(For those who don't like reading about everyday cooking, you can skim through this chapter. There won't be much of this type of content in future chapters.)
"Phone?" Hayashi was puzzled for a moment, then said in surprise, "I didn't get any calls from you guys. No notifications."
Did this mean he missed something?
"Of course, your phone bill was overdue. How could anyone reach you?" Nobara Kugisaki removed her hand from Hayashi's ear and crossed her arms, her tone softening. "Next time, check your phone bill before leaving. If we lose contact, the school will worry."
Upon hearing this, Hayashi quickly pulled out his phone and checked it. Sure enough, his bill was overdue. He had no idea when it had happened, though.
He'd been so busy working odd jobs lately that he hadn't paid attention to his phone.
"Did I miss anything? What have you guys been up to?" Hayashi asked with an awkward smile. Maybe Fushiguro could help him top up his phone later.
"Not much. We just went out to handle some things. Now that you're back, we can get started." Nobara clapped her hands as Fushiguro Megumi walked over.
"Get started with what?" Hayashi asked. Then, he turned to Fushiguro and grinned. "Fushiguro, can you top up my phone? I'll pay you in cash."
"The Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event. It's an exchange event between Jujutsu High's Tokyo and Kyoto schools. The event consists of battles that are proposed by the respective principals of the two schools. It lasts for two days—one for team battles, the other for individual battles. Anything goes in the cursed techniques battles, except killing." Fushiguro explained as he pulled out his phone, topping up Hayashi's account without a word.
Both Fushiguro and Nobara had Hayashi's phone number. Without even asking how much Hayashi needed, Fushiguro topped up his balance.
"You don't have to pay me back. Consider it payment for all the meals you've made." Fushiguro wasn't stingy at all and didn't care about topping up the phone.
"Haha, this makes me feel bad..." Hayashi chuckled. He wasn't one to freeload, and he didn't even know how much Fushiguro had topped up.
"Ahem…" Fushiguro suddenly looked a little uncomfortable and said, "No worries, just treat me to a meal next time."
Hayashi blinked in surprise and then burst into laughter. "Hahaha, Fushiguro! I never thought I'd hear you say something like that. I thought you'd stay cold and aloof forever."
Without another word, Fushiguro turned and walked away. Nobara glanced at his retreating back and said, "Good food is always tempting."
"By the way, training starts tomorrow. Don't fall behind." Nobara stretched lazily and then headed back to her room.
After returning to his room, Hayashi unpacked the snacks he had brought back. These were for Fushiguro and the others, including the second-year seniors.
Although he had rushed back, he still managed to buy some delicious snacks from the Tokyo area. Hayashi knew how to maintain good relationships—being thoughtful made interactions more pleasant.
After a while, night had fallen. Hayashi shut down his computer, took the snacks to the kitchen, and then headed to the cafeteria to grab some ingredients. He decided to cook a meal.
Since the second-year students were also around, this was the perfect opportunity to show off his cooking skills. Winning over the stomachs of his first-year peers and Gojo-sensei wasn't enough—he needed to win over all of Jujutsu High's students.
"Fushiguro, tell the second-year seniors to come to the kitchen for dinner. No need to go to the school cafeteria. You all come too," Hayashi messaged Fushiguro while checking his balance. To his surprise, it was topped up enough to last for three months! Fushiguro was quite generous.
After receiving Fushiguro's reply, Hayashi happily began cooking.
"I heard Jujutsu High got a top chef. I didn't expect it to be you," Maki Zenin said as she led the way into the kitchen, with Panda and Toge Inumaki behind her, waving in greeting.
"Welcome, welcome! But I'm hardly a top chef, Maki-senpai," Hayashi laughed. These guys sure knew how to flatter him, but he didn't mind at all.
"Did you make all of this?" Maki adjusted her glasses in disbelief.
The table was covered with dishes of various colors—at least a dozen in total. The rich aroma made everyone's mouth water, and the dishes were beautifully presented.
Panda and Inumaki gathered around, subconsciously swallowing their saliva.
At that moment, Nobara and Fushiguro also arrived. Though they had tasted Hayashi's cooking before, they were still a bit surprised to see so many dishes on the table.
The last time they ate, it had just been the five of them. But with three more people joining this time, especially with Panda's huge appetite, there had to be more food.
Of course, two people were missing—Gojo Satoru and Yuji Itadori couldn't join.
"Yes, I made it all. Please take a seat. Dinner will be ready soon," Hayashi said, setting down the spatula. He pointed to a large wooden bucket nearby. "There's enough rice here for everyone."
This comment was directed at Panda-senpai, whose appetite was probably the largest among them.
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to Panda, who awkwardly waved it off. "In this form, I don't actually eat that much. Don't worry."
Relieved, the others returned their attention to the food before them.
Hayashi didn't keep them waiting long. Once the last dish was ready, he smiled and said, "This is my second time meeting some of the seniors, but I suppose this is also like the first. Please enjoy my cooking—I hope it doesn't disappoint."
"Let's eat!"
"Time to dig in!"
Everyone had been eagerly waiting. They picked up their chopsticks and started eating. There were fifteen dishes in total, and although Hayashi worked quickly, it hadn't taken him too long to finish all of them by himself.
With such speed and skill, it was no wonder those restaurant owners had tried everything to keep him, even offering exorbitant wages.
"It's so good!"
"Amazing!"
"Mhm."
"Salmon!"
Everyone's expressions were filled with enjoyment—some exaggerated, others more reserved—but all of them praised Hayashi's cooking.
"You really are the top chef. No need to argue that," Maki said, glancing at Hayashi. "If anyone questions it, tell them to talk to me."
"Right, right. A jujutsu sorcerer with such cooking skills is rare," Panda said, his mouth still full of food.
Compared to the others, Inumaki and Fushiguro were more reserved. They also enjoyed the food but weren't as vocal about it.
Nobara, on the other hand, was in full food mode—she'd grabbed an entire dish, poured the sauce over her rice, and was devouring it without any concern for appearances.
"Thanks for the support, everyone. From now on, leave the cooking to me," Hayashi said with a satisfied smile. Having won over the seniors with his cooking, he needed to hurry up and eat before everything was gone.
Out of the fifteen dishes, half were vegetarian, half were meat-based. Thanks to the generosity of the school cafeteria, Hayashi had been able to get plenty of ingredients. He suspected Gojo-sensei had something to do with that.
Despite the variety and quantity, it didn't take long for the six of them to finish everything.
Most of the food was devoured by Panda-senpai. Nobara and Maki-senpai also ate a lot, leaving Hayashi, Fushiguro, and Inumaki as the more reserved eaters.