Chapter 217: He'll Definitely Be Very Happy
Bamboo Memory was actually quite capable.
She quickly walked to the tightly shut kitchen door, raised her hand, and knocked politely yet steadily on the door.
"Kitasan Black, this is Officer Bamboo Memory. Can you open the door for me?"
Her voice was calm and firm, carrying a reassuring strength.
A moment later, the kitchen door slowly opened a narrow crack, and a faint light spilled out from inside.
Kitasan Black herself didn't appear.
After glancing inside, Bamboo Memory didn't look back. With her hands behind her back, she flashed an "OK" gesture at Makoto, then slipped sideways into the kitchen. The door quietly closed again behind her.
Not long after, the door opened once more.
Bamboo Memory came out first.
Her face showed a strange mix of exasperation and amusement, an oddly complicated expression.
In her hands, she carried a plate of fried rice that didn't look very appetizing.
The rice and egg seemed like they'd fought a chaotic battle in the pan, piled together in messy disarray.
Some grains were slightly burnt, scattered among the normal-colored rice.
The eggs, which should have been golden and fluffy, looked dull and broken into irregular chunks, randomly mixed in.
Behind her came Kitasan Black.
She had already returned to her usual energetic self, though there was still a hint of apology on her face.
She was also carrying a plate of fried rice, but hers clearly looked far more delicious than the one Bamboo Memory held.
A golden egg sheet completely wrapped the rice like a brilliant layer of silk, glistening temptingly in the light.
On top of that bright golden surface, red ketchup was carefully drizzled.
The ketchup had clearly been drawn with care, stroke by stroke, forming the words "Good afternoon" in cute, rounded characters with a playful, girlish charm.
Walking to the table, she briefly avoided Makoto's gaze before carefully placing the omurice down.
Then she looked at him expectantly, her eyes filled with nervousness and hope.
"T-Trainer…"
She stumbled for a second, then broke into an excited smile.
"I've been practicing making this these past few days! Hurry and try it! See if it tastes good!"
Meeting Kitasan Black's anxious yet eager gaze, Makoto hesitated for a moment.
The awkward scene from earlier flashed through his mind, then was replaced by her current expression.
…Forget it. Let's just pretend nothing happened. Or talk about it later…
He forced a small smile, trying to keep his expression calm as he slowly pulled out a chair and sat down, picking up the spoon she handed him.
Originally, he just wanted to use eating as a way to cover up the earlier embarrassment.
But the moment he scooped up a spoonful of omurice and put it in his mouth—
Flavor exploded across his taste buds.
The egg was unbelievably smooth and tender, practically melting as soon as it touched his tongue.
The rice had been carefully stir-fried, each grain distinct, each coated with rich aroma.
Within that fragrance was a subtle sweetness from some unknown vegetables, mixed with the depth of a savory sauce—an exquisite combination.
Without exaggeration, this plate of omurice was absolutely on par with what you'd expect from the head chef of a high-end restaurant.
Makoto's eyes widened slightly in surprise and admiration as he looked at Kitasan Black.
"This is… way too good, isn't it?"
He sincerely gave her a thumbs-up.
"Kitasan, your cooking skills are amazing!"
"R-Really?!"
Kitasan Black's eyes instantly lit up, overflowing with joy, like she'd just received the gift she'd always dreamed of.
In the next instant, she scratched her head a little shyly, her cheeks faintly flushed, and said softly,
"Actually… this omurice is the only thing I can make decently."
"I've tried other dishes, but they all turned out pretty average."
"And to get this omurice right, I practiced a lot… those failed attempts…"
A trace of embarrassment and apology appeared in her eyes. She subconsciously glanced to the side, then suddenly froze.
Bamboo Memory was holding that rather unappealing-looking plate of fried rice and wolfing it down.
Noticing Kitasan Black's gaze, Bamboo Memory paused, then quickly shot a thumbs-up toward them. Her cheeks were stuffed full, bulging out as she spoke unclearly,
"I agree with Makoto-kun!"
"Kita-chan! Your cooking is seriously amazing!
"Even something you call a 'failure' tastes this good, I really didn't expect that!"
The embarrassment and apology hadn't fully faded from Kitasan Black's eyes, but now they were mixed with a bit of delight.
"That's good… but I still feel kind of bad…"
She first let out a relieved sigh, then asked carefully,
"Bamboo-senpai, should I make another portion for you…?"
"No, no."
Still shoveling food into her mouth, Bamboo Memory waved her off.
"I haven't eaten either, and I don't eat that much. This is enough."
"If you make another one, wouldn't this go to waste?"
"Oh right, Kita-chan, can you really only make this omurice?"
Makoto couldn't help but look at Kitasan Black curiously too.
Until now, he had no idea she was this good at cooking, let alone that her omurice would taste this incredible.
"Really, this omurice is the only thing that turns out good."
Kitasan Black smiled brightly, her eyes curved with satisfaction.
"And I only learned it recently."
"I've been resting lately, right? But Crow-chan and the others still have school and training, and Ai-chan too."
"I was worried about disturbing them, so I just helped out with small things, like bringing water during their training."
"And one time, I saw Oguri Cap-senpai helping Crow-chan train, so I went up to ask her for advice."
"Oh, that I know," Bamboo Memory chimed in through a mouthful of rice. "Oguri-senpai did say she'd help guide you before."
"Mm-hmm! That's what she told me too!"
Kitasan Black nodded repeatedly.
"Then I felt Oguri Cap-senpai was really mature and calm, so I asked her about things besides training and racing too."
"Because…"
A bit of gratitude appeared in her eyes, along with a faint, almost imperceptible shyness, as she glanced softly at her Trainer.
"I've been thinking about how to properly express my thanks to you, Trainer."
Makoto had originally been focused on the mention of Oguri Cap.
With all their previous training experiences, he'd grown used to asking senior Umamusume to help guide Kitasan Black.
Given Oguri Cap's strength and race experience, it was only natural she'd be an excellent mentor. If Satono Crown could invite her, then Kitasan Black certainly could too.
But he hadn't expected that, aside from training and racing matters, Kitasan Black had been thinking about something else—
Thinking about how to thank him.
For a moment, he was completely stunned, frozen in place.
"'If you want to show thanks… then cook something tasty.'"
Suddenly changing her tone, Kitasan Black mimicked Oguri Cap's voice:
"'Eating makes people happy. I've always believed that."
'So if you cook something for Yasui-san to eat, he'll definitely be very happy.'"
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 314: Kita, You're Truly Amazing[1]
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