"The Kaguya Family's elite chef team, dismissed."
With a synchronized bow, the twelve white-clad chefs pushed their carts away, leaving behind meticulously prepared bear meat on the table before quickly retreating.
Kaguya hid her mouth behind her folding fan, but its trembling betrayed her embarrassment. The bear meat looked vibrant and beautifully plated, yet the overpowering stench was impossible to ignore.
"In theory…" Yukino muttered, pinching her nose with clear disgust, "a Michelin-star chef should be able to handle any ingredient."
"Blech!" Yuji Itadori spat out a piece of bear meat onto Fushiguro's side of the table. "Is this really meat? I thought I was chewing a tire that fell into a sewer…"
Tohru, unconvinced, grabbed a whole bear steak and stuffed it into her mouth. In her world, she'd eaten bear meat before—it couldn't be that bad!
Two seconds of chewing later, she spat it out. "Ugh! This is worse than a hellhound's tail!"
(I preserved it with magic…)
(How is human cooking scarier than dragon's breath?)
Kanna's dinosaur-shaped fork clinked into a bear paw. The little dragon tilted her head, staring at the furry thing. "Lady Tohru, aren't bears supposed to be golden and crispy, like on TV?"
Her tiny hands mimicked the glossy dishes from a cooking show.
The room fell silent.
All eyes turned to the plates—four bear paws, claws intact, lay pristine on a bed of crushed ice. The chefs had clearly treated them as "precious ingredients requiring special care."
"Bear paws… they're supposed to be the only tasty part of a bear," Gaio said with a helpless expression. "I can whip up plenty of gourmet dishes from Todai, but this ingredient? I wouldn't even know where to start."
"Hah!" Rin suddenly slammed the table and stood up. "The Tohsaka family's gem magic can heal dragons—surely a bear paw is no match!"
As she pulled out a ruby, Sakura quickly grabbed her sister's arm. "Sis! Don't be reckless! It'll explode!"
"How can you all hesitate in the face of so much meat?" Artoria stood, her chest puffed out (though failing to produce the dramatic DuangDuang sound effect).
Her face was stern as she pointed at the meat like a knight about to charge. "This meat may stink and chew like rubber, but it has its merits!!!"
Artoria's golden ahoge stood straight like an antenna, her blue eyes blazing with reverence for food. Under everyone's gaze, she solemnly raised her fork—
And froze like a statue.
"Uh…" The fork hovered above the bear meat, trembling slightly. Her lips, poised to say "Let's dig in," stayed open, but she couldn't bring herself to move.
Time seemed to halt under some magical spell, with only the sweat beading on her forehead proving it was still ticking.
(High in protein? But Yuji just chipped a tooth…)
(Cooked with care? But Tohru said it's worse than a hellhound's tail…)
(Tastes great? I can't lie to my nose!!!)
Artoria's face turned redder by the second, her grip on the fork making it creak with metallic strain.
Kanna curiously poked her rigid body. "Artoria, aren't you gonna eat? I thought you loved food."
"I… lost…" With a sigh that seemed to echo from ancient times, the Saber King turned grayscale, collapsing onto her chair with a thud.
Her once-shining ahoge drooped limply, casting a shadow over her forehead.
"Pfft—" Rin was the first to crack, followed by a wave of laughter rippling through the dining room.
Satoru Gojo rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha, is this the defeat of a foodie?!"
Gaio clapped his hands, chuckling. "Alright, let's clear these… uh, works of art away."
The butlers, visibly relieved, wheeled in carts to remove the bear meat, carefully storing the four paws in a special icebox Kaguya had brought.
"Let's have hot pot!" Marin sang, flicking on the electric burner for the copper pot. The bright red broth soon bubbled merrily.
As Yuji and Fushiguro battled with chopsticks over a slice of beef tripe, no one noticed Artoria quietly shake off her grayscale hue, her golden ahoge perking up again at the aroma of simmering meat.
---
An hour later, the tea room was filled with the fragrance of Da Hong Pao tea.
Kaguya gracefully poured tea, Marin whispered something to Tohru, who nodded eagerly, and Yukino sat quietly by the window, reading.
Outside, Kanna chased a butterfly around the courtyard. Sakura said something to Rin, making her blush and sneak glances at Gaio.
Gaio finished his tea and looked at Fubuki, who sat primly.
"Miss Fubuki, how about I take you out to see the city later?"
Fubuki, mid-sip, froze at his words.
The tea room's chatter fell silent as all eyes turned to her.
"Huh?" Fubuki's eyelashes fluttered rapidly.
Looking at Gaio's smiling face, her mind flashed through a montage: Marin kissing his cheek, Kaguya slipping her hand into his, even the usually stoic Yukino…
(Wait, you're not even hiding it anymore?!)
(Asking me out right in front of all your girlfriends?!)
(What a player!!!)
"Fubuki-nee!" Marin suddenly squeezed between them, looping her arm around Fubuki's with easy familiarity.
"The night view from Tokyo Tower is super romantic!" she said with a wink, her eyes sparkling. "And Gaio-kun knows all the best spots!"
Fubuki's head spun from Marin's enthusiasm. She caught Gaio fondly ruffling Marin's hair, saying, "Easy on the strength there…"
"Oh my, we should be good hosts," Kaguya said, standing to refill Fubuki's tea. "Miss Fubuki, are you interested in kimonos? I could book you a visit to a historic kimono workshop."
"You've gotta see Shibuya Crossing in a modern city!" Rin cut in, elbowing Kaguya aside "accidentally." "It's the busiest intersection in the world. It got wrecked before, but it's been rebuilt."
Yukino's sigh was drowned out by the flurry of suggestions.
Fubuki, surrounded by these lively girls, felt like a goldfish encircled by cats.
When Marin rested her chin on Fubuki's shoulder, Fubuki couldn't help but laugh—these girls' enthusiasm was too infectious to be mad at.
"Alright then…" Fubuki took a deep breath and looked at Gaio. "I'll trouble you, Mr. Gaio."
Gaio waved it off with a smile, picking up the teacup Kaguya had refilled.
The roar of an engine faded as the car's headlights disappeared from the tea room's paper doors.
Marin, alert as a cat, pricked up her ears to confirm the Cullinan had left. Then she dove into a pile of cushions, rolling around. "Ohh, Fubuki-nee's figure is amazing! No wonder Gaio-kun invited her out!"
Kaguya snapped her fan shut, looking at Marin with exasperation. "Mind your manners."
Yukino raised her book to hide her face, mumbling, "…Player." But then, as if struck by a thought, her cheeks flushed, and she crossed her legs tightly.
Rin opened her mouth to speak but stopped, glancing at herself. "That… that kind of sexy body? I don't care about that." Thinking of her own modest chest, she grabbed the teapot and chugged. "The Tohsaka family's magic doesn't need… gulp… that kind of fat!"
"Oh my~" Kaguya hid a smirk behind her fan. "Miss Fubuki is more mature than us, isn't she?" She glanced pointedly at Yukino's reddening ears. "In every way."
Marin popped up from the cushions, her eyes gleaming. "Should we help Gaio-kun win Fubuki-nee over?" She traced an exaggerated S-curve with her hands. "And at night, they could—"
"Marin!" Yukino's book hit the floor, her icy demeanor cracking. "You… you're all just openly talking about this?!"
Rin choked on her tea, coughing and pointing at Kaguya. "Wait! The Kaguya Family's lady is okay with this?!"
"Well…" Kaguya lowered her fan, revealing glossy lips. "You all know how much stamina Gaio-kun has, don't you?"
Boom! Yukino's head practically steamed, while Rin covered her ears, blushing furiously. "I don't know! I'm not even an adult for another month!"
Marin clapped and spun in delight. "It's settled then! When they get back, we'll…" She lowered her voice, a devilish glint peeking through her bangs.
Nearby, Tohru faceplanted with a thud.
(Is this really the cheerful girl who saved me?)