"MakiMakiMaki! I'm! Gonna! Make! Rice balls!"
"Cool."
"And! You're! Gonna! Help! Nya!"
"Ehhh."
It wasn't that Maki was totally against cooking. Rice balls were fine, and easy, and tasty, but... Cooking with Rin? Rin, the over-excited, can't-stop-moving, constantly-meowing ball of fluff?
"How about you get Hanayo to help you out?" Maki referred to their rice-loving friend even when she knew that one, it was impossible, and two, even if it was possible it would be a very bad idea given that it would likely result in no rice balls whatsoever.
Rin let out a frustrated meow. "You know why we can't do that! Kayo-chin and Nico-chan got assigned to bring drinks! It's our job to get food!"
Maki's plan had been to cater, or maybe just grab some things from a convenience store, since she was pretty sure her fellow members of Muse wouldn't be all too picky about food during a hastily-planned picnic. But apparently Rin wanted to go the old-fashioned way. Which was fine. But. Cooking. With Rin.
"Exactly what kind of rice balls are you thinking of?" Maki asked, leaning back in her seat and twirling a strand of her hair. As was customary, of course. She could handle simple things like fish or vegetables...
Rin's eyes gleamed in a way that meant she'd been waiting for that very question. "Honey garlic miso pork!"
"Excuse me?"
"Rin read about it in a manga!"
"Do you even know how to make that?"
"The manga will guide me!"
"You realize that manga isn't the answer to everything."
Rin punched the air. "Nothing is too hard for Rin! Just who do you think I am? My rice balls are the rice balls that will pierce the heavens! Nya!"
"Ughh..."
And so it came to be that they were in Maki's very large, very well stocked kitchen. Maki had dismissed the help of the servants at Rin's request, and they now stood in front of the counter with several ingredients spread out.
"Pork belly!" Rin declared.
Maki rubbed her temples. "Do you even realize how high in cholesterol that stuff is? As school idols we should be eating healthier foods that involve a more balanced diet-."
"Don't be a nerd, Maki. Do you wanna chop the garlic or should I?"
Maki smacked her classmate's head. Rin apparently took it as an affirmative and shoved several cloves of garlic into Maki's arms in response.
"Thanks, nya!"
"You suck."
Regardless, Maki dutifully chopped the garlic as best as she could. Just because she was the heiress of a rich family of doctors didn't mean she couldn't cook something as simple as rice balls! Even if they were weird, fancy rice balls from a weird cooking manga.
"Misomisomiso," Rin chanted, dumping multiple spoonfuls of miso paste into a bowl.
Maki glanced over and did a double take. "Okay, that's a lot of miso."
"It's honey garlic miso pork-!"
"Yes, but that is a lot of miso."
Rin whipped out a golden jar triumphantly. "Then we'll just put a lot of honey into it!"
"Rin, no."
"Too late~!" Rin opened the lid and proceeded to pour the contents of the entire jar into the bowl.
Maki could only stare in horror. "Rin. No."
It might be a disaster, Maki reflected, but it was a disaster all of Muse would just have to suck up and face.
She'd given up trying to stop Rin and her honey madness and returned to chopping the garlic. Once she'd finished with it, she added it to the bowl and went off to wash her hands for thirty minutes while Rin evened out the mixture.
When she returned, Rin was already coating the meat in the paste, humming cheerfully to herself. Maki relaxed at the sight - even if the food turned out horrible, even if everyone had to go hungry, at least Rin was having fun, right? Sure, she could get a little carried away sometimes, but that was what made her Rin.
"Maki-chan!" Rin called to her when she noticed she was back. "Do you want a turn? We have to make sure the meat is completely covered and stuff!"
"I don't mind," Maki replied, approaching the other girl. Rin happily stepped back to let her take over, and Maki rolled up her sleeves to begin the work.
Rin leaned against the counter next to her. "This was lots of fun! Thanks for letting me do this. And with your kitchen and everything!" She blinked fondly, and Maki tried to pretend she wasn't blushing. "You're the best, Maki-chan!"
"I-idiot," Maki muttered, unsure of what else to say. "It's not like I ever really have a choice when you're involved..."
Rin laughed. "Your tsundere is showing."
"Shut up!" Finished with the coating, Maki stepped back from the counter and turned to the sink to rinse her hands. "Anyway. What's next?"
"We just let it sit for a little before chopping it up and filling the rice balls!" Rin saluted as she answered.
Maki looked at her in confusion. "No, that's not it."
"It's what the recipe says!"
"But the meat's still raw." Maki folded her arms against her chest. "I don't care what your cooking manga says, we're not feeding raw pork to the others."
Rin ducked her head and checked the recipe. She stared at the manga for a solid two minutes and then looked back at Maki with a blank, cheerful expression.
Maki spoke, "I don't like that look on your face-."
"Cooking the meat was step one! Rin forgot about it, nya!"
"I'm going to murder you, you absolute moron."
After cleaning up, the two of them bought some rice balls at the convenience store.
Everyone at the picnic seemed pretty happy with it, though they did wonder about the giant bump on Rin's head.