Gourmet Girl Graffiti

Raised on her late grandmother’s belief that a good wife starts as a skilled cook, middle schooler Ryou Machiko has long taken pride in her talent in the kitchen. Lately, though, something feels off: her meals still look and smell wonderful, yet the flavor falls flat, leaving the quiet art student discouraged as she continues living on her own.

That changes when Ryou’s aunt arranges for Kirin Morino—her second cousin—to stay over on weekends while attending a Tokyo cram school with hopes of entering the same school as Ryou. With Kirin at the table, Ryou’s food suddenly tastes right again, revealing that it isn’t technique she’s been missing so much as the warmth of sharing a meal with someone close.