"Nanase-kun, wash your hands and get ready to eat."
"Okay."
Ritsu set down the fashion magazine he had unknowingly finished reading and obediently got up to wash his hands. As he did, he recalled Akemi's tone…
Wasn't he supposed to be the older one? Why did it feel like she was coaxing a child?
He frowned at his reflection in the mirror. He did look a bit youthful, full of that boyish charm. Staring at his smooth chin, he muttered, "Maybe I should learn from Hiro… grow a bit of a beard?"
On second thought, that style probably wouldn't suit him.
Abandoning the idea, Ritsu headed to the kitchen and helped set out the dishes. After all, Shiho was the birthday girl, he couldn't let her both help cook and set the table.
Today's spread was incredibly lavish: beautifully colored twice-cooked pork, golden tamagoyaki stuffed with grilled conger eel, a milky-white simmered chicken soup, and a mixed clay pot rice whose contents were still hidden but already fragrant.
Akemi usually ate alone, so she never had much motivation to learn recipes. But ever since her sister returned, she had rediscovered her passion for cooking, spending her free time experimenting in the kitchen, all to cook for her sister.
She picked up two empty bowls, ladled in the chicken soup, and placed the only two drumsticks into them, one for her sister, one for Ritsu.
"Nanase-kun, give my cooking a try! These are all new dishes I've been experimenting with, I'm not even sure if they taste good yet!"
From both appearance and aroma, there was no way they could taste bad. They were practically restaurant quality. Take the twice-cooked pork, for example, it was something Wataru always ordered at Chinese restaurants.
Ritsu suddenly recalled a TV interview he'd seen: when Japanese people thought of Chinese cuisine, the first dish that came to mind was xiaolongbao, followed by mapo tofu, green pepper pork, and twice-cooked pork.
Under Shiho's handiwork, the pork belly had been sliced into pieces under two centimeters thick. Slightly seared on the outside, they were at peak flavor. The richness of the pork fat combined with the mild bitterness of green peppers and the sweetness of onions, it was a symphony of flavors that instantly lifted the mood. Even someone who disliked green peppers could accept them in this mix.
The slight spiciness was just right, not overwhelming for someone like Ritsu, who wasn't great with spicy food. Instead, it made the dish incredibly appetizing. Unfortunately, the mixed clay pot rice still needed a bit more time to finish steaming, so he took a few gulps of iced oolong tea instead.
"How is it?" Akemi asked expectantly.
"Akemi-san, your cooking is excellent, it's at the level of a head chef," Ritsu said politely, setting down his chopsticks.
If only he could introduce her to Hiro, two people passionate about cooking would definitely get along, and he'd get to enjoy even more creative dishes.
"Drink the chicken soup while it's hot. I added bamboo shoots."
"That explains why the broth turned milky white."
Akemi looked pleasantly surprised and chuckled. "I didn't expect Nanase-kun to know about cooking?"
Ritsu paused, his expression unchanged but his tone a bit helpless. "I've studied some cookbooks… but…"
"But unfortunately, you only have theoretical knowledge and zero practical experience, so bad that you'd blow up the kitchen if you tried?" Shiho said with a sly smile, her eyes gleaming with mischief. And she wasn't wrong.
Ritsu wanted to argue, but couldn't find the words. Instead, he took a sip of the chicken soup. The rich, savory broth blended with the fresh aroma of bamboo shoots, leaving a deep, lingering flavor without being greasy.
The chicken had been simmered until tender; dipped lightly in pepper salt, it was perfect.
The eel tamagoyaki tasted similar to one he'd had at a specialty eel restaurant before, though Akemi's version leaned slightly sweeter, perhaps she used butter instead of olive oil.
"The mixed clay pot rice is ready! Nanase-kun, I'll serve you a bowl."
When Akemi lifted the wooden lid, a burst of fragrance filled the air. At first glance, you could barely see any rice, only a generous assortment of ingredients piled on top.
Shrimp, eel, scallops, abalone, chunks of chicken thigh, shiitake mushrooms, and bracken—there was no way a clay pot rice made with all these ingredients could taste bad.
Just as Ritsu reached out to take the bowl, he felt a resentful gaze from his right. The corner of his mouth twitched, he knew a certain siscon was getting jealous.
"Akemi-san, I can serve myself."
"I've already prepared it for you, don't be shy."
That wasn't the point. The point was her sister was clearly jealous and the consequences could be serious. Everyone knew that when a tsundere girl got jealous, it was like a meteor hitting Earth, utterly terrifying.
He subconsciously swallowed, looking as if he was just hungry.
"Nee-san, I want a bowl too and I want more than him!"
"Hm? Shiho, you're still not full?" Akemi tilted her head, concerned, glancing at the pot. "I thought you wouldn't be able to eat much, so I only made enough for one person…"
Ritsu froze mid-motion with his wooden spoon. Should he eat this eel-topped rice or not?
Shiho clenched her teeth inwardly. Why was her sister always so nice to him? Today's birthday girl was supposed to be her.
"Ahem, Akemi-san, actually I—"
"I'm full! I'll save the rest of my stomach for cake!"
Hearing that, Ritsu quietly focused on eating. He had to admit, the mixed clay pot rice was incredible. Each bite, with its different combinations of ingredients and sauce-soaked rice, offered a new flavor and none of them clashed.
Today, Ritsu definitely exceeded his eating quota. To give the sisters more time to catch up, he voluntarily took on the task of washing the dishes.
After thoroughly cleaning everything, he was about to dry his hands and take the cake out of the fridge when his phone rang, it was Gin.
"Macallan, where are you?"
There wasn't much background noise. He didn't sound like he was driving, and faint clinking of glass could be heard.
Gin was at the lab, no wonder he was asking.
Ritsu gestured to the Miyano sisters on the couch that he was stepping out to the balcony, then hurried outside. "I'm out, with Miyano."
Since Gin already knew he wasn't at the lab, lying would only make things worse.
'With Miyano? Ah, right, today was her birthday. He'd probably taken her to see her useless sister in advance.'
Gin's expression remained calm as he said, "I'll send people to the apartment. Once you get the ticket, head straight to the dock."
"Wasn't the departure tomorrow?"
"The deal time changed. If the other party gives you trouble, just kill them. We have plenty of expendable personnel."
"…Got it. Then what about Miyano?"
"I'll have people guard the apartment. When you return, bring her back to the lab." Gin paused, then added with a faint hint of amusement, "As for that cat you're raising, I'll have someone take care of it. Go focus on your mission."
"!!"
He'd actually been inside his room.
Fortunately, there were no secrets there. Still, it was a reminder to stay cautious at all times.
"Understood, Gin-san."
"Good."
----
[Notes: The cake delivery really was just a regular delivery guy—you're overthinking it.]