Not All Flowers Are Pretty {A Soukoku Hanahaki Disease Fanfiction}

Chapter 4

Chuuya POV

(A/N: I'm so sorry I keep doing Chuuya's POV, I promise I'll change it up a bit soon. This is pretty much just a cooking chapter (idk why I had to make this, I feel like I'm just dragging the story on unnecessarily). Also, please forgive me if I get anything wrong about the Japanese traditional foods and ingredients mentioned in this chapter. I have no Japanese origin whatsoever and only know little about Japanese culture.)

I stand in the kitchen, facing the fridge, elbows leaning on the benchtop. I glance over at Dazai, who's made himself inordinately comfortable. "Dazai".

"Hmm?"

"What do you want to eat?"

He looked surprised, as if me being overly nice was a new experience to him. Then again, when was I ever nice to him? Every second he was around he always found a way to frustrate me. How could I be nice to him?

"Hmmm...maybe a bowl of Miso soup, some Yakitori, some Gyudon and a plate of Sukiyaki!"

"Dazai, I'm not making all of that-"

"Oh, and some Teppanyaki would be nice as well!"

"Dazai! There's no way I'm making all of that!"

"But Chuuya, I haven't eaten for over four hours~"

"Only four hours?! And you're convinced you could eat five dishes?!"

"Yep!"

"No. If you really want that much food, then you can make it yourself."

"Fine. I'll just have the Miso soup with a plate of Sukiyaki."

"Okay then."

I proceed through to the back of the kitchen, over to the pantry. Opening it, I grab out my red apron, tying it around my waist, making my loose grey shirt hug me. I then searched through the pantry for the ingredients I needed, then the refrigerator beside the pantry. After grabbing out all of the ingredients necessary and placing them on the kitchen bench, I start on the Miso soup.

I start by making the Dashi, using an expensive brand of Dashi packet. I then add the Miso paste, using soybeans, rice, salt and koji. I dissolve the Miso, pouring in the Dashi, watching the Miso evaporating into it. I cut up soft tofu to add to the soup, then add multiple chopped vegetables to the mix. I place the metal bowl I used for the Miso soup onto the stove, turning the heat on low and setting a timer for four minutes.

Next is the Sukiyaki. Once the Miso Soup is done, I take the bowl off of the stove and place it on the kitchen bench. I grab out two more bowls, both printed with blue etching into porcelain, and started dividing the Miso into them, carefully pouring half at a time into the bowls. I move them to the side before making my way back to the stove, turning up the heat to medium. I grab the metal bowl that I used for the Miso soup, taking it over to the sink. I grab the dishwashing liquid from inside the cabinet under the sink, opening the lid and pouring some into the bowl. I put the dishwashing liquid back, closing the cabinet under the sink. I turn on the hot water, grab the dish brush that was hanging up near the windowsill and start scrubbing the dish clean. I give it a final rinse before turning off the tap and placing the large bowl onto the stove.

I grab a tablespoon from the drawer beside the stove and pour sake onto it, then pour it into the bowl, repeating this once more. I then, opening the bag of brown sugar, scoop a tablespoon, and again, pour it into the bowl. I toss the tablespoon into the sink and grab out a quarter-cup from the same drawer I got the tablespoon from. Using the quarter-cup, I fill it up with mirin, pouring it in, and then do the same with soy sauce.

(A/N: I've probably bored you to death with this chapter, so I'll stop with the cooking now)

The Sukiyaki took quite a while to make, but finally, I'm staring at the finished product in front of me. I've made Miso soup hundreds of times, that was nothing new, but Sukiyaki, never before had I ever even searched up a recipe. Yet, I had just made it, not even using an image for reference. My mother had made it for me at least once a week when I was younger. I never watched her make it, but I can still clearly remember what the finished product looked like. And god, did I miss it. I carry the Sukiyaki, now sitting on a shiny blue Saikai plate, over to Dazai, who's now seated at the dining room table, as well as bringing him a pair of chopsticks. He smiles at me as I go to collect the two bowls of Miso soup, placing one in front of Dazai, and one next to him.

"Thanks Chuuya~" Dazai smiles brightly at me, as I settle into the seat beside him.

"You're welcome", I mumble.

I watch Dazai as he, very quickly, drinks the bowl of Miso. It had only been four hours since he had last eaten, and, if I didn't know any better, I'd think the Armed Detective Agency was trying to starve him to death. I hadn't even touched my food yet; there was no longer any steam floating from the top of the bowl, so it must've already been getting cold.

Dazai pokes at the beef I added to the Sukiyaki. "What is this? It doesn't look familiar", he asks.

"Wagyu. Wagyu beef."

"Holy shit, that stuff's pretty expensive! You don't buy it regularly, do you?"

"I have about six kilograms stored in my freezer."

"Shit, Chuuya. Wow."

The brunet continues to eat and I watch his facial expressions, trying to make out whether he likes it or not. It was my first time ever making Sukiyaki and I would like to know how I did. The bowl of Miso sitting in front of me had probably lost its warmth, so I grab it and swallow it all down quickly, before it can get any colder.

"So? Your thoughts?" I ask, curious.

Dazai smiles genuinely at me. "I didn't know Chibi could actually cook."

I take that as positive feedback.

(953 words)