Chapter 32: Ryo and Dia and At Last, the Collaborative Duck Dish
“Alright, here we have Drake, which Ryo-chan and I bled and processed the feathers for together!”
“By the way, it was way too big to put in the kitchen as-is, so we cut it up beforehand.”
[The temperature gap between high tension and low tension, lol.]
[Looks different, but inside they’re the same, lol.]
[Wait, are you seriously eating it??]
Even in pieces, the sheer size was obvious, and the comment section erupted.
“Now then, as is tradition in private, it’s time for a straight-up taste test!”
[So this is a tradition.]
[That sounds nice.]
[Straight-up tasting?]
[Are you eating it raw?]
“No, we’re not eating it raw, obviously.”
“I see. Thank goodness.”
As Shirona responded to the comments, the department head beside her looked visibly relieved.
The camera caught that reaction perfectly.
[Lol.]
[The department head is relieved.]
[If you think about it calmly, of course.]
[Wait, I hear sizzling.]
[Is it steak?]
“Just like some of you guessed!
It’s steak—cut into bite-sized pieces, grilled and lightly salted!”
[Girls cooking in aprons is always nice.]
[Drake steak… what does it taste like?]
[Written out it sounds like a wyvern, but it’s a duck, right…]
“Wow, this is incredible.”
“Yes.
It really is.”
As the fat began to melt and release its aroma, the department head looked astonished.
Shirona nodded in agreement.
[Incredible?]
[What’s happening?]
[Is it the smell?]
“This smell… this is dangerous…”
[Wait, Ryo’s face is already…]
[No way, just from the smell?]
[Please explain why his face is faintly glowing.]
[Ryo’s face shines when he encounters delicious food.]
[Mocha P] I’ve never smelled such a rich duck aroma before.
[That explains nothing.]
[Mocha P, guilty.]
[Accept reality as it is.]
[?????]
[Mocha P] Even the staff off-camera look like they’re about to start drooling.
[Damn it, I want to be there.]
The comment section filled with shock and confusion.
Seeing that, Dia beckoned the camera closer and pointed at the frying pan.
“How about this view?”
The camera showed the pan right after the meat was flipped.
Crisp, perfectly seared skin.
The underside, still slightly rare, was being cooked by its own rendered fat.
The golden fat crackled and foamed violently, turning the salmon-pink meat into a lightly browned, milky white.
[AAAAAAHHHHHH.]
[I can tell through the screen.]
[What a dangerous image…!]
[If the smell is that strong too, this is insane.]
[Can everyone stay sane…!?]
“Alright.
That should do it.”
With the camera still fixed on the pan, Dia’s voice came from above.
The heat was turned off, the chorus of sizzling fat subsided, and the pieces were picked up one by one with chopsticks.
[The meat… the meat is disappearing…]
[Well, it’s just being plated, but still…]
[AAAAAAHHHHHH.]
[Camera, move!]
[Why are you still on the pan!?]
[Show Ryo or Dia at least!]
[Is streaming always this torturous?]
[Something’s being misunderstood here.]
[The pan is empty now…]
[Someone clear this up!]
[Nothing we say will sound convincing right now.]
[The pan’s empty, move the camera already!]
“Camera, over here, over here.”
Once again—from the viewers’ perspective—Dia’s voice came from above, and the camera moved.
“Sampling steak, complete.”
The camera showed the finished steak.
Bite-sized duck steaks were neatly arranged on a plate, each with a toothpick stuck in.
[Looks delicious.]
[Visually it’s normal, but looks good.]
[This is dangerous.]
[Hard to believe this is meat from a Named monster.]
“Sorry for the wait!”
Dia took the plate and left the kitchen, bringing it to the table where Ryo, Shirona, and the department head were seated.
“Ah, Mocha P, come grab some too—stay out of the camera frame.”
[Mocha P useless.]
[Mocha P guilty.]
[Damn you, Mocha P.]
[Is trashing Mocha P the Ryo Channel template?]
[It is, and Ryo approves.]
[But Ryo Channel doesn’t work without Mocha P, so respect is required.]
[I understand: Mocha P useless.]
[Got it, you bastard Mocha P.]
[Mocha P] Even the trash talk feels nice today.
[Damn it, lol.]
[I’m so jealous.]
“Alright then, everyone, it’s time to eat!
…But before that—Ryo Channel viewers!
Did you prepare your sunglasses!?”
As Dia spoke and pulled out sunglasses, Ryo looked at her in confusion.
[Yeah, that makes sense.]
[His face was already glowing from the smell.]
[I’ll go grab mine.]
[I’ve already got mine—schlick.]
“Ryo-san, you look confused, but this is your fault.”
[Sunglasses??]
[What do you mean?]
[If you’ve got them, put them on—schlick.]
Shirona chimed in and pulled out sunglasses from somewhere.
Even the department head was handed a pair.
“Ah, thank you, Mocha P.
But what are these for?”
[Seriously, why sunglasses?]
[The department head’s confusion is funny—schlick.]
[Not just him, the viewers are confused too.]
[You’d be weird not to be confused—schlick.]
“Why is ‘schlick’ flying around so much?
More importantly, can’t we eat yet?”
[The source of the problem tilting his head is gold—schlick.]
[But food > sunglasses.]
[I don’t get it, but I’ll put them on—schlick.]
[Mocha P] A strange template was born, but this is correct—schlick.
[Well, between meat and sunglasses, meat wins.]
“Uh… Mocha P too?”
With even Mocha P playing along, Ryo grew more confused.
“Well, well, Ryo-chan, don’t worry about the details.
Everything’s ready, so all that’s left is to eat.”
“If that’s the case, I won’t worry about it.”
[That was fast—schlick.]
[He really stopped caring immediately, didn’t he?]
“Um… is that really okay, Ryo-kun?”
“Yes.
Before chicken, all things in the universe are trivial.”
“I-I see…”
[That was said with complete seriousness—schlick.]
[The department head looks even more confused, lol.]
[The scale of his expectations for chicken is absurd.]
“Alright, let’s eat while it’s hot.
Department head, please join us.”
“Of course.
The aroma has been driving me crazy.”
And so, the four of them on camera said, “Let’s eat.”
It was a strange sight—everyone except Ryo was wearing sunglasses.
[So jealous… schlick.]
[This is the last chance to put on sunglasses—schlick.]
[Schlick.]
[Schlick.]
[Sutya.]
[Schlick.]
[I still don’t know why we need sunglasses—schlick.]
[You’ll understand soon—schlick.]
Just as the comments predicted.
A dazzling light suddenly overflowed from the left side of the screen.
[What?]
[It’s starting.]
[He’s shining.]
Even the staff grew restless, but Mocha P calmly instructed the cameraman.
In other words—film Ryo’s face.
“Mmm, that’s a nice glow.
Ryo-chan, is it good?”
“It’s really good…
Like… really… good…”
[He’s glowing with a melted expression.]
[The sunglasses—this is why.]
[How good is it, seriously…]
[So what does that mean?]
[Ryo’s face shines when he eats something delicious.]
[The brightness is a barometer of tastiness.]
[Which means it’s insanely delicious.]
[That explains nothing, but I accept it.]
[He’s getting brighter with every bite.]
[How good is this!?]
[I’m shocked everyone is just accepting Ryo’s glowing face.]
[Shining Ryo—are you from Celtic mythology?]
[Ryo-kun, bring that to the classroom right now.]
[Isn’t school off today?]
[He’s in remedial classes because of red marks.]
[Stop watching streams and attend your makeup classes, lol.]
“This is incredible…!
Even without Ryo-kun’s glow, it’s so good your face would shine!”
“It really is…
It’s definitely duck, but it’s a duck flavor I’ve never tasted before.”
[The department head and Shirona look blissful.]
[Even someone who seems used to fine food is impressed.]
“Ahhh… this is amazing…”
[Dia’s melted face.]
[This is bad.]
[She’s got the ‘eating face.’]
[So lewd.]
[She looks like she’s been given an aphrodisiac.]
[That expression would get censored if screenshot.]
[Does Dia always make that face?]
[Only when it’s beyond expectations.]
[So Drake’s meat exceeded expectations.]
[But it’s duck, right?]
[Mocha P] The duck’s distinctive sticky-sweet aroma is very strong.
[Mocha P] But despite that, the aftertaste is incredibly refreshing.
[Mocha P] It’s a sharp, clean duck flavor.
[Mocha P] And the duck’s umami is condensed to the extreme.
[Mocha P] It’s so good you lose words other than ‘delicious.’
[A clear food report finally, lol.]
[Mocha P competent but unforgiven.]
[Why is the no-face, no-voice guy the most detailed!?]
[Still can’t picture it even with that explanation.]
[Everyone looks ecstatic—there’s nothing weird in it, right?]
Gradually, no one paid attention to it anymore, but while everyone else shared impressions—and while Mocha P typed reviews into the comments—Ryo’s face continued to shine the entire time.
The left side of the screen was basically white.
Even after finishing, he was still glowing from the aftertaste.
“Ryo-chan, how do you want to eat this next?”
“That’s difficult…
I definitely want it fried, but…”
When Dia asked, Ryo hesitated.
[Here comes the fried chicken lover.]
[Why are you hesitating about how to eat it?]
[Mocha P] It’s because the simple steak was already too good.
[Mocha P] He’s worried anything else might be worse than the steak.
[That good!?]
[I really want to try it…!]
“I want to preserve the duck’s flavor, fulfill Ryo-chan’s request, and if possible, serve it to all the staff too…”
[That sounds incredibly greedy.]
[Is there even a dish that satisfies all that?]
As Dia, Ryo, Shirona, the department head, and even the comment section all fell into thought—
“Hm?
What is it, Mocha P?
Eh, you want to whisper instead of cue cards?
Okay.”
[Oh?]
[Did he think of something?]
[Whispering to Dia is guilty.]
[Mocha P competent but incompetent.]
[Unforgivable, Mocha P.]
“I see!
That definitely works!
That way we can have a duck dish rich in flavor and fried food for Ryo-chan!”
[That was a happy voice.]
[What are they making?]
“Ryo-chan, you can cook, right?”
“Huh?
Yeah, I can, but…”
[Ryo can cook.]
[A joint effort?]
[Shouldn’t we call it a collaboration?]
“It might be tough alone, so help me.”
“Understood.
If I can help.”
And so, Dia led Ryo into the kitchen.