ALL NOVEL chapter 29
29. Omelette Rice
The dinner that Mashiro requested me to make was omelette rice.
That delicious dish with fluffy, runny eggs on top of chicken rice.
Speaking of which, omelette rice is Mashiro’s absolute favorite. Earlier today, when we visited the café, she was looking for omelette rice but couldn’t find any, so she ordered something else instead.
—
The café where I worked part-time in my previous life had omelette rice on the menu, and it was a popular dish. I’ve made it countless times. Drawing on that knowledge and experience, I want to serve the best omelette rice to Mashiro.
With that determination, I began cooking, and Mashiro watched from the other side of the counter kitchen, her eyes filled with curiosity. Whenever our eyes met during the cooking, she would smile at me, and that fueled my motivation.
As I skillfully tossed the frying pan, Mashiro let out an admiring gasp.
“Wow… amazing! It’s like the ingredients are dancing on the frying pan!”
“Dancing, huh? It’s the first time someone’s praised me like that, so it’s a bit embarrassing.”
“It really is amazing! You’re so good at this, it looks super delicious!”
“I’m still just making the chicken rice. The omelette is where I’ll really show my skills.”
“Ugh, I can’t wait!”
Mashiro’s eyes sparkled like a child’s.
Wanting to make her even happier, I rolled up my sleeves and got into serious mode.
After finishing the chicken rice, I quickly started making the omelette.
I stirred the eggs in the frying pan, heating them up, and began to shape them into an omelette. Carefully molding the eggs towards the edge of the pan, I tapped the handle gently once it reached a certain point. Gradually, the familiar shape of an omelette began to form.
Mashiro watched the scene, clapping her hands excitedly.
“Ryusuke, you’re really amazing!! You have so much cooking talent!”
“Haha, that’s a bit exaggerated. Once you get the hang of it, anyone can do it.”
“Really? Then do you think I could learn to do it too?”
“Of course. If you want to be able to make it, I’ll help you anytime.”
“Yay! Thank you, Ryusuke!”
Thinking how cute Mashiro looked when she was happy, I carried the finished omelette to the plate. Then, I placed the omelette on top of the chicken rice, which I had shaped into an oval beforehand, and as I cut into the omelette—fluffy, creamy eggs enveloped the chicken rice.
For the final touch, I drew a cat, which Mashiro loved, with ketchup. Seeing that, she jumped up in delight.
“Nya-nya!? Ryusuke, is this…!!”
“What do you think? Isn’t it cute?”
“Yeah!! It’s such a cute kitty! Thank you, Ryusuke!”
“You’re welcome. Now, shall we eat? You must be starving, right?”
“I’m so hungry! I can’t wait for the omelette rice you made, Ryusuke!”
With that, Mashiro left the counter kitchen and sat at the table.
After I took off my apron, I brought over the plated omelette rice along with the soup I had prepared as a side, arranging them on the table.
Then, sitting across from each other, we joined our hands and said in unison, “Itadakimasu.”
Taking a spoon, Mashiro immediately brought the omelette rice I made to her mouth. The fluffy, creamy eggs combined with the chicken rice spread in her mouth, and she savored it, her hand resting on her cheek in bliss.
“It looked super delicious, but tasting it is just shockingly good! If I can make something this delicious, I could open a restaurant!”
—
“Ha ha. Then maybe I should open ‘Cafe Ryusuke, Masahiro Specialty Store’!”
“Eh, really!? I’ll definitely become a regular! Then I’ll have Ryusuke cook for me every day!”
“We also offer a bento delivery service, dear customer.”
“Kyaah, that’s too wonderful! I’m so happy I can eat Ryusuke’s home-cooked meals even outside!”
Masahiro was genuinely delighted by my joke, repeatedly saying how happy she was.
I hadn’t expected her to be this thrilled, and I felt a bit embarrassed, scratching my cheek. I wondered what kind of reaction she would have when I prepared a bento for her starting next week.
Masahiro always bought bread at the store or ate in the cafeteria.
To protect Masahiro from contact with the protagonist, Yorito Fusegawa, it might be better to seriously prepare her bento as well and have lunch together. Spending a leisurely lunch break together wouldn’t be a bad idea.
While thinking about such things, I watched Masahiro happily munching on her omurice.
The way she ate the omurice like a child was so adorable that I felt like I could watch her forever.
As I continued to gaze, I suddenly locked eyes with Masahiro. Her blue eyes sparkled like stars, reflecting me.
Noticing my gaze, Masahiro stopped eating and smiled shyly.
“I’m sorry! I got so caught up in how delicious it was that I was eating in silence.”
“It’s fine. You’re enjoying it so much, after all.”
“Yeah, thank you. I feel full of energy from the omurice you made, and I think I can really tackle my test studying starting next week!”
“Hm, test studying?”
“Huh? That’s not something you should be playing dumb about! The final exams are coming up soon, and the preparation period starts on Monday, you know?”
“Ah… that’s right. I’ve been so busy with various things that I completely forgot about the tests…”
“From that reaction, it seems you weren’t just playing dumb; you really forgot, huh?”
“Looks like that’s the case.”
I chuckled wryly as I took a bite of my chicken rice.
I had completely forgotten, but July was just around the corner. Our school, Kizakura Gakuen High School, has its final exams in early July, and the school is about to enter the test period. I had been so flustered right after my reincarnation that I had pushed thoughts of the tests to the back of my mind.
“But you know, even when Ryusuke was skipping school, he showed up for the midterms, right? Just appearing during the tests and managing to avoid failing all subjects was quite impressive in a low-key way.”
“He’s pretty smart. Besides, back then, he was still contemplating what to do about school… Maybe he wanted to cling to it a little longer.”
“Yeah, yeah. His attendance was pretty bad, but thanks to that, it felt like he barely made it. Now that Ryusuke is studying hard, he might even get a pretty good rank, don’t you think?”
“A good rank, huh… That wouldn’t be bad.”
Basically, a delinquent character like me doesn’t usually rank high in tests. It’s either barely passing or failing and having to retake the tests, a pattern of low performance.
And the top ranks are a chance for the protagonist’s side to showcase their high specs to the readers. By showing their grades in such a clear form, the surroundings of the protagonist shine even brighter.
(I see, I’ve got an idea. The final exams… this could be a good opportunity.)
The upcoming final exams might serve as a stepping stone for me to break away from being the villain.
—
Originally, my name would never be among the top ranks of my grade, yet here I am, etching it in and flaunting it throughout the school. I’m causing an irregularity in this world, proving that I am unworthy of the delinquent character.
What would have been nearly impossible for Shindo Ryusuke until now, I, who studied to the point of death in my previous life, should be able to break into the top ranks, a sanctuary of sorts for romantic comedies.
And from there, I will make my existence known. I will dispel the prejudices that many hold against me.
This is a development that was never in the original work.
In the depiction of the final exam rankings, Shindo Ryusuke’s name was never present among the top.
Just like when Mashiro was about to be reborn as the world’s strongest beauty and given a new role, the story veers off its original path by causing irregularities that don’t exist in the source material.
This world exerts a force to ensure that the future unfolds as it does in the original, but it can be resisted by stronger thoughts and emotions. Just as I burned with anger at the thought of losing Mashiro to Fusegawa Yorito, we surely have the power to defy fate.
The final exam—let’s leave our mark there.
By entering the top ranks and causing an irregularity that doesn’t exist in the original, I will seize the future I desire alongside Mashiro.
“Alright…! I’m going to do it, the next final exam!”
“Wow, you’re really motivated. Do you have a goal or something?”
“Yeah. I’m going to surprise Mashiro too.”
“If Ryusuke is going to work hard, then I’ll work hard too! If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me! Oh, let’s have a study session together! I’ve actually really wanted to study with you, Ryusuke!”
“Of course. Let’s study together starting next week. If there’s something you don’t get, I’ll teach you, and if I’m in trouble, I’d be happy if you could help me, Mashiro.”
“Yeah! Let’s do our best together. It’s a promise!”
Mashiro said this and extended her pinky.
I intertwined my pinky with her small finger, binding it firmly.
Thus, it was decided that I would study with Mashiro for my first hurdle in high school, the ‘final exam.’
And there was one more thing—I was secretly planning a strategy to escape the role of the villain.
I began to share the details with Mashiro.
Surely, she would be able to help me.
Mashiro listened intently, occasionally surprised or laughing, as she heard me out until the end.
The other plan I had in mind would be revealed on the Monday after the break.
With such a small ambition tucked away in my heart, I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner time spent with Mashiro.