xxxHOLiC 164

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xxxHOLiC
Chapter 164
[side text: What meaning lies behind her wish to "learn to cook"...?!]
Client: Something wrong?
Watanuki: Ah - no - I'm sorry. // I was just thinking what a big house this is...
Client: That shop of yours was a wonderful building as well!
Watanuki: ...Indeed. // [aside]not that I can say the same of the people there...[/aside]
Mokona: You're one of us too, you know!

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[side text: And what's with Mokona's uninvited entry?! Chef Watanuki is going to do his best to grant this wish, with a special recipe!!]
Watanuki: Aaaaaaagh!
[sFX: jump]
Watanuki: Dear me! / I suppose that must have been some noisy children outside!
Mokona: [aside]I guess you could hear me outside the bag, huh~? Hehehe~[/aside] // Mmphh!
Watanuki: Ahh! / There they go again!
[sFX: stare]
Client: ...Outside?
Watanuki: Cooking! / Yes! Let's get down to some cooking! / Here we go!!
Client: Of course. / I am in your capable hands.

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Himawari: So... / How was it, then? Your cookery lesson.
Tanpopo: Pi!
Watanuki: Oh, well... / She's actually not half bad, that woman. // She didn't do any of those clichéd stupid things, like trying to wash rice with detergent... / She can use a kitchen knife properly, and she measured out all the quantities perfectly... // I don't really see why she needed me there at all.

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Himawari: Is that right...
Tanpopo: Pi!
Watanuki: Frankly... / I'd say I was having a lot more trouble stopping Mokona from stealing food left and right than with the actual teaching.
[sFX: munch munch]
Himawari: What did you make?
Watanuki: Well, I didn't think we should try anything too difficult, since it was the first time, so... / These.
Himawari: Potato nikorogashi...
Watanuki: Yeah.
Himawari: And that's not too hard?
Watanuki: I wouldn't say so.

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Watanuki: You take the potatoes, peel off the skins and slice them into eight equal pieces. / Then you soak them in water for about ten minutes. // After that, you put the potatoes in a pan with just enough water to cover them, and boil for about fifteen minutes. // Once the potatoes have softened up, you pour the water out of the pan, / and then you add some soy sauce and sugar to the pan with the potatoes, and put it back on the heat. // You gently shake the pan to spread the flavour evenly and get rid of the moisture. / Oh, and when you're stewing food like this, the flavour can soak through after you've turned off the heat, so it's a good idea to let it stand a little.
Himawari: That's amazing, Watanuki-kun!
Watanuki: No, no, it's easy stuff, really...
[sFX: DING DONG DANG DONG]
Himawari: Oh - I'm sorry. / I'm on duty today, so I've just got to go on ahead.

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Himawari: Thanks for the food!
Watanuki: No, no, it was nothing.
Himawari: See you, Doumeki-kun.
Doumeki: Yeah.
Watanuki: Oh - of course! / Himawari-chan, you like chiffon cake, right?
Himawari: Uh-huh.
Watanuki: Well, I found this place on the way to the house where I'm teaching. // You want to go there with me sometime?

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Himawari: ...... // ...Sure! // I'll look forward to it!
Watanuki: Me too!

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Himawari: Doumeki-kun, you'll be coming too, right?
Doumeki: Sure.
Himawari: Bye then!
[sFX: wave, wave]
Watanuki: Oka~y! / See you later!
[sFX: wave...]
[sFX: munch munch]
Watanuki: Ugh... / You really do eat non-stop. // [aside]damn schoolkid-scavenger... No, you're too old for that... "high-school-scavenger"...?[/aside]
[sFX: munch...]

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Watanuki: Why not eat these too?
[sFX: thrust]

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Watanuki: Huh?

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Watanuki: What's wrong?
Doumeki: ...... // This... // It was made... // ...by the woman who asked you to teach her to cook, huh...

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Watanuki: Y - Yeah... // Well, with a lot of guidance from me, anyway... // The ingredients, quantities and times were all exactly the same as when I make them... / Well, I simplified it a little, because I wasn't sure how good she'd actually be at cooking, but I wouldn't say they taste much different... // Were they that bad?
Doumeki: ...No...
Watanuki: Well, what, then? / Usually you scoff them down and there's no stopping you!
[side text: "I want to learn to cook" - it seemed such a simple wish... Yet Doumeki feels uneasy; what secret lies behind this taste?!]
[bottom text: What will Watanuki do in this uneasy atmosphere...?! Next chapter goes on sale September 13th.]