Yuu voluntarily averted his gaze and shrugged.
"None. It's an honor that the club president is willing to help me. How could I possibly have objections?"
Hearing this, Yukino rolled her eyes gracefully—proof that a beautiful person still looks stunning even when rolling their eyes.
(Next time, I'll ask her to make a cute expression.) Yuu thought.
"If you have no objections, get to work and stop talking so much."
"An assistant chef daring to order the head chef? Watch me skin you… Alright, alright, I'll start." Under her genuinely cold glare, Yuu smirked and tapped the kitchen counter with his knuckles.
The light yet firm force reverberated. The knife on the cutting board suddenly jumped, spinning several times in the air before being effortlessly caught by him.
"This will be a perfect cooking show. Don't get too mesmerized."
Glancing at his smugly smiling face, Yukino walked toward the fridge with a calm expression. "Relax. I wouldn't look at you even if I had nothing to do."
"Alright, I get it." Not too disappointed, Yuu dropped his playful demeanor, turned on the stove, and got serious with his cooking.
Yukino had just taken out meat and vegetables from the fridge when she saw him swing the knife. At a speed she couldn't even follow, Yuu sliced a block of tofu into neat, perfect little white cubes.
"…"
Then Yuu picked up a large green onion and began chopping it for use. This time, his speed wasn't so fast as to be invisible. But what puzzled her was, despite using the same cutting technique, why did the green onion slices he cut fly off the cutting board and land in a small bowl, like a school of fish leaping into water?
"…"
Flashing knives, flying ingredients, roaring stove flames, and tantalizing aromas.
His skilled, spontaneous cooking was indeed a feast for the eyes, nose, and tongue. It made people unable to help but stare and admire deeply.
Fortunately, this wasn't Yukino's first time seeing him cook. Though still quite surprised, she wasn't overly shocked or left speechless.
After pausing for a moment, she walked to his side and placed the ingredients in her hands.
Yuu didn't turn. He focused solely on the sauce seasoning in his hands. But his smug voice faintly reached Yukino's ears.
"Said you wouldn't get mesmerized. Heh."
"…"
(Be patient.)
(No need to argue with this childish person. Be magnanimous and tolerant, like a mature older sister…)
After taking a deep breath, Yukino turned around expressionlessly, busying herself with small tasks like peeling and washing dishes.
She knew her place. His cooking was clearly not something an ordinary person could interfere with. Though she thought her cooking skills were decent, there was still no room for her to step in.
Fundamentally, he didn't need anyone's help. That was a fact both of them understood…
(So, why?)
(Why did he let me stay and help so casually?)
(Why, when I came to my senses, had I already closed the kitchen door and stood beside him like it was the most natural thing?)
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The stove flames occasionally flared and dimmed. The aroma of cooking gradually spread.
The water in the pan was still simmering. While stirring with a spatula, Yuu casually glanced at the black-haired girl busy at the sink.
Though he always said Yukino was flat, there was a subtle curve to her chest under the apron.
The curve of her hips was also visible beneath her long skirt. Sweet and cute. It would probably feel nice to spank.
…So, why?
Since when had he become so fixated on noticing women's figures, unable to control his eyes?
Yuu silently reflected, quickly repenting—he stopped looking downward and shifted to above her shoulders.
When it was just the two of them, he had to avoid behavior like this. Otherwise, the atmosphere would get awkward, and he'd easily be labeled a pervert.
But for some reason, as if admiring her face was only natural, Yuu didn't care at the moment. He just comfortably and casually let his gaze linger.
He actually preferred short hair over long hair.
If asked why, short-haired girls were very cute.
The white nape visible beneath the strands of hair like a skirt was cute. The forehead revealed when bangs were clipped back was cute. The ears peeking out were even cuter.
But seeing Yukino with her ponytail tied up, focused on washing dishes, Yuu suddenly wanted to revise that statement.
Long-haired girls with ponytails were nice too…
If asked why, the rarely seen white nape adorned with a few strands of hair was very alluring. The wise wife vibe brought by the apron was very alluring. Her ears, reddening as she looked down, were even more alluring.
It was like a beautifully carved work of art. It made him unconsciously divert half his attention to admiring his friend's clear, pleasing appearance, blessed by nature.
"…"
The faucet suddenly turned off. The washed dishes were placed on the rack.
Yukino didn't turn around. She just calmly brushed the hair by her ear with her slightly wet white fingers.
A faint pink blush quietly spread across the exposed side of her face. Her smooth skin glowed with a clear, water-like sheen under the light. Her small cherry lips were lightly pressed together, glistening, making her look even softer.
Under Yuu's still-unaverted gaze, she let out a light sigh, as if resigned. But her tone carried a hint of mockery.
"The lame mocking the lame. Heh."
"…"
He froze with a strange expression.
Without waiting for Yuu to respond, Yukino took a porcelain plate from the rack and handed it to him calmly.
"Time to plate the food, right?"
"…Indeed."
Yuu took the plate, flipped the pan, and served the steaming Mapo Tofu onto it.
Yukino covered the plate to keep it warm, planning to bring it out once all the dishes were ready.
After that, they didn't speak. They just quietly did their respective tasks. The finished dishes piled up.
Occasionally, their shoulders brushed, or their fingers touched. Their expressions didn't change at all. They seemed indifferent to each other's presence. Their emotions remained stable and calm, as they should be while working.
Before the final dish was done, Yukino opened the rice cooker and scooped out roughly ten portions of rice into a wooden container.
White steam rose. She let out a soft sigh, a bit of sweat on her forehead.
"Taste it."
A spoon was extended from the side. Yukino tilted her small face and tasted it. After tasting, she nodded gently.
"It's good."
"Okay."
The spoon was pulled back. Yukino plunged the rice scoop into the rice and carried the wooden container out.
Her steps paused midway, as if she suddenly realized something. But she didn't turn or speak. She prepared to open the kitchen door to greet the guests who had peeked in several times, claiming they were nearly fainting from hunger.
"By the way, Yukinoshita."
At that moment, Yuu suddenly called her.
Yukino instinctively wanted to turn, but since her face still felt a bit hot, she held back. Facing away from him, she asked in a flat, soft voice:
"What is it?"
"I want to ask you something."
Yuu's tone was unexpectedly serious.