Chapter 29 - Omurice
The dinner Mashiro requested I make for her was omurice.
That delicious dish with fluffy, soft eggs on top of chicken rice.
Come to think of it, Mashiro’s favorite food is omurice. At the café we went to earlier today, she was looking for it on the menu but couldn’t find any, so she ended up ordering something else.
Back in my previous life, the café I worked at had omurice as one of its most popular dishes, and I made it countless times. I wanted to put that knowledge and experience to good use and let Mashiro have the best omurice she’s ever tasted.
With that determination in mind, I started cooking. Mashiro watched curiously from the other side of the kitchen counter. Whenever our eyes met while I cooked, she would flash me a smile, giving me even more motivation.
As I expertly flipped the pan, Mashiro couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
“Wow… amazing! It’s like the ingredients are dancing on the pan!”
“Dancing, huh? It’s a bit embarrassing to be praised like that for the first time.”
“No, seriously! You’re so skilled. It looks so delicious already!”
“I’m still making the chicken rice part. The real test will be the omelette.”
“Ugh, I can’t wait!”
Mashiro’s eyes sparkled like a child’s. Wanting to please her even more, I rolled up my sleeves and shifted into full-on cooking mode.
After finishing the chicken rice, I immediately started on the omelette.
I stirred the eggs in the pan, shaping them into an omelette. Gently, I pushed the eggs toward the edge of the pan, carefully molding them into shape. Once it was ready, I tapped the handle of the pan to finish it off. Slowly, the omelette took on the familiar, perfect shape.
Mashiro clapped excitedly as she watched.
“Ryusuke, you’re seriously amazing! You have way too much talent for cooking!”
“Haha, you’re exaggerating. Once you get the hang of it, anyone can do it.”
“Really? Do you think I could learn too?”
“Of course. If you want to, I’ll teach you anytime.”
“Yay! Thank you, Ryusuke!”
Thinking how cute Mashiro looked when she was happy, I placed the finished omelette on the plate. I set it on top of the oval-shaped chicken rice I’d already prepared, and then made a cut through the omelette with a knife—revealing the fluffy, gooey eggs that began to drape over the rice.
For the finishing touch, I drew a picture of Mashiro’s favorite cat with ketchup on top of the omelette. Upon seeing it, she jumped with joy.
“Nyanya!? Ryusuke, is this…?”
“How do you like it? Cute, right?”
“Yes! It’s the cutest cat ever! Thank you, Ryusuke!”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s eat. You must be starving by now.”
“My stomach’s growling! I can’t wait to dig into the omurice you made!”
Mashiro left the kitchen counter and sat at the table.
After removing my apron, I brought over the omurice and the soup I had prepared as a side dish, placing everything on the table.
We sat down across from each other, and with our hands clasped together, we said in unison, “Itadakimasu.”
Mashiro immediately scooped up a bite of the omurice I had made and brought it to her mouth. The soft, fluffy eggs mixed with the chicken rice spread across her taste buds, and she savored the flavors with her hands pressed to her cheeks in happiness.
“It looked delicious, but after tasting it, I’m blown away! It’s so good! You could open a restaurant with this!”
“Haha. Maybe I’ll start a café called ‘Ryusuke’s Café, specializing in Mashiro’s favorite dishes.’”
“Really!? I’d become a regular in no time! You could cook for me every day!”
“We also offer a bento delivery service, my dear customer.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing! I’d be so happy to eat your cooking even when I’m outside!”
Mashiro took my joke seriously, and she kept saying how happy she was, over and over.
I hadn’t expected her to be so delighted, and it made me blush as I scratched my cheek. I wondered how she’d react if I made her bento next week, too.
She usually buys bread from the school store or eats at the cafeteria.
Maybe I should start making lunch for her, too. That way, we could have lunch together, and it might help keep her away from Fusegawa Raito, the protagonist. Spending a peaceful lunch break together might not be such a bad idea.
As I thought about that, I watched Mashiro eat the omurice with childlike enthusiasm.
She looked so adorable, and I found myself wanting to watch her forever.
As I continued watching, our eyes suddenly met. Her star-like blue eyes sparkled as they reflected me.
Noticing my gaze, Mashiro stopped eating and smiled bashfully.
“Sorry! It’s just so good that I couldn’t stop eating.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad you’re enjoying it so much.”
“Yeah, thanks! I feel so energized after eating your omurice that I’m ready to tackle my study sessions for the upcoming tests!”
“Study sessions?”
“Huh? You’re not seriously pretending to forget, are you? We’ve got final exams coming up! The study period starts on Monday!”
“Oh… right. I’ve been so busy that it completely slipped my mind…”
“So you weren’t joking, you actually forgot?”
“Yeah, looks like I did.”
I chuckled wryly as I took a bite of the chicken rice.
I had completely forgotten, but July was just around the corner. At our school, Kio Academy, the final exams are held in early July, and the school enters test season. After the chaos of being reincarnated, I had pushed the thought of tests too far to the back of my mind.
“But Ryusuke, even when you were skipping school, you showed up for the midterms and managed to avoid failing every subject. That’s actually pretty impressive.”
“I’m pretty sharp, you know. Besides, back then I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about school, so I guess I wanted to hold on just a bit longer.”
“Yeah! Your attendance record is awful, but thanks to your grades, you’ve barely managed to scrape by. Now that you’re actually trying, I bet you could get some really good rankings!”
“Good rankings, huh… Not a bad idea.”
Typically, someone like me, who’s seen as a delinquent, wouldn’t be expected to rank high in the class. Barely passing, or failing and retaking tests, is the norm for people like me.
And the top spots are usually reserved for characters on the protagonist’s side. It’s one of the ways the story highlights their impressive abilities for the readers. By excelling in academics, the protagonist and his friends shine even brighter.
(Wait, I’ve got it. The final exams… this could be a great opportunity.)
The upcoming final exams might be my chance to break free from the role of the villain.
By getting my name onto the list of top-ranked students, something no one would expect, I could show the whole school something they’ve never seen before. I could disrupt the natural order of this world and prove that I don’t fit the delinquent mold.
If the previous Ryusuke couldn’t do it, the me who studied like crazy in my past life should be able to secure a top spot, even in a rom-com world where academics are sacred.
This would be my first step in changing the way people see me.
This wasn’t a development that existed in the original story.
There was no mention of Shindo Ryusuke’s name in the list of top exam rankings during the final test arc.
Just as Mashiro became a different person after her reincarnation, and her role shifted, by creating this unexpected event, I could steer the story away from its predetermined path.
This world forces people toward the original plot, but I believe that with strong enough emotions, we can resist that force. Just like when I refused to let Raito take Mashiro away from me, my feelings gave me the strength to fight fate.
I’ll make a statement with the final exams.
I’ll disrupt the story’s natural order by ranking at the top, and I’ll carve out the future I want, with Mashiro by my side.
“Alright! I’m going to crush the final exams!”
“Whoa, you’re really fired up. Do you have a specific goal?”
“Yeah. I’m going to surprise you, Mashiro.”
“If Ryusuke’s going to work hard, then so will I! If you have any questions, just ask me! Oh, and let’s do a study session together! I’ve always wanted to study with you!”
“Of course. Let’s study together next week. I’ll help you out if you get stuck, and I’d love it if you could help me when I’m in trouble.”
“Yeah! Let’s do our best. It’s a promise!”
Mashiro held out her pinky, and I wrapped mine around hers, sealing the promise.
And so, I was set to tackle my first challenge of high school life—the final exams—with Mashiro by my side.
And there was one more thing. I had another plan up my sleeve, one to help me break free from my role as the villain.
I began sharing that plan with Mashiro, confident that she would be there to support me.
She listened intently, reacting with surprise and laughter as I laid out my idea.
My secret plan would be revealed the Monday after the tests.
With that small ambition tucked away in my heart, I enjoyed the rest of dinner with Mashiro to the fullest.