Nyanko-sensei's nose suddenly twitched several times, its round tip flaring at an unprecedented frequency, as though it wanted to capture every wisp of tempting fragrance in the air.
Its golden pupils shrank into thin slits with extreme shock and desire, fixed firmly on the dish that had suddenly appeared in Natsume's hands.
"This smell..."
"It smells so good! Unreasonably good! It's practically cheating, Natsume!"
Even Nyanko-sensei's voice had changed, trembling as if it had encountered its natural predator.
The fur all over its body puffed up slightly, its tail lashed uncontrollably, and its short front paws kneaded Natsume's arm without conscious thought. It was a cat's instinctive reaction when overwhelmed with excitement.
"Is this really food?"
"It smells even better than the rich fat aroma of the plumpest Pacific saury in the forest roasted golden brown, and it's a hundred times more tempting than Nanatsutsuya's freshly baked Red Bean Buns!"
"No, a thousand times! Ten thousand times!"
"There's alcohol mixed in, too? No, it's something even mellower!"
"And the sweetest, freshest scent from the depths of the sea, sun-dried hay, and spices... Damn it, how can it smell so complex and so good?!"
It babbled incoherently, but its limited vocabulary could not possibly describe the fragrance assailing all its senses.
Takashi Natsume was just as shaken, perhaps no better off than Nyanko-sensei.
Though he had been prepared, the moment he smelled that unbelievable fragrance, his warm brown eyes widened uncontrollably. Reflected in his pupils were the artistic dish on the plate and the rich, surging wave of aroma it carried.
He had watched the Memory Copies of Cooking Master Boy and Food Wars!, and knew just how miraculous Liu Maoxing's and Erina Nakiri's cooking skills were, as well as how their dishes possessed flavors that surpassed all common sense.
But