Perspective: Rice Shower
After training wrapped up, I came out to the city to have lunch with Oniisama. But... since it's right in the middle of the lunch rush, every single shop seems to be packed.
Oh no... what should I do? We won't be able to eat lunch at this rate.
Hachiman: "There are surprisingly more people here than I expected."
Rice: "Y-Yeah... What should we do, Oniisama?"
Hachiman: "...Do you mind if we walk a little further? I don't know the geography of this area yet, so I want to look around."
Rice: "Sure, that's fine! Maybe we'll find a shop with empty seats further down, too!"
Hachiman: "Sorry about this. I've only been at Tracen for a week and a bit, so I haven't grasped what's in the surrounding area at all. I figure I should use this opportunity to learn the lay of the land."
Rice: "You didn't go for walks around town when you first arrived, Oniisama?"
Hachiman: "I'm not exactly a guy who loves going out. I kept my outings to the bare minimum."
Rice: "I see..."
Is Oniisama the indoor type, I wonder?
We continued walking around the city for a while after that, but everywhere we looked was crowded with people. There wasn't a single restaurant we could just walk into.
This is definitely Rice's fault... Because Rice is here, nothing is open...
Hachiman: "Is it usually this impossible to find a seat?"
Rice: "Ugh... I'm sorry, Oniisama. It's surely because of Rice's—"
Hachiman: "It ain't your fault. It's just the lunch rush. Plus, there are races today, so people are probably glued to the TVs inside. That's why it's crowded."
Rice: "I-Is that really it...?"
Hachiman: "It is. Look, since it's come to this, there's no helping it. Rice, we're heading back to the academy."
Rice: "Fweh? But the cafeteria is closed today, isn't it? What are we going to do?"
Hachiman: "A little direct negotiation."
Location: Tracen Academy – Main Gate
Tazuna: "Good work today, Trainer Hikigaya, Rice Shower-san."
Hachiman: "Good work, Hayakawa-san. Actually, I have a small favor to ask... Would it be possible to borrow the cafeteria kitchen? I want to make lunch."
Tazuna: "The kitchen, you say?"
Hachiman: "Yes. We went into town just now, but nothing was open, and we were at a loss. I don't really want to resort to convenience store bentos—they aren't exactly great for your health. I don't mind eating them, but Rice is an athlete."
Tazuna: "I see... If that is the case, I don't mind. I will grant permission. I'll explain the circumstances to the Chairwoman myself. Besides, considering the recent incident, we are quite indebted to you, Trainer Hikigaya."
Hachiman: "...Indebted?"
Tazuna: "Regarding your former colleague. Thanks to you, Symboli Rudolf-san remained unharmed. Please consider this a small token of our gratitude."
Oniisama saves people, too...? He really is a kind person after all.
Hachiman: "...In that case, I'll gratefully accept the offer."
Tazuna: "Yes, please use it as you see fit. However... who will be doing the cooking?"
Hachiman: "Me, of course."
Location: Cafeteria
Hachiman: "Alright, time to cook..."
(She said I could use the ingredients as I pleased, and Rice mentioned she wanted hamburg steak. I guess I'll get a little serious and make something decent.)
Rice: "Umm... Will it be okay? I wonder if Oniisama can actually cook?"
Tazuna: "Yes... It is a little concerning."
Tazuna-san looks a bit anxious, too. But it makes sense; you don't really have an image of men cooking that often... Unless they are professional chefs, of course. But trainers are people who study specifically for Uma Musume training, so they probably aren't very knowledgeable about culinary arts...
Tazuna: "It seems we have no choice but to trust Trainer Hikigaya."
Rice: "Y-Yeah..."
Several Tens of Minutes Later
Rice: "...Something smells really good."
Tazuna: "Yes, a very savory aroma is wafting over."
After waiting a short while, a delicious scent began to fill the air. Could it be that Oniisama is actually good at cooking?
Hachiman: "Rice, sorry to keep you waiting. You as well, Hayakawa-san. Here you go! The Hamburg Steak Set."
Rice: "Wow~ This is amazing, Oniisama! It looks so delicious! ♪"
Tazuna: "This is... quite impressive!"
Hachiman: "I just hope it suits your tastes... Rice, I've prepared seconds just in case, so tell me if it's not enough."
Rice: "Okay, thank you, Oniisama!"
B-But, we still don't know how it tastes. It looks delicious, but...
Rice: "Well then... Let's eat! Ammu..."
...
...
...
Rice: "!! D-Delicious!!"
Hachiman: "That's better than anything."
Tazuna: "Yes, this is very tasty! Remarkably so! Trainer Hikigaya, was your previous profession perhaps a chef!?"
Hachiman: "No way. Trainer was my first job. As for the cooking... I learned it from my teacher."
Rice: "Teacher?"
Hachiman: "The person who drilled the ABCs of being a trainer into me. She didn't just teach me about training logic or cooking, but a whole lot of other things, too. You could call her my mentor. Without that person, the 'me' of today wouldn't exist."
Rice: "Heeeh..."
Hachiman: "Oops, that was just idle chatter. More importantly, please eat before it gets cold."
Tazuna: "It certainly wasn't idle... but, I shall continue eating!"
I've never eaten a hamburg steak this delicious in my life. Oniisama really is amazing...
Post-Chapter Skit
Namayake Niku: "So, how many helpings did you have?"
Rice: "U-Um... five ///"
Namayake Niku: "Oh my, that many..."
Rice: "Auu... I ate too much, didn't I..."
Namayake Niku: "No, no, that's a good thing. Eat plenty and grow big."
Rice: "O-Okay!"
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