funbook-pk Chapter 18: Can't Eat Anymore
Chapter 18: Can't Eat Anymore
For the next few days, Yuta Shirakawa spent his time going to school and drawing manga.
Especially since there were two weekend days in between, it accelerated his progress in drawing comics even more.
Incidentally, on Saturday night he secretly followed Chiba Sena to see another of her performances. It was very popular and there were many people there. Although the songs were mostly ones that had been circulating online for a long time, she sang them really well.
There was also a dance segment in the middle. Although they weren't very skilled at it and their coordination with their teammates wasn't quite there, if you looked closely, you could tell that they had put a lot of effort into both their movements and expressions.
Her teammates, Shirakawa Yuta, also looked somewhat familiar; they seemed to be members of their music club.
Yuta Shirakawa had a pretty good idea of what was going on with her becoming an underground idol; it was probably a spur-of-the-moment decision with the club members, but he hadn't expected it to be so popular.
……
Tuesday afternoon, second floor of Chiba Noodle Restaurant.
"Phew~"
After finishing the last stroke of the storyboard for the third episode, Shirakawa Yuta let out a long sigh and slumped into a chair.
Drawing was more tiring than he had imagined, especially with such a high intensity of drawing. He completed the entire first episode and the storyboards for the second and third episodes in just one week.
If it weren't for the stamina boost that comes with the equipment, I probably would have only been able to finish the first episode by now.
After tidying up the somewhat messy draft, Shirakawa Yuta took out a file folder, stuffed it inside, and set it aside.
I checked the time, then turned and walked downstairs.
He wasn't in a hurry to submit the manuscript; he didn't plan to submit it by mailing the original document, but instead intended to go directly to the editorial office to discuss it with the editor.
The former method is simpler and is a friendly option for people with social anxiety.
But he wasn't socially anxious, and mailing was too slow, taking at least a month to get results, which was far less quick than meeting the editor face-to-face.
He has also contacted an editor through public channels and will leave school directly tomorrow afternoon after school, taking the JR Chuo Line, which should take about an hour.
There are other things to do tonight.
Chiba Daio, who had been away from home for a week, was finally coming back. He planned to buy some ingredients to cook a Chinese meal to welcome him back.
After all, I've been staying at their house for so long without paying rent, so I should do something to show my appreciation and also treat my Chinese stomach.
……
At 7 p.m., as Shirakawa Yuta brought the last dish to the table, Chiba Sena and Chiba Daio walked in together.
Yuta Shirakawa looked up and greeted the familiar, somewhat naive but noticeably more haggard-looking middle-aged man:
"Uncle Chiba, it's been a long time. How is everything at home?"
Chiba Daio didn't answer immediately, but looked at the four dishes on the table in surprise and said, "Yuta, did you make this?"
Yuta Shirakawa smiled and nodded: "Yes, I really like Chinese food, but I didn't know what your tastes were like, so I just made a few dishes at random."
Chiba Daio said knowingly, "I've heard your parents mention before that you've loved cooking Chinese food at home since junior high school. Looks like we're in for a treat today."
Chiba Sena, standing to the side, also showed an expression of surprise and anticipation.
"I hope I won't disappoint Uncle Chiba."
The three of them sat down separately. On the table were four dishes: steamed sea bass, shredded pork with green peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
These are four dishes that Shirakawa Yuta made based on his parents' tastes.
Middle-aged people like Chiba Daio generally prefer lighter flavors, and steamed sea bass is a good option. Young people like Chiba Hoshina, on the other hand, are more accepting of the sweet and sour taste of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
As for the shredded pork with green peppers, it was purely because he was craving it and wanted to satisfy his craving.
After the usual pre-meal greeting of "Let's eat!", the two made the same choice as Shirakawa Yuta had predicted.
Chiba Daio was the first to pick up a piece of sea bass and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully. Chiba Sena even narrowed her eyes slightly and showed a satisfied smile after tasting the scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
Yuta Shirakawa observed the expressions of the two people and only felt relieved after seeing that they did not show any dissatisfaction or strangeness. He then picked up a piece of green pepper and shredded pork with his chopsticks and put it into his bowl to eat.
Seeing how much he enjoyed his meal, Chiba Sena hesitated, looking at the plate with some trepidation, wanting to try it but also feeling a little scared.
She can't handle spicy food very well; even the spiciness of wasabi is a bit too much for her.
After seeing Shirakawa Yuta pick up another piece of green pepper, she decided to ask first, "Is this spicy?"
Yuta Shirakawa paused for a moment, hesitated slightly, and then said:
"In my opinion, it's not very spicy. I don't know if you can handle it."
He's never been too harsh, but everyone's tolerance for spiciness is different.
It's like a friend from his past life who can't even accept KFC's spicy chicken burger.
Under his gaze, Chiba Hoshina slowly picked up a piece of shredded meat, put it in her mouth, and began to chew slowly, her eyes gradually brightening.
It was indeed a bit spicy, but not as spicy as she had imagined, and somehow it tasted kind of delicious.
Having grown accustomed to mild flavors, she became somewhat enamored with the taste of heavy salt, oil, and spice after experiencing it for the first time.
Like a child trying instant noodles for the first time, they were quite fond of them.
She only took one bite of the sea bass and stir-fried vegetables on the side and stopped, focusing her attention on the other two dishes.
Soon, the four dishes were devoured by the three people.
Chiba Sena conscientiously tidied up the dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash.
After glancing at the busy Chiba Sena, Chiba Daio called Shirakawa Yuta to the window on the balcony.
Yuta Shirakawa was somewhat confused, but he still quietly followed behind him.
The two stood on the balcony. Chiba Daio took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. The smile that had been on his face at the dinner table slowly faded away.
The bluish-gray smoke swirled in the air. After a while, he patted Yuta Shirakawa on the shoulder and said, "Your cooking is excellent. I had a very satisfying meal tonight."
Yuta Shirakawa realized what he might be about to say, but he didn't ask any further questions and calmly replied:
"I'm glad Uncle Chiba is satisfied. If you like it, I can do it more often each month."
Chiba Daio did not reply, but instead looked at the distant sky, the earth, the buildings of varying heights, the dimly lit streets, and the pedestrians walking on them.
There was reluctance, nostalgia, and some other indescribable emotions in her eyes.
Finally, he slowly uttered, "It's a pity we can't have it."