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 - 43

Chapter 43: The Hungry Gyaru and a Huge Serving of Curry

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We had a wide array of toppings. From pork cutler, hamburg steak, fried chicken, sausage, assortments of fried seafood, scrambled egg and assortments of vegetables. The curry itself was presented in a fancy way too, with heaps of spinach and topped with grilled cheese. It looked like something a kid might come up with as a joke due to its ridiculously excessive toppings. But, this curry was as real as it could get and we had two of these huge servings of curry in front of Shizuku and me. 

Upon seeing this spectacle, my older sister was left speechless.

“Wow… Seeing the two meals together like this is really… Impressive.”

My older sister said with an awkward smile on her face. The curry rice alone weighed just under three kilograms and with toppings included, the total weight would reach around four kilograms. That said, Shizuku could probably finish it all without breaking a sweat.

“It’s so amazing! Everything looks super delicious…!”

Shizuku said while staring at her plate with an enchanted look in her eyes. 

“Suou-kun, you even went out of your way to make saffron rice too!”

“Yeah. You said you wanted to eat the same dish we made during cooking class, right? So I figured I should reenact the rice too. Well, this is my first attempt at making saffron rice though, so I’m not really sure about the taste.”

Since I made it in a large batch, the flavor might have tasted a bit different than what we had during cooking class. 

“…Well, anyway, let’s eat while it’s still warm.”

“Yeah! Well then… Itadakimasu.”

Shizuku said while clasping her hands neatly together. 

“Itadakimasu.”

Ichika, who was sitting across from Shizuku, also put her hands together. Ichika had always been a good girl, but ever since she started having meals with Shizuku, her mannerism has become much better now. Somehow, she began to exude a certain elegance in her subtle gestures. She probably wasn’t doing it consciously, but it was clear to see that Shizuku had a positive influence on her. This was truly a wonderful sight to see. 

“Mmh!~ Whoa, this is, like, insanely good! The spices give off a unique aroma that just spreads throughout my mouth! It’s incredible and the saffron rice is superb! I mean, I think this tastes even better than the ones we had in the cooking class even?!”

“Really? Maybe it’s because I used better quality spices this time. Also, I guess I’m starting to get a better feel for it since I’ve made it once before.”

“Whoa, it’s been a while since I last heard Suou-kun’s genius comment. Everyone who’s naturally gifted at cooking always say things like that. You said you weren’t sure about the saffron rice, but the saffron rice is perfectly seasoned!”

Shizuku said while staring at me intently. But as soon as she took another bite of the curry, her usual smile returned to her face, as if nothing had happened earlier. 

Really. These reactions of her were the reason why all that cooking I had done since this morning felt so worthwhile. Then, Shizuku turned her attention to Ichika. 

“What do you think, Ichika-chan? Don’t you think Suou-kun’s curry is delicious too?”

“Yeah, it’s super delicious! It tastes different from usual, but I like this curry too!”

“I’m glad to hear you two like it.”

Watching the two of them smiling so happily, a smile started to blossom on my face too. Ichika couldn’t eat spicy food, so I added a bit of honey and grated apple to her plate, just enough to add some sweetness without ruining the whole flavor. It looked like my plan was a success. Well, the spices were meant to suit everyone’s palate, so the species itself  didn’t taste that peculiar from the start. 

I made a small fist pump in my mind as I started taking a bite out of the curry. The saffron rice really enhanced the aroma of the spices. When I taste tested the curry during the cooking process, I didn’t really notice it much, but just like what Shizuku said, it seemed this saffron rice might be better than what we made in cooking class. 

It’s just… Personally speaking, I will love it more if it’s a bit spicier. 

I thought to myself as I started reaching out for the toppings piled up high on the plate. First, the hamburg. Last time, Suzuki had messed up the ratio, so the hamburg ended up more like a juicy soup dumpling filling. The one Suzuki had messed up didn’t taste that bad, but the hamburg I made this time had less filler compared to that. I was trying to focus on bringing out the taste of the meat itself this time. 

“…Yeah, not bad.”

I muttered, not directing it to anyone in particular. If I were the only one eating, I wanted it to be a little softer, but since the curry was a bit thinner than usual since I didn’t use curry roux, the meat absorbed the moisture from the curry, so the texture turned out just right in the end. If I let the hamburg soak in the curry for a while before eating, the hamburg would be infused with the taste of the curry, making it taste even better. 

“Hey, hey, Suou-kun! Do you know, if you mix the grilled cheese, the hamburg and the curry together, it’s going to taste super amazing! This combination is beyond godly! It’s absolutely divine!”

“Godly and divine are the same thing though.. But, yeah. Thank you for the praise. I’m honored to receive such high praise from the esteemed Shizuku-sama.”

I said rather dramatically.

“Yeah, indeed. You deserve this praise.”

Shizuku returned the grandiose gesture as she took another bite of the curry. 

“Yeah! It’s so good!~”

Just like usual, watching her eating so joyfully really made me feel warm all over. Hearing her saying ‘delicious’ over and over again just enhanced the happiness even more. While I was watching her, I suddenly noticed that my older sister was giving me a certain look, like she wanted to say something to me. No. Her eyes alone already spoke volumes. She was silently begging me,’Please, stop staring at Shizuku and eat already.’

Well, I guess I can’t keep staring at her forever. 

I thought to myself as I tried to force my gaze away from Shizuku, but before I could do so, my eyes met with Shizuku’s. She immediately gave me a shy, almost bashful smile and my thoughts nearly went blank for a second there. 

I didn’t know why, but that smile just now had a very overwhelming power on me. 

“Hm? Suou-kun? What’s wrong?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Of course, I couldn’t possibly say I was just staring at her, so I quickly turned my attention back to my own plate, trying to hide the bubbling embarrassment.

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