Bonus Short Stories
Ruth
Ruth’s greatest talent was her ability to organize information, which made her a great cook. She could compare, collate, and consolidate recipes with ease. While she lacked the culinary skills of Kiriha or Shizuka, she surpassed them both in terms of dexterity. So when cooking for a large group, as on days like today, she was the ideal candidate.
“Thanks for the grub!” Sanae cheered. The instant she had her lunch in her hands, she dug right in.
Today’s special was nori bento, a well-known Japanese meal of rice topped with seaweed and seasoned with soy sauce. It was served with fried fish, potato salad, and several root vegetables cut into long strips and stir-fried in sesame oil. Ruth had woken up early to prepare it all at Sanae’s request. She smiled as she watched Sanae wolf it down with glee.
“And here’s yours, Master,” she then said as she handed Koutarou his lunch too.
“Thank you,” he replied.
“Oh, you’ve got ginger-fried pork in yours too,” Theia remarked.
“There was a little bit of leftover meat from yesterday,” Ruth explained.
“I appreciate it, Ruth,” said Koutarou. “Thanks!”
Koutarou’s lunch was bigger than the girls’ since Ruth had taken his appetite into account while making it. It contained a larger serving of rice as well as some added protein because she knew he was a growing boy who was always hungry no matter how much he ate.
“Give me some, Koutarou,” Theia demanded.
“Here.”
Koutarou heeded Theia’s request and fed her a small bit of pork. Her face flushed with delight. Even cold, the pork was delicious.
“You’ve gotten better at cooking, Ruth,” Theia reported.
“You honor me, Your Highness, but I still have a long way to go,” Ruth insisted.
“Go on, Koutarou. You tell her too,” Theia ordered. “Ruth polished her skills for you, after all.”
“I-I didn’t—” Ruth tried to protest.
“You didn’t?” Theia question.
Ruth could hardly argue. Her face turned bright red. She’d enjoyed cooking even before coming to Earth, but nowadays, she put more heart into it than ever before. She was thrilled to hear her loved ones say they liked her cooking.
“Ruth-san, this really is a delicious lunch,” Koutarou told her, albeit bashfully. “Thanks for always cooking for us.”
Ruth had been diligently making lunches for everyone for over two years now. They were always delicious, and she never cut corners. Though she alternated duties with Kiriha and Shizuka, prepping food for so many people was still a lot of work. She thoroughly deserved the thanks and praise.
“Um, it’s my pleasure, Master,” she said politely.
“Good for you, Ruth,” Theia congratulated her.
Ruth smiled as she nodded in reply, blushing all the while. After all, being acknowledged by the man she loved the most was pure bliss.
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