My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Izakayas in Japan originated during the Edo period, mainly selling various alcoholic beverages. Over time, they evolved to offer appetizers for drinking and a place for customers to enjoy drinks and conversations. Today, izakayas have become a must-visit place for working professionals after work. They gather to have a few drinks and vent their frustrations about their bosses. Some even hop from one izakaya to another, releasing all the stress accumulated from work.

After Kitahara Hideji changed into his work clothes, Haruna silently led him back to the main hall and said, “Let’s start with kitchen work!”

Kitahara Hideji had some professional ethics, considering he was replacing someone else and getting paid for it. He obediently followed Haruna to the kitchen. The kitchen was actually a part of the main hall, facing directly towards the customers, and it was spacious and clean, without a trace of grease. There were three to four stoves and five to six pots, along with an electric oven and a deep fryer, all looking quite new, suggesting that the shop had not been open for very long.

Natsuha and Natsuo, the twin siblings, were squatting on the floor, picking vegetables. When they saw Kitahara Hideji enter, they curiously looked at his appearance in the blue Wafuku. They exchanged a glance and giggled mischievously, clearly not considering the recent fight to be a big deal. Kitahara Hideji smiled at them and then focused on listening to Haruna explaining the kitchen utensils.

Haruna explained in a soft voice where everything was placed, and then she said, “We mainly focus on selling alcoholic beverages here, and the food is mostly semi-prepared. We just need to fry, grill, or stir-fry them before serving. Of course, we also offer some set meals, like omurice or donburi, but they are all quite simple. My father is the head chef, I am the assistant, and now you will join us as well.”

“No problem!” Kitahara Hideji responded. Although he had never worked in an izakaya before, in his previous life, he had spent some time working in a fried chicken shop, so he didn’t think it would be much different.

While they were talking, Fukuzawa Naotaka came out from behind the curtain and smiled at Kitahara Hideji before starting to prepare the ingredients.

Kitahara Hideji glanced at the main hall. School dismissed early, but not all office workers were lucky enough to leave work early. At this moment, there were no customers in the izakaya. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Are we starting the cooking now?”

Haruna had already brought out a giant electric rice cooker and calmly replied, “We need to eat too. If we don’t eat now, we won’t have time when the customers arrive. Come on, let me teach you how to cook rice.”

Kitahara Hideji was not someone inexperienced in independent living. He had a wealth of life experience, and he smiled, saying, “I know these basics, let me handle it.”

Haruna didn’t object and stepped back to give him space, saying, “I’ll watch, go ahead.”

Kitahara Hideji took the rice and started rinsing it in a bowl. After draining the water, he was about to pour it into the electric rice cooker when Haruna stopped him and calmly asked, “Is that how you finish rinsing?”

Kitahara Hideji was puzzled, “Isn’t the rice we buy already pre-rinsed? Why do we need to rinse it again?”

Haruna rolled up her sleeves and took the rice bowl from him, speaking softly, “Rinsing rice isn’t just about washing it. It’s about polishing the surface of the rice grains and allowing them to rub against each other.” She added a little water and started rubbing the rice like kneading dough. “Your way might be fine for personal use at home, but here, we are selling it to customers. The human tongue is very sensitive. They might not say anything after eating, but they can feel the difference in quality.”

She continued to rub the rice for a while and then looked at the bowl, saying, “After repeated rinsing, we need to let the rice soak in water for a while. This way, the cooked rice will be fluffy and not soggy, with a great texture. Plus, we can save a bit of electricity by not using the rice cooker’s automatic soaking function.” She glanced at Kitahara Hideji, who seemed lost in thought, and asked, “Are you listening?”

Kitahara Hideji snapped out of his daze and quickly said, “I’m sorry, please continue.”

Haruna looked at him strangely and put the soaked rice into the inner pot of the electric rice cooker, setting the cooking time. She then said, “Next is cooking the eggs, please wait a moment.”

Kitahara Hideji politely responded, “Thank you for your help.”

Haruna turned around to get the eggs, and Kitahara Hideji’s vision was still a bit dazed as the translucent dialogue box appeared: “Fukuzawa Haruna is teaching you the skill [Family-style Cooking]. Do you want to learn it?”

He chose to agree, and his mind felt a little dizzy as a heap of miscellaneous information rushed in. A light green prompt appeared in the lower-left corner of his vision: [Family-style Cooking] skill learned, current experience 1/100.

Originally, in the mobile game, there was a life sub-profession called “Chef.” Players could cook food that provided buffs to their characters, and the effects lasted for a relatively long time. Moreover, some NPCs would request specific special dishes as rewards when learning certain skills. As a result, this life sub-profession was quite popular. However, leveling up the skill was a bit challenging as it required a large amount of ingredients. Players who weren’t willing to spend a lot of time and resources on it often bought the food from other players instead.

As for the [Family-style Cooking] skill Kitahara Hideji had just learned, he felt that it was quite beneficial. In his memory, this type of skill would increase attributes such as stamina and intelligence. After raising his Strength by 4 points, his physical strength increased by nearly 20% (due to the low base value). With higher intelligence, he believed that learning new skills would be easier. It could improve memory or comprehension, which was quite useful.

With the attribute point incentive, cooking was no longer just about earning some pocket money. Kitahara Hideji’s enthusiasm for the job soared, and he quickly grasped the technique of boiling eggs. He took the eggs from Haruna, saying, “Fukuzawa-san, please let me handle it.”

He couldn’t miss this opportunity to gain experience points.

Haruna looked at him strangely but remained composed. She allowed him to take over, ready to correct any mistakes he might make. She knew not to underestimate the work at an izakaya. In this world, achieving excellence in anything was not easy!

Kitahara Hideji lightly cleaned the eggs to prevent any dirt from getting into the pot. He then placed them in the pot and added cold water until it covered the eggs slightly. He turned the heat up and started boiling. Instead of covering the pot, he gently stirred the eggs in a clockwise direction with a ladle, making them spin continuously.

Three minutes passed, and just as Haruna was about to remind him to lower the heat slightly to avoid the eggs from bursting and save gas, she saw Kitahara Hideji had already adjusted the heat on his own. He then covered the pot slightly and let the eggs simmer. After a short while, he used a bowl to transfer the eggs into cold water to cool them down.

Haruna stood by his side and observed. She realized that his actions were exactly the same as what she had in mind, without any mistakes. She picked up an egg from the cold water, gently tapped it on the side, and rolled it. The eggshell split into two halves, and with a light touch, she separated the tender egg whites, finding that the egg yolk stayed perfectly in the center of the egg whites and was slightly runny, looking very well-done.

Haruna was speechless, unable to understand how this guy could cook eggs perfectly but not rice. Could it be that he really loved eating eggs?

She had no complaints about the egg. Instead, she asked, “Can you do Katsuramuki? How about Andō and Hanauta?”

“Katsuramuki” refers to the technique of peeling a radish in a spiral pattern, similar to unrolling a paper roll. Skilled chefs can even peel a radish without breaking the peel, making it look like an unbroken scroll of paper. This is considered one of the basic knife skills for chefs, as it requires the radish slices to be so thin that you can almost see through them. This skill is particularly useful for dishes like sashimi or sushi, where a thin layer of radish is used as a base or garnish.

The “Andō” technique is used for simmered dishes, where the chef wants the radish pieces to be tender both inside and out while maintaining their shape. To achieve this, the radish is pre-cut with a few incisions to allow for even cooking without leaving visible knife marks. The “Hanauta” technique is used to create attractive shapes with food, such as radish flowers or octopus sausages.

While these are considered entry-level knife skills, Haruna sees them as the highest level of techniques she has mastered. When Kitahara Hideji thinks about it for a moment, he realizes that the skill level is still too low, and the memories in his mind are not yet clear enough. He needs some time to think it through. He smiles and says, “I haven’t tried it before, so why don’t I give it a try now?”

Haruna is a bit puzzled, as not trying means he wouldn’t know how to do it. She patiently explains, “Let me demonstrate it to you first. Please pay close attention.”

Kitahara Hideji agrees, “Sure, I’ll watch carefully. Thank you.”

Haruna takes a knife and a radish and quickly demonstrates the technique. Her movements are very skillful, and the peeled radish slices are as thin as cicada wings. It seems like this is her everyday work, and she is quite proficient at it. Kitahara Hideji observes closely, comparing the demonstration with the memories in his mind.

After cutting the radish slices into square shapes and placing them in a plate, Haruna performs a knife trick between her fingers and then hands the knife to Kitahara Hideji, calmly saying, “Now, it’s your turn. It’s okay to fail. This kind of skill requires a lot of practice.”

Kitahara Hideji is eager to gain experience points, and he is excited to try. He holds the knife in one hand and the radish in the other. He finds that his [Sword Mastery] passive skill has unexpectedly kicked in, likely because Japan doesn’t distinguish between swords and knives. With the Lv10 passive bonus, the knife becomes an extension of his arm. His confidence soars, and he patiently starts peeling the radish. Haruna observes him and notices that his movements are precise and exactly the same as hers. Moreover, he skillfully uses the peeler to easily remove the radish skin without damaging the inner part, peeling a long strip of radish paper with perfect thickness, which even lets light shine through at the edges.

After observing for a while, Haruna says in a low voice, “That’s enough!” Though his speed is slightly slower than hers, she can’t find any flaws in his technique. However, she can’t help but be curious and asks, “Have you learned cooking before?”

It’s rare to see boys who are willing to enter the kitchen, which made Haruna have a slight favorable impression of Kitahara Hideji.

Kitahara Hideji doesn’t want to stop, he’s still waiting to finish peeling and gain experience points. He tilts his head slightly and smiles, saying, “No, I haven’t learned it before. Isn’t this just what I learned from you? Thank you for teaching me so patiently.”

He has been wary of Haruna trying to sabotage him, but she acts and speaks in a straightforward manner. After her father’s order, it’s as if all the unpleasantness from earlier has been thrown behind her, and there’s no sign of anything amiss.

Her demeanor is admirable, and his attitude softens a bit.

Haruna finds it hard to believe, but seeing him smiling and seeming to find peeling radishes enjoyable, combined with his sincere thanks, she’s a bit surprised. This doesn’t look like someone who has been doing it for a long time; it seems like he’s just starting, and the novelty hasn’t worn off yet. It’s not easy for someone to remain nonchalant after doing this task for a while.

Seems like he really just learned it. He’s quite clever… This person shouldn’t be underestimated! I need to observe him carefully to find his weaknesses!