[X] Plan Better Food Than In Shokugeki no Soma (part 2)
"Oh, wow, this looks great!"
Dinner - the most tender and succulent beef steak you've ever seen, fresh and fragrant cucumber salad, and brown rice that actually looks edible - is served by the combination of Archer and Kaname Tomohisa, before the two of them take their seats at the table with everyone else. Your eyes scan the table to gauge the reactions of everyone in attendance; clockwise, starting from the head of the table, Kaname Junko is salivating at the sight of dinner. Sitting at her left-hand corner, Kure Minako is similarly entranced by the cut of beef being served, though her attentions are, understandably, directed more towards the chef sitting beside her than to dinner itself. Across the table from his wife is Kaname Tomohisa, smiling as he admires his handiwork and the reactions of everyone enjoying the sight of dinner. Last, you've been sandwiched in-between Madoka on your right, and Kirika on your left; and both of them look equally as delighted at the sight of dinner as any of the adults. Kaname Tatsuya is absent, but he was fed hours ago, and put to bed just before Archer, Minako, and Kirika arrived, so his absence is to be expected.
Once the chefs have taken their seats at the table and everyone has been served, the seven of you all dig in. Oh gods above, this is the best beef you've ever had. You hear a moan, though you're sure it didn't come from you, no matter how much you would have liked to moan with pleasure at the taste. "This tastes even better than it looks!" Kirika exclaims, moaning in ecstasy with every bite. Turning to Archer, she says "Hey, da-Archer, can we have this again some time?"
Neither you, Archer, nor Kure Minako can suppress the faint smirk as Kirika's tongue almost slips, but you decide not to press the matter with her yet. "Maybe," Archer says. "This was a pretty choice cut of beef; I don't know if I'd be able to replicate dinner with a cheaper cut. But if I can find it again for as good a deal as I got today, then I wouldn't be averse to making this again for the four of us."
"Oh?" Kaname Junko smirks as she asks Archer "Does that mean Minako's got you cooking for all three meals then? She must love that."
"Just until I've learned enough to cook for myself and the fridge is clear of frozen food," Kure Minako responds, visibly cozying up to Archer as she speaks. "But this guy's such a great chef I don't think I want him to quit even after he's taught me everything." These words cause Kaname Junko to smile. You can't think of any reason why.
"It is good, isn't it," you say to Kirika as you ignore the obvious machinations of the adults around you, before adding in the direction of Archer and Kaname Tomohisa "Our compliments to the chefs are in order." To your right, Madoka's enjoyment of dinner is no less than either yours or Kirika's, and you wait until you're in-between bites to say "You know, I envy you. You've been able to eat food like this your entire life, but I've only been able to eat like this for the past month."
Madoka, however, doesn't seem to have caught the jest in your tone, and after a second spend chewing with a pout on her face, she says to Archer "You should have come into Homura-chan's life earlier, you know? She's been-"
"Madoka, I was joking," you say, cutting her off before she can make things awkward. "There's no reason to get upset at Archer. He's done the best he could have for me in the month we've had together." You look to your adoptive father, who's been looking awkward since Madoka put him on the spot, and say to him "And I look forward to many more months of his cooking yet to come."
"I'll do my best," Archer says. "But after tonight, I'm starting to have my doubts." He turns to Kaname Tomohisa, and the two exchange the knowing glances of two professionals before he says "Sayaka severely underrepresented your talents to me. I think I'd have trouble replicating this sunomono if I had a month to get it down."
"It's all in the quality of the produce," Kaname Tomohisa says. "The cucumbers came from the farm of a friend of mine, and you can get them at the produce store he and I run if you'd ever like to try making sunomono for yourself." You nod; that makes sense, that Kaname Tomohisa would only use produce that either he or one of his organic produce friends had grown. You're familiar with the market where Archer does most of his shopping, but from the sound of things he'll have a new place to go for fruit and vegetables from now on. "Don't sell yourself short, Archer. Your cooking's all my daughter and her friends can talk about whenever your name comes up, so you must be doing something right if you've got that many fans."
And that reminds you. "Ka-" You stop yourself, before remembering that the mother Kaname prefers to keep things informal. "Junko-san, I was wondering if you'd be willing to tell me a little bit more about what it is that you do at your realty firm." Kaname Junko eyes you with an approving stare as you say "I've given your offer some consideration, and I believe that getting into business would play to my strengths." You did, after all, manage to finagle six people with varying degrees of competing interests into a single unified front. After that, the world of business should be a piece of cake.
"Everything," Kaname Junko says. "We do residential, commercial, industrial, you name it. Love the property? We'll make sure it's yours. Need some renovations? We know contractors who'll make whatever changes you need to make the sale. We're even getting into the international market, too; I've started keeping a big display of foreign currency trade rates in the bathroom so I can review then each morning and make sure our international contracts are all up-to-date."
"My, that does sound comprehensive."
"Oh, it is. You've got to be sharp as a tack to make it, especially when you're handling big international contracts like I am these days. But the pay is great if you're good at what you do; and Homura, I just know you're going to be great." Then, as if a lightbulb went off in her head, Kaname Junko smiles, and turns to Kure Minako before saying "Actually, I'm willing to give you the same offer I gave to Homura. Archer's helping you study for your Cert, right? Come to me when you've got it, and I'll see what I can do about getting you in full-time."
Kaname Junko's words are like a slap to Kure Minako's face; only, in a good way, if that makes any sense. "Junko-san, I... I don't know what to say. What would your boss say if he knew you were offering a full-time job to someone like me?"
Kaname Junko "Psh"es Kure Minako, saying "So you made a mistake once, big deal. You think you deserve to suffer the rest of your life because of that? Way I see it, you already know how things work at the firm, and I think you've got the drive to go as far as you want with just a little push in the right direction. Get your Cert, and I can get you started working some lower-level cases to build up your experience. If you're good enough, the firm'll even pay you to go and get a two-year business degree."
Archer nods, chiming in to Kaname Junko's encouragement by saying to Kure Minako "She's right, you know. You've definitely got the work ethic to succeed at whatever you want to do in life; and I'm more than happy to keep helping you if you decide to pursue a degree in business."
"Plus, you look drop-dead sexy in professional attire," Kaname Junko says with a wink. "Any man would have to be denser than lead not to notice you."
Archer pretends with as straight a face as he can muster to be denser than lead, and asks Kure Minako "So, speaking of work, what sort of things does Junko have you doing?"
"Oh, just general OL stuff, I guess. I do paperwork that no one else wants to do; I schedule meetings, then call clients to tell them their meeting's been cancelled when their agent can't make it; sometimes one of the higher-ups will have me go on coffee runs for he and his buddies; things like that." With a sigh, Kure Minako adds "It's... Far from the best job in the world. But it's the best paying job I've ever had, and it's what's allowed me to keep my daughter fed and clothed, so I'm not going to knock it no matter how ideal it isn't." Kure Minako turns to Kaname Junko, and you can see tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she says "Thank you, Junko-san. If you hadn't stuck your neck out for me back then, I... I don't think I could have kept being Kirika's mother."
"You're lucky to have such a good friend," Archer says to Kure Minako, as he places a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't just assume that you and she are friends because of that."
"... I don't know if Junko-san and I are really friends," Kure Minako says, ignorant of the widening eyes of Kaname Junko at her words. "She's nicer to me than a lot of the other supervisors, sure, but I don't really know if we're that close outside of work."
Kaname Junko leans over the table in the direction of Kure Minako, saying "Oi, oi, what kind of talk is that?" in a distinct Shōnan accent that wasn't there a second ago. "I invite you into my home, have my husband cook you this wonderful meal, and share a case of my favourite beer with you; and you still don't think we're friends?" The more she talks, the stronger Kaname Junko's accent comes on. "Seven years, Minako. We've talked to each other every day for seven years, and you think we aren't friends? Honestly, what kind of person are you?"
"I didn't know you thought that way about me," Kaname Junko says. "I just thought you were being nice to me. I didn't know you thought we were... Friends."
Kaname Junko smirks, and gives Kure Minako a light punch on the arm. "'Course you're my friend, Minako. Any woman who'd go through what you have for their child is someone I want on my side."
[ ] Is there anything to add to the post-dinner conversation? (write-in if yes)
