There are two schools of thought when it comes to egg fried rice: add eggs first or add rice first.
If you're not confident with timing or heat control, it's safer to pour in the beaten eggs first, then add the rice and mix them.
The benefit? Simple, low risk.
The downside? The eggs end up in uneven clumps, not wrapping the rice evenly.
The advanced method is the reverse: add the rice first, cook it thoroughly, then carefully drizzle in the egg mixture so each grain gets coated.
More difficult and technical, but the result is perfect texture—fluffy, flavorful grains!
In the kitchen—
Tohru stared in awe at the massive golden fried rice.
Especially when the aroma hit her nose—
"Guuu~~" Her stomach growled uncontrollably!
Hayashi chuckled and clapped his hands. "You carry it out, I'll grab the bowls and chopsticks. Let's eat outside."
Tohru nodded excitedly.
Then she hugged the massive wooden basin the size of a truck tire and carried it outside.
Hayashi followed with the utensils.
When they got to the table, Tohru was already fidgeting.
Just staring at the golden egg fried rice without eating it felt like torture!
Click—
Hayashi set down the utensils and brought out some pickled vegetables and Lao Gan Ma chili sauce.
"These go well with the rice. Try them."
"Awesome!" Tohru cheered.
She clapped her hands together. "Let's dig in!"
Then she grabbed her chopsticks and went for it.
The first bite—
"OH!!!"
Tohru's eyes flew wide open, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed furiously.
She swallowed and cried out, "It's amazing!"
Hayashi opened the pickles and chili sauce and handed some to her. "Try these too."
Tohru added them and her eating speed doubled!
In no time—
Facing the mountain of golden egg fried rice—
Tohru activated excavator mode and began devouring it like a machine!
Hayashi sat nearby and had two bowls—more than enough for him.
Meanwhile, Tohru never stopped chewing, her cheeks bulging like a hamster as she ate nonstop.
With every bite she shouted, "Delicious! I'm so happy!"
Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes—a face full of bliss.
Hayashi felt the same with just a few bites.
The moment the rice touched his tongue, warmth spread through his whole body, like walking home in a snowstorm, stepping into a house with a crackling fireplace, shedding your coat, curling up in bed, and sipping hot soup—
You could feel every sip warming your body from the throat to the stomach.
It was pure happiness.
After two bowls, Hayashi leaned back contentedly.
Tohru, on the other hand, was still going, rapidly demolishing the mountain of rice.
Soon—
The golden egg fried rice had completely disappeared.
The wooden basin was spotless—not a single grain left.
Tohru slumped in her chair, eyes sparkling with tears and joy.
"This is what happiness feels like~~~"
Hayashi nodded in satisfaction.
This was the effect of the golden egg fried rice. He was very pleased.
His food ability enhanced flavor and made food edible for all species—and loved by them.
The golden egg fried rice recipe added another buff:
Happiness.
A sensation no ordinary dish could replicate.
"How was it, Tohru?" Hayashi handed her a glass of ice water.
Tohru wiped her eyes and nodded seriously.
"So happy… so delicious… I've never had anything this good before! Hayashi-san, you're amazing!"
"Thanks for the compliment." Hayashi smiled.
Tohru took a moment to savor it, finished her water, then suddenly stood up full of energy.
"Alright, time to wash the dishes!"
"...Huh?" Hayashi blinked.
"What?" Tohru was already collecting their dishes. She looked at the sink. "That's part of my job, right?"
"Uh… yeah." Hayashi nodded.
He was stunned by how energetic she was.
So cheerful. So lively. She even made the air around her feel brighter.
"Good luck."
"Leave it to me~!"
With Hayashi watching—
Tohru dragged the huge wooden basin back to the kitchen.
Hayashi peeked in through the doorway.
Tohru washed the bowls, added detergent, wiped down the counter…
Then she confirmed the areas she wanted to clean, pointed at them—
Swish—
In an instant—
The kitchen sparkled.
All the dishes were spotless. The whole room was squeaky clean.
Hayashi: …
He was dumbfounded.
All that dishwashing and scrubbing he'd done lately…
What was it for?
To stay humble?
But the joy that followed was real:
He felt light, happy, free!
Tohru the Dragon Maid… nailed it!
He'd never need to wash dishes again!
All he had to do was cook. Everything else? Not his problem!
The dark days were over!
"Tohru, that was incredible!" Hayashi gave her a big thumbs up. "So that's magic, huh?"
"Yes! Cleaning magic," Tohru turned and explained proudly.
"You just set the area and targets beforehand. Otherwise the magic might accidentally erase important stuff."
"Once you've set it, one spell cleans everything!"
Hayashi nodded in full approval. "Amazing."
This was too good.
Now that Tohru was officially part of his staff—
Once they signed a contract, he could even learn Tohru's magic himself!
Hayashi opened his system interface:
External Staff: Tohru, Dragon Race
It also showed her current status and location.
Apparently, she was still in a weakened state—Hayashi hadn't even noticed.
She must've hidden it so he wouldn't worry.
So her hunger earlier really was because she was still recovering.
After checking the info, Hayashi turned back to Tohru.
"Come on, I'll show you the rest of the place and where you'll be staying."
"A home?!" Tohru's eyes lit up.
"Yeah."
"That's awesome!!"
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Advanced chapters in pat/reon.com/KyokaSuigetsu