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“Can you see me well?”

I waved my hands in front of the well-set smartphone camera and scanned the chat window.

– OOOO

– Phew, take a look!

– You’re so cool…

Hmm, looks like it’s visible.

More importantly, I hope the phone is secure? If it falls during the broadcast, it would be a disaster of epic proportions.

“Um, but… do I really have to wear this?”

At that moment, Seo Eun-ha beside me glanced at the mask I handed her, looking uncertain if it was the right choice.

“Well, you have to wear it; it’s all for you.”

The mask Eun-ha was holding was the insect mask I had previously worn during a cooking show on Miro 24/7.

Unlike me or Tenshi, who would appear on the internet if you searched for ‘red pill’, Eun-ha does not want her identity revealed. I desperately wanted to avoid showing the face of a junior guest on my broadcast, so I had to take this precaution.

You never know when something might go wrong in online streaming.

“…I understand.”

Eun-ha, after a moment of pondering over the strangely realistic and somewhat creepy mask, seemed to have understood my intentions as she humbly put it on, accepting her fate.

“Alright, let’s start cooking! The ingredients are roughly in the fridge.”

“Wait, but what are we making?”

With the announcement that cooking was about to begin, Eun-ha, who had just put on the mask and was looking around, asked.

I wonder if she’s only made fried eggs or ramen in her life?

Then today would be her proper first cooking experience.

“Since it’s your birthday, it would naturally be seaweed soup, right?”

Just then, Tenshi, who had been reading the broadcast chat on her phone, chimed in as she approached, and Eun-ha instinctively took a step back, as if reacting to Tenshi’s presence.

…She’s still like that.

What did I say right before the cooking show? Watching Tenshi feels like seeing a celebrity, right?

It seems like Eun-ha was a fan of Japanese VTubers.

It’s evident from how flustered she gets around Tenshi.

But didn’t she seem a little less flustered around me? That’s a bit annoying.

Is it because I’m a senior, making it easier for her?

Well, it’s good to be comfortable, I guess…

Either way, I need to focus on cooking now.

It might be unfortunate for Tenshi, who seems excited about making seaweed soup, but seaweed soup is off the menu for dinner tonight.

“It’s not going to be seaweed soup.”

“Eh? Why not?”

“I already had a lot of it for breakfast and lunch, so I’m tired of it.”

“Nani?”

I’m fed up with seaweed soup after already eating so much of it.

Dinner calls for something else.

“Then, what are we going to make?”

“Anything but seaweed soup.”

Though I didn’t have a specific menu in mind, with plenty of ingredients in the fridge, I figured we could whip something up.

I casually pulled a spatula from the shelf and handed it to Eun-ha.

“Why are you giving me this??”

“Ta-da! Our Eun-ha will be the head chef!”

“…Huh?”

– ???

– LOL

– Wait, she’s the chef?

While Tenshi and I at least know how to cook, it’ll be entertaining to have Eun-ha take the lead in cooking for the broadcast.

“…Really?”

“Of course, you’ll be directing your seniors to set the dinner table.”

“Uh….”

Eun-ha’s face screamed that she was feeling a tremendous amount of pressure right now. After a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and declared.

“…No matter how it turns out, it’s not my fault.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll all share the responsibility.”

“Eh? Me too?!”

“If the food fails, we have to eat it together, right?”

In this day and age, if you joke about food and it goes wrong, you’ll stir up controversy the next day.

No matter if it’s a disaster or a hit, we’re all eating it together.

With that, the main chef, wearing the insect mask, Eun-ha, kicked off the cooking indeed.

“Is it okay if I look at the recipe?”

“Of course, no, you definitely should.”

Since Eun-ha had no idea about cooking at all, she had to look up recipes.

There’s no way I’d let her get into trouble if she ended up starving us all.

I set up Eun-ha as the head chef for a bit of fun, but I wouldn’t want to eat a disastrous meal either.

“Oh, then… shall we make some pork bulgogi? Maybe stir-fried sausages with vegetables…?”

– Oh

– Menu is killing it

– LOL

– I’m already drooling

Looks like her choice of menu was quite decent.

Though they might be popular and simple dishes, but aren’t those the best that can actually taste good?

“Okay, then… Tenshi can chop the veggies, and I’ll prepare the meat.”

“What is our head chef doing?”

“I’ll be making the sauce. Here’s the recipe…!”

Making the sauce?

Of course, we don’t have any pre-made bulgogi sauce at home… will Eun-ha be able to whip it up?

Well… she is the head chef, so I’ll have to trust her.

And thus, the cooking began in earnest.

And then….

It wasn’t long into the cooking before I sensed that tonight’s dinner was going to turn out a bit disastrous.

“Hey Eun-ha?”

“Yeah?”

“Is that really the right one?”

“Um… I think so?”

Do you know what the most common mistake novice cooks make?

Adding their own variables instead of sticking to the recipe.

Like needing salt but using soy sauce instead because there’s no salt. Just using similar ingredients??

You can start substituting when you’re at least halfway decent at cooking, but Eun-ha is a complete novice, isn’t she?

Yet, it seems that she has already fallen a little too deeply into her own cooking world.

“Hmm… should I use ketchup instead of oligo syrup?”

“…Sure.”

“Eh….”

– LOL

– Oh no

– I think it’s already going south…

The chat was excited about Eun-ha’s method of cooking, which seemed to defy all gastronomic logic.

…Of course, they would enjoy it, considering it’s not their meal on the line.

Meanwhile, Tenshi and I put in our best effort for the tasks assigned to us as we observed Eun-ha, who was wearing her creepy insect mask and lost in her own universe, experimenting with her sauce.

…Well, I guess it should be edible.

“Shall we speed through the sausage first?”

That’s a dish that’s tough to ruin… so I quietly moved to one side, making stir-fried sausages with the veggies Tenshi chopped.

Even though Eun-ha was the head chef, we couldn’t let someone who had never handled fire manage the stove. That was on Tenshi and me.

As I plated the finished dish and presented it to the camera, the visual looked quite appealing.

– Wow

– It looks delicious

– Bride candidates behind!

– Miro’s unexpectedly good at this

Seeing the viewers praise it, it really looked appetizing.

“Oh….”

Tenshi’s previously glum expression brightened up.

Yeah, yeah, I’m indeed a cooking genius.

So, with one dish completed, I turned my attention to making the remaining pork bulgogi.

In the end, using the mysterious sauce made by Eun-ha, we pan-fried the pork and whipped up a soup, creating quite a decent dinner spread.

The aroma was pretty good… it might not turn out as bad as I thought.

“Hmm….”

From Tenshi’s expression, it seemed she had the same thought as I did.

Oddly enough, only Eun-ha wore a satisfied smile while looking at the finished dishes.

“Cooking… it seems more fun than I expected….”

“Right, Eun-ha? If you had fun, that’s all that matters.”

– We had fun too, LOL

– Oh, I should order chicken instead, haha

– Enjoy your meal, LOL

“Who knows? It might taste good.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, Eun-ha, you did great.”

“…Right?”

I hope so.

Looking down momentarily at the fragrant pork bulgogi, I mustered my courage and reached for my chopsticks.

So as the bite of pork bulgogi entered my mouth…

“Eh?”

“What? What’s wrong? Do you want me to grab a napkin?

“Tenshi??”

“Ah, no, you don’t have to give me a napkin. This is good!”

Wait, why is it actually tasty?

“Is it really good?”

“Why is everyone reacting this way??”

It appeared as though Tenshi was quite flustered, clearly unable to believe the taste of the pork bulgogi compared to my thoughts.

Poor Eun-ha seemed a bit shocked as well.

Wait, could it be that Eun-ha actually has a hidden talent for cooking?

– ???

– Is it really tasty?

– Why?

“Tenshi, you should try it quickly.”

“Uh, just a moment….”

At my prompt, Tenshi, still skeptical, took a piece of bulgogi, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“It’s good, isn’t it?”

“Y-yeah, it is?”

“Are you both serious right now?”

“Eun-ha, it’s not what you think…”

Did I grow too suspicious because of the insect mask?

This could make for a successful restaurant someday.

Perhaps a special recipe by Eun-ha or something.

Thus, thanks to her unexpected talent, we enjoyed a satisfying dinner.

“I’m going to digest a bit now.”

I briefly switched the broadcast on as I settled onto the living room sofa next to Tenshi to take a breather.

Now, we just had to wait for the guest we invited and then continue with the stream.

As we sat comfortably on the sofa, Tenshi leaned in closer to me and began speaking.

“Um, but…”

Did she have something to say?

“Yes?”

“Uh…”

While she hesitated, I listened intently, and after a moment, Tenshi finally spoke up.

“Could you… let me drop the honorifics?”

“Huh?”

“Could you… as you do with Eun-ha?”

…She wants me to drop the honorifics?

Uh… um…

As I slightly shifted my gaze to Tenshi, I could see her looking at me with a hint of expectation in her eyes.

I never imagined she would want that.

But….

“…That might be tough.”

“Eh.”

“Well, wouldn’t it be more acceptable for you to drop the honorifics with me instead?”

While Eun-ha is younger than me and my junior, Tenshi, despite appearing to be the same age, is a senior in the industry and older than I am, right?

There’s a chance it could mess up the hierarchy later.

I’m already used to speaking politely.

“Ugh… Ah, I see….”

It seems Tenshi didn’t expect to be turned down flat. She visibly drooped, looking dejected.

…Now I feel slightly guilty.

Should I at least offer some consolation?

“What’s the matter?”

At that moment, Eun-ha, who had been observing from a distance, approached us.

Since she initially didn’t get close at all, it appears she became a bit more comfortable with us after cooking and eating together.

“Oh, um…”

I explained to Eun-ha what I had just discussed with Tenshi.

That I had turned down Tenshi’s request to drop the honorifics.

“Hmm….”

After listening to the whole story, Eun-ha seemed to ponder for a bit, while Tenshi, who looked downcast, attentively listened, seeming curious about Eun-ha’s thoughts.

What if Eun-ha totally sides with Tenshi? Do I have to really drop the honorifics?

Well, even if that doesn’t happen, it would be nice if Eun-ha could at least sympathize and offer some comforting words….

After waiting for a moment, a thoughtful Eun-ha finally spoke up.

“Um… if it’s about age, wouldn’t it be acceptable for Miro to drop the honorifics with Tenshi?”

“!!!”

“Ah, is it different in Japan? I’m not quite sure.”

“W-was that inappropriate…?”

With Eun-ha’s seemingly emotionless statements, Tenshi’s spirits sank even further.

Oh no, Eun-ha… are you really T?

Unable to bear the rapidly sinking atmosphere, I stood up from my seat.

“I’ll go greet the next guest.”

“Huh? I’ll go with you.”

“…I’ll go alone, so just comfort him.”

I don’t know what to do.

As the downcast Tenshi was about to receive a harsh blow from Eun-ha, I headed out to greet the guest who was about to arrive.

By the way, is this the first time seeing her in person?

I had been looking forward to this junior for a while, but I had never anticipated she’d be invited to Miro 24/7 like this.

Leaning against the main gate, I waited until a girl appeared from the alley in the distance.

…Wow, her hair is stunning!

With wave-dyed hair shining in shades of pastel purple, she stands out as vividly as Tenshi’s light purple locks in the streetlight’s glow.

What color is that? Blue?

Did she cosplay to match her character?

…Maybe she tailored her character to her own?

“Um….”

As the girl walked closer to the main gate, she suddenly stopped when she spotted me.

“Is this Miro-senpai?”

“Welcome.”

“Wow….”

The third guest is none other than Haeil.

A junior from the Celestial Realm, and today, she’s my upcoming student to learn a game from me.

 

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