The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Sounds of students packing their things and leaving were heard as they left in droves. One such student was a blonde boy walking with another student with long blue hair as they made their way outside the school entrance.
"Again, I'm really sorry for canceling our study session," Hyde said with a sad expression.
"It's okay. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to afford all those groceries," Orie replied.
Today after school, the two were going to have a study session for their chemistry exam this Friday, but Hyde remembered that today was the last day for his coupon to work at his main grocery store. Couple that with the recent sales going on and the boy could not waste this chance to save a ton of money.
"I'll make it up to you. I promise! Thanks Orie," Hyde gave a warm smile.
He kissed Orie on the cheek and bolted out. "Let's study tomorrow, Okay!?" he shouted as he went his way.
Even though they have been together for a little while, actions like those still made her a blushing mess. Orie held her cheek where Hyde kissed her and had a giddy smile on her face.
"Everything okay?" Her friend Lex asked as she made her way to Orie..
The bluenette quickly turned to her. "Y-Yes! Never better!"
Her friend gave a lax grin at the sight of her friend's bubbly mood. "Yep… try not to get distracted on tonight's mission," Lex scolded.
Orie gave an annoyed look. "Of course not."
Hyde made his way across the city of Kanzakai. Since it was a Tuesday, the city was not as bustling as it would be on Fridays or the weekends. And with school only just ending, this was the best time for him to make a beeline to the Shopping Gallery.
It was a grueling battle at the supermarket. Housewives made their way to the desired items as the boy rushed his way in to get the groceries. Fortunately, he was trained in the ways of precision and speed thanks to his time in the Hollow Night. Was it fair to exploit his almost superhuman skills with a bunch of ordinary people? Probably not, but in the battle of getting the best quality items and having people to feed, the Unknown Actor showed no mercy.
Hyde wiped a sweat off his head as he collected his spoils of war. "Got everything I need," he turned to the big line in the store. "Nothing personal ladies, but I only have part time money and a monthly allowance as my budget," he said as he made his way home.
With a monthly allowance his parents sent him each month, he was able to take care of himself. But ever since Linne, Waldstein, and now Vatista lived with him, the cost of groceries went up drastically. Even more so with the fact that although he is cooking for 4 people, it was really 6 because of the old man's appetite.
'Thank you for your services coupon. Your efforts will not be in vain,' he gave a mental salute to the used coupon as he tossed it to the trash can.
Thanks to the use of the coupon and the sales going on, the cost of Hyde's groceries went down by a whopping 50%. Even if it hurt to miss time with his girlfriend, he was thankful for her understanding on just how much money he saved.
'Maybe I can serve her a treat at the cafe on the house,' he thought as he walked out of the Shopping Gallery.
As he walked to his neighborhood, thoughts of his life before meeting Linne came to mind. He was used to doing these shopping trips for himself, but to buy them for other people and care for them made him feel fulfilled. Before, it was like he was just going with the motions of life. But now, coming home didn't feel so… lonely. Speaking of home, the boy was now right in front of his doorstep. Pulling out his keys, he unlocked the door and entered.
"I'm home," he said aloud.
That got the attention of a little girl in an orange hoodie. Getting off the sofa, she walked up to him with a smile.
"Welcome back, Hyde. I take it the grocery trip was a success?" Linne asked.
"You know it," Hyde placed the bags on the kitchen table. "So what's the plan today?" he was putting away the groceries as he asked.
"Tonight you have training with me. Waldstein is off in the mountains training and Vatista is dozing off in her room. They'll come around during dinner time I;m sure. I guess finish up your homework until then," she said with a shrug.
"Okay Mom," Hyde said, snickering as he saw the little girl pout.
Linne continued watching TV while Hyde went to his room to do his homework. Most of it was material he already knew, to which he really owed Orie for all the help she gave him. Even his teacher was ecstatic to see him improve from his average grades. He almost forgot what it felt like to have people compliment him like that. Not just from the ones he's close with, but from just people in general.
True to her word, Waldstein eventually came back and Vatista hovered down to the living not long after. With looks of hunger coming from the old man and princess, Hyde knew what was coming. With homework all done, now it was time for one of his favorite hobbies. Grabbing his black apron from the closet, the boy put it on and looked at his setup at the kitchen table.
'Everything is all set. Time to get to work!'
Today's Dish: Hamburg Steak
'First, dice the onions,' Hyde proceeded to thinly cut the onions and diced them up.
'Cut a piece of daikon. Peel the skin and grit it to get the proper shape,' the boy glanced at the nice circular form the radish became.
'Now we saute half of the diced onions,' Hyde placed the onions on the pan and watched it cook until it had a nice brown color.
'In a bowl, place ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, a splash of milk, raw onions, cooked onions, salt, black pepper, and an egg,' He did just that and proceeded to mix them around with his hands until it formed a giant meatball.
"This goes without saying, but wash your hands before doing this," Hyde said to no one in particular.
'This portion is enough for two people. So with half the meat, form it to the shape of a patty and toss it back and forth between your hands to really give its shape and make sure no air comes out of it,' the boy did so, making sure the patty will not break apart when it's cooking time.
He proceeded to do the prior steps again so that he would have 6 patties, ready to be cooked.
'My pan has enough for two patties, so I place them there and let it cook at low heat,' Hyde could see the meat has that delectable brown coloring. The fat from the pork began oozing out broth in the pan.
'Once both sides of the patty have that brown coloring, deglaze it with white wine (thank you Yuzu), and half cover it with chicken broth,' he poured the two liquids as the patty began to feel much more tender and juicy.
Hyde removed the patty but kept the sauce in the pan. 'Place the sauce in another pan so that we can make the gravy for the meal. And in the hot pan, sear the patties with a piece of rosemary on top and a small slab of butter,' with a spoon, Hyde bathed the steaks with butter as a rich crispy color began to form.
Once it was done, he set the patties on a plate and got to work on the gravy. 'With the sauce on a high heating pan, add soy sauce, horseradish cream, and ketchup. Stir it a little so that they reduce the condiments and thicken the gravy,' Hyde could feel the sauce was ready. With one taste, he knew it was time.
'On your patty, gently add the gravy to give it that complimentary flavor,' He took a few glances back at the living room. Linne's eyes were sparkling and he could have sworn he saw Wald's mouth watering. Vatista just had a look of intrigue on her face.
'After squeezing out the liquid from the daikon, form it into a nice little ball and place it on top of the patty. Give it a little flavor with some ponzu dressing if you want,' Hyde marveled at the meal in front of him. Of course, a meal wouldn't do without the sides.
While repeating the process until he had 6 delicious hamburg steaks, he had bowls of rice made alongside boiled carrots and broccoli. With a proud smile, the meal was ready.
As Hyde began to place the foods at the dining table, he could see Linne's ahoge wag around with excitement. She must be very hungry. Wald looked at his portion with temptation while Vatista simply looked at the meal in front of her. Once everyone's plate was set, they all said the phrase with a clap of their hands.
"Let's eat!" everyone said and began eating.
One bite was enough for Linne to have a big smile on her face as she could feel the soft tenderness of her meal. The gravy really added to the flavor as the daikon gave it the crunchy texture alongside it. Wald was off on his own little world enjoying the meat and even the autonomic nerve had a look of content as she ate.
"You know, Hyde… before meeting you, Waldstein and I would always be fine if the food just filled us up. Your cooking is something I never knew I needed now more than ever. So… thanks," the little immortal gave a friendly smile as she looked at Hyde with gratitude.
Seeing everyone look happy and enjoying his food made the boy feel satisfied. When he began to live on his own, he never would have imagined that he would be cooking for someone else. One thing led to another and now here he was cooking for the people living with him and loving it.
"Of course, Linne. And thank you for looking out for me. If you want, I can always show you some recipes that you can learn yourself," he offered with a bright smile on his face.
"Hm… I may take you up on that offer. But for now…" Linne continued nomming at her steak.
Moments like these are what Hyde lived for now. For one thing, Linne was still here. All this time, her main goal was to die and finally rid the curse of reincarnation. But if she died, she wouldn't be here enjoying a nice meal with him. She wouldn't be here to keep guiding him and help him prepare for the coming Nights. The house would feel that much more lonely if she were gone. So that's why Hyde will continue to support her. Even if it might cause problems in the future with the EFG and Licht Kreis, he wants to see his friend break her curse without ending her life.
The meal continued on with banters and cheers aplenty. Night would eventually fall. There was always a chance a mini Hollow Night would appear, but none came around their specific area. It wouldn't be until a couple more weeks when the next proper Hollow Night arrives. It was for that reason Hyde and Linne were at a secluded park for a training session.
"Well Hyde. Are you ready?" Linne asked as she held a practice blade.
"I am. Let's do this Linne!" Hyde held his practice blade and took his stance.
The teacher and student began to spar once more to better prepare the Unknown Actor for what's in store for him. Hyde may have defeated Paradox, but even he knew he had room to improve. For the sake of the people affected from these Nights and to have more happy memories with his friends like the dinner they shared together.