No Wonder I'm Unwanted in This Chastity-Reversed World - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

“Well… being able to cook means you should at least be able to use a knife to cut ingredients and have some basic understanding of cooking.”

I asked again.

I was wondering if they might have interpreted my statement as needing to be extremely skilled at cooking. 

Girls from the other groups seemed either naturally good at cooking or like they had practiced a lot, so perhaps they felt pressured and found it hard to speak up.

Ah, if anyone wants to try my home cooking, I’d be more than happy to make it!

“…”

“…”

“”……””

In the end, no hands went up.

Zero, as I feared.

Wait, this isn’t like last time where only I didn’t get a response. Does this mean no one can actually cook? What about a meal from a beautiful girl? Am I the only one who won’t get to experience that?

“It might sound strange coming from me, but… should we all try cutting some ingredients together?”

Rui suggested with a wry smile.

“Right! You might find it surprisingly doable once you try!”

Five minutes later…

“I see… Alright, then I’ll be in charge of cooking!”

Looking at the ingredients in front of me, I spoke. 

These were the curry ingredients everyone had cut.

The carrots were chopped rather haphazardly, but that was still on the acceptable side. 

As for the onions, it seemed like they had stung someone’s eyes midway; their peels were partially removed, giving them an abstract art-like appearance.

The potatoes, despite their large size, had been cut into pieces smaller than diced steak. 

And the tomatoes intended for the salad were… mushy… yeah.

The way they were holding the knives was precarious from the start. 

They gripped the knife tightly, almost like making a fist.

It looked eerily similar to how a yandere heroine would hold a knife!

I was on edge, worried they might accidentally cut off more than just vegetables.

While there are specific ways to cut each ingredient to allow for better flavor absorption… this was not the time to get into that. 

I wanted to try the home-cooked meals of these beautiful girls, but if I left it up to them, we wouldn’t even be able to make a simple stir-fry, let alone curry.

As you may have guessed from my thorough critique, none of them really knew how to cook.

“Um… I’m sorry, Ikuto.”

“I apologize, Ichise-kun.”

“”Sorry…””

Everyone looked dejected.

“No, no! I’m not blaming anyone for not being able to cook! We have roles to play, and it’s dangerous if someone who’s not familiar with cooking gets hurt. It’s good that we checked in advance!”

I had never seen everyone this downcast before.

“Let’s switch gears, shall we?”

I tried to encourage them.

It sounded like something out of a sports manga, but after all, we were just going to cook.

“First, let’s clean up.”

“Right, we should!”

We couldn’t cook with everyone’s chopped vegetables scattered all over the place.

“I’ll go ahead and dispose of these ingredients.”

“Ah, wait, Kanoya-san!”

“Yes?”

I stopped Kanoya-san, who was gathering the vegetables on a tray to take them away.

“It’s a waste not to use the ingredients that everyone worked hard to cut.”

“…Is that okay?”

“Of course!” 

In fact, I’d love to use them.

“But Ikuto, can you really make curry with these ingredients?”

Rui asked, looking concerned.

“Well, I can’t make the typical home-style curry filled with large chunks of ingredients.”

“In that case, maybe we should replace the ingredients…”

“Hold on, hold on. The theme is curry, right?”

“Yes, it’s curry, but…”

“There are other types of curry besides the homey ones, you know?”

“Other types?”

Not just Rui, but everyone else looked puzzled as well.

“How about dry curry?” 

For that, all we have to do is mince the vegetables that everyone has cut. Plus, dry curry has smaller pieces, making it easier for everyone to eat.

“I see. Dry curry, huh? If it’s okay with you, Ikuto, it’s okay with me.”

“I’ll follow Ichise-kun’s instructions.”

“Me too!”

“Same here!”

Everyone agreed, so let’s get to cooking right away. Besides, I was starting to get really hungry…

“Rui, could you please get the water?”

“Okay.”

“Can you two start the fire? And I’d also like you to cook some rice in the rice cooker. If you’re unsure about anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“”Y-yes!””

“Kanoya-san, I’d like you to cook with me here.”

“Understood.”

Everyone took on their respective roles. 

With the tasks divided, everything should go smoothly. 

I further minced the vegetables that everyone had cut.

I added the chopped roux to the frying pan and mixed it, frying it over the fire to get rid of the moisture. 

Thinking that Kanoya-san could handle the frying, I asked her to take over. 

In the meantime, I went to check on the two girls who were starting the fire and observed as they cooked the white rice in the rice cooker. 

Once Rui finished fetching the water, I had her prepare the dishes.

“…Hey, look!”

“Is that Ichise-kun!? He’s at the cooking station!”

“What!? A guy is cooking over there in that group?”

Such noisy voices reached my ears.

“Hm? Is something wrong?”

I suddenly realized that everyone was focused on me. Currently, I was adjusting the flavors.

“Seeing you cook is a first for me, Ikuto. You’re quite skillful.”

“Well, I cook regularly, after all.”

Before coming to this alternate world where gender roles were reversed, I had never cooked. 

My mom had an educational philosophy of letting me try anything and not giving me special treatment just because I’m a man.

Above all, I thought being able to cook would make me more attractive!

“Your instructions were also spot-on, and you can cook. You’re amazing, Ikuto.”

“O-Oh… thank you.”

Being praised like that makes me feel a bit embarrassed.

“I’ve never seen a guy cook before.”

“Right? He’s so cool.”

It seemed like the girls were reacting well. Good thing I could cook!

“But my younger brother is actually a better cook than I am.”

“You have a younger brother!?”

“If he’s Ichise-kun’s brother, he must be a good boy, right?”

Ah, the conversation got lively talking about Kuno.

If they found out Kuno is a handsome young man, it would create even more of a stir. 

Kuno will be applying to our high school next year, so if there’s time, I might talk about him to everyone. 

After that, we managed to finish the dry curry and a side salad within the time limit.

“There’s no curry roux in this! This is more like meat and potatoes!”

“Ah! I got so engrossed I burnt the rice!”

“We didn’t even make the curry!”

“Rather, could we get a share of that curry… a curry made by a man…”

“Hey, you all! Make sure you complete it properly! We’re grading this as a group activity, it’ll affect your grades!”

As soon as Kiyomi-sensei said that, everyone began to hustle. 

All the groups somehow managed to complete their dishes, and everyone started eating after saying grace.

“Mm, delicious!”

“This is good…”

“What is this? Woow!”

“Oh, this is too delicious!”

Judging by everyone’s reactions, it looked like the dish turned out well. The two girls seemed slightly excited.

“Yes, it’s delicious!”

The dry curry itself was delicious, but eating it with everyone made it feel even tastier.

I was worried about how the field trip would go, but it’s fun!

I get to talk to the girls, and it is enjoyable!

Although, if I could be greedy…

“Here, say ‘ahh!'”

“Ahh! That’s not fair, I want to feed you too!”

“Rather, it should be me!”

I wouldn’t mind them being a bit more forward!

“Ichise-kun, what’s the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing. Haha…”

I can’t very well say they can be more forward; it would defeat the purpose of having male bodyguard Rui and aide Kanoya-san around.

“I’m going to get seconds!”

“Me too!”

“Then maybe I should go too.”

The two girls and Rui went to get more food, leaving me and Kanoya-san alone.

“The dry curry really is delicious. But I’m already full…”

Kanoya-san looked apologetic. 

I understood what she meant when I glanced toward Rui and the others.

“Feel free to get seconds; don’t worry about it. Besides, you finished your plate beautifully, Kanoya-san!”

Indeed, not a single grain was left on Kanoya-san’s plate. Come to think of it, her eating manners were impeccable. Was she raised well?

“Ichise-kun, you’re as kind as ever.”

“Thank you. Being kind is better than being angry, right?”

“Yes, that’s true. That’s why everyone…”

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing. Should I bring some more water?”

“Ah, could you, please?”

As Rui and the others returned, Kanoya-san went to refill my water as well.

Kanoya-san is really considerate, a good person.

But there’s something I can’t help but think about when I look at Kanoya-san.

“…”

My gaze shifted to Kanoya-san’s legs.

You can’t see the black tights when she’s wearing sweatpants!