Chapter 71

Sometimes, I get an uncontrollable urge to eat a hamburger.

"So, I'm making burgers for lunch today."

"...What's a burger?"

"Um, kind of like a cousin of a sandwich?"

Yūri's explanation made Yack tilt his head. The reason today's menu is burgers is simply because Yūri wanted to eat them. That's all. He had gotten used to life in this different world and had no complaints, but as a modern person, there were times when he craved junk food.

You know, don't you sometimes get an uncontrollable urge to go to a fast food restaurant? Don't you sometimes get an uncontrollable urge to eat a hamburger? Well, Yūri was in that kind of mood today.

Among the bread delivered today, there was a round bread that could be used as a bun if cut in half. It wasn't as fluffy as a bun, but it wasn't hard either. Yūri prepared a lot of these and was determined to make a hamburger set for lunch. French fries were easy to make, too.

"Yack, can you wash and cut the potatoes?"

"Peel them?"

"Hmm, I personally prefer them peeled, but it's less work, right?"

"I also prefer them peeled, so I'll peel them. After all, there are fewer people for lunch today, right?"

"Right, there are fewer people."

Usually, the apprentices who stayed at the hideout were out, leaving only Yack. Each of them had been given homework. The only one left to keep the house was Allie. So, it was just Yūri, Yack, and Allie. Among them, Allie ate the most, but it wasn't like she overate, so peeling the potatoes wasn't that much work.

So, Yack started peeling the potatoes with a peeler. French fries can be a matter of personal preference, whether they are peeled or not. Also, the thickness of the potatoes can be a matter of preference. But since there were two people who preferred them peeled, today's French fries would be peeled.

Yūri, who had entrusted the task of making the French fries to Yack, took a bowl out of the refrigerator. Inside was plenty of ground meat (today's mix was oak meat and bison meat). But it wasn't just ground meat anymore. It had been mixed with finely chopped onions, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, and pepper, and kneaded until it was sticky, making it a proper hamburger patty.

After all, what you need for a hamburger is a hamburger patty. What? Fish fillets or chicken cutlets are also good? Of course, there are many types of burgers, so I'll allow for that. But what Yūri wanted to make today was a classic hamburger. The patty inside would, of course, be a hamburger patty.

By the way, this hamburger patty had ketchup mixed in at the stage of making the patty. This is a housewife's wisdom, so you don't have to add ketchup when you eat it. Where is the housewife's wisdom? Well, it's to reduce the risk of a hamburger-loving child making a mess with ketchup around their mouth and on the table. Also, it prevents overuse of ketchup.

"By the way, we do have ketchup, right?"

"Did you say something?"

"No, just talking to myself~"

"Okay."

Yack reacted to Yūri's muttered words, but since it was just a monologue, Yūri laughed and said it was nothing. In this world, there was no mayonnaise, but ketchup existed. Yūri thought that if one existed, the other should too, but it didn't. Why?

Incidentally, the mystery was solved by Professor Jake, a scholar, on the day Yūri found the ketchup and wondered about it. Apparently, there was a tomato enthusiast among the scholars about a hundred years ago, known as the "Tomato Doctor." Captivated by the charm of tomatoes, he improved their varieties and started making processed products to make them even more delicious. That's why ketchup exists.

...It's proof that there are enthusiasts in every world who pour their passion into the wrong direction. Thanks to them, ketchup is easily available, so Yūri had no complaints. Tomato puree was also sold regularly.

"Anyway, I need to start cooking the hamburger patties~"

Yūri shaped the hamburger patties a bit thinner than usual and placed them on a heated frying pan. The sizzling sound of the meat cooking made Yack look at him intently. But Yūri, with a smile, told him, "Not yet," cutting off his appetite. He understood that Yack was hungry, but to make a hamburger set, they needed French fries, so he wanted Yack to work hard on preparing the potatoes.

After confirming that the patties were cooked halfway through, he flipped them to cook the other side. Even though they were thinner, they were still meat, so they needed to be cooked thoroughly to avoid any health risks. ...What? There are meats that can be eaten raw? That's a different story. A hamburger is a dish that should be cooked thoroughly to enjoy its juiciness.

Yūri, with practiced hands, shaped and cooked the hamburger patties one after another. The reason he made a fair number of them was that if there were leftovers, he could use them as a side dish for dinner. It was possible to make just enough hamburger patties for three people, but the amount of ground meat didn't match, so he decided to make all of them into patties.

He placed the cooked patties on a plate and started tearing and washing the lettuce. Meanwhile, Yack was deep-frying the cut potatoes to make French fries. The seasoning for the French fries was just salt. Of course, enjoying them with various flavors or dips is the charm of French fries, but Yūri wanted a simple hamburger set, so they would be salted. ...Basically, he was a man who didn't compromise when it came to making what he wanted to eat.

"...Yūri, are you going to put the hamburger patty in the burger?"

"Not just the patty, but also fish fillets, cutlets, and other things. Inside, you can have a hamburger patty, a fried egg, cheese, sliced tomatoes, and more."

"Really? All of that sounds delicious!"

"Well, it depends on your preference. ...Oh, do you want cheese, Yack? I don't usually put it on."

"Yes, please!"

"Got it."

Yūri, taking Yack's request into account, took the sliced cheese from the refrigerator. He placed the lettuce on the cut bread, followed by the hamburger patty. For his own, he just added the bread on top, but for Yack's, he added the cheese before the top bread. He made several simple hamburgers through this simple process.

He made sure to make enough for everyone to have at least two, in case they wanted seconds. There was plenty of hamburger patties, bread, and lettuce left, so they could make more if needed.

He arranged the finished hamburgers on a large plate and placed the French fries Yack made next to them. Usually, the only drinks served were tea or water, but this time, it was different. Since a hamburger set needed a drink, a mixed juice made from various fruits left in the refrigerator was added.

"Here, the hamburger set is ready~"

"Yūri, what's a hamburger set?"

"In my hometown, a hamburger set includes a hamburger, French fries, and a drink."

Of course, there were many other side dishes, but that wasn't relevant now. Yūri was happy that he had made a homemade hamburger set. ...Well, it might not be exactly like the ones from fast food restaurants, and it might not be considered junk food, but he wanted to eat it, so it was fine.

While Yūri carried the hamburger set on a tray to the table, Yack ran to call Allie, who was working in her room. A meal for just three people felt a bit lonely, but it was the only time they could try such adventurous menus. ...If there were more people, making hamburgers would be a daunting task.

"...So, what's for lunch today?"

"A hamburger set."

"What's that?"

"Think of it as a type of sandwich. The filling is a hamburger patty."

"I see."

Apparently satisfied that it wouldn't be a strange taste, Allie sat down quietly. Yack was already too excited. After all, his stomach had been growling since Yūri started cooking the hamburger patties. It was normal for a growing boy. Probably.

The three of them silently joined their hands and said in unison:

"Itadakimasu."

This had become a common greeting since Yūri joined the hideout of the "Scarlet Lynx." But he thought it was important to say "Itadakimasu" and "Gochisousama" as a cultural practice. Christians pray before meals, so "Itadakimasu" is also a good cultural practice.

Yūri reached for the hamburger. It was the hamburger he had been looking forward to. He could imagine the taste since he made it himself. The seasoning for the hamburger patty was his own. It would be different from the ones at fast food restaurants. Even knowing this, his face lit up with a nostalgic taste the moment he took a bite.

The fluffy bread, the crunchy lettuce, and the juicy hamburger patty all harmonized to create a single flavor. That's what a hamburger is. Without any complicated seasonings, each ingredient alone was enough to make a delicious meal.

"Mmm, hamburgers are really delicious."

"Yūri, Yūri!"

"What? What's wrong, Yack?"

"The cheese and hamburger patty go really well together!"

"Ah, yeah. I thought they would. There were cheese-in hamburgers too."

"What's that!? I want to try it!"

Yack, who was munching on a cheeseburger, enthusiastically praised the combination of cheese and hamburger patty, but Yūri casually brushed it off. Cheeseburgers, cheese-in hamburgers, and cheese-topped hamburgers were all familiar to him, so it wasn't something to get overly excited about. He just said he would make it next time. ...Making a cheese-in hamburger was actually quite challenging. He was secretly thinking about just topping it with cheese.

Meanwhile, Allie was eating her hamburger almost silently. But she wasn't eating slowly, so it seemed to suit her taste. She quickly finished one, and Yūri pointed to the kitchen.

"Allie, I made extra for seconds, so feel free to help yourself."

"Ah, thanks."

"Leader, leader, the one with cheese is mine!"

"Sure, sure."

Allie, nodding with a smile at the child's request to not take the cheeseburger, headed to the kitchen to get a simple hamburger. ...She didn't have a strong desire for cheese, so she went for a simple one.

By the way, the leftover hamburger patties were consumed as new hamburgers by the hungry children who said, "I want to eat!" before they could be used for dinner.

Personally, I like fish and chicken too!

But sometimes, I just get an uncontrollable urge to eat a simple hamburger patty.

Oh, and I also like the ones with bacon!

I look forward to your comments and feedback.