A Chef from Another World

Leaving Lui’s room, the noise of that strange song grew louder, and not only that—the air also filled with a delicious aroma. Whatever Naoya was cooking, it smelled amazing.

I approached the kitchen with a bit of discretion, curious about what he might be doing.

Did he have some strange cooking technique? Where was that odd music coming from? What exactly was he making?

All those questions came to me as I got closer, while the music and the scent both grew stronger.

Finally, as I reached the kitchen, I saw him.

Naoya was stirring the contents of a pot already set over the house’s fireplace.

As for the strange music, the sound seemed to be coming from his phone.

He can do that too!? That’s so cool! I want one too!

Naoya didn’t notice me at first, probably because of how loud his music was.

“Ah! You came at the right time,” Naoya said. “I was lucky the ingredients were identical to the ones from my world—it made things a lot easier.”

While he explained, he grabbed his phone and made the strange music vanish.

I was left amazed at how simple he made handling such a bizarre artifact look.

“… Is that thing magical?” I asked in disbelief, but Naoya just laughed.

“How’s your sister doing?” he asked back.

“She’s better. She’s breathing normally again,” I answered.

Hearing that, Naoya nodded with a smile. He seemed relieved.

“That’s good. Ah, by the way, I thought that given her condition, it would be best to make a vegetable stew. It’s easy to digest and also a delicious recipe.”

After his explanation, Naoya took a ladle and tried the stew. His expression was odd, as if something was missing.

“Here, taste some,” Naoya suggested.

He scooped up a bit again, but this time gestured for me to come closer.

I took the spoon and tasted it.

I was completely blown away!

It was delicious! I had never tasted anything like it.

The flavor was sweet, yet natural, and eating it felt unbelievably comforting.

I had worried he wouldn’t be able to cook, given how different his world was from mine, but I was glad to see he had adapted so quickly.

“It’s so good! How can you make something this tasty!?” I asked, still enchanted by the stew.

Naoya smiled at seeing me so delighted with his cooking.

“Before coming here, I studied gastronomy. I was one of the best in my class, so I have some confidence in my dishes,” he replied, puffing out his chest.

“You studied for this!?” I said, surprised. “That’s amazing! Being able to cook like this is incredible!”

“Right? That’s exactly what I told my par—” Naoya started, but then he stopped.

The confident, cheerful smile on his face vanished, replaced by one of sorrow and sadness.

Why so suddenly?

“Something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m fine,” he answered flatly. “The food’s almost ready. Could you set the table? I’ll go get Lui.”

“Ah! Sure, no problem…”

He didn’t say anything else and simply left.

The hallway that led to Lui’s room was dim. It was as if the darkness consumed him the further he went.

“…Naoya,” I whispered.

***

I had been forgetting.

With everything that’s happened since I arrived in this world, I almost forgot what happened the night before I was summoned.

I lost miserably in my first important match, and my sense of taste was damaged.

When I tried the stew I had just made, it didn’t taste the way it should.

I thought maybe I had just missed an ingredient, but Liz looked absolutely delighted. That’s when I realized my sense of taste was gone—or at least partially.

I thought it was just for the night, the result of being in a foul mood after losing, but even now it still affects me.

As an athlete, I failed. And as a cook, I was ruined.

A cook without a sense of taste will never reach the level of someone who has it.

Sigh

Doesn’t matter. If Liz says the stew is good, then at least this time it wasn’t a waste.

I went to Lui’s room and knocked on the door.

“Lui, it’s me, Naoya,” I said, raising my voice a little so she could hear through the door.

“Come in,” came the faint reply.

When I entered, I found her sitting on the bed.

Her condition seemed to have improved a little, just as Liz had said, but she still looked frail. As if I could break her if I applied the slightest force, she was that thin.

“… The food’s almost ready. I came to get you,” I said nervously.

Unlike Liz, this girl looked much more reserved and calm. Her face only showed a faint smile.

The two sisters seemed like complete opposites. It was a bit disconcerting for me, since I was already somewhat used to Liz’s more expressive nature.

“Yes, thank you.”

With her approval, I approached and helped her stand, letting her lean on me to walk.

Just as her appearance suggested, she was incredibly light.

“Come on, this way,” I said, trying to move, but she didn’t.

She stayed standing there without a word. Her eyes were closed, and her expression showed a kind of relief I hadn’t expected.

“So… warm…” she whispered, clinging to me even tighter.

“W-wait! What’s going on!?” I asked, flustered, but she only held onto me more.

“Let me… hold you a little longer…” she added with the same expression of relief as before.

I didn’t know what to do, so I simply replied, “Alright…” and let her continue.

It was only a few minutes, but they felt eternal, filled with confusion, unease, and nerves on my part.

After a while, she finally let go and looked up at me.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile.

Her face looked brighter than it had a moment ago, and even her complexion seemed to have regained some color. She looked better than before.

Her smile was lovely, very much like Liz’s. If I hadn’t remembered she was her sister, I might have patted her head as I had done with Liz before…

“It’s nothing… Let’s go,” I replied.

At last, we left the room and headed to the kitchen, where Liz was waiting for us.

She had gone ahead and not only set the table but had already served stew for everyone.

“Finally! What took you so long?” Liz asked.

“N-nothing happened…” I replied nervously, which puzzled Liz a little, but she didn’t dwell on it.

I helped Lui sit down on one of the chairs, and Liz brought her one of the plates.

“Smells wonderful…” Lui said with an expectant look.

She took the spoon, scooped some stew, and tasted it.

Her expression shifted in an instant, from calm to pure delight. She quickly took a few more spoonfuls.

“This is amazing!” she shouted, thrilled by the food.

My impression of her being calm and reserved shattered in an instant. She seemed like a different person.

Lui kept eating quickly, as if someone was about to take her plate away, surprising not only me but even Liz herself.

“Does she usually eat like that?” I asked.

“No… she almost never has an appetite…” Liz said, her voice trembling. “It’s… the first time in a long while that she’s eaten so eagerly,” she added, eyes brimming with tears, happy to see her older sister’s condition improving.

“Go on, eat too before it gets cold.”

“Ah, right,” Liz replied, wiping her tears.

She took a spoonful as well and once again wore that same blissful expression as before.

Seeing both sisters with the same look was amusing. They really were identical when Lui got excited.

“…”

I still carry the thought of returning to my world and giving in to my parents’ demands—that much is certain.

But seeing how even I could bring smiles to people with my cooking…

Just for that, it feels like it was worth it.