CH 43

“I didn’t expect this to happen…”

“Yeah, it was really unexpected…”

In the middle of the day after New Year’s Eve, Asahi and Fuyuka stood shoulder to shoulder, smiling bitterly at each other.

Neither Fuyuka nor Asahi expected this situation to happen at all.

However, looking back, there were many clues that would have led to this.

Upon a closer look, it was clearly unnatural.

The two of them were so excited to start preparing at the restaurant in the morning and they suddenly said they would stay overnight.

“The food will be ready soon!”

A cheerful voice came from the kitchen, full of joy and energy.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you two.”

The voice coming from the front of the room was cold and indifferent.

“I explained it to you from the beginning. It’s nothing like that.”

“Is that right? I thought I heard you two were living together…”

“I never said anything like that.”

“I-it’s nothing like that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Kazuaki, focus on cooking.”

“Ugh.”

A one-bedroom apartment was too big for one person, but when four people were gathered, it felt quite small.

A “few” were left out, but he deserved it for the trouble he caused by making so much noise during the night.

‘It was really, really hard.’

Half a day ago now, ever since Kazuaki and Touko rang the intercom in the middle of the night.

“I never expected that Fuyuka-chan was your neighbor.”

Kazuaki nodded his head vigorously to Touko who had a small smile on her face.

They got up early in the morning to prepare elaborate dishes for the New Year’s.

Asahi was very grateful and happy about that, but he wasn’t able to express that joy.

一I told you we’d stay the night.

When someone said that to him with a straight face at midnight on New Year’s Day, Asahi couldn’t help but look up to the heavens.

―I can’t wait to meet my adorable son!

Asahi sighed loudly at the sound of laughter that was almost annoying to the neighbors.

Asahi did hear in his message that they would be staying overnight.

But no one expected it to start now.

Sometimes they tend to do things that are far from the norm.

The evaluation made by Asahi was a fair one, some might say.

The first thing the visitors saw was the three-rose brooch on the top of the shoe box and made a fuss about it.

Next, they found an unfamiliar pair of women’s shoes in the doorway and made a fuss about it too.

At the end, with a look of confusion and surprise on their faces, they fussed over when they came face to face with Fuyuka.

And Asahi had to explain why they were together late at night.

It was a little past one a.m when he was finally released after being bombarded with questions.

Fuyuka, who was not used to staying up late and looked very sleepy, was sent home first, but she was half forced to make an appointment to come and hangout around noon.

“Asahi is teaching Fuyuka-chan cooking, right?”

“Y-yes, I have been very much indebted to him.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. This kid is so blunt and unsociable, so I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to teach others.”

“…That’s a h**l of a thing to say about me.”

“But, it’s true, right?”

“Well, there’s no denying it.”

This was also something that Asahi was aware of, so he had to admit it.

He had been raised by a blunt and unsociable mother.

It was only natural that children would grow up in the same way.

“If you have any complaints about Asahi, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll let him know so he can change it.”

“Complaint? It’s true that Asahi-kun is blunt and unsociable, but…”

“You too, Fuyuka?”

Touko’s tone of voice was always indifferent due to her usual habits, but she tried to choose her words as consciously as possible for Fuyuka.

However, Fuyuka seemed to have the same opinion as Touko.

When Asahou made a subtle face, Fuyuka paused a little and continued to speak with a downcast look on her face.

“…But, he’s also just as gentle.”

“I see.”

“What did you understand from that?”

“A lot.”

Apparently, it conveyed a conscious concern. As Asahi’s expression softened a little, Touko reacted with a scowl.

Asahi told her as much as he could, so she had no reason to think he was crazy, but she seemed to have something on her mind.

She alternated between looking at Asahi, Fuyuka, and Asahi again, nodding her head several times.

“Mom is rooting for you.”

“What were you talking about for a while now?”

“Of course, it’s about Fuyuka’s cooking. And one more thing…”

As usual, Touko’s mouth was still tied in a straight line. This time, she looked straight at Fuyuka.

Fuyuka who sat next to Asahi, her cheeks were slightly turning red for some reason.

Apparently, they were both telling something to each other with their eyes.

Unfortunately, Asahi could not sense the contents of that invisible conversation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! Today’s main dish, the gorgeous Osechi dish, is ready!”

In the end, Asahou could not find out what the one more thing represented, and the conversation turned to the lacquered three-tiered stacked boxes.

It felt cramped, with four people seated at a small dining table, and it was lined with red prawns, black beans, kamaboko (fish cake), pancakes, kombu (kelp), and a variety of other fortune foods, such as sardines, datemaki, and kuri-kinton (chestnut dumplings), all of which were conspicuously yellow.

“Go on, Himuro-san. Don’t hesitate and eat a lot.”

“Yes, I’m proud of it, so I hope you’ll eat a lot.”

The entire room exuded a different kind of atmosphere than that of a family meal or a meal with friends.

The sight of Fuyuka at the table of the Kagami family should have been unusual, but there was a warm calmness about it.

“…Itadakimasu.”

Fuyuka clasped her hands together modestly, her expressions were tense but gentle.

It seemed that she didn’t dislike this bustling, noisy space.