Wizard Gaiden 2: Tohka wants to cook dinner

It was now Sunday. In the Itsuka house, Tohka was standing in the kitchen wearing an apron and was looking down at the cooking ingredients and cooking utensils that she had gathered and placed on the counter.

"Alright! Now I'm ready!" Tohka said with a strong determination as she placed a hand on her bicep.

Looking at her on the couch was Shido as he had a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Ummm…Tohka, are you really sure you don't want my help?" He asked.

Tohka then turns to Shido with a confident smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Shido, I got this! I mean I've been watching you cook all the time. I'm sure I can manage." Tohka told him, and Shido sweat drops to hear that.

"Yeah…But watching me cook and doing it yourself are entirely different things." Shido said.

Tohka puffed and placed a hand on her bicep.

"I can figure it out! I think." Tohka said.

"You think huh…" Shido said.

While Tohka was cooking in the kitchen, Shido was watching an anime on the TV, but as he was watching he could hear Tohka having some trouble in the kitchen.

"Now let's see…this goes..Oh no!" Tohka said as she spilled something. "Don't worry, Tohka, this is only a small mess. Don't let it stop you!"

Shido then sweet drops to hear that before he calls out to Tohka.

"Tohka, do you need a hand?"

"Don't worry, Shido! I can still do this!" Tohka assured the Ringed Mage, but Shido wasn't too convinced by that, but he will respect her wishes.

"Okay, but if anything…" Shido said as Tohka looked for something.

"Where did I put that better?" Tohka questions before she accidentally steps on the said butter that was on the ground and Tohka slips and falls to the floor.

Shido heard the fall along with a few items falling to the ground. Now fully concerned about this, Shido stood up and rushed towards the kitchen to check on Tohka.

"Tohka! Are you alright…?" Shido said before he stopped.

The Ringed Mage saw that Tohka was seated on the floor as cracked eggs and flour dirty it, and Tohka herself was covered in flour with a bowl on her head.

Shido nervously chuckles to see that while Tohka was saddened by this.

After cleaning the mess in the kitchen and after Tohka cleaned herself up, Shido cooked dinner for himself and her. After Shido finished cooking, he and Tohka were seated on the table to eat.

As they were eating however, Tohka had a sad expression on her face as she was still sad about what happened in the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry, Shido. I really thought I could do it." Tohka said in sadness.

"It's alright, Tohka. It happens to everyone." Shido said, but that didn't cheer Tohka up at all.

"Everyone except you…You're a great cook." Tohka said.

"Tohka…" Shido said before he rubbed the back of his head and nodded.

"Well…Believe it or not, but I wasn't exactly good at cooking myself." Shido told her which really surprised Tohka.

"What? Really?" Tohka asked, and Shido nodded.

"Yeah. Back when I was in junior high, I often burned most of the stuff I cooked." Shido admitted.

"Then…what changed?" Tohka asked.

(Flashback)

Back in his old neighborhood and home, Shido was in the kitchen with his adoptive mother.

Shido wanted to learn how to cook since his mother often had to go overseas for her job. But despite his best efforts, most of the dishes he made were mostly burnt and almost inedible.

Shido looks at the food he made in disappointment while his adoptive mother rubs the back of her head.

"I guess it's another failure. But don't worry, Shido, I'm sure you'll get it right eventually." She told him.

But Shido sighed before he put down his utensils and began to take off his apron.

"No, I'm quitting. No matter what I try, the results will just be the same." Shido said.

"Shido…" She said.

But that's when they noticed a small hand grabbing a piece of the burnt food, and saw it was Kotori who took a bite of it but she grimaced on how bad it was.

"Kotori?!" They said in shock before she picked up another piece of good and ate it.

"Kotori, stop, there's no reason to eat that." Their mother told her.

"No! I'm eating it!" Kotori cries out as she continues to eat Shido's cooking as she looks at her in shock.

"Kotori…" Shido mutters.

Despite how bad his cooking was, Kotori continues to eat it, and just seeing that face of hers begins to stir something in Shido's heart, it was like it was telling him that he can't give up.

(End of flashback)

"And that's about it." Shido finished the story. "Just by seeing that crying face of hers helped motivate me to become a better cook. Because I wanted to see her smile with my cooking."

Shido then notices that Tohka was moved to tears to hear that.

"Whoa! Tohka, what's wrong?" Shido said.

Tohka took a moment to wipe away her tears.

"I'm sorry…It's just that story was so heartwarming! I know you and Kotori always get along, but that was just so sweet!" Tohka said before she picked up her napkin to blow her nose.

"No need to be emotional about it." Shido chuckles.

Tohka then stops crying before she stands and clenches her hand in determination with a fire around her body.

"But still, after hearing all of that, there's no I'm going to give up either! I work hard every day, so I'll be a great cook like you!" Tohka said.

"That's good to hear. But try to be careful with the utensils okay." Shido requested.

"Of course!" Tohka said before she sat back down. "Anyway, time to eat again."

Tohka goes back to eating her food with Shido looking at her with a smile on his face before he goes back to eating his meal as well.

There you have it, I hope that you like it. Please review to tell me what you think.