Thus, Inari and Eru made their way together toward Inari’s apartnt… The pair—a girl in a reddish-brown hakama, wearing a kimono with arrow-feather patterns, carrying a naginata in a bag on her back, and the shrine maiden-like Inari—were not out of place in Sugamo. But once they boarded the bus and traveled toward Tokyo’s Chūō Ward, near Inari’s apartnt, they stood out far more.
Of course, it was nothing strange. This was an age where awakeners walked the streets in armor or robes. A kimono was hardly rare. Yes, hardly rare… but walking side by side with Inari, their presence inevitably drew attention.
And now, the two of them were in the neighborhood Satou Mart. A fox shrine maiden and a girl in traditional garb—together they were both eye-catching and strikingly beautiful.
“Hmm… ground at, and… onions, was it?”
“Are you making hamburg steak?”
“Aye. I’ve seen it prepared before, so worry not…”
Hamburg steak had long been a staple of family feasts. Inari rembered the sound of finely chopped onions, and the delicious sizzling as they fried. Along with curry, it was one of the mories she carried from that mountain village.
Though Inari was a steadfast lover of rice, Hikaru often reminded her about nutritional balance. So, when guests ca, she took care to prepare such dishes as well. Already in the basket were carrots, and tofu for miso soup.
“This mixed ground at might be best. In the end, it’s a matter of preference, though…”
“Aye, then let us take that.”
She picked up the pack of mixed ground at and placed it into the basket. But then, Eru cast a glance at the basket.
“Um… perhaps I should…”
“Nay. This is one of my small joys.”
Since Inari looked genuinely happy, Eru couldn’t press further. Still, having Inari carry the basket made her feel uneasy. She fidgeted, though in truth there was nothing wrong, and Inari truly did enjoy it.
Thus, with the ingredients for dinner secured, they arrived at the apartnt. To Eru, the secure, high-class, low-rise apartnt was a rare sight—so different from the Samurai Corps dormitory—that she voiced her admiration as she entered Inari’s ho.
“Wow… it’s so spacious.”
“Aye. Too spacious for one such as . Yet, it does allow to host guests, so I deem it worthwhile.”
It was indeed quite large. Even when the maid squad had gathered, there had been room to spare. Naturally, the kitchen was equally spacious and comfortable, which drew another “Wow…” from Eru.
“Now then! Let us make hamburg steak!”
“Yes, I’ll help!”
The way families made hamburg steak varied greatly—there was no single correct recipe. There were countless “delicious” thods, even instant seasoning mixes. But Inari’s way was very simple: just an imitation of what she once saw in the village. Still, it would turn out delicious.
First, chop the onions finely. Though “mincing” sounded difficult, it simply ant cutting them into small squares. And Inari, when cutting onions, had no issue with her eyes.
Once chopped, the onions were sautéed until caralized. When cooled, they were mixed into a bowl with the ground at, then kneaded firmly by hand. Each family had their own standard for how much to knead, but Inari stopped once at and onion blended into a single solid mass.
“Then… if I recall, it went like this.”
Dividing the mixture into two portions, she lightly tossed them between her palms in a rhythm like playing catch, slapping them together. Supposedly this was to remove air, though Inari did not fully understand the chanics. Eru, shaping her own patty, seed to understand a little better.
Then, heating oil in the frying pan, they carefully cooked the hamburg steaks.
Alongside them, they cut carrots into bite-sized pieces, sautéed them in the leftover oil from the hamburg steak, then plated everything with steaming rice and tofu miso soup. Finally, mixing ketchup and sauce in a 1:1 ratio, they heated it into a special sauce and poured it over the steaks.
“Aye, this turned out rather well.”
“Yes—it looks truly delicious!”
The rich sauce paired perfectly with the well-cooked hamburg steak and with rice. Even dipping the carrots in the leftover sauce was tasty. Inari wasn’t entirely sure if this thod matched what she once saw, but no matter—it was now Inari’s hamburg steak, a ho flavor of her own.
“You’re quite skilled at cooking.”
“Well… if left alone, three als of rice balls a day would leave plenty happy.”
“…I don’t think that’s very good.”
“Aye, I oft hear the sa.”
Eru, speaking seriously, was t with Inari’s solemn response—or at least, she acted solemn. But the look on her face betrayed it: I know it’s bad, but I can’t help myself.
That was exactly what Eru thought.
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