52. The Pro Chef
03-30-2024
A/N: A little bit late but still on the date! Had to prepare for Easter and stuff today, so I was busy!
Q: If you were to go on a date, what kind of date would you want? Where would you want to go?
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"UGH, I WANT IT!"
You placed your fingers on the bridge of your nose and told the man, "Ryusui-san, I know you want a pro chef, but it's not like we have any extra revival fluid just sitting around."
"Yeah. I can make some out of feces, but it'll take awhile. Maybe a few months..." Senku added with a snicker, finding the sailor's distress hilarious.
"NO! I WANT IT NOW!" The blonde man babbled like a baby with his hands balled in fists. You just looked at him in disbelief. "I'll be the one to find at least enough of the revival formula for one person!"
The scientist looked at him with amusement. "Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that, moron? We don't have any of the necessary nitric acid."
"Calling him a 'moron,' Senku? You've really stooped that low?" you covered your mouth to hold back a laugh.
"Hmph, however," the sailor's face suddenly twisted into a look of immense greed and annoyance, "there's a bad guy holding some back without giving us a clue about it!"
"'Bad guy'...? No matter how you look at it, you're the bad guy! Just look at your face!" Chrome cried out as he pointed at the man.
"No matter! We need to call that reporter!" The man declared as he started heading toward the phone. He grabbed the mic and dialed the device, then grinned widely when he heard someone pick up. "Reporter! I need the left over revival formula that you're carrying!"
You and the others came up to the phone as you listened to their conversation. Hearing Minami's voice, she answered him, "Revival formula? There's no way I'd have something like that!"
"Don't play dumb! You're the one in charge of selecting who gets revived, so there should be plenty of chances for you to nick enough for one person! To which you revive and get info out of them, that's your lifeline! And I WANT IT! NOBODY CAN STAND AGAINST MY PASSION!" Ryusui argued with her with a determined look on his face. "Only I, the greediest man in the world, can see that you're hiding it!"
You had sweat dripping down your temples as you heard him continue to talk to her that way. "You'd think he'd try to be a little more convincing, considering he is a womanizer."
"As he says, he's the greediest man alive. But he's totally losing it," said Senku as he crossed his arms.
Chrome added, "I guess that's how badly he wants a pro chef, huh..."
"EHH, SERIOUSLY?! YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO MAKE THAT, SENKU-CHAN?!" You heard a familiar voice call out from the other line.
You started giggling as almost everyone on your side was shocked. Always leave it up to the mentalist to handle the underhanded stuff. With his wits, Gen reeled her into getting to do Ryusui's bidding just by using her desire through science.
"Fine! I've only got this one treasured portion! Where are you doing to find some three-star chef to wake up?" She questioned.
With a satisfied grin, the sailor replied, "The one we're waking up is Francois! If it's Francois, we can move quickly, since we were together during the petrification."
"Understood! We'll head out right away! But you better get what I want in the end!" Minami hollered before she hung up.
The blonde man then turned to all of you with content. He puffed his chest out as though he just won the greatest battle he had ever faced. With an act like that, you found it to be childish and not charming at all.
"Isn't Francois a butler...?" The young sciencer questioned out of the blue.
You answered his question, "Francois is a butler and chef. With a person like them, meals are a given and they manage all services."
Ukyo, who had been listening in on the conversation with Kohaku, asked, "Have you ever had a servant like that, (Y/N)? You were wealthy like Ryusui, right?"
With sweat dripping down your temples, you answered, "Not exactly... there'd be a few people to help out here and there, but as I've said plenty of times before, I didn't use my parent's assets like that. When I did encounter their butlers, they were refined and quick to work. That goes the same with Ryusui-san's family."
"The Nanami Conglomerate made sure to hire those who were professional with esthetic hospitality!" Ryusui added as he showed off a nod. "Surely, they will be able to make the foods to you want, my dear (Y/N)."
"We're not just reviving them for those fancy-ass deserts," Senku mentioned as he stared the man down. "We still need to make long-lasting bread."
"Of course! I'm not going to abandon that goal, but the pleasures of food must come with it, and Francois skill cannot compare to anybody else!" The blonde man told him.
Ukyo then spoke up once more, "Since their name is 'Francois,' then are they French?"
The sailor stopped for a second, then replied with a blank look, "Huh...I never really noticed. They're probably Japanese. 'Francois' or 'Francoise'... I forgot their actual name and gender."
"What? You're telling me you don't know their gender and name?" You were surprised, then scolded him as you pointed at the man, "At least be respectful of people's identities if you're going to have them serve you, Ryusui-san!"
"Well, I only know one thing, and that is they are simply one hell of a butler!"
~~~
"Excuse me, Ryusui-sama, everyone. I will start by seeing the already completed bread."
Two days after your phone call with Minami, all of you saw a blonde, petite person strolling through the village without hesitation. With their familiar corkscrew curls and serious expression, you recognized them as the butler you had met way back on your birthday.
"Jeez...almost two days nonstop..." you saw Gen trailing behind the butler, exhausted from the travel. You helped him up and brought him into the village with the others.
"They're here?!" Chrome cried in shock.
"Is it okay to not explain anything?" Kohaku wondered.
With a proud aspect, Ryusui crossed his arms as he stared at his butler. "That's unnecessary! Francois has definitely confirmed the state of things on the way!"
Once you had gotten the mentalist settled with some water, you then held up a plate with a metal dome over it up to Francois. Before you could show them the bread, you greeted them, "It's nice to meet you again, Francois."
They slightly widened their dark, blue eyes when they saw you, confused about where they could've seen you before. But you saw they soften with recognition as they had realized who you were upon studying your facial features. "It's surprisingly pleasant to see you alive and well, (Y/N)-sama. How have you been?"
You waved your hands to dismiss them, and replied, "We've done what we can for civilization, and Ryusui-san has helped us along the way. Though, I've done my part in supporting him as well."
"I thank you for doing so in my stead." They nodded, then turned to their master. "Does this mean she has accepted your proposal, Ryusui-sama?"
Everyone, except for the sailor, widened in shock. With a smug grin on his face, Ryusui had placed a finger under his chin and replied, "We've been discussing a few things, but my dear (Y/N) has definitely--"
"Not," you blurted out with a dissenting sigh, leaving Senku with a smirk on his face.
"Not yet!" the man continued with a confident smile. Then he motioned his hands toward your boyfriend, who had stuck a pinky in his ear, and explained, "This man, Ishigami Senku, is currently dating her and they have no means of separating! But when that time ever comes, I'll come in and swoop my dear (Y/N) off of her feet!"
"You'll more than likely drop her, if anything," your partner replied with a smug expression, shrugging his shoulders as he stood by your side.
"Not like you could even carry her with those skinny arms of yours!" Ryusui retorted as he pointed at the scientist.
Senku started butting heads with the sailor once again. Having a smirk on his face, despite being irked, the boy fought back, "Oh yeah? I don't even need to when she is strong enough to carry me herself!"
"She deserves to be held like a princess, too!"
You let out another sigh as you heard them bicker, your other friends doing the same. However, Gen seemed to be enjoying the show, since this was the first time he had seen Senku act this way on your behalf.
"Woooow, I've never seen Senku-chan like this before~" The man stated with a teasing tone.
"He's made his bed and is lying on it," you told him with hooded eyelids, causing him to laugh in agreement.
Then, you turned to Francois to provide accurate information regarding you, Senku, and Ryusui, "Francois, I understand your care for Ryusui-san. However, I'm in a relationship with Senku that I don't plan on leaving. I would appreciate it if you respected my wishes."
The butler nodded in understanding, eyeing both you and your bok choy boy. "I see. Very well then. I will provide the respect that you want, (Y/N)-sama. After all, the both of you have rescued Ryusui-sama and have treated him well. But I do apologize on his behalf for treating you and your guests with no discipline."
With a smile of gratitude, you gave them your thanks. Then, it twitched with nervousness as you lifted the dome and showed them your abominable creation. "As for this... it is, unfortunately, the bread we made with wheat."
Upon looking at the black rock that lay before them, they froze. You saw a look of repulsion before they had taken a tissue out from their pocket and put it up to their nose. Pointing at the bread, they had asked, "To hypothesize the worst-case scenario is also a part of my work, but could it be that this industrial waste was set before guests?"
"HAHAH, that's right!" Ryusui exclaimed with a grin.
Clearing their throat, they pulled out an apron out of nowhere and put it on. "For today's menu, please inform me of the guest's requests."
Senku then requested for his long-lasting bread for long-term sea voyage. One that is safe to eat for a very long time--up to eight months, as added by Ryusui himself. Thus, the butler had suggested Goat's Blessing Stollen, a Christmas sweet bread.
With that information, everyone was assigned roles to help gather the materials and ingredients for the bread itself. This included goat's butter, dried fruits, and sugar. Your job was to help with the baking process with two others.
"Isn't this fun?" You asked as you kneaded bread in between Senku and Ryusui. You were doing it quickly and with your strength, you were able to make sure the bread and the ingredients inside the dough would mix thoroughly.
"Yeah, but we're not experts at this. You can clearly handle it with speed and power," the scientist said with a grin. He seemed to struggle a little with mixing it finely with his thick dough.
"What if we just did it quickly?" The sailor wondered, and started kneading it as though it were a rolling pin. Your partner started to follow suit after seeing his actions. However, you noticed all of the nuts and fruits falling out from every push and pull they did.
Before you could even say anything, the butler had pulled a whip out and slapped the top of Ryusui's bread to get him to stop. "Excuse me, Ryusui-sama, Senku-sama! The nuts are falling out and those areas shall certainly burn! Follow (Y/N)-sama's example of using the heels of your palms rather than your entire hand. Strength is required more than speed."
"It'd be nice if you invented a mixer, huh, Senku?" You let out a small laugh once Francois had let to handle their own bread.
"The science for that is too advanced. I'd just end up making a giant drill if we used what we had now," he said with a snicker.
"I'd very much like to have a drill rather than doing labor!" the sailor piped up with disappointment. "Can't we just bake it as it is now?"
"The gluten from the flour is all mixed up and it needs to be straightened and structured. If we don't knead the bread, it won't create structure for it to rise properly," Francois explained to him as they had finished kneading their dough. "In other words, it will turn into flat bread."
All three of you understood them perfectly and kneaded properly. By the time it was finished, you took your dough and brought it to the ovens, where they started to inspect them.
"With fires both above and below, you can control the temperatures separately," Senku explained to them how to use the oven he had created.
"Excellent. You have my sincerest gratitude," said Francois as they sat in front of the oven. As they worked with it, they then stated, "It is perfect, so have no worries. To answer all 'desire' is our work. After all, desire equals justice."
"Is that how it is for all butlers?" You questioned them as you watched them place the bread inside the oven.
"For us butlers and housekeepers, it gives us a sense of satisfaction knowing that we have brought justice for our masters," they replied to you. "We are trained to be the utmost loyal to those we are assigned to."
"I see..." you nodded. Loyalty is something worth keeping and something that shouldn't be taken lightly.
"Now, for hardening of the bread, we'll know victory in the first nine minutes. But in that small period of time, we want it to receive the most amount of heat as possible," Francois explained.
With his usual evil smile, Senku had grabbed a push-tube full of water. He pulled you aside to sit behind him, much to your confusion, then stuck the tube inside of the oven, flushing water into it. This caused the heat to fully burst on the inside, with steam billowing out from all holes. This caused you and the others to widen your eyes from the sudden steam.
"Senku, you gotta be careful with that...what'd you do anyways?" You asked him as you hid behind him with your hands on his shoulders.
"Kukuku, this is the most fundamental basis of science, water vapor. It's got a higher energy transfer density than air, so all I did was add a huge amount of heat!" He explained to you and the gang.
"So that's why it's hotter when its humid...I feel too steamy when it rains..." you said.
"That's because your sweat can't evaporate when it's humid," he told you, then started with a playful smirk, "You also feel steamy when I--"
"Senku!" You hissed, causing the others to look at you with confusion.
With an obnoxious grin, he stuck his tongue out and teased, "What? You didn't even know what I was going to say next! I was only saying you get steamy and angry when I purposely mess with you."
"Like what you're doing now?" You asked with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Yep!" He cackled and ran off before you could even do anything to him.
You sighed and could only laugh at his tactics. It was very Senku-like for him to tease you with no regards of the consequences you might not even bring him. You just followed him with a smile on your face.
Meanwhile, Ryusui and Francois were having a conversation of their own.
"As a butler, I will surely revive the Nanami Conglomerate. But to do that, we absolutely need Ishigami Senku," the butler told his master.
"Hmph, I already know. After all, I'm the greediest man in the world," the sailor replied.
"(Y/N)-sama still practices the way of the sword, doesn't she?" Francois asked him.
With a nod, the blonde man responded in sincerity, "Of course. As a prodigy of the sword, she doesn't abandon her routine. I've watched her practice with her master from time to time, and she's still as graceful and as mighty as the first time I've seen her fight."
"But you cannot court her because of Senku-sama."
"Unfortunately. They are inseparable, despite their attitudes being vastly different from each other. But if I could convince Senku to join me, I'll be able to obtain both of them, even if I can't have my dear (Y/N) to myself."
With a glance, Francois stated as they began to take the bread out of the oven, "That sounds like you've given up on her, Ryusui-sama."
"I have not! I'm simply stating that (Y/N) might not ever look my way, despite my efforts. Her loyalty is unbroken and as thick as chains. That doesn't mean I won't try though! After all, I'm the greediest man alive!" Ryusui heartily declared as everyone was coming to try the bread.
You and Senku came up with all your friends to try the bread that was finished baking in the oven. The air was filled with a sweet scent, and your mouth couldn't help but water.
"HOLY SHIIIIIIT, THIS IS SO GOOOOOOOD!" Chrome screamed with his mouth full of stollen. This had caused the villagers to hurriedly get their piece so they could try as well. All you did was sat down and waited until everyone had gotten a portion of the btead.
"Here, slowpoke. I know you've wanted to eat that fancy-ass bread for awhile, so take the first bite before me," Senku said. He was able to get some for you and himself, but had torn a bite-sized portion and held the bit before your mouth.
"Wow, how amusing of you to do so, Senku," you snorted, then opened your mouth. The warm, soft dough had filled your tongue with the taste of sweet fruits and nuts. It was the best thing you've eaten ever since you woke up from the stone.
"Are you crying?" Senku asked you before he ate his portion. You looked at him with tears pouring out of your eyes, causing sweat ro drip down the boy's temples. "You're going to get tears on your bread."
"Yes, don't judge me! I know I've said we've had real food before with cotton candy, but this is real food," you stated as the tears dripped down your chin. "We've literally been eating the same thing every day, so this is a miracle!"
Your boyfriend sighed as sat down next to you, then wiped the tears with his hands. "Yeah, I know. Just enjoy it to the fullest without crying now, okay?"
"I will..." you softly said as you looked at him with your bright (E/C) eyes. You then rested your head on his shoulder as you continued eating. "I hope we can make more fancy bread after this."
"We just got this bread, slowpoke. Slow it down a little more, will ya?"
-To be Continued-
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Lately, I feel like I'm losing the motivation to do the things I usually like doing, but reading your comments really cheer me up. I appreciate every single one of you <3