Chapter 5: Nina's Cooking Chronicles
The day after Nina's disastrous job hunt, Yuuto was determined to keep her out of trouble. The chaos she caused yesterday had left him with an uneasy feeling about her ability to adapt to Earth's everyday tasks. But Nina, as always, had other plans.
"Yuuto!" she announced proudly that morning, standing in the kitchen with a wooden spoon held high like a scepter. "Today, I shall conquer the culinary arts!"
Yuuto, still groggy from sleep, stared at her in alarm. "You? Cooking? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."
"Nonsense!" Nina said with a confident grin. "A true queen must know how to provide for her people. You shall witness my greatness firsthand!"
Yuuto sighed. "Fine. But promise me you'll stick to simple recipes."
"Of course," Nina said, waving her hand dismissively. "How hard could it be?"
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Step One: The Grocery Adventure
Before any cooking could happen, Yuuto had to take Nina grocery shopping. He regretted this decision almost immediately.
"This place is a treasure trove of exotic goods!" Nina exclaimed as they entered the supermarket. Her eyes sparkled as she darted from one aisle to the next, marveling at everything she saw.
"Nina, focus," Yuuto said, trying to keep up with her. "We're here to buy ingredients, not sightsee."
"But look at this!" Nina said, holding up a pack of instant ramen. "It says it's ready in three minutes! Is this some kind of magical food?"
"It's just noodles," Yuuto said, dragging her toward the vegetable section. "Now, let's stick to the list."
The list was supposed to keep things simple: eggs, flour, vegetables, and some chicken. But Nina, being Nina, couldn't resist adding her own flair.
"What's this?" she asked, holding up a durian. "It smells… powerful. I shall include it in my masterpiece!"
"No durians!" Yuuto snapped. "And put down that octopus!"
By the time they reached the checkout counter, their cart was a mix of reasonable choices and Nina's bizarre selections, including a bag of marshmallows, a bottle of hot sauce, and a pineapple. Yuuto just hoped she wouldn't blow up the kitchen.
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Step Two: Chaos in the Kitchen
Back at the apartment, Nina donned an apron and tied her hair back with a flourish. "Now, the royal feast shall commence!"
"Just follow the recipe," Yuuto said, handing her a beginner's cookbook. "Don't improvise."
"Improvise? Me? Never!" Nina said, flipping through the book. She stopped at a recipe for fried chicken and nodded. "Simple enough."
Yuuto watched nervously as she began. To her credit, she managed to crack the eggs and coat the chicken without too much trouble. But then she decided to spice things up.
"Let's add some personality to this dish," Nina said, grabbing random spices from the cabinet. "Cinnamon! Nutmeg! And… what's this? Curry powder? Perfect!"
"Nina, no!" Yuuto yelled, trying to stop her. "You're mixing dessert spices with curry?!"
"It's called creativity, Yuuto," Nina said, sprinkling the concoction onto the chicken. "You wouldn't understand."
The frying process was even worse. Nina cranked the heat up too high, causing the oil to splatter everywhere. Yuuto had to duck behind the counter to avoid getting burned.
"Behold!" Nina said, holding up a piece of chicken that was burnt to a crisp on one side and raw on the other. "A masterpiece!"
Yuuto stared at it in horror. "That's not food; that's a health hazard."
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Step Three: The Soup Incident
Determined to redeem herself, Nina decided to make soup next. This time, Yuuto kept a closer watch, but it didn't help much.
"What's wrong with adding marshmallows?" Nina asked as she stirred the pot. "It'll add sweetness!"
"It's chicken soup, not dessert!" Yuuto exclaimed, grabbing the bag of marshmallows from her. "And why is the soup purple?"
"I may have added some grape juice," Nina admitted sheepishly. "For color."
Yuuto groaned. "This isn't art class, Nina. Cooking has rules!"
"But rules are so boring," Nina said, pouting. "Fine, I'll stick to the recipe."
She didn't, of course. By the time she finished, the soup was a bizarre mix of flavors that Yuuto couldn't even identify. One sip was enough to make him gag.
"This tastes like regret," he said, setting the bowl down.
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Step Four: Dessert Disaster
Not one to give up, Nina decided to try her hand at dessert. She found a recipe for chocolate cake and seemed genuinely excited about it.
"This one will be perfect," she declared. "Chocolate is the food of royalty, after all!"
Yuuto didn't have the heart to argue. He just hoped she wouldn't set the oven on fire.
At first, things seemed to be going well. Nina measured the ingredients carefully and mixed them together without any weird additions. But then she got to the frosting.
"Why settle for plain chocolate?" she said, grabbing a bottle of hot sauce. "Let's add some excitement!"
"Nina, no!" Yuuto yelled, but it was too late. She had already poured half the bottle into the frosting.
The result was a cake that looked normal but packed a fiery punch. Yuuto took one bite and immediately started coughing.
"This… is an abomination," he wheezed.
"Nonsense!" Nina said, taking a bite herself. Her face turned red, and she grabbed a glass of water. "Okay, maybe it's a bit… intense."
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The Aftermath
By the end of the day, the kitchen looked like a war zone. Pots and pans were piled high in the sink, the counters were covered in flour and spices, and the air was filled with the smell of burnt food.
"Well," Nina said, surveying the chaos. "That was a productive day."
"You call this productive?" Yuuto said, gesturing to the mess. "You nearly burned down the apartment!"
"But I've learned so much," Nina said with a smile. "Tomorrow, I shall attempt baking!"
"Absolutely not," Yuuto said, dragging her out of the kitchen. "You're banned from cooking."
"You can't ban a queen from her passions!" Nina protested.
"Watch me," Yuuto muttered.
As they collapsed onto the couch, exhausted, Nina turned to him with a mischievous grin. "Admit it, Yuuto. Today was fun."
Yuuto sighed, despite himself. "Yeah, it was… something."
And as chaotic as it was, he couldn't help but feel that life with Nina was never going to be boring.
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End of Chapter 5