"Oh, yes, Masao can take the initiative to bow to others in cooking, which has never happened before." Mrs. Aberdeen on the side said with a chuckle.

"I can't help but admit defeat. This Jinping soup not only retains the shape and aroma of the candy, but also the problem of being too sweet and greasy is also perfectly neutralized by soaking in water, so that both young children and the elderly will not be worried about dental problems. Mr. Yasumoto looked at the sweet soup in front of him and sighed, "What's even more incredible is that the longest drying part has been completely omitted and turned into instant production." In terms of the way it is made, it is nothing less than a complete revolution. ”

"Grandpa...... It's as exaggerated as you say, it's just a whim of mine, it's nothing at all......" I said with a quick hand.

"Young man, do you have any plans to open a gourmet restaurant in the future? If so, the old man will definitely do his best to help you. Mr. Yasumoto stared at my face as if he had not heard me.

"This ......," I hesitated for a moment before reorganizing my language, "I'm sorry Mr. Asumoto, but I don't know what I can do right now, so I can't give you an answer right away......"

"Ah...... Also, you are still a middle school student, and you still have priority to complete your studies. Mr. Yasumoto nodded in understanding, reached out and took out a small piece of paper from his bosom and handed it to me, "This is my business card." In the future, if you change your mind, you can always call the above phone number to find the old man. ”

"Thank you, Mr. Yasumoto." At this point, out of politeness, I solemnly took the other party's business card with both hands and carefully tucked it into my pants pocket.

"Okay young man, you really won the first round of dessert making." Seeing that I simply accepted his kindness, Mr. Aberdeen's eyebrows and eyes were also a little more cheerful, and he turned to smile in a clear voice that did not show any aging, "But don't be complacent, it's just an appetizer, at most a small test." In the next main course, the old man has to let go of all his contempt for you and go all out! ”

"It's an honor." I nodded and chuckled.

Although I knew that I would probably not be able to compete with the other party in the main course anyway, and most of the time I would fall into disadvantage, I was not depressed and dissatisfied because of this.

Being able to compete with Mr. Asumoto, who is so good at cooking, is exciting enough, and it doesn't matter how you win or lose.

What's more, I have already taken the lead in the first round of the competition, so it doesn't matter if I give the victory to the other party in the second round.

And just when we were both gearing up, planning to have an all-out battle—

There was a slight tugging sensation in my cuffs.

"Artoria, what's wrong?"

Turning to look at the girl who had come back to me at some point, reaching out and gently tugging at my sleeve, I asked with a slight bow.

"Shirou...... Can you make dinner a little faster...... It's not too early. The girl's eyes drooped slightly, and she whispered in my ear.

In her tone, you could feel a subtle hint of anxiety that she had never seen before.

"Forehead ......"

I subconsciously looked up at the window, only to realize that before I knew it, the sun had set, and the night was slowly eroding the scenery as far as the eye could see. Many of the residents outside the window have lights on, and the warmth brought by family gradually emerges at night.

The clock dial hanging above the wall is marked by the hour and minute hands, the "7" and "12" hands, respectively.

"Is it now?"

I was slightly surprised, it seems that the first round of sweet food competition took a long time, so that it has already passed the usual meal.

"I'm sorry Artoria, you must be hungry." I quickly raised my hand and said, "I'll cook now, right away!" ”

Then I turned to Mr. Yasumoto and bent down sincerely.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Aberdeen. Today's contest may have to be held later. Leave this meal to me anyway. ”

"Hmm...... No need to apologize, young man. Mr. Aberdeen shook his head slightly, "Speaking of which, it is because of the old man's willfulness that it affects your normal life." As an apology, please let the old man participate in the completion of this meal. ”

"Mr. Yasumoto, it would be nice if you were willing to help!" I said with a smile.

So, the two of us stood together in the kitchen and worked together in an orderly manner.

To my surprise, Mr. Asumoto is not only a skilled cook, but also a master of food selection and knife skills. With his assistance, the dinner that was enough for a large table was quickly completed, and the time consumption was only half of that of normal days.

Plates of food were served on the table, and I, Artoria, Aberdeen, and a few children sat around and started the dinner party with a lively and lively start.

To Mr. To'anben's blessing, the dinner menu was much richer than the previous days, and all kinds of meat dishes were beautifully matched, which was especially appetizing.

In normal times, Artoria would have feasted on it with a full sparkle of eyes. However, to her surprise, she just lowered her head and ate the rice in the bowl quickly, ignoring the dishes that she could reach as soon as she reached out.

“…… Don't just eat rice, this shrimp is delicious. ”

I stretched out my chopsticks and picked up a red-hot shrimp and gently put it into the bowl in front of the girl.

"Hmm...... Thank you, Shirou. ”

The girl's face flushed slightly, and she ate the shrimp I had given her in a few bites, and then concentrated on the rice in the bowl.

Really, what's going on......

Seeing the girl's completely different behavior from usual, I also had doubts in my heart. 、

Artoria was supposed to be able to control everything in a measured way, and no one else had to worry about it, but that didn't mean me to be indifferent.

Rather, at this moment, the depths of my mind are full of doubts and incomprehension, all of which are the girl's different mannerisms.

Should you ask now?

"I'm done—"

Just as I was struggling in my heart, the girl next to me put the chopsticks in her hand back on the empty bowl and gently put them on the table, stood up and walked out quickly.

"Huh? Artoria, you're full? I opened my mouth slightly and said, "It's just one bowl of rice, and it's usually three bowls—"

The words that he couldn't finish were completely blocked by the girl's quick back.

"Shirou...... I've got something going on tonight, so I'm going out. I'm sorry I can't clean the table with you......"

Looking at my face, the girl pursed her lips hesitantly and said.