Ch. 5 ~ The Flavor Is...
Hikari: It's already done!?
Xue's fried rice!?
Xue: Yeah. Fried rice isn't something that takes a while to make in the first place.
You guys go ahead and eat.
Kamira: Real? We're good to eat?
Yaaay~!
Iroha: Xue's fried rice for the first time in so long...!
I shall accept this gratefully...!
Xue: Shiromaru, you try making it next.
Practice makes perfect, as they say.
Mito: Y... Yeah!
Xue: Yup... Like that...
Xue: Oi, if you take too much time, the egg is going to burn.
Mito: Eh!?
Xue: Also, you shake the pan like this!
Not just your arms, use your whole body.
Mito: Like this...?
Xue: Wrong, like this!
Mito: A, alright...!
Mito: Ey...! Hmph...!
Xue: Keep it in mind as you practice.
After doing it a few times, you'll get used to it.
Mito: Okay, I'll work hard!
Xue: And, in the meantime, prepare the seasonings!
Mito: Uhm, broad bean paste, right?
And then...
Xue: Never mind, focus on the wok.
I'll grab them.
Mito: Sorry.
Thank you, Xue-chan...!
Mito: (Ugh... The iron pan is heavy, so this is harder than I thought it would be)
Mito: (But, I will definitely make fried rice like Xue-chan's...!)
Mito: I somehow... D, did it...
Kamira: Mitorin, you were awesome, keeping up with Sheshe's speed!
Mito: Eh...?
Hikari: Mhm, mhm. Ramo-san and I watch Xue making her improvised fried rice at the dorms, but we never know what's happening~
Mito: No, Mito was getting a lot of help from Xue-chan.
Xue: You get a passing grade.
Xue: You remember the flow?
I don't have it written down or anything.
Mito: Yeah.
Probably... I should be fine.
Iroha: Now then, let's all taste Mito-chan's fried rice!
Hikari: Some of Xue's fried rice is left over, so let's compare how they taste!
Mito: Compare their taste...!?
Kamira: We left some 'cause we thought you two might wanna eat some, too.
Having just us eat is also a bit, y'know?
Xue: Perfect, I've also started getting hungry.
Shall we eat?
Iroha: We have spoons at the table, but...
We still need plates, right?
Mito: Ah, then I'll bring out plates for everyone...!
Mito: Come to think of it... Should I bring out some soup or something?
If yesterday's leftovers are okay... Let's all have some?
Iroha: That's a good idea!
I'll help!
Kamira: Then I'll pour water~
Hikari: Doing this, it reminds me of our friendship hotpot parties at the dorm.
Let's invite Ramo-san and Lilja-san, and Koyomi-san too next time.
Xue: Don't go planning the next time on your own.
Rather, if you call that many people, you know your portion will decrease?
Hikari: Aahh~ ...!
That...
Xue: Heh, gluttony over friendship, I see.
Hikari: Waaaah~ Stop bullying me, Xue~
Mito: Sorry for the wait...!
I've brought clear soup for everyone... Let's eat?
Xue: Yeah. Thanks, Shiromaru.
Hikari/Kamira: Let's eat~!
Hikari: Nom...
Hikari: ...! Mmg mmg.
Hikari: ....... De.
Iroha: De?
Hikari: Delicious~ ...!
What is this!? It's tingly and numbing and spicy, but it's so delicious!
Kamira: ... So good~!
Mitorin really made this!? It's super professional, though...!
Xue: Hmph, of course. After all, I put in the authentic flavors.
Kamira: ... But like, it's different from Sheshe's place.
What's this flavoring...?
Xue: Wuh?
Iroha: Right...! Rather, it's also different from the fried rice Xue-chan just made, too!?
Xue: What do you mean?
Mito: Ah...!
That's probably... Because of the meat...
Mito: At first, I was rushing, so I used up too much of the char siu.
So then... The second time, I tried adding some of the extra stewed meat.
Xue: Huh!?
Mito: Wawawah, sorry!!
Mito: I thought it would be good to have more meat... I reduced the amount of soy sauce to compensate,
but that was wrong, huh? Sorry for doing this while you were in the middle of teaching me...
Xue: Nah... Well, I also change it up all the time, so I don't mind that, but...
I didn't realize at all.
Hikari: But, but, this one is super tasty in its own way~!
The flavoring has a faint Japanese feel to it! Essence!
Kamira: Like, isn't this legit awesome?
It's totally a marriage of Chinese and Japanese cooking.
Iroha: This development was in "Warfront of Created Flavors," wasn't it!?
This development I always see in manga, Mito-chan naturally recreated it...!
Hikari: Created flavors? What's that?
Kamira: It's a cooking themed action manga Irocchi's been addicted to.
I borrowed it a bit ago, and the kitchen became a different dimension and stuff.
Mito: Th, that's not what... I was trying to do.
But I'm happy if it tasted good.
Kamira: Yep, it was seriously delicious!
As expected of Mitorin, right~?
Iroha: Haah~ Being able to drink clear soup after fried rice is so nice...
Normally, I suppose it would be Chinese soup, but this has a different charm...
Xue: ...
Xue: ... I guess?
If you're all saying that much, I would get curious, too. I'll take a sip.
Iroha: Oooohh!!
Go ahead, go ahead.
Xue: ...
Xue: Nom. Mg mg...
Xue: ...!
Hikari: Right, right?
It's tasty, isn't it?
Xue: ...
Kamira: Ah, she also tried the soup.
Xue: ... It's good.
Mito: ...!
Mito: Thank goodness...
Xue: It's a bit different from my flavoring, but... You've replicated the main points.
The flavor of the stewed meat doesn't obstruct the flavor, either. It's a good arrangement.
Mito: R, really...?
For Xue-chan to praise me...
Xue: ... As expected of the daughter of restaurant owner. The clear soup is mild, but the umami of the fish works well. Maybe it's the horse mackerel bones?
Mito: Mhm. I figured we should have something refreshing, so...
Kamira: That's true! Eating Xue's, then eating Mitorin's~
It'd become a fried rice festival in our mouths.
Iroha: Even so, Mito-chan's fried rice is super delicious...!
It's a new frontier of fried rice!
Hikari: I want to just keep eating~
If this was on the menu, I'd go to Mito-chan's restaurant!
Mito: Geez, you're praising me too much.
Hikari: No no really, you're already the second generation genius fried rice master!
Xue: You... Even though you've been praising me as the "genius fried rice master" this whole time... So fickle.
Hikari: Xue's is tasty, too! But this and that are different, or like...
Hikari: Japanese food has that homely feel, so it's comfortable, like it has its own good points, or like~
Xue: What's that?
Are you saying Chinese food doesn't taste homely?
Hikari: Wah, that's not!
That's not what I mean~ ...
Kamira: Hmm?
Sheshe's jelly~?
Xue: Jell...!?
Xue: Who is!?
Iroha: Jelly... Is this about "jealousy"?
Xue: \~\~\~\~!
Xue: I already said I wasn't!!
Xue: ... But!
Xue: As a cook, I can't just leave what you all said as is...!
Kamira: Heh?
Xue: — It's on, Shiromaru!
We're having a cooking duel!
Mito: ... Eh?