The Top Idol Next Door Can't Help But Crave My Guilty Pleasure Meals-Chapter 6Volume 2 .5 - Ill Show You the Hidden Side of Arisu Yuzuki!
ROUND 6 – I’ll Show You the Hidden Side of Arisu Yuzuki! 5
In the kitchen, I had taken out a new weapon.
It was a bowl.
As expected of a hotel in collaboration with a dinnerware manufacturer, the cupboard was stocked with bowls as well.
First, I heaped the steaming rice into the bowl.
Then, I arranged the once-retired assortment of tempura one after another, building it up like a castle.
All that was left was to pour over a sauce made from tempura dipping sauce, water, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin to complete the Fried Castle.
People call this kind of castle by the name ‘Tendon’
As I was about to pour the sauce, a new weapon made its appearance.
This too was provided for free. Its name was ‘sauce pourer (Tarakake)’
It had a teapot-like container attached to a silver rod for holding the sauce.
The spout was divided into three from which the sauce would flow out like a shower.
I stood before the ‘Tendon’ with sauce pourer in hand.
Now, the second round begins.
Yuzuki, who had been desperately avoiding her eyes from the tempura until now, had her eyes glued to my hands.
She couldn’t wait to see the sauce flowing down.
Instinct is like a ghost. It doesn’t disappear so easily after being shaken off once or twice.
If it could be easily tamed by anyone, it wouldn’t be called one of the ‘three basic desires.’
“Now, please listen carefully.”
“W-wait! Stop, if you do that──”
Three streams of sauce emerged from the sauce pourer, dyeing the tempura brown.
The hot batter and the sauce crackled as they mixed.
The girl who witnessed the birth of a new life called Tendon now had her reason collapse in an instant.
What emerged from the collapsed reason was a girl faithful to her appetite.
“Itadakimasuu~~♥”
As if caressing her cheek, Yuzuki’s left hand touched the bowl, lifting it into the air.
The first prey caught by her chopsticks was a prawn. Yuzuki opened her mouth wide and bit into nearly half of it in one go.
“The crunchy batter and the plump prawns create a symphony of sounds that loop eternally in the depths of my ears…♥ This prawn is so meaty. It completely dominates the stage in the center of the Tendon…♥”
Her eyes grew more relaxed as she continued to shovel in the rice.
“There’s nothing but bliss in stuffing fried food and rice together…♥ Even the rice soaked with sauce is a feast in itself♥”
Yuzuki hasn’t put down the bowl even once throughout this time. On the contrary, she leaned further forward as if she was about to be absorbed headfirst into the bowl.
“The whiting is as light and fluffy as a cloud ♥ Without any greasiness, it feels like you’ve forgotten you’ve eaten it the moment you swallow it… The eggplant has soaked up the sauce and oil to the max, bursting with flavor as you bite into it♥ It’s so silky that it slides down your throat in an instant♥ The slight bitterness of the shishito peppers and shiso leaves acts as a guardian guiding the Tendon to the right taste♥”
The sound of the bowl and chopsticks touching became clearer and clearer.
It seemed that the performance was nearing its finale.
“By the way, there’s still some tempura left, but would you like to try it with matcha salt? I’ve also prepared curry salt and cherry blossom salt just in case…”
“I’ll eat them all~~♥”
It seems the closing curtain is still far off.
☆ ☆ ☆
“Ugh, I’m full… I can’t eat anymore…”
After finishing the dishes, I returned from the kitchen space to the tatami room.
Holding her stomach with both hands, Yuzuki was lying on the tatami like a seal.
She had seconds of the tempura, so of course she’d be full. She must have been leading a very strict diet these past few weeks.
It seems I was able to contribute to her letting off some steam.
I hope this will help Yuzuki and Emoto-san reconcile even a little.
“Well, I guess it’s about time for me to take my leave.”
As I hoisted my Boston bag onto my shoulder, Yuzuki, who had been lying down, sprang up in an instant.
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“Ah, you’re leaving already?”
Yuzuki sat in a girl sitting position, staring at me with eyes that seemed to ooze a sense of loneliness.
“…You could stay a little longer.”
When making the reservation, I had secured two rooms: a Japanese-style room with a kitchen on the eighth floor and a relatively inexpensive Western-style room on the third floor.
Part of the reason was Yuzuki’s status as an idol, but it also wouldn’t be appropriate for a young man and woman to share a room and sleep together.
Besides, Yuzuki probably wouldn’t be able to sleep well with me around.
“If you run into any trouble, feel free to contact me. Oh, and brace yourself——I’ll be coming to make breakfast tomorrow morning, so be ready for that, okay?”
Even as I tried to reassure her with a smile, Yuzuki’s reaction was faint.
Maybe she wants to enjoy more board games. But it’s already past ten at night, and getting too carried away could interfere with tomorrow’s work.
As I was about to step out of the room, the hem of my shirt was tugged from below.
“…If you don’t let go, I can’t leave.”
“…Then you should shake me off, Suzufumi.”
Looking down as I turn around, our eyes meet.
Her wet amber eyes quietly gazed up at me.
To be honest, I too wanted to spend more time with Yuzuki. But it would be too greedy to ask for more.
The white fingers slipping from my shirt slowly try to return to their original position.
Yuzuki bit her lower lip as if suppressing her emotions and remained silent.
Just as I was about to seal away my loneliness and say ‘goodnight’, I felt the hem of my shirt being grasped again, this time much more firmly.
“…I’ve decided.”
Yuzuki’s expression gradually filled with confidence.
Having been neighbors for three months, I could tell—this is the face of someone who’s come up with an idea.
Yuzuki quickly stood up and declared,
“The two-day and one-night stay with an idol event is officially on!”
“…What?”
What is she suddenly talking about?
“Since the photo shoot, I haven’t had the chance to work on winning Suzufumi over as a fan. It’s about time I made a big move!”
Standing up with her hands on her hips, Yuzuki looks more lively than she has all day.
“Wait-wait. This is way too sudden.”
“If I had given you a heads-up, it wouldn’t be a surprise attack. Besides, I told you, didn’t I? I’ll make you into my top fan, Suzufumi. I’ll show you the hidden side of Arisu Yuzuki that you can’t even see on a making-of DVD!”
With a perfect wink, Yuzuki struck a pose as if aiming right at my heart with her index finger.
“…Are you serious?”
My first-ever sleepover was unexpectedly accompanied by an idol.
