It comes to mind that just having Akira learn how to cook probably won't help with the lunch issue if he's not allowed in the kitchen. And that it'll be a long time before you have any pressing need to learn because you don't even have to guilt trip Shinjiro-san to get him to make you food anymore.
But there's no reason not to try, really, and it could be useful in the future, and so the two of you follow him into the kitchen while trying not to look too expectant and failing miserably.
There is such thing as stealth, and Joker of the Phantom Thieves is not it.
Shinjiro-san can't really think of a good reason to refuse the two of you, either, or he would have done it by now. As it is, he insisted that you wait until he changed the batteries in the smoke detector, just to be safe, and you honestly aren't sure if you should be offended or not.
"He... knows we won't burn the place down, right?" Akira asks, sounding a lot more nervous than he did when you suggested this.
You can't say you're entirely confident, either, and you know the reason that Shinjiro-san's so nervous. "I think he does, just... he runs his school's Cooking Club and apparently some of the people there aren't all that good at it." You've never gotten any actual stories out of him, just bits and pieces, but you think it might just be better that way.
Before you start, Shinjiro-san also insists that the kitchen be completely clean, that Koromaru not be on the same floor, and that Mitsuru-san goes to get groceries at some point in the near future just in case you run out of edible food while practicing.
That last bit especially seems unnecessary, but he's the only one in the building you can learn from, so you can put up with it.
You're going to be starting this simple. As simple as possible. More specifically, you're starting with rice balls.
"You don't even need a knife for these," Shinjiro-san remarks. "Which is good, because I'm not sure I trust a couple of kids with my knife set. And you shouldn't be able to set anything on fire or blow it up."
You know, we really should ask him what kind of stuff goes on at that club sometime.
Still, you suppose it could be worse. He could have decided to start you off with sandwiches. At least this is something that you didn't master back when you were six.
Akira, admittedly, probably could use some sort of course on how to make sandwiches, given how this is apparently the first time he's ever been allowed to so much as look through a refrigerator, but odds are he won't need much more than a demonstration. You'll stick with learning the things that are actually new to you.
Rice dishes, in general, are easy. At least, Shinjiro-san insists they are, and you don't really have anything to compare to. But you think it's fine so long as whatever you're making comes out edible, and it's not like you're going to have any real need for this for a while.
Akira, meanwhile... It turns out that, when he said he'd never been allowed in a kitchen before, he meant it. He actually had to ask what a measuring cup was, and you don't think he would have done that much if you hadn't realized he was having problems and asked him if there was any trouble. Which probably isn't a good sign for the future, now that you think about it.
At least he's learning about this kind of thing now. Less chance of him poisoning anyone in the future.
Shinjiro-san doesn't seem to be bothered by this at all. Actually, from what you can tell, he seems to be taking this as an improvement over the people he usually works with.
One of these days, you need to meet the other people in Shinjiro-san's Cooking Club, just to figure out how this could possibly be any sort of improvement. Surely, whoever it was would have picked up on something eventually, right?
"I don't know if I'll be able to really use this," Akira sighs while holding a rice ball. You don't know if he plans to eat it or not, but if he doesn't, you're pretty sure it's going to be part of tomorrow's breakfast. Which is probably related to why Takeba-san has started leaving without eating anything. It's good rice, there's just more of it than any of you ever planned to eat. "If I try making food at home, I'll just get in trouble... and so will you, for showing me how to do this."
Shinjiro-san shrugs, which is to be expected, because Shinjiro-san only really cares what people think after he's met them, and sometimes not even then. "Look, you worry about things on your end, I worry about them on mine. All you need to do is not get caught." You don't think Mitsuru-san would approve of him saying this, but you suppose what she doesn't know won't hurt her.
Honestly, you don't get why this is such a big deal in the first place. It's just food. But then you remember that Akira's parents aren't reasonable people, and everything makes sense again.
It's at about this point that Akihiko-san comes back with Koromaru, who barks happily and barrels straight towards the group of humans he's noticed. Within a few seconds, you've been knocked to the ground by a fuzzy torpedo.
All things considered, there are much worse fates to have. Even if he's sort of interrupted what you were doing.
[ ] ...The food's still okay, right?
[ ] ...Is Akira all right?
[ ] There is a dog here. You must pet the dog. And scold him. He's smart enough for you to do both at once, right?
