Distressed Pudding 5
“I knew there was a cooking studio here, but it’s my first time seeing it actually being used.”
“Events like this are usually held during the day when housewives can easily participate or at night after work hours. If you only come here after school on weekdays, you might never encounter one.”
Nodding at Chika’s reasoning, curiosity drew him closer to the front of the studio.
“Today’s menu is 『Omelette Rice with Hashed Beef』, it seems.”
“That sounds delicious.”
Both stood looking intently at the poster on the glass wall.
It read, 『Participation fee is one thousand yen per person. Aprons are available for rent, so feel free to join us on a whim without bringing anything.』
“…Shall we give it a try?”
“It does sound fun! Now that I think about it, I’ve never cooked with you before, Sōma-san, so I’d like to try it!”
It seemed they were on the same page. Despite the spontaneous idea, Chika agreed enthusiastically.
After checking with a staff member near the entrance, who confirmed there was still space available, they decided to join the other couples and put on rental aprons.
“Sōma-san, let me tie your apron strings!”
“No, I can do it myself. How many times do you think I’ve worn an apron?”
“I want to do it! In return, I’ll let you tie the strings of my apron.”
“It’s not like I want to tie your apron, you know.”
While exchanging such banter, we tied each other’s waist ties.
After making sure our aprons were properly on, we greeted the couple preparing in the kitchen next to us.
“We’ve joined on a whim. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, same here.”
The polite couple who bowed back were in their mid-twenties, and on the ring fingers of their left hands shone brand-new platinum rings. They seemed like newlyweds.
The husband looked at Sōma and me intently and asked,
“You two are quite young. A high school couple, perhaps?”
“We’re high school students, but not a couple.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Perhaps it was rare for non-couples to participate as the newlyweds exchanged surprised glances.
While this was happening, a gentle-mannered instructor stepped forward.
“Hello, everyone. Welcome to the cooking class. Today’s dish may seem difficult at first glance, but it’s quite simple once you grasp the key points. It’s a hearty dish with many variations, so I hope you’ll remember how to make it and take it home with you. It’s also perfect for making together with a partner, so please work well together and complete it. Now, let’s go over the specific cooking steps. Please look at the handouts you’ve been given. First, we’ll start by cutting the vegetables―”
The instructor carefully explained how to cut the vegetables, the order to put them in the pot, and how to adjust the heat.
『Omelette Rice with Hashed Beef』 was not as difficult as the instructor said.
It essentially involved making omelet rice and hashed beef and combining the two.
Omelette rice just required making ketchup rice and a plain omelet, and hashed beef could be made by sauteing vegetables and meat, then simmering them with roux.
Unless one was particularly bad at cooking, it shouldn’t be too challenging.
“That teacher is way better at explaining than our home economics teacher at school.”
“Yes, the explanations are very clear and easy to understand.”
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While talking, Sōma began sauteing thinly sliced beef in a pan with butter, and Chika was chopping onions next to him.
“Speaking of teaching, I wish something could be done about our Classical Japanese teacher, Naito. I seriously can’t understand what he’s saying.”
“Should I teach you again then?”
After Chika added the onions she had chopped to the pan, she began to finely dice a new onion, and Sōma added butter to another pan and set it on low heat.
“Are you talking about that embarrassing role play you call teaching? No joke, I’d rather not go through that again.”
“But you did well on the Classical Japanese midterm, didn’t you? That must be because of my teaching.”
“I’ll never admit that.”
Indeed, the score on the classical literature section of the midterm was unexpectedly good. But even so, Sōma didn’t want to go through the immensely embarrassing experience again just for a high score.
“Um…”
As they efficiently continued cooking while chatting, the newlywed couple next to them hesitantly spoke up.
“You two started dividing the work without any discussion… do you always do this kind of thing? Even though you’re not a couple?”
At that question, Sōma and Chika looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.
“No, this is our first time cooking together.”
“Sōma-san isn’t used to using a knife, so I thought it would be better if I cut the vegetables.”
“On the other hand, she’s not great with managing the heat. She’s had a big cooking disaster before.”
“Are you talking about that acqua pazza incident? That was a one-time mistake, I tell you.”
“Really? We’ll see about that.”
“Hmph. If you’re going to say that, then please come over this weekend. I’ll treat you to a very delicious acqua pazza.”
“If you end up making curry again, I’ll give you an earful.”
As the onions Chika had put in the pan began to turn translucent, Sōma stepped aside to let her take over the stove with a bowl of rice in hand.
While Chika energetically stirred the rice and onions, Sōma prepared eggs and seasonings at the worktop.
As they continued to cook at a good pace, the instructor, who was circulating among the kitchens to check on the students, came over.
To the newlyweds next door, she gave detailed advice like, “You should do this task first,” or “While the husband is working on this, the wife should proceed with that.”
After giving them a range of tips, she came over to Sōma and Chika, but instead of offering advice, she observed them closely and asked the same question as the newlyweds.
“You two are in sync. Do you usually do this kind of thing?”
“No, this is our first time.”
“Is that so? Even so, you’re coordinating very well. You must be a close couple.”
In the end, she left without giving any advice, just compliments, and moved on to the other people.