476: Iroha’s Ambition

"Although it's not the first time I've seen Yukino cook, I think you're amazing every time I see you. 

The preparations are well-organized, and the way you handle the ingredients is very skillful. You look like a certified chef, which is pleasing to the eye."

In the kitchen, Yui, who could only help by peeling the scallions, took a break to look at Yukino, who was busy in front of the stove, offering a genuine compliment.

As for Iroha, since the kitchen wasn't very spacious, the three of them had to squeeze in together, which made it a bit difficult to move around. 

So, she stayed in the living room, using Yukino's laptop to organize the various matters related to the upcoming sports festival, which she had recorded earlier in the meeting room.

"It's just practice," Yukino replied calmly to her friend's praise. 

She continued to focus on preparing the ingredients she had bought at the supermarket, which was consistent with her usual demeanor. 

"If you keep doing the same thing, of course, you'll get better at it."

"That's right!" Yui nodded in agreement. "I say the same thing to my mom at home, but she refuses to let me cook again. She says it will waste ingredients and stuff. 

But when you step into a new area, you're bound to make mistakes at first, aren't you?"

Yukino's words seemed to remind Yui of something, as she puffed her cheeks and showed a slightly frustrated expression.

"Maybe your mom has her reasons," Yukino said bluntly, as she was never one to offer empty reassurances.

She always believed finding the truth was more important than offering comfort.

"Well, the reason, if I remember correctly, should be that after our first cooking class this semester..." Yui seemed to recall something. 

"You know, after I learned something new, I wanted to show it to my family. It's just natural, right?"

Yukino wanted to say that wasn't exactly the case, but she could tell from Yui's confident expression that arguing wouldn't make much sense. 

So, she reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"That's right!" Yui continued eagerly. 

"After the cooking class, I went home and showed my parents what I had made. But after that, my mom refused to let me cook again."

Yui's face showed a distressed expression. "It's really weird. My dad ate it and even gave me a thumbs-up, saying it was delicious... 

By the way, about that dish I made, I took a picture to commemorate it since it was the first time I really cooked at home. Do you want to see it, Yukino?"

Yukino nodded. "If you don't mind."

Excitedly, Yui stopped what she was doing, wiped her hands with a towel, grabbed her phone, and showed a photo.

"Here, Yukino, look. This is it."

She spoke proudly, like a child showing off their perfect exam score, eagerly awaiting praise.

However, when Yukino saw the photo of the dish on her friend's phone, her beautiful pupils momentarily dilated. 

Her brow furrowed slightly, and her lips involuntarily tightened as her gaze instinctively wanted to escape.

It was an instinctive reaction when someone sees something they weren't expecting, something they didn't want to see.

"How is it? What do you think?" Yui asked, urging her friend for her opinion, completely unaware of the change in Yukino's expression.

Yukino bit her lip and seemed even more troubled. She wanted to explain, but...

The dish Yui had shown her... No, it couldn't be called a dish; it was more like some kind of... mess.

On the beautifully decorated plate, dotted with pink cherry blossoms, there was a long, yellow-brown object lying in the center. 

The ominous aura it gave off made it look nothing like something you would place on a dinner plate. Clearly, it belonged somewhere else.

Yukino quickly shifted her gaze away, fearing that continuing to stare at the image would affect her appetite later at dinner.

"U-um, Yuigahama-san..." She spoke hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Yui blinked her large eyes, looking completely unaware of the change in Yukinoshita's expression. 

She smiled, as always, her lips curling up into a grin.

"Um... what exactly are you showing me?"

"Didn't I tell you? It's the dish I made."

"Could you be more specific? What kind of dish is it?"

"Egg rolls, of course. Is it hard to tell?"

Yui stared at the photo on her phone screen for a moment.

"Sure, the color is a little different from the typical egg rolls you see, but I just added some soy sauce for a bit of innovation."

Ah, so she added soy sauce... That made it a little more understandable.

Come to think of it, Yui mentioned her father had eaten the dish and praised it.

Yukino realized just how spoiled her father must be with her.

"As far as first-time cooking goes, it's not bad."

"Right? Right? I really don't understand why my mom...!"

Muttering to herself, Yui put her phone back in her pocket.

But getting her friend's approval undoubtedly lifted her spirits a bit.

When someone cares deeply about something, they lose their ability to judge it objectively, much like how couples in love think their partner is the most handsome or beautiful in the world.

Because it was her first time cooking and her father had praised her so much, Yui didn't see anything wrong with the appearance of her egg rolls.

As for what Yukino had noticed, she thought it was better not to tell her.

"Ding dong."

The sound of the doorbell rang from the hallway.

"Ah, it must be Chisato," Yui said, preparing to open the door. But before she could, there was the sound of hurried footsteps from the living room.

"I'll get it. I'll get it."

Iroha was one step ahead, running to the hallway to open the door.

Her actions caused Yui and Yukino to exchange a knowing glance, followed by a silent smile.

"Senpai's been waiting for you for a while... Eh? What's this?"

Iroha led Chisato into the kitchen. He handed over what he was holding,

"This is some beef my friend gave me. Let's use this for tonight's sukiyaki."

"It looks so delicious."

Yui reached out to take the beef. 

Even though she wasn't well-versed in cooking, she could clearly tell that the piece of beef in front of her, with its marbled fat and lean meat evenly distributed like marble, was a rare quality product.

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