My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 540

The slanting sunlight streaming in through the skylight mingled with the indirect lighting along the walls, creating a warm glow. Combined with the fact that this is the kitchen, the whole scene exudes a sense of happiness, like a photograph from a product catalog.

Thanks to her, a foolish delusion inadvertently surfaced in my mind.

To shake off these delusions, I spoke rather quickly:

"It suits me perfectly. I think it looks pretty good on me too?"

I patted the half-length apron around my waist, and Yuihama frowned, her expression grave.

"Hmm...hmm, it suits you very well."

"That silence before was quite intriguing."

"Hmm, oh, she looks like a shop assistant, that's nice. But the apron feels..."

Yuihama, looking distressed, continued with a disdainful expression:

"...It smells bad."

"Isn't that going too far? Of course it's going too far to me, but isn't that your dad's apron?"

"Hmm. So..."

"Don't worry, it's washed very clean~"

"Hibina's mother said with a light laugh."

"Let's get started!"

As Yuihama's mother spoke gently and calmly, Yuihama raised her fist with boundless energy.

"oh--"

"Whoa whoa……"

I had no choice but to raise my hand gently, like a lucky cat. How embarrassing…

The countertop was already piled high with ingredients. In addition to the main ingredients such as ready-made tart crusts, canned peaches, and whipped cream, there were also small items such as chocolate chips and other fruits, probably for decoration.

After trying it myself, I found that the fruit tart recommended by Hatohama's mom wasn't that difficult. She probably chose this recipe specifically because she knew I had no experience making desserts.

Place thinly sliced ​​frozen sponge cake onto the tart shell, spread whipped cream, add peaches, and finally coat the surface with pectin, a gelatinous liquid that looks like lubricant, to give it a glossy finish. Peaches will change color when exposed to air, but by applying pectin, they can maintain their vibrant color even after being left out for a long time.

The first fruit tart is a success. It was even simpler than I initially imagined.

"This is a rare opportunity, why don't we try making a few more?"

Mommy Bibin peeked out from behind me. At her suggestion, we decided to do a few more.

Since it's so simple, it's only natural to want to put in more effort.

Hihama quickly had an idea.

"Ah! It would taste absolutely delicious with chocolate on it."

She clapped her hands, looking like she'd had a great idea.

Watching Yui break apart the chocolate pieces made me uneasy. Finally, I couldn't bear to watch any longer and blurted out:

"Why do it this way? Wouldn't it be possible to do it the normal way?"

"Hmm... I meant that... it's cuter, and it tastes more delicious."

She stuck chocolate chips into the mountain of fruit, and the white peaches trembled for a moment before rolling down. The sight was far from cute; rather, it was grotesque. The combination was clearly incongruous, giving the impression of "I think I see a discordant note."

"Let's lay a solid foundation before innovating."

"Yukino said the same thing..."

The name she suddenly mentioned made my expression freeze instantly.

"...Not surprising. Because it's common sense."

I managed to remain calm.

Yuihama didn't seem to care, humming a song as she continued breaking open chocolate chips.

"When she came to stay before, we cooked together. I thought that delicious food paired with delicious food would taste great..."

"This idea is terrifying..."

"Huh, really?"

While both cola and hamburgers are delicious, cooking a hamburger in cola would be absolutely awful... Is there such a thing as a "normal" way to cook it?

I was stunned, speechless with my mouth agape. Seeing this, Yuihama threw chocolate chips into my mouth and even forked a slice of peach into my mouth.

I was fed unexpectedly, and I couldn't be embarrassed to say "No, no, your mom is watching." I could only wipe the syrup off my lips with my fingers and chew the food.

"Look, isn't it delicious?"

"You..."

I ate while complaining, and gave her a quick glare. I wasn't dissatisfied at all, I just hoped she would at least say something first, so I could be mentally prepared and even think about how to refuse—just as I was about to say that, I realized the strange feeling in my mouth.

The refreshing taste of peaches and the aroma of chocolate... um... they just don't go together...

"...Shouldn't you try this kind of thing yourself first?"

Since I couldn't completely eat it, I tried my best to swallow it all, expressing my feelings in a very tactful way.

I don't know if I was being too tactful, but Yuihama didn't understand what I meant and tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? I think it must taste delicious—"

After she finished speaking, she also tried a bite.

A few seconds later, she nodded slightly with a very complicated expression, then remained silent. See? They just don't match! This shows that Yui's sense of taste is normal; it's just that the order in which she does things is a bit off…

At this moment, Hima's mother, who was watching from the side, covered her mouth and laughed.

"If you want to use chocolate, this would be better~"

As if to demonstrate, she started working on the side, cutting the remaining tart crust into appropriate sizes, spreading chocolate on it, and adding fruit. A mini fruit tart was completed in an instant.

Bibin's mother gently picked up the finished product and brought it to my mouth.

"Come on, ah—"

"Thank you, thank you. I'll eat it myself."

The realm of nothingness, one must enter the realm of nothingness. I ignored the sweat beading on my armpits and scalp, trying to appear calm while carefully taking the fruit tart, avoiding touching her fingers.

"...Hmm—"

Mommy Hikihama wasn't too happy, pouting cutely. Hahaha! Knowing beforehand, this little thing that might dampen my spirits is nothing to me, Hachiman Hikigaya. Hahaha! Come to think of it, she's really cute, hahaha! An inexplicable cuteness assaulted me, and I barely managed to dodge it, focusing on enjoying my fruit tart.

"...Delicious, so delicious."

The previous flavor was as fragmented as the Treasure Island Murder Case (note), while the new fruit tart is made of chocolate gently covering a crisp tart crust and fresh peaches, as if you can hear the wind blowing...

Note: The dismemberment case in "The Kindaichi Case Files".

I blurted out my honest thoughts, and Mrs. Hato immediately smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great! Here you go. Yui, have some too. Ah—"

"ah--"

She held the fruit tart to Yuihama's lips as she worked. Yuihama swallowed it without hesitation. Is this how this mother and daughter usually are...? I gave them both a warm look. Yuihama (note) noticed me watching, snapped back to reality, and blushed, silently waving her hand. She had food in her mouth, so she couldn't make a sound, but I could sense her denial: "No! That was a misunderstanding. Anyway, it wasn't!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I know, I understand. That's fine too, I think it's okay"—I nodded, appreciating the heartwarming scene that healed me. Whether Yui understood or not, she continued enjoying her food, finally her eyes lighting up in surprise.

"Mmm, it's really delicious!"

"Spread the chocolate on the inside of the tart crust, not the outside. It will make it crunchy and delicious!"

"Oh, I see—"

Yuihama, with an "I get it" look on her face, immediately started spreading chocolate on the tart crust. This scene touched me a little. Explaining things to him, showing him how, letting him do it himself, and praising him—that's how you get people to actually do it (note)... I witnessed firsthand what it means to nurture talent.

Note: A famous quote by Japanese soldier Isoroku Yamamoto.

"Wow...you're really skilled..."

I murmured to myself, and Mommy Bibin puffed out her chest and chuckled.

"Right? I'm really good at cooking!"

No, I was praising you for knowing how to handle your daughter... Oh well, it doesn't matter! As long as Bin's smug smile is cute!

"There's no fixed recipe for fruit tarts; just add whatever you like. Sometimes, you'll come up with unexpected and delicious combinations."

"That's it."

"Yeah~"

"That's something only someone with sufficient culinary skills and the ability to visualize the flavors in their mind can do," said Mrs. Hihama with a gentle smile.

While I was talking to Yui's mother, I caught a glimpse of Yui getting creative out of the corner of my eye. She had just put something up...

"Mom, how are you?"

"Hmm, not bad. Add our secret ingredient and it'll be finished."

"A secret recipe?"

"That's right, the best seasoning."

Yui's mother put her hand to Yui's ear and whispered something. Upon hearing this, Yui's face immediately flushed red.

"Ugh—don't say things like that, go away!"

"Ouch~"

Yuihama angrily shooed her mother over to me. Since her daughter wouldn't talk to her, I naturally became the next target.

"So, what do you think about the autistic male student?"

"Hmm—what is it? Haha. Something like a feeling of hunger—"

I pretended to be busy squeezing whipped cream, while also listening to her talk, and gave the standard answer. Although Mrs. Habara maintained her smile, time seemed to stand still.

Oh no. This is an event where the plot can't move forward without giving her a satisfactory answer. Like in Dragon Quest!

"...Or perhaps, the meal someone else treated me to...was really delicious."

I tentatively suggested it, and Yui's mother touched her cheek with her hand, smiled with her eyebrows lowered. Yui was completely stunned.

"You're such a twisted guy, you're so withdrawn..."

"It's definitely delicious!"

"Mom, you can't agree to him!"

Reminded by her daughter's words, Mrs. Hihama cleared her throat and spoke again:

"I hope you'll think about cooking with your own hands~"

When it comes to the best seasonings to make food taste better, the most common reasons are an empty stomach, free meals, and the increased appetite caused by marijuana use (although there are various other theories as well). Personally, I think any food tastes good as long as there's garlic, lard, and MSG. However, this answer is definitely wrong when it comes to desserts.

Given that, the answer she wanted to hear was obvious.

"That shows sincerity, doesn't it?"

I smiled shyly and said that, but Mommy Hibin responded with a smile instead.

× × ×

"Next, we just have to wait for it to freeze completely."

"That's what Mom said as she closed the refrigerator door," said Bibin.

To help the pectin set, we put the fruit tart in the refrigerator. Well, most fruits taste better chilled.

After finishing making the desserts, I took off my apron and went to the living room. Since I'm not very good at making desserts, even though they weren't very difficult, I still felt a bit tired but also a real sense of accomplishment.

"Now I'll just rest well"—I was about to wander over to the sofa when someone suddenly grabbed my clothes.

Looking back, I saw Yuihama holding her beloved dog, Sumi, in one arm and grabbing the hem of my shirt.

"Um, come here for a second..."

She covered her mouth with the body of the pastry, whispered something, and then tugged at my shirt, as if to lead me somewhere.

"Oh, oh... Ah, excuse me."

I bowed to Yui's mother and was pulled away from the living room by Yui.