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Not even chopping vegetables? [ He breathes out a laugh of his own. ] Fine, I'll allow it since you helped pay for it.

[ They're nearing the Haven now, so Akira leads the way along the now-familiar path to his house and lets them inside. ]

I'm home. [ He calls out the customary greeting as he steps through the doorway, but no answer returns from farther inside the house. Looks like they're alone for right now.

Akira takes off his shoes, pure habit, and moves towards the kitchen. ]

[grakraka]

[Akechi does as well, following him into the kitchen.]

If you really want me to try chopping, I can make an attempt, but if it has to be a certain way for it to taste right...

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If you want to try. It doesn't have to be perfect.

[ The more uniform the cuts are, the more evenly everything will cook, but if Akechi can be even a quarter as precise with a knife as Akira knows him to be with a sword, it won't be anything to worry about.

Once inside the kitchen, he sets the bag of vegetables and his school bag onto the counter space and begins unloading the ingredients, setting them out so that he can easily find what he needs when he needs it. ]

[grakraka]

[Although he could not be more out of place in a kitchen, he does at least want to do this much. Well, he has seen people chop vegetables, so he does have some frame of reference. He finds a knife and starts. It isn't nearly as elegant as he can be with a sword and slower than he'd like to be, but it is the quarter "good enough" that Akira hoped for.]

Ah, hm. Are these good enough?

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[ He's gathering up the rest of what he needs—a pot, a spoon to stir with, and so on—when Akechi's question draws him over to where he's started to work. ]

Yeah, not bad. [ Akechi's seen the curry enough to have an idea of the size he should be going for, after all.

Akira does reach over to give a little nudge to the fingers holding the knife before he begins chopping again, showing him exactly how to pinch the top of the blade between his fingers. ] It's easier to control like this.

[grakraka]

Ah...

[Akechi watches him, head tilted. Whenever Akira did anything like this, he was always back in the kitchen, so Akechi couldn't see him work.]

You're rather good at it.

[He has no idea if it is a difficult skill or not, so he says it sincerely.]

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Sojiro showed me how. [ The words are colored with fondness. ] And then he put me to work, so I got a lot of practice.

[ With the tip imparted, he leaves Akechi to the cutting once again. Akira doesn't go far, only over to where he's about to start getting things going.

He may still be of the opinion that the house is too large for three people, but the upside of living in such a wealthy neighborhood is that these places are outfitted with the best magitech available. There's actually something that resembles and functions like a stove, which makes the idea of trying to recreate curry in this decidedly not modern kitchen much more approachable. ]

[grakraka]

[While Akira works on that, Akechi focuses on cutting the vegetables the way Akira showed him. It does feel easier than before even if it takes him a little bit to get into a good rhythm. He smiles to himself once he finishes and feels good enough about it to turn to Akira.]

Ah, Akira, look! They turned out better.

[Dog demands that his work be admired.]

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[ Good timing—it's about time for the onions to come into play, so he passes by again to check out the chopped vegetables. Akira picks up a piece of potato to inspect it. ]

Pretty good. Thanks for taking care of those. [ There really is some improvement, the pieces more uniform. He figured Akechi would be decent at it.

And don't mind him, he's just going to take those onions over to the pot. ]

[grakraka]

[He grins. It doesn't matter if the task might be easier for other people; Akira praised him for his work, so he's happy. But with his part of it over, he still lingers in the kitchen to watch Akira cook.]

Did you ever cook before you came to Tokyo? You haven't been there long, right?

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[ There's some time spent just watching the pot and stirring to ensure that nothing burns, so he doesn't mind the chatter. ]

Not much. My mother handled most of the cooking. [ Akira nudges at the contents and then glances over. ] I only learned how to do some basic things when she was busy.

[grakraka]

I see. [He supposes that makes sense, though he doesn't have much frame of reference.] It kind of looks fun. Well, a little challenging. But the way you do it, I mean. You look like you're enjoying it, like when you make coffee.

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I am. It's relaxing to just follow a recipe. [ Therapeutic, almost. It's probably one of the only times he appreciates adhering to a strict routine. Akira aims a smile towards the pot as he checks on the onions again. ] And I like working with my hands.

[ That look turns towards Akechi. ]

Are you interested in learning to cook?

[grakraka]

[At a certain comment, his gaze lingers on Akira's hands. But then he feels Akira actually looking at him. Surprised, he tries to refocus himself with a smile.]

Ah... Well, I've never done it before, but I did think about trying it sometimes after watching you so often.

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[ Hearing that watching him inspired Akechi to be curious about it triggers a pleasant little warmth that has nothing to do with the fact that he's so close to the stove. ]

... I think you'd be good at it.

[grakraka]

Hmm, I wonder.

[Not that he has low confidence in many of his abilities but he knows his strengths and weaknesses in those regards. Cooking feels like it would hit one of his weak points.]

Maybe it's because I haven't been in a kitchen much that it seems daunting. I have practical knowledge of how food is made but even just watching you... well, hands-on knowledge is always different. I suppose I probably should try, though. Without convenience stores, it's a little troublesome.

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[ Akira quirks an eyebrow somewhat. Having an idea of what Akechi's been through, it's wild that learning to cook is what he chooses to call daunting. Maybe that's just how it is, though. It's not something he's ever needed to do. ]

No more premade meals for you. [ He leans back against the counter, a teasing grin growing. ] And I don't have time to make you boxed lunches.

[ Although Akechi has somehow already gotten him to agree to making both tonkatsu sandwiches and crepes. ]

[grakraka]

[Clicking his tongue in mock offense, he grins at him.]

Ah, my honey is making me fend for myself. How cruel.

[But there is a shift in how he's watching him now. If he actually intends to try cooking, he wants to learn from Akira. But he can't really ask that, so he intends to just watch and hope he picks up on it from that.]

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It's for your own good, dear.

[ He throws the endearment back easily before turning towards the pot again. The beginnings of the curry are aromatic, the smell filling the kitchen when Akira gives it a stir. From there, he gets back to work, navigating the kitchen with ease despite its unfamiliarity as he prepares the next ingredients to go in. ]

[grakraka]

[Seeing it come together, even if he didn't contribute much more than cash, feels good. Akechi leans against the counter as he watches Akira move around the kitchen. It looks impressive in how natural it is, despite it not being the kitchen he is used to working with. But he knows it means a certain level of skill, the kind that looks like nothing to anyone else.]

Say, tell me something about you that I don't know.

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[ Akira glances up from where he's preparing the apple, mincing it into fine squares.

It's a vague request, and something about the broadness of it requires a moment of consideration before he speaks up. ]

I like to go fishing.

[grakraka]

Fishing? I'm surprised. Isn't that usually an activity for older people? Then again, you seem like the type of person to enjoy the peace and quiet of it as much as the skill.

[Not that he has been fishing more than a couple of times but even if he hadn't, he knows the sorts of people who do. Fishing isn't particularly trendy.]

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It's actually Ryuji who showed me the place. [ Which honestly might be the most surprising part of all of it, considering how easily Akechi pins down why Akira likes it. ]

I just kept going after that. It was a good getaway from everything and I had fun trying to beat my high score.

[grakraka]

[His eyebrows go up.] Really? Huh. I wonder why he likes it.

[Ryuji doesn't seem like the patient type. Maybe it's more fun with a friend, though.]

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[ Akira shrugs a shoulder. A mystery even he hasn't solved. ] We didn't catch anything that day, but we had fun.

[ He tosses the apple into the pot. It's tempting to turn the same request back on Akechi, but there's something more pressing at hand: ]

About the yogurt and the sauce...