2:49 PM
We spent so much time playing hide-and-seek that our lunch was delayed by several hours. It's almost three in the afternoon, so Ailiss and I offered to help Mikoto finish cooking faster.
"Since the meal I planned to prepare was quick, I thought eleven in the morning was too early to start cooking. But due to a certain person's irresponsibility, we are now completely behind schedule," Mikoto comments, pressing her fingers against her forehead.
As usual, the blame for bad decisions always falls on me. I should be used to it by now.
"I just suggested the game; you two dragged it out," I defend myself.
"We kept playing new rounds so you could at least win one match. Yet, you proved completely incompetent. You should at least be grateful for our good intentions."
What a lie. You two just enjoyed systematically humiliating me. Is it so hard to admit?
Before I can counter, the other girl interjects.
"It was your fault," insists Ailiss with a deadly glare.
Fine, it's my fault. I really need a judicial system to protect me from the authoritarianism of these two girls.
"Before we start and assign tasks, I would like to clarify something. What is your kitchen experience? Do you know how to prepare any kind of dish?" Mikoto asks while organizing the ingredients.
I've never been too concerned with learning to cook decently. I find it more practical to buy frozen food. Even so, I believe I can help with the basics.
"I've only learned simple dishes like boiled eggs and pre-prepared meals for my own survival when I'm alone at home," I respond.
"Alright… I was not expecting much more, but it is better than nothing," Mikoto sighs and looks at Ailiss. "And you?"
"Most of the times I've used a kitchen were to make poisons for assassinations, as well as to poison already-prepared food," Ailiss replies.
Naturally, this response would cause astonishment. However, now that I'm used to her, I'd be more surprised by a less grim answer.
"Speaking of which, I barely saw you in the cafeteria during all the repetitions. How did you survive a week without eating?" I ask.
"I have a huge stash of dried meat in my backpack for such occasions."
Mikoto and I exchange glances and accept her response.
"In that case, I think it would be good for Ailiss to learn to prepare a dish. Cooking is an indispensable skill because it is essential for survival. Let us see what I can teach you…" Mikoto thinks for a moment and turns to her. "How about curry? I think there is little that could go wrong, and Johann can help you chop the ingredients."
"There's no need. Due to survival training, I know how to make food, specifically military rations. I just can't guarantee the taste, but nutritionally, it's adequate. After all, that's the purpose of food."
What she said makes sense, but let's be honest, what kind of life has this girl chosen?
"I agree with you on the functional aspect. Under normal conditions, that would be enough for you. But that is a problem in your current situation, Ailiss. The taste of food can be a decisive factor in some aspects. Do not you think this would put you at a tremendous disadvantage compared to me?" Mikoto smirks mockingly and raises a finger to continue her explanation. "When choosing a wife, Johann would certainly take cooking skills into account."
What?! This kind of joke will only irritate Ailiss; as always, her irritation will be taken out exclusively on me.
She stares at me for a few seconds before replying to Mikoto.
"Looking at it that way, you're right," she says, touching her chin thoughtfully.
No way. This can't be the same demonic Ailiss I know.
"H-hey, what are you talking about?" I stammer.
"It was just a joke. Didn't you realize?" Ailiss replies indifferently.
To be honest, jokes aren't what I expect from you, so I'm surprised nonetheless.
"In any case, I think it's worth a try," she adds.
Mikoto and I begin chopping the ingredients to speed things up for her.
I notice Mikoto leaning close to Ailiss and whispering something in her ear.
What is this girl plotting? Whenever she starts scheming, nothing good comes my way.
I ignore this and continue cutting the meat and vegetables as if I hadn't noticed anything.
Since this morning, I've had the feeling these two are up to something, and as the day progresses, my suspicions only grow.
As if my suspicion couldn't get worse, Mikoto suddenly stands before me with a rather strange proposition.
"Johann, say 'Ah...'" she says, holding a small slice of vegetable she was cutting.
"W-what is this?" I awkwardly back away.
"Idiot, just do what I tell you," she frowns and retorts in her icy tone.
What kind of mood shift is this? She suddenly reverted to being the ice queen?
Should I trust her? This is highly suspicious. Either way, I think I have no choice but to obey; otherwise, I'll just end up with an angry, manipulative girl.
I open my mouth, and she drops the piece into it, and I eat it.
"So? What did you think?" she smiles.
"Well… it's okay."
It's just a basic ingredient; there's not much I can say, even if I strain to make any meaningful comment. Truthfully, I'm not fond of vegetables.
A few seconds pass before she turns to me again and complains.
"Insensitive… Are you not going to do the same for me?"
She's upset about something like this? This is getting very strange... In the end, it's probably just her usual theatrics. But what's her goal? Embarrassing me even without an audience?
Once again, I obey her orders. I take a slice of vegetable and hold it in front of her mouth.
Honestly, this kind of situation is very embarrassing, and she knows exactly how uncomfortable I get with these things. This reminds me of Mikoto, who teased me countless times during the repetitions when we were allies.
As I'm about to drop the slice into her mouth, she grabs my hand. Not only does she eat the food, but she also makes a point of gently running her tongue along my fingers.
"W-what are you doing?!" I stammer, embarrassed.
She exceeded my expectations for how awkward this scene could be.
"Nothing much. Just tasting. I do not know what you are talking about," she stares at me with a sensual look.
I really pity my heart at times like this... for all it has to endure.
She then moves away from me and heads to the table where the other girl is.
"Ailiss, we have finished the prep here. You can mix everything and manage the pot, as I explained earlier," Mikoto instructs.
In response, Ailiss nods.
"I will step out and leave you two to finish lunch. If you need help, do not hesitate to ask Johann."
"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave us alone? As I said, cooking is far from my specialty. I only know the basics and can manage," I comment.
"Do not worry; nothing can go wrong. Besides, I need to step out to take care of some things," she winks at Ailiss.
Of course, I saw that signal. There's no way not to be worried about what it might mean.
Moreover, what things? We have no commitments; we're trapped in this reality. Still, I choose not to question her flimsy excuse.
She then leaves the kitchen, leaving just the two of us to finish the curry.
"Are you sure you understand how to do this?" I ask.
"Have more respect for who you're talking to. For someone like me, basic instructions like these are nothing," she responds moodily.
According to Ailiss, everything seems to flow smoothly. She handles the tools and the stove with a certain finesse, almost like a professional chef in the eyes of an amateur. It's impressive to know she had no prior knowledge. Could she be a prodigy like Mikoto?
However, when I look away for a few seconds and focus back on the pot, I notice the food has taken on a different color. At first, it seems a bit odd, but I'm not qualified to judge whether an additional ingredient or spice might cause this appearance.
"What did you add?"
"Nothing."
Nothing? I don't think this should happen... Should I be worried? Should I call Mikoto?
Gradually, I notice the texture has also changed; the sauce is bubbling unnaturally. It looks radioactive, but without a doubt, the most repulsive thing is the smell. This concoction exudes an odor that feels like death.
"Mistkerl, say 'Ah,'" she holds out a spoonful of curry in front of me.
She's trying to imitate her? I can already connect the dots; this must be what Mikoto told her earlier. I see now that she was just passing on the basics of how to embarrass me to Ailiss.
As embarrassing as the situation is, this isn't the issue. Mikoto's teasing is already a regular occurrence; the real problem is the food itself. My instincts are on high alert regarding the lethality of this thing.
The deadly smell becomes even more apparent with the spoon near my face.
If I refuse, it seems I'll be endlessly beaten by Ailiss. On the other hand, if I accept, in the worst-case scenario, I'll die slowly from ingestion and have a clean body in the next iteration.
So, I'll taste it...
After all, they're the same ingredients; I might be overreacting... it couldn't have turned out that bad.
I muster courage and open my mouth.
Wishful thinking.
Ailiss aggressively shoves the spoonful into my mouth; as expected, the taste is terrible. My tongue has just been murdered by such foulness; I think I'll only wake up in the next iteration because this food is definitely lethal.
I clutch my throat with both hands and collapse to the floor, trying to vomit the poison I just consumed.
I am definitely on the brink of death!
Seeing me struggle, Ailiss touches the tip of her finger to the curry pot and brings it to her mouth.
"It's awful. I figured it would turn out this way."
"How? How did you make it so bad without changing the ingredients?" I ask, still feeling sick.
"My poison-making instructor always praised me for being able to create deadly mixtures with any base substance. It's an involuntary talent I have for these things."
Maybe it really is an assassin's gift. Anything this girl touches turns into something deadly. She might suffer from the same curse as King Midas but for poisons. We could use the rest of the food as a weapon against Death itself.
Mikoto enters the kitchen, sees my state, smells the pot, and quickly connects the dots.
"Maybe I should just be responsible for lunch from now on..." Mikoto comments with concern.
Both Ailiss and I nod immediately.
"Please..." I beg in an almost lifeless tone.
"For now, take Johann somewhere to rest. I'll prepare something for you to eat later," she says to Ailiss and turns to the curry with wide eyes. "How is this even possible? What happened here?"
I'd like to know that, too.
"Let's go," Ailiss grabs my tie and drags me out of the kitchen.
I guess our fun plans aren't working out so well.