My Scumbag System - Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Positive Reinforcement Tastes Delicious
“Satori?” Emi’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Where do these cups go?”

“Top shelf, left cabinet,” I answered.

She stretched up on her tiptoes. Strained to reach. Her fingers barely brushed the shelf. Before I could move, Hikari bounded over.

“I got it!” She took the cups from Emi. Placed them easily on the shelf. “Teamwork!”

“Thanks,” Emi smiled. That bright smile again.

“Next time just ask,” Hikari said. Flexed dramatically. “I am strong like bull!”

“Don’t you mean a bull?” Marco corrected. Laughed.

“Yes! That is what I said!”

Natalia rolled her eyes. But her smile remained. “English isn’t her first language,” she murmured to me. “But she refuses to admit when she gets phrases wrong.”

“She strikes me as someone who refuses to admit she’s wrong about anything,” I replied.

“You have no idea,” Natalia whispered. “This morning she insisted the proper way to make tea was to put the milk in first. I nearly committed murder.”

I surprised myself by laughing. The sound came out before I could stop it. Natalia looked equally surprised. But pleased.

“This is nice,” she said quietly.

“What?”

“This.” She gestured vaguely around the kitchen. “Working together. No pressure. No competition. Just cooperation.”

I nodded. “It won’t last.”

“No,” she agreed. “But it’s a start.”

The kitchen was clean within thirty minutes.

The small group stood back. Admired our work. Me, Natalia, Emi, Marco, Hikari, and Soomin. The counters gleamed. The floor shone. Even the sink looked like it might actually pass a health inspection.

“Good job, everyone,” I said simply.

“Dinner is going to be a challenge,” Emi mused. “After training with Braxton all day, no one’s going to have energy to cook.”

An idea began forming. “We could order in.”

“Again?” Natalia raised an eyebrow. “Isabelle’s credit card can’t feed us every night.”

“Not what I meant.” I pulled out my phone. Began tapping. “There’s a decent curry place near campus. I’ll have them deliver ingredients. Not finished meals.”

“You want us to cook?” Marco looked uncertain. “After Jaime’s chicken disaster?”

That had been a nightmare. Jaime had somehow managed to set water on fire. I still didn’t understand how that was physically possible.

“I want us to cook together,” I clarified. “Divide tasks based on skill instead of ego.”

Natalia caught on immediately. “Smart. Another teamwork exercise with an immediate reward.”

“Food is powerful motivation,” I agreed. “Even Raphael might participate if he’s hungry enough.”

“Can I help plan the menu?” Emi asked eagerly. “My family owns a restaurant. I know what ingredients work well together. Even if I’m not great at the actual cooking part.”

“Perfect,” I nodded. “You and Natalia handle the menu. Marco, you and Hikari will be on prep duty. Chopping, measuring, that sort of thing. Soomin, you said you can cook rice properly?”

She nodded shyly. “My mom taught me.”

“Then that’s your job. I’ll handle the actual curry.”

“What about the others?” Hikari asked.

I shrugged. “They can join or go hungry. Their choice.”

Natalia’s eyes gleamed with approval. “Very clever, Nakano. Positive reinforcement rather than punishment. Create something people want to be part of instead of forcing them to participate.”

“I had a good teacher,” I replied. Held her gaze.

A faint blush colored her cheeks. She quickly looked away. “Don’t get sentimental on me. It doesn’t suit you.”

But I could see the pleased smile she tried to hide.

The next hour was chaos of a different kind.

Emi and Natalia huddled over my phone. Debated ingredients with surprising intensity. Apparently curry was serious business.

“We need coconut milk,” Emi insisted.

“That’s Thai curry,” Natalia countered. “Japanese curry uses different spices.”

“We can do both! Make it fusion!”

“That’s not how fusion works.”

Marco and Hikari cleared off the dining table. Set up a prep station. Marco found a cutting board. Hikari discovered a set of knives that looked dangerously sharp. She waved one around experimentally.

“Please don’t stab yourself,” I said.

“I am very good with knife!” she protested.

“That’s what concerns me.”

Soomin timidly approached. “Um, where’s the rice cooker?”

“Bottom cabinet, left side,” I said.

She crouched down. Started rummaging. Found the rice cooker buried under a pile of mismatched Tupperware. Pulled it out with a small sound of triumph.

The grocery delivery arrived within twenty minutes. I’d paid extra for rush service. Worth it to keep the momentum going.

Bags of ingredients covered the counter. Vegetables. Spices. Meat. Rice. Coconut milk. Everything we needed for what was apparently going to be a Japanese-Thai fusion curry experiment.

This could either be amazing or a complete disaster. No in-between.

“Alright,” I said. Clapped my hands together. “Let’s do this.”

Marco and Hikari attacked the vegetables with enthusiasm. Maybe too much enthusiasm. Hikari chopped an onion so fast her hands were a blur. Marco carefully diced carrots with the concentration of a surgeon performing heart surgery.

Soomin measured out rice. Added water. Set the cooker. Her movements were careful. Methodical. She’d done this a thousand times before.

Emi and Natalia mixed spices. Debated ratios. Emi wanted more sweetness. Natalia preferred savory. They compromised on something in between.

I heated oil in a large pot. Started browning the meat. The sizzle filled the kitchen. The smell of cooking meat made my stomach growl. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.

“Onions ready!” Hikari announced. Dumped them into a bowl.

“Carrots too,” Marco added.

I tossed them into the pot. Let them cook down. Added the spice mixture. The aroma intensified. Rich. Complex. Promising.

The others started filtering in. Drawn by the smell of actual food being cooked.

Jacob appeared first. Pushed his glasses up nervously. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“You can set the table,” Natalia said. Handed him plates and utensils.

He nodded. Scurried off to arrange them.

Skylar removed her headphones. Watched us work. Didn’t offer to help. But didn’t leave either.

Even Akari put down her magazine. Drifted toward the kitchen. Wrinkled her nose at the mess we were making. But her stomach betrayed her with a loud gurgle.

“If you’re hungry, you can help,” I said. Didn’t look at her.

“Pass,” she said. But she stayed anyway. Hovering at the edge. Watching.

Raphael was the last to appear. He leaned against the doorframe. Arms crossed. Scowled at everyone. But his eyes tracked the pot on the stove.

“Smells decent,” he muttered.

High praise from him.

“Want to help?” I asked.

“No.”

“Then wait like everyone else.”

He grunted. But he stayed.

The curry simmered. Filled the house with an incredible smell. The rice cooker beeped. Perfect timing.

Soomin carefully scooped rice into bowls. Her hands steady now. Confident in this at least.

I ladled curry over the rice. The sauce was thick. Rich. The vegetables were tender. The meat fell apart at the touch of a spoon.

We’d actually pulled it off.

“Dinner’s ready,” I announced.

The stampede was immediate.

Everyone grabbed bowls. Found seats. The dining table filled up fast. People spilled into the living room. Sat on the floor. The couch. Anywhere they could find space.

I watched them eat. Saw their expressions change from skepticism to surprise to genuine enjoyment.

Even Raphael was eating. Grudgingly. But eating.

“This is actually good,” Skylar said. Sounded surprised.

“Of course it is,” Hikari said proudly. “We made it together!”

“Don’t get cocky,” I said. “Next time might be a disaster.”

“But this time isn’t,” Emi said. That bright smile again. “This time we did good.”

Yeah. We did.