NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Happiness
"Jacob! What do you want to eat?" Rowan called out as soon as he spotted Jacob and Marinette walking over.
"Actually, I'm here to ask what you guys want to eat," Jacob replied, a smug grin settling comfortably on his face. "I'll take charge of cooking. I'm pretty confident in my skills."
"…Just order out and forget about him," Dylan muttered, barely glancing up from his seat.
"Nah, Jacob wouldn't lie about this," Emma chimed in, leaning forward with interest. "Can't say I'm not curious about the new guy's cooking."
"Ordering out gets expensive anyway," Elaina added, crossing her arms. "And eating the same taste every day makes my mouth numb."
"I agree too." Marinette folded her arms, effectively closing the vote. "Four agrees versus one no. Sorry, Dylan. Jacob, go ahead."
"Aye aye, captain! Won't let you down." Jacob gave a playful salute, slipping right into his new role. "Any allergies, preferences, dislikes?"
Mary took the lead. "No allergies. Rowan, Emma, and I aren't picky. Dylan hates onions and garlic. Elaina dislikes tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, cilantro… pretty much anything remotely healthy."
"Got it." Jacob nodded, mentally filing everything away.
"I usually get steak when we order out," Rowan added. "Well done."
"Oooh! I like tomato and egg noodle soup!" Emma said brightly, shooting a glance at Elaina, who made a face of pure disgust.
"I like meat," Elaina said bluntly, "but I hate vegetables. I better not see anything green on my plate."
There was a pause before Dylan finally spoke up, as if admitting defeat.
"…Lamb chops."
"Steak and mashed potatoes for me," Marinette tacked on casually.
"Okay, all noted. I'll get right to it!" Jacob spun on his heel and sprinted toward the kitchen.
The kitchen was sparkling, well-kept but not used.
Jacob rolled up his sleeves and scanned the inventory. Ingredients were stacked in the item holder on the far counter. He pressed his thumb against the indent, but it didn't open. Then he realized that he needed mana to open it…but he didn't know how to exactly use mana.
"Ares" Jacob calls out.
Ares sends a message
"Mana tutorial? I got you. Pretty much, mana is stored in your core and pumps through your body. You can concentrate it into your hands, feet, body, you get the point. To access it, simply try to find and isolate it. The feeling should be warm."
Jacob closes his eyes and clears his head trying to target said feeling. Deeper, deeper, deeper. There was a warm feeling in his core, bright and bubbly. Despite his mind being cleared, he could distinctly visualize it. A pure, vibrant ball of shifting light inside his body that was simply floating around. He took a deep breath and tried to control it. He drew a path in his mind, from his core to his palm and then opened his eyes. There it was! A white gas without any impurities, shining brightly on his hand. He then simply grabbed the DSD and it quickly sucked up his mana, opening up and revealing a bunch of ingredients.
He quickly got to work. The sounds of chopping filled the room. It was steady, rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat. Jacob wasn't especially fast, but his cuts were clean and steady. He always took his time with things like this.
There was something strangely peaceful about cooking. The sizzling oil, the soft crackle when eggs hit the pan. It gave his hands something to do while his thoughts drifted.
...He used to cook a lot, didn't he?
His siblings would always gather around the table, fighting over the bigger piece. He was the big brother. The one who held everything together. It was funny how those days felt like someone else's life now...
Anyways, he started with Emma; tomato and egg noodle soup. The noodles were a little stiff, but he coaxed them to life with careful timing. The eggs, soft and silky, floated gently among the tomatoes as he ladled the broth.
Rowan's steak came next. Well done. Jacob would never understand people who liked chewing leather, but hey, he wasn't here to judge.
Dylan's lamb chops needed a careful touch. No garlic, no onions. Salt, pepper, a little thyme. Safe, but flavorful.
Marinette's steak and mashed potatoes, simple but hearty. He whipped the potatoes with more butter than was probably necessary. The smell filled the kitchen, warming the space in a way that made it feel… lived in.
And then there was Elaina.
Jacob sighed.
Meat, no greens. He considered sneaking something in but figured she'd probably dissect it on sight. He still tossed in a tiny hint of sweetness with some roasted carrots, diced so small they could probably pass as seasoning.
Probably.
After a solid hour of working, Jacob finally called them in.
The gang trickled into the dining area, the scent of fresh food drawing them in like moths to a flame.
"Alright," Jacob announced, gesturing to the plates. "Tomato and egg noodle soup for Emma. Well-done steak for Rowan. Lamb chops for Dylan. Steak and mashed potatoes for Marinette. And meat, just meat, for Elaina. I left out the green stuff. Mostly."
Elaina narrowed her eyes at her plate but didn't find anything offensive enough to complain about.
Dylan stabbed his lamb chop like it personally offended him. Rowan took one bite of his steak and let out a satisfied grunt. Emma immediately started slurping her soup, humming happily.
"…This isn't bad," Dylan finally admitted, which, coming from him, was probably the highest praise Jacob would ever get.
Elaina didn't say anything, but she kept eating. And for her? That was practically a standing ovation.
Rowan gave him a lazy thumbs-up with his mouth still half-full. "You're officially on dinner duty now."
" This is delicious! You're stuck with us forever, Jacob." Emma beamed.
Marinette smiled brightly at the sight, the smile going unnoticed because of the chatter.
Jacob chuckled, sitting down with his own plate.
It's just food.
But maybe, deep down, it was the only way he knew how to take care of people anymore. The smiles and laughter, this warm atmosphere. It filled the quiet void he was pretending wasn't there.