Chapter 93 Lyam, Be Bold
"Wh-wh-what should I do? I invited him, but then I realized I've never cooked for anyone other than my sister. What should I do? I messed up! Help me, Mokumon!"
"Mokumo, Mokumok..."
"Deep breath? Y-yeah. I need to calm down first. Okay. Hee, hee, hoo... Hey, Mokumon, this feels kind of off."
"Moku!?"
(Do they have Lamaze (breath technique) here too?)
(What's Lamaze?)
(Dumb mistake, thinkin' Ruthless wouldn't know about some fancy breathing technique. Guess I'm gettin' schooled...)
(...Did I just lose to Master in knowledge? I-I want to die...)
It was a chill afternoon with no sign of rain clouds. Still, everything was chaotic. Why is that?
Hey there, it's your friendly protagonist. I got a second chance to do anything, and somehow I ended up being called to Lyam's room to be served food.
No, wait, it should be the other way around. Why am I the one being served?
"Hey, you done cryin' about it already?"
"Don't mind me! P-please, take your time!"
"Alright then."
She doesn't look okay at all. But if I panic her more, it won't help, so I decided to just sit and watch for now.
I was a bit nervous too. After all, it was my first time being invited to a girl's house. Looking around the dorm room, it had a soft vibe with little decorations, carpets, and tablecloths that felt very feminine.
"F-First dish... Okay, since it's a special occasion, I'll make my specialty fish dish... Oh no, I forgot to have the fish shop prepare it!"
"Mokumo, Moku!"
"Ugh, don't say that. I was a little nervous. I guess I have to try to prepare it myself..."
"Moku!? M-Moku!"
"I-I'll be fine, probably. I remember how to do it... I have to show off a bit since it's a special occasion..."
"Moku..."
Um, is Ms. Lyam kind of panicking?
She's flailing around in front of the counter. She told me to take my time, but maybe I should keep an eye on her.
"I-I'm going for it!"
"Mokku!"
With determination, the girl picked up a knife and faced the fish on the cutting board. But since she's never prepared fish before, her hands were shaking with nerves. Yeah, it was a good idea to peek in.
"Drop it."
"Eek!? Uh, M-Mr. Hiiro?"
"Nah, gimme your sorrys later. You're gonna snap that thing and mess yourself up. Just face reality."
"Well, um, I accidentally bought it, so... I feel bad making the fish shop wait."
She seemed to be stuck in a situation. It would be fine to wait, but feeling bad about it shows she's too kind or maybe just timid.
But Lyam is lucky.
"Kukuku. Luckily, ain't no need to wait. You're good."
"Huh? What do you mean... Oh!"
I took the knife from her small hands and looked down at the fish on the cutting board.
It was a type I'd never seen before, but it didn't look too different. I can do this.
"I'll do it."
So, let me show off one of my few skills.
* * *
It had been a while since I stood in a kitchen or held a knife.
Even in a different world, the smell of tatami mats from long ago came back to me.
"So, What'cha doin' wit' that? Got some big plans?"
"Um, I was thinking of sautéing it."
"Okay. But, ya gotta skin it first!"
"Y-yeah."
From what I heard, the way to prepare it and the parts to use are almost the same as fish in this world. I cut off the head, scaled it, removed the organs, and so on. It had been years, but surprisingly, these skills don't rust away.
"Y-You're really good at this. Do you cook often, Mr. Hiiro?"
"Nah, I ain't no expert. But back in the day, I grew up in a port town, grindin' out a living. C'mon, don't remind me about it."
"Huh? Um..."
"What I'm sayin' is, fish prep's my thing, but seasonin' and cookin'? Forget about it, I'm a disaster. You're on your own with that."
"Wow! Okay! L-Leave it to me!"
That was close. I almost slipped and talked about my 'previous life.' I'm glad I managed to cover that up.
Right now, I'm Hiiro Merifar from the village of Helmel, not Atami Shou. I can't really talk about how I lost my parents in that fire and was taken in by my grandparents.
(Master, you know)
(Huh?)
(I've been thinking, it's kind of strange, right? Or maybe unnatural? You know words like hero and stuff that I don't really get. You're hiding a lot, aren't you?)
(...Well, don't get it twisted, havin' secrets is for real men.)
(Whoa, is that a jab at me for how you tricked me before? That's mean.)
(Folks gonna talk 'bout me anyway, ain't nothin' I can do. Well, I got my own drama goin' on.)
(Hmph.)
Ruthless sounds unhappy, but honestly, there's a lot going on.
If I had to explain everything from the start, it would take forever. I was saved by a hero from the fire, and I was the only one in my family who survived. Then I was taken in by my grandfather... just that alone is a lot to cover.
I wonder how she'd react if I said I actually died once because of a mistake by a goddess.
"...."
"o, why you keep starin' at my hand?"
"Ah, I was just thinking it's bigger than mine. Sorry, I got distracted."
While I was lost in thought, Lyam was staring at my hand holding the knife. Of course, my hand looks big compared to a small girl like Lyam.
"My hand ain't huge 'cause yours is puny as hell. There's like double the difference, ain't it?"
"I'm not that small!"
"Hmm, whatever."
"We can measure it! Look!"
Maybe I said it wrong, but Lyam, usually calm, suddenly put her hand on top of mine. I wish she'd be careful since I'm holding a knife.
But honestly, Lyam is pretty much what you'd expect from her looks.
"...A'ight, maybe 'double' was a stretch, though."
"...Y-yeah, that's true."
"Hmph? Why'd you clam up all sudden?"
"Ah! Don't mind me!"
"Oh, cool, okay then."
But I do mind. If she suddenly turns bright red, I can't help but wonder if something's up. But I guess this is just her being embarrassed about acting childish.
(Puberty's got them feelings all over the place.)
(You're right but also wrong, stupid Master.)
(Huh?)
I don't get why she sighed like that. When I tried to ask what she meant, she just gave me a look that said, "I have my own stuff going on."
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