"You can look at me all you want, but it won't help." Luo Yu took a sip of tea. "Stamina is a hard limitation. If you want to perform onstage, that little bit of endurance simply won't cut it."
"Hehe! Yui, stop struggling and come work out with me." Ritsu Tainaka directly hugged Yui Hirasawa and began some cute girl-on-girl snuggling.
Come to think of it, Yui was a genius with perfect pitch. She learned all the knowledge Luo Yu taught her very quickly.
But I remembered Yui was kind of single-threaded, and midterms were coming up soon. Would she forget all of this by then? Should I prepare to teach her all over again?
Watching Yui Hirasawa eat like a hamster, Luo Yu felt he should prepare early.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The girls had not heard the knocking, so Luo Yu answered the visitor himself.
"Hello, Teacher Hiratsuka told me to come here. Huh? Isn't this the Service Club?" A girl with pink dumpling-shaped hair buns walked in.
Wasn't this Dumpling? So she had made her appearance too.
With that thought, Luo Yu pointed Yui Yuigahama in the right direction.
"This is the Light Music Club. The Service Club you're looking for is over there." Luo Yu pointed toward Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya in the corner.
"Why is the shut-in here?" Yui Yuigahama asked with a panicked expression.
"Because I'm a member of this club." Was "shut-in" referring to me? Hachiman Hikigaya wondered in confusion.
"You're Yui Yuigahama from Class 2-F, correct? Please have a seat first." Yukino Yukinoshita brought over a chair and spoke to Yui Yuigahama.
Yui Yuigahama obediently sat down.
"You know me?" Yui Yuigahama asked Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Because she memorized everyone's name in the entire school." Luo Yu leaned over behind Hachiman Hikigaya as he spoke. That terrifying memory was almost on par with his own.
"Hey! When did you get here?" Hachiman Hikigaya jumped at the voice that had suddenly appeared behind him.
"Sorry, sorry." Luo Yu brushed it off casually.
"No, I don't know that person's name." Yukino Yukinoshita pointed at Hachiman Hikigaya.
"I see." Hachiman Hikigaya sank into depression.
"You don't need to blame yourself. If anyone is to blame, it can only be me for being too weak to ever face your existence directly."
Then Yukino Yukinoshita turned to the smiling Luo Yu. "Luo Yu, isn't the Light Music Club over there? Did you need something?"
"Isn't it because this is the first time I've seen someone come to ask you two for help? I'm curious. There's no problem with me watching from the side, right, Yukino?" Luo Yu wore an expression of pure amusement. After all, who wasn't here for the fun?
The Dark Cuisine World Needs Talent Like You
After watching their exchange, Yui Yuigahama said excitedly, "It feels like... your club activities are really interesting!"
"Luo Yu isn't a member of our club." Yukino Yukinoshita said with a headache.
"If you're willing, Yukino, you can consider me a member of the Service Club too." Luo Yu said with a smile.
"Hey! Luo Yu, are you betraying me?" Ritsu Tainaka could not stand it any longer and began shouting at Luo Yu.
"I'm joking. Ritsu, I won't quit the Light Music Club." Luo Yu assured Ritsu Tainaka. "Besides, Hikigaya and I are friends. It's fine for me to come chat with my friend, isn't it?"
"Right now is the one time I don't want to be your friend." Hachiman Hikigaya looked deeply resistant.
"How could you? Hikigaya, are you betraying our revolutionary friendship?" Luo Yu widened his eyes and pointed at Hachiman Hikigaya in disbelief.
"When did we ever have a revolutionary friendship?!" Hachiman Hikigaya shot back sharply.
"Just as I thought, you're all really interesting. And shut-in, you actually talk a lot." Yui Yuigahama sighed again and addressed Hachiman Hikigaya.
"Huh?" Hachiman Hikigaya questioned.
"Ah, how should I put it..." Yui Yuigahama tried to organize her words. "You're completely different from how you are in the classroom. Normally, you're always sneaking around, and it feels kind of gross."
"So that's what Hikigaya is like normally. Hey, Dumpling over there, can you tell me more about Hikigaya?" Luo Yu asked Yui Yuigahama with a strange expression.
"Huh? Are you calling me Dumpling?" Yui Yuigahama pointed at herself and asked in confusion.
"Of course. You look exactly like a dumpling." Luo Yu answered. The real reason was that he had gotten used to calling her Dumpling. Saying Yuigahama felt awkward somehow. As expected, Dumpling rolled off the tongue best.
"I didn't expect you to be that kind of person, Luo Yu." Ritsu Tainaka looked utterly incredulous.
"Luo Luo, H." Yui Hirasawa chimed in as well.
Hearing the girls' words, then looking at Yui Yuigahama standing with her arms crossed, Luo Yu realized they had misunderstood.
He pointed at Yui Yuigahama's hairstyle. "All right, what are you all thinking? I meant her hairstyle. Look, doesn't it look like a dumpling at first glance?"
The girls followed Luo Yu's finger and looked over.
"It really does. It really looks like a dumpling."
"That's so mean!" Yui Yuigahama covered the hair buns on her head. "I really like this hairstyle."
"Ahem!"
Yukino Yukinoshita coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention.
"Let's stop with the jokes. Then, Dumpling—sorry, Yuigahama, what do you need our help with?" That was careless! She had almost called Yuigahama by her nickname. Still, the nickname Dumpling that Luo Yu had given her really did suit Yuigahama.
"Actually, I want to make cookies for someone myself." Yui Yuigahama glanced discreetly at Hachiman Hikigaya, but aside from Luo Yu, no one noticed.
"But I don't know how to make cookies. Teacher Hiratsuka happened to find out, so she brought me here to see you."
"Are they for your boyfriend?" Ritsu Tainaka leaned in as well. Behind her, the other three girls from the Light Music Club also came over.
It seemed everyone was interested in this matter.
"N-No. Just an ordinary friend." Yui Yuigahama held her hands behind her back and spoke haltingly.
"Oh? Just an ordinary friend?" Ritsu Tainaka continued teasing her.
"Anyway, let's go to the home economics room first."
While the girls teased Yui Yuigahama, Yukino Yukinoshita made the decision.
Home economics room.
"Then, Yuigahama, make a batch first so we can see." After Yukino Yukinoshita helped Yui Yuigahama tie on an apron,
she turned around and said, "Now then, members of the Light Music Club, why did you follow us here?"
The Light Music Club girls looked embarrassed, while Luo Yu answered, "To watch the fun? How could I miss something this interesting?" After all, what fun-seeker could miss a scene like this?
"Fine. Once the cookies are done, you can serve as taste testers." Yukino Yukinoshita said helplessly.
Then Yukino Yukinoshita gestured for Yui Yuigahama to begin making the cookies.
Not long after.
A plate of blackened carbonized lumps appeared before everyone.
"How were you able to make so many mistakes?" Yukino Yukinoshita had a terrible headache.
"Ritsu, these cookies can't be eaten, right?" Yui Hirasawa asked while looking at the black charcoal in front of her.
"Don't be silly, Yui! There's no way this stuff can be eaten!" Ritsu Tainaka answered excitedly.
"We're supposed to taste-test these, right? Isn't this more like poison testing?" Hachiman Hikigaya picked up a piece of black charcoal and examined it for a while.
"How is it poisonous?!" Yui Yuigahama snatched the black charcoal from Hachiman Hikigaya's hand, wanting to defend the fruits of her labor. After carefully examining it for a while,
"It really is poisonous, isn't it?"
"Crunch!" The sound of chewing echoed through the home economics room.
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Luo Yu toss a piece into his mouth, chewing away.
"Hey, hey, Luo Yu, you really ate it." Ritsu Tainaka looked nervous.
"Luo Yu, are you okay?" Mio Akiyama asked worriedly as well.
Then the girls all voiced their concern for Luo Yu.
"Don't worry. It was all made from ingredients, so no matter how bad it is, it won't kill anyone. I think that regardless of how it looks, you still need to taste it yourself before you can judge it." Luo Yu said after swallowing the cookie in his mouth.
"Then, Luo Yu, what do you think?" Yui Yuigahama looked at Luo Yu with shining eyes.
"Dumpling, you're very talented." Luo Yu told Yui Yuigahama with a solemn expression. "From now on, learn how to cook with me."
"Call me Yuigahama! But I have talent for cooking?" Yui Yuigahama was overjoyed.
"Seriously?" Everyone was surprised by Luo Yu's words. Could that charcoal-like stuff actually be delicious?
Just as Yui Hirasawa picked up a piece to taste it herself,
Luo Yu continued, "That's right. With my guidance, you'll definitely have a place in the Dark Cuisine World someday!"
Yui Hirasawa was so frightened by those words that she hurriedly put the piece of charcoal back.
"That's so mean! But it really is awful, isn't it?"
"Yeah. It's unbelievably awful. I don't even know how someone could make something this bad. Forget it, I'll make a batch too. Dumpling, follow along with me and let's see where exactly things went wrong."
"Huh? Luo Yu, you can cook? We never knew." Ritsu Tainaka asked in confusion.
"Didn't I tell you?"
"No!"
"Then you know now, don't you?"
The Request Is Complete
Three batches of cookies were placed before everyone.
One was exquisite beyond compare, seemingly not of this world. One was ordinary. One was black charcoal.
That was right, these cookies had been made by Luo Yu, Yukino Yukinoshita, and Yui Yuigahama respectively.
"Delicious!" Yui Hirasawa picked up one of Luo Yu's cookies and took a bite.
"Huh? Really? Then I'll try one too."
Then the girls picked up Luo Yu's cookies and began eating them.
"How can you possibly learn like this?!" Yukino Yukinoshita held her forehead with her right hand, looking deeply troubled.
"Seriously, Dumpling, how did you even manage it? Every step was the same as ours, so why did you make nothing but charcoal?" Luo Yu felt helpless too.
Although he had long known Dumpling's cooking skills were poor these days, he hadn't expected that even his level 5 cooking skill couldn't save her.
"I suggest Yuigahama not participate. Why not just buy ready-made ones instead?" Hachiman Hikigaya compared the cookies made by Luo Yu and Yukino Yukinoshita while eating them, then proposed solving the problem at its root.
"Is that how you solve problems?" Yui Yuigahama shouted at Hachiman Hikigaya, then looked at her own work and began doubting herself.
"Do I really have no talent for cooking?"
"Talent? The only way to solve a problem is through effort. Yuigahama, you said you have no talent, right?" Yukino Yukinoshita said as she cleaned up the cooking utensils. "You should abandon that way of thinking. At the very least, those who have not even tried to make an effort have no right to envy those with talent."
"But nobody makes things by hand anymore. Doing something like this makes me feel like I don't fit in." Yui Yuigahama tried to use her own logic to refute Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Why do you have to accommodate everyone else? Everyone is the protagonist of their own life. Isn't it enough to do what you want to do? As long as you convey your effort to the person you want to convey it to, isn't that enough?" Luo Yu glanced at Hachiman Hikigaya and could not help interrupting.
When he had watched this in his previous life, Luo Yu had felt angry. Why deliberately cater to others? Wasn't it fine to be yourself? All for the sake of so-called friends?
Although Luo Yu knew this was a decision Yui Yuigahama had made herself, he still hoped she could change a little.
"Luo Yu is right, Yuigahama." Yukino Yukinoshita stopped what she was doing.
"Could you abandon this desire to accommodate those around you? It makes me very uncomfortable. Don't you feel ashamed to blame others for your own clumsiness and stupidity?"
So harsh!
The Light Music Club girls had never seen Luo Yu like this before. As for Yukino Yukinoshita, they had long grown accustomed to her attitude.
Yui Yuigahama, meanwhile, lowered her head from what had been said, hiding her eyes beneath her bangs without saying a word. Everyone worried that she might suddenly burst into tears and run out of the classroom.
"S-So cool..." Yui Yuigahama raised her head.
Before you continue