Chapter 4 – Assertive Utaha

Utaha admitted she was getting itchy. She even felt like the egg fried rice in front of her, which was perfect in color, fragrance, and taste, wasn't that appetizing... Okay, fine, the egg fried rice was still delicious. She didn't have the bad habit of wasting food, but she was genuinely curious about what Sadao had cooked up that made everyone drool.

She wasn't someone lacking in initiative. Driven by curiosity, she got up and once again approached the kitchen door. "Kohai-kun, what kind of dish are you making?"

Despite having the heart of a chef, Utaha's questioning startled Sadao. Seriously? Senpai, you already snagged my lunch egg fried rice, and now you want a piece of my preserved egg and lean pork congee?

"Just an insignificant dish..." Sadao unconsciously wiped the sweat off his forehead. His precious congee with preserved eggs and lean pork couldn't be stolen by this black-haired girl.

"Insignificant?" Utaha wore a playful smile. "That's really intriguing. An insignificant dish that can give off such a tempting aroma. I want to know, Kohai-kun, how good is your cooking skill?"

"Erm..." Sadao twitched his mouth. Seriously, girl, can't your curiosity chill a bit? I just wanted to satisfy my own taste buds, you know?

Why are you asking so many questions?

By the way, wasn't my egg fried rice aromatic enough to shut your mouth?

"Just tell me, what's the name of this dish?" Seeing him rendered speechless, Utaha smiled triumphantly. Indeed, the so-called "hollow victory" only existed in stories. In reality, winning felt so delightful.

"...Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee." Sadao eventually gave in. It's just a dish name, right? I'll tell you, but as for sharing it with you, sorry, that's a dream!

"Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee?" As expected, Utaha was puzzled. What kind of Chinese cuisine is this? She had never heard of it.

"Yes, that's the name..." To avoid this girl from having any thoughts, Sadao decisively cut off her retreat. "...And this is my lunch!"

"Lunch?" Utaha was first surprised, then burst into laughter. She finally understood. This kohai of hers was guarding against her like she was a thief, worried she'd snatch his food.

But then again, considering the aroma wafting from it, wouldn't it be too much to just snatch a bite?

Thinking about it, Utaha revealed a pleased smile.

Seeing her smile, Sadao instinctively felt something wasn't right. As expected, as soon as she spoke, she almost breached his defenses. "Kohai-kun, how about making a little extra? What do you say?"

"Erm..." Sadao twitched his mouth again. Seriously, cut it out! Don't mess with my ingredients for no reason. Do you know how hard it is to make these special preserved eggs!?

"No preserved eggs left..." Although Utaha was a pretty girl and a significant character in the bystander female lead category, to Sadao, she was just a red-powdered skeleton. Naturally, he wouldn't waste his precious ingredients for her.

"...When you say 'no preserved eggs,' do you mean there's no more ingredients?" Utaha was somewhat taken aback. Clearly, she hadn't expected Sadao to refuse so decisively, and the reason was beyond ridiculous.

Sadao nodded repeatedly. "Exactly... I don't have many preserved eggs stored, and they're all used up for this meal."

This guy is probably lying...

Utaha saw through his lie at a glance, but she also knew she couldn't do anything about it.

"In that case, let me taste it. It should be fine, right? I'm really curious, Kohai-kun!" she said, putting on a pitiful expression.

Sadao had no words. He wanted to say, "Utaha Kasumigaoka, have you no shame... pretending to be pitiful for a bowl of preserved egg and lean pork congee." However, he ultimately didn't say it because making enemies without reason is not a wise move.

"Well, let Senpai taste the delicacy..." As a pseudo foodie, Sadao really didn't want to share even a tiny bit of his cooking. But there was nothing he could do; Utaha Kasumigaoka's shamelessness was truly beyond expectations.

"Well, thanks a bunch, Kohai-kun!" Seeing him reluctantly agreeing, Utaha became even happier. But then again, her Kohai here is quite an interesting character!

Most guys her age would act super reserved around her. Although there were a few who could handle her with a casual attitude, she could easily see through their hidden motives. However, this Kohai in front of her was different from those people. Not only did he not seem reserved, but he also treated her like a complete nuisance.

"No need to be polite..." Sadao believed his words probably sounded through gritted teeth. But Utaha clearly didn't care about his reaction. After getting his agreement, she waved to him and said her goodbyes, "I won't bother you with cooking; I'll go back to my seat!"

You shouldn't have come over and joined in on the fun...

Sadao felt quite sad about Utaha rubbing salt into his wounds. However, to avoid tormenting himself, he gave up on the idea of destroying this "Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee." He really didn't want to experience the feeling of a hungry stomach.

However, Sadao wasn't one to take a hit without retaliation. After a brief thought, an interesting idea popped into his mind.

"Utaha, oh Utaha, you must lend me some strength..."

Sadao muttered to himself, and the sly smile on his face couldn't be concealed.

While Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee was beloved by many, there were also people who couldn't stand the taste of preserved eggs. However, Utaha Kasumigaoka clearly wasn't in that category. She was curious about how those pretty preserved eggs were made. Of course, compared to that, the most important thing on her mind right now was how tasty this bowl of congee would be.

After tasting the egg fried rice, she had no doubt about Sadao's culinary skills. So, she really wanted to know how delicious this congee could be.

****

Please give me some stones if you enjoyed the chapter!

200 Power Stones = +1 chapter!

You can check my profile and read my other works if you are interested in a danmachi fanfic or a R-18 novel!