After that, we rolled the mixture into oblong shapes.
“Master.”
“Yes, dear?”
“I made a star!”
“Look at that! Good job, sweetie!”
“What are you, her mother?!” the other two shouted.
And then we put them in the frying pan.
“Hear that sizzle!” I said. “Wait—Dagger-chan, the part of you regaining your memories has already been clipped to the moon and back. How are you going to deal with that?”
“Oh, that? That’s easy. I just won’t watch them!”
“Genius.”
“Wh-What was that, Awayuki-san?” Sensei said like she couldn’t believe her ears.
“Awayuki-senpai has certainly become adept at handling Dagger-chan, hasn’t she?”
Lastly, we gave it a dash of Dagger-chan’s favorite condiment—ketchup.
“And there we have it!” I said. “Ultimate Hamburg Steak Mark I, ready for your tasting pleasure!”
“Then don’t mind if I do! Let’s go!” Dagger-chan said.
She gave it a taste, shared her thoughts, and we adjusted the recipe. This went on and on, with even Tadasu-chan and Churiri-sensei caving to the temptation and joining us partway. I admit I’d had my reservations, but I soon discovered that cooking with friends was an absolute delight. The kitchen buzzed with energy, and seeing others enjoying my food was a wonderful incentive.
At last, after countless attempts, Dagger-chan took a bite...and remained completely silent. Her eyes widened, gleaming with pure delight, and in that instant, we immediately knew that we had succeeded.
As the day’s endeavor drew to a close, gen five offered to clean up so I could make an early exit. Dagger-chan walked me to the door.
“All right. The recipe’s set. All we gotta do now is make it again on stream,” I said.
“Yep! Thanks for all your help!”
“Don’t thank me until it’s over,” I chuckled as we reached the door. “Okay, well, I’ll be seeing you.”
“M-Master, wait!”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“I, um, need to apologize. Sorry that it's so late. I was working up the courage all day.”
“Oh. For what?”
I’d never seen Dagger-chan so fidgety before. Something bad must’ve happened.
“For um, being disingenuous. While it’s absolutely true that I suggested we do this ultimate Hamburg steak thing because I thought it was the best way for me to move past my problem, that wasn’t the only reason...”
“I see?”
“The other reason was that... I thought that by doing this... I could get you to make me a Hamburg steak. I’m sorry. Sorry for having ulterior motives!” Her cheeks turned beet red and her head dropped down to face the floor.
I, um... Hm.
“Dagger-chan.”
“Yeah?” She bashfully looked up at me.
“I promise you this. On the day of the stream, you will get to eat that ultimate steak you’ve been searching for.”
“Wh-Whoa—Master?”
“‘Whoa’ what? It’s a promise.”
“N-No, not that.”
“Then what? Whatever it is you’re worrying about, don’t. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Y-Your nose is...gushing blood.”
Bwo ho haAAAHHHH!!! This kouhai of mine is too cute! Too freaking cute! Whoa mama! Hummina hummina hummina bazooooooooing! *eyes pop out* AWOOOOOOOOGA! AWOOOOOOOOGA!
And finally, the day of reckoning arrived.
“HAMBUUUUURG!”
“H-Hi everyone, it’s me, Dagger. Together with my master, I’ll be celebrating the regaining of my memories by making a Hamburg steak today...”
“HAMBUUUUURG!”
“M-Master? You know we’re live, right?”
I knew. And I didn’t care. Today, I was Master Hamburg.
: woop woop!!! ￥1,000
: first stream after regaining your memories, let's go!!!
: already cute ￥20,000
: Cute (cute)
: cute commenters need no longer hold back lmao
: maybe she remembers her real name now
: she does, and it's Hamburger-chan
: she's american???
: so many people watching rn
: Wait... A celebratory Hamburg steak? Uh-oh...
: Okay but what's up with HAMBUUURG next to you?
: That's the StroZero-chuuni-hamburg master
: Okay, Awayuki-chan. Let's get you back to Sei-sama's stream
: Awayuki: personality changes when drunk. Dagger: personality changes when drunk
: A master and her apprentice!
: Awayuki's personality dies more so than changes
: explain how Dagger-chan's metamorphosis into Hamburger-chan also means you turn into the Hamburg master, Awayuki?
“Are you worried about me, Dagger-chan? Don’t—for I am locked in. All of me is here to craft the ultimate Hamburg steak. And I’m not even drunk, so you know I’m serious.”
“That just makes me more worried! Seriously, are you okay? Your eyes are so bloodshot it’s scary!”
“A natural bodily response to a dear kouhai of mine saying she wants to eat my Hamburg steak.”
“I... I did say that offline, but I didn’t think you’d end up like this!”
My dear Dagger-chan, there is no cause for alarm, I thought with an inward smirk. For you see, I’ve realized something.
Why am I so head over heels about Hamburg steak right now? Why do I want you to eat my meat so bad right now?
Because, Dagger-chan, that StroZero I gave you on that fated day—that can of StroZero that you drank in full—has now been reborn inside you. It is now ready. It yearns to be free. It pines for the fjords. And release it I shall.
“Dagger-chan. I bestow upon you another can of StroZero.”
“That just raises more concerns!!!”
: what is going on hahahaha
: How very un-awa-chan of you today, Awa-chan.
: Wait, this is Awa-chan?! Awa-chan acting out without the use of StroZero???
: You may be onto something. Awa is still there but she's...just barely hanging on.
: Oh what I would pay to see what she said during her interview to get her hired
And thus kicked off the cooking. At the beginning, Dagger-chan, my sous chef slash camerawoman, was visibly nervous. The chat seemed a little too eager to see all the ways this stream could go wrong. But as time passed, their attitudes gradually changed—their skepticism melting in the face of my stunning performance.
I went about my work with poise and composure. To me, this was obvious. Expected, even. Why, you ask? Well, think of it this way: the Hamburg steak was to Dagger-chan what StroZero was to me. In essence, I was preparing StroZero. The real mistake would be to doubt that I, Awayuki Kokorone, could ever falter in making StroZero.
Soon, I was finished.
“Eat up, my darling.”
On a plate of purest white sat a sumptuous slab of meat. Succulent juices leaked out from within; a brown, seared exterior lay under a sultry, red-hot display of tomato ketchup. It was an audacious display of culinary seduction—the ultimate Hamburg steak.
“Wow...” Dagger-chan whispered.
: get in mah belly!!!
: holy mother of restaurant quality
: I can smell it through the screen
: who let her cook... (thank you)
: there's no doubt that it's good but is anyone else alarmed by the fact that it is...so good?
: just how much time have you spent on perfecting this...
: just when I think we're going to get a relatable, down-to-earth home cooking episode, you surprise me with this. sasuga Live-On
“It almost seems too good to eat,” Dagger-chan said.
“But it’s not,” I said. “I made it for you. Dig in before it gets cold.”
“R-Right...”
Dagger-chan grasped her cutlery with trembling hands. She cut out a bite-size piece, stabbed it with her fork, and conveyed it to her mouth, taking a tentative bite. It was the exact same recipe as before, only executed better, so if there was any change in flavor, it would only be an intensification of its previous, already delicious taste.
“Mmmph?!” Her eyes flew open, gleaming with unadulterated delight.
Looks like my steak came out perfect. Now all that was left was for her to declare she’d lost her memories again, and that would be the end of this tumultuous chapter.
Hmph. I smirked inwardly. What a fun little project. Can’t believe I was so hesitant at the beginning.