Yat Sen nervously rubbed her apron with her hands. "I really must apologize. Even just a bit of sauce would've elevated the sashimi's flavor to the next level."
Raw fish meant to be eaten with sauce. Garlic paste, shredded ginger, spring onions, chili threads, soy sauce, even peanuts, sesame, oil, salt, sugar, toasted sesame oil, mint… with just two or three of these, Yat Sen could have created something divine.
But there wasn't a single proper seasoning available.
She had tried purifying seawater to extract salt, but it would take too long to yield anything clean enough. In the end, she had no choice but to gather some herbs and leaves from the base, wash them clean, and crush them into juice to use as makeshift flavoring.
It was better than nothing.
"Not at all, not at all," said Yamato gently. "To have a beauty like you preparing food for me—I'm overwhelmed."
Tch tch tch.
Hikaru winced from the cheesiness.
He took the dish from Yamato and placed it on the table with a grin. "Yat Sen's just being modest. Don't take it to heart—just try one bite and you'll understand what real flavor is."
Yat Sen gave a small apology and returned to the kitchen to finish the rest of the dishes.
Yamato watched her silhouette disappear behind the curtain, then finally sat down. But instead of eating, she glared fiercely at Hikaru.
"To think you'd let someone like her cook. What if the oil or smoke harmed her hands? That's a crime against beauty!"
Hikaru rolled his eyes.
Lady, Yat Sen is a shipgirl. So are you. Do you seriously think oil can harm a shipgirl's skin?
But he didn't argue. Instead, he picked up a piece of translucent, snow-white sashimi with communal chopsticks and dropped it into Yamato's bowl.
"You talk too much. Eat your fish."
Yamato huffed and picked up the fish slice with her chopsticks, popping it into her mouth.
She hadn't expected much. No seasoning, no sauce—how could raw fish taste any better than raw meat? Even a master chef couldn't work miracles with so little.
But the moment the fish touched her tongue, her expression changed.
The richness of the fat felt like an entire monsoon season condensed into a bite. The freshness of the fish lit up her palate like a spring rain washing away the grime of city smoke. It was like her taste buds had been drowned in blandness for too long—until now.
The fish melted in her mouth. Ignoring all table manners, Yamato swallowed and immediately dragged the entire plate in front of her.
"I'm the guest here," she said shamelessly. "Don't I deserve to eat my fill? This plate is mine."
Hikaru had just picked up a slice to feed Glowworm, who'd returned with a report. He was about to eat one himself—only for Yamato to deny him outright.
Yep. No one could resist delicious food.
He put down his chopsticks with a wry smile. "Fine, eat all you want. If you like it, I'll have Yat Sen make more. You can even stay a few more days."
That hit the spot for Yamato, who nodded rapidly. "You said it. I'll eat until I break even!"
Break even, huh? Don't tell me she's planning to eat back the full 250++ resource units she brought. At that point, you might as well just join the base and eat for free forever.
Grumbling to himself, Hikaru's expression suddenly shifted and he let out a dramatic sigh.
"Yamato, good sashimi, isn't it?"
Yamato was stuffing slice after slice into her mouth. "So good I could fly," she mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah… too bad there's no sauce. No side dishes either. If Yat Sen had the proper ingredients, she could make a full Feast. I'm telling you—you'd leave your body and transcend right there at the table. Instant enlightenment!"
Yamato had a feeling Hikaru's words weren't entirely honest, but the delicious sashimi was weakening her judgment. Just imagining it—if the plain fish was this good, then a real banquet might actually make her want to quit her job and settle down in this base just to eat forever.
[End of Chapter]
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