"You... what the hell did you buy..."
"Oh, that? It's called bluefin tuna. I bought the akami (lean meat) part. Apparently, it's a rare catch today."
"Why would you buy that?"
"I heard that if you come to Japan and don't eat Kobe beef or bluefin tuna, it's like you never came."
"Who told you that nonsense!?"
With cold sweat on his forehead, Shirogane stared at the 1.2 million yen price tag on the tuna and imagined how many days he'd have to work to afford something like that.
[Note: The MC Probably brought several kg and must be highest quality one, I heard they sold a 276 kg blufin tuna for 1.3 million dollars or roughly 190 million yen]
"Shut up already, bro. Don't yell."
Kei, sitting behind him, scolded him as she walked up to see what all the fuss was about.
And then she saw the massive box of tuna and the price tag.
"You've got to be kidding."
"You saw it right."
"..."
Kei squatted down and started pulling items out of Takamine's massive grocery bag one by one. Each time she did, both siblings' eyes widened more.
100g of Almas caviar: 216,000 yen (tax included)
500g of matsutake mushrooms: 108,000 yen (tax included)
A square watermelon: 15,000 yen (before tax)
1kg of eel: 5,000 yen
Seasonal ingredients, sauces, and new kitchenware: countless
"Bro… who is this guy?"
"Same as us. From Shuchiin's general track. Supposedly his family runs a farm."
"...Farming is that profitable now?"
Shuchiin was a school for wealthy and elite kids, but students still had allowances. No one just casually spent over a million yen on a single meal.
In the kitchen, Takamine was washing utensils while asking the siblings in the living room, "What kind of meal do you want? French-style? Japanese-style?"
"Uh… just regular Japanese food is fine."
"Got it. Wait a bit."
Takamine turned around, took the fish from Shirogane, and carried the rest of the plastic bag into the kitchen.
The siblings sat at the dining table, waiting.
In their hearts, they were both doing mental math, trying to figure out how long they'd have to work to afford a meal like this.
After a rough estimate, it looked like half a year's salary for a family of three would be poured into this one meal.
"Rinji… he seems kinda clueless about common sense, huh?"
"My bro went and recruited... a weirdo into the student council."
Shirogane Kei had originally wanted to use a term like "sucker," but thinking about how they'd all be eating this food anyway, it felt a little inappropriate.
It didn't take long before Takamine Rinji, wearing an apron, came out holding a small plate of food and placed it in front of the siblings.
"Appetizer first—grated daikon with seasoned fish roe."
The black fish roe mixed with the daikon looked like something from a high-end restaurant—just the plating alone was appetizing.
"Rinji…"
"Hmm?"
"Did you used to be a chef?"
"No, but I did study it formally when I was younger," Takamine replied with a smile. "Back then, I didn't even need to go shopping—my family runs a farm, so we always had fresh ingredients on hand."
"I see..."
After speaking, Takamine returned to the kitchen to prepare the next dish. The siblings hesitated briefly before each taking a spoonful.
Delicious!
Soon, Takamine brought out the second dish.
"This is the starter—miso-marinated egg yolk, and sea urchin with jellyfish."
"..."
Seriously, who actually eats like this at home? Isn't a typical meal just a few stir-fries and a bowl of rice? Why the gourmet treatment?
They really couldn't comprehend Takamine's way of thinking.
But...
Looking at the beautifully crafted dish, they couldn't help picking up their chopsticks again.
So good!
Then Takamine brought out sashimi of bluefin tuna.
The bright red fish, arranged with expert presentation, made it clear to the siblings—this guy was seriously trained.
"Hey, Rinji..."
"Now what?"
"Well, you're Chinese, right? I thought you'd only be good at Chinese cuisine, but your Japanese cooking is amazing..."
It wasn't just amazing—it was professional, maybe even master-level.
"I told you, I studied it specifically."
"Oh? Was there a reason you specifically went and studied Japanese cuisine?"
"..."
For some reason, Takamine's vibe instantly dropped.
"Ah! Got it! Rinji, your cooking is really good—sorry for asking!"
Even without thinking, one could guess why Takamine would go out of his way to learn Japanese cuisine. Judging from that gloomy expression—it had to be another heartbreak.
Just one sentence, and he had hit the landmine. Shirogane Miyuki decided to shut up for the rest of the night.
Takamine went back to the kitchen to prepare the main course. The siblings kept eating the sashimi while occasionally glancing at Takamine's back in the kitchen.
"Bro, doesn't your treasurer remind you of someone?"
"Who?"
"When Mom was still around... their silhouettes are almost identical."
"He's a guy! At least say he looks like Dad!"
Shirogane Miyuki turned his head again and saw Takamine's busy figure.
Before Mom left the family, she used to cook like this in the kitchen too...
Click!
"I'm home... Hmm? What's that amazing smell?"
"Dad, you're back?"
A slightly haggard middle-aged man stepped through the door. The moment he entered, the rich aroma wafted into his nose.
Following the scent toward the kitchen, he saw Takamine grilling eel. His eyes widened.
"You... you're back?"
"Hmm?"
Takamine turned and gave the man a confused look.
"…Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. You're... Miyuki's classmate?"
"Yes, I'm the student council Treasurer, Takamine Rinji."
"I see. So this is the first classmate Miyuki's brought home. Must be a trustworthy friend."
Taking off his coat and hanging it up, the middle-aged man—Shirogane siblings' father—sat at the table, picked up a slice of sashimi, dipped it in soy sauce, and took a bite.
"Bluefin tuna, huh? Pretty fresh."
"Uncle, since you're back, I bought a little extra. I'll make your portion too."
"Appreciate it."
Shirogane's father (the author notes he doesn't know his name—you can even call him Shirogane Dio if you want) nodded and whispered to Miyuki, "You bring a guest home and let him cook? That's no way to host."
"...He insisted."