"Is that so? Sorry, I seem to have subconsciously ignored you again..."
Sakaki Yumiko smiled apologetically and handed the prepared mystery novel to Kato Megumi.
"No problem, I'm used to it."
Kato Megumi hugged the novel, propped her right hand on the tea table to stand up, and prepared to leave.
Sakaki Yumiko called out to her: "Wait a minute, Kato-san!"
"Is there something else?"
"Right now, at school, it's just me, Michiru, Kasumigaoka-san, and Kato-san who haven't given Jhin a return gift yet, right?"
"Seems like it."
"How about the four of us team up like Amane and Makina did and make a dish for Jhin together?" Sakaki Yumiko said this a bit awkwardly, feeling like four culinary disasters were huddling together for warmth. What she didn't know was that Kato Megumi's cooking skills ranked third among the girls.
Rather than huddling for warmth, it was more like three people clinging to Kato Megumi's thigh.
Kato Megumi said flatly, not minding at all being the thigh that carried the other three: "I have no objections. What about Kasumigaoka-san?"
"I'm well aware of my own cooking level. Teamwork would be a huge help for me."
"I'll talk to Michiru."
Hearing this, Kato Megumi placed the mystery novel back on the table and sat down again in a standard w-sitting position.
"Then we need to decide on the dish first. Do Sakaki-san and Kasumigaoka-san have any good ideas?"
"I'll call Michiru over first so we can brainstorm."
Sakaki Yumiko: "Michiru, come to my room."
Michiru Matsushima: "Huh? What's up?"
Sakaki Yumiko: "You haven't given Jhin your return gift yet, right? I've called Kasumigaoka-san and Kato-san to collaborate with us."
Michiru Matsushima: "Sounds like a great idea. I'm coming right over."
[Looks like neither of us has any cooking talent.]
[Ying xi!]
Michiru Matsushima didn't dare look back at the messy disaster in her room. Her two personalities had tinkered around in there for ages but couldn't produce anything decent. She decided she'd never set foot in a kitchen again. Then she messaged little Sachi to clean her bedroom, opened the door, and left.
Creak creak creak.
"Yumiko, I'm here!"
"Come in, Michiru."
"Hello, Kato-san, Kasumigaoka-san."
Michiru Matsushima greeted the two, placed a copy of Complete Cookbook in the middle: "Should we reference some dishes from this?"
Sakaki Yumiko saw oil stains on the book and looked at Michiru Matsushima: "Michiru, you haven't been studying the recipes in your room all this time, have you?"
"N-No, of course not. The room just happened to have this book."
"But there are oil stains on it..."
"Ugh... Th-that's just from accidentally brushing against something in the kitchen earlier!" Michiru Matsushima stammered, adding: "I went to the kitchen for snacks, not to cook."
Miss Matsushima and Miss Sawamura have the exact same tsundere vibe. As expected of fellow blonde twintails, but Miss Sawamura loses in a key area.
"Achoo!" Eriri sneezed out of nowhere, rubbed her dainty nose, adjusted her glasses, and muttered softly: "It must be that dark-hearted Kasumi Utako badmouthing me behind my back again."
"Achoo!" Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly sneezed and thought silently: It must be that petty Sawamura-san badmouthing me!
"What kind of dishes does Jhin-san like? Do you know, Sakaki-san?"
"He eats pretty much everything except raw food. He mentioned that last time too."
Sakaki Yumiko mostly ordered takeout or instant noodles aside from eating Jhin's cooking, so she couldn't provide much info on this.
"Oh, on that note, I think I saw a report in Kazuki's room that mentioned Jhin likes ice cream."
Michiru Matsushima had glimpsed it unintentionally when she went to Kazami Kazuki's room to urge her to eat. She couldn't recall the rest.
"Ice cream... that probably doesn't count as a dish..."
"Sigh, if it's the pizza type like what Sawamura-san made, that'd be easier."
Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed helplessly and flipped through the Complete Cookbook page by page.
"How about we start from our own preferences? Jhin said even dishes we like ourselves are fine."
Kato Megumi proposed a feasible plan.
Sakaki Yumiko bit her lip lightly with her teeth, saying shyly: "I... like eating junk food."
"No wonder there's always a big bag of trash in your room every time I visit, Sachi—it's all junk food wrappers!"
"Wh-what's wrong with that!?"
Sakaki Yumiko flushed with anger, her icy gaze stabbing at Michiru Matsushima like a scalpel: "Instant noodles and junk food are both super convenient!"
"There's no problem, really..."
Michiru Matsushima hadn't meant to target Sakaki Yumiko and asked puzzled: "But don't you young ladies prefer classy stuff like steak over junk food?"
Sakaki Yumiko rolled her eyes at Michiru Matsushima irritably: "Michiru, I've told you I'm no longer some young lady. As for the others, I'm not interested in their tastes, so how would I know? Anyway, what about you—tell us your favorite food."
"Me?"
Michiru Matsushima was stunned. Aside from her daily can of sour lemon water that made her tremble, Jhin's dishes were her absolute favorites. She touched her pink shark pouch sheepishly and answered Sakaki Yumiko: "I like anything Jhin makes."
"Then why don't you just eat Jhin."
"Hey, don't say it like that. I can't help it—Jhin's cooking is just too good. How can I choose!"
Seeing two of the four couldn't help at all, Kato Megumi turned to Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Kasumigaoka-san, what food do you like?"
"Desserts."
As a light novel author, Kasumigaoka Utaha needed desserts as the best way to replenish sugar for her brain to stay sharp.
"I see. I like desserts too, like red bean pies and such." Kato Megumi noted their only effective answer so far was desserts. Since she could make some sweets anyway, she suggested: "How about we make desserts?"
The proposal got unanimous agreement, so they began assigning tasks.
"Has anyone made desserts before?"
Only Kato Megumi raised her hand.
"What about kneading dough?"
Still only Kato Megumi.
Sakaki Yumiko said to Kato Megumi in a near-breakdown tone: "Kato-san, how about... we assist you?"
"Sure."
Kato Megumi nodded steadily.
Thus, Sakaki Yumiko handled procuring ingredients, Michiru Matsushima measured portions, Kasumigaoka Utaha selected the desserts, and Kato Megumi, their sole main force, handled the actual making.
___
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