kscans

Chapter 59 -

# Can't Do It Alone!

Strike while the iron is hot. Following this advice, the day after drinking with Takahashi, I started researching cooking classes.

"Strike while the iron is hot" means to take immediate action on good opportunities, but doesn't it feel a bit pushy? It's like when you're about to do your homework and your mom says, "Get your homework done already!"

I wondered why people rush us like that... I think it's probably because even if we know something is good for us, we might keep putting it off due to our busy lives until we never end up doing it at all. Maybe humans have always been like that—I'm getting off track here.

Anyway, I looked into some cooking classes with good reviews and found a few candidates. One of them was holding a trial class on August 1st, which happened to be my day off, so I signed up immediately. The participation fee was dirt cheap, and I mainly wanted to get a feel for the atmosphere, so it was perfect timing. Still, I was nervous about going alone, so...

"Hikaruuuu! Thank you soooo muuuuch!!"
"No problem. I was interested too, so thanks for inviting me."

I decided to bring Hikaru-kun along with me. I called to ask him before signing up, and he agreed right away. He even arrived at our meeting spot before me—he's really such a thoughtful guy.

"From now on, I'll call you 'Quick-witted Hikaru'..."
"Please don't."
"Ah, yes."

He shot me down pretty bluntly.

Regardless, I've got a powerful ally with me. There's nothing to fear. By the way, I didn't invite the company president not because I was being considerate of her busy schedule, but because I wanted to avoid her condescending attitude.

If I told her I was interested in a cooking class, she'd definitely say something like, "Oh my? I thought you weren't interested. What's this? Are you finally doing it after all?" And then she'd follow up with, "Well, it's a good thing. I'm glad my encouragement paid off," with that smug look on her face.

(Hehehe, I'll show her... I'll master cooking skills and be the one looking down on her...!!)

"What? You're still at that level despite taking cooking lessons before me? Despite all that big talk... this is awkward. It's uncomfortable to surpass the superior who recommended this to me. My overflowing talent is, just this once, something I hate. I'll have to hold back from now on?"

That's how it'll go.

"Satou-san, Satou-san, you're making a really evil face right now."
"That's your imagination."
"Ugh, that's an incredibly suspicious smile..."
"Well, anyway, it's about time we got going."
"Yes."

We started walking toward the building where the cooking class was being held. It was a bit inconvenient being some distance from the station, but if the reviews were good, it should be worth the walk. There were particularly many positive comments about the instructor—kind, thorough in teaching, and so on. The instructor's name was "MIO Sensei," and although there weren't any photos, my intuition tells me they're probably attractive. I'm looking forward to that aspect too.

"By the way, Satou-san."
"Hmm?"
"I heard from Yoshino-san about what you were like when you were just starting out."
"From my senior? Well, this is awkward. Back then, I was, how should I put it... almost like a delinquent."

It wasn't like that with everyone, but...

"Satou-kun, don't you think it's okay to do anything to bad people?"

Chika-san had criticized me like that before we became close. And the troubling thing was, her observation was spot on. I really did think that way. Well, I still might to some extent.

"So, did you really commit arson...?"
"Arson? Sorry, I've set so many fires that I can't count them on both hands, so I'm not sure which one you're referring to."
"You did it that many times!?"
"Yeah."

It's not like I especially enjoy watching fires... well, actually, that's part of it. Campfires and the like—there's something about a big, roaring flame that gets your adrenaline pumping.

"But seriously, fire can be a pretty effective strategy."

Back then, I wasn't as strong as I am now. To compensate for my weakness, I had to think and act strategically. Setting fires was partly a hobby but also a tactic to make up for my weakness.

"Is that so?"
"Yeah."

It's instinctual. Even those called superhumans can't escape their human nature. Among the strong, there are those who can suppress such instincts, and some who are completely unhinged from the start... but they're the minority. Most people remain bound by human instincts.

"Actions speak louder than words."

I took the 100-yen lighter from my pocket, quickly modified it, and lit it near Hikaru-kun's face.

"Whoa!?"

The flame shot up, and Hikaru-kun instantly backed away. By the way, I was using perception interference, so the passersby didn't notice anything.

"That's what I mean."

Even if the flame had hit him directly, someone like Hikaru-kun now wouldn't have been hurt at all. Yet he instinctively moved away. Why? Because of our primal fear of fire.

"This kind of reflexive action can be suppressed with training, but it's impossible to eliminate completely."

Even for someone who's been trained, it's difficult to fully apply that training when caught off guard. That's why I frequently used arson as a means to disrupt and narrow my opponents' thinking.

"...I see."
"That said, the underground world used to be much more uncivilized than it is now, which is partly why I resorted to such extreme methods."

I'm not suggesting he should copy me. Given Hikaru-kun's personality, this approach probably doesn't suit him. Forcing someone to do something they're not suited for would only hold them back.

"Well, looks like we've arrived. Hikaru-kun, are you ready? I'm still a bit nervous."
"...How can you be nervous about a cooking class when you can casually set fire to a harbor?"

When we entered... as expected, there were mostly women. About thirty people? They say it's the era of men cooking too, but including us, there were only four men.
We changed into aprons, washed our hands, and waited for the class to begin. After about five minutes, the teacher arrived, and...

(—She's beautiful, as I expected!!)

She was a slender, elegant beauty with light brown, wavy bob-cut hair. Nice, very nice! While Takahashi's curvaceous body is wonderful, I also like the clean-cut slender type.

"...It looks like we're making omurice today."
"...Since it's a trial class, they're probably starting with something simple."

But that's fine! An omurice with that fluffy omelet that splits open when you cut into it. The thought of being able to make that at home... with my own hands... is pretty exciting.

"...Satou-san, what should we do? Listening to the teacher is making me hungry."
"...Yeah, me too."

This is bad... Ah, our eyes met with the teacher. She seems surprised. Well, from an outsider's perspective, Hikaru-kun and I probably look like father and son. It's natural for her to be curious about a father attending a cooking class with his son. I responded with my best smile.

I mean, it's not like I have any particular intentions, but... you know, just in case... right?

(Could this be a promising sign!?)

The teacher looked confused for a moment, but quickly blushed and averted her eyes from me.

(Hehehe, looks like this is going to be a fun day!!)