Animeverse Kitchen: My Culinary Journey Begins with Glowing Food! Chapter 139 139: For a Moment, It Was Impossible to Tell Who

The freshly made takoyaki sizzled, their golden-brown, crispy skin glistening with a light sheen of oil.

Amber teriyaki sauce and vibrant red ketchup crisscrossed over the piping-hot spheres, creating an enticing pattern. The light, paper-thin bonito flakes danced and fluttered in the rising steam, like a swarm of butterflies about to take flight. Green aonori flakes were sprinkled over the top like the first new leaves of spring, creating a bright and tempting splash of color.

"Itadakimasu!"

Minos happily picked up her chopsticks, her silver-white cow tail held high behind her. She leaned forward, her soft thighs pressing against the edge of the table through her black pleated skirt. Extending a pale arm, she skillfully plucked a takoyaki ball from the plate, her ruby-red eyes filled with anticipation.

Ignoring the scalding heat, Minos eagerly popped the entire takoyaki into her mouth, her cheeks imdiately puffing out in an adorable arc.

"Mmph—! Thish ish sho good!"

As her teeth broke through the crispy outer shell, the soft, gooey center, filled with crisp, sweet cabbage and chewy, savory "octopus" chunks, exploded in her mouth. The warm sauce flowed over her tongue; the rich, sweet, and slightly caralized flavor of the teriyaki sauce intertwined with the fresh, fruity tartness of the ketchup.

The bonito flakes released their deep, oceanic umami as she chewed, while the salty-savory flavor of the aonori perfectly balanced all the other tastes. The various flavors unfolded layer by layer between her lips and teeth, yet they miraculously rged into one perfect whole. It was so delicious, she wanted to just pick up the plate and pour the rest directly into her mouth.

"Kori-chan..."

Yusa first picked up a takoyaki for her little sister, then quickly grabbed one for herself.

Ryohei, who had already started on the second batch, glanced over and saw Pekola standing on the edge of the group. She was leaning sideways, stretching her arm as far as she could, trying and failing to pick up a takoyaki. He couldn't help but smile. "Why don't you guys just take a plate to the table to eat?"

"Mhm." Yusa had noticed it too. Pekola was right next to her sister. Hearing Ryohei, she grabbed one of the plates and set it down in front of the two small girls.

"Arigatou!" Pekola said, a little embarrassed. Without wasting another mont, she eagerly reached out with her chopsticks, swiftly picking up a takoyaki and putting it in her mouth.

The lines on Pekola's face instantly softened. The mont the takoyaki entered her mouth, with just a single light chew, she felt an intense wave of happiness wash over her entire body.

In the next mont, a holy light once again enveloped her.

"Σ(°ロ°)!?"

Koji-kun yelped in surprise and quickly scurried around to his sister's other side.

Yusa reached out and patted her sister's head to soothe her, then looked at Pekola with a complex expression. "You really do start glowing whenever you eat this stuff."

"Huh?"

Pekola, who hadn't noticed anything was wrong, turned her head in surprise. She looked at Yusa, then finally noticed the holy light emanating from her own body. "Ah," she said.

"Compared to her, you're like a fake angel," Jashin-chan said, glancing at Poporon while munching on her takoyaki.

Poporon felt as if an arrow had just struck her in the knee. She shot a resentful look at Ryohei Tanaka. "If you would just give my halo back, I could probably glow too..."

"Looking at won't help. I don't have it," Ryohei said, looking up from placing Kraken chunks into the batter with an innocent expression.

'Go ask the person who actually has it!'

Hearing this, Poporon's expression beca even more resentful. They were all so close; who didn't know that those two were a perfect 'the husband sings, the wife follows' pair? If Ryohei said sothing, Yurine would listen 99% of the ti. If he really wanted to help her get her halo back, Yurine would definitely give it to him.

'If you're not going to help, just say so! Why make excuses!'

Poporon pouted at Ryohei. She grabbed another takoyaki, using the delicious food to soothe her wounded spirit.

"Tanaka-kun, you should try one too."

Lucoa suddenly leaned over the counter, her ample chest forming a heart-stopping curve under the pull of gravity. She used her own chopsticks to pick up a takoyaki and held it out, offering to feed Ryohei.

"I can get one myself," Ryohei said, glancing at her before looking away, trying to be reserved.

"This is a token of your subordinate's affection! You wouldn't refuse, would you, Tanaka-kun? You'll hurt my feelings," she said with a wide smile, urging him on. "Hurry up, this pose is tiring!"

"Tiring my foot!"

Seeing that Lucoa wasn't going to back down until he ate it, Ryohei grumbled good-naturedly and leaned forward to accept the takoyaki. It wasn't like she'd never fed him before. Habit becos second nature—he wasn't quite at that point yet, but he was getting close.

Ryohei didn't have any particular reaction. He was quite calm about it. He took the takoyaki, and his attention shifted to its flavor.

The grilled outer layer of the takoyaki was slightly charred and crispy, while the inside was soft and springy. The texture was superb. The fresh "octopus" at, blanched and chopped, was skillfully wrapped inside the ball. The at was savory with a unique oceanic flavor and a pleasant chewiness. Its tenderness was a perfect complent to the crispy, soft batter. The two sauces mingled on his tongue, and along with the bonito and seaweed flakes, created an incredibly rich taste experience.

It was ridiculously good.

After eating one, Ryohei wanted another; the flavor lingered, leaving him wanting more. So, after pouring the next layer of batter, he also picked up his chopsticks and took the last takoyaki from the plate.

...

It was as if he were on a company fishing trip at sea with everyone from the restaurant on a bright, sunny day.

The sunlight poured onto the surface of the ocean like lted honey, the glittering waves so bright it was hard to keep one's eyes open. Lucoa, Minos, Yusa, and the others were laughing as they fiddled with their fishing rods on the deck. The air was filled with a lazy, comfortable atmosphere.

"I got a bite!"

He suddenly heard Jashin-chan's excited shout, followed imdiately by the "SPLASH" of sothing heavy hitting the water.

Ryohei, holding a deep-sea fishing rod, turned around in confusion. He saw Minos standing there, laughing her head off. When she saw Ryohei and the others looking, she explained cheerfully, "It looks like Jashin-chan hooked sothing huge. It dragged her into the sea."

As she finished speaking, an enormous creature erged from the ocean, creating a massive wave that rocked their yacht violently. Ryohei quickly grabbed the railing beside him to steady himself.

When he turned to look, his breath caught in his throat. A giant, pink-and-white squid had surfaced. It was as massive as a mountain, and it was wearing a huge, red-and-black-striped pirate hat, with a black eyepatch over its right eye. It looked just like a pirate.

Wrapped in one of its tentacles was a desperately struggling Jashin-chan. For a mont, Ryohei couldn't tell if Jashin-chan had hooked the squid, or if the squid had hooked her...

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