[color=darkorange]"...I wouldn't say I like to as much as I need to,"[/color] Chunjiro says, smiling a bit. He initially doubted this was even going to work, but with each passing minute, Haru seems less nervous and the atmosphere less heavy. It's a weight off his shoulders, and he hopes this is a good sign of things to come. The sooner he can hold a conversation with her, the better. 

Standing on his tiptoes to pull a bowl down from a cabinet above the stovetop, Chunjiro glances at Haru, and is delighted to see her smiling. Does she likes to cook? [color=darkorange][i]I bet her and Makia would be great friends.[/i][/color] In fact, they really haven't met each other's families; maybe one day, they can all share a meal together... The mental image makes his cheeks warm, but it's a pleasant feeling, imagining them at the table, sitting next to each other--aaand now it's embarrassing. Geez, if even a thought makes him nervous, how will he ever get used to the real deal? Even if he does want to cook with her, he isn't sure his heart can handle it...

[color=darkorange]"It was good,"[/color] he agrees, thinking back to the stews, the dumplings, the long, juicy noodles... [color=darkorange]"I didn't like being stared at, but I thought the ramen was... delicious."[/color]

Like any teenage boy, Chunjiro is immediately enthralled by the concept of good food. So, Haru cooking only adds more points to his [i]list of my wife's charming features,[/i] a new and rapidly-growing mental checklist that is kind of making Chunjiro question his sanity.

[color=darkorange]"Ah, no, i-it's fine!"[/color] He didn't think she was rambling at all, but Haru seems to be very self-critical. He wishes he could just... tell her not to worry. But would that be too presumptuous of him? [color=darkorange]"Believe me,"[/color] he says quietly, as an idea occurs to him. [color=darkorange]"M-my brother, Takeru, he never stops talking. Besides, I like... learning about what you... like."[/color] After that extremely embarrassing admission, Chunjiro avoids her eyes and hopes he doesn't look as ridiculous as he thinks he sounds. Silence quickly descends. Scratch that, it didn't work. They're both awkward, [i]again[/i].

[color=darkorange]"A-anyway,"[/color] Chunjiro says after a minute or two, no longer able to bear the awful quiet, blushing but determined to make it out alive, [color=darkorange]"the well is out in the courtyard... Would you like to come along? We can make the rice together, if you wish. And, I can escort you to the market, after breakfast. I-I know this is all new to you, but please, don't ever feel like you have to bear it alone... I am your h-h-husband now, so you can tell me if there's anything you need."[/color]