Chapter 975: I'm Still Hungry, How Did You Eat First?

"Auntie Fumio, what ingredients can be provided here?"

"Rice, flour, grains, oil, and some basic seasonings."

"And besides those?"

"Eggs, breadcrumbs, onions, and by the way, there's an unopened can of bluefish in the cabinet."

"No carrots, shiitake mushrooms, or pork?"

"No, but there's a portion of salmon sashimi in the refrigerator, but that's what I'm saving for my lunch and dinner rice bowls, so I can't let you use it."

"So if I pour a can of bluefish over cooked rice and make a bluefish rice bowl, can I stay here?"

Hearing this, Fumio Daimido fell silent for a moment, then asked: "Are you joking with me, kid?"

Broly didn't answer, and Fumio Daimido saw seriousness on his face, so she answered seriously: "Since you're a relatively polite kid, I'll allow you to sleep on a futon in the courtyard of Polar Star Dormitory tonight."

"When I came down just now, I thought I heard a chicken crowing on the first floor."

"Those are chickens raised by students living here in the dormitory. Without permission, the chickens in that room can't be used as ingredients."

"When I went downstairs just now, I saw a field behind this dormitory building through a window I passed."

"That's also a field cultivated by students living here. Without permission, you can't pick from it at will."

"So I have to prepare the ingredients myself?"

"That's right. Most students living here bring their own ingredients to get through this stage."

"Since you've just enrolled, I can tell you how to get to the Totsuki Academy logistics procurement window."

"There, you can procure most ingredients commonly found on the market."

"But remember to bring money."

"Of course, except for ingredients for cooking classes which the academy provides for free, ingredients needed outside of classes must be bought by the students themselves."

"Of course, if you want to farm and raise livestock yourself, the academy allows it. Even the vegetables you grow and the poultry you raise, as long as the quality passes, can be sold back to the academy logistics procurement department."

"Need me to point out the way?"

"Thanks, Auntie Fumio, but no need. I know how to get to the academy's logistics procurement department. By the way, what time is it now?"

"10:48, almost 11. What's wrong?"

Fumio Daimido glanced at the wristwatch on her wrist and asked.

"No, just wondering if any kind of cooking is allowed?"

"Yes."

"Then is there a time limit, and a limit that it must be made here for you to see?"

"That's not the case, but you must prove it's your cooking."

"And considering not wasting food, you'd better not bring it over during normal meal times."

"After all, someone my age doesn't have much of an appetite and can't eat that much."

"I understand. I won't come during meal times."

Broly nodded and prepared to leave Polar Star Dormitory.

", Mr. Broly, where are you planning to go?"

Tadokoro Megumi hurriedly asked.

"Before coming here, someone already invited me to the Cooking Building at noon today to cook. I was thinking of making an extra portion to bring back along the way."

"I see."

"By the way, do you want to taste it too?"

Broly looked at Tadokoro Megumi and suddenly asked.

"Ah, this, won't it be too much trouble?"

Tadokoro Megumi hesitated.

"No, it's just making an extra portion of ramen."

Broly shook his head.

"Then, I'd like to try some."

Tadokoro Megumi thought of the stewed meat from class, swallowed her saliva, and said more from the heart.

"Alright, but you still have to eat lunch. Simmering tonkotsu soup takes quite a while."

Broly calculated the previous soup-simmering time and said.

"I'm not hungry now, but I will eat."

Tadokoro Megumi subconsciously touched her abdomen and nodded in reply, but didn't forget to remind the boy.

"By the way, Mr. Broly, remember to eat lunch too. Don't forget to eat because you're cooking for others."

Although somewhat counterintuitive, cooks really do go hungry. For example, when cooking for others, if they're too busy, they can't attend to themselves at all.

"Mm, when I'm hungry, I'll eat on time."

Broly seriously responded to Tadokoro Megumi's reminder, then stopped lingering and left Polar Star Dormitory.

"Komekko, you'll definitely be a virtuous and considerate bride in the future."

Fumio Daimido stood to the side with arms crossed, watching the girl gaze after the departing boy like a stone gazing for her husband, and suddenly said something with feeling.

"?!"

Tadokoro Megumi looked over in confusion.

"However, that kid who left might not be able to stay at Polar Star Dormitory today."

Fumio Daimido didn't mean to explain, but instead said.

"Ah, why?"

Tadokoro Megumi didn't understand.

"Didn't that kid say the dish he was bringing back was ramen?"

"Right, but so what?"

"Noodles clump up after they're cooked. If he forgot that and brought back pre-cooked ramen instead of bringing raw noodles to cook on the spot, what do you think will happen?"

Before Tadokoro Megumi could answer, Daimido Fumio continued talking to herself: "Moreover, given Polar Star Dormitory's geographical location

if that kid is still walking back on his own two legs, I can already imagine what state the ramen he brings back will be in."

"Ah, no good, I have to go remind him————"

Tadokoro Megumi's foot had just stepped out when Daimido Fumio stopped her.

"That won't do. From the moment that kid left to prepare the dish, the move-in exam has already begun.

Komekko, you must not remind the other party, otherwise, it wouldn't be very fair to the other students who have already passed the move-in exam and moved in."

Tadokoro Megumi looked somewhat worried. Seeing this, the dorm mother who had finished teasing the youngster, Daimido Fumio, changed her tone to comfort her: "Rest assured. However you put it, that kid is this year's transfer student admitted to Totsuki Academy High School Division; he shouldn't not know that cooked ramen clumps if left sitting."

Reminded like this, Tadokoro Megumi had a sudden realization.

"That's true!"

She exhaled, and felt relieved.

【Once the noodles are cooked, bring the bowl back too. Counting the time, if all goes well, I'll be back by three or four in the afternoon.】

Broly left Polar Star Dormitory, thinking this to himself.

Broly looked around, confirmed no one was around and there was no surveillance in the woods on either side of the road, then used Water Membrane Magic to turn invisible and flew off directly.

A 30-minute walk took only 3 seconds to cross directly; Broly arrived above the cooking building where he had previously secretly observed Nakiri Erina cooking.

He found an unoccupied corner on the side, descended, dispelled the Water Membrane, took out his phone, and dialed Arato Hisako's number.

"Beep beep beep————"

The phone only rang three times before the person on the other end picked up.

"Erina-sama, that person has already arrived downstairs."

In the office, the secretary girl reported to Nakiri Erina.

"Hisako, you go down and bring him up, straight to my cooking room. Have him prep the ingredients needed for simmering pork bone soup first; I'll come over after I finish reading this part of the Cooking Research Society documents."

"Yes, Erina-sama."

Arato Hisako nodded, but before she could walk out of the office, she was stopped again by Nakiri Erina.

"Right. It's almost noon; have him prep the ingredients for fried rice too."

"Ah, Erina-sama, you're still eating that guy's fried rice? If you count today, this is already the third meal."

"What are you saying? It's just almost noon and I don't know what to eat, so I'm just making do."

Nakiri Erina replied calmly, but for some reason she had already raised some of the Cooking Research Society paper documents in her hand, blocking Arato Hisako's gaze as she looked over in surprise.

However, regarding her own young lady's explanation, Arato Hisako didn't believe it, because in the morning Nakiri Erina had her simmer a pot of Kinka Ham Old Hen Soup.

She originally thought the young lady wanted soup in the morning, but actually the young lady was thinking entirely about someone else's fried rice for lunch; Arato Hisako suddenly felt a sense of wasted effort.

"Any other questions?"

"No."

【Arato Hisako, Happiness Value decreasing————】

At the entrance of the Sixth Cooking Building, Broly, who suddenly received a Crystal Palace notification, frowned deeply, revealing a "black person question mark face" expression.

Arato Hisako came downstairs with a cold face; upon seeing Broly, she gave him no good expression at all, approached and said coldly: "Come upstairs with me."

Having said that, she didn't wait for Broly to react, just turned and walked straight back into the cooking building, not caring at all whether the person behind followed.

"Miss Hisako, did something happen?"

Naturally, Broly followed; not knowing what her Happiness Value drop was about, he subconsciously asked.

"Nothing happened."

Arato Hisako replied in a cold tone.

"But your complexion doesn't look too good————"

【You think this is whose fault? Clearly I am Erina-sama's Life Assistant; when Erina-sama has no tasting work, all three meals are generally my responsibility————】

Arato Hisako didn't respond, only endless grievances kept welling up in her heart.

"Is it that time of the month for you?"

Broly asked carefully. He has many wives, some with normal human constitutions, so he knows about women bleeding monthly without injury.

And whenever that time comes, some wives' moods change, like becoming depressed, irritable, and such.

"???"

Arato Hisako halted, stiffly turned her head, and with a somewhat shocked and puzzled expression looked at Broly behind her, who was looking at her with a concerned face.

"I know. When that time comes, it makes you girls feel bad. If you don't mind, Miss Hisako, I can brew Brown Sugar Ginger Tea for you to drink."

Broly noticed Arato Hisako's Happiness Value didn't drop because of his words, so he boldly continued.

Broly discovered that Hisako Arato's Happiness Value didn't drop because of his words, so he boldly continued speaking.

"Why do you ask?"

"Brown Sugar Ginger Tea is a traditional Chinese women's warming tonic. Someone who would directly propose brewing Brown Sugar Ginger Tea when a woman has her period is generally only Chinese."

Arato Hisako comes from a Chinese medicine family; her family's Chinese medicine knowledge traces back to the Edo period, and she herself specializes in medicinal cuisine, so she understands this knowledge.

"Generally only Chinese? Then I should count as half."

Broly didn't deny this identity.

"Mixed-blood? Then do you know that casually saying you'll brew Brown Sugar Ginger Tea for a woman on her period is a somewhat impolite thing?"

"Is it because our current relationship hasn't reached the degree where saying that kind of thing is suitable?"

"Is it because our current relationship hasn't reached the degree suitable for saying this kind of thing?"

「Yes. 」

「Miss Hisako, I can apologize to you; I was just worried about your situation (it concerns Happiness Value). 」

Hisako Arato opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say; facing someone who genuinely cared about her, she really couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh.

「It's fine, thank you for your concern, but today isn't my period, and I don't need any warming tonic. 」

After Hisako Arato finished speaking, the Crystal Palace also gave a prompt of Happiness Value +1.

「, then what was your ugly complexion just now? 」

「None of your business, I'm just in a bad mood myself. 」

【Hisako Arato Happiness Value -1】

Hisako Arato took a deep breath, brought Broly into Nakiri Erina's Private Cooking Room, and told him what Nakiri Erina had instructed.

「Also, prepare more ingredients for the fried rice; I want to try your craftsmanship too. 」

【Instead of envying someone else's fried rice, why not taste it yourself after Erina-sama can't stop thinking about it, then try to replicate it.】

「Okay. 」

Broly did not refuse, and got busy in Erina's Private Cooking Room.

And in the Office, Ikumi Mito was called inside.

Nakiri Erina crossed both hands on the Office Desk, struck a pose saluting Gendo Commander, and said to the revealing-clothed Gyaru in front of her: 「Mito, Donburi Research Society, I feel this Cooking Research Society has no need to exist; I need someone to abolish it and merge its resources into our Sixth Cooking Building. 」

「Yes, Erina-sama, but————」

「What? 」

「The Donburi Research Society may not be willing to conduct a Shokugeki with me. 」

「Leave this matter to me; I will use my Elite Ten identity to forcibly pass the proposal to cut the Donburi Research Society's budget and scale at the Elite Ten Council, thereby forcing them to conduct a Shokugeki in resistance. 」

「If that's the case, I will definitely not disappoint Erina-sama's Expectation, and will completely clean up the Donburi Research Society. 」

「Then I'll leave it to you, Mito; as long as you handle this matter, Sixth Cooking Building, I'll reserve a separate Cooking Room for you————」

「Thank you, Erina-sama. 」

「Go. 」

After Ikumi Mito left, Nakiri Erina behind the Office Desk curled her mouth corner slightly, revealing a standard villainous smile of having everything under control.

But this somewhat charming villainous smile didn't last long before being interrupted by her growling Stomach, and Nakiri Erina's Small Face turned red.

「I don't know if the Ingredients over at the Cooking Room are prepared yet. 」

Nakiri Erina muttered to herself, stood up and left the Office, then walked toward her own Private Cooking Room with light steps.

Possibly because she was Hungry, what appeared in her heart was endless Expectation for Broly learning Soma Azami's method of cooking fried rice.

But just as she pushed the door into the Private Cooking Room, Nakiri Erina saw her own little Secretary eating fried rice deliciously.

「No, Hisako, how did you start eating first?! 」

Erina widened her eyes, as if she had seen a Burglar stealing food.

「Ah, Erina-sama————」

Hisako Arato's Mouth opened, and the fried rice she hadn't swallowed yet fell back onto the Plate.

「Miss Hisako's Stomach growled just now, so I made her a share first.

Miss Nakiri, you're Hungry too, right; I'll cook it for you right now. 」