"Oh, uh, thanks for the sendup, Miura-san, but it's really nothing much. It just happens that part of my work is awesome, so I can put my heart into it, I guess." Hisao smiled as he scratched his head. "I mean, more than a part. Really anything that's not paperwork or rote documentation is really interesting. I'm just fortunate that I can do some R&D and still stick in Ninth."
He gave a hesitant laugh as Kaimu laughed himself. "Er, 'Norma-tan?' D-did you actually call Captain Higgins by a pet name?" That was seriously nothing short of impressive. From what Hisao could surmise, Kaimu's throat was definitely not blasted out, so...
"She must have really liked you if you're still calling her that now." Captain Higgins's iron law was a little joke among Hisao's company. She was incontestably overqualified for her position, and probably the best at it just by seniority alone. Strict as she was, Hisao guessed she did have her soft spots.
"Aah... Oh!"
Masaru's declaration caught him a little by surprise. In the amount of time it took him to speak with Kaimu, he had almost forgotten about the curry. His nose obviously hadn't and he accepted the Captain's proffered bowl with thanks. "Oh, wow, it really does smell good. Nothing like homemade."
And as the curry hit his taste buds, he learned that "good" was an understatement. His own preference of curries generally longer hours (or clever magical/alchemical cheating) to prepare, but the Shirakawa household's dish wasn't messing around.
"Oh, wow. I can see why you were wanting to learn this recipe. This is really good, Captain. Thanks so much for the meal."