Catsu Curry
"And that's why we're all cooking together today," Nene declared with a cheerful grin. Her words met with a chorus of confused murmurs from her friends.
"You literally haven't explained a thing." Hiro protested loudly, his frustration palpable as he crossed his arms in annoyance.
Orochi, standing nearby, shifted uncomfortably behind Hiro, her eyes flitting nervously between her classmates. "Um, yeah. What he said," she added awkwardly.
Yui, on the other hand, simply shrugged nonchalantly. "You know how she is; complaining won't help you. We're already here, so we might as well go along with it."
Meanwhile, Nene remained unfazed by Hiro's protests; her attention focused solely on assisting Chihiro as she tied her apron securely around her waist. With practiced ease, she deftly adjusted the fabric before stepping back to admire her handiwork with a satisfied nod.
Turning her attention back to her bewildered schoolmates, Nene flashed them a mischievous grin, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I just felt like inviting you all here to try out Home Economics with me," she explained cheerfully, her tone playful yet earnest.
"I asked Yui to join us, as usual, but I also wanted to reward Chihiro for her hard work in training," she continued, gesturing towards Chihiro with a fond smile. "And since Orochin happened to be together with Hiro, I thought I'd extend the invitation to her as well," she added with a shrug, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Ugh, why me..." Hiro continued to grumble about the unexpected turn of events.
"Oh, come on, I'm doing this to help you out! So you get to socialize!" Nene said.
"Yeah, and you should learn how to cook something other than meth, Hiro," added Yui, smiling.
Nene couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter at Yui's remark. Orochi, catching onto the lighthearted banter, chuckled softly under her breath, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
The Home Economics teacher, a striking woman with a subtle mutant quirk that granted her vulpine features like fox ears and a tail, observed the scene with a pleased expression. Her sharp eyes glinted with approval as she watched Nene interact with her friends.
"I'm glad to see you've brought some friends with you to check out the class, Nene," the teacher remarked, her voice as smooth as silk as she addressed her student.
Nene beamed at the teacher's words, a sense of pride swelling in her chest. "Of course, Sensei! I thought it would be fun to share the experience with them," she replied enthusiastically.
With a nod of approval, the teacher turned her attention to the rest of the class, her commanding presence filling the room. "Well then, let's get started, shall we?" Nene's group was the youngest among the attendees. The other students were housewives of diverse age ranges. Despite the age difference, they all seemed to mesh well together.
The teacher's voice carried across the room as she announced their task for the day, explaining that they would be preparing croquettes and a large serving of curry to be distributed among those most affected by the recent tragedy in Fushimi Ward.
"Yeah, I won't be of much help. I can barely hold a spoon," said Hiro, lifting his injured hands, one missing most fingers.
With a bright smile, Nene reassured him, "Hey, don't worry about it; we'll find a way to make good use of you." She glanced down at his injured hand and jokingly added, "How about taste tester? It's not that different from testing drugs on yourself, and with your mouth full we won't hear you complain as much."
Hiro couldn't help but crack a small smile. However, before he could respond, Orochi stepped in, apologetic as she gently slapped one of her hydra heads for nibbling on a plastic spatula.
"Sorry about that," Orochi said, giving the mischievous hydra head another tap. "These guys can be a handful sometimes. I don't know if I will be of much use either."
Nene waved off Orochi's apology with a laugh. "No worries, Orochin! We'll just have to make the best of it. And hey, worst case scenario, with you, we've got four taste testers in one!" She pointed at Orochi and her hydra heads.
With the tension eased and laughter filling the air, the group set to work, each taking on their assigned tasks with enthusiasm. Chihiro and Nene would work on curry, with Yui and Orochi on croquette duty.
Chihiro's movements were indeed superhumanly fast, her hands a blur as she deftly sliced through ingredients with mechanical precision. To Hiro, she seemed like an automaton, devoid of emotion, as she worked tirelessly to complete her tasks.
"It's like a robot," he muttered in disbelief at her speed and precision.
"Hm? Who is?" inquired Nene, without looking away from her task at hand.
"Chihiro is."
Nene, however, saw things differently. With a bright smile on her face, she watched Chihiro's movements. "What do you mean 'robot', Hiro?" she exclaimed. "Chihiro looks so happy! She's having a blast!"
Nene, however, saw things differently. With a bright smile on her face, she watched Chihiro's movements with admiration, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Can't you see, Hiro?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "Chihiro looks so happy! She's having a blast!"
Yui, who had been observing the interaction quietly, decided to speak. "Are you really this dense?" she asked jokingly. "It's obvious that she is enjoying herself. Just look at her face." With a smirk, she nodded towards Chihiro, whose features remained impassive as she worked.
Hiro sighed in resignation. "You're just pulling my leg, aren't you?"
"Nu uh," said the catgirl. "You just don't know how to read a maiden's expressions, it seems."
"Hmmm..." Hiro grabbed a stray carrot from the countertop, and without warning tossed it towards Chihiro, who, completely unfazed, effortlessly caught it and sliced it with a swift motion of her hand. The carrot seamlessly joined the rest of the chopped vegetables. She didn't even spare a glance in Hiro's direction, and probably did the whole thing by reflex.
"Yeah no. that's a robot." Hiro concluded, a hint of disbelief in his voice as he observed Chihiro's mechanical-like efficiency.
Nene, always ready with a witty comeback, shrugged off Hiro's comment with a playful smile. "What do you mean robot? All cute girls have reflexes like that," she said, her words punctuated by a giggle.
Yui chimed in, nodding in agreement and adding her own jab at Hiro's expense. "Guess you wouldn't know, Hiro, since you never talk to girls,"
Hiro, refusing to back down, retorted with a hint of sarcasm. "Well, I do talk to you and Nene, but I wouldn't exactly call you girls,"
"Rude!" Nene exclaimed, feigning offense, while Yui, unable to resist the opportunity, lightly bonked Hiro on the head with a nearby ladle.
With a swift and practiced motion, Chihiro finished chopping the last of the vegetables, her movements fluid and precise. As she completed the task, she instinctively shifted into a firm standing stance, her posture reminiscent of a seasoned warrior sheathing a katana.
"Wow, all done already?" Nene exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine awe.
Chihiro nodded, a hint of satisfaction in her otherwise stoic expression as she presented the neatly chopped vegetables. "Yes, everything's ready," she confirmed, her tone as calm and composed as always.
Nene reached out and gently petted Chihiro's head, her touch light and affectionate. "You're like a cute little kitchen samurai, Chihiro!"
"Doting on her kohai is the only thing senpai-like about her," said Yui, looking at the scene.
"Maybe you're just jealous and want her to spoil you like that." Hiro quipped, flashing a mischievous grin in Yui's direction.
Yui's cheeks flushed slightly at the playful remark, but she quickly regained her composure, retaliating with a second light bonk from her ladle.
Before Hiro could complain, he noticed something. "Hey, it looks like you got fans Yui." He said, drawing the group's attention to Orochi's silly little guys. Her hydra heads followed Yui's every movement with keen interest.
With a casual flick of her hand, Yui effortlessly commanded one of the heads to stop chewing on a napkin, and it obediently complied.
"Looks like they're enchanted by Yui's beauty, huh?" Nene said. "Can't say I don't get it."
"It's probably just because they share similar features," Hiro, ever the pragmatic one, said, gesturing to Yui's head.
"You're talking as of us girls had white hair." said Yui herself.
"I mean, there's also the sharp teeth and alpha predator vibe" the boy answered.
"Excuse me?" asked Yui, irritated at Hiro's remark.
Orochi, however, was less amused by her hydra heads' distraction. "As fascinating as it is, they're making it impossible for me to navigate this kitchen without knocking something over," she complained, trying to maneuver around the crowded space without causing a culinary catastrophe. Eventually, they figured that for the time being the hydra girl would have to be occupied with a more stationary task. Meaning that Orochi got stuck washing dishes.
Hiro thought about poking fun at Orochi's situation a bit. His way of dealing with uncomfortable silences when he found herself in unfamiliar situations. However, he noticed the light smile on her face.
"I guess washing dishes counts as doing something new when you're rich huh?" he said.
Orochi paused momentarily, her expression shifting as she considered her response. "Well, you're not exactly wrong," she admitted. "But it's more about the whole situation. Cooking with friends."
"You know," she said, her voice carrying a hint of wistfulness, "this cooking class is a nice breather from everything that's been going on lately."
Hiro took a moment to lean back against the countertop. "Yeah."
As Orochi resumed her task of washing dishes, Hiro sidled up beside her, his movements casual as he reached out to pet one of her Hydra heads. The creature responded with a low rumble of contentment, its serpentine form winding around Hiro's hand with surprising gentleness.
The training grounds at Shiketsu High were a sprawling expanse of open space, with various equipment and obstacles scattered throughout. Chihiro was fully immersed in her training her movements fluid and precise as she practiced her swordsmanship to clear her mind and focus on her quik. Yui stood beside her, offering occasional words of encouragement and pointers on quirk usage to Chihiro as she trained.
Hiro and Orochi observed from a nearby bench, their eyes following Chihiro's every motion with keen interest.
Orochi remarked, "Those recommendation students like Nene senpai really get some nice perks, huh? Being able to request training spaces like this."
Hiro nodded, his annoyance palpable. "Yeah, but where is she? She told us to meet here, and she's nowhere to be seen."
"He~llo everyone!"
"Talk about the devil..."
Nene's arrival brought a burst of energy to the training grounds, her cheerful demeanor lighting up the space as she greeted her friends with a wide grin. Hiro couldn't resist complaining about her tardiness, but Nene simply waved it off with a smile.
With a potted plant cradled under each arm and two plastic bags dangling from her hands, Nene wasted no time getting down to business. She set the potted plants down in the center of the field with careful precision, ensuring they were evenly spaced and secure.
Once satisfied with the setup, Nene turned her attention to Chihiro, a determined gleam in her eyes. "Alright, Chihiro-chan, time to put your skills to the test," she announced, her voice ringing out with authority. "Are you ready?"
Chihiro nodded, her expression serious as she prepared herself for the challenge ahead. With a sense of purpose, she positioned herself opposite the potted plants, her stance steady and focused.
"Alright, Chihiro-chan, listen up," Nene began, her voice firm but encouraging. "We're going to focus on refining your targeting abilities, just like I did with my quirk. It's all about visualizing your quirk as a solid convergence within you, like a core nestled deep within your chest or stomach."
Chihiro nodded, her gaze fixed intently on Nene as she absorbed the instructions.
Hiro couldn't help but interject with a playful comment, his tone laced with amusement. "Wow, Nene almost sounds like she knows what she's talking about," he joked, earning a chuckle from Orochi, who nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I thought the same thing the first time I saw her like this," Yui added with a soft smile.
With a focused expression, Nene continued her instructions, her gestures mirroring the concepts she was explaining. "Alright, Chihiro, imagine that core within you, right here," she said, tapping her own chest to emphasize the point. "Now, picture a branch extending from that core, reaching out towards your arm."
Chihiro nodded, her brow furrowing in concentration as she followed Nene's guidance. Slowly, she extended her hand towards one of the potted plants, her movements deliberate and precise.
Nene's voice remained steady as she continued to coach Chihiro through the exercise. "Now, think of your arm as a channel, a road leading from that core to your hand," she explained. "Keep your focus on that path, don't let it waver."
Chihiro nodded. "Now, slowly ramp up your quirk," Nene instructed, her tone encouraging yet firm. "No need to focus on targeting just one of the plants. Don't think about the goal target for now, just focus on the path you made from your core."
As Chihiro's quirk took effect, the potted plant began to wilt slightly, its leaves curling at the edges as the vitality drained from it. Nene watched closely, a pleased smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she observed Chihiro's progress.
"Nice job, Chihiro-chan!" Nene exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine admiration. She reached out and lightly pushed the potted plant to the side, causing the effect of Chihiro's quirk to cease. "You're getting the hang of it."
Chihiro nodded, a sense of accomplishment washing over her, though her face didn't reflect it.
"You're doing good," Nene continued, her tone encouraging. "Though restricting the targets of your quirk within an area has been quite hard, we're making some progress on narrowing and changing that area itself. Now, chihiro-chan, what did you gather from this?"
Chihiro stood there, her expression impassive as ever, but her mind was actively processing the training session and the feedback she had received. When Nene prompted her for observations, she didn't hesitate to voice her thoughts.
"It's difficult for me to use my quirk in this manner while trying to move at the same time," Chihiro stated, her voice steady and composed.
Nene nodded understandingly, acknowledging the challenge that Chihiro faced. "That's right. You're a highly mobile fighter who relies on speed," she affirmed, her tone supportive. "We've managed to narrow the area down quite a bit, so the next step is to integrate your quirk seamlessly into your movement."
"When you moved the plant, my quirk couldn't reach it even though I kept pointing my hand towards it," Chihiro observed.
"And why do you think that happened?"
Chihiro paused for a moment "It's because I only changed my posture, but I didn't rebuild my visualization," she concluded, her tone matter-of-fact.
Nene's face lit up with excitement, and she couldn't resist the urge to praise her kohai. "Ding ding ding! Perfect score for my cute kohai!" she exclaimed.
She reached out and ruffled Chihiro's hair affectionately, a proud smile spreading across her face. "You're so smart, Chihiro!" she gushed, her words overflowing with affection. "After you're able to move normally, I'm sure it won't be long before you really can go for specific targets within your range."
Despite their close proximity, only one of the potted plants had been affected by Chihiro's quirk, showcasing the precision required to master her abilities. Nene's guidance seemed to be having a significant impact on Chihiro's development.
Hiro, ever the curious one, couldn't help but voice his question. "So, why did you tell us to come here, Nene?"
Nene glanced at her friends, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she lifted the plastic bags she still carried. "Well, I brought you guys some food," she announced cheerfully.
She explained that the Home EC teacher had informed her that her friends were welcome to drop by anytime, so she had decided to bring them the delicious dishes she had prepared during the class.
With a flourish, Nene placed the bags on the bench, presenting the meals within.
Amidst the clinking of utensils and the sounds of satisfied munching, the group engaged in lively conversation.
"Man, this food is delicious," Orochi remarked between bites, "but I'm not sure if I can commit to joining the class regularly. My schedule's been jam-packed lately."
Yui nodded in agreement, adding, "I'll definitely drop by whenever I can. It was cool."
Hiro, with a slightly rueful smile, chimed in, "Yeah, as much as I'd love to join you guys, I've got this never-ending rehab schedule to stick to."
However, it was Chihiro's unexpected declaration that caught everyone off guard.
"I want to go again," she stated simply, her voice holding a hint of genuine enthusiasm.
"Hm~ Is that so Chihiro-chan?" Nene asked.
Chihiro nodded, her stoic expression softening ever so slightly. "Yes. I liked it a lot."
Yui and Nene couldn't help but exchange amused glances, knowing looks passing between them as they teased Hiro.
"We told you she was having fun," Yui said with a playful grin.
Hiro sighed, conceding defeat with a shrug. "Alright, alright, you win. I'm just that dense."