013

I took a deep breath to calm down my rising nerves as I watched Akibara-san unlock the door to her apartment that I would be sharing with her for about the second day now. My heart was beating faster than usual, and my mind was racing with thoughts about what the evening might hold.

It was then that I only realized the ridiculous situation I found myself in. I had only left my parents'house to pursue my dream of becoming a detective, I never expected that I would find myself in this situation.

As I stepped inside, the aroma of the fresh groceries we had bought earlier filled my nostrils, and I couldn't help but smile. It was nice to be in a cozy, familiar space after a long day on the job.

"I'm home!" Akibara-san called out with a beam as he placed down her share of bags on the kitchen counter.

"Welcome back, " I replied with an amused grin, trying to tease her, but to my surprise, she stared at me with wide eyes and a crimson blush spreading across her face.

"Wow, you must have hit your head or something because that was way too sweet. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you actually have a soft side." She nervously giggled to herself while averting her gaze back to her bedroom door.

"I think I have some playing cards here somewhere, I was thinking that we could play a game after we're done eating. Yeah, it's a game. You like games, right? I'll go get them right now. It might take me long to find them, so take your time cooking, okay!?" She hurriedly said while awkwardly inching towards the main hallway of the apartment and rushed inside her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

"What was that about?" I wondered to myself as I began to unpack the groceries we bought, placing the sweets inside of her refrigerator while setting aside the ingredients for the Tonkatsu.

I grabbed the fresh pork loin that we had bought and set it on the counter, ready to begin. I slice it into 1-inch thick pieces, then use a meat mallet that we picked up earlier to pound each piece until it's about a quarter inch thick. This should tenderize the meat and make it easier to cook evenly.

Next, I prepare my breading station. In one bowl, I beat a couple of eggs until they're frothy. In another bowl, I mix together some all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper. In a third bowl, I combine some Panko breadcrumbs and a bit of cornstarch.

I take each piece of pork and coat it in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Then, I dip it in the egg, making sure it's coated all over. Finally, I roll it in the Panko mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the meat to ensure an even coating.

Once all of my pork cutlets are breaded, it's time to fry them up. I heat a couple of inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, I carefully add the pork cutlets a few at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.

I fry each cutlet for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until they're golden brown and crispy. Then, I use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and place them on a wire rack to drain any excess oil.

Finally, it's time to assemble the dish. I slice each Tonkatsu cutlet into thin strips and arrange them on a bed of steamed rice. I garnish the dish with some sliced green onions and a drizzle of Tonkatsu sauce that I had made by combining the various ingredients we bought while I was frying the pork

An enticing, savory aroma filled my senses as the nutty, toasted scent of the Panko nuts mixed in with the smell of cooked porn in the air.

Everything had to be perfect. This was the first dinner I've ever made that will be shared between me and a girl who was thinking very carefully about whether or not to date me.

Picking up the knife that I had used to slice the meat with, I carefully poked the Tonkatsu and smiled at the result. There was a nice, crisp sound coming from it when I glided the knife across the surface and a very satisfying crunch once I sliced one of them open.

The meat inside was nice and juicy, a perfect medium rare to keep its meaty flavor without overpowering the breading  used as well as the sauce. I then popped one of them into my mouth and simply enjoyed the rich flavors that came with the small piece of meat.

I'm reminded of why I love this dish so much. It's a perfect balance of flavors and textures, and it's one of my go-to comfort foods.

While I was busy minding my own business and enjoying my time tasting my amazing meal. I failed to notice the practically drooling Akibara-san who had come out of his bedroom and sat in front of me looking like she was in a trance.

"Oh hey there, Akibara-san, " I greeted her and placed one of the bowls of rice in front of her before handing her some chopsticks.

"Thank you for the food!" She giggled and accepted the chopsticks, immediately began gobbling the food like she was in a race against time.

"Sho ghood!"

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Just remember to breathe between bites, we don't want you passing out from deliciousness" I chuckled at her facial expressions and went on to finish my share of the meal.

"You just went up 50 points on my book, Raku-kun!"

"Oh? How many points did I have before it?"

" a good, solid eleven out of a hundred!" She replied in a cheerful tone while pointing at me with her chopsticks that were covered in the flavorful sauce.

"Why so low!?" I couldn't help but scream in shock and in sadness the moment I found out that I barely passed ten percent on something.

"What's the score about anyway? Is it about how good of a detective I am!?"

"Hmm, not really it's about how much of a good boyfriend you'll be. And just letting you know, ten points is from your good looks and one for your personality " Akibara-san deadpanned at me while shoving a bit of the Tonkatsu to his mouth and chewed on it like a baby fox.

"Oh, does that mean I'm attractive then?"

"Hmm, not in a hot sense of the word, but you look cute with your hair and the bag under your eyes."

"Thanks, I've been working on perfecting my 'undercover agent who hasn't slept in days' vibe."

"Your replies is what gave you the plus one, too!" She continued to smile while blatantly insulting my very being, but her words had a certain effect that caused my chest to tighten up.

"So that's the only redeeming part of my personality, huh?" I forced myself to chuckle and averted my eyes to the floor.

It wasn't much, but to know that there's at least something good about my personality was a win by itself, but hearing it on her own words just felt like it wasn't.

"Well... It's only a one because I still don't know much about you." Akibara-san muttered in a quiet voice while hiding half of her face behind the rice bowl she was about to swallow whole.

"So sorry, I can't rate you higher for now, but make sure to aim for it, okay?"

"...okay."

I couldn't understand why but just seeing her smile with a few grains of rice stuck at the corner of her lips made my head stop thinking for a second and warmth suddenly replaced the aching feeling I felt in my chest must moments ago.

"Also, I'm expecting a really amazing first date between us, okay? Take it as some sort of payback for ignoring me for four years."

"A first date?"

"Yes, and I may or may not base off my answer on whether or not it'll go well, so keep that in mind, okay?"

"How about we go to that ball we talked about earlier?" I suggested.

"Hmm, you're not just asking me to go since you want to interrogate the suspect, are you?"

Crap.

"I'm not gonna deny that, but I just want to experience a party with a girl since I haven't gone to one before."

"Ngh... Using your sorry excuse of a social life as an excuse to spend time with me, aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"Do you want to go or not?"

"I'm going! I'm going, I didn't say I wasn't going to."

"Then it's a date." I nodded to myself and turned my back towards her to pour myself a cup of water so she wouldn't be able to see how badly my hands were shaking.

What have I gotten myself into??