Chapter 31: His reason

On the short-legged table before him, Naoki glanced at the several dishes spread on the surface.

There was a total of six dishes; Miso soup, Sushi, Gyoza (fried dumplings), Natto Rice bowl, Tempura (fried snack), and Onigiri.

Just looking at the meal before him, his brows furrowed.

Now that he was sitting a wrist length away from the food, he couldn't help accepting the aroma that wafted into his nostrils.

A deep sigh fell off his lips.

Adjusting the sleeves of his kimono to give way for his right hand, he picked up the pair of chopsticks before him.

Again, his eyes darted around the table as his eyes squinted. More than ever, he was confused about what dish to start with first.

Sighing once more, he slammed the chopsticks on the table without warning.

Daisuke who had been watching his actions from the side ended up getting startled as his eyes widened in their sockets.

Before his brain could understand what had possibly annoyed his Master, he felt Naoki's gaze on him.

Naoki tilted his head to the side and immediately glared daggers at his right-hand man who was waiting for him to take the first bite.

Now aware of how furious he was, and the fact that he was about to flare up, Daisuke quickly pulled himself together and walked over to kneel across for him.

Immediately, he picked up the wooden tablespoon by the handle.

Supporting his right hand with his fingers wrapped around his arm, he brought the spoon before Naoki.

"Master, please try the soup," he suggested while trying not to cower before him.

The aura exuding from Naoki was getting stronger with each passing second, and Daisuke couldn't stand it.

Naoki's gaze moved from his face to the spoon in his hand and stopped there for a brief moment before shifting his gaze back to his face without a word.

Seeing that there was no intention of him taking the spoon from him, he felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead.

Unknowingly, his gaze glanced at the table of dishes, and couldn't help having some disturbing thoughts.

'T-This F-Food… can't go to waste. I…"

However, the second he remembered that Naoki could hear his thoughts, he quickly halted and snapped back to reality.

"Master, please try the dishes, I promise they taste different from the usual," he beseeched, trying to appeal and convince his Master to at least taste the food he had prepared for him.

"How can they taste different when I can vividly recall that they smell the same as usual?" Naoki questioned firmly.

Pointing at the dishes, he continued, "Are you saying that something is wrong with my senses?"

Obviously, Daisuke knew that the senses Naoki spoke of, had nothing to do with his brain, but with his body's five senses.

Hearing him say that, Daisuke hurriedly lowered his gaze with his stretched arm as he had no intentions of retracting them.

"Master, I wouldn't dare," he confessed.

Raising his head again after a few moments, Daisuke allowed his eyes to convey an emotion that suggested the care he had for him.

"Because I am aware of your palate, I tried to cook you these popular dishes, but in a different way."

Without waiting for Naoki to respond as he bared his thoughts out to him, Daisuke quickly stretched the wooden spoon further to his line of sight.

"Master, go on and try the dishes and you would find the difference in taste," he urged.

A long sigh escaped Naoki's lips as he retracted his strong aura, seemingly convinced now.

"It had better have a different taste as you said, else…" He threatened as he snatched the spoon from him.

He did not need to finish with his sentence as Daisuke already knew what could come out of all these.

At one point there was a duel hanging around the corner because of his disturbance. And now this.

Sighs…

The corners of Daisuke's lips curled slightly as his lungs released a deep sigh of relief.

Taking the spoon from his hand, Naoki reached out for the bowl of Miso soup and scooped a spoonful before sending it into his parted lips.

The moment his tongue relished the deep savory flavor with the toasty, funky, salty-sweet richness of the soup, his brows creased slightly.

A sign of his dissatisfaction. Still, he went on to sip two more spoons before finally abandoning it for the sushi.

Placing the spoon back on the empty plate, he reached out for the pair of wooden chopsticks. As soon as he picked them up, he picked a piece of sushi.

With his thin lips parting, the sushi dropped into his mouth, leaving the chopstick hanging in the air as he chewed on the food, relishing the light and subtle taste.

Next, Naoki used the chopsticks to try the rest of the dishes, eating one piece after the other, as Daisuke watched him with a look of anticipation.

'Does Master like any of them?' He thought worriedly as per his inability to depict Naoki's thoughts from his facial expression that divulged nothing.

Finally, after Naoki was done tasting all, he put down the pair of chopsticks and picked up the cup of tea on the right side of the table.

In one go, he downed the whole thing into his throat.

'Huh? I-Is he done already?' Daisuke thought as his brows furrowed slightly.

Putting the empty cup on the table, Naoki smacked his lips together in a child-like manner, ignoring what his right-hand man thought of such a display.

Dapping the corners of his lips with the napkin, he placed it on the space before him as Daisuke waited for his verdict.

"Everything tastes bland," Naoki concluded without batting an eye.

He didn't even care about the feelings of the person he just damaged. Left to him, it was not his concern.

To Daisuke, his Master's verdict was like an arrow piercing his poor heart. Although the blow did nothing to his pride, he still felt defeated in some way.

Naoki was known to be picky with food, and this was normal for someone that had lived for more than 7 centuries.

Just eating the same kind of food for so many years, was tiring and frustrating. And this was the very reason Naoki refused to eat.

He preferred to starve, rather than eat the same food that was made the same way, over again.

'Everything tastes bland?' Daisuke's shoulders slumped in defeat as he recounted in his mind.

'At least, he managed to put something into his stomach.' He thought again as a deep sigh fell off his lips.

In the middle of feeling a little down-casted, an idea suddenly came to his mind as a light glint flashed in his eyes, returning the shine that was once present.

Daisuke had taken note of the dishes Naoki had eaten a bit more, and the ones he only took one bite from.

He was going to use what he observed to plan the next meal.

'Should I make the food spicier next time?' As this idea entered his mind, he immediately offered a slight bow to Naoki.

"Master, I will work harder next time!" His voice thundered as Naoki watched him, feeling vanquished.

'He just doesn't know how and when to give up.' Naoki thought as a soft sigh of defeat escaped from his lips in return.

In the end, that was one of the annoying things he liked about Daisuke. In terms of training and the likes, it was a good trait but when it came to pestering him such as this, it only irked him.

But then, this was who he was. And given the choice, Naoki wouldn't have wanted it any other way.