Chapter 3: Culinary Training
Saturday,
the week of the ball game tournament.
Weekends
are usually days I can sleep in if I have nothing else to do, but today I woke
up a little early.
That's
because I have something important to do.
An
errand that I'm both looking forward to and a little terrified of.
I'd
say it's about 80% excitement and 20% fear.
“Yawn…
Morning, Rie.”
When
I went down to the living room, Rie was already up and in the middle of making
breakfast.
Her
hair was in its usual side-tail, held by a slightly understated and cute
scrunchie.
“Morning,
Onii-chan. This is rare, you're up early today.”
“I
have something to do today. I won't be needing lunch.”
I'd
already told her last night, but I said it again just to be sure.
“Mhm,
I know. Maybe I'll go eat out for a change.”
“Rie,
you don't have any plans today?”
“Eh?
Yeah. I don't have any plans to hang out with friends, and I've already
finished my homework.”
“I
see… Hmm, hey Rie, why don't you come with me today?”
“Eh?
Why? Onii-chan, don't you have a date with Sei-san today?”
“No,
Sei-chan is part of the group, but it's not a date.”
“Is
it a get-together with a bunch of close friends? If so, I feel like it'd be
even more awkward for me to go.”
“It's
not exactly a get-together, either.”
“…What
on earth are you doing?”
“…Cooking
training, I guess?”
“Eh,
Sei-san can't cook? That's surprising, I thought she could.”
“No,
Sei-chan is an amazing cook. The problem is one of Sei-chan's friends. The plan
is to teach that girl how to cook. So, what do you think, Rie? Want to come?”
After
explaining that much, I looked at Rie's reaction. She seemed a little hesitant.
“Is
it really okay for someone like me to go? Won't I be in the way?”
“You
won't be in the way. Besides, you're an incredible cook, Rie. I think you'd be
more than welcome.”
“I-It's
not like I'm that good…”
“No,
no, you always make delicious meals for us.”
“A-Anyone
can do that much.”
“If
anyone could do it, a girl like Fujise wouldn't exist…”
This
is a girl that even Sei-chan, who cares so much for her friends, is on the
verge of giving up on.
“So,
what'll it be? Of course, I won't force you.”
“Hmm,
if I can get an okay from Sei-san and her friend, I think I'll go.”
“Oh,
got it. I'll message them then. Also, today's group includes Sei-chan, her
friend who can't cook, and one other person.”
“Who?
The one who came to our house before, Shigemoto-san?”
“No…
an Ojōsama, I'd say.”
“An
Ojōsama?”
To
describe that person, the word Ojōsama is probably a perfect fit.
After
that, I sent a RINE message to today's group asking if my little sister, Rie,
could join.
I
also told them that she's a good cook, so I thought she'd be a big help.
Sei-chan
already knew Rie, so she gave an immediate OK, and Fujise said—
‘I'd
be happy to have her teach me!’
And
as for that Ojōsama, Tōjōin-san, she seemed to be okay with it too.
When
I told Rie that everyone had agreed, she looked half-delighted and
half-anxious.
“I'm
happy, but will it be okay? I hope I won't be in the way.”
“You'll
be fine. You're a great cook, Rie, and you're a super nice girl.”
I
patted her on the head to reassure her.
“Wh-Why
are you patting my head, Onii-chan!”
“Well,
you looked so anxious, Rie, and it was cute.”
“Th-That's
not a reason!”
Rie
pulled away to escape my hand.
“S-So,
what time are we leaving?”
“Around
11 o'clock, I think. She said she'd come pick us up around then.”
“Pick
us up? What do you mean?”
“Well,
that's a surprise for when the time comes.”
Rie
didn't seem to understand what I was saying, but she got ready by eleven
anyway.
For
clothes, she was of course not in her uniform or loungewear, but in a casual
outfit.
She
wore a tight red shirt with a pretty white cardigan, and on the bottom, a black
skirt that came to about her upper thigh.
It
was very simple but cute, and it suited Rie perfectly.
Her
shoes were red pumps with a slight heel, matching the color of her shirt.
“You
look cute, Rie. That really suits you.”
“Th-Thanks…”
Her
cheeks flushing slightly, Rie tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as
if to hide her embarrassment.
Her
hair was in its usual side-tail, but a different outfit really changes her
whole impression.
I
was also in casual clothes, of course, wearing dark-colored jeans, a white
shirt, and a slightly dressy jacket over it.
I
might have overdone it a little, but considering where we're going, it's
probably for the best.
And
then, at the promised time of 11 o'clock, Rie and I stepped out of the house…
“I've
kept you waiting, Hisamura-kun. And your younger sister.”
“No,
we weren't waiting.”
“Is
that so? Good. Then, get in.”
In
front of our house stood the Ojōsama, Tōjōin Kaori, with a limousine behind
her.
While
the limousine was black, the dress Tōjōin-san was wearing was a pure white
one-piece.
A
large black belt was wrapped around her waist, emphasizing its slenderness and
making her figure look even better.
Her
golden hair flowed elegantly, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there
was no outfit more befitting the word Ojōsama.
“E-Eh?
I-Is this a limousine?”
Yeah,
that's how you'd react seeing one for the first time.
The
first time I saw it, I was also surprised when it was suddenly right in front
of me when I invited Yūichi over.
But
I knew Tōjōin-san was that kind of Ojōsama, and I knew from the original story
that she rode in a limousine, so my surprise was probably less than Rie's.
“Hisamura-kun's
younger sister, your name was Rie-san, wasn't it? A pleasure to meet you. I am
Tōjōin Kaori.”
“T-Tōjōin-san…!”
Rie
looked at me timidly, a questioning glance in her eyes.
Even
though she was in a lower grade, if she went to the same high school, she must
have at least heard the name Tōjōin Kaori.
With
a nervous expression, Rie returned the greeting.
“N-Nice
to meet you, I'm Hisamura Rie. Onii-chan is always in your care.”
“No,
on the contrary, he has helped me a great deal. So much so that I have a debt I
can never repay.”
“Eh…!”
Rie's
eyes widened in surprise at Tōjōin-san's words.
She
probably never imagined that her own older brother had done a favor for the
Tōjōin Kaori.
Actually,
I'm surprised too.
A
debt? What did I do?
“Hisamura-kun,
that's the face of someone who doesn't remember.”
“Ah,
sorry. Did I do you a favor, Tōjōin-san?”
“It
was at the amusement park. You gave me that pep talk, didn't you?”
“…Ah!
That!”
She
was talking about our amusement park date the other day, when Tōjōin-san had
decided not to interfere with Yūichi and Fujise, but I told her, “You should
interfere.”
It's
true that if I hadn't been there, Tōjōin-san would have done nothing and Yūichi
would have been stolen away.
But
I kind of overstepped my bounds there, and it was only because I entered the
world of this manga, so calling it a debt feels a bit presumptuous…
“You
don't have to think of it as such a big debt. I just did that on a whim.”
“Thanks
to your whim, I still have a chance to marry Yūichi, and my relationship with
my Father has improved as well.”
That's
right, I meddled in the relationship between Tōjōin-san and her father.
…Thinking
about it now, I said some pretty crazy things, didn't I?
“Fufu,
there are many things I'm curious about, but that can wait. For now, get in the
car, both of you.”
“Ah,
yeah, thanks.”
“E-Excuse
me…”
Rie
and I got into the incredibly luxurious and wonderful limousine, but we both
sat down feeling rather out of place.
The
limousine seats were softer and more comfortable than any sofa, but I didn't
feel at ease.
Rie
seemed to feel the same way; even though there was a backrest, she sat up
straight without leaning against it.
Tōjōin-san
chuckled at the sight and spoke to Rie.
“You
can relax. We'll be stopping by Fujise-san's and Shimada-san's places, so it'll
be a bit of a ride. You'll get tired if you stay so stiff.”
“Ah,
thank you, Tōjōin-senpai.”
“Fufu,
how adorable. I've never had anyone I could call a junior, so I'm happy you
called me senpai. You can call me by my first name, Kaori.”
“I-Is
that okay?”
“Yes.
And may I call you Rie-san?”
“Of
course, Kaori-senpai. It's an honor.”
“It's
a pleasure, Rie-san.”
Whoa,
Tōjōin-san has taken a liking to Rie.
I
was a little worried about having these two meet.
That's
because in the original story, the two of them were like cats and dogs.
In
the original story, Rie meets Tōjōin-san while she's in the “I like Yūichi”
phase, so their first impressions of each other are the absolute worst.
The
way they're calling each other by name now—in the original story, they both
used surnames.
As
someone who knows the original story, hearing them use first names feels a
little strange.
Well,
in this world, Rie doesn't like Yūichi, at least for now.
I
don't know what will happen from here on out…
“Ara,
you cook every day, Rie-san? That's amazing.”
“N-No,
I'm just used to it…”
“Even
if you're used to it, you must have put in a lot of effort to get to that
point. And it's still an amazing thing, you know.”
“Ah,
thank you…”
They're
getting along so well right now.
This
is a sight I never saw in the original story.
I
don't know what the future holds, but them getting along can't be a bad thing.
As Rie's older brother, I'm very happy to see her get along with all sorts of people.
Ah,
but it's not okay for her to get friendly with guys, especially Yūichi.
If
Rie falls for Yūichi, she's guaranteed to be the losing heroine, so she's
better off not doing that.
“You're
so adorable, Rie-san. It's almost a waste for you to be Hisamura-kun's younger sister.
Would you like to become my younger sister?”
“Hold
on a second. Why are you suddenly trying to sweet-talk my little sister?”
That
was sudden, Tōjōin-san.
Did
you take that much of a liking to Rie?
I'm
shocked. Has it even been ten minutes since you met?
“I'm
an only child, you see. So I've often wished for a younger sister.”
“I
see.”
Yeah,
I know that from reading the original story.
“So
if Rie-san becomes my younger sister, doesn't that solve everything?”
“That
makes no sense.”
It's
true that Rie is a very cute and incredibly good-natured little sister, but Rie
is my little sister.
“What
do you say, Rie-san?”
“Eh,
are you serious? For real?”
When
I asked that, Tōjōin-san smiled at me.
No,
which is it? I can't tell.
If
she's serious, I can't let her be taken away, not even by Tōjōin-san.
Just
as I was about to interject…
“I'm
sorry, Kaori-senpai. I'm part of the Hisamura family… and I'm Onii-chan's
little sister.”
“Rie…!”
Rie
looked down, not meeting my eyes or Tōjōin-san's as she spoke.
But
I could see that her cheeks were red.
Rie,
what a wonderful thing to say…!
“Onii-chan
can't manage on his own, so I think he'd die right away if I weren't around!”
“No,
no, that's not true. Wait, is that really the reason?”
“O-Of
course.”
Just
when I thought she'd said something so sad… knowing Rie's personality, this is
probably just her way of hiding her embarrassment.
Hah,
she's so cute.
I'm
a lucky guy to have a little sister like this.
“Wh-What
is it, Onii-chan? Why are you grinning like that?”
“Oh,
it's nothing. I was just thinking how cute you are, Rie.”
“Y-You're
making fun of me!”
“No,
no, of course not. There's no way your Onii-chan would ever make fun of you,
Rie.”
“You're
grinning! You're such a dummy, Onii-chan!”
I
can't help it if the corners of my mouth turn up. It's Rie's fault for being so
cute.
“Ara,
ara, to turn me down and then immediately start flirting right in front of me…
you've got some nerve, Rie-san.”
“W-We're
not flirting! Who'd flirt with a dummy Onii-chan like this!”
“Fufu,
you two seem to get along so well, it's heartwarming. I really did want a
younger sister like you, Rie-san. I'm quite envious of you, Hisamura-kun.”
“Heh,
I won't give Rie to anyone, not even you, Tōjōin-san.”
When
I said that, Tōjōin-san gave a smirk.
Hm?
What's that? She looks like she's plotting something.
“We
should be arriving at Shimada-san's house soon. It seems Fujise-san is with
her, so this will be everyone.”
“R-Right.”
This
is a little scary… is she planning to do something?
I
don't know, but since I don't know what it is, I have no way of stopping it.
After
that, the limousine came to a stop… it stopped so smoothly. As expected of a
first-class driver.
Tōjōin-san
got out of the limousine to go get Fujise and Sei-chan.
The
limousine door opened again right away, and the three of them got in.
“Whoa,
a limousine… This is my first time riding in one.”
“Mine
too, of course, but this is just like you, Tōjōin.”
It
seemed Fujise and Sei-chan were also surprised by the limousine.
“Ah,
you're Rie-chan, right?”
“Yes,
I'm Hisamura Rie. It's nice to meet you.”
“I'm
Fujise Shiho, nice to meet you too! You can just call me Shiho, Rie-chan.”
“Okay,
Shiho-senpai.”
Rie
and Fujise were greeting each other since it was their first time meeting.
Fujise
was wearing a blue blouse and white shorts, a very spring-like, refreshing, and
cute outfit.
Fujise
is friendly, so they'll probably get along right away.
“Morning,
Sei-cha… Shimada.”
“…Morning,
Hisamura. And with this group, you can use that name. But be careful.”
“Ahaha,
sorry, Sei-chan. I'll be careful.”
Because
I used the wrong name, Sei-chan was glaring at me with half-lidded eyes.
It's
super cute, but I need to be careful too.
Sei-chan's
outfit today is… so cute it hurts.
It
doesn't show her stomach like her amusement park date outfit did, but Sei-chan
is cute even without that.
She's
wearing dark-colored jeans like me. Sei-chan's legs are so long and slender
that the jeans look beautiful and suit her perfectly.
…I
wonder if she ever wears shorts or skirts.
I'd
love to see it, but I might die if I do.
I'll
have to be careful about that.
On
top, she's wearing a simple, pale gray knit sweater. The way she's wearing it
oversized and loosely is adorable.
And
since the neckline is a little loose, my heart pounds a little, wondering if I
might see something if I peeked.
I'm
sure that's not the case, though.
“Sei-chan,
you look really cute today. It suits you.”
I
whispered into Sei-chan's ear so the others couldn't hear.
“Th-Thank
you…”
Sei-chan's
cheeks turned red, and she thanked me while covering her mouth with her hand.
Even
that gesture is so cute.
And
so, with everyone on board, the limousine set off once more.
Rie
seemed nervous again meeting Fujise, but after talking for a bit, she quickly
warmed up to her.
Fujise
has the kind of personality that lets her get along with anyone. She's really
something.
“Anyway,
Hisamura-kun, I didn't know you had such a cute little sister.”
“C-Cute?
I'm not really…”
“I
never told you, Fujise. She's my pride and joy. I'm not handing her over to
you.”
“I
didn't say I wanted her, but if she's this cute, maybe I do want a little
sister like her.”
With
that, Fujise threw her arms around Rie.
“Ah,
um, well…”
Rie,
unsure how to react, froze up.
“Shiho,
you're making Rie uncomfortable.”
“Ah,
sorry, Rie-chan.”
“N-No,
it's okay.”
“Rie,
Shiho isn't a bad person. She just loves cute girls and gets a little carried
away sometimes, so please forgive her.”
“Hey,
Sei-chan, stop introducing me like that!”
“Fufu…”
Watching
Sei-chan and Fujise's exchange, Rie let out a modest laugh.
“But
Rie-san is such a good girl, I'd like her for a little sister, too.”
“Right,
Tōjōin-san?”
“But
when I asked if she'd be my younger sister earlier, Rie-san turned me down.”
“What
are you doing, Tōjōin… Don't bother Rie so much.”
Hearing
Tōjōin-san's words, Sei-chan spoke with exasperation.
Then…
Tōjōin-san gave a sly grin.
It
was the same look she had before, like she was plotting something.
“That's
why I'm so jealous of you, Hisamura-kun. Right, Fujise-san?”
“You're
right, Tōjōin-san. I'm an only child, after all. Sei-chan, you have an Onii-san*,
don't you?”
[T/N - *Means big brother]
“Ah,
that's right. But I do think I'd like a little sister like Rie.”
“N-Now,
Sei-san, you too…!”
It
was like a Rie harem was forming.
Rie's
face was bright red, and she looked embarrassed. How cute.
It
seems everyone likes Rie, but she's my little sister.
“Ara,
I'm jealous of you too, Shimada-san.”
“Hm?
You mean because of my older brother?”
“No,
that's not it. Because──someday, Rie-san will become your younger
sister, won't she?”
“Hm?
What do you mean… !?”
The
moment Sei-chan started to ask, her face flushed bright red as she realized the
meaning.
At
the same time, I covered my own reddening face with one hand.
Damn…
So this is what Tōjōin-san was aiming for…!
“I
don't know how many years it will be, but the soonest would be about a year, I
suppose?”
We're
second-years in high school, still seventeen.
The
earliest Sei-chan could have Rie as a little sister is when she turns eighteen…
Damn it, this is doing a lot of damage to me, too.
“How
wonderful, to have someone as cute as Rie-san become your younger sister.”
“Ugh,
y-you…!”
Her
face beet red, Sei-chan kept glancing between Rie and me.
Stop
it, Sei-chan. It just makes me even more conscious of it.
What
kind of strategy is this, Tōjōin-san?
She's
dealing damage to both me and Sei-chan, and with Rie here, she's made it
difficult for Sei-chan to deny it.
If
she denied it, it would sound like she doesn't want Rie as a little sister.
“Don't
you agree, Fujise-san? It's something to be very envious of.”
“Fufu,
you're right! You're so lucky, Sei-chan.”
“S-Shiho,
you too, what are you saying…!”
Yeah,
that's right. In times like these, Fujise always joins the other side.
Sei-chan
is looking at me for help, but I have a feeling that if I say anything here,
it'll only make things worse.
“Rie-chan,
would you be happy if Sei-chan became your Onee-chan?”
“S-Shiho,
what are you asking…!”
“…Fufu,
yes, I'd be very happy.”
Rie,
you too?
Rie
obviously understands what's going on, but she's joined their side.
Rie,
who was so embarrassed just a moment ago, is now trying to humiliate me and
Sei-chan.
“Because
Sei-san is very kind, beautiful, cute, and cool.”
“W-Well,
that, I'm honestly happy to hear that, but…”
“Fufu,
Rie-chan, shouldn't you practice? You know, what to call her and all.”
“S-Shiho,
that's enough…!”
“…Sei…
onee-chan.”
“──!”
“Fufu,
I'm a little embarrassed myself.”
Rie
said, her cheeks flushing slightly, but the one whose face turned an even
deeper shade of red was Sei-chan.
To
think Rie would deliver the finishing blow.
And
the way Rie said it was so cute. Having a Onee-chan sounds nice, too.
“Ara,
Hisamura-kun. Are you just going to stand there and say nothing while your
girlfriend is being humiliated?”
Now
the fire has spread to me.
It
seems Tōjōin-san isn't going to let me off the hook.
What
am I supposed to do? I have no idea.
It's
impossible to save her from this. In fact, she's probably been thoroughly
humiliated by now.
“…Please,
give me a break.”
“Ara,
a break from what? Hisamura-kun, it seems Rie-san wants an older sister. You
could at least tell us how many years it will be, couldn't you?”
“Fufu,
I want to know too, Hisamura-kun.”
“Onii-chan,
what's the answer?”
“P-Please,
stop…!”
…After
that, Sei-chan and I were teased relentlessly until we arrived at Tōjōin-san's
house.
Fortunately,
we arrived at the Tōjōin residence about ten minutes after Fujise and Sei-chan
got in the car.
Though
it seemed like Tōjōin-san and Fujise still hadn't had their fill of teasing…
The
moment we arrived at the Tōjōin estate, that feeling vanished, at least for
Fujise.
“W-Wow…!”
Fujise
couldn't help but murmur as she saw the mansion from inside the limousine.
Besides
Fujise, Rie and even Sei-chan's eyes were wide.
Outside
the window was a grand mansion unlike anything I'd ever seen.
Well,
I might have seen a mansion this big in manga, but you'd never see one in real
life.
…Then
again, this was the world of a manga.
I
knew from reading the original story that Tōjōin's house was this big, but
seeing it in person was so incredible it was almost laughable.
“Please
wait a moment. I'm having the gate opened now.”
“A
g-gate…”
The
limousine had stopped, but it was waiting for the gate to open so we could
enter the mansion's grounds.
That
must mean the estate has a garden large enough for a limousine to drive
through.
…This
is seriously amazing.
Then,
a gate larger than the one at school opened, and the limousine entered the
property.
As
we approached the massive mansion, the limousine finally stopped, and we got
out.
The
mansion was so big we had to look up, and the entrance door was so magnificent
it felt more appropriate to call it a gate.
“So
you really are an Ojōsama, Tōjōin-san…”
Fujise
muttered in a daze.
“Ara,
what else did you think I was?”
“Well,
I thought you were an Ojōsama, but this is incredible…”
“To
me, this place doesn't seem that large… but I suppose to an ordinary person,
this house is big.”
“Eh?
You have a house bigger than this?”
“I
have a villa overseas that's several times this size.”
“…I
can't even imagine.”
Several
times… this size. Just as Fujise said, it's a world unimaginable to the common
person.
“Have
you seen enough of the exterior? I'm going in now.”
Tōjōin-san
said and walked toward the door, so we followed behind her.
Just
then, I ended up next to Sei-chan, and our eyes met…
“!”
Sei-chan's
face flushed bright red, and she looked away from me.
Just
a moment ago, she was being teased so relentlessly about whether or not she
would marry me. I guess that reaction is to be expected.
I
felt so embarrassed myself that I almost looked away, too.
But
Sei-chan's blushing face is cute.
When
we entered the mansion, the inside was, as expected, ridiculously spacious and
luxurious.
We
found ourselves looking around at the overly large entryway, the excessively
high ceilings, and the chandeliers.
Only
Tōjōin-san seemed accustomed to it as she walked right in.
“Well
then, what shall we do? If you want to practice cooking in the kitchen right
away, I'll show you the way.”
“R-Right…
Could you?”
Today's
purpose was for Fujise to practice her cooking.
Fujise
is truly terrible at cooking. Magnificently terrible.
So
bad that even Sei-chan threw in the towel.
Sei-chan
had asked me to help before, saying, “Hisamura, you have to help me,” but
honestly, I just thought, “What kind of punishment game is this?”
After
all, the role of taste-tester becomes that of a poison-taster, with a high
probability of passing out.
That's
why when I heard Tōjōin-san and Sei-chan would have to do a punishment game
depending on who lost their match in the ball sports tournament, I immediately
thought of helping Fujise with her cooking.
Just
helping Fujise cook was a punishment game in itself, but for Tōjōin-san, it
meant she had to help her rival in love.
And
in cooking, no less, where she held a huge advantage.
When
I suggested it to Sei-chan, she adopted the idea immediately.
When
I told Tōjōin-san about the punishment game, she said it was deeply humiliating
but agreed to do it.
So
today was Fujise's cooking training at Tōjōin-san's house.
Tōjōin-san
guided us through the enormous mansion.
All
the while, we, the invited guests, couldn't help but glance around.
I
mean, there were butlers and maids around, and they bowed their heads every
time we passed.
Tōjōin-san
was used to it, but it was only natural for us to feel out of place.
As
we were walking down the hallway… a man approached from the opposite direction.
Wait,
that person is…!?
“Father!?”
Tōjōin-san,
who was walking at the very front, stopped and cried out.
“Eh,
Tōjōin-san's father is…”
Fujise
couldn't help but mutter it… and yes, it was just as everyone was thinking.
The
president of a massive corporation with total assets exceeding one quadrillion
yen… Tōjōin Kōki.
He
looked so youthful it was hard to believe he was over forty, with short, neat
black hair that clearly showed his ears.
His
features were very well-defined, and his eyes resembled Tōjōin-san's.
No,
wait, is it the other way around? Tōjōin-san resembles her Father.
As
her Father approached in a suit with a blank expression, our tension, including
Tōjōin-san's, ratcheted up.
“Kaori,
good morning. Have you been well?”
“G-Good
morning, Father. Yes, thanks to you.”
With
a tense look on her face, Tōjōin-san forced a stiff smile.
I'm
sure our backs, standing behind her, were even straighter than before.
For
some reason, her Father furrowed his brow for a moment, but he quickly turned
his face toward us.
“Are
these people your friends, Kaori?”
“Y-Yes,
they are my friends, and I've invited them to the house today.”
“I
see. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Kaori's father, Tōjōin Kōki.”
“I-It's
a pleasure to meet you. I'm Fujise Shiho.”
Fujise
spoke first, and the rest of us followed her lead with our own greetings.
Rie
and Sei-chan also greeted him, looking a little nervous, and finally, it was my
turn.
“I'm
Hisamura Tsukasa.”
“…So
you're Hisamura-kun.”
“Eh?”
He
knows my name? Why?
“You've
been a great help. Thank you.”
“Eh,
eh, no, for what…?”
“The
other day, Kaori called me. I heard it was your words that prompted her to make
that call.”
“Ah,
that.”
I
can't believe Tōjōin-san told him about me in relation to that phone call.
Tōjōin-san
had said she owed me one, but I didn't think it was that big of a deal.
“I
wanted to thank you. Thank you very much.”
“N-No,
really, I didn't do anything that great.”
“To
us, it was a great thing. For now, as a token of my gratitude, please take
this.”
I
accepted the piece of paper his Father took from his breast pocket with both
hands.
What
is this?
…Eh,
a check?
“I'd
like to say 'any amount you like,' but I'm afraid the upper limit is ten
billion. My apologies.”
“Eh,
eh, ah, huh?”
I
have no idea what he's saying.
Ten
billion, as in ten billion yen…?
…No,
no, no, no, no!?
“I-I
can't accept something like this!? And there's no way I could write such an
amount!”
“Is
that so? Then, I have a small villa in Karuizawa about the size of this house.
You don't want that?”
“I
don't want it!”
What
do you mean, a small villa the size of this house?
This
is a massive mansion!
“I
see. I can't think of what you might want right now, but I'd like to send you a
gift of thanks eventually.”
“Your
sentiment is more than enough…”
“I
can't let it go at that. You melted the ice within our family.”
With
that, his Father looked at Tōjōin-san and smiled gently.
Tōjōin-san
looked away, a little awkwardly, but her ears were bright red.
“F-Father,
why are you at the house today?”
“I
heard that for the first time, Kaori was inviting friends other than Yūichi-kun
over.”
“P-Please
stop, that's embarrassing…”
“My
apologies. But I was so curious that I dropped my work and came.”
“Is
that all right!?”
Ah,
so that's why his Father's inner pocket has been vibrating this whole time.
It's
probably a work-related call… but is he really okay?
“I
must be going soon. Kaori, about the dinner party next week… are you really
going to cook?”
“Y-Yes.
I'm still practicing, but I'll do my best.”
“Just
having you cook for me is more valuable than any gourmet meal.”
“…Th-Thank
you…”
We
were witnessing a very rare sight.
The
Tōjōin Kaori was shrinking in on herself in embarrassment, her voice barely a
whisper.
Tōjōin-san,
who had been such an Ojōsama in the limousine just moments ago, had turned into
an adorable young girl.
“And
Kaori… will you no longer call me by that name?”
“Ugh!?
W-Well…”
“…I
see.”
His
Father lowered his gaze, looking a little sad and dejected.
Seeing
that, Tōjōin-san, though her face was beet red, steeled her resolve…
“…Papa,
please do your best at work.”
“…Ah,
thank you, Kaori.”
At
Tōjōin-san's words, her Father… her Papa, gave a very gentle smile.
“You
all, please make yourselves at home.”
“Ah,
yes, thank you.”
Her
Papa said one last thing before he left.
For
a few seconds after her Papa was gone, a silence fell over us.
“…You
seem to get along quite well with your Papa, Tōjōin.”
“!?”
The
first one to say it was, surprisingly, Sei-chan.
No,
maybe it's not so surprising, after being teased so much in the limousine.
“S-Shimada-san…?”
“No,
it's a wonderful thing, for a parent and child to be close. You should continue
to get along well with your Papa.”
Sei-chan
seemed to be trying to offer a gentle smile, but she couldn't suppress her
smirk.
But
then again… I can't stop the corners of my own mouth from turning up.
“You're
right, Sei-chan. It's a good thing she's close with her Papa.”
“Yes,
it is. It's a very wonderful thing.”
“I'm
so happy that I was able to help Tōjōin-san get closer to her Papa.”
“Well
done, Hisamura. Thanks to you, it seems Tōjōin and her Papa have grown even
closer.”
“…”
After
that, until we reached the kitchen, Sei-chan and I continued to tease the
beet-red Tōjōin-san.
And
so, we finally arrived at the cooking classroom.
It
was an incredibly beautiful and large room, looking like the kitchen of a
high-end restaurant.
“All
the cooking utensils are the latest and greatest models. However, we also have
a set of more common, everyday tools, the kind you might have at your house,
Fujise-san. It would probably be best to practice with those today.”
“R-Right,
thank you.”
“This
may be a punishment Game, but now that I’m doing it, I’m going to give it my
all.”
It
seemed Tōjōin-san was dead serious about teaching Fujise how to cook.
Even
though they were complete love rivals, she was a very earnest and kind person.
“As
expected of a Tōjōin. You’re a kind person, just like your Papa.”
“…Shimada-san?
Would you please stop that already?”
Sei-chan
must have been holding a grudge from what happened in the limousine, because
she kept bringing it up.
Tōjōin-san
seemed to have gotten used to it, as her face wasn’t beet red anymore and she
appeared composed, but her ears were still bright red.
“Hmph,
I’m not done yet, but fine. We need you to help with Shiho’s cooking, and if
your concentration is split, the worst could happen.”
“A-Are
we doing something that dangerous?”
Rie
asked, her face twitching, completely unaware of Fujise’s cooking skills.
“Sei-chan!
Don’t scare Rie-chan! It’s okay, Rie-chan, I won’t do anything that dangerous!”
“Y-Yes,
I’ll be in your care.”
“It’s
a pleasure to have you. I’m looking forward to today!”
Rie
had also come today to help with Fujise’s cooking training.
Since
Rie cooked every day, she would surely be a great help.
Just
as Rie borrowed an apron and was about to put it on…
“Rie-san,
you don’t need to put that on.”
“Eh?”
Tōjōin-san
spoke as she tied on her own apron.
“With
me here, improving Fujise-san’s cooking all by myself will be a piece of cake.
Unlike someone I know, who apparently couldn’t manage it.”
Tōjōin-san
glanced over at Sei-chan.
She
was probably trying to provoke Sei-chan as payback for the teasing from before.
“…Ah,
is that so? Good luck.”
“Mmph…”
But
Sei-chan didn’t take the bait at all, simply offering a smile.
Perhaps
because things didn’t go as planned, Tōjōin-san puffed out her cheeks.
“For
now, Rie-san, please just watch. I’m happy you came to help, but I might just
finish this without needing any assistance.”
“That
would be fine with me, but…”
Rie
placed the apron on an empty counter and came over to where Sei-chan and I
were.
The
three of us decided to watch Tōjōin-san teach Fujise for the time being.
But
that smile from Sei-chan just now… It could have been seen as a mature, polite
smile, but this one was different.
Her
eyes were looking off into the distance, unfocused, and it was the smile of
someone who had given up on something.
For
Sei-chan to have that kind of smile even when provoked… was Fujise’s cooking
really that bad?
“Now
then, Fujise-san. I’m going to teach you thoroughly. I don’t know how
Shimada-san was, but I’m not going to be lenient.”
“Y-Yes,
please! What should I do first!?”
Fujise,
wearing her apron, clenched both fists, looking fully motivated.
“First,
let’s see… Your apron is on backward.”
“Eh?
Ah…”
Yeah,
no matter who looked at it, it was backward.
How
do you even manage to get an apron on backward?
The
back is almost nothing but strings, so why would you try to put that on the
front?
“Ah,
ahaha, sorry. I do that every time.”
“I-I
see.”
Even
Tōjōin-san hadn’t realized just how hopeless Fujise was, and she couldn’t hide
her dismay.
…This
was a very ominous start.
Thirty
minutes had passed since Tōjōin-san started teaching Fujise how to cook.
“I’m
sorry, this is impossible.”
The
first one to give up was Tōjōin-san.
“Eh,
what’s wrong, Tōjōin-san?”
Fujise
asked as she placed a pitch-black creation onto a plate.
…That’s
terrifying.
Wait,
what just happened? A miracle?
I
definitely saw it. I saw Tōjōin-san carefully teaching Fujise how to cook.
Starting
from when she first put her apron on backward, then held the knife with a
reverse grip.
I’ve
never seen anyone hold a knife with a reverse grip before. That’s amazing.
But
Tōjōin-san corrected and taught her every single step.
Fujise
made many times more mistakes than a normal person, but she corrected them one
by one.
But
the result… was the dark matter often seen in manga, emitting black smoke.
This
might be the world of a manga, but I never thought I’d see actual dark matter
with my own eyes.
“Why…
how did it turn out like this…?”
“Eh?
What do you mean?”
Fujise
didn’t seem to understand why Tōjōin-san was so dejected, or rather, exhausted.
“We
were supposed to be making normal hamburger patties… They looked normal right
before I put the lids on the frying pans, so why did dark matter appear when I
opened them? And in my pan, too…”
They
had used two frying pans, one for Tōjōin-san and one for Fujise, but when the
lids were lifted, both contained dark matter.
This
is in the realm of magic or illusion.
But
it wasn’t an illusion, because there were truly no tricks or gimmicks involved.
How
could simply making hamburger patties normally result in dark matter?
“…Shimada-san,
Rie-san, could you help me?”
Tōjōin-san
retracted her earlier statement and completely begged for help.
Well,
that couldn’t be helped. There are some things that even Tōjōin-san can’t do.
Sei-chan
must have known that, which is why she didn’t take the bait and just smiled
like a saint.
“Even
if you ask for help, I have no idea what to do. Watching from the side, I
couldn’t see what went wrong.”
Rie
replied, putting on an apron.
“Same
here. Maybe it’s better if Shiho just doesn’t cook anymore…”
“Ehh,
this is no good either? I thought I did a pretty good job…”
Fujise
sighed, holding the plate of dark matter in both hands.
No,
the fact that you can look at that and think you did a good job is pretty
worrying.
“Can
I taste it myself?”
“Don’t.
You’ll die.”
Tōjōin-san
replied instantly with a straight face.
Yeah,
I wouldn’t want to eat that.
And
how can Fujise even think of eating it?
“But
it’s a waste. Oh, Hisamura-kun, want some?”
“Ahaha,
maybe if I ever despair of the world and want to die.”
As
long as I’m dating Sei-chan, that time will never come.
Fujise
thrust the dark matter in front of my face, but why was there no smell at all,
even with the black smoke rising from it?
The
fact that it’s odorless is even scarier.
“First
of all, does anyone know why we failed this time?”
“She
made a lot of mistakes, but I don’t think any of them were bad enough to create
something that horrifying…”
“Rie-chan,
was it really that horrifying?”
“I’ve
never seen a dish like that before.”
“Eh,
are you complimenting me?”
“I
am not complimenting you at all.”
How
did she think that was a compliment?
“It
might have been the accumulation of small mistakes. When I taught her before,
she also made that substance by making a series of small errors.”
“I
can’t imagine messing up the measurements a little would result in that… but
other than that, there’s nothing to improve on. For now, let’s start over from
the beginning, Fujise-san.”
“Okay,
I’ll do my best!”
Fujise
clenched her fists again, looking fully motivated.
“Okay,
first, let’s chop the onion… Fujise-san, why are you holding the knife with a
reverse grip?”
“Ah,
I made a mistake.”
“…I
see.”
Finally,
Tōjōin-san ended up with the same saintly smile as Sei-chan had earlier.
Rie
is about to join the fray, but will she end up with the same smile, too…?
I
guess I should also share what I was thinking while watching them cook.
“Can
I say something? How about writing down the steps for the recipe on a piece of
paper? And we could also write down the things Fujise was corrected on, and
things she should be careful about.”
“I
see… I have the recipe in my head, so I thought I didn’t need to write it down,
but you’re right. It would be better to write it down so Fujise-san can see it,
too.”
“Yeah,
that’s true. Even if I don’t understand what to do when someone tells me, it
would be helpful to have something to look at.”
“Come
to think of it, when I taught her, I only explained the steps verbally.”
“Onii-chan,
that’s a great idea.”
“Glad
to hear it.”
In
my previous world, I used to do some light cooking at a café where I worked
part-time.
Of
course, I wasn’t good at it from the start. Like Fujise… well, not as bad as
Fujise, but I failed several times when I was learning.
So
from that experience, I know that having a piece of paper with the recipe
written on it is a huge help.
It’s
a bit difficult when someone tells you the steps verbally because you have to
understand it all at once, but with a written recipe, you can also see where
you went wrong.
Tōjōin-san
began writing down the steps for making hamburger patties from scratch on a
piece of paper.
“That
should be about it. Alright, let’s try again. I won’t allow a single mistake
this time.”
“P-Please
teach me!”
“Let’s
do our best, too, Rie.”
“Yes,
Sei-san.”
And
so, this time, with the ultimate lineup of Sei-chan, Rie, and Tōjōin-san, they
tackled the task of improving Fujise’s cooking.
…Sei-chan
looks so cute in an apron.
Thirty
minutes after they started cooking with the ultimate lineup, the hamburger
patties were once again complete.
“…Barely
a hamburger patty.”
“I
agree. It’s reached the level of a poorly made hamburger patty.”
“What
incredible progress…!”
“Hey,
are you guys complimenting me? Am I being complimented?”
The
hamburger patty Fujise made was slightly misshapen and a bit blackened compared
to a normal one, but it was at a level where anyone would recognize it as a
hamburger patty.
Compared
to the first attempt, it was clear progress.
Though
Tōjōin-san and Rie seemed to be thinking, “Is this the best she can do even
with our perfect assistance?”
But
Sei-chan alone seemed deeply moved.
Sei-chan
was the only one who knew how difficult it had been when she tried to help
Fujise cook by herself.
After
all, she had the experience of bravely eating Fujise’s dark matter and passing
out.
She
was probably moved by the fact that she had cooked something and produced
actual, edible food.
“Ugh,
it looks so clumsy compared to everyone else’s.”
Just
as Fujise said, the difference between hers and the ones Sei-chan and the
others made was stark.
The
shape, the color, and though I hadn’t eaten it, the taste was probably
different, too.
“Fujise-san,
you’ve improved a lot since the beginning. At first, you performed alchemy,
turning food into something else entirely. Thinking about it that way, you
could say this is a step down, in a sense.”
“It’s
a mystery how she can create such an unknown substance.”
“Shiho,
you did well. You actually made edible food.”
“Hey,
so are you complimenting me this time?”
I
don’t think anyone besides Sei-chan had any intention of complimenting her.
And
even Sei-chan’s way of complimenting was pretty harsh.
It
was like telling a small child, “Good job washing your hands all by yourself!
You’re such a big girl!”
Well…
I guess that’s what it was actually like.
But
really, after creating that dark matter, it was amazing she could make such a
decent hamburger patty.
Even
with Sei-chan and Rie joining to form the ultimate lineup, I honestly thought
it would be impossible.
That’s
because in the original story, Shiho was a character who was perpetually,
catastrophically bad at cooking.
She
was the kind of character who would create dark matter whenever she made
something, and was told to just observe during the school’s cooking class.
So,
somewhere in my heart, I thought she was bound to fail.
“This
is edible, right? Hisamura-kun, try it!”
“…A-Alright.”
Fujise
handed me a plate with the finished hamburger patty on it.
It
looked like a clumsy hamburger patty, but there was nothing particularly
strange about it.
The
smell was a little burnt, but it smelled like a hamburger patty.
…But
I was terrified.
There
was no way I could eat something made by a person who was creating dark matter
just a little while ago without any caution.
I
glanced over at Sei-chan and the others.
Sei-chan
was also holding her breath, staring at the hamburger patty I was about to eat.
Rie
and Tōjōin-san were also looking this way, curious about the taste.
I
used the provided chopsticks to cut off a bite-sized piece. The softness seemed
normal.
Steeling
my resolve… I took a bite!
“…Oh,
it’s good.”
“Really!?”
Fujise’s
eyes lit up in response to my involuntary words.
“Yeah,
I think it’s actually good. There are some burnt parts, but it’s totally
edible.”
“Thank
goodness…!”
I
took a second bite and shared my thoughts.
Yep,
it’s a hamburger patty.
Just
as it looked, it was undeniably a bit burnt, but I could eat it without any
problem.
Seeing
me taste-test… or rather, poison-test it, Sei-chan and the others also started
eating the hamburger patty Fujise made.
“It’s
true. It’s perfectly edible.”
“Yeah,
you can eat it. It’s actually delicious.”
“I-I’m
not passing out…! This is amazing, Shiho!”
“That
feels more like a compliment than before, but something still feels off.
Especially you, Sei-chan. Are you surprised that I didn’t pass out?”
On
the contrary, passing out from eating food makes you wonder what kind of poison
was used.
To
make Sei-chan pass out with a single bite without using any poison at all… that
really is some kind of alchemy.
“Shiho,
what do you think was the biggest difference? When you and I did it, we
couldn’t make it this normally no matter how many times we tried.”
“That’s
a thorny way to put it, Sei-chan. But let’s see, the easiest thing to
understand was having the recipe written on paper.”
“So…
you mean the idea Hisamura suggested?”
“Eh,
really?”
The
idea I suggested was the one that suited Fujise the best?
Even
with all these skilled cooks teaching her?
“Yeah,
I just traced the steps written on the paper and this is what I made. I was
happy that you and Tōjōin-san taught me, but maybe it was a little hard to
understand because it was all verbal.”
“But
I was just verbally explaining what was written on the paper…”
“It
was the same for me.”
Tōjōin-san
and Sei-chan couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
W-Well,
I guess different people have different ways of doing things that are easier or
harder for them.
“But
in that case, doesn’t this mean you can make most dishes from now on just by
following a recipe?”
“Oh,
is that right? Does this mean I can cook by myself now!?”
“Is
it… that simple? If so, what was everything I’ve done up until now for…?”
Sei-chan
said, looking a little dejected, having worked so hard to teach Fujise how to
cook.
But
could it really be that simple?
Could
Fujise, who was catastrophically bad at cooking, really learn to cook just by
looking at a recipe?
“Well
then, Fujise-san, let’s try making something different while we watch over you.
Is there anything you’d like to make?”
“Hmm,
something that would go well in a bento would be nice. You know, since I want
to make a bento for Shigemoto-kun!”
“…To
think you can say that while I'm the one teaching you. You've got some nerve.”
Fujise
and Tōjōin-san, complete rivals in love.
This
time, Tōjōin-san was in the position of aiding her love rival, Fujise.
Well,
it's a Punishment Game, so I guess it can't be helped… but does Fujise have to
say things that remind everyone she's a rival?
Fujise
has this soft and gentle appearance, but she's surprisingly the type to speak
her mind.
Though
I guess you can't compete with an extraordinary woman like Tōjōin-san if you're
not like that.
“Fufu,
it's okay. Even if Tōjōin-san and I both make bentos for him, I'm sure
Shigemoto-kun will eat every last bite of both.”
“Yes,
that's true. I think Yūichi's appetite can handle it, but if you bring that dark
matter from before, I'll absolutely stop him, even if he tries to eat it.”
“Ugh…
I-I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen.”
“Hmph,
see that you do. As for bento ingredients… how about karaage*? It's relatively
easy to make and fits well in a bento.”
[T/N - *Japanese-style fried chicken]
“That
sounds great! Let's go with that!”
And
so, it was decided that Fujise would now make karaage without anyone else's
help.
She
looked up a recipe on her smartphone, printed it out on paper for clarity, and
placed it in front of her where it was easy to see.
I
highly doubted that Fujise, who had created such dark matter, would suddenly
become a competent cook just by looking at a recipe…
And
then, twenty minutes later.
“It's
done! How is it?”
“…It's
normal karaage.”
“Yes, it is karaage.”
“I-It's
actually done…”
What
she had made was some incredibly normal karaage.
This
time, too, I was called over to be the taste-tester—the poison-tester—so I was
the first to eat it.
“…Yeah,
it's delicious.”
“Yay!”
Unlike
the hamburger patty, it wasn't misshapen or burnt. It was just simple,
delicious karaage.
Wait,
really?
Fujise,
who could only make dark matter in the original story, has really learned how
to cook on her own?
“It's
so normal that it makes no sense how you created that dark matter in the first
place.”
“I
agree. In fact, I don't understand how you were able to create something so
awful.”
Tōjōin-san
and Rie were also eating it normally, though they looked surprised.
“I-It's
really properly made…”
“Sei-chan,
is it good?”
“Yeah,
it was delicious, Shiho. That's amazing.”
Sei-chan
said so with a smile, but her expression was just a little complicated.
After
Fujise went to eat some of her own karaage, Sei-chan let out a sigh.
“I
should have written the recipe down on paper… Ugh, if I had, I wouldn't have
had to struggle so much.”
“…You
did your best, Sei-chan.”
I
know just how hard Sei-chan had tried in the original story.
“Yeah…
Well, I'm glad Shiho is able to cook now.”
Sei-chan
wasn't one to complain pessimistically to others about her own hardships; she
was simply happy that her best friend, Fujise, could now cook.
That's
what I love about Sei-chan.
“Shiho,
maybe you should try making tamagoyaki* next? It's a common bento side dish, so
I think it would be a great idea.”
[T/N - *Rolled omelette]
To
Sei-chan's suggestion,
“Yeah,
you're right. Tamagoyaki is delicious.”
“How
about dashimaki tamago*? It might be a little difficult, though.”
[T/N - *Also rolled omelette but with Dashi for different flavour]
“That's
true. It would be good if you had a special pan for making tamagoyaki, but I
wonder if Fujise-san has one at her house?”
“Ah,
I think I've seen one.”
“Then
it should be a little easier to make. Let's practice. First, we need to look up
a recipe.”
And
so, they began preparing a new dish.
Sei-chan
was about to watch over them again, but Tōjōin-san spoke up as if she'd just
had an idea.
“Hisamura-kun,
there are probably some bento boxes in the next room. Could you go get them for
me? We're making bento side dishes today, so having the boxes will make it
easier to visualize, right?”
“Got
it. Out of the cooking room and into the room next door?”
“That's
right. It's like a prep room. I think it's a bit of a mess, though.”
“Well,
I'm bored just watching, so I'll go with Hisamura.”
It
was true that if Fujise could cook normally now, they probably didn't need
three teachers.
“Alright,
Sei-chan, let's go.”
Leaving
Fujise's cooking training to Tōjōin-san and Rie, Sei-chan and I left the
cooking room.
We
left the cooking room and entered the room right next door.
Like
the cooking room, it was quite large, but there were all sorts of things stored
here, so it didn't feel quite as spacious.
Being
a prep room, it was lined with various cooking utensils and large pieces of
equipment.
They
had probably moved things that were originally in the cooking room over here
for this occasion.
She
said there were bento boxes somewhere in here… but where could they be?
Searching
for them in a room this big seems like a pretty tall order.
“We
have to find bento boxes in here… That Tōjōin, she could have at least told us
roughly where they are.”
“This
looks like it'll be tough.”
“Well,
if we can't find them after looking for a bit, we can just go ask Tōjōin.”
“You're
right.”
And
so, Sei-chan and I started chatting as we searched around randomly.
“Still,
I'm really glad Shiho learned how to cook. I couldn't do anything on my own, so
I'm glad I asked Tōjōin as part of the punishment game.”
“Ahaha,
yeah. For Tōjōin-san, it's like she's aiding the enemy.”
“This
is all thanks to you thinking up the punishment game, Tsukasa.”
“I'm
glad you're happy. I never thought Fujise would be able to cook normally just
by looking at a recipe and following it.”
“That's…
true. I think we were looking at a recipe when I first started teaching Shiho…
but maybe I was just explaining it to her verbally and really fast back then,
too.”
It
seemed Sei-chan had tried looking at a recipe with her before, but she hadn't
put much emphasis on it.
“In
the beginning… honestly, the way she held a knife made me think she could kill
someone with it, so I was just focused on correcting that.”
“R-Really?”
What
kind of grip makes you look like you could kill someone?
She
was holding it in a reverse grip at the start of today, but was there a grip
even more dangerous than that?
Like
holding one in each hand and another in her mouth?
No,
that would be a completely different manga.
“But
the fact that she could do it just by writing the recipe on paper and looking
at it was a blind spot. I wish I had realized it sooner.”
Sei-chan
said with a wry smile.
“But
if you hadn't taught Fujise the basics of cooking, Sei-chan, I think today's
cooking would have been a lot more trouble. It would have been a problem before
she could even follow a recipe.”
“…That's
true, too.”
Oh,
she just agreed with that.
She
must have been really that bad at first.
“Fujise
can cook now because you taught her the basics.”
“Yeah,
thanks… It was so hard.”
Sei-chan's
eyes gazed into the distance as a Buddha-like smile appeared on her face.
Come
to think of it, Sei-chan did say she tasted that dark matter and passed out…
She
must have gone through a hardship only she could understand.
“Y-You
did great, Sei-chan.”
“Fufufu…
Yes, that's right. I am now free from that dark matter.”
Sei-chan,
are you traumatized?
…I'm
really, really glad I didn't have to eat the dark matter.
After
that, we quickly found several bento boxes.
There
were small ones, as well as tiered jūbako boxes like you'd take to a sports
festival.
We
probably don't need a jūbako.
But
if it's a bento for Yūichi, a jūbako might not be a problem.
“For
now, let's just take the small ones back with us.”
“Yeah,
let's do that.”
When
I looked at Sei-chan, I saw a bit of dust in her hair, probably from searching
around for the bento boxes.
“Sei-chan,
there's dust in your hair.”
“Eh?
Where?”
Sei-chan
frantically touched her hair, but since it was around the back of her head, it
was still there.
“It's
here.”
“Here?”
I
pointed to the back of my own head to show her, but Sei-chan patted a slightly
different spot.
It
was kind of cute, but I reached out my hand to get the dust out of Sei-chan's
hair.
I
reached for her hair and gently brushed the dust away as if stroking it.
The
dust was gone, but a small strand of her hair stuck up.
I
instinctively patted it down, stroking her hair.
Sei-chan's
hair was so silky and soft… wow, it's so amazing my vocabulary is failing me.
“…Ts-Tsukasa?
How long are you going to keep patting my head?”
“Ah…”
Drawn
in by the magic of Sei-chan's hair, I had just kept stroking it.
This
is bad. They say a woman's hair is her most prized possession after her life.
This
is Sei-chan's second most prized possession, far more precious than my own
life.
And
yet I had been stroking it for so long without permission.
“S-Sorry,
Sei-chan.”
“Ah…
n-no, it's fine.”
When
I pulled my hand away, Sei-chan's face was red, and her expression was a little
complicated… Could she be angry?
With
hair that beautiful and silky, she must take great care of it.
It
would only be natural for her to be angry if I touched it without asking.
“I'm
sorry, Sei-chan. I won't touch it again.”
“Eh?
No, really, it's fine.”
Sei-chan
was kind enough to say that, but I have to make sure not to touch it again.
I
have this desire to do these kinds of couple-like things, but if I'm too
forceful, she'll come to hate me.
If
Sei-chan hated me, I would despair over everything and die, so I have to avoid
that at all costs.
“Well,
we found the bento boxes, so let's head back.”
“!”
Just
as I said that and took a step to leave the room, I was pulled back from
behind.
When
I turned around, Sei-chan was holding the hem of my shirt, stopping me.
“What's
wrong?”
“That…
reward you mentioned before, you remember?”
“Reward?
From winning the ball sports tournament?”
I
didn't understand why that was coming up now.
“You
said you'd do anything I asked, as long as you could do it, right? Don't laugh,
okay?”
“Yeah,
of course.”
“In
that case… could you pat my head again?”
“Eh,
is that really all you want for your reward? And, I can pat your head?”
Wait,
isn't that more of a reward for me?
“I-I'm
the one saying I want it, so it's fine.”
Alone
together in this large room, Sei-chan was close enough to touch if I just
reached out a little. Her voice was very quiet, probably out of embarrassment,
but there was no way I couldn't hear it.
Perhaps
because I didn't say anything right after she spoke, she looked up at me
anxiously.
She
probably didn't realize she was looking up at me with puppy-dog eyes, but it
was so super effective on me that my heart started pounding violently.
I
felt like I was about to get a nosebleed for the first time in a while, but I
somehow held it back.
“I-Is
it no good?”
“…Of
course, it's fine.”
To
reassure the anxious-looking Sei-chan, I placed my right hand on her head and
began to pat it.
“Ah…”
Her
worried expression cleared, and seeing her lips curl up in a slight, happy
smile made my nosebleed… danger!
A
nosebleed was on its way, but I had to hold it back.
While
enduring that strange battle, I slowly and gently stroked Sei-chan's hair from
the top of her head to the back.
“Ngh…”
Letting
out a sound that could have been from being ticklish or from pleasure, Sei-chan
leaned in closer to me.
She
was close. A moment ago, we were at a distance where I could touch her if I
stretched out my arm, but now we were so close that our bodies would touch if I
moved forward even slightly.
It
was easier for me to pat her head this way, but my heart was pounding.
Sei-chan
might have closed her eyes to focus on the sensation of her head being patted,
so she might not have realized just how close we were.
Ugh,
to be this close, stroking Sei-chan's beautiful, gorgeous, soft hair while
continuing to gaze at her cute face…!
What
kind of torture is this? I want to endure it for the rest of my life.
“Sei-chan,
um… do you like having your head patted?”
I
felt like things would get dangerous if I just kept patting her in silence, so
I somehow managed to speak.
With
her eyes still closed and a gentle smile on her face, Sei-chan answered.
“Yeah,
I think so. I might like it quite a bit. It feels… comforting.”
“I-I
see, that's good. But it's surprising that you like being patted, Sei-chan.”
“Th-That's
why I told you not to laugh.”
“I'm
not laughing. Oh, but please forgive me for smirking a little because you're so
cute.”
“I-If
that's the reason, you don't have to tell me.”
…Even
while having this conversation, my hand continued to stroke Sei-chan's head,
her hair.
How
long am I supposed to do this? I mean, I wouldn't mind doing it forever.
“Sei-chan,
we should probably take the bento boxes and go back to the other room soon.
They might be done cooking over there.”
“Mmph…
You might be right.”
“Yeah,
so…”
“But,
um… just a little longer.”
“…Roger
that.”
Just
as I was about to pull my hand away, Sei-chan said, “just a little longer,” and
nuzzled her head against my hand.
I've
never owned one, but she reminded me of an affectionate cat.
I
never thought Sei-chan would be affectionate in this way.
And
she's been ridiculously close this whole time.
We've
never been this close before… no, wait.
That
one time, when I first came to this world and confessed to her in my dream-like
state, I did a kabedon on her.
That
was so embarrassing I'd kind of banished it to the far corners of my memory.
But
now, that same Sei-chan is my girlfriend, and she's being this affectionate…
She's
so cute it hurts. So precious…
“Isn't
it tiring for you to keep patting my head?”
“No,
it's fine. I could keep this up for another half a day.”
“Fufu,
that's too long. But… that might be nice, too.”
“Gah…
Sei-chan, why are you suddenly being so cute and affectionate…!”
“Ugh,
d-don't say it so bluntly…”
Sei-chan
must have gotten embarrassed too, because she looked down slightly…
“Because…
you're the one who said it, Tsukasa. That it was okay to be affectionate.”
“Eh?”
“D-Did
you forget? You told me when I had you help me practice for the ball sports
tournament.”
“Ah…”
Come
to think of it, I think I did say something like that when I took her home on
my bike.
I
can't believe Sei-chan remembered what I said back then so clearly.
“Was
that… just words?”
“No,
of course not. I'm happy and glad that you're being affectionate with me,
Sei-chan.”
“!…
I-I see, thank you. I'm, um, happy too.”
Sei-chan
thanked me and looked up at my face.
Then,
as if she hadn't realized just how close we were, her face instantly turned
bright red.
The
usual Sei-chan might have backed away and said, “S-Sorry,” trying to compose
herself.
But…
for some reason, now I can’t pull away.
My
eyes have been locked with Sei-chan’s the whole time.
Her
slightly upturned, large eyes—so beautiful they almost seem to draw you in.
Sei-chan
is tall for a woman, but I’m still about ten centimeters taller than her.
We’re
standing so close that our bodies are almost touching, the distance between our
faces only a few dozen centimeters.
My
right hand is wrapped around the back of Sei-chan’s head, and before I knew it,
she had gently placed her right hand against my chest.
I
wonder if the sound of my heartbeat is reaching her hand. It must be pounding
loudly.
Is
Sei-chan’s heart racing too? Her face is bright red, and I can see a slight
moisture in her beautiful eyes.
And
yet… even at this distance, neither of us looks away.
Neither
of us says a word.
Is
this—that moment?
I
don’t know. It’s my first time. I don’t know anything.
My
reason tells me, “Stop” but my instincts are screaming, “I want to.”
Still…
it hasn’t even been a full month since we started dating.
Isn’t
it a little too soon for something like that?
I
suppress my instincts and try to hold onto my reason.
As
if forcing myself to endure it, I shut my eyes tightly and try to pull away
from Sei-chan.
But—
Still
so close, Sei-chan speaks to me.
“Tsukasa…
I want to give you a reward too.”
“A…
reward?”
“It
wouldn’t be fair if I were the only one who got a reward.”
“That’s
not—”
“So—”
Her
face flushed red, her moist eyes look straight into mine.
“Right
now… would it be okay if your reward… was doing what you want to do?”
“—!”
Those
words melted away my reason.
Nervously,
I move my face a little closer to Sei-chan’s.
“…!”
Through
the hand I have placed around the back of her head and neck, I feel her body
twitch slightly.
She
must have realized what I’m about to do… what I want to do.
If
she showed even the slightest sign of discomfort, I was ready to pull away
immediately. Honestly, even that reaction almost made me back off.
But
then… Sei-chan closed her eyes.
As
if stretching up slightly, she brought her face closer to mine.
—Thump.
My
heart pounds louder than ever.
I
close my eyes too, resolve myself… and tighten the right hand around her neck
slightly, pulling her a little closer.
“Mm…”
Maybe
my grip was a bit strong, because I hear Sei-chan let out a soft, sensual
sound.
And
then—.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Ah,
the shape fell apart again…!”
Fujise
Shiho muttered disappointedly, looking at the dashimaki tamago she had plated.
It
was her second attempt at making a dashimaki tamago. While it was her best one
yet, it was still clearly inferior compared to what the other two had made.
“If
you were making dark matter until yesterday—no, until an hour ago—then this is
a great success.”
“I
agree. The shape is a little off, but I don't think the taste will be that
different.”
“But
isn't the texture important for a dashimaki tamago, too?”
“Well,
that's true.”
“Right?
I really want to make one that's fluffy and soft! Okay, can I try one more
time?”
“Yes,
go ahead. We have a mountain of ingredients.”
“I
saw inside that ridiculously huge refrigerator earlier, and there really was a
mountain of them.”
And
so, the three of them started preparing to cook again while lightly snacking on
what they had already made.
“By
the way, Hisamura-kun and Sei-chan aren't back yet.”
“You're
right. They're taking a surprisingly long time.”
More
than ten minutes had passed since the two of them left the kitchen classroom.
“What
if something happened…?”
“That
room does have a lot of equipment lying around. It would be dangerous if
something collapsed.”
“Then,
did something really…!”
Rie
muttered worriedly, but Tōjōin shook her head reassuringly.
“We
haven't heard any sounds of something collapsing, so they should be fine.”
“But
what if we just didn't hear it?”
“Rather
than that, isn't it more likely that the two of them are just flirting with
each other?”
“Eh!?”
Rie,
who had been on the verge of running off, froze with a blush on her cheeks.
“I
think so, too. You know, those two haven't been flirting at all today.”
“E-Even
you, Shiho-senpai…”
“So
I think we can wait a little longer. Shimada-san is the type who wouldn't want
to be seen flirting with her boyfriend, right?”
“Fufu,
that's true. Tōjōin-san, you understand Sei-chan pretty well.”
“…The
way you say that makes it sound like I'm good friends with Shimada-san.”
Tōjōin
seemed a little displeased by Shiho's words.
“But
you are, aren't you? You even lent us this kitchen classroom today because
Sei-chan asked.”
“It
wasn't a request, it was a punishment game. If it wasn't a punishment game, I
wouldn't be helping my love rival with her cooking.”
“Love
rival…?”
More
information Rie didn't know came to light, and she muttered the words with wide
eyes.
“Eh,
you two are love rivals?”
“Ara,
did I not mention it?”
“Come
to think of it, we didn't. Fufu, how embarrassing.”
“I-Is
that so? May I ask who you like?”
“A
guy named Shigemoto Yūichi. He's in our grade at the same school.”
“Ah,
Shigemoto-san.”
“Oh,
you know him?”
“Onii-chan
brought him home once, and I met him then.”
“I
see. Rie-san, whatever you do, don't fall for Yūichi. I've managed to build a
good relationship with you, and I wouldn't want to ruin it.”
“U-Understood.”
Tōjōin's
warning, delivered with a very nice smile, etched itself into Rie's mind with a
hint of fear.
“Anyway,
it's not that I'm particularly good friends with Shimada-san. It's just… well,
Fujise-san is my love rival, but Shimada-san feels more like a rival.”
“A
rival? In terms of sports?”
“That's
right. I've lived my life almost never losing at academics or sports, but that
was the first time I was so utterly and completely defeated.”
“To
have never lost before is amazing in itself.”
Since
Rie had only met Tōjōin for the first time today, she didn't know just how
superhuman Tōjōin Kaori's abilities were.
She
had never dropped from first place in her grade academically, and she was
better at sports than people who were actually in the clubs.
But
during the ball game tournament, she had faced Shimada Sei head-on for the
first time and lost.
It
was a completely even match, as Sei, like her, wasn't in the basketball club or
anything.
In
fact, Tōjōin should have had the advantage with three basketball club members
on her team, yet she had been perfectly defeated.
After
being beaten so thoroughly, she had no choice but to admit defeat.
“One
day, I will absolutely pay you back for this…!”
Tōjōin
said with a fearless smile.
“Fufu,
I'm glad it seems like you and Sei-chan have gotten closer, Tōjōin-san.”
“I
told you, we're not particularly close… Ugh, whatever. Speaking of which,
Hisamura-kun and Shimada-san really are late. I wonder if they're kissing.”
“Ki…!?”
Rie's
cheeks flushed in reaction to the word Tōjōin had tossed out so casually.
“N-No
way, I don't think they've done that yet, have they? They've only been dating
for about a month…”
“Ara,
you're so innocent, Rie-san. If it were me, I'd want to share a passionate kiss
with Yūichi on the very day we started dating.”
“P-Passionate…”
Rie's
face grew even redder at those words, but Shiho just smiled with no particular
change in her expression.
“Fufu,
I'm the one who's going to date Shigemoto-kun, so you'll have to have that
fantasy with someone else someday, Tōjōin-san.”
“Ara,
you've got some nerve. Fujise-san, that kind of delusion is only permissible in
your dreams.”
“It's
fine, I do even more amazing things in my dreams.”
“H-Hey,
I can't tell if you two are fighting or getting along.”
“We're
getting along,” said Shiho.
“We're
fighting,” said Tōjōin.
“Which
is it?”
If
it had just been Shiho and Tōjōin, the bickering likely would have continued
indefinitely, but Rie's presence brought it to an end.
“But
I don't think Sei-chan and Hisamura-kun have kissed, probably? Sei-chan is a
very innocent and good girl, and Hisamura-kun seems like the type to match her
pace.”
“R-Right.
Kissing after only a month of dating is fast, isn't it?”
“Hmm,
but if I were dating Shigemoto-kun, I'd want to kiss him on the first day, too.”
“R-Really…!?”
Rie
hadn't expected the seemingly prim and proper Shiho to say something like that
so casually.
“Well,
I think it's different for everyone, and maybe those two have already kissed.
They might even be doing it right now.”
“I-Is
that so…”
Rie's
face turned bright red as she imagined it.
“Ah,
sorry, Rie-chan. We ended up talking about something weird.”
“N-No,
it's okay…”
“But
they probably haven't yet. If they had, I think I'd know right away from
Sei-chan's reaction.”
“That's
an amazing ability, but a rather unwelcome one for Shimada-san, I'm sure.”
“Sei-chan
isn't very good at hiding things like that.”
Rie
gave a wry smile at Shiho's slightly smug expression.
“In
any case, I'm sure they're done looking for bento boxes by now, so it might be
a good time to go get them from that room.”
“Eh,
we're going?”
“Yes.
If they haven't finished finding the bento boxes after all this time, that's
their fault… and if they've given up on the boxes and moved on to other things,
I'll get a good, long look.”
“M-Moved
on… and getting a look…!”
“It's
okay, Rie-chan. Even if they are, I think the most they'd be doing is kissing.”
“E-Eh,
are we really going?”
While
Rie was hesitating, Shiho and Tōjōin put down their cooking utensils and
started to leave the kitchen classroom.
“In
the worst-case scenario, if they've really moved on to that, then so be
it. This is my house, so they're the ones at fault.”
“I
doubt it's come to that, though. Rie-chan, if you don't want to see your
Onii-chan in that kind of situation, you don't have to come.”
“…I-I'm
coming!”
“Fufu,
you're a curious one too, Rie-san.”
“Th-That's
not it!”
Chatting
like that, the three of them opened the kitchen classroom door, stepped into
the hallway, and headed for the door to the adjacent room.
The
door was just a few steps away. Tōjōin slid it open with absolutely no
hesitation.
Behind
her, Shiho peeked inside with curiosity, while Rie peeked with some reluctance.
“…What
are you two doing, I wonder?”
Tōjōin
looked at Sei and Hisamura in the prep room and said as much.
Both
of them, their faces bright red, were standing several meters apart with their
backs to each other.
Flustered,
Hisamura turned to face Tōjōin and the others.
“Ah,
w-well, we were looking for the bento boxes, just like you said.”
“Ara,
so it seems you're finished looking for them.”
On
a table right by the door were several bento boxes. Hisamura and Sei must have
found them in the room and placed them there.
“R-Right.
How many should we bring?”
“Two
should be fine, I think. It was nice of you to look, but we don't need the jūbako.”
“Ah,
ahaha, right.”
“So,
after you found the bento boxes, what were you two doing…? Or would it be
tactless to ask?”
Tōjōin
asked teasingly with a smirk.
Finding
bento boxes in this large room filled with big cooking equipment was a bit of a
challenge, but it shouldn't have been that difficult.
It
certainly wasn't a task that should have taken ten minutes.
But
more than ten minutes had passed since Hisamura and Sei had been alone in this
room.
“Ah,
um…”
Hisamura's
face reddened slightly again as he glanced over at Sei.
Sei
must have looked at Hisamura at the same time, because their eyes met… and they
averted their gazes with incredible speed.
“N-Nothing,
we were just talking normally. Right, Sei-chan?”
“R-Right,
yeah, we were just talking.”
“…Heeh,
is that so?”
“Fufu,
I see.”
“…”
The
three of them—Tōjōin, Fujise, and Rie—all had the same thought— Something
happened.
It
was certain they had been flirting in this room, but something must have
occurred that advanced their relationship.
Otherwise,
the two of them wouldn't be acting so suspiciously.
The
question was… how far did they go?
Tōjōin
and Fujise exchanged a brief glance, then quickly scanned the two of them.
Sei's
clothes… didn't seem particularly disheveled.
If
Sei's clothes had been messy… they would have judged that things had progressed
quite far, but that didn't seem to be the case.
They
looked more closely, and Fujise, being Sei's best friend, noticed.
(Tsk,
Sei-chan's hair is a little, just a tiny bit, messier than before. That means
he patted her head!)
(Ara,
you're right.)
(But
would that alone make them this flustered…? Tōjōin-san, what do you think?)
(Well,
I thought they might have at least kissed… but there's no lipstick on
Hisamura-kun's lips.)
(No,
Sei-chan only wears lip balm, so maybe…)
(I
see. In that case, I'm envious of her plump lips when she only wears lip balm.)
(Hisamura-kun
is a lucky guy, being able to kiss—or maybe having already kissed—a girl like
that.)
The
two of them were communicating almost telepathically, just with their eyes.
Only
Rie was blushing, her mind imagining just how far Hisamura and Sei had gone.
“S-So,
are these bento boxes okay?”
“R-Right.
If these are fine, let's head back to the kitchen.”
Hisamura
and Sei, seemingly wanting to leave the room as quickly as possible, said so
and picked up two bento boxes to leave.
It
was clear that something had indeed happened.
(Fufu,
maybe I'll call Sei-chan when I get home today and ask her about it.)
(What
a fine hobby you have. In that case, I'll check the security camera footage for
this room later.)
(Doesn't
that mean you have an even stranger hobby, Tōjōin-san!? …Send it to me later,
okay?)
(I
will.)
Though
they were love rivals, the two of them were surprisingly compatible, to the
point where they could hold a conversation with just their eyes.
After
that, Fujise's cooking training continued, but everyone could tell that the
atmosphere between Hisamura and Sei had become awkward.
◇ ◇ ◇
Fujise's
cooking training had, for the time being, come to an end.
She
packed the side dishes and rice she'd made all by herself into two bento boxes,
creating a splendid lunch.
“It's
done. For someone I taught, you still have a long way to go, but compared to
your first attempt, you've improved a great deal.”
“Frankly,
the real mystery is how you managed to create that dark matter in the first
place.”
“Tōjōin-san,
Rie-chan, thank you so much! I want to give this bento to you two… is that
okay?”
Tōjōin-san's
eyes widened at Fujise's words.
“For
us? Isn't this for Yūichi, for you to bring to school for lunch the day after
tomorrow?”
There
were two bento boxes, but Yūichi could probably polish them off with no
problem.
But
it seemed Fujise wanted to give the bento she worked so hard on this time to
Tōjōin-san and Rie.
“I'll
do my best to make the one for Shigemoto-kun all by myself! I want to give this
bento to the two of you who helped me!”
“…I
see. Well, in that case, I'll accept it.”
“Thank
you very much, Shiho-senpai.”
Tōjōin-san
accepted it while looking away, perhaps to hide her embarrassment, while Rie
accepted it without hesitation.
“I
don't have anything for you today, Sei-chan, but I'll make you something next
time! You taught me a lot about cooking, too!”
“Ah,
okay. I'll look forward to it.”
Sei-chan
said this with a gentle smile, like she was watching over her own child.
[T/N - Fujiwara is that you!!]
Her
smile was so cute that I found myself captivated for a moment… and then my eyes
met Sei-chan's.
“Hh…”
Sei-chan's
cheeks immediately flushed red, and she averted her gaze.
I
was still a little awkward from what happened earlier, but it was a bit lonely
to have her so obviously look away.
Well,
I guess it can't be helped…
And
so, after all was said and done, Fujise's cooking training came to a close.
That
night, I was at home eating dinner with Rie.
As
usual, Rie had made it, and it was delicious.
“Yeah,
this is delicious today, too.”
“…I-I'm
glad.”
She's
gotten a little used to me saying that every day recently, so her reply was
curt, but Rie still looked away, a little embarrassed.
She
was eating the bento she'd received from Fujise.
“How's
the food Fujise made?”
“Yeah,
it's normally delicious. I already knew what it tasted like since I'd sampled
it a few times, though.”
“I
see, that's good then. Thanks for today, Rie. For helping out so much even
though I invited you out of the blue.”
“No,
I had fun, too. Kaori-senpai and Shiho-senpai were both nice people.”
“I'm
glad you seem to have gotten along.”
In
the original story, I never saw Tōjōin-san and Rie getting along at all, so I
was a little worried before they met.
To
think they could build such a different relationship just because Rie isn't in
love with Yūichi.
I
hope they continue to get along, though that might end if Rie falls for Yūichi.
Just
like always, I finished Rie's delicious meal in silence.
“Thanks
for the meal, it was great.”
“Mm,
just leave the dishes in the sink to soak.”
“No,
I'll wash them. I have to wash that bento box and return it to Tōjōin-san, too.”
“…Then,
I'll wash them with you.”
Neither
of us would yield on the dishwashing, so we ended up doing them together.
Lately,
it always turns into a question of which of us will do them, resulting in
either us washing them together or me washing them alone.
I
absolutely refuse to let Rie do them by herself. She makes the meals, so I
can't just do nothing.
Today,
Rie suggested we do them together, so that's what we did.
Not
that we had anything in particular to talk about, so we just washed the dishes
in our usual silence.
I
scrubbed the dishes with a sponge and handed them to Rie to dry.
After
continuing this for a little while, Rie spoke up.
“Hey,
Onii-chan…”
“Hm?
What is it?”
“…Did
you do it with Sei-san?”
“Huh?
Do what?”
“…Kiss.”
“…Huh?”
I
had been looking at the dish I was washing, but those words made my hands stop,
and I turned to face Rie beside me.
Rie's
hands had also stopped drying the dishes, and she was looking up at me,
slightly embarrassed.
“I-I
mean, did you kiss Sei-san?”
“Wh-Why
are you suddenly asking that?”
“Well,
when you and Sei-san went into the next room at Kaori-senpai's house,
Shiho-senpai and the others were talking about stuff like that, so I got
curious…”
I
don't know why they were talking about that… no, wait, with Fujise and
Tōjōin-san there, it's not so strange for them to talk about romance.
But
I never thought Rie would ask me directly. I guess Rie is surprisingly curious
about that sort of thing.
“Um,
would it be bad if I said it's a secret?”
“…No,
it's okay, you don't have to tell me. I was just a little curious, and it must
be hard to talk about.”
“Yeah,
it is. That helps.”
As
I thought, I'd rather not tell my little sister Rie how far I've gone with
Sei-chan.
Rie
probably doesn't really want to hear it either… no, wait, the fact that she
asked just now means that's not necessarily the case.
Besides…
if I were to recall what happened then, my heart feels like it would explode,
so I'm trying not to think about it too much.
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