In the evening, Ryōsuke and Riko returned home together to her place above the gym.
The moment they opened the door, a delicious aroma wafted out, making Ryōsuke's stomach rumble. Though he usually enjoyed high-quality meals as the team's top-ranked player, two weeks of the same menu had left him craving variety, no matter how good the food was.
"Welcome home, my precious Riko!"
Kagetora, wearing an apron, rushed out with an eager smile that quickly turned to a frown when he spotted the visitor.
"Huh, it's you again, kid."
"Uncle Aida is cooking again? It smells great!" Ryōsuke greeted him with a smile.
During his previous emergency training sessions at the gym, Kagetora had handled most of his meals.
Though Riko occasionally cooked too, she focused solely on nutrition while ignoring taste and presentation — her cuisine could be called ahead of its time in terms of dietary science, if not palatability.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere. I'm only cooking for my precious Riko — you're just getting lucky, freeloader!"
"I understand, thank you very much, Uncle Aida."
Ryōsuke knew that beneath Kagetora's gruff exterior lay a kind heart, one that had offered him crucial guidance during training.
Besides, if not for Kagetora's cooking, Riko's meals might have done him in.
"Perfect timing! Dad, have you prepared the ingredients? I've learned a new signature dish these past few days. Let him try it! Just wait a moment, Ryōsuke!" Riko said with a smile before dashing into the kitchen.
Ryōsuke glanced at the couch, where several cookbooks lay spread out. She had clearly put considerable effort into preparing for his return.
"Hey kid, got a minute to talk?" Kagetora asked, watching his daughter bustle around the kitchen.
"Sure."
Ryōsuke settled onto the couch beside him.
"You're at the Blue Lock Project. It's quite insane, don't you think?"
"Yes." Ryōsuke nodded.
"So Ryōsuke, what do you think about this Blue Lock Project? That person was called Jinpachi Ego, right?" Kagetora's expression turned serious as he awaited an answer.
As a former national team player, he knew Blue Lock's true purpose — a plan to sacrifice the professional careers of 299 players.
"I don't agree with his methods." Ryōsuke replied, "Sacrificing 299 players' careers to create one super forward — I can't support such an ideology. It disrespects not just the players in Blue Lock, but players in all positions. Whether it's soccer or basketball, these aren't sports where individual skill alone determines victory. Team coordination matters most, and I'm staying in Blue Lock to prove his concept wrong."
"Good." Hearing his words, Kagetora nodded in satisfaction.
The two continued discussing Blue Lock for a while. After about thirty minutes, Riko emerged carrying a steaming dish.
"Ta-da! This is my masterpiece — beef stew with potatoes that I just learned to make!" She placed her creation on the dining table, proudly showcasing her culinary skills to Ryōsuke.
Ryōsuke stared at the dish, unable to utter a word.
The smell was normal enough. The plate did indeed contain beef and potatoes...
But it was one large, uncut chunk of beef. The potatoes were even more outrageous — not only were there two whole potatoes, but they still had their skins on.
Beef stew with potatoes — Riko had clearly misunderstood the concept of this dish.
"Um... Riko, did you learn this dish from these books?" His voice carried a slight tremor.
"Yes, but I only read the seasoning part! The rest was too troublesome, so I skipped it!"
"..."
"Come on, let's eat!"
The three sat around the table. Riko's mother was away on a business trip.
"Let me taste my precious Riko's cooking!" Kagetora picked up his chopsticks and aimed for the beef, but his chopsticks were intercepted mid-air by hers.
"The beef is for the professional player — it's rich in protein and very important." She said while deflecting her father's chopsticks and placing the meat in Ryōsuke's bowl, "Ryōsuke, eat! Dad can have the potatoes."
"Thank you very much!"
"Potatoes are fine too!" Kagetora immediately stuffed a whole potato into his mouth and chewed forcefully.
In an instant, his face turned ashen, his mouth twitching.
"What's wrong, Uncle Aida?!" Ryōsuke asked anxiously.
"It's nothing... As expected... as expected of my precious daughter's... urgh... gulp... cooking, it's really delicious! Urgh..."
Though Kagetora said this, the painful expression on his face was unmistakable. Ryōsuke could almost see his soul slowly floating up from the top of his head.
"Uncle, did you just make retching sounds?" Ryōsuke asked, startled by the unexpectedly potent effects of Riko's cooking.
He frowned in confusion — logically, even a poorly followed recipe shouldn't cause such a violent reaction.
"Riko, did you really season it according to the recipe?"
"Yes." She nodded with complete conviction.
"That's strange then..."
"But to supplement your nutrition, I also added some protein powder, electrolyte water, creatine chewables, and other supplements..."
"I see now." Ryōsuke's eyes widened in understanding.
He glanced at Kagetora, who — face contorted in agony — finally managed to force down the food by pounding his chest.
In that moment, his expression was that of a man who had made peace with his fate.
❖❖❖
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