Chapter 338 - ALL ALONE

On Sunday, Akira woke up as early as usual. She had not come up with an exercise routine because she was still familiarizing herself with the environment. She would prefer to go to a gym, but the Yamazaki home was not in proximity to one. 

The more shocking part was that the large mansion did not have an exercise room. It was quite baffling, and it made Akira a little concerned about her parents' health.  ​​

She took a shower and wore a simple t-shirt and shorts. When she went downstairs, she found Seiji in the living room, scrolling through his tablet. 

He looked up in surprise. 

"Good morning, Akira. You are up early."

"So are you." 

Seiji chuckled. "I already feel like I slept too much. But everyone sleeps in on Sunday morning. I thought I would do a little reading. It will be a while before things get moving around."

Akira nodded. "I am also not used to sleeping in. I will just make us breakfast." 

"It's fine. We can just wait a little longer. Don't strain yourself." Seiji refused. 

"If you don't want my food, I'll just make something for myself alone." Akira did not insist. 

She was not one of those chefs who liked feeding people and enjoying the look on their faces. She was totally fine with just cooking for herself. She liked the process of cooking and did not have one of those dramatic food philosophies. 

Seiji did not expect such a response. He stood up quickly and followed Akira who was already leaving.

"Who said I did not want food? I will help you." He would be foolish to turn down something cooked by his cute younger sister. 

Even if he was not hungry, he would still eat. It was a rare chance. 

As a chef, she appreciated the design and quality of construction. But it did not seem like the enjoyable place that it should be. An ideal home kitchen was either an open floor plan with a connected living room or one with a table and stools. 

At least, that is how she pictured it. When she decided to settle down permanently, she would build a new home where people can interact in a warm kitchen. 

Of course, those were the private thoughts of the little lady with dreamy, fairy-tale thoughts. 

Outwardly, she maintained a cold face as she ȧssessed the ingredients in the fridge. The large fridge was well-stocked, so she was spoilt for choice on what to cook. 

She closed the fridge and walked to the pantry to investigate the available dry ingredients before making her final decision. Seiji stood against the preparation counter looking at his sister. 

How good would it have been if she was never taken from the family? 

He did not remember her from childhood, but he had a vague impression of when she went missing. 

At the time of the incident, he was in school. And when he came back home, there were a lot of vehicles and people in the house. He did not understand the gravity of the occurrence. However, after that day, he felt something was different in his life. 

His mother would close herself up alone and would not talk to him for days. His father did not come home on time from work and when he did, he would directly go to sleep. 

Seiji was left all alone. 

In a way, the lone period is what allowed him to become a little smarter. He spent all his time studying at school, in the library and at home. When the opportunity came from skipping grades and being admitted directly to university at fifteen, he left.

He did not think about coming back for seven years after leaving. He only got an impulse to return after seeing an ad for a position at the Stillwater Medical Research Institute. 

For the past two years, he was not sure about his decision because his home did not feel like his home anymore. But now, he was glad he came back to Mountain Ridge.

"Should I cook enough for mom and dad?" Akira asked the dazed Seiji, lost in his thoughts. 

"There's no need. The chef will be here in less than an hour." Seiji responded without shame. 

He did not want to tire out his sister by having her cook for a crowd. 

"I am glad I put so much effort in raising you," Sayaka spoke from the door with sarcasm. 

Seiji's mood was affected by his earlier memories. Therefore, the first response that came to mind when his mother spoke was, 'you did not raise me'. 

She was taken away from the family by an evil person and lived a hard life without family. However, she could still face her parents and him with clear eyes and without blame. 

He suppressed his ill feelings and looked at Akira washing the rice.

"I don't want my sister to be tired. Both of you have big appetites." He responded to his parents heartlessly. 

"Would she struggle so much if you helped her instead of standing here like a door god?" Daiki asked his son. 

Akira smiled to herself as she listened to her parents and brother bickering. Just as she thought, a noisy kitchen was not bad. Of course, that did not apply to her commercial kitchen in Elements. 

The three people continued talking after Akira turned down the help. She was sure that they would disrupt her more than help her. 

As the rice was cooking, she prepared the ingredients for miso soup. Her hands were stable and firm as she sliced a block of tofu into perfectly even slices. Then, she chopped spring onions at a lighting speed without pause. 

This incredible sight made the three family members anxious and impressed.

Akira was not bothered by the watchful eyes. She moved on to the brined salmon and seared the pieces on a griddle pan before sautéing some prepared vegetables from the fridge. Her efficiency made it seem like she had six hands. 

Akira did not know the dramatic thoughts in the minds of the three as she plated the food. She even took time and grated some daikon over the salmon, creating a beautiful image. Finally, she took a serving tray, placed a bowl of each dish on it and walked out of the kitchen. 

It took a moment for the three people to realised that she did not intend to carry their food for them. They all chuckled with some awkwardness before acting like good students in a cafeteria and handling their own food.

The image of these important people with serving trays in their hands is what Kazuo and Chiharu saw when they popped into the Yamazaki home for an early morning visit.