45 Part 3

"…Perfect. This is the first time a group has gathered this many ingredients, but all of them are edible."

When I showed Sawada-sensei what we picked up and asked her to examine it, she said that it was as expected. Well, I don't know if it's cheating or unfair… I used [Appraisal] to check it, but I'm afraid of what would happen if we picked wrong stuff, so please forgive me.

"The rest of the group seemed to make it barely, but thanks to you guys, we got close to the bonus. Kukuku…"

"Hahaha…"

We smiled bitterly at Sawada-sensei's wicked smile.

"But don't let your guard down just yet! Cooking is also a part of the scoring. By the way, who can cook in this group?"

They all pointed at me.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, it's serious."

Sawada-sensei held her head but then grabbed both my shoulders firmly.

"Tenjou, do your best. Everything depends on you. Sensei's bonus is…!"

"Can't you try to hide your ulterior motives at least a little?"

The main thing is that our school festival program is going to be spectacular, right? My cheeks are twitching thinking that, and Sawada-sensei has moved on to examine the next group.

"Haah…I've got a lot to say, but shall we just cook now?"

"I'll take care of the errands."

"Ha, I could do the serving!"

"And I will enjoy my food."

"Rin, at least help me with the chores."

Letting out a sigh again, I checked the seasonings and cooking tools I could use. Just like the teacher said at the beginning, we only have the bare minimum of rice, and we have been prepared separate tools for cooking the ingredients obtained in this mountain, so it seems that we can cook without any worries.

Thinking of the ingredients we have on hand…

Deep-fried char and landlocked salmon.

Rape blossoms and Japanese yam with black truffle dressing.

Tombi Maitake Soup.

The menu was going to be like that. Once the menu was decided, I quickly decided to make it and went to the kitchen to start cooking.

I don't know how to handle the Japanese yam and black truffle, but I thought it would be okay if I used them after I grated them.

And although the char and the landlocked sea trout are made into deep-fried fish, it would be great to be able to take the broth from the bones and combine it with the tonbi maitake to make a soup.

As I was cooking as usual, I suddenly felt a gaze on me, so I turned toward that gaze and saw not only Kaede and the others, but also many people with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"N-no… err… Yuuya-kun's skill was just so brilliant…"

"Really? I think it's normal…"

Well, I think I'm cooking just like I normally do, but perhaps my [Cooking] skill is also activated. While everyone was stunned to see me cooking, I just continued to cook.

＊＊＊

The cooking ended more quickly than I expected. It doesn't take a lot of time and effort, because there are no otherworldly ingredients this time, and I cooked a very ordinary food. I've tested it briefly, but I think it's normally delicious. In the case of the other world, it's just that the ingredients in the other world are blown up and so delicious.

"Okay, it's ready."

"….."

Everyone was all staring at the food when I placed it in front of them. Then the teachers, including Sawada-sensei, arrived to judge the food.

Looking closely, Sawada-sensei seemed to be in a somewhat good mood and slightly smelled of alcohol, well I didn't think she drank alcohol… Wait, could it be that she really drank it? We're still in the middle of the field trip, you know!

"Iyaaa~, drinking alcohol in the mountains is delicious… huh, what's this?"

When Sawada-sensei saw the food I made, her eyes widened in surprise. The other teachers also reacted in the same way when they saw my cooking.

"Hey, Tenjou! Did you make this?"

"Y-yes, that's right, but…"

"Can I taste it?"

"Ah, I have prepared some for you."

It was only a small amount, but we had prepared some for the teachers to taste, so they ate those.

And then──.

"...…." The teachers were silent.

"A-ano? What do you think…?"

I asked that with some trepidation, but there was no response from the teachers.

"Yu-Yuuya-kun! Can we eat it too?"

"Eh? It's okay, but…"

Once I agreed to Kaede's words as she couldn't stand it anymore, Kaede and the others put the food into their mouths as if to say they were waiting for it.

"...…."

"So why is there no reaction for it!?"

For some reason, just like the teachers, Kaede and the others froze in their spot once they put the food in their mouths. Could it be that the food was bad?

As far as I tested it, it seemed okay… but maybe my tongue is stupid? I was very anxious because of the lack of reaction from everyone, but then──.

"Deliciooouussss!"

"Eh?"

They all shouted in unison. Then Kaede excitedly said to me.

"Yuuya-kun, what is this? It's so delicious!"

"R-really? I'm glad if it's really del──."

"It's not just delicious, you know!"

"Eh?"

Sawada-sensei said to me with more force than I can imagine from her usual languid atmosphere.

"The teachers are eating lunches prepared by the school's first-class chefs at a bargain price. And yet your food tastes better… who are you really?"

"Even if you say so…"

"It doesn't matter anyway, because it's so good!"

It wasn't just Sawada-sensei, everyone ate the food I made, saying it was delicious. …It's something new. I've only cooked enough for me to eat, and I've never really paid much attention to the taste of the food since I've been eating it myself… but I'm very happy to hear people say that it's delicious.

I've been cooking for a long time, and I've got [Cooking] skills, so I guess it's truly delicious. When everyone was eating it very well; the students around us who were looking at it were drooling.

"T-that looks delicious…"

"It's strange… our dinner is so simple, why is it so luxurious over there…!"

"He's good at sports, he has a good face, and he can cook as well… it seems the heavens grant too many gifts for him!"

Hmm… I want to make it for everyone if they see me that much, but as expected, I don't have the ingredients or time for it…

While feeling a little uncomfortable, I too began to eat the food I had made. When everyone finished eating, Sawada-sensei rubbed her stomach in a satisfied manner.

"Haa… I'm so full."

"M-my apologies if the food isn't enough."

I'm so happy that everyone ate it so well. It was worth the effort.

"…Hey, Tenjou."

"Yes?"

"Would you like to marry sensei?"

"Ueehh?"

"Sa-Sawada-sensei?"

Sawada-sensei's sudden words startled not only me but everyone around me.

"Iyaaa. It's because I am like this. I can't do the house chores; I can't even cook and do the laundry… When I was a student, I only did the things I liked to do and studied, and thanks to that, I haven't had a single good story to tell until I'm old enough! …That's not good, is it?"

"H-huh…?"

"So, you, Tenjou. Yup, there's no one else as good as you. I never thought I'd get such good food like that. So, having come this far, there's no way I could miss it, right? So, marry me and provide for me!"

"What are you talking about?"

I didn't respond to Sawada-sensei's words, but the other teachers and students all snapped at her in unison.

"Sawada-sensei, you're too drunk for your own good! No more alcohol, please!"

"Stop it! We've come all this way to the mountain, so it's time to have a drink! And then, Tenjou will marry me!"

"No, it's not good to put your hand on a student!"

"I understand that it's a complex that your age is equal to your history of not having a boyfriend, but be a moderate and appropriate adult!"

"To tell you the truth, do you think Tenjou is a match for Sawada-sensei? Stop dreaming!"

"Whoa? Sawada-sensei is going to cry if she's abused to that extent!"

Sawada-sensei was, as I said, a little teary-eyed. A-as expected, I feel sorry for her… However, no matter how I look at it, Sawada-sensei seemed to be very drunk due to the alcohol, so I wonder if this is also a kind of drunkard's trait?

"Sa-Sawada-sensei! It's not good if it's Yuuya-kun! The reason is… there are many reasons, but it's not good if it's Yuuya-kun!"

Whenever Kaede desperately told Sawada-sensei that it was no good if it's me, my heart was getting wounded. What's that mean by no good? I mean that Sawada-sensei and I are unethical in many ways, and I'm not good at it myself. Isn't that right? It's so true!

Despite my unexpected damage, Sawada-sensei said to me without seeming to have learned a lesson.

"Well, it's difficult to answer right now. All right, Sensei will wait forever! Or rather, I'm not going to let you go."

"Come back to your senses, sensei!"

"Don't let bad adults steal the future of our youth!"

"That's right, that's right!"

"…Can I cry?"

Sawada-sensei was in tears again at the many words that were thrown at her.

"Um… it's not good if you suddenly talk about marriage or something like that, and above all, it's between a student and a teacher. …But I think Sawada-sensei is a good teacher, you know? So everyone doesn't have to say that much…"

Yup, I think it's a little problem trying to put a hand on a student, but other than that, she's just a good teacher in general. Well, I don't know the details of her private life at all, so I can't say more about her.

"Oh, Tenjou! You're really a good guy! Sensei is happy."

"Muguh!"

When I softly followed up, Sawada-sensei was so moved by that and then hugged me. As a result, Sawada-sensei's breasts are in my face…!

"Aaahh! S-sensei! What are you doing? Please let Yuuya-kun go!"

"Yuuya… I'm so jealous of you… nay, I mean, it's outrageous…!"

Kaede also pulls my arms to separate me from Sawada-sensei as she holds my head in her arms. And for some reason, Akira just blasted me with resentment. H-help me…

Sawada-sensei pats me on the head without my words reaching her.

"There's nothing wrong with it! Sensei is just praising a good boy!"

"It's clearly beyond the scope of normal teacher behaviour!"

"No… You can't believe how much trouble I get for being single…!"

While Sawada-sensei and the others were arguing with each other, Rin, who was the only one staying calm, pointed at me and said.

"Um… Yuuya looks very painful, but…"

"Eh?"

"M-mugaga…"

Before sensei's chest or anything else, I was dying because I couldn't breathe at all. A panicked Sawada-sensei and Kaede immediately let go of me, and I could finally breathe.

"Buhaha! Hah… hah…"

"Haha! Yuuya, how is it? Have you seen heaven?"

"I don't see heaven. I just see the Sanzu River…" [1]

To the laughing Rin, I could only answer that.

In the end, I avoided Sawada-sensei's words while making it vague, and I succeeded in getting through the situation… but Sawada-sensei's gaze as she walked away still hadn't given up, and Kaede was also glaring at Sawada-sensei as if to counteract it somehow.

So, Akira. Please don't look at me while crying tears of blood like that, either. It's not my intention.