Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 44: Southern Island (3): The Cooking Contest
That evening—
Just like Asuka-san had announced at the beach, the cooking contest had officially begun.
“Alright, dig in!”
Lined up on a long table were a variety of dishes, and I was already seated.
Across from me, everyone stood in aprons.
(Kuh, they look way too cute in those aprons!)
I wanted to burn this rare sight into my memory.
But since I was bad at ranking things, I was also feeling a bit tense facing the scene.
Since they told me to choose properly, brushing things off wouldn’t be allowed this time.
(If they were going to cook for me anyway, I just wanted to enjoy the meal like normal…)
Looking up, I saw a banner that read “Cooking Contest” written beautifully in calligraphy.
I found myself vaguely thinking, “This feels like a TV show.”
By the way, I was supposed to choose a single winner in this contest.
The person I picked would get to spend some alone time with me on the island.
When I asked if that reward was really okay for all the effort they put in, they all said it was fine.
It felt like I was the only one benefiting, but if everyone was okay with it, then I wouldn’t argue.
I swallowed hard from the pressure.
“Okay then, I’ll start. First up, the pancakes.”
I began sampling the dishes from the leftmost side, going in order.
“This one has salad, sausage, and a sunny-side up egg—kind of a meal-style setup.”
I cut into the pancakes and brought a bite to my mouth.
The fluffy texture and buttery aroma filled my senses.
“Perfectly cooked and delicious! The egg is soft-boiled, and the yolk soaking into the pancake makes it even better.”
“Really? Yay!”
Himeji-san let out a sigh of relief.
“So Himeji-san made this? It must’ve been hard to get them this nicely done.”
“Ehehe, I practiced really hard! Plus, I had the southern island theme in mind.”
“Yeah, the presentation is great, totally fitting for a vacation.”
The vegetables added a nice splash of color to the plate.
Nutritionally, it looked very well-balanced.
“Oh, and I still have leftover batter, so I thought I’d pile on whipped cream and strawberries later for a Hawaiian-style dessert… ah—!”
Himeji-san seemed to have let her personal wish slip out in front of the pancakes.
Realizing it, her face turned red and she looked down shyly.
“Haha, so you made it partly to enjoy it yourself, huh?”
She really does love sweets and strawberries.
It’s cute how true to herself she is.
“Nicely done, Himeji.”
“She’s already getting high praise out of the gate.”
“I heard Himeji-chan doesn’t usually cook. She must’ve worked hard.”
“Hmmph, but Keina won’t lose either. C’mon, Tsumu tsumu, let’s go next!”
Not wanting the other dishes to get cold, I moved on.
“Next is hamburger steak—my favorite! It’s covered in demi-glace sauce, looks amazing.”
The hamburger steak sizzled on the iron plate.
It came with side dishes, giving it a professional feel.
When I sliced it open, cheese oozed out from inside.
“Whoa! Cheese-in hamburger steak is my absolute favorite!”
The moment I took a bite, the flavor of the meat, juicy juices, and rich cheese filled my mouth.
“Mmm! So good!”
“Fufufu, looks like you’re enjoying it,.”
Asuka-san said, crossing her arms with a smug smile.
“So you made this, Asuka-san? Did you know I like hamburger steak?”
“Of course. I did my homework on your favorite foods.”
“Wh-When did you do that…?”
Asuka-san really pays close attention to people.
She’s always thinking about how to make others happy—something I really admire.
Wait, this is a handmade hamburger steak, isn’t it?
Handmade… by Asuka-san…
Nope, nope, what am I even thinking!?
“Well, I’m always watching you, so I just kind of figured it out naturally.”
“…Huh?”
I was so lost in my own thoughts I almost missed what she said.
“U-Um, anyway! You’d better eat the sides too or your nutrition will be unbalanced!”
“R-Right…”
Pressed by Asuka-san’s energy, I reached for the side dishes.
“This carrot is perfectly glazed—sweet and delicious. You’re amazing, Asuka-san!”
Not just the hamburger steak, even this taste was something you don’t often get at home.
“Oh, it’s nothing… or maybe it is something?”
With a flourish of her hair, Asuka-san looked pleased—her smile was beaming and cute.
“If it’s sweet carrots, maybe even I could eat them.”
“Tch, Asuka’s not holding back.”
“As expected of the perfect idol, even her cooking is flawless.”
“Grr… using Tsumu tsumu’s favorites to her advantage—Asuka, you sly fox!”
Next, I moved on to the omurice.
It was the type with a soft omelet resting on top of chicken rice.
When I split the middle of the omelet, fluffy eggs flowed out, wrapping around the rice.
“This gets me excited just looking at it. You made this, Acchan, right? I’ve seen it all the time at the café.”
Omurice was the café’s signature dish.
I’d heard it was tough learning the soft omelet technique passed down from her grandpa.
I’d had it before, and it really was delicious.
“Yep, this is my specialty! But Akkun, don’t expect it to taste the same as usual.”
Acchan smirked confidently.
I scooped some up and took a bite.
“Oh! This is sweeter than usual, and there’s more ketchup in the rice—it’s just how I like it!”
Usually, my meals are lightly seasoned for health reasons.
But the truth is, I actually really like kiddish, strong flavors.
“Exactly! I customized it just for you. How is it?”
“It’s delicious! And I’m happy you made it just for me.”
The fact that she adjusted it to my preferences made it even more special.
“Yup. It’s made just for Akkun, okay? So eat up and enjoy it.”
Acchan tilted her head, gazing up at me sweetly.
She means the omurice, right?
And yet, my heart fluttered as I imagined Acchan wrapped in a ribbon like a present.
“Sweet eggs are the best!”
“She’s not just a café girl, that’s for sure.”
“I remember that napolitan I had at the café—top-tier.”
“Isn’t it kinda unfair that Acchan already has kitchen experience!?”
The next dish was a complete change from the previous Western-style meals—it was Japanese cuisine.
There was grilled Spanish mackerel in Saikyo miso, clam miso soup, and two side dishes: simmered eggplant and nikujaga (meat and potatoes).
“A proper ichiju-sansai (one soup, three dishes)! Ahh, it really warms my heart. The Saikyo-yaki has such a refined flavor—it’s delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it, Go-kun,” Takarazuka-san said.
“You made this, Takarazuka-san?”
“Yes. I wanted to help you relax with a traditional Japanese meal after how hectic you were during GalColle.”
Sure enough, the delicate dashi broth soaked into me and helped me unwind.
“Was it surprising that I went with Japanese cuisine?”
Takarazuka-san asked.
It was unexpected to see someone as glamorous as her make something like this, but—
“No, not really. The subtle seasoning and careful preparation felt like something you’d make.”
“Calling me delicate… you’re the only one who says that, Go-kun…”
“It’s so good I could eat this every day!”
When it comes to health and daily meals, Japanese food really is the best—I thought, deeply moved.
“E-every day? You want to drink my miso soup every day!? That’s practically a propos—”
“Suzu, Go didn’t say that!”
“Suzu-chan, you’re getting way ahead of yourself!”
Asuka-san and Acchan both cut in to stop Takarazuka-san.
What’s going on?
“And then, the last dish is…”
I had been trying not to look at it, but I knew I had to eat it too.
There it was—a bubbling, purple liquid.
Uh, is this a swamp?
“Keina, what is this?”
“It’s the Keina Special Soup!”
Keina replied with a bright smile, but that was all the explanation I got.
So the name tells me nothing.
I cautiously brought the “soup” (if you could call it that) to my mouth.
“Wha—!?!”
“Sakasegawa-kun!?”
“Go, are you okay!?”
“Acchan!?”
“Go-kun!?”
Everyone except Keina looked at me worriedly.
“It’s… surprisingly good!”
“Tsumu-tsumu, the surprisingly part is unnecessary!”
Despite its looks, it actually tasted good.
“It’s kind of addicting. What is this?”
“Purple cabbage, purple sweet potato, beets… I boiled a bunch of veggies and added a little protein powder at the end!”
A nutritious soup packed with vegetable flavor.
“I can only make this one thing. But I really wanted you to try it, Tsumu-tsumu.”
“The fact that you could make even one dish is amazing, Keina. Thank you—it’s really good.”
Back when we lived together for a bit, Keina couldn’t cook or do chores at all, so seeing this growth made me genuinely happy.
With that, I had tasted every dish.
“Sakasegawa-kun!”
“Go, who’s the winner?!”
“Acchan, it’s me, right?”
“Of course, it has to be me.”
“Keina, you’ll pick me, right?”
The apron-clad girls surrounded me.
I had been trying to forget, but I had to choose a winner now.
I worried that someone might feel hurt, or that it could affect their friendships.
But I had to make a decision.
I steeled myself.
“The winner of the cooking contest is—”
The villa fell silent.
Everyone was waiting for my next words.
“The winner is… Asuka-san, for her cheese-stuffed hamburger steak!”
“Y-y-YES!!”
Asuka-san raised both arms and cheered.
“Asuka, could we get a few words about how you’re feeling right now?”
Acchan suddenly appeared holding a microphone.
A microphone!? Where did she get that!?
“Ahem. I could say ‘Of course, because it’s me,’ but… I’m just SO happy!”
Asuka-san’s eyes sparkled with joy—it really showed how much it meant to her.
“Then, Judge Acchan, can you tell us why you picked her?”
“M-me? Well, it might sound simple, but it was my favorite food. On top of that, the flavor was outstanding, and the research she put in really showed. But honestly, everyone’s dishes were super delicious!”
“I see. And what do you think, Commentator Takarazuka-san?”
“I understand. As frustrating as it is, It seems the battle had already begun even before the cooking started.”
Takarazuka-san was giving commentary.
What is this?
“Himeji, how do you feel right now?”
“Uuugh, I’ll try harder next time!”
Himeji-san clenched her fist with a determined “Guh!”
“And how about you, Keina?”
“Next time I’ll hit you with a special that surpasses the special!”
What the heck is that supposed to mean? That’s kinda scary…
“I’m really frustrated too! I need to learn more from my grandpa! And with that, this concludes our live broadcast from the scene!”
Despite everything, everyone’s expressions were unexpectedly cheerful.
But more than that, one word stood out to me.
“Next time, next time… Isn’t this supposed to be over after today?”
“Tsk-tsk-tsk, Acchan, you’re too naive. No one ever said this was the end.”
“Look at the side banner.”
Hmm? Side banner?
“Ah! In the top left, it says First Annual in tiny letters!”
I feel like I just got ambushed.
“There’s no way it would end after just one!”
“That’s right, Go-kun. I can’t let it end while I’m still the loser!”
Seeing everyone having such a good time, I felt a sense of relief.
Knowing that our time together would continue warmed my heart.
There was no need to feel pressured.
If you don’t get picked this time, you can just try again next time.
It felt like they were teaching me that.
“Now that the cooking contest is over, let’s all dig in together! Wait—Himeji-san!?”
“Mmph?! Mmmggh!”
I looked away for a moment, and Himeji-san had already started eating pancakes.
She had added extra whipped cream, extra strawberries, and drowned it in maple syrup.
Surprised at getting caught, she started choking.
“Hey! Himeji-san, no fair! Share some with me!”
“Nuh-uh! I’m not sharing this!”
“Keina’s Special is tasty!”
“Right?!”
“It’s perfect for a busy morning.”
Since they had made food for everyone, everyone started helping themselves to their favorite dishes.
Sharing a meal together at one table made everything taste so much better.
And so, what seemed like it could have turned into a chaotic showdown ended peacefully.
But the night…
was just getting started.