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[ That gets an amused noise out of Akira. Of course Akechi would. ]

Well, I made a lot. I can send you home with some for later. [ It's reminiscent of making a big batch to haul into the Metaverse; it only feels natural to make Akechi take some with him.

Speaking of, he moves to check the pots on the stove again. Whatever Akira sees there must satisfy him because he spends a few minutes removing the pots, gathering plates, and dishing up a healthy serving for each of them. Akechi's is passed over to him, but he tilts his head towards the doorway. ]

Let's go sit down.

[grakraka]

[Watching him plate it somewhat like a child containing his excitement, he accepts it and follows him to sit down. It really is lucky for them that, for the most part, these homes were left with what they would need.

As eager as he is to eat, he hums as he sets his plate down in front of him.]

Should we taste it on three?

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[ Akira gathers his cup by the handle and heads to the dining room with Akechi in tow. If the rest of the house doesn't give away the fact that it's made to house much more than three people, the length of the table should say enough. He chooses to sit across from Akechi, scooping up a spoonful of the curry and holding it with anticipation bright in his eyes. ]

Sure. [ He waits until Akechi is ready as well, then starts the countdown. ] One... two... three.

[ The end of it is a bit muffled as Akira goes in for his own bite right at the tail of the word. It's been a while since he's had Leblanc's curry, but the flavor is so ingrained in his taste buds at this point that he can immediately discern the difference in the notes. Overall, though, it's definitely good—and similar enough that it sends a warm wave of nostalgia rolling through him. ]

[grakraka]

[On Akira's cue, he takes a bite as well. Back home, he didn't order the curry too often. He liked it well enough but he preferred to just nurse a coffee and relax that way. But he did like it and remembers the unique taste well enough to judge it. Not the same, no, but similar. Akechi savours it for a moment before smiling at him.]

Mm... If you had served me this back then, I would have assumed it was one of your experiments.

[In other words, he came close enough to the taste, in his opinion, to stay true to the spirit of Leblanc curry.]

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[ Picking up on the underlying meaning to Akechi's words, Akira gives him a warm smile before going in for another bite. Having something like a taste of home, the smell of coffee and curry mingling between them, is worth the effort, but like he said before, seeing Akechi enjoying it as well is even more rewarding. He may not voice it directly, but it's obvious that Akira is happy with the outcome. ]

It's your experiment too. [ Since it was only with Akechi's food knowledge that they managed to obtain some of the ingredients. ] We made a good team.

[grakraka]

[Flush with pride, a giggle escapes before he can bite it back. Praise like that always gets to him but seeing Akira so happy about it makes it feel like some kind of high honour.]

Well, you did most of the work, but... Yes, I think we do. Whenever you want to experiment with a recipe from home, let me know. I'd be more than happy to assist you.

[His food knowledge has to benefit someone and it certainly won't benefit him until he has actual cooking skills of his own.]

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Sure. We can work on those tonkatsu sandwiches next time.

[ Honestly, it's more fun experimenting in the kitchen with company than it is alone—and all the better if it's Akechi, who is capable of giving valuable input. He is the tonkatsu sandwich connoisseur, after all. ]

[grakraka]

[Akechi nods after taking another bite of curry, eyes lighting up.] We are absolutely going to have to bake our own bread for that. Nothing here is as fluffy as Japanese bread.

[But he actually likes the challenge of that idea. If they fail a couple of times, that's fine. He doesn't mind it this once.]

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[ That declaration has Akira glancing up with his spoon halfway to his mouth. And here he thought they would just be making a sandwich? He doesn't know the first thing about baking bread or even what makes Japanese bread fluffy. But he supposes that's where Akechi comes in. ]

You just made this hard mode...

[ But he's not put off by the idea of a challenge. Something about it seems fun, even if he suspects it might result in several ruined batches of bread. ]

[grakraka]

[This time he grins. All right, maybe taunting the person who can feed him good food might be a stupid idea but also since that person happens to be Akira, he can't help it.]

Oh, my apologies. I suppose I should pick something more suited to your level?

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[ Luckily for Akechi, he's completely susceptible to some light teasing. If he weren't already planning to follow through on the suggestion, Akira would be now. ]

No. I live on hard mode. [ He's starting to sound like Futaba. Even the time apart can't shake the influence she's had on him. ] That's nothing.

[ He sticks the spoonful of curry into his mouth. ]

[grakraka]

[Excellent. Just as keikaku. He hums in delight around his mouthful of curry in response before he actually speaks.]

I didn't think you would disappoint me.

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[ It's obvious that he's played into it just as Akechi hoped, but Akira's mood has been lifted far too high for him to be bothered by it. He simply hums as he finishes the bite of curry. ]

How would I ever survive the shame?

[grakraka]

You would need to go on a long journey to regain your honour as you hone your cooking skills. I think I read a manga like that.

[Cooking manga, like all weirdly specific manga, is wild.]

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[ He breathes out a laugh before going in for another sip of coffee. From what he's learned about Akechi, him reading manga is no longer that strange of a thought. ]

I'd have to challenge the different masters of cooking and then use everything I learned along the way to make the perfect tonkatsu sandwich at the end of my journey, right?

[grakraka]

[He grins.]

Right. But then I suppose the person waiting to face you at the end turns out to be your old master, who is now also disgraced and using cooking for evil... or something like that.

[Thinking up an appropriately stupid and dramatic twist isn't as easy as those stories make it look.]

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Using cooking for evil?

[ Akira laughs over the rim of his cup. How does one use cooking for evil? He has to think about that for a moment. ]

Ah, he's trying to remove all convenience store foods from existence. [ For some reason he's imagining Sojiro when he's at his grumpiest in the role of villain. It's... more fitting than it should be. ] And only the most perfect sandwich will bring him to his knees.

[grakraka]

[That has no right being funny but he actually does laugh a little at the thought of a storyline like that.]

This sounds like an episode of Featherman now, somehow. Though, that really would be a terrible foe. I think even I would be spurred on to make the perfect sandwich if only to protect the convenience stores I love so dearly.

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It's a crime against humanity.

[ With a far too serious nod, he scoops another heaping spoonful of curry. ]

[grakraka]

[Akechi hums as he eats, smiling to himself. How long has it been since he had the chance to sit down and eat with someone? After everything with Sae, of course he couldn't eat with her. But she was the only one he could. Well, aside from a certain someone on rare occasions but he had been too busy for that recently, too.

Even if, all things considered, it was better to be alone— even if he was happier and better off that way, even if he doesn't really need to eat with anyone else like a child...]

You should eat lunch with me sometimes.

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[ The suggestion breaks the quiet, getting Akira to look up from his food. ]

Sure.

[ The answer takes no consideration. His thoughts on Akechi may be complicated, but the past couple of weeks have proven one thing certain: Akira likes spending time with him. He can't deny that, especially not when they're stuck in this situation together. ]

You have my... [ Not number. ] watch info. Just let me know.

[grakraka]

[Somehow, he didn't expect that and so he perks up a bit in surprise.]

Oh? Are you giving me a carte blanche to invite you anytime?

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I can't say I'll be free to anytime, but... [ Akira shrugs a shoulder. ] Yeah.

[ He scrapes at his plate, collecting some of the last of the curry. ]

Today was fun.

[grakraka]

Hmm... [Akechi gazes at the nearly empty plate for a moment, toying with the curry as he smiles.] Yes, it was a lot of fun.

[Then he spoons up the last of it and savours the bite. This could end at any time, so he wants to remember this much at least.]

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[ Sometimes Akechi's voice or smile takes on a distant quality—like there's a depth to his thoughts that doesn't quite reach the surface. Like their current meal, it reminds him of some of the quieter afternoons at Leblanc. ]

So let's do it again soon. [ They have plenty of cooking plans to get through, after all.

Once his plate is cleared, Akira sits back, linking together his fingers to stretch his arms up and over his head. It's probably the most contented he's felt since before the full moon. ]