“Knock knock!” came Ruri’s voice from beyond the door.
“Come in.”
“Pardon me,” said the girl as she stepped inside.
Maha was lounging in her room on a day off when Ruri decided to pay a visit.
“You are painting again?”
“Yeah. Got to kill time somehow.”
“I think it’s wonderful way to kill time.” She moved up next to where Maha was sitting and stared at the painting.
A silence fell between the two. Maha wasn’t particularly good at reading the room, but even she could tell Ruri was restless. She considered asking what was wrong, when instead Ruri broke the silence first.
“M-Miss Maha!” she suddenly cried out.
“Y-yeah?” Maha felt a bit intimidated by the girl’s sudden energy.
“You like eating. Yes?”
“Um, I guess?” Maha put herself on guard, thinking Ney put some strange idea into Ruri’s head again.
With some difficulty, Ruri stammered out, “Th-then please let me make you lunch!”
“…What?” Maha was caught off guard by that, having expected something more serious from how Ruri was acting. “You want to make me…lunch?”
“Y-yes!”
“Well, I don’t particularly mind, I suppose… Can you even cook?”
“More or less. What do you want to eat?”
“Whatever is—”
“Maha,” I cut in, “you can’t just say ‘Whatever is fine’ in moments like these.”
“Why?”
“That’s just the way it is. Give her a proper idea of something to make, even if it’s something a little difficult.”
“Well, all right…” Maha frowned, unconvinced. Still, she played along. “How about something with meat then? Like a beef patty.”
“Beef? Understood. I’ll make beef patties!” Ruri immediately moved to leave the room.
Maha called out and stopped her. “Uh, Ruri?”
“Yes?”
“Um…”
“Yes?” Ruri cocked her head.
Now Maha was the one having difficulties speaking.
“You mind if I come watch?”
“No! Please come.”
And so, the two of them went to the mess hall together. Upon entering the kitchen, two elderly women greeted Ruri.
“Oh my, look who's here!”
“You haven’t grown one bit, Ruri dear. Are you sure you’re eating properly?”
“Hello, hello. Thank you for always making everyone’s food,” Ruri said. She seemed to be a familiar face here.
“What brings you here today? More cooking practice?”
“I want to borrow part of kitchen.”
“That’s fine, but…” The cooks finally noticed Maha’s presence then. She squirmed under their gaze as they looked between her and Ruri. “…Oh my, oh my.”
“To think spring would finally come for little Miss Maha,” the other teased with a mean grin.
“It’s not what you think!” Maha said. “I’m just here because I was bored. That’s all.”
“What's going on?” Ruri asked, confused.
“How heartwarming.”
“Oh, to be young.”
“I said it’s not what you think!” Maha continued to protest. Realizing it was hopeless, she sighed and quickly gave up. “…Whatever. Ruri, just start cooking.”
“Roger.” Ruri nodded and made for the freezer. “Excuse me. Can I use beef?”
Food supplies were a precious commodity given the current state of the world. High-nutrient foods were prioritized for soldiers, yes, but that didn’t mean there was plenty to go around, even for them. What food was available and how much of it everyone got was strictly controlled, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Ruri’s request was turned down.
“Go ahead, dear. Make something that’ll snag her heart!” The cook readily allowed it, however. It could be that they had a surplus of meat, but Maha felt it was more likely they were just fond of Ruri.
“Thank you very much. Yes! I will…grab her heart?”
“…That’s an image I can do without.” Maha still looked uncomfortable to be here, but she was the one who asked to come, so she withstood the prying gazes of the old women and watched as Ruri cooked.
Ruri began by mincing an onion. Maha was surprised to see how competent her knifework was.
“She’s practiced, and quite a bit at that.”
“You think so?”
“I do. You can’t reach this level of skill without putting in some effort.”
From what the cooks had said, it sounded as though Ruri had visited here at least a few times to practice cooking. These culinary veterans had probably taught her a few things while she was at it, so Maha hoped she might actually be in for a real treat.
Ruri took out a mixing bowl next, put in ground meat, and added salt, pepper, and nutmeg before stirring it all together.
“She’s pretty good.”
“How would you know? You can’t cook.”
“Rude! I made food for my partner all the time back when I was a human.”
“That so?”
Maha showed no interest whatsoever in my mention of a partner. Her red eyes looked back at Ruri and watched attentively.
After kneading the ground meat a bit, she added the onions and kneaded some more, then added breadcrumbs that had soaked in milk and kneaded even further.
“That should be good,” she eventually said. With the meat done and split into two oval-shaped patties, she grabbed a frying pan, added some butter, and turned on the heat. Once the pan was hot, she added the patties. A fragrant smell began to waft through the kitchen.
“That’s a nice smell.”
“Seems she knows how to fry pretty well too.”
“That so?”
“Meat tastes best just before it’s a little burnt. She’s taking good care to give it a thorough sear.”
Ruri worked the frying pan with great focus. Her eyes, the same color as Maha’s, watched the pan’s contents attentively as she adjusted the heat. Once the patties were cooked, she moved them to a plate and began making a sauce with the remaining juices in the pan. She added some seasoning, then some butter, then boiled away the excess fluid. Finally, she was left with a viscous brown sauce. She scooped it up with a spoon and carefully poured it over the patties. “All done!”
“…It looks good.”
Ruri’s beef patties had a delicious-looking, well-browned color and were plump with juices oozing down their sides.
“Go ahead and try,” she said.
“Sure. Let's move to a table first, though.”
“Thank you for letting me use kitchen!”
“You’re welcome, dear. Enjoy yourselves now.”
“Mh-hmm.”
The two ladies’ gazes remained prying to the end, but Maha was beyond caring at this point.
“What a nosy bunch.”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Maha’s attention was wholly focused on the beef patties made for her, her grip firm on the plate. She and Ruri sat down side by side in the mess hall’s chairs.
“Go ahead,” said Ruri eagerly.
Maha nervously dug her knife into the meat. She picked up a slice with her fork and carefully brought it to her mouth. “…It’s good.”
“Thank goodness,” said Ruri with a sigh of relief as she collapsed forward onto the table.
“Like, really good. I can’t actually remember, of course, but I’m pretty sure this is even better than Ney’s food.”
“You flatter me.”
“No, I mean it. It’s cooked perfectly, and the sauce is just amazing.” Maha must have really liked it as her knife and fork wouldn’t stop moving. She praised Ruri freely, showing none of her usual curtness.
Ruri giggled. “I’m glad you like it.”
“You’re a great cook, Ruri.”
“…I finally beat Captain Ney at something,” she whispered.
“What was that?”
“Nooothing.”
Maha ate her plate clean, despite the two decently-sized patties. “That was great. Honestly, I could eat another.”
“I’ll make it again for you sometime.”
“Please do.” Her eyes shone with eager anticipation. Her facial muscles were as dead as ever, but at least the glutton’s eyes were honest. “…Life might be worth living if it means eating things like this.”
“I-I don’t think my food is that good.”
“I’m kidding.”
It wasn’t like Maha to joke much, but Ruri played along. Maha stared at her face.
“You should wife her up and have her make food for you every day.”
“Be quiet.”
“Huh?” Ruri said, confused.
“Nothing. Metako is just being dumb. More importantly, I need to thank you somehow.”
“No! No need for that! This was already my thanks to you.”
“Huh? For what?” Maha cocked her head.
“You always training me.”
“That? That’s…for the good of all humanity. It doesn’t count, does it?”
“I think it does.”
“You do, huh…” Maha didn’t seem convinced.
“How about you teach me to paint? Then we call it even.”
“You want to learn painting?”
“Yes. I want to paint beautiful things like you.” Ruri’s eyes seemed full of unadulterated respect for Maha.
“…I’m not that good, though.”
“That’s not true. Captain Ney and kitchen ladies say you are the best painter in town.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
Maha found that unexpected. She thought people only saw her for her ability to fight. She didn’t think anyone even knew she painted.
“Miss Maha, everybody like you more than you think.” Ruri made a lovely smile, making Maha’s heart skip a beat.
“Oh?”
“Shut up, Metako.”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“I already know what kind of nonsense you’d say.”
“Is it going to be official soon?”
“Nothing’s going to be nothing.”
So she said, but she seemed pretty shaken by Ruri’s smile.
“…Painting’s whatever. I can teach you anytime.”
“Yay!” Ruri cheered.
Maha felt her chest warm. But the moment didn’t last long. “…What was that?”
An explosion sounded from not too far away. Footsteps pounding against the ground could be heard shortly after with one pair approaching the mess hall. A soldier entered and, upon finding the two, yelled, “Maha! Ruri! We’re under attack!”