There is no Drug in my Cooking! Chapter 27

"Senior, can I do it like this?" Mio asked Ichiyo, seeking his professional opinion.

Ichiyo shook his head. "Mio, you need to put more effort in. Your frequency is not fast enough to fully bring out the flavor of the food. The alternation of cold and heat needs to be fast, otherwise, the banana will become soft, the strawberries will turn black! This will affect the final product's color and make it not visually appealing."

"Forget it, I'll take care of this step myself. Can you help me keep an eye on the stove? If the water boils, turn off the heat immediately."

"Yes!"

After some time getting to know each other and through observation, Ichiyo also determined that Mio has some culinary foundations, although she is still at a home-cooking level and unable to handle customer orders in a kitchen. Her skills are not as developed as he was when he took over the pastry shop, but her practical experience is quite rich, and she moves smoothly in the kitchen.

The cooking in the kitchen continues, while outside at the counter, three heads are leaning on it, big eyes blinking and peeking into the kitchen, occasionally being lured by the aroma and secretly swallowing their saliva.

Ichiyo noticed that Mio seemed to be in a low mood and after a moment of thought, he understood why. He comforted her in a low voice. "Mio, you've done really well and you've also saved me a lot of effort and time. Don't blame yourself. This pastry isn't something that an ordinary chef can easily master. Without natural talent, even if you show someone every detail, they still wouldn't be able to learn it."

Ichiyo's words were well-intentioned, but as soon as he spoke, he noticed that the girl was struck with shock, her expression changing between clear emotions, filled with tears, and her face showing signs of imminent crying. It appears, that she doesn't have the natural talent to be a chef, and it might be hitting her hard.

"Mio is about to cry!"

"Mio is going to cry!"

"Mio is crying!"

The three girls who were hiding outside the counter confirmed in a low voice, with their expressions becoming serious. Then, Ritsu pulled out a camera from her pocket, skillfully aimed it at Mio, and took a picture after focusing. Next to Ritsu, Tsumugi and Yui stared at the Light Music Club president in confusion, their expressions reflecting shock.

Ritsu put the camera back in her bag, and stuck out her tongue playfully. "After all, Mio looks so cute at this moment, it would be a shame not to leave a memory, right?"

Tsumugi and Yui looked at each other, remained silent for a moment, and then looked back at Ritsu. Embarrassed by their stares, Ritsu let out a sigh. "At worst, when the photo is developed, we'll each take one and keep this memory together for Mio,"

Tsumugi and Yui laughed and nodded.

"That's right!"

"Right!"

The light music agreement was reached!

In the kitchen, Ichiyo was still looking at Mio with a confused expression. At first glance, she seemed like a cold and queen-like girl, but at second glance, she was a serious and formal child. But now, she was showing a very fragile and sensitive side. He couldn't help but think that if this girl was punched, she would probably cry for a long time, right?

"I didn't mean to imply that you're not good enough, you just haven't had professional training yet. You have a lot of talent, and if you don't believe me, you can come and learn from me to make pastries. You have to believe in yourself, you're more than capable!" Ichiyo comforted her in a flustered manner.

Mio looked at him with a blank expression, big tears welling up in her eyes as if they were about to fall in the next second.

Ichiyo immediately nodded firmly. "Really, I never lie!"

Of course, Mr. Ichiyo was lying about the "never" part.

It was a well-intentioned lie, why should he care about it?

Besides, how could he possibly see through the talent of this girl at a glance, he's not a scanning robot!

After comforting Mio, Ichiyo became more cautious and didn't dare to make jokes around her anymore.

In reality, there are indeed some people who are quite sensitive in this regard, and a casual remark might stimulate them and make them feel uncomfortable. If you encounter this situation, it's best to be more careful. After all, this girl looks quite good, and according to genetics, the chance of beautiful people appearing in her family and relatives will be greater than in an ordinary family.

If he offends her now, what if he falls in love with her or one of her relatives in the future and is sabotaged?

Although Ichiyo hasn't reached that stage yet, it doesn't stop him from being cautious. As the saying goes in war strategy, one should make preparations while it is still sunny.

With Ichiyo leading the way, he and Mio focused on creating delicious pastries. She assisted him with various tasks such as preparation work and passing tools within her reach. After dedicating around 20 minutes of hard work, they successfully modified Ichiyo's grandfather's signature dish, the Seven-Flavors Fruit Daifuku, into the new and improved Nine-Flavors Fruit Daifuku.

The fruit daifuku was a stunning sight to behold. Its vibrant colors and adorable appearance drew the girls in, causing them to stare with sparkling eyes and mouths slightly agape. They couldn't bear to destroy its beauty by eating it.

Ichiyo found the girls' reaction amusing and reassured them, "Don't be afraid to eat it, the most beautiful pastries are made to be enjoyed. If you don't eat it, the daifuku will lose its purpose, and that would make them pitiful."

"Really?", Yui exclaimed, her eyes filled with exaggerated pity as she looked at the beautiful daifuku on the plate. She clasped her hands together in a show of gratitude, addressing the daifuku sincerely, "Thank you for being so adorable. I will not let you lose your purpose, so please come to my stomach, to fulfill your true meaning in life."

Ahh~!

Yui abandoned her chopsticks and grabbed her portion of the daifuku. She placed it in her mouth, closed her eyes, and let out a satisfied hum as she savored the taste.

Indeed, it can be hard to bring oneself to destroy something that is adorable. The solution is simple, just savor it whole!

Yui's actions seemed to have inspired those around her. Ritsu also laid down her chopsticks, picked up the colorful daifuku with both hands, and put it in her mouth. Seeing her friends enjoy the pastry, Tsumugi also wanted to join in, but as she had never before sneakily eaten pastries or taken big bites, the pastry got stuck in her throat and she looked pitifully at her friends.

Ichiyo felt that if he had a mirror at that moment, he would see a wonderful expression on his face.

This is the first time!

This was the first time he had ever encountered someone who could swallow a daifuku in one bite!

Ichiyo couldn't help but marvel at the girls' ability to eat his carefully crafted daifuku in one bite. Despite the various techniques and precision that went into making the pastries, no bigger than a quail egg, they were devoured whole.

He poured a cup of tea for Tsumugi, feeling a mix of amusement. He thought to himself, the girls' love for cute things was truly something else, their actions both idiotic and adorable. He couldn't help but wonder if this was something only high school students would do.

Ichiyo couldn't help but think that Tsumugi should be much more clever when she was younger because she haven't met these girls. He felt that the other three girls were not as thoughtful, they have too much love for cute things.

Tsumugi took the tea Ichiyo handed her and drank half a cup, finally managing to swallow the daifuku. She looked slightly regretful, "What does it taste like in the end?"

She had eaten it too quickly, swallowed it in one bite, and then washed it down with tea, unable to taste any of the flavors. All she could taste was a hint of tea fragrance in her mouth. Tsumugi looked at the round-faced girl beside her, Yui and Ritsu who were both chewing, enjoying the pastry, and sighed. She turned to look at Mio who was still hesitant about how to take her first bite.

Mio's sense of perception was very keen, she immediately used her small hand to cover her own fruit daifuku and looked at Tsumugi cautiously. Despite her assistance in the kitchen, she hadn't taken a bite of the pastry yet!