Chapter 98: The Girl and the Dorayaki

They say killers always return to the scene, and Qingshan Li completely understands that feeling.

Before the vegetable garden he personally cultivated, he lingered in appreciation for a long time before putting the hoe and other tools back in the warehouse.

There is still some time before the Seiten Band departs for Shinjuku; within this time, what should he do?

What he wants to do most is read, followed by study, but he is the Seiten Band's manager, odd-job handler, logistics, performance planner, and lyricist.

He cannot leave everything to Mikami Ai.

Make some sweets to comfort them?

Qingshan Li once again opens the 'Home Economics Teacher' channel.

Red bean daifuku, dorayaki, dried fruit, manju, sakura mochi, mitarashi dango, konpeito.

A feeling of respect for the Home Economics Teacher wells up in his heart; she knows far too much.

After a brief hesitation, Qingshan Li decides: "Let's make dorayaki."

——The other me, switch!

System·Ryosuke walks out of the house and goes to the nearby supermarket to buy cake flour, honey, baking powder, and red beans from Shandong, China.

Last month's remaining pocket money is enough to buy these ingredients, not to mention he received this month's five thousand yen today.

The remaining eggs, caster sugar, milk, and salt are at home.

As for cookware, System·Ryosuke has extremely low requirements for cookware; he fundamentally does not need the iron plate required to make dorayaki.

Returning home, System·Ryosuke immediately starts simmering the red bean paste.

——Even the red bean paste has to be homemade?

In the making of the red bean paste, just the step of further selecting the red beans alone shows an attitude of panning for gold in sand.

Besides the red bean paste, even the syrup is freshly simmered by the System.

After much effort, the bean paste is completed and left to cool on a damp cloth.

The surface of the bean paste is smooth, its color bright and fresh, a mellow and rounded fragrance filling the kitchen.

Qingshan Li doesn't really like eating sweets, but seeing such bean paste, he wants to immediately dig a piece out with his finger and taste it.

System·Ryosuke then begins making the outer skin for the dorayaki.

Scooping up the thick batter, he pours it onto the Chinese wok Qingshan Li bought earlier; the batter spreads out as if with a mind of its own, forming a perfect circle about eight centimeters in diameter.

Very quickly, sheets of outer skin uniform in size and thickness come off the pan.

Only the last step remains.

Place a ball of bean paste on a freshly cooked skin, then pick up another skin and gently place it on top, tenderly sandwiching the bean paste.

Eight dorayaki in total, their surfaces a plump golden yellow, neatly placed on a plate, like treasures.

He takes another plate and places mugicha and seven cups on it.

Qingshan Li carries the two plates to the practice room.

"Food's here!"

"It's dorayaki!"

"They look so pretty, the shape is great too, smells so good, are they store-bought?" F·Rino seems to really like sweets.

"I made them." Qingshan Li answers.

"You made them?!" Everyone is surprised.

"Learned from the Home Economics Teacher."

"Why did you suddenly think of making us dorayaki?" Agatsuma Haruka is curious.

"I said I would stop at nothing."

"Can we eat now?" Drummer Mumi is impatient.

"There's one condition." Qingshan Li says.

"Here it comes, here it comes, just like I said, he's going to threaten us, this time it's definitely only people who kiss him can eat, I'll be first!" Bass Sakurako prepares to sacrifice herself.

"Mikami Classmate." Qingshan Li looks at Mikami Ai.

This woman Mikami Ai has already taken out a wet wipe and started wiping her hands.

"Please evaluate the effort level of everyone just now, only effort, unrelated to skill level." Qingshan Li continues.

"Specifically?" Mikami Ai grows interested.

"E gets one quarter, D gets half, C gets three quarters, B gets all."

"What about A treatment?" Mikami Ai asks.

"Will there be an A?" Qingshan Li doesn't quite believe it.

"Don't underestimate us!" Drummer Mumi is unconvinced.

"You all?"

". Don't underestimate me!" She corrects herself.

"Mumi, don't underestimate us!" Agatsuma Haruka points at the junior and says.

"Regardless of whether there is or not, we should agree in advance." Mikami Ai continues to Qingshan Li.

"Makes sense, let me think. If there is an A, I'll give her my piece; if there are many people, we'll split it evenly."

After deciding how to reward, next comes the scoring.

"Nothing to do with me, right?" Ono Mizuki raises her hand.

"Mizuki!" Drummer Mumi is in disbelief, "You traitor!"

"Two traitors have emerged from among us." Bass Sakurako counts clearly.

"I'll come back after I finish the dorayaki!" Ono Mizuki clenches her fist in guarantee.

Qingshan Li gives her one.

Ono Mizuki took a small bite.

"Mmm~" It was so delicious she couldn't help but make a sound, her eyes widening, "So, so delicious!"

She ah-woo took a bite, her widened eyes narrowing, savoring it carefully.

Everyone started swallowing saliva.

"Let's have everyone eat one quarter first." Qingshan Li said, "So you don't take the evaluation lightly."

He had Mikami Ai divide them.

Only her hands, even if unwashed, no one minded — for a certain someone it was even a Reward, not to mention she had elegantly and meticulously wiped them.

People's trust in her surpassed that of chefs who make hand-pressed Sushi — supposedly they don't wear gloves when pressing Sushi, and even use hand warmth to warm the Sushi.

Mikami Ai divided a quarter from each Dorayaki, precise as paper cutting, and handed them out.

While she divided, Qingshan Li poured barley tea.

"No need for tea!" Ono Mizuki took another small bite, reluctant to finish it, "Not sweet at all, not greasy at all."

"Not sweet?" Ono Mika was Puzzled.

"Alright." Mikami Ai took a quarter for herself too.

"Me." Qingshan Li reached out, "I haven't eaten either."

"Yours is a Reward." Mikami Ai ignored him.

Qingshan Li didn't believe anyone could get an A!

But seeing Mikami Ai's Attitude, he felt a bit unconfident.

In the Training Room, everyone began seriously tasting the Dorayaki.

This day, Qingshan Li heard all kinds of girls' moans, calling the Dorayaki glowing cuisine would not be wrong.

After eating a quarter, the girls no longer dared to underestimate Qingshan Li's words.

They looked nervously at Mikami Ai.

Mikami Ai even felt this wasn't a game, more like the solemn occasion of college entrance exam results being released.

Her clear eyes swept over everyone one by one.

"Mumi."

Drummer Mumi's hands on her knees clenched tight.

"B."

"That's great!" Drummer Mumi got it all.

"Rino."

"Here!"

"C."

"Ah~~" F·Rino let out a regretful sound.

"Senior Sakurako."

"Junior Mikami, whatever you do to me"

"C."

"." Bass Sakurako didn't continue speaking.

Could it be that with an extra quarter, she'd be willing to let her do anything?

"Too cruel, little brother." Agatsuma Haruka looked at Qingshan Li resentfully.

"I said it, I'll use any means necessary." Qingshan Li answered coldly.

"Inspiration Came Inspiration Came~" F·Rino shouted while eating.

You got inspiration again?!

Even more amazing than the System!

The Inspiration F·Rino got was: she previously always felt Qingshan Li, besides his extraordinary Appearance, had something else that Attracted her, now she understood.

She couldn't say specifically, she had to rely on the Dorayaki.

Making Dorayaki to comfort them, was Not Choosing Means;

Not looking at strength, only distributing edible amounts According To the Degree of Effort, was Not Choosing Means;

But, everyone could at least eat a quarter, and a cup of barley tea.

"Inspiration Came Inspiration Came~"

Again?!

F·Rino wanted to write a song titled "Not Choosing Means", writing about Qingshan Li's kind of Not Choosing Means that makes people like him, even feel at ease.

"Senior Agatsuma, C." Mikami Ai said again.

"C is three quarters right?" Agatsuma Haruka tried to take three quarters.

"Clap!" Qingshan Li rolled up the Lyrics book, directly gave her one hit.

"Ouch~"

"Senior Mika." Mikami Ai looked at Ono Mika.

Ono Mika pursed her Lips.

Qingshan Li found it Strange: "What are you nervous about?"

"Compared to Sakurako and them, I haven't worked hard enough."

"That's not what I meant, you want to eat Dorayaki, however much you want."

Under everyone's gaze, Ono Mika said: "What's important isn't the Dorayaki, it's Effort!"

Her left ear visibly reddened.

"C." Mikami Ai said.

Ono Mika let out a breath of relief; as long as it wasn't last place, it was fine.

"Finally, me," Mikami Ai said, "A."

Qingshan Li: "."

"Mikami Classmate really works hard." Ono Mika said.

"I think so too!" Drummer Mumi affirmed.

"Even I got a C, so Mikami Classmate is definitely an A!" Agatsuma Haruka nodded.

"Mikami Junior is double A!" Not knowing what Bass Sakurako meant.

Mikami Ai smiled and looked at Qingshan Li; Qingshan Li looked at the dorayaki belonging to himself.

Busy for half a day, and he didn't get to eat any?

"Qingshan Li," Mikami Ai's smile grew even more brilliant, "You, A."

Qingshan Li: "."

"This isn't right!" Not knowing where Agatsuma Haruka felt it wasn't right.

"Junior Student-kun, I lied to you; actually Mikami Junior isn't double A, she's double B, no, double C! Absolutely C!" Also not knowing which part of what Bass Sakurako said was double C.

Wait, is there really?

"Got it got it, inspiration came, hehe, 'You, A', hehe~" Similarly not knowing what F·Rino's brain structure was.

These people are all gross, in every aspect.

"Both of us are A; yours is mine, you eat what they left." Mikami Ai said.

Qingshan Li: "."

Why is it always different from what he thought?

Forget it; as long as he gets to eat dorayaki, it's fine.

(Chapter End)