The Enchantment of Delicious Food

Chapter 37: The Enchantment of Delicious Food!

The maid’s magic to make food delicious… could it possibly be that classic anime trope: forming a heart with your hands, forcing out an adorable yet slightly awkward professional smile, and then exclaiming, “Oishikunare~ Moe Moe Kyun♪ (TL Note: A common Japanese maid cafe chant meaning ‘Become delicious~ Moe Moe Kyun♪’)”?

Shion’s mind reeled.

She quickly shook her head.

While watching anime, this scene had always seemed charming and cute, but the moment she imagined herself in the shoes of a character saying those words… ‘Good heavens! Can a human being actually utter such phrases? This is practically inhuman! Absolutely beyond human!’

‘Whoever wrote that line in the anime needs to stand before me right now! I’ll use the hilt of Spirit Cutter to beat their head until it’s covered in lumps!’

“We’re just putting on a school festival, aren’t we? This is far too embarrassing!” Shion quickly voiced.

The students below, likely empathizing with Shion’s sentiments, also shook their heads in agreement.

Only Iori Shigure, less steeped in otaku culture and thus unfamiliar with the trope, looked utterly bewildered.

Consequently, Shigure simply stood beside Shion, observing her reaction with a curious expression.

“It’s perfectly fine if other students don’t know it; after all, everyone else is just a temporary maid for the school festival,” Rie explained, prompting a collective sigh of relief from the other students.

Shion, however, drew a sharp breath.

Rie’s words, implying the others were merely temporary maids, could only mean one thing for her…

Though Rie’s next words were both unexpected and inevitable, they nearly made Shion spit out a mouthful of blood.

“As the head maid of Class 1-A, the magic to make food delicious is an essential skill for you.

You simply cannot be without it.”

“No, isn’t ‘head maid’ just a *role*?!” Shion nearly wanted to cower, cover her head, and scream.

“When I asked Igarashi-senpai for advice yesterday, she suggested that the head maid should have such an exclusive skill.

This marketing strategy could double the number of requests for you, significantly boost our class’s turnover, and ultimately improve our ranking within the school.”

The Class Monitor clasped her hands together, making a pleading gesture.

“Hoshimori-san, please!

When we distribute the subsidies later, you’ll receive an extra share!”

Generally, if a school festival’s revenue exceeds its costs, the surplus funds are donated to charity.

However, these costs typically include compensation for the students’ work, so someone like Shion would naturally earn more for her extra effort.

Had the Class Monitor not mentioned it, Shion wouldn’t have remembered that Rie was gradually beginning to take over some of the Igarashi family’s businesses.

Given this, possessing such a keen business acumen seemed entirely natural.

Shion sighed, rubbing her temples.

She considered how, with no one visiting the shrine recently, her meager wallet had to support not only herself but also her sister.

It was only a matter of time before it ran dry.

‘I might as well give it all now…’

“Alright, Class Monitor,” Shion said with a hint of resentment, “we have a deal.

An extra share of the subsidy for me, and no backing out.”

Seeing Shion agree, the Class Monitor nodded cheerfully and gave an ‘okay’ gesture.

“Igarashi-senpai…” Shion’s resentful gaze once again fixed upon Rie.

From the depths of Shion’s eyes, one could almost read the unspoken threat: ‘I won’t let you off even if I become a vengeful spirit.’

Rie couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Alright, alright, as the head maid, you’re supposed to bring joy and comfort to your master.

How can you wear such a mournful expression?”

“My mournful face? You could call it part of the character setting,” Shion quipped.

“Alright, what follows is special instruction for Hoshimori-san.

All other students, remember this: while you don’t need to perform this particular action, you absolutely must maintain an excellent spirit of service towards our guests!”

Rie called out like the proprietress of a hot spring inn, and the students below responded in unison.

“Hoshimori-san, form a heart shape with your hands.

Then, facing the freshly brewed coffee, utter the incantation that will make it delicious!”

Rie’s smile was utterly irrepressible.

“Remember, you must maintain your very best smile throughout.

It’s the most basic respect you can show our guests.”

“What incantation is that?” Shigure whispered from the side.

“Iori-san… I’m likely going to experience social death (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term, ‘shèhuìxìng sǐwáng,’ referring to a situation where one suffers extreme public embarrassment, akin to ‘dying of shame’ or ‘cancel culture’ on a personal level) today.

If not today, then it will surely be on the day of the school festival…” Shion didn’t directly answer Shigure’s question, but rather spoke these words.

“How could that be!” Shigure exclaimed, tugging at Shion’s sleeve.

“Hoshimori-san is so cute; what does that have to do with social death!”

Shion took a deep breath, glanced at Shigure’s worried expression beside her, then cast her gaze beyond Shigure, towards the distant sky outside the classroom.

The feeling was akin to preparing for a final showdown with the ultimate evil spirit boss.

Shion displayed an aura of almost resigned bravery, as if facing certain doom.

Shion formed a heart shape with both hands, placing it over her less-than-ample left chest.

Her right foot lifted slightly, its tip touching the ground, as she gently spun in a circle.

On her face, which moments ago had been clouded with gloom, she forced out an overwhelmingly radiant smile—a brilliance so profound it would make the afternoon sun outside the window pale in comparison.

“I offer the magic of deliciousness to my master’s coffee! Oishikunare~ Moe Moe Kyun♪ (TL Note: A common Japanese maid cafe chant meaning ‘Become delicious~ Moe Moe Kyun♪’)!”

The young girl then “pushed” the heart she had formed as if sending it towards the coffee cup.

It almost seemed as if a faint pink heart was indeed being pushed into the coffee cup.

****

The entire room fell… completely silent.

One could probably hear a pin drop at that moment.

Shion froze, daring not to move a single muscle.

Yet, inside, her mind was a tempest of furious roars.

‘Aaaahhh!!! How, how did I do that so naturally?! And with such commitment!’

‘I’m insane, absolutely insane.

I must be, right?! No, no, it’s not me who’s crazy, it’s definitely not me—it’s this world, aaahhh!’

For some reason, Shion suddenly heard a song echoing in her ears, likely from an anime she had watched before… ‘Kowareta boku nante sa iki wo tomete…’ (TL Note: Japanese lyrics meaning ‘A broken me, I hold my breath…’ from the song ‘Unravel’ by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure, famously the opening theme for the anime ‘Tokyo Ghoul’.)

‘It’s not my fault, it’s this world’s fault, aaahhh!’

Shigure, standing nearby, was the first to break the heavy silence.

It wasn’t with words, but by burying her face in Shion’s shoulder, struggling to suppress her laughter.

A moment ago, she had likely failed to hold it in, letting out a single burst of laughter before quickly trying to stifle it again.

“Igarashi-senpai, it looks like you’re bleeding from your nose… Do you need a tissue?”

“No, no need!” Realizing her lapse in composure and the nosebleed, Rie quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her nose, then, without even lowering it, gave Shion a thumbs-up.

“Excellent, Hoshimori-san! I’m certain your class’s maid cafe will attract a huge crowd!”

Behind Shion, the students, ostensibly participating in the training but in reality having spectated for half the day, erupted into enthusiastic applause.

Only Shion herself remained.

Her soul, at that moment, had likely drifted out the window, soaring continuously towards the distant sun.

“I-I’m from Mars.

I want to go home, go home…”