Tastes Like Mother's Cooking but She's Not the One Making It

"I'm...the type of man who can only eat food that was cooked by his own parents."

- Mike tells Nanaba the truth

Tastes Like Mother's Cooking but She's Not the One Making It (“おふくろの味”を作っていたのはおじさん) is the 6th chapter of the 3rd volume and the 22nd chapter overall of the Attack on Titan: Junior High manga, written and illustrated by.

Overview
Mike continues to withstand the urge to eat the food prepared by Gelgar and Nanaba. With the others beginning to get full on the large amounts of food, will they make it through the woods or will Mike be forced to eat something as well?

Summary
Gelgar and Nanaba go to the empty bowl that Hange had just consumed. Despite Mike not eating it, they are confident that they can get Mike to succumb to the desire of eating at some point. After the others arrive at the next meal, a plate of curry, Eld and Gunther look it over and decide someone has to eat it if they have any chance of getting out of the woods. Hange suddenly gets up and swiftly consumes the curry despite the protests of the others. Gelgar and Nanaba are surprised but are certain the next meal will get Mike once and for all.

Stumbling on a large table full of Korean barbecue, Mike's will begins to ebb and starts to show some fatigue (something noticed by Hange). Eld immediately dives in and starts eating, soon followed by Gunther and Oluo despite Hange's protests. Gelgar and Nanaba are shocked to see the students express a desire for more and that Mike has still not taken a bite of food. They pull out all the stops and create a massive ice-cream sundae. Mike resigns to eat it but Petra insists on having it instead. After finishing, the others have noticed that Mike has not eaten a single thing; he replies that it was his own decision and he notes that the food and portions are same to ones he has seen two people who attend the school use.

Just then, Gelgar and Nanaba emerge from the woods and proclaim that they did it in revenge to what Mike had done to them in the past. As the others wonder what Mike could have done, Mike reveals he was part of the school's cooking club and refused to eat anything Nanaba made, despite her showing much promise as a chef. Eventually the others wish to know the reason as well, and Mike reveals he cannot eat food that has not been made by his own parents. Mike explains that regardless of whether it is good or bad, he can not eat it and tells Nanaba that he could imagine the taste of her food. Suddenly, he takes a rice ball from Nanaba and eats it, promptly falling over due to the deliciousness. He goes to help them clean up the pots and pans, leaving the others stranded. Fortunately, Petra's father finds them, but believes they were up to no good and berates Petra for being in mixed company in the woods at night.