Ooh, this lunch box looks pretty great.

Oh, if it isn't Kanata. What a coincidence!

Eli! Hey there! Out shopping?

Yes. Is that a lunch box you're holding, Kanata? It's adorable.

I know, right? It's gonna be Haruka's new lunch box. *Giggle* Now she'll have one for every day of the week.

Every day of the week? You have that many lunch boxes?! Wow. I suppose it must be fun looking forward to a different one every day, though.

Haruka's your little sister, right? You make her lunches, then?

Yup. Hers and my own.

I'm so jealous she gets to eat your lunch boxes all the time! I've become absolutely obsessed with your food ever since that hiking trip.

Every dish was so intricate, but the flavors weren't overly rich. I'd call them gentle and heart-warming, like real home cooking.

*Giggle* Wow, I'm being showered with compliments! I really appreciate it. Hearing you say that makes cooking worthwhile.

What's your secret to making such delicious meals? What kind of methods do you use when putting a lunch together?

Hmm? Let's see… First I think about who'll be eating my food, and envision them eating it.

So when I'm cooking for Haruka, I think about her face, her favorite foods, what she ate for dinner the night before and breakfast in the morning, and her plans for the day.

You really take a lot of things into consideration.

If she had meat the day before, then I'll make her lunch with fish for variety. If she had a light breakfast or has PE on that day, then I'll bulk it up.

I come up with a menu that'll keep her full throughout the day so she won't get hungry and cranky, as well as making sure it's nutritionally balanced, healthy, and satisfying.

Then, while I'm making it, I focus hard on filling it up with all my love, love, love, love, love, love, love for Haruka! That's about it.

Now I get it. Your lunches are filled with love for your little sister, or whoever else you're cooking for. That's why they taste so good!

That's right. Love is the ultimate spice, after all!