The Joy of Eating Together

Everyone was enjoying their meal when Saori suddenly spoke up, "The feeling of eating together outdoors like this is really nice! That's why some people are so enthusiastic about picnics, right?"

"Yeah..." Homura nodded. "Wasn't our barbeque yesterday the same?"

Everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement. Yes, this feeling was quite addictive. They were having such a joyful time eating!

As they watched the fire in the stove die down, leaving only glowing embers, Homura smiled mysteriously.

He turned around... and took out a bunch of round objects from the thermal box...

"Potatoes?" Kirino mumbled with her chopsticks in her mouth. "Minamiya-senpai, what are the potatoes for?"

"Can you guess?" Homura asked.

Kirino furrowed her eyebrows. "How can I guess it?"

"If you won't guess, let others guess," Homura replied.

Kirino: "..."

Why isn't he following the usual pattern?!

Homura carried the pile of potatoes to the stove, and suddenly, Honoka's eyes lit up. "Butter potatoes!"

"Correct!" Homura laughed.

Now they were perfectly buried, they would dig them out later, along with the chicken.

The potatoes Homura buried this time were all similar in size, each about the size of half a palm. They were quite large potatoes, but they were more enjoyable to eat this way.

"To think you brought out something like this..." Elf exclaimed, wide-eyed. "I won't be able to eat anymore."

"It's alright... Take your time, we're not in a hurry anyway. Eat while digesting." Homura reassured.

"...Eating while digesting, huh? Such a pig..." Eriri commented sarcastically.

"Oh? So you're saying you don't want these butter potatoes?" Homura's expression seemed particularly mischievous.

"I want them! Why wouldn't I want them!" Eriri shrugged and then didn't say anything else. His attitude made her grit her teeth in frustration!

Fifteen minutes later, after everyone finished their meal, they watched as Homura picked up the potatoes one by one and placed them on a tray. He also took out the chicken and placed them in three separate trays.

Homura looked at the girls and asked, "Which one would you like to eat first?"

Muramasa, who usually didn't say much, unexpectedly spoke up, "Let's eat the potatoes first. Butter potatoes won't taste good when they get cold, and the chicken hasn't been opened yet, so we can let it sit a bit longer."

"OK!" Homura put on disposable gloves and used the back of a kitchen knife to tap off the charred skin of each potato, then placed them in another tray.

Once everything was split in half, he added a piece of butter to each potato, allowing it to slowly melt, and sprinkled a bit of salt on top. The aroma gradually wafted through the air...

Each person held a sheet of aluminum foil and approached Homura one by one. He placed a finished potato on each foil and distributed them to everyone.

"It smells so good..." Hanayo sniffed the fragrance and was intoxicated. "It somehow seems even more delicious than the ones we eat at restaurants, even though it's just butter and salt..."

"You're right." Mio nodded in agreement. "The difference is probably that the ones in the restaurant are baked in an oven, while these are cooked over the charcoal fire."

"That's true," Kuroneko added. "Potatoes unexpectedly turn out to be so suitable for grilling. It has always been like this."

"Don't just stand there, hurry up and eat! The aroma will disappear soon!" Ritsu urged as she hadn't received her potato yet.

"Hehehe... Ricchan, do you want to eat it?" Yui smirked, bringing her potato closer to Ritsu.

"...Of course I want to!" Ritsu said and took a bite of Yui's potato, instantly the potato had a chunk missing...

Yui: "..."

"Ri-Ricchan?!" Yui's face was filled with disbelief as she looked at Ritsu's proud expression. "My potato~!"

"Who made you entice me..." Ritsu mumbled with her mouth full, then reached out to grab her own potato.

"No way! Give it back quickly!" Yui demanded, wanting to take a bite of Ritsu's potato, but she wouldn't allow it.

So the two of them ran around, one chasing the other.

Homura shook his head helplessly. He had finished his tasks and now watched the scene unfold while taking a satisfied bite of his own potato.

"It's really delicious..."

===

"So... can everyone still eat?" The group gathered around three dumplings, and Homura suddenly asked.

"Well, it's a bit difficult, nyaa~" Rin rubbed her stomach and said with some distress.

"Who asked us to eat the potato!" Elf said helplessly. "A potato as big as my fist, and it's incredibly delicious, who can resist that?"

"I hope eating so much won't make me gain weight," Kirino cautiously said. "I still have my modeling job, and it wouldn't be good if my figure gets messed up..."

"No worries!" Yui patted her chest. "I have a body that won't gain weight!"

Homura sighed. Was Yui trying to provoke envy? So many girls would be envious of her metabolism!

Indeed, the girls looked at Yui with fiery gazes, making her tremble. She rubbed her arms and glanced around, but she didn't notice anything.

"Just exercise more," Umi said, uttering words that alarmed Honoka. "As long as you have enough training, you won't gain weight at all. If anyone is worried about gaining weight, you can exercise with us."

It seemed that Honoka's fitness class would gain a few more participants...

"Done!" Homura said, using the back of a knife to knock off the hardened outer layer. The fragrant aroma immediately spread, causing everyone to take a deep breath involuntarily.

"Homura-shi! It smells amazing!" Saori couldn't help but salivate. "Today, I finally get to experience your cooking skills. What if I can't eat other people's food anymore?"

Homura put on disposable gloves and smiled. "Then you can come over to my place and eat my dishes every day."

"Eat every day... but it's a bit far..." Saori murmured softly.

"Then just come when you have time. After all, I'm the one who mostly cooks."

Suddenly, envious glances were cast at the girls from Another Dimension, making them feel uncomfortable.

"Oh right, Homura, can you teach me this recipe?" Elf asked.

Homura was currently tearing the chicken with his hands to save them from doing it themselves. As for why he chose to tear it by hand... it probably tasted better that way. If it was cut with a knife, it felt like something was missing.

"No problem, I can teach you," Homura replied without hesitation. "But if you make it at home, you can only use an oven. Somehow, it feels like it lacks a certain taste when made in an oven, so I've never cooked it that way at home."

"Even the buttered potatoes?"

"Exactly, for roasting, I still prefer using an open flame or charcoal. That way, the food will have a hint of fire flavor, which an oven can't achieve."

As for the potential carcinogens produced by grilling... what's the point of worrying about this and that in life? Besides, the human body has quite a robust immune system.

"Alright! Everyone, dig in!" Homura finished disassembling all three chickens.

Seeing the girls eager to dive in, Homura grabbed a piece of chicken breast and slowly fed it to Haru. Apart from tuna, the chicken breast was her favorite.

After a while, Rin felt like she couldn't eat anymore. She saw Homura feeding Haru and her eyes instantly lit up...