24th December 2016, 5:00 PM
Bronya's Special Borscht
The sound of engines, horns blaring, vehicles trapped in congestion, and snow falling as winter approached. All cars were trapped on the bridge, and the four got caught. Mei, Y/N, Captain Müller, and Himeko were shopping for groceries an hour ago.
The Captain dropped his head on the steering handle, impatiently waiting for the car to move for hours. Himeko was leaning by the frame of the window. The other two were in the backseat, sharing the same feelings as them but not showing it.
He watched the scenery of the cars in line, with snow falling down upon the view, while listening to the music through his pair of wireless earbuds.
Just like my country...
Mei sighed, knowing they would be late, so she took out her phone, then contacted St. Freya Dorm, where Kiana and Bronya resided.
———
"What?! You can't make it back?"
Kiana was on the phone, receiving Mei's voice through the speaker, saying they would be late to go back due to the traffic jam.
"Got it. Be careful out there...." She then closed the call, putting the handset back on the push-button telephone.
She closed her eyes, sighing after hearing their words. "Mei said they can't make it back in time. Guess we'll have to chew on some bread..." she said to Bronya.
Knowing that they would be left to starve if they didn't replenish their strength, Bronya decided to make a dish with her best knowledge of Slavic cuisines. She headed towards the fridge, opened the door, then took a carrot.
She glanced at Kiana. "The Bronya shall initiate culinary protocols."
"What? I think I'd rather chew on some bread...."
Kiana muttered and held her hands on her neck, then placed her elbows on the table, expressing her troubled look. She had to wait on Bronya to make the dish.
The latter was in the kitchen, prepping ingredients on board, chopping onions and potatoes, and dicing beets and carrots. After all the ingredients were prepared, she dragged them to the pre-heated stockpot from the chopping board, except the potatoes.
The sizzling sound came out as she stirred them up to release the flavor. Then, she added the beef stock to the pot, letting them simmer for minutes.
Bronya was staring at the simmering stockpot. But a second passed, and she noticed something was missing from the ingredient. She left the kitchen to take something.
Kiana was in deep slumber until she heard footsteps pass by the dining. She snorted, barely opened her eyes, and gazed at the sound; where it was Bronya who went to her room.
Bronya went inside her room, turning the lights on, then she crouched in front of her bed, where she lifted the sheets and dragged out a hidden box.
Kiana followed along, seeing her friend open the box, revealing a stack of canned food branded 'Spetsreserv Beef Stew.'.
"Why do you have such a huge stash of food?"
"They are emergency rations."
Kiana spotted the video game disc tray by the box as she snatched one, letting out a small huff and smirking.
"Okay, what's this then?"
"The proof of true soldiery...." Bronya seemed embarrassed, forming a slight red blush on her upper nose. She forgot that she hid the disc underneath it too.
Bronya returned to the kitchen, bringing one beef stew canned food, then tearing the lid up. She flipped the canned food down to the chopping board and scraped some leftovers into the stockpot with the spoon.
She chopped the beef into medium-sized chunks and slid them into the pot, followed by the potatoes.
Then she covered the pot with the lid, leaving a gap to let the smoke out, and let it simmer again for another minute.
She crouched down, then leaned her back by the counter while hugging her HOMU doll. "The Bronya shall stand by for 30 minutes."
15 minutes passed, and the dorm was full of silence, other than the sound of the simmering stockpot from the kitchen. Kiana fell asleep on the couch in the living room, still in her sitting position, with her head dangling.
Bronya seemingly was about to fall into slumber, too, struggling to straighten her head up as it kept dropping.
In the end, it was futile, as she lowered her head weakly in a tired state, cushioning the HOMU doll as a pillow.
......
"Sister Bronya, it's time to eat~."
"Seele?"
......
The HOMU doll alarmed her abruptly, causing her to wake in a flash, snapping her out of her dream. She felt disoriented, thinking she had just heard someone calling her out, a voice she always remembered. She turned her head right and left, finding the person that called her.
She sighed, expressing a slight disappointment. Afterward, she forgot about it and stood up to check on the stockpot, which was piping hot and boiling.
The Slavic-style beef stew, Brocht, was ready to be served. Bronya poured the soup with the ladle into the bowl, then added the yogurt as a topping.
She then served it to Kiana, who was already sitting at the dining table, after she got called out by her Russian friend to wake up.
Kiana scooped down the dish but took a brief moment to look at the red beef soup. Afterward, she chucked the spoon into her mouth, and in an instant, her eyes widened and her mouth agape in awe.
"Ahm! It's so good! This is too good! I can't stop eating this!" She proceeded to eat the stew delightfully.
Bronya noticed that there were pieces of bread placed beside the dish. "Subject Kiana, dip the bread in the borscht."
Kiana complied with her words as she grabbed the bread and dipped it into the soup, which it absorbed in red color. She then took a full bite into it.
"This taste!" Her face formed a gleeful look. "Is this really that stale old bread?!"
"It's so delicious, Sister Bronya!"
While Bronya was watching Kiana eating in eagerness, she suddenly heard a voice out of nowhere, which she immediately recognized. She glared her head at where the voice came from.
Bronya saw a figure that depicted a short violet-haired teen girl, wearing a white shirt with a violet singlet vest, around the same age as the former. She was sitting at the same dining table, forming a cheerful yet innocent smile.
"!"
She was shocked to see the figure, and she quickly put her hand on her heart, as if she hadn't seen that girl for decades.
*Creak*
Her imagination was immediately cut off when the sound of the door opening was heard. The two turned their heads, revealing four of their friends and seniors carrying their groceries bags in exhaustion.
"We finally made it back...." Himeko slumped down, feeling a numbness in her body.
Captain Müller felt his head dizzy after driving a car for hours. "Next time, we should just buy before the season strikes us!" He protested.
Mei and Y/N didn't seem to have problems with their physical condition since they just sat and did nothing, though the latter's state showed some tiredness.
"Feels the same...." Y/N was yawning, seemingly waking up from sleeping inside a car while on the way back.
"You must be hungry, girls. I'll make some food." Mei gestured the dangling groceries bag forward to them.
They put the heavyweights' groceries bag on the floor afterward, and they felt a bit tired after the trip to go shopping for food.
"Don't worry, Mei-senpai. Bronya made some borscht. You should give it a try. Captain and Ms. Himeko, I'll give you a Neko backrub."
Bronya formed a subtle smile, feeling happy that her dish was well made with love... hearing her friend offer her plate to them.
Until she felt Kiana poking her cheek. "Why are you smiling like this, Bronya?"
Bronya huffed, moved away, and lifted her right arm in a gesture. "Idiotka would never understand even if it's drilled into you!" She said flatly, hiding her actual positive response.
"Ah? Why you little!" Kiana felt a bit sensitive as she tried to approach her.
She ended up stumping her legs on the table. "Owww! I can't believe this!"
"Kiana-chan, be careful!"
"It's all because of Bronya!"
"Y/N, you can stay in this dorm anytime!"
"Wait, am I allowed to sleep here, Commander? In a girls' dorm?"
"Special case for you! Of course, you must sleep on the couch if you want to."
"You've been in the lab for too long..."
While ignoring the noisy talk by her friends, she stared out the window, viewing snow falling upon the field.
A butterfly glowed in blue, flying past the window. Bronya closed her eyes, not wanting to see it further, as she was afraid that she would be reminded of it.
She turned her back to the group, who took some portions of Bronya's Special Borscht from the pot. She could only grin, enjoying their moments.
Sounds of the delightful voice of the Hyperion squad echoed in the dorm, enjoying Bronya's well-made Borscht.
——————
25th December 2016, 7:30 AM
Burnt Pizza Toast
"Kiana. Wakey, wakey, Kiana."
The deep masculine voice came from Kiana's dorm door, which was none other than her father, Siegfried. However, she kept gluing herself to the bed, still feeling comfortable in her sleeping position.
"If you don't get up... I'll eat all of your pizza toast!"
Hearing that made her eyes open wide, and she immediately got up from the bed, stretching her hand to the door as if to stop him from stealing her parts.
"Old man! I'm getting up now! Leave mine alone—"
"Wha..."
She saw nothing in her room. And she retracted her position back to normal, closing her eyes in a stunning look.
"It was only a dream...." She sighed, stretched her arms up, yawned, then stood up from the bed.
"Whatever... He sucked at being a dad anyway."
Kiana proceeded to do her daily activity, brushing her teeth, taking a shower, then washing her face.
While doing the activity, something struck her mind as she wanted to carve a breakfast with her hand. Afterward, she went down to the first floor, where the living room, decorated with Christmas themes, was interconnected with the kitchen.
There was Y/N, lying on his back on the couch, playing an offline open-world game on his smartphone, with his legs barely dangling on the armrest.
And Mei was in the kitchen, carrying a stockpot to prepare breakfast.
"Morning, Senior Kiana."
"Morning!"
They greeted each other indirectly while focusing on their own view.
She went to the kitchen, finding ingredients that she wanted to make. She started by looking inside the refrigerator, only to realize that some stocks were missing. Mei saw her strolling around in the kitchen, focusing her attention on Kiana.
"Kiana-chan? What are you looking for so early in the morning?
"I'm going on a grocery run. Be right back."
"Hey, Kiana-chan."
"Be careful!"
Kiana hurriedly walked out of the kitchen, passing Y/N, where he greeted her safely.
Mei followed her all the way to the exit dorm from the stairs. The former was wearing her shoes, sitting on the edge of the floor.
"I got training after this. Cooked curry in the fridge. Remember to eat."
"Heard ya!"
Kiana was done lacing her shoes and proceeded to go out in a hurry, not paying attention to Mei's words.
"Huh? Wait, Kiana! You're wearing the wrong shoes."
She went out wearing an unmatched shoe, one was a thick sole black high-heel, and the other was a thick-sole slipper.
"I gotta have some pizza toast!"
Running in a gleeful mood and not minding how she dressed up indicated that she eagerly wanted to make the dish she used to cook with her father but now on her own.
———
Kiana returned to the dorm, full of groceries on the kitchen counter, putting on a happy face. She was the only one in the dorm, where her friends were outside on the back patio.
Y/N and Bronya played multiplayer shooting games together, sitting on the patio while Mei was at the field, training her swordplay with the dummies.
Back in the kitchen, Kiana prepped the ingredients in an enthusiastic mood.
She spread the red pasta sauce on the bread and added some cheese. While she was prepping, her face formed flat as she started reminiscing about her times with her father.
"It's all his fault."
She tore off the sealed bag of the chopped paprika with a knife while mimicking what Siegfried had done, swinging the blade to the board.
"I'll pretend I cut them myself~," She said in a mimic tone.
But then she felt a bit troubled when the onion was on the chopping board, knowing that her eyes would shed a tear if starred directly.
"But the onions... I guess I still have to cut them myself...."
.......
"My eyes! It burns, It BURNS!"
Little Kiana's eye was stinging while chopping the onion, causing her to shed some tears. Siegfried smiled, seeing his daughter having difficulty chopping it. He happily gave her tips on how to do it.
"Alright, Kiana. I'll teach you a super secret Kaslana Technique."
Little Kiana deadpanned at Siegfried, already thinking that his techniques usually ended up being backfired. "Eh...? All your secret techniques are terrible... Old man."
"Just cut onions with your eyes closed to keep out the burns! Awesome, right?"
Siegfried closed his eyes with his spiritual confidence expression and swung the knife down to the board.
"Ahhhhhh!!! My finger! It's bleeding! IT'S BLEEDING!"
Unfortunately, not paying attention to the cutting position, he cut his fingers, causing him to yelp in agony and repeatedly jump out of pain.
Little Kiana could only look at her father pricelessly.
"I knew it...."
......
"I was always afraid of cutting onions...." Kiana was rinsing the knife with a water tap.
She then observed the item, still reminiscing about her past. "And the old man's stupid advice made it worse...."
She started chopping down the onion, which went well for her, without her eyes stinging and not harming her fingers.
She then added the chopped onion and peppers toppings to the bread. After that, she proceeded to head back to the fridge to grab fresh bacon, only to realize that the packaging wasn't in it.
"What? Why can't I find the bacon bought by Mei-senpai?"
She looked around the fridge, thinking it was placed on another. "Did someone eat—"
"Ughh! ahaha!!"
Suddenly, her cooking times were interrupted by the drunken Himeko, where she stumbled upon the ground next to the door's frame.
Kiana approached her, dismayed, and crouched in front of her. "You stayed up drinking again? You know Kanchou would scold you for being drunk again...."
Himeko raised her body quickly while gripping a can of beer, denying herself being drunk even though her face showed an unmistakable mark. "Don't stop me, girl! I can—- have another— six-pack!" She protested in, stuttering and hiccuping, not being herself.
"Get yourself together...." Kiana could only form a priceless expression.
"Lie on the sofa for now."
Kiana had helped Himeko bring her to the couch and rest with her back on it. She had already fallen asleep while still in her deep slumber.
Kiana retrieved the canned beer from her grip, forming a smile as if to say not to drink it again.
As she walked back to the kitchen, while throwing the beer away in the trash bin, she spotted a thin piece of packaging next to the jars on the shelf in her view. It was the bacon that she needed.
"Ah! That's the bacon!"
Excitedly, she grabbed the packaging, tore off the plastic, slid some bacon onto the board, then sliced the bacon into a square shape. She then put the bacon on top of the bread in delightful and passionate work.
She chuckled, grabbing another handful of cheese from the packaging. "Next is cheese. I can add as much as I want without the stingy shitty papa around!"
........
"You're not getting any cheese next time if you add that much!"
........
She remembered when cheese was hard to find and buy, and her father warned her not to put plenty of cheese on the pizza. She struggled to reach the packaging, held away by Siegfried.
"It was hard to get cheese back then. But come on... you can buy cheese everywhere...."
She added the cheese toppings at last, then placed them into the oven.
Adjusting the knob's temperature and timer, she hit the start button. She smiled sweetly, slumping to the table height, and enjoyed watching the toast heating up.
Yet again, she felt familiar yet warming moments as reminisce struck her again.
.........
"Watch closely; this is the crucial step!"
Siegfried held his Judgment of Shamash gun proudly in front of her daughter, who also expressed excitement.
He pulled the trigger generously, bursting out flames from the muzzle to the toast, only to realize that it was still too much, accidentally almost burning the bread.
They shook their bodies in surprise, expressing a shocked reaction, watching the toast almost burnt out.
Siegfried chuckled nervously over his accidental doings as he scratched his head out of embarrassment. "I think daddy burnt the toast...."
"But! Pizza toast actually tastes better if it's slightly burnt! Hahahaha!" He added in a reassured tone, still retaining his image as a father.
..........
The oven was clinging in sound, indicating that it was done heating up and ready to eat.
Without waiting much further, Kiana immediately took out the plate, placed it on the counter, then took the toast in excitement.
The crunch crust sound was from Kiana biting the toast, and when she munched it, her face formed a delightful smile, humming over the delicious food.
"The bacon, onion, and cheese are all blended in one!" The bite melted inside her mouth, sparking her mood up further.
Himeko smelled a pleasant aromatic cheese from the kitchen and instantly got up, jokingly wanting to take a bite of Kiana's Pizza Toast.
"That smells good... gimme, gimme some of that!"
Kiana interjected, hearing that her teacher had woken up. She finished one toast, brought the rest to the living room, and brought a yogurt-drinking box for Himeko.
"You should have some yogurt drink for your hangover, Himeko." She kindly offered her the drink, which Himeko accepted in respect.
Kiana settled down on the HOMU cushion chair and took another toast.
Himeko was drinking the yogurt through a straw, but when she looked at the toast, she noticed the crust was slightly burnt.
"Oh, Kiana? It's been in the toaster for too long. The edges are all burnt."
Kiana, regardless, took the bite and munched it down, enjoying her meal with spark. She then looked down, feeling calm upon realizing something that her father used to say.
"Actually... pizza toast tastes better..."
She looked up with lit eyes.
"If it's slightly burnt."
Her memories returned full of warmth, reminiscing about her family, enjoying eating the toast together with laughter packed with bonding moments.
——————
26th December 2016, 6:30 PM
Not Enough Cream Stew
"I'm back!"
Kiana greeted loudly, as she had just returned from strolling around the street with Bronya and Y/N, though she was alone on the way back.
The latter had to shop for foodstuffs requested by Mei at the traditional market. They told her to go back first and would catch up with her later.
Here, Kiana peeked at the kitchen, full of sizzling sound produced, which was Mei cooking for dinner. She smelled pleasant aromatic deep-fried foods.
"I smell fried chicky."
Mei was prepping some cooking tools with the deep-fried chicken on a filter next to her.
However, unknown to Mei, Kiana sneaked toward where right she was standing. She crept closer in the crawl position and raised her arm to steal all of the fried chicken without pity in her heart.
She swallowed the whole chicken until it was finished while fantasizing about the delicacy of Mei's cooking skills.
Mei's speshul fried chicky is da bestest...
"Kiana-chan."
A soft yet threatening Mei's voice sent Kiana's spine down to the chill of getting busted for stealing the side dish.
"Did you see the popcorn chicken I just made?"
She's caught in sweat, stuttering, and unable to admit it, as she could only chuckle helplessly.
"Uhh... Uh.."
"So where did it go?"
Without anything she could do to cover up, she chuckled in a defeated tone and admitted by pointing her finger to her stomach nervously.
"I guess it's here...."
Mei retaliated by hitting her head with a hammer fist, inflicting an exaggerated bump on Kiana's head. She remained silent and whined out of embarrassment.
"Who would have thought Kiana snitched every last one of them," Mei complained in a soft voice.
Although she was her best friend, Mei wouldn't let her pass the consequences easily, as she handed over the aluminum bowl filled with seasoned chicken to Kiana. "You must help me with pan-fried chicken now."
Kiana held it and looked down at the bowl. "I know..."
She realized that there was no batter in the bowl.
"Huh? You're not frying them?"
Mei put her hands on her hip. "Someone ate all the popcorn chicken, so I can only make a cream stew with what's left." She replied with a smile without any signs of upset in her tone, though she quipped Kiana from snitching the food.
Kiana knew who she referred to. "I-I'm sorry...." She formed a sour facial expression in a defeated tone.
Regardless, Mei didn't bash her mischievous deeds. "It's okay. I still have plenty of other ingredients." She put on her forgiving smile and closed her eyes.
———
Sounds of sizzling chicken sauteed on the pan were heard all over the kitchen. Mei was flipping the chicken's uncooked part to the hot pan's surface.
A footstep came from the living room. Bronya and Y/N had returned from shopping at the traditional market, carrying 2 of each grocery bag.
"Mei-nee sama, The Bronya, and Y/N are back with veggies!"
"Here is the leftover money, Mei-san. I'll just keep it there, ya."
Bronya settled down the groceries bag on the counter. Y/N set over the HOMU cash worth of 5000 value out of 10000 to the dining room table, returned to the kitchen sink, and washed his hands.
"Ah, thank you for helping me out, guys. But how did you still have this many leftovers...?"
Y/N turned off the sink, glanced and smirked to the side in satisfaction to Mei, and tapped his temple with his index finger.
"Because I bargained 'em," he replied with a slight mix of jokes as he walked to the counter next to Bronya, placing both hands on the table and sighing.
"The Bronya herself couldn't believe that Y/N could do that." Bronya expressed in a flat tone but showed genuine amusement in her heart.
Mei could only utter in agape and chuckled at his answer, remembering they could also do that when shopping in a traditional market.
Bronya swayed her head to the right and spotted that Kiana was also cooking in favor of assisting Mei.
She started shifting the focus on her while analyzing things around her. "Hmm? Kiana Idiotka is helping here... Karaage residuals identified... Idiotka has shifty glances...."
Bronya imagined being a detective and focused her sights on Kiana with the magnifier. "With that said: "
"Idiotka has sabotaged the dish again." She concluded the case sarcastically.
Y/N also remembered the side dish that Mei had made. He glanced at the strainer, where the fried chickens were nowhere to be found, much to his dismay. "Really?"
He said while walking to the cooking section, checking on the filter out of disbelief while standing next to Mei.
"Yahhhh.... Kok bisa diabisin sih... (Oh man... How could it be empty...)". He gasped in disappointment, speaking in Indonesian without intention.
Hearing Bronya's sarcastic tone made Kiana couldn't help but form a bitter face of sulk and huff out of it.
Mei and Y/N witnessed them and knew the outcome for them. They glanced at each other temporarily in an uneasy and nervous chuckle.
"That's enough for now~" She calmly settled them down to prevent them from crashing.
"Dinner won't be ready soon. Why don't you go play games?"
"But the Bronya wins all the time...."
"But Bratnya beats me all the time...."
They replied in unison, which caused them to spark and stare right into their eyes in a challenging act.
"Eeeee..."
"Ara..."
But immediately retracted back, aware they would cause trouble for them after hearing Y/N and Mei's interjections.
"I'll just watch you cook, Mei."
"The Bronya shall observe Mei's culinary protocols."
They both shifted their intense personalities to the warming expression and enthusiasm.
———
The sound of chopping boards was heard through the ambient cues of the kitchen. Bronya and Kiana were watching them prepping for dinner in an enthusiastic mood.
Mei was chopping broccoli and mushrooms into small pieces, followed by Y/N, who assisted her in chopping down the potatoes, the onions, and the carrots.
He also had a decent skill of cutting ingredients, though still not as fast and efficient as her.
Mei looked at his cutting skills, forming an impressive look. "Y/N-kun. I didn't know you're good at this too..." She gazed at him, expressing a soft smile to him.
He glanced back at her while still cutting the onions. "Mom always said that cooking is the most essential part of our lives, Mei-san." He smiled at her, much to their sound of pleasure and awe.
"Ara... I thought so too." She closed her eyes and smiled, showing genuine warmth at his answer.
Mei was even more astonished, seeing that he could chop it down without looking at it and do it without cutting his fingers, as his knuckle fingers were not straightened directly on it. That's what Mei would expect from someone who chops.
After chopping the ingredients on the board, he lifted it, slid the ingredients into the stockpot, and lastly, Mei poured down some stock chicken.
"We'll stew it like this." Mei covered the pot with the lid.
She took the saucepan from the cupboard, placed it on the stove, and then cranked it to medium heat.
"Next up: White sauce cream. Y/N-kun, the butter, please."
"Ah." He cut a block of butter into 6 medium blocks, grabbed them, then put it into the heating saucepan, gradually melting to liquid.
After it completely dissolved, Mei added some flour and then stirred it with the wooden cooking spoon until the butter started to wad.
While stirring, she added some cream milk until it was evenly mixed with the clumped butter.
The smell of the rich cream sauce made Kiana and Bronya feel pleased in reaction and close their eyes, enjoying the rich fragrance.
"Whoah! It smells so creamy and nice!"
"Smells like hunger. Hmmm... hmmh." Y/N moved his head forward a bit, inhaling more rich aroma into his nose.
Mei couldn't help but softly smile and chuckle at their compliments.
"Add chicken and white sauce, then boil for another ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper after the flavors have blended."
At last, she opened up the lid and added the remaining ingredients into the boiling hot stockpot: the seasoned chicken and the cream sauce.
Then she seasoned it with a pinch of salt and pepper before closing the lid and letting it simmer for another minute.
Minutes had passed, and Mei opened the lid of the stockpot, releasing a pleasant and rich smell of smoke.
"Whoaaa!" The three gasped in awe seeing the thick and rich stew piping hot.
"Voila! Cream stew is done!" Mei announced in a satisfied voice and stirred the stew well until its flavor was evenly mixed.
Kiana turned her body back, with her head gazing at her timidly. "Mei-senpai, can I only have chicken in my bowl?"
"Huh?"
"I hate vegg—-"
Mei knew what she would say, having her last laugh by chucking a spoon filled with stew into Kiana's mouth, not letting her finish talking.
Kiana's eyes widened in surprise, making a humming noise of tasting the stew.
"How does it taste?" Mei tilted her head in a joyful expression.
Kiana swallowed it, forming a pleasure face out of delicacy. "Tasty! I never knew veggies could be so delicious!"
"Everyone's almost home. Let's set the table."
Mei informed them that as Bronya had brought the bowls, Y/N got the utensils and prepared them on the dining table.
"Ah, Ms. Himeko, you're back!" Mei saw her teacher arrive on time while bringing the stockpot to the table.
Himeko came with a HOMEI-themed pot flower, then placed it on the table.
"I'm home~."
"How's the date? It was great, right? And where's Kanchou, Ms.?"
Although Himeko was aware that they knew about her relationship with Captain Müller, she still seemed to struggle to say a word.
"Well.... ahh... this..."
She changed the topic to the pink pot flower. "Your Captain bought this for you. We're having Mei's special cream stew for dinner! Thank you, Mei!"
Himeko praised her and itched for having dinner with Mei's special dish, much to her delight.
And another two of their close seniors came in with lovely faces. It was Theresa and Captain Müller.
"I could tell it's a cream stew from miles away!"
"Why, If it isn't our number one Valkyrie of Masterchef! We happened to have bought some baguettes!" He showed a carton bag containing two pieces of baguettes, expressing a welcoming attitude.
"Yup! Goes perfectly with cream stew!" Theresa continued cheerfully.
"You had a busy day, Principal and Captain. Join us before the stew is eaten up!" Bronya showed some sympathy towards her seniors.
Theresa looked at Kiana, already eating the stew first, pricelessly.
"Oh, come on, Aunt Teri is a big girl. She wouldn't mind."
"Don't rush your dinner. There's plenty for everyone!"
"But there's hardly enough of Mei's great cooking for everyone."
"And... This is what I call a family."
"Now I know... my home is where you are..."
Mei closed her eyes softly, proud of having her very beloved friends and seniors gathered along. The whole environment was packed with laughter cues and a cheerful social gathering.
However, there was one that had fun as well, but actually pretending.
Y/N felt a little bit down after hearing the words "family" and "home," hiding his feelings behind his weak smile and slightly closed eyes, and lowered his sight to the bowl.
His anxiety triggered in his heart experienced a slight discomfort in his mind.
Family... Home...
When will I be able to go home...?
——————
27th December 2016, 4:00 AM
No Rice, Not Eating Yet
The silence and sound of crickets blended in the ambient of the dorm, where all the valkyries were asleep in pleasant dreams. All lights were off, with only the filter of the bright moon glaring through the window, except for one Knight, who still remained awakened on the couch, with a small light shining on his face.
Y/N was lying down in a reclined position, resting by the side, scrolling an online electronics shop on his smartphone with swipes of his thumb.
His eyes shifted to the clock on the top right of the screen, showing 03:55. He knew it was time to cook breakfast for his friends in the early morning.
The meat should be defrosted. It's time to take part in cooking.
He sat on the couch, slid his legs down, stood up afterward, still gripping his phone, then went to the kitchen, turning on the light.
While walking to the sink, he placed his phone on the counter, where a couple blocks of brisket were already defrosted to room temperature and sealed in a plastic bag.
He pinched the beef to check on the firmness and nodded himself as the whole meat was already softened in texture.
"Japanese A5 Wagyu Brisket. This thing costs a fortune... but I'm curious if I blend these with traditional flavor."
He sighed and formed a soft smile, looked up, admiring the window outside, where the snow was falling upon early dawn. The window mirrored his figure, reflecting his own images during his youth. His memories had triggered a pleasant feeling in his mind, closing his eyes in serenity.
Ahh... Rawon... I missed the voice of Granny, who always loved feeding us.
.........
"Still want more, Y/N? Don't be ashamed! There's more in the kitchen! Go ahead, add more."
.........
After reminiscing, Y/N started to prepare his favorite East Java cuisine of beef soup, Rawon.
He slid the brisket from the plastic bag to the stockpot, added the right amount of water, then seasoned it with two beef stock cubes by crumbling it in. Then he turned on the stove at high heat.
"Simmer down the beef to tenderize it and let beef infuse with the water for around 30 minutes."
He covered the stockpot with the lid to let it cook the meat evenly.
While waiting to simmer, he removed the aluminum pan from the cupboard, placed it on the other stove, then cranked the knob down.
"Toast the candle nuts, cumin, and coriander seeds all together until I can smell that fragrant." He dropped said ingredient into the pan, then stirred it until it was roasted enough.
After some minutes, he finally could smell the fragrance of the seeds coming out, which he inhaled with satisfaction. He turned off the stove and let the spices remain on the pan for a moment.
"And the key ingredient is! The Pangium or known as, Kluwek! I can't believe this exists here...!"
He observed the canned Pangium, fermented to be safe to eat.
"I can't imagine having to wait 40 days to extract that poisonous substance... But with this, it makes my life easier now."
"Memories..."
.........
14 year old Y/N and his grandma were in the kitchen, cooking beef soup together, with his grandma who taught him with passion.
"Here. This is the black nut that turns the broth black. It's what they called the kluwek."
"Ohhh, so this is what the kluwek looks like...."
His grandmother enthusiastically showed off the thick black paste from the peeled kluwek nuts. His mouth opened barely in agape, and he could only nod, listening to her words with interest.
"Do be careful, Y/N. You can't just straight pound it; otherwise, this will release a poisonous chemical that can make you sick, let alone die."
"Poisoned? How could it be?"
The young Y/N was very baffled after realizing that one of the key ingredients contained a deadly poison that had the same level as cyanide.
"You must rinse and boil them till they're hot enough to touch, then bury them in the soil to extract that poisonous content. At least it has to be in for 40 days. This one is already fermented, so you're safe."
"I see..." He nodded slowly in, agape again.
.........
"Wait... They don't have pestles and mortar here?"
Y/N was strolling around the kitchen in a goof, trying to find the pounding tool from the cupboard, desk, and more. Only to realize that they only have a food processor to blend it, much to his disapproval look.
He eventually shrugged it off, having no other option but to use it. "Oh well, guess I have to cheat by using this. Sorry, granny..."
A creaking handle sound of the door opening, followed by faint footsteps coming towards the kitchen. He glanced his head to the back in reaction.
He instantly felt happy in his heart to see a guest that he loved interacting with.
"Hi, Y/N. What's cooking?" She greeted him in her soft voice.
Fu Hua brought along the pestles and mortar carried with two hands at a low level. Her face looked fresh as if she had slept well.
"Oh hey, Inchou. Making beef soup for breakfast. Where have you been?" He approached her, taking his time to stop the cooking temporarily.
She put down the pounding tool on the counter and placed both of her hands between it, sighing deeply. He saw the pounding tool but didn't ask anything about it.
"Spy mission again. I was tired before, but Otto let me sleep over at HQ. So I came late."
"Ohh... And have you eaten yet?"
She gazed down and shook her head. "No... "
Afterward, she dragged the pestle and mortar with her palm to him, giving a soft smile to him.
"I think you need this, Y/N."
"Oh! Thanks, Inchou! How did you know I needed this?!"
"I actually bought it just for fun. But, it's such a coincidence that we don't actually have one."
He chuckled, and they smiled at each other for a moment before he dragged the tools to his front. Fu Hua watched him cook for the first time, gaining her interest in her heart.
Y/N grabbed the pan with the previously roasted seeds and slid them into the pestle. Then he added the shallots and garlic, along with the stump spices.
"Toasted seeds in. Nine shallots and 4 cloves of garlic. Lastly, the Galangal, ginger, and aromatic ginger. And let's grind these!"
He joked about pounding the spices as he grabbed the mortar and started grinding them, producing a pounding sound.
........
"Now. I'm going to show you how to pound properly."
"Hmmm...."
"Let all the spices mashed till they're finely fused together in paste!"
His grandma put the kluwek on the pestle before she started to pound the ingredients together with passionate cooking.
Despite her aging body, she was still rigid in pounding them without showing traces of fatigue.
"Remember. The nuts must taste savory and sour. Otherwise, you'll end up eating a medicine soup, which is bitter."
He chuckled nervously at her humor about the dish.
After minutes of pounding, she stopped, then handed over the tool to him, to which he obliged, firmly gripping the mortar.
"Now. Try it. I want to see how you pound by yourself." She moved aside from the counter, kindly letting him do her stead.
"Yes... Granny..."
He moved in front of the counter and started to pound them with weak power.
His grandmother noticed this and spouted words in a sarcastic tone.
"Haalahh! Is that how a man pounds? Pound like a true man!"
"Ehehehe...."
He could only chuckle in defeat. But he complied with his grandmother's words and started to release his strength to pound further, making the pounding noise even louder.
..........
His face formed a peaceful smile while focusing on pounding the ingredients with full strength. Arms were swinging and grinding in motion as the spices were distributed evenly to powder.
Fu Hua stared at him with an admiring look, and she moved closer to his side and bumped her entire arm into his in a feather touch. Then shifted her view to the pounding tool.
His eyes glared at her, feeling that his arm got touched by hers, uncertain of what she was doing.
She bumped into me again...
Regardless, he didn't mind and returned his sights to down in a shrug motion.
He stopped after pounding the ingredients to fluff midway. "Once it's halfway fine, put that kluwek on the pestle. It's going to be savory." He took the canned kluwek nuts and scooped them at least three times.
He thought of wanting her to try it as he moved his arm to her and offered the mortar.
"You want to give it a go?"
She looked at the tool and him, back and forth. She couldn't help but form a shy look and express a soft bemused face on his smile.
"Love that." She gripped the mortar slowly while her palms fingered his hand in contact.
She felt disheartened when he released the grip away from her contact. But she kept smiling at him, eyes blinked softly, then shifted her body in front of the tool.
She continued pounding in his stead, producing a rather loud pounding and grinding noise.
Another pleasant thing struck her head, making her hiss that was inaudible. She didn't know why, but she knew it was the same feminine voice back when Y/N saved her during the exam.
.........
"Master! Teach me how to pound like that!"
"For sure ——. Here, you have to pound them really hard. Make sure every single spice gets evenly fine."
"Okay! I'll give it a try!"
.........
Behind her smile was a sorrowful sense that hit her hard. She had just seen a photographic vision where she was pounding spices back then, and an unknown person was beside her.
She still couldn't identify who the figure was, especially since the name she had called and the face of the figure were still obscured.
But for sure, she knew that she would never forget that voice packed with affection and loyalty.
Without a second thought, she had already pounded the spices to a black paste, to which she immediately stopped her hands from beating further.
She glared at him with questions in her mind. "Do you think this is fine enough?"
"Think it's enough. Wow, so much paste here. Never seen that kind of thing in my life." He gathered and scraped the leftover paste into one with the rubber spatula.
After observing the paste, he looked up in realization, suddenly remembering one substantial side dish that was missing from the list.
"Hey, Inchou?" He gazed his head at her.
"Hmm? Yes?"
"Do we have a rice cooker here?"
Fu Hua agape and formed a smile, head lowered to the side, slowly putting her hand on her mouth and chuckling over her realization.
"Ahahaha. Sorry, I keep forgetting that we don't have a rice cooker here...."
"Ahh, that's too bad...."
"But do you ever consider that eating without rice is considered not eating yet?"
"Absolutely. It has been part of our culture...."
"Same. Oh well, it's alright. Anyways, going to check on the beef!"
He opened the stockpot lid, seeing that the beef was cooked in gray color and the water turned into stock, which was what he was looking for. He then took out the meat and placed it in the other bowl to let it cool down.
Next, he grabbed the aluminum pan from the cupboard, placed it on the stove, cranked the heat up, then filled in a reasonable amount of frying oil, and let the oil heat up until it reached the smoke point.
He then set the remaining shallots to the cutting board and sliced them through.
"You're good at cooking too. You have great cutting skills." Fu Hua complimented.
"It's already part of my muscle memory."
After slicing the shallots, he checked on the oil, which had reached its smoke point, emitting. He then grabbed the board and slid the shallots into it, making a sizzling sound of oil frying the shallots.
He waited until the shallots turned golden brown, took the filter to take the fried shallots from the oil, and then shook it to remove the excess.
"Now for the lemongrass, lime leaves, and cinnamon sticks." He set the strainer aside and put the ingredients into the piping hot oil. And lastly, he grabbed the pestles filled with the black paste with excitement and scooped them down to the oil.
"And finally, the grounded paste. Turn the heat down, don't forget."
The sound of thunderous sizzling oil noise was produced all the way to the dorm after he added it.
He cranked down the heat to low. Then he stirred the spices with the aluminum turner until it was evenly coated and released the aromatic flavor.
The high pitch of the clunking noise was produced together with the sizzling noise.
"Oh, Inchou, can you cut the meat into pieces?"
"Sure."
Fu Hua delightfully grabbed the meat bowl, took each beef to the cutting board, and then chopped it into pieces.
"What's next, Y/N?"
"Oh, you're done? Nice! Now put it back into the stockpot beside me. There's the stock broth already."
He stopped stirring and checked on the consistency of the spice by turning it with the turner.
"Alright, it's well coated! Time to put those spices in the broth!"
He grabbed the pan, then tilted it to the stockpot, making the cooked spice slide down to the broth. He scraped down the leftover spices with the turner, not wanting to waste on the paste.
"Sorry."
He handed over the pan and the turner to her. She gripped the handles with pleasure in her heart and set them aside beside the stove.
Then, finally, he lifted the stockpot and moved to the other stove, which still emitted a blue flame.
"Last but not least, the palm sugars." He pointed his index fingers up.
He added five pieces of palm sugar into the broth and stirred it well to let the spices infuse with the beef evenly.
"Annnd, we're done. Just let it boil to make the broth even more soupy and rich." He closed it with the lid and waited for the beef soup to bubble in hot.
He leaned back to the counter, sighing at his cook. "Fuuh! What a tiring process...."
"You're a natural, I tell you that. What is it called, Y/N?"
"Rawon. An Indonesian cuisine of black beef soup, originating from East Java province. My family bloodline happened to be from that region, Inchou, which is no surprise if I ever visit my grandparents' house, greeted by beef soup. My granny is always fond of making us a rawon, and I never get bored of it."
"You really have a beloved family... I love hearing that..."
"Nah... Not really. Not all the time."
"Ahahaha. I can't wait to try your beef...."
After minutes passed with their conversation, he opened the lid, hearing the sound of soup bubbling out with smoke. He waved his hand to inhale the aromatic smoke.
"Alright. Let's give it a taste."
He grabbed the ladle, scooped the soup, poured it into the bowl, and then placed it on the counter.
He scooped the black soup and the meat with the eating spoon, and since it was piping hot, he blew it out to cool it down. He then chucked it in his mouth slowly.
"Whoa..."
He was astonished in reaction, as it tasted very savory, even didn't believe in himself. He could only nod in satisfaction.
"Is it good?"
"Here..." He offered the spoon to her, forming a smile on his smile.
Fu Hua scooped the soup and the beef and chucked them into her mouth. Her eyes widened in delicacy, tasting that bearing spices on her tongue.
"Hmmh!" She scooped it again, wanting to taste the savory flavor again.
"I swear I will never return to cheap brisket after eating this...." He mumbled in disbelief yet savoring.
They chuckled all together, enjoying their conversation with humorous and pleasant words.
————
"Morning. Wait, Y/N-kun? Fuka-san?"
"Ooohh. What is that smell...? It's so aromatic...."
"The Bronya smelled this pleasant aroma from a distance the whole time."
After waking up from their sleep, the trio was already in the dining room. Y/N and Fu Hua were already eating their breakfast, still sitting on the chair.
They gazed at them in a soft motion. "Morning, guys. Have some of my beef soup for your breakfast." He closed his eyes in happiness, gesturing his hand to the stockpot.
They curiously walked to the table and looked down at the stockpot in unison.
"Wowww... This smells so good! But I've never seen this kind of black soup!"
"The Bronya have never seen this soup before."
"Is this some kind of soup infused with black ink squid?"
After expressing their opinions, they decided to scoop the soup and pour it into their own bowl.
"Waaaaaa! Delicious!!! The beef is very tender, and the soup is so intense!! What kind of soup is this, Y/N?! Tell me!!"
"Interesting! I can taste all those spices, but what is that... sour taste? It's savory, but I couldn't tell. What did you put there, Y/N?"
"The Bronya wants more... Y/N's soup makes Bronya addicted."
"Thank you, guys...." He chuckled nervously over their reaction to tasting his savory rawon. Eventually, he explained how he made the soup from scratch, and they listened carefully and closely to him.
———
"Bratnya!! This big meat is mine! I took it first!"
"Idiot Kiana is stealing The Bronya's meat. The Bronya would not let Idiotka take it."
The two clashed over a chunk of beef as they gripped the ladle in unison. Mei, nervously, could only chuckle and tried to calm them down with her might.
Y/N and Fu Hua gazed their heads together in their calm expression and were baffled, watching their friends fighting over his beef soup.
After staring at their eyes for a moment, they chuckled warmly in unison and with their eyes closed in flash. They found the clash to be funny and made the atmosphere in this dorm more lively.
There wasn't even MSG in it...