Bonus Short Story
Side: Ruthkania
Ruth was a genius in her own right, with a natural, peerless talent when it came to gathering and processing information. While she wasn’t good at devising plans and schemes like Kiriha and Clan were, she was more accurate and efficient than anyone else when it came to carrying them out. She was conservative in a sense—lacking a certain spark of creativity, but more than making up for it with diligence.
“Master, does my cooking satisfy you?” Ruth asked.
“Why are you asking me that all of a sudden, Ruth-san?” Koutarou asked in turn.
“I’m not very good at coming up with new dishes or cooking techniques, so I... I suppose I’m a little unsure of myself,” she replied, casting her gaze downward out of embarrassment.
Ruth was worried about whether or not the meals she made every day suited Koutarou’s tastes. She was a good cook, certainly. She was precise and consistent, and that was reflected in the food she made. It also meant, however, that she wasn’t very experimental when it came to cooking. She always stuck to the recipe so that her food came out the same way every time, and she couldn’t help worrying that that might bore Koutarou.
“This isn’t a restaurant, you know? I think it’s better this way.”
“Really?”
“If we changed up the menu too much, I’d always be worried about what was for dinner.”
Koutarou preferred the familiar, comforting taste of home cooking. Going out to eat always meant trying new things in new places, so he found it reassuring to know he could always get the same good stuff at home. In his eyes, Ruth’s cooking was perfect.
“So comforting home cooking... Is that what you expect of me, Master?”
“Well, yeah, I guess so. I mean, I don’t mind switching things up with higher quality ingredients every now and then.”
“Master...”
Koutarou was instantly flustered to see the tears falling from Ruth’s eyes. Surely this was his fault somehow.
“Wh-Why are you crying, Ruth-san?! Did I say something wrong?!”
“No, Master... Not at all. I’m just overjoyed to hear my cooking is comforting to you.”
“Were you really that worried about it?”
“Heehee... I don’t expect you to understand, Master.”
Koutarou could only see things from the surface, but Ruth’s real concerns lay one step deeper. For Koutarou to say that he wanted her home cooking was an indirect admission that he wanted Ruth in his home. That nuance, of course, was lost on the obtuse Koutarou. But Ruth believed that he wouldn’t have said it if—somewhere deep down—he didn’t mean it. And as far as Ruth was concerned, there was no higher praise to be had.
“So, Master, what would you like for dinner tonight?”
Ruth wiped her red eyes and flashed a big, beautiful, radiant smile. Her tears hadn’t been tears of sorrow, after all.
“...”
“Master?”
“Uh, it’s nothing... Actually, I’d really like some croquettes. Sanae and the others have all tried their hand at making them, but the success ratio hasn’t been great.”
“That’s perfect! You can count on me!”
Ruth immediately began looking up a recipe. Considering what he’d said, Koutarou was only asking for plain croquettes. But that felt a little lacking to Ruth; they would need something to go with them. Since she’d already done a detailed survey of Koutarou’s likes and preferences, however, it didn’t take her long at all to figure out exactly what. And so, once again, Ruth’s diligence was her own special little way of showing her affection.
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