Shinka no Mi

Chapter 132: The Unexpected…

「Now that we more or less have enough dishes for the menu, let’s——」 (Beatrice)

「Hold on there.」 (Helen)

「Nn?」 (Beatrice)

We were finished eating everyone’s dish and decided what to put in the menu when Helen suddenly cut in.

With her finger pointing at me, Helen made a bold statement.

「Seiichi-sensei…. You have to cook too.」 (Helen)

「Eh? ….Eeeh!?」 (Seiichi)

I was surprised. No, me, cooking…?

「Isn’t that right? Putting aside Zola-san and Olga-chan who’s still a kid, all the other judges can cook. But what about you?」 (Helen)

「Er, err… I never cooked before, so I don’t think I should be cooking….」 (Seiichi)

「Didn’t I make myself clear I can’t cook before?」 (Helen)

「Ah, yes.」 (Seiichi)

I no longer have any path to retreat. Damn it.

「Though…. We have an assortment of foods in the menu already.」 (Seiichi)

A dish that even a total beginner like me could make… no, I didn’t even know any recipes to cook to begin with.

「Ah, hamburger steaks should be okay.」 (Seiichi)

I once cooked a hamburger steak in a home economics class before, so I knew the recipes for it. Perhaps I could make it.

With that in my mind, I lay out the ingredients and was just about to start when——-

『You have acquired 【Cooking】 skill.』

I haven’t even cooked yet though!?

Surprised that my body was unexpectedly more well-prepared than I thought, I regained composure and started the cooking.

「Eeh…. I’m pretty sure I have to let the air out after kneading the minced meat, so…」

I lightly threw the flattened meat lump to my other hand.

DOBAAAAAAANNN!!!!!

「……」

『……』

There wasn’t even a speck left.

WWWWHHHHYYYYYYYYY!?!?!?!?!?

Didn’t I just get the 『Cooking』 skill!? I did, didn’t I!?

Then what is this tragic outcome!? It’s even worse than Helen’s! At least Helen had a speck left! Actually, isn’t this incredible though!? Well I won’t change my mind though!

As silence kept dominating the room for a while, an announcement flowed inside my head again.

「…The skill 【Cooking】 has been evolved to become 【Strongman’s Cooking】skill .」

Even the announcement took pity for me!?!?

I never thought I was this horrible at cooking, but I worked myself hard to put no mind into it and restarted with a new batch of meat.

This time, with nothing being blown up in my hand, I was able to let the air out cleanly.

「Yeah, you’re doing it great!」 (Saria)

「Though this doesn’t mean we can forget what happened before, you know?」 (Helen)

「Right, of course.」 (Seiichi)

I had no words to refute Helen’s sharp retort.

That being said, there wasn’t any particular issues after that, and thanks to the evolved skill… 【Strongman’s Cooking】, I was able to tell what steps to take, which allowed me to progress even smoother than before.

「It’s done.」 (Seiichi)

『Oooh….!』

After I somehow finished making the sauce and placing them prettily on plates, I carried the hamburger steaks to their tables..

I at least made enough for everyone’s share, and I even made some extra for when Rurune wanted seconds.

「W-, well, isn’t that great. You didn’t need to show that disaster if you can make it this far, though….」 (Helen)

「Mention that again and I’ll die, so don’t speak.」 (Seiichi)

That was just an accident!

Anyway, I’m sure they’d forget that accident happened after giving my dish a bite.

I sampled it before, and I could say it was delicious enough to make up for it.

「Well then, let’s taste Seiichi-san’s cooking.」

As Beatrice-san said so with my hamburger steak drawing close to her mouth——-

「SEIICHI-KUN’S CCOOOOKKKIIINNGGGG!!!!!!」

「Heh? HIIEEEEEEEKKKKK!?!?」

Suddenly, the Home Economics classroom was slammed open by an intruder, a female with a long black hair crawling about on the ground.

「I GET THE FIRST BIIIITTTEEEEEE!!!!!」

「WHO ARE YOUUUU!?!?!?!?」

The super horror-inducing woman who looked like the cursed child between Sadako and Teke Teke* jumped straight to the extra hamburger that was prepared for Rurune, and deliriously ate it.

「Aah…. the best…. I’ll be happy to die right now….」

「AAAHH!!! MY HAMBURGERRRR!!!!!!」

It was indeed the hamburger for Rurune.

With Rurune’s wailing still in my ear I looked at the sudden intruder, and I finally noticed that she was someone I know.

「Eh…. Kannazuki-senpai!?」

「Correct! It is I, your one and only Kannazuki Karen!」

「I don’t want to believe it!」

Who in the world would want to admit that the figure that creeped in that made even Youkai and cockroaches pale in comparison was actually their respected senpai? I knew that, even at minimum, not a single soul from my High School would believe the sight I just saw.

No, rather than that…

「Wh-, why are you here?」

「Nn? Aah, that’s——-」

Just at the moment Kannazuki-senpai said thus far.

「This is the first time I’ve seen Kannazuki-senpai moving around so creepy like that…. 」

「We can never let the others see her like that….」

「Not just them, Seiichi too. No, especially Seiichi.」

「Aah…. indeed…」

Another group of people came into the classroom.

Everyone else in my class was surprised to see them, but my shock was even greater than theirs.

「Eh… why are Shouta and the others here…..?」

「I brought them here.」

「BUT WHHYYY!?!?」

My retort echoed throughout the Home Economics classroom.