A Story About a Blonde Gal Angel Who Excessively Praises My Cooking. After Asking Me to Teach Her How to Cook, Feelings of Mutual Love Began to Grow - Chapter 94-95

Chapter 94:

“Happy birthday, Amatsuka-san!!”

“Thank you!!”

Amatsuka-san wore a bright red afro wig with a colorful party hat on top, oversized glasses with a big nose and mustache, and a sash that read, “You’re the star!” She was having fun, delighted in her exaggerated party look. Apparently, these were props that Miaki-san had brought.

“Thank you for doing this for Miu today.”

Amatsuka-san’s mother, Rin-san, politely expressed her gratitude. Just that simple gesture gave off a strong sense of being a “mature adult.” She must be really good at her job.

“Miu-chan, you’re an August baby too? Same as me.”

“Hinata-san too? We’re the same!”

Hinata-san ended up joining the celebration, making one more participant than originally planned. She had offered to help Momohara make the cake. According to Naoto-san, while she wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking, she was good at baking sweets.

“When she sees the cake, Miu-chan’s going to be so surprised! It’s like a home-run prediction!”

“Hinata-san is super confident.”

“H-Hinata-san was amazing. I was so shocked…”

“I also had the pleasure of helping with the cake. It turned out quite well.”

Kurose-san also participated? I hope it went alright. But with Momohara and Hinata-san involved, it should be fine.

“Well, let’s eat first.”

And so, Amatsuka-san’s birthday party began. The dishes I prepared with extra care—starting with the roasted beef and terrine—were served alongside carpaccio, pasta, and other lavish meals. Compared to the usual birthday parties at the Motobu household, this was quite extravagant.

“Miu-chan, I helped with the terrine too, you know.”

“Thank you, Miaki-chan.”

Amatsuka-san, in her party look, hugged Miaki-san. The scene was somewhat surreal, but it was heartwarming.

The sauce for the terrine was a simple mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. I thought about making a basil sauce, but I wasn’t sure if it would suit Miaki-san’s taste.

“The roast beef is delicious!”

“I never thought we’d have this at home.”

“The meat is so juicy!”

“If you have a low-temperature cooker, it’s easy.”

Kurose-san, seated nearby, also seemed to be enjoying the roast beef. I was relieved to see she could taste the flavors properly. Amatsuka-san and Rin-san also seemed satisfied with the roast beef. All thanks to the low-temperature cooker.

The lively atmosphere at Amatsuka-san’s family dinner was something new for me. I had never experienced such a lively birthday party before, but it was more fun than I expected. All the effort put into cooking was worth it.

“Well then, it’s time for the cake.”

Hinata-san looked excited. I should take a picture of that smug face. Naoto-san would probably be happy to see it.

Hinata-san, Momohara, and Kurose-san all headed to the kitchen. The lights were dimmed, and they brought out the cake with candles lit.

“Happy birthday to you♪”

In the dim light, the cake was brought out. And on top of it was an angel. An angel indeed.

It was a figure-like angel with long blonde hair resembling Amatsuka-san. Amatsuka wore a pure white dress, had angel wings on its back, and was sitting in a delicate pose on the cake, coated in black chocolate.

“Amazing!!”

Amatsuka-san’s excitement hit a new high when she saw the cake.

“Happy birthday dear Miu-chan♪”

Seeing Amatsuka-san’s astonished expression, Hinata-san wore an even more smug look. Even Miaki-san, standing next to her, had sparkling eyes. It was no surprise—no one had ever seen a cake like this before.

“Happy birthday to you♪”

“Congratulations!!”

“Thank youuu!!”

Amatsuka-san was so captivated by the cake that she forgot to blow out the candles.

“Miu-chan, hurry and blow out the candles! The angel on the cake might melt!”

“Huh?! It’ll melt?!”

“This angel is made of chocolate.”

“If you don’t blow out the candles soon, the angel will melt into a puddle.”

“W-Whoa!”

Amatsuka-san hurriedly blew out the candles on the cake, successfully saving the cake.

“Congratulations!!”

“Thank you, everyone!! I want to take pictures!”

Amatsuka-san took photos of the angel on the cake from every angle. Once she had captured all the shots she could, she then took photos with everyone.

A cake with an angel on it. It’s bound to be a hit on Instagram. But seriously, is it really made of chocolate? It’s colored so perfectly.

Now that I think about it, I’ve seen something like this in a video before. One of those videos featuring chocolate artisans overseas.

“Is this…really chocolate?”

“It’s chocolate.”

“It’s not a figure?”

“It’s chocolate.”

“Momohara-kun, is it really chocolate?”

“Yes. It’s chocolate.”

Amatsuka-san was skeptical, and understandably so.

“If you’re that doubtful, why not take a bite?”

“It’s too cute to eat!!”

Amatsuka-san’s adorable cry of despair echoed through the Amatsuka family’s dining room.

—

Chapter 95: After the Birthday Party

After finishing the feast at the Amatsuka household, we returned home. Since Miko-san is still young, everyone headed home early.

“Hello, Amatsuka-san? What’s wrong?”

Just as I finished getting ready for bed, Amatsuka-san called me.

“Hello, Motobu-kun? Is this a good time?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“Thank you for today. The food was delicious.”

“Everything was overshadowed by Hinata-san’s team’s cake, though.”

“That was unfair! It was too cute.”

Amatsuka-san’s laughter echoed through the phone. I remembered how I felt defeated by the impact of the angel-shaped chocolate cake.

“But the terrine you made was beautiful, and the roast beef was really delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Please teach me how to make the terrine next time.”

“Terrines take a lot of work, you know.”

“I heard that from Miaki-chan. She said it was super time-consuming.”

Well, terrine was originally a dish made to preserve food. The effort put into making it reflects the value of the food. Back in the day, it was worth all the work to prepare.

“Miko-chan seemed to really enjoy the terrine too.”

“I knew Miko-san would be at the birthday party, so I wanted to try making a vegetable dish she would like.”

I didn’t want Miko-san to make a face of disgust at Amatsuka-san’s birthday party. If she could eat it happily, then the effort was worth it.

“Usually, it’s just me and Mom going out to eat, so today was different. It was lively and fun.”

Amatsuka-san’s voice was calm and serene. She must have felt the same way I did.

“I offered your cooking at the altar for my dad too. It was fancier than usual, so maybe he was happy.”

“I hope your father enjoyed it.”

“Maybe he said, ‘Wow, a feast! It’s been a while!’ and was excited.”

“Well, I think he’d be more pleased with your cooking than mine, Amatsuka-san.”

“Hehe. Who knows?”

There are stories floating around on the internet about offering food to the dead. It’s said that ghosts or the deceased receive feelings rather than the food itself.

There’s a tale of a man night-fishing who encountered a woman’s ghost by the sea. Frightened, he offered her a cup of sake, saying, ‘Please accept this!’ After that, the ghost disappeared.

When the man resumed fishing and drank the leftover sake, he found it tasteless. They say ghosts consume the essence of the food rather than the flavor.

Though that story is probably just superstition, such things are said to happen. If Amatsuka-san’s father was satisfied, that’s good enough for me. Even ghosts appreciate a househusband’s cooking, it seems.

“Motobu-kun, can I ask you for something?”

“As it’s Amatsuka-san’s birthday today, I’ll grant your wish if it’s within my power.”

“I want you to stay on the phone with me until I fall asleep.”

“I suppose that’s reasonable.”

I had already gotten ready for bed. With ten days left until school, staying up a little late wasn’t a problem.

“Thank you. I wanted to fall asleep listening to your voice.”

“Does my voice really make you that sleepy? I don’t think it has any soothing effects.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

I could faintly hear the sound of Amatsuka-san turning over in bed through the phone. Her voice became slower and more relaxed, signaling that her body was preparing to sleep.

“Ever since you started teaching me how to cook, every day has been fun. It was always fun before, but now it feels more fulfilling.”

“Food is important in life, after all.”

“Of course, but I feel like I’ve found more people to share precious time with.”

Amatsuka-san sounded content, like she was filled with peace. I could sense that from her calm voice.

She’s someone who will always be surrounded by many people. That won’t change in the future, either.

She’s different from me.

“Motobu-kun…you know…”

At that moment, I heard the sound of Amatsuka-san’s soft breathing. She must have been exhausted from all the excitement.

“Good night.”

I whispered and ended the call. Today has been a fulfilling day for me too.