Chapter 211
In front of Alisa, the dish being served appeared to be a substance with a shimmering, jelly-like form.
However, scattered across the top of the jelly were numerous small pieces of colorful, vibrant fruits.
Alisa gently poked it with her spoon, and the jelly immediately displayed an incredible, bouncy elasticity.
"Mineo-oniichan, is this fruit-flavored jelly?"
Alisa stared at the bowl with eyes full of curiosity. Mineo simply smiled and explained to her:
"It's not exactly jelly. It just looks a bit similar. As for the name, you can call it Ice Jelly—or Bingfen."
"It's a very authentic, traditional Chinese dish."
"Is it a Chinese dish? It looks absolutely beautiful!"
As she spoke, Alisa used her small spoon to scoop up a bit of the Bingfen. She carefully guided it past her dainty red lips, closing her beautiful eyes as she took the time to savor the deliciousness spreading through her mouth.
The Bingfen was sweet and refreshing, presenting an extraordinary texture that felt as if it were melting instantly on her tongue.
But the surprising part was that even as it dissolved, the Bingfen maintained a satisfying, full-bodied elasticity!
With a soft bite of her teeth, the fruit pieces scattered on the surface released a sudden burst of fresh juice.
As the juice melded with the chilled Bingfen, Alisa felt as though the tip of her tongue had been completely conquered.
This was the first time Eli had seen her little sister looking so genuinely happy. Seeing how much Alisa enjoyed Mineo's cooking, a warmth that was hard to put into words flickered in Eli's eyes as well.
She bit her lip gently, then picked up a piece of the Black Chocolate Milk Cake and popped it into her mouth.
The sweet aroma of chocolate slowly melted at the tip of Eli's tongue. She closed her eyes, fully immersing herself in the happiness that the exquisite food provided.
At the same time, a faint, indescribable sweetness began to grow in the depths of her heart.
Seeing everyone submerged in the sea of deliciousness brought by his cooking, Mineo felt an unusual warmth in his own chest.
Before anyone realized it, the hand of the clock hanging on the wall jumped to the number nine. Accompanied by a few tolls of the bell, the girls sitting around the dining table had nearly finished every dish Mineo had prepared.
"Whoa, it's already nine o'clock at night."
"It's true what they say—time really does fly when you're tasting delicious food."
Nozomi stood up with a slight tinge of regret and spoke to Mineo:
"It looks like it's time for us to head out. We all have classes tomorrow, so we can't stay here too late tonight."
"While we still have a bit of time, let's all help Mineo-kun tidy up the restaurant. Consider it the only small way we can show our gratitude to Mineo for hosting us."
Upon hearing Nozomi's words, Minami Kotori stood up instantly.
"Onii-chan... Mineo-oniichan, I... I'll help you wash the dishes. Um... do you have a work uniform here? I'll go change right now."
"Let's all help. That way, the burden on Mineo-kun will be a bit lighter."
Following Minami Kotori's lead, Eli also voiced her thoughts. She looked at Mineo, then turned to Alisa:
"Alisa, you just rest here. Leave the cleaning to me."
"But... I can help Mineo-oniichan clean too! Mineo-oniichan treated me to such yummy food, I want to do something too!"
Seeing Alisa's cute determination, Mineo smiled and said:
"It's okay. You guys have school tomorrow, so go back and get some rest early. I'll handle the tidying up here myself."
"This parting might mean it'll be a little while before we see each other again, but don't worry. Once I have some free time, I'll definitely come to see you all."
"When that time comes, I want to appreciate the results you've achieved through your hard work together. I'm really looking forward to the day you all truly bloom, like flowers on a stage."
After Mineo finished his sentence, Nozomi added with a smile:
"It's time to say our goodbyes, so if any of you have something you want to say to Mineo-kun, you'd better hurry and use this time!"
At Nozomi's words, everyone from Minami Kotori to the others showed expressions as if they wanted to speak but were holding back.
In the end, however, no one made a sound. At this moment, every girl had a few words in her heart that she wanted to convey to Mineo.
But right now, in this situation with so many people around, no one felt brave enough to express what was truly in their hearts.
"It seems no one else has anything to say to Mineo-kun. In that case, let's go home!"
Nozomi stepped toward the large doors of the Dimensional Restaurant first. Before pushing the doors open to leave, she turned around, leaning against the heavy frame with a sweet smile for Mineo:
"Everyone was very satisfied with today's feast. I hope the time for our next visit to Mineo-kun's place comes very soon."
Seeing Nozomi walking toward the exit, several of the girls hesitated for a moment but managed to offer a few brief words.
Minami Kotori bowed politely and cutely to Mineo.
"Mineo-oniichan! Today's dinner was a very happy experience for me."
"Thank you for the meal, Mineo-oniichan! Next time, I want to invite Mineo-oniichan to my house! I... I also want to cook something myself for Mineo-oniichan to taste."
"No problem. When I have time, I'll definitely visit your place, Kotori!"
Just after Mineo replied to Kotori, Honoka, who was standing nearby, spoke up as well.
"Mineo-oniichan, the next time you come to our place, can you stay a little longer? I also want to ask Mineo-oniichan to give my Dad some pointers. It feels like after eating Mineo-oniichan's cooking, Dad's food tastes a bit bland!"
"Yukiho-chan, what do you think?"
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