Chinatown - Chapter 6

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Garden Terrace Kitchen

Keito: ...Alright, I guess that’ll do it. I’d say it’s about the density of my earlobes now.

To think that just adding water would take so long…

It was so dry and crumbly at first that I worried if it’d turn into a dough at all, but it came together neatly.

Next, it says to leave the dough as it is and let it rise… I guess I’ll make the filling while I wait.

...Umm, let’s see here. First, soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water and chop the onions and spring onions into fine slices. Then, grate the ginger…

Add the chopped ingredients and meat into a bowl and knead them with your hands until they’re mixed.

Hmm, there’s a photo of the process. The explanatory note on the photo says “This is more or less how it should look like when it’s done!”...?

“More or less”...? I can’t tell what they mean by that just from looking at the picture. Isn’t there a better recipe out there?

...No, all the other recipes have similar photos. Sigh, and it looks like there’s still so much left to do.

This is my first time making something like Chinese steamed buns, but still, I’d never have expected it to be such a lengthy process.

Cooking really is a lot of work…

I’ve never been aware of that until now. But speaking of which, Kiryu mentioned before that he makes his bento by hand every day.

Knowing him, he probably even takes things like nutritional value and visual presentation into account while cooking, since he makes them for his family and underclassmen as well. ...Good grief, I can only take my hat off to him.

Kanzaki also cooks as a hobby, and said before that he can cook Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisine. Maybe I should learn under them.

Aah, this won’t do. I stopped moving my hands. I need to keep going. Umm, what’s the next step…

Sora: Kei-chan-senpai!

Keito: Uwah, what is it!? O-oh, it’s you, Harukawa. You’re too early. What happened to Aoba?

No, more importantly, I upset you, didn’t I?

While I don’t think my warning was unjustified… I, um, may have gone a bit too far.

And well, it’s not like I’m doing this to butter you up or anything…

But the transfer student just so happened to have a surplus of ingredients for Chinese steamed buns, so I figured I might as well use them, that’s all.

Sora: Kei-chan-senpai! Sora is sorry for causing a misunderstanding!

Keito: W-what? Misunderstanding? What do you mean by that?

Sora: Sora wasn’t upset or anything like that.

Keito: Hm? Are you by any chance talking about that time we met in the hallway earlier?

But back then, you didn’t give me a single word in response at all, no matter what I said to you. I mean, I’m not reprimanding you for that, just…

You even had tears in your eyes then, didn’t you? Wasn’t that because I was too harsh on you?

Sora: It wasn’t. The reason Sora was quiet wasn’t because he got scolded by Kei-chan-senpai~. Sora doesn’t even really remember what Kei-chan-senpai was telling him in the first place.

Keito: What. So I went through the trouble of saying all that, and you don’t even remember any of it? Incorrigible.

Sora: Um, the truth is, back then Sora’s stomach was hurting really bad… That’s why Sora was hurrying to the infirmary.

Keito: To the infirmary? So that’s why you were running in the hallways… But was it really necessary to run in a zig-zag line? That’s so dangerous.

Sora: Sora is very sorry, he meant to run in a straight line but his stomach hurt so bad that it made him unsteady on his feet~.

Keito: Don’t run in the hallways in the first place. But to think that this was the reason behind it… And I held you up.

So the reason why you were quiet the whole time, and why you had tears in your eyes, were all because you were trying to endure the pain?

Sora: Yes. Sora apologizes for the misunderstanding.

Keito: ...It’s fine. I did think something was off.

Thinking back, I should’ve taken the time to ask you for your circumstances instead of just one-sidedly lecturing you.

But whatever the reason may be, you’re a danger to yourself and others when you run in the hallways like that.

Since you don’t seem to remember what I said, I’ll repeat myself; as an idol, you must cherish your own body more. Take better care from now on.

Sora: Understood, from now on Sora will be careful not to crash into anyone when he’s running in the hallways.

Keito: No, I’m telling you not to run in the first place. Do you really understand what I’m saying? Scaling the walls is also out of the question.

...In any case, I’m relieved to hear that I didn’t upset you. Is your stomachache all better yet?

Sora: Yes, Sora rested in the infirmary until it went away. Thank you for your concern ♪