Actually, the Hungry Gyaru Who Eats a Lot Was Being Cheated On, so I Decided to Win Her Heart (And Stomach) From Her Jerk Boyfriend - 26

Chapter 26: The Hungry Gyaru and the Cooking Practice

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In the end, the boys in the class kept begging me to switch groups even after the day changed. However, Miura finally stepped in. She glared at them and dismissed all of their pleas with a sharp…

“We’re not going to accept you guys.”

She effectively stopped the boys’ persistent urging. And so, a week passed by peacefully. We were having a cooking practice today. Just before the home economics lesson started, the boys were sending me sharp glares, full of resentment. 

“Darn it…! That Suou…! I’m so jealous…!!”

“Look at him! He’s practically in a harem!!”

“Suou… You shithead, I will curse you and all of your descendants…!”

“Down with the sinful man! Down with the sinful man!!!!”

Though no one actually said it out loud, but their glares spoke volumes. They were glaring at me from a distance and the intensity of their glare made me feel some of them were cursing me for real, but well, let’s just assume it was just my imagination. It turned out the stares from the boys were that palpable, so much so that Shizuku also noticed it. She leaned in and whispered apologetically at me with her face laced in guilt. 

“Suou-kun, I’m sorry about this…”

“Like I said, you don’t have anything to apologize for, Kushina. Besides, I’m already used to it by now.”

Indeed. After being tormented by the boys’ glare for nearly a week, I had built up some resistance against it. By this point, their glares couldn’t shake me anymore. 

That said… Shizuku in an apron… Surprisingly enough, she actually looked good in an apron. She was donned in a plain olive-green apron. The apron itself was designed to prioritize practicality rather than unnecessary embellishment, but this plainness only served to accentuate Shizuku’s natural charm all the more. Her long, platinum-blonde hair was tied up high, exposing the back of her white neck. The sight made me hesitate to look directly at her. As I followed her with my gaze out of the corner of my eye, Shizuku stared at me curiously and blinked her blue eyes.

“…Is something wrong?”

“Ah, no… It’s nothing.”

There was no way I could admit I was feeling flustered by the sight of her bare neck. I quickly averted my gaze to cover my embarrassment. For some reason, Miura and the rest of Shizuku’s gyaru friends were smirking at me from the other side of the cooking station. I had a feeling if I were to strike a conversation with them, I would only draw even more unwanted attention toward me, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. 

A few minutes later…

“Alright, let’s get started!”

As soon as the bell rang, Maruo-sensei began giving us a brief explanation of what we were going to make. This time, we would be making chicken curry by using curry powder instead of roux, paired with a green salad with dressing on top. In addition to that, we were tasked to create our own toppings using ingredients we brought from home. After finishing the explanation, Maruo-sensei then…

“And that’s all! Now do as you like!”

With a clap, Maruo-sensei finished the explanation. Then, we each got to work on our respective tasks for cooking the curry. 

“Alright. I will handle the curry. Kushina and the others, can you all take care of the rice and salad?”

I said while picking up a knife and an onion to start prepping. The gyaru responded with a perfectly synchronized “Yes, sir!” followed by a mock salute.

What is this, a military drill?

Suppressing the urge to quip aloud, I began the preparations. First, I swiftly peeled the onion and sliced it thinly. Then, I minced the garlic and ginger into fine pieces. Right when I was about to trim the chicken thighs, I suddenly noticed the tangible pressure from being watched by someone from the front. Looking up, I saw Miura, Sasamoto and Suzuki staring at me from the other side of the kitchen station with their eyes wide open from shock.

“…Umm… It’s kind of hard to work when you stare at me so intensely like that…”

“Ah, sorry. It’s just, I didn’t expect you’re this good at cooking. You’re moving so efficiently and precisely. I couldn’t stop myself from staring.”

“I know, right? I mean, yeah, Shizuku told us you were good at cooking, but this? This is pro-level stuff! I mean, look at these veggies Suou cut! They’re super thin and finely sliced! This is insane!”

“Seeing this with my own eyes makes me feel like I’ve suffered a total defeat as a girl. Suou, you’re truly a fearsome opponent…”

The three of them chimed in one after another. Not used to hearing someone praising me so highly like that, I felt a bit embarrassed. My inside felt a bit tingly all over. My eyes wandered, trying to distract myself from the embarrassment, when…

“Oi! Sawa! And all of you too! You need to do your part! Get back to work!”

Shizuku, who had been rinsing the rice, yelled at her friends. Miura and the others only lazily replied,”Okaaaay~” before returning to their respective tasks. 

“Sorry, Suou-kun, for distracting you.”

“No, it’s fine. But… Thank you for being considerate of me.”

I said, letting a small smile slip. 

“…I mean, it’s nothing. I just did what anyone naturally would.”

Shizuku murmured softly, dropping her gaze to her hands. Once I confirmed they had stopped staring at me, I resumed my work. I removed the tendons and cartilage from the chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces. With that, the prep was complete. I just needed to toss them into the pot. 

“Alright. Now then—”

Now that I had finished my task, I looked around to check on everyone else. 

“Hey, how should I cut the salad vegetables?”

“Natsuki!!! Don’t point the knife blade this way!! You’re scaring me!! Wait, what?! There’s a bug in the vegetables!! Rinoaaaaa!!! Get them away from me!!!”

“Do it yourself. I’m busy making the dressing… Ah. I put too much salt in.”

I see. It seemed this cooking lesson was going to be more entertaining than I thought… In a lot of ways, of course.

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