after the initial pain came an indescribable comfort, a comfort that spread through her entire body!
"Doesn't that feel better? I wasn't lying, was I?"
"Seriously though, have you never had a foot massage before? Most people don't react like that; anyone watching would think I was slaughtering a pig."
The thought of a pig being slaughtered in a rural village made Dylan unable to resist teasing her. Rindo Kobayashi's struggles just now really did resemble a pig fighting for its life during a rural slaughter.
"You're the pig!"
Hearing Dylan's words, Rindo Kobayashi's face fell, just as she was about to praise his technique. Then, hands on her hips, she huffed indignantly.
Still, she wasn't satisfied with that. So, she knelt on the sofa, leaned forward, and stretched out her hands to try and tickle Dylan, aiming to demonstrate her displeasure. But she overshot and missed.
Actually, she didn't miss completely. She ended up sprawled across Dylan's lap. Dylan felt a wave of softness, and a slight reaction stirred within him. He couldn't help but marvel at how 'well-endowed' Rindo Kobayashi was.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Just then, a knocking sound came from outside. Rindo Kobayashi's body stiffened. Noticing her inappropriate posture, she scrambled to pull herself up.
"Who is it? Just a moment."
Giving the man beside her a quick glare, Rindo Kobayashi pushed herself up from the sofa. Without even bothering to put on her slippers, she practically fled to the door.
"Whew…"
Standing at the door, Rindo Kobayashi took a long breath to calm her nerves, yet she wondered who would be visiting at this hour.
She was known for coming and going like a ghost, rarely staying at home. She only returned occasionally, and most people who looked for her would simply text.
Furthermore, very few people should know the location of her home.
So, who could it be at this hour?
Curiously, she opened the door. Just as Rindo Kobayashi was about to say something, she saw three people standing at the doorway and immediately showed a surprised expression.
"Erina Nakiri, Alice Nakiri, and little secretary! I wondered who it was; turns out it's you three. Is there something you need from me?"
"We're here to deliver something to Dylan-ge. You look quite tired?"
Alice Nakiri replied, her gaze appraising Rindo Kobayashi. Then her brows subtly furrowed, as if a thought had just struck her.
"Just finished cleaning the house, so I'm a bit tired."
Hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Rindo Kobayashi's gaze shifted uncomfortably, the blush on her face slow to fade. She looked utterly guilty, like a thief caught in the act.
"Cleaning the house makes you that tired?"
Seeing her reaction, Alice Nakiri's suspicions grew stronger.
"Well, you have to move around a lot, expending a lot of energy. It's perfectly normal to be a bit fatigued, right?"
Rindo Kobayashi's face was flushed, but she couldn't very well say that Dylan had made her this way. Even if it was just a foot massage, saying it out loud would definitely lead to misunderstandings!
While she usually didn't mind misunderstandings, and sometimes even found them amusing, that only applied to people she didn't care about. Dylan was clearly not among them.
"Cleaning the house is indeed tiring, but if you two are going to chat, could you please do it inside…?"
Seeing that the two wouldn't stop, Erina Nakiri, who had been standing silently nearby, suddenly spoke up, her expression tinged with helplessness.
Hisako Arato stood behind her, head bowed and silent, worried she might accidentally say something that would cause trouble for Erina Nakiri.
"Slippers are on the shoe cabinet, help yourselves."
Seeing Erina Nakiri help her out of the awkward situation, Rindo Kobayashi immediately changed the topic, pointing to the shoe cabinet by the entrance, then turned and returned to the living room.
"Oh…"
Watching her retreating back, Alice Nakiri still wanted to say something, but the topic had passed, and she could only swallow her questions.
Soon, the three had changed into slippers.
As soon as they entered the living room, they saw Dylan, casually leaning back on the sofa, legs crossed in a relaxed posture.
"Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato are here too, I see."
"Because I didn't know where Kobayashi-senpai's house was, I called Erina Nakiri to ask. She didn't even need to come, but she insisted on tagging along."
She naturally sat down next to Dylan, her nose twitching subtly. After confirming that the familiar scent wasn't there, her heart settled considerably, and she even found the mood to complain about Erina Nakiri.
"Wherever Dylan-sensei is, that's where I'll be!"
Erina Nakiri didn't refute, merely said with a slight blush. Her eyes, capable of seeing through autumn waters, evoked much pity.
"I must stay by Erina Nakiri-sama's side."
Beside her, Hisako Arato also spoke up. As a professional secretary, she had to accompany Erina Nakiri no matter what.
"Since you're here, make yourselves comfortable. Alice, when will your molecular gastronomy machine arrive?"
He turned his head to look at Alice Nakiri, who was seated next to him. The girl was currently tightly hugging his arm, her softness completely enveloping his forearm.
"It'll be here soon. They're bringing it by car, so they'll be a few minutes slower than us."
"Hello, is this the place?"
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Shortly after Alice Nakiri's words fell, a muffled greeting came from the doorway. Two men in black suits arrived, carrying the molecular gastronomy machine between them.
"Yes, just bring it into the kitchen."
Hearing the sound, Alice Nakiri stood up from the sofa, waving the men in black suits inside. Soon, the molecular gastronomy machine was plugged in, and the men in black suits departed from Rindo Kobayashi's house.
"What are you planning to make? Bringing so many cherry blossoms, are you perhaps preparing a cherry blossom-themed dish?"
Looking at the cherry blossoms on the counter, Erina Nakiri asked curiously. She truly didn't know why Dylan had suddenly procured so many cherry blossoms.
She recalled a few dishes that required cherry blossoms, but couldn't pinpoint which one it might be, especially since there was nothing else but cherry blossoms on the counter.
"Sakura Mochi."
"Alice, help me extract the cherry blossom pigment."
Handing the sun-dried cherry blossom petals, which had been on the balcony, to Alice Nakiri, Dylan replied.
"Got it! Leave it to me, you can rest assured."
Alice Nakiri enthusiastically agreed, then began operating the molecular gastronomy machine. This was child's play for her.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Seeing Alice Nakiri occupied, Erina Nakiri, who was nearby, didn't want to be idle either. She rolled up her sleeves and spoke to Dylan.
"You and Hisako Arato can go outside and pick some more cherry blossoms. I only harvested enough for two people here, it should be just right by the time you come back with more."
"Alright, Hisako Arato, let's go!"
Hearing that there was something to do, Erina Nakiri immediately looked excited. Her steps became more energetic as she bustled out of the house, leaving a faint breeze in her wake.
"Wait for me, Erina Nakiri-sama."
"I'll go with you two as well."
Seeing this, Hisako Arato immediately quickened her pace. Rindo Kobayashi, finding it boring to stay alone, also followed the two heading outside.
She had to admit, Dylan's foot massage technique was truly good. She felt significantly lighter on her feet now, and much of her fatigue had vanished.
"Alright, you keep busy, I'm going to stir-fry the red bean paste filling."
Watching the three depart, and Alice Nakiri busy at the molecular gastronomy machine, Dylan went to the sink and washed his hands.
He opened the pressure cooker, took out the red beans, and drained them. Two-thirds of the beans were put into a food processor and blended into a paste, while the remaining one-third was left untouched in a bowl.
He added a base oil to a wok, then poured in the cooked red beans and red bean paste. Using a wooden spoon, he stir-fried them over low heat for fifteen minutes to enhance the texture of the filling. The stirring couldn't stop at this point, or it would burn at the bottom.
After fifteen minutes of stir-frying, it was time to season.
He added a small amount of brown sugar and stir-fried for three minutes, then added maltose to increase viscosity and flavor. Judging by the aroma wafting through the air, Dylan added brown sugar once more, then a pinch of salt, and continued to stir-fry briefly before taking it off the heat.
"Dylan-ge, I'm done."
"Your red bean paste looks so good when stir-fried, it makes one's mouth water just looking at it."
Holding a small bowl of extracted cherry blossom pigment in her hand, Alice Nakiri exclaimed in admiration as she looked at the red bean filling scooped onto a plate, her throat bobbing slightly.
"If you want to eat, just have two more later."
Noticing Alice Nakiri's subtle expression, Dylan smiled as he took the cherry blossom pigment she offered, and poured it into the soaked glutinous rice.
He left it to sit for thirty minutes for the color to develop.
During this process, Dylan and Alice Nakiri chatted idly.
Although they usually lived together, they rarely had time alone, so moments like this, just chatting, were precious, and they both cherished them.
Thirty minutes passed. Dylan wrapped the colored glutinous rice in cheesecloth and placed it in the steamer.
Each layer was wrapped in a separate piece of cheesecloth; the rice grains couldn't be stacked, or they would heat unevenly, affecting the final texture and taste.
Every detail could determine success or failure.
He wrapped each portion of glutinous rice in cheesecloth and placed them in the steamer basket to steam. This process would take twenty minutes.
The time in between was used to prepare the red bean paste filling. The stir-fried red bean paste was still slightly warm. Dylan skillfully divided each portion into twenty-five-gram pieces and covered them with plastic wrap.
Twenty minutes passed. The steamed glutinous rice was taken out. Seeing this, Dylan immediately stepped forward to break it apart, simultaneously sprinkling it with cold water before returning it to the steamer for another thirty minutes.
"Actually, I've wanted to ask for a long time: doesn't doing that burn your hands?"
Erina Nakiri, who had just returned with a box of cherry blossoms, happened to witness this scene. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked.
"When my hands were delicate, I used to feel it. But after doing this kind of work so much, my hands developed calluses, so naturally, I don't feel the heat anymore."
Seeing Erina Nakiri return, Dylan rinsed his hands with cold water and said with a touch of emotion.
In China, hardly any chefs are afraid of heat. Anyone who works in a kitchen deals with high temperatures every day and has long since forged a pair of 'iron hands.'
"Chinese chefs are generally not afraid of heat because they specialize in stir-frying. Sometimes, they'll even use their bare hands to check the texture and doneness.
In contrast, Western cuisine relies more on tongs and prefers dishes that aren't fully cooked; sometimes a slight imperfection is fine, so they're relatively more sensitive to heat."
Rindo Kobayashi's voice came from behind. Having represented the school in international competitions and witnessed cooking methods from chefs all over the world, she had a unique insight into this.
"Furthermore…"
The conversation continued on this topic among the group. By the time they realized it, the glutinous rice in the pot had gradually cooked through during their chat.
A faint, fresh aroma wafted from the steamer. Dylan took it out and mashed it in a mortar, transforming it from distinct grains into a cohesive, sticky mass.
He took a portion of red bean paste, wrapped it in the sakura-colored glutinous rice, then enveloped it with a salted cherry leaf, and finally adorned it with a salted cherry blossom for garnish and flavor.
Thus, the Sakura Mochi was complete.
Dylan ceremoniously placed them on a small wooden stand. There were five in total, their surfaces emanating a steady, continuous glow of flowing light.
He then pushed the small wooden stand forward, looked up, and indicated that they could eat.
"It's truly beautiful, this Sakura Mochi."
Erina Nakiri picked up a Sakura Mochi from the small wooden stand, admiring its exquisite appearance, and couldn't help but exclaim in praise.
Sakura Mochi was a common national delicacy in Japan, limited to the spring season. Because of this, she made sure to taste it every year at the nation's best confectioneries.
However, even the best confectioneries could only make Sakura Mochi to a certain degree of perfection. But the deeper flavor…
She swallowed hard.
Erina Nakiri's face was filled with anticipation. She opened her mouth wide and took a bite directly into the leaf portion.
"The texture is amazing! After being steamed twice, the glutinous rice has become exceptionally soft yet still retains its elasticity."
Erina Nakiri was somewhat surprised. The faint fragrance of cherry blossoms intertwined with the natural sweetness of the glutinous rice, making it both soft and sticky yet resilient.
The sensation was like spring clouds gently melting in her mouth, carrying a subtle cherry blossom fragrance, making her feel as if she were in the season of blooming cherry blossoms, experiencing the gentle caress of a breeze.
As she savored it, Erina Nakiri slowly closed her eyes, her entire being feeling as if she was amidst clouds.
The clouds were shaped like cherry leaves, their surfaces covered in cherry blossoms. Lying down, it was fluffy and soft, as if she were resting in an ocean of flowers.
"For Sakura Mochi, the true highlights are indeed the salted cherry leaves and salted cherry blossoms. Both add a unique touch of savory freshness and floral fragrance to this dessert."
"Not only that, the freshness of the cherry leaves and the subtle elegance of the cherry blossoms complement each other, enhancing the Sakura Mochi's flavor profile, making it more dimensional and rich.
Every bite feels like tasting spring itself, making one utterly intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves. The Sakura Mochi I've had before never had such intense flavor. Truly a Flowing Light-grade dish!"
Rindo Kobayashi and Hisako Arato exclaimed almost simultaneously, both expressing high praise for the salted cherry leaves and salted cherry blossoms.
"As for me, I liked the red bean paste filling the most. It has the rich mellowness of brown sugar and the clinging sweetness of maltose. The pinch of salt added midway truly brought out the sweetness, making the flavor sweet yet not cloying."
She had been anticipating it since Dylan started making it, waiting until now.
The moment she tasted the red bean filling, Alice Nakiri's happiness peaked, and she squinted her eyes in pure satisfaction.
"Although it's just a simple combination, somewhat similar to our Red Bean Glutinous Rice Dumplings, there's clearly a reason it has been passed down for so long."
Dylan said, a hint of emotion in his voice.
Before making it, he had thought the Sakura Mochi would taste similar to Chinese Red Bean Glutinous Rice Dumplings. But after tasting it, he realized he was wrong.
With the addition of salted cherry blossoms and salted cherry leaves, its flavor and texture were worlds apart from the Red Bean Glutinous Rice Dumplings.
After finishing the Sakura Mochi in his hand and looking at the remaining glutinous rice and red bean paste, Dylan quickly got to work.
Soon, exquisite Sakura Mochi pieces appeared one by one on the small wooden stand.
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Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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I'm counting on your support <3 the director was very sad and scared by what happened...
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