Chapter 68: The Dragon Maid, the Ghoul, and the Half-Ghoul Saw the Street Interview!
The Kobayashi Residence.
After washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, doing Ms. Kobayashi's laundry, tidying up the whole apartment, and going out to buy groceries for the day…
"All done," Tohru said to herself. She put a hand on her chin. "I think I'll watch some TV." She then walked from the kitchen to the living room.
Tohru had been in this world for some time now. After Ms. Kobayashi left for work and Kanna went to school, she usually passed the time by watching television, which was also a great way to learn more about the human world.
"Hmm? Glowing Cuisine?"
She happened to catch the street interview about Ryohei. The segment currently playing was interviews with passersby, who were all excitedly using words like "unbelievable," "sugoi," and "so delicious."
Tohru thought for a moment. "I can make food glow, too. I just need to add a little magic… So that's it! Humans in this world think glowing food is amazing and impressive?"
"I get it now!" she said, a brilliant idea forming in her head. "I'll give Ms. Kobayashi a big surprise tonight! Ehehe~."
The thought of Ms. Kobayashi's shocked and excited expression, followed by a shower of praise, made a huge smile spread across Tohru's face. She was suddenly filled with motivation. But then she glanced at the clock on the wall, and her excitement deflated.
"Aww… it's so slow! It's only 9:30… Ms. Kobayashi won't be home for a long time!" Tohru sighed, and flopped onto the sofa like a salted fish that had lost its dream.
Nerima Ward.
Inside a luxury car driving down the road, Tsukiyama Shuu sat elegantly in the back seat, dressed in a sharp red suit. His attention was captured by the street interview playing on the car's television.
Almost instantly, his mind made a connection: turning "ingredients" into Glowing Cuisine.
Is it possible? he wondered, his mind reeling. If it is… what would that taste like?! He couldn't even imagine it. Tsukiyama covered his mouth, his eyes wide with a manic excitement. He truly couldn't imagine it. And even if that's not possible, what would the person who can create such a dish taste like?
At the thought, Tsukiyama could feel the drool starting to form. "I can't bear it!" he whispered to himself.
Ota Ward, a high-end apartment.
Takatsuki Sen pushed open the bathroom door, a cloud of warm, fragrant steam billowing out behind her. Her long, dark-green hair was wet, clinging to her cheeks and shoulders. She was wrapped in a bath towel that perfectly outlined her petite, slender frame.
Walking barefoot into the living room, she saw the street interview playing on the TV.
"Food that can glow?" she said, intrigued. "How interesting. It seems the stall isn't too far from here. I should go check it out sometime…"
As a natural-born one-eyed Ghoul, Takatsuki Sen could eat human food, so she was genuinely curious about the Glowing Cuisine. After all, it didn't seem like something that should exist in the real world. But for now, her priority was clearing out the CCG investigators in the 11th Ward and consolidating the Ghouls there.
"Aogiri Tree," she murmured, a faint smile on her lips, "it's time to take the stage…"
Back at the ikkodate.
"My steak…" Jashin-chan wailed, watching helplessly as Minos took her one-third share. She was filled with regret. Not only had she failed to get a bite of anyone else's steak, but she had also lost a third of her own. What a terrible loss.
"You brought this on yourself," Ryohei said, placing the remaining two-thirds of the steak in front of her.
Jashin-chan looked down at her diminished portion, still feeling cheated. "I'm a little hungry," she announced. "I want some udon and a fried egg, too." If her steak was smaller, she'd just make up for it with other things. She thought she was being very clever.
"You're greedy, not hungry," Ryohei said, rolling his eyes at her. "You had two huge bowls for breakfast." This girl had absolutely no self-control when it came to food. He was genuinely afraid he was going to turn her into "Little Evil Pig" one day. The image was too horrifying to contemplate. He quickly looked at Yurine to cleanse his eyes. "Our steaks will be ready in another minute."
"Okay," Yurine nodded, swallowing as she looked at the resting steaks. She was hungry too, but she could wait one minute.
Jashin-chan, having been rejected, sulkily took her plate to the dining table. She shot a glare at a certain hateful person, then sat down, her movements full of petty anger. Minos didn't care; she hadn't lost out, and had actually gained something, so she was in a great mood. Even her steak tasted better.
"Itadakimasu," Jashin-chan mumbled unhappily, and then began to eat. She cut off a piece of the steak, and the moment it entered her mouth, the tender, juicy texture and the rich, relaxing aroma began to work their magic. Her mood gradually started to improve. Ryohei's cooking seemed to have a magical power to make people happy.
"I'm finished. Thank you for the meal!" By the time Ryohei and Yurine brought their own plates to the table, Minos had already cleaned her plate.
She stood up and flexed her muscles at Ryohei. "Is there anything you need my help with?" she asked cheerfully. "If you have any heavy lifting, just let me know." The cow-girl was full and ready to work.
"Not at the moment," Ryohei said with a smile as he sat down across from her. A diligent, beautiful, and strong girl was always a welcome sight. "But I'll need your help pulling the cart this evening when we go to the stall. You can go buy some new clothes first. Do you have enough money? I can give you an advance."
"Ahhh~," Yurine hummed, spearing a piece of her steak with her fork. She hesitated for a moment, then held it out to Ryohei's mouth. The medium-well steak had a perfectly seared crust and a tempting reddish-brown interior, glistening with the special sauce.
Ryohei opened his mouth and accepted Yurine's offering. He then speared a piece of his own steak and held it out for her.
"I have enough money," Minos said, watching the lovey-dovey couple. She tactfully picked up her plate and headed for the kitchen.
"You can just leave the plate in the sink. We'll put it in the dishwasher later," Ryohei called after her, chewing on the steak. It was even better than he had imagined.
"Okay. Well, I'm off to buy some clothes then. Call me if you need anything," Minos said, reappearing from the kitchen and making a "call me" gesture.
"Will do," Ryohei nodded. His attention then turned to Yurine, who was eating with a blissful expression. "So? Is it good?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"It's absolutely delicious!" she confirmed. "The texture is even more tender than I expected. The outside is so crispy and fragrant, and the inside is so juicy…"
"Poke, poke—!" Jashin-chan poked Yurine's arm with her finger. When Yurine looked over, she put on a fawning smile. "I want to try the medium-well steak, too."
"Did you just point your finger at me?" Yurine asked, not saying yes or no, her eyes fixed on Jashin-chan's offending finger.
"Huh? No!" Jashin-chan immediately had a flashback to some very bad experiences. She quickly hid her hand behind her back, afraid Yurine might break her finger.
"Fine. You can have one piece," Yurine said, her mood too good to bother with Jashin-chan's antics. She speared a piece of her steak and placed it on Jashin-chan's plate.
Jashin-chan was stunned. She looked down at the steak, blinking, as if she couldn't believe it. Then, her face lit up. "Arigatou!" she said, and quickly popped the steak into her mouth. She usually only ate medium-rare, but the medium-well was also incredible. It was a different, but equally amazing texture.
"Sho good~," she mumbled, her cheek cupped in her hand, a happy smile on her face.