Chapter 28: Chapter 28
Maki refrained from eating before practice, fearing it would lead to vomiting during the session. Upon returning home early, she found her mother, Yumei, absent. Since Maki was home early, she didn't cook at that time. While Maki could cook, Yumei was unaware of this skill. Even if She knew, She would likely think, 'It's Maki, so it's okay,' without finding it strange or impressive.
On the contrary, Jinmeiyo found Maki's cooking skills impressive. As Maki moved around the kitchen, Jinmeiyo expressed surprise.
"Sugoi!"
"What do you usually eat?" Maki inquired, instructing, "Bring the bench over."
"Oh," Jinmeiyo responded, moving a small bench and placing it behind Maki. Standing on the bench, Maki cooked vegetables on tiptoe, and Jinmeiyo realized the reason behind Maki's infrequent cooking.
"Rice balls, meatballs, stewed meat, tempura, fish..." Jinmeiyo, who was counting her recipes, struggled to think of more, saying,
"What don't you like to eat?" Maki asked, "Can you handle spicy food?"
"If it's not too spicy," Jinmeiyo looked embarrassed.
"It's not spicy," Maki assured, throwing a handful of chili peppers into the pot. The pungent, spicy aroma filled the air.
Jinmeiyo opened her mouth but hesitated, saying nothing. As the spicy fragrance intensified, Maki added a fat ball of white ingredients to the pot.
Jinmeiyo's eyes twitched, and in panic, she exclaimed, "What did you just throw in!?"
"Huh?" Maki turned back, stared at Jinmeiyo, and asked, "Is there a problem?"
"How can there be no problem?" Jinmeiyo almost screamed, "They are alive! Insects!"
"We don't have any food at home," Maki explained, "So I can make whatever I want, and don't worry, it's all good-quality protein."
Acknowledging the lack of food at home, Yumei would bring food when she returned. However, Jinmeiyo found it challenging to accept the unconventional ingredients.
"It's not just a random adjustment!" Jinmeiyo protested, "Isn't there something normal, something people can eat!?"
"Why don't you leave?" Maki replied.
Jinmeiyo fell silent, stomped her feet angrily, and retreated to the living room. Despite lacking the courage to witness Maki's culinary creations, at least there was still rice to eat.
Soon, Maki brought dishes to the living room, and Jinmeiyo, stiff and speechless, stared at the unconventional meal.
"Eat," Maki instructed, taking off her apron and sitting down. After adding two bowls of rice, she patted the mask.
With a mechanical sound, the mouth of the mask popped open, revealing Maki's small mouth. Jinmeiyo, unable to focus on such details, stared at the dishes.
After a while, she picked up chopsticks, attempting to eat several times but lacking the courage to proceed. Eventually, she pointed to her chopsticks and asked, "What is this?"
"Garlic ant eggs," Maki explained, scooping a spoonful into a bowl. Ant eggs, produced secretly in the laboratory, were of guaranteed quality. Maki cooked them with salt, chili pepper, green onion, and garlic paste, creating a simple and delicious dish.
The soybean-sized eggs were white as pearls, shiny, and beautiful. Jinmeiyo was silent for a while before asking about the next dish.
"Stir-fried spicy wine bugs," Maki answered, describing them as tree bugs found in the forest that consumed tree sap, and nutritious water in trees.
Chewing the ant eggs, Maki continued, "This little thing is excellent at eating, not visible to ordinary trees. It eats and drinks well, has no natural enemies, and grows plump. It even has a bit of alcohol content, like natural beer."
Maki usually crushed these bugs into granules for storage.
"It smells good," Maki commented as she picked up a chopstick and put it in her mouth. The red, fried meatworms looked beautiful.
Jinmeiyo swallowed saliva and asked about the next item.
"Cool silkworm moth," Maki replied. A plate of silkworm moths moved among the condiments, unable to fly but showing tenacity.
"This stuff is very delicious, not fishy or greasy, and you can eat it without cooking," Maki explained, adding some seasoning.
Jinmeiyo pointed to the last item, which looked normal, the milky white, round particles piled up in two small cups.
"Dessert yogurt jelly," Maki said. "My regular snack, the kind you have seen, the kind you eat in class."
Jinmeiyo complimented Maki, and after some hesitation, she began eating, starting with the ant eggs. She found them delicious, and encouraged by Maki, she ate confidently and boldly.
After the meal, Maki cleared away the dishes, and Jinmeiyo lay on the tatami, stroking her round belly. The summer night wind blew through the house, and the wind chimes under the eaves sounded softly.
The sound of the wind was cool, cicadas chirped outside, making people feel sleepy. Before she knew it, Jinmeiyo had fallen asleep.
When Maki came out after washing the dishes, she found Jinmeiyo's peacefully sleeping face, wearing a sweet smile.
"What a kid," Maki thought, covering Jinmeiyo with a thin blanket. She sat under the eaves with a glass of juice, sipping it gently, enjoying the serene scenery.
"Summer is coming to an end," she mused.
The next day, the two went to school together, saving them the trouble of taking a long detour to wait for Maki. Upon arriving on time, their classmates were already surprised, and a heavy atmosphere hung over the classroom due to the impending summer vacation.
Almost everyone wore a solemn expression, anticipating the challenge of taking test results home to show their parents. Jiraiya, in particular, caught Maki's glance with a slumped face, having failed to keep up with cultural class progress.
Tsunade, however, appeared eager, and confident in her ability to excel in the exams. Noticing Miki's gaze, Tsunade gave her a provocative look, hinting at an ultimate move she had held back.
Maki sighed, and Jinmeiyo whispered encouragement to her, advising her to work hard in the exams and not lose to Tsunade. The two separated and sat in their respective seats. Hyuga Hitomi, with his white eyes open, scanned the three of them, contemplating who to choose as an opponent.
Hyuga, feeling nervous, acknowledged that it was time to prove the results of her efforts.
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