"Glowing? What's glowing?"
Sensing Yurine's shock, Jashin-chan pushed herself up from the tatami mat as if she'd been fully revived. She looked at the stove, then at Ryohei, who was staring at his own creation in a daze.
"Is this your cheat skill? Making food glow?" she asked in amazement.
"Uh, something like that," Ryohei replied distractedly, still wondering if she had been faking her injury or if she just healed that fast.
He inhaled the rich, enticing aroma filling the air and gazed at the softly glowing steak in the pan. His own appetite roared to life.
Just from the scent alone, he could feel that his culinary skills had jumped several levels, a qualitative leap from where he was before. Ryohei could now see the path to the pinnacle of life opening up before him!
With his Glowing Cuisine, he was sure to make a fortune. He could easily earn piles of money, buy a house and a car, date a cute college girl, and maybe visit a few of those adult entertainment clubs to… broaden his horizons. The thought of such a lifestyle was incredibly appealing.
Would serving glowing food cause problems?
Ryohei glanced at Jashin-chan. If a half-naked snake-girl could wander around town without anyone batting an eye, then he figured his glowing food would probably be fine.
No need to overthink the logic of a gag-manga world!
"Here, Yurine. Try my cooking," Ryohei said, taking a plate from the cabinet and serving her one of the glowing, bone-in steaks with a warm smile.
"Mmm… it smells divine!"
Yurine took the plate with both hands, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, a look of pure bliss on her face. She then eagerly carried it over to the dining table.
Ryohei placed the other steak on a plate with a scoop of rice and handed it to Jashin-chan.
"F-For me?" Jashin-chan, who had been feeling a bit disappointed and annoyed thinking she wouldn't get any, was now completely taken aback, accepting the plate with both hands as if it were a precious treasure.
"Yeah," Ryohei nodded.
The ingredients came from her, and her magic brought him here. Plus, he'd eaten her portion of dinner earlier tonight. It only felt right. In truth, Ryohei didn't really hold any ill will toward Jashin-chan. She was a scumbag snake, sure, but he found it surprisingly hard to hate her, maybe because she was always on the losing end of things. In any case, he still had plenty of marinated meat left. Cooking more would only take a few minutes.
"..." Hanazono Yurine overheard their exchange and glanced back with a hint of surprise, but she didn't say anything. The fragrant aroma wafting from the plate was already making her mouth water.
She looked at the massive steak, nearly half the size of her face, and gave an order.
"Jashin-chan, get me a knife and fork."
"Okay!" Jashin-chan chirped, her mood instantly brightening as she happily scurried to fetch them.
"Ryohei-kun, come and eat before it gets cold," Yurine said, turning to him. "This is too much for me to finish by myself. I'll give you half."
"Oh, sure." Ryohei looked over, a little surprised, then grabbed a knife and fork for himself and joined them at the low table.
The three of them sat down together.
"Thank you." Yurine took the utensils from Jashin-chan, neatly cut the steak in half, and pushed one piece onto Ryohei's plate. She then cut a small piece for herself, speared it with her fork, and brought it to her lips.
The moment the meat touched her tongue, a rich, powerful flavor exploded like a surging tide, completely dominating her senses. The tenderness felt like a delicate caress, each fiber saturated with luscious juice. As her teeth gently bit down, the supple meat offered the perfect amount of resistance before its juices burst forth like a fountain, an exquisite, savory taste blooming across her palate…
"This is… absolutely delicious!"
Yurine felt as though she had been transported onto a grand, brightly lit stage.
Under the spotlight, with a romantic melody playing, she found herself in her gothic lolita dress, being led by the hand by a tall, handsome chef into an elegant, romantic dance. Her steps were light and coordinated, her body swaying gracefully. An unprecedented feeling of joy and a burning emotion spread from the bottom of her heart.
Yurine felt like she was losing herself, getting completely lost in the magic of the dance.
"…It's just… so wonderful!"
Back in the living room, Yurine had her eyes closed, one hand gently caressing her cheek. A deep blush colored her delicate face, and a look of pure intoxication made it clear that something was very, very wrong.
Next to her, Jashin-chan was in a similar state, her green snake tail swaying gently as she let out strange, happy noises, completely lost in her own world of bliss.
"..." Ryohei, who had just been about to take his first bite, froze. If he hadn't made the dish himself, he would have sworn he'd accidentally drugged it.
What is this, some kind of food aphrodisiac?!
But this was a good thing. The more delicious the food and the stronger its effect, the more he could earn!
Filled with anticipation, Ryohei opened his mouth and took a bite of the meat…
In the next moment, he too was lost.
The flavor, the texture…
He had truly, truly never tasted a steak so delicious in his entire life!
It was so good that after they finished, everyone was left wanting more. At Jashin-chan's enthusiastic urging and with Yurine's silent approval, Ryohei went back into the kitchen and cooked two more steaks—the pan was only big enough for two at a time, which was its limit.
In the end, all three of them ate until their stomachs were round and full.
Jashin-chan, in particular, devoured most of the leftovers, her belly bulging out as if she were several months pregnant.