Chapter 58
Haruto patted Marui Zenji on the shoulder with a smile.
"Come on, Marui. Don’t get hung up on that. I brought plenty of good stuff with me today."
"Let’s take a look."
Haruto opened the containers he had brought.
Inside were several cuts of Great Stamp pork from different parts of the animal, a large assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, and a cardboard box.
Everyone’s eyes immediately brightened at the sight of the ingredients. Even at a glance, their quality looked exceptional.
Haruto smiled at their reactions.
"Everyone can make whatever they like. Tonight, we’ll use these ingredients for an improvised cooking feast."
The moment he finished speaking, Yukihira Soma rushed forward and picked up a piece of tenderloin.
After examining it carefully, he looked at Haruto with some uncertainty.
"This is... pork tenderloin, right? The meat is firm and finely textured, but it feels different from ordinary pork."
Haruto glanced at it and answered casually, "It is pork, but it came from a wild boar."
A Great Stamp technically counted as a wild boar.
It was merely carnivorous and considerably more ferocious than most.
"Wild boar?"
Soma murmured to himself.
He had never worked with wild boar before, but wasn’t it normally supposed to have a stronger smell and gamier flavor?
He did not dwell on the question for long.
Instead, his interest only grew.
Meat this good was bound to produce an excellent dish.
"I’ve got an idea!"
Soma grabbed the Great Stamp tenderloin and charged toward the kitchen.
The others, including Isshiki Satoshi, soon selected whatever ingredients caught their interest and began preparing dishes of their own.
Haruto smiled as he watched everyone cook.
He could hardly wait to see what kinds of dishes they would create from the ingredients he had brought back.
...
It was not long before Tadokoro Megumi completed her dish.
Haruto looked it over and saw sushi rolls made with fruit and vegetables.
The pearly-white rice wrapped neatly around the colorful filling, and every slice had a clean, even cross-section.
The dish looked wonderfully fresh and light.
Haruto picked up one piece and placed it into his mouth.
The gentle sweetness of the fruit blended with the crisp freshness of the vegetables, while the mild warmth and fragrance of the sushi rice brought everything together.
The result tasted clean and refreshing, leaving behind only a delicate finish.
"This is really good."
Haruto looked at Megumi and offered his opinion sincerely.
The fruit-and-vegetable sushi rolls were not particularly complicated, but they were refreshing and easy to eat. There was also something special hidden within them that made him instinctively want another piece.
Megumi’s cheeks turned faintly pink at his praise.
She was about to respond when she noticed the cardboard box sitting nearby and asked somewhat timidly, "Haruto-kun, what’s inside that box?"
"Chocolate balls. They’re very good."
Haruto opened the box, revealing neat rows of small packages designed like miniature robots.
He took out two boxes and handed one to Megumi.
Following his instructions, she opened the package, poured several Chocorobo-kun chocolate balls into her hand, and placed them in her mouth.
The smooth chocolate melted the instant it touched her tongue.
A rich cocoa fragrance spread through her mouth alongside a mild creaminess, soft and velvety with just the right amount of sweetness.
...
"These chocolate balls are amazing!"
Megumi stared at the package in astonishment.
"Of course they are," Haruto replied as though it were obvious.
He had discovered them by chance while waiting for an airship in the Hunter × Hunter world.
They were the same Chocorobo-kun chocolate balls that Killua loved.
Killua had once spent every last bit of the prize money he earned at Heavens Arena stockpiling them.
Curious, Haruto had tried them himself and found that they truly were delicious, so he had bought a large supply.
As they spoke, Yoshino Yuki approached carrying her finished dish.
"Huh? What are you two eating?"
After setting down her plate, Yuki stared curiously at the chocolate boxes in their hands.
Haruto immediately passed her one.
Yuki opened it and sampled a chocolate ball. Her eyes lit up at once, and delight spread across her face.
"Whoa! That’s so good! These chocolate balls are incredible!"
Still holding the box, she ran over to where Ryoko was busy cooking.
"Ryoko, Ryoko! You have to try these! They’re really good!"
Haruto smiled as he watched Yuki crowd beside Ryoko and share the chocolate with her.
He then turned his attention to the dish Yuki had brought over.
A freshly cooked okonomiyaki rested on the plate, still releasing wisps of steam. Its golden surface looked wonderfully appetizing.
Haruto took one serving, cut off a piece with his chopsticks, and placed it into his mouth.
The savory flavor of the meat burst across his tongue.
The vegetables mixed into the batter remained crisp and tender, while sweet fruit purée balanced the richness of the pork, creating an enjoyable contrast between sweetness and savoriness.
The minced Great Stamp meat had been seared beforehand until fragrant, fully drawing out its natural flavor.
Meanwhile, the vegetables and fruit purée made the meat’s distinctive wild richness stand out even more.
It was a bold, untamed dish that perfectly suited Yuki’s style!
Just as Haruto finished Yuki’s dish, Soma completed his own.
"Give this a try—Yukihira-Style Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl."
Soma placed one bowl in front of Haruto and another before Megumi.
Haruto examined the dish.
Every grain of rice had been steamed perfectly and remained separate.
A large sliced pork cutlet rested on top, fresh from the oil, its golden-red crust still softly crackling.
A thick amber-colored sauce coated the cutlet, and chopped scallions had been scattered over it.
The bright green against the golden pork was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
Beside the cutlet rested a soft-boiled egg.
Haruto gently pierced it with his chopsticks, and the deep-orange yolk slowly flowed out, running across the rice and over the edges of the pork cutlet until the entire bowl looked even more irresistible.
"That certainly looks appetizing."
Haruto picked up a piece of cutlet and placed it into his mouth.
The instant his teeth closed, the crisp coating broke with a sharp crunch.
Beneath it, the pork was moist and overflowing with juice, tender enough to melt against his tongue.
The special sauce combined the fresh sweetness of apple purée with the rich depth of teriyaki sauce.
Its mild sweetness wrapped around the savory meat, building layer upon layer of flavor.
Haruto then took a large mouthful of rice coated in sauce and runny egg yolk.
The rich, succulent flavor exploded across his tongue.
Sweetness and saltiness blended into a full-bodied taste that covered every part of his palate, making him narrow his eyes in pleasure.
"Well?" Soma leaned closer, unable to hide the smugness on his face. "It tastes incredible, doesn’t it?"
Haruto swallowed and glanced up at him.
He could not allow Soma to become too pleased with himself.
"Well, it’s barely acceptable. It’s still not quite as good as my wok-seared twice-cooked pork."
"Wok-seared twice-cooked pork?" Soma raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Was it really that good?"
Haruto ignored him completely.
At the moment, he only wanted to enjoy the food.
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