Amane found it a hassle to go down to the convenience store, and was slurping at the jelly drink he usually kept at home, leaning on the railing as he breathed in the air outside. It was then that Mahiru appeared on the veranda herself.
Once Mahiru spotted Amane, she leaned over the veranda, noticed the jelly juice he was drinking, and frowned a little.
Amane never expected to be approached, and could only remain momentarily rooted.
"You understand, right? It's jelly that replenishes my energy in just dozens of seconds."
"...Are you planning to eat this for dinner?"
"What else then?"
"...A high school boy with a big appetite is eating this?"
"Stop being a busybody."
Typically, he would have lived on bentos from the convenience stores or sides from the supermarket and not eat that little. He was not in the mood to cook dinner, nor have cup ramen, so he decided to have jelly juice instead.
It was unlikely he would have sufficient food, and he might have some snacks or sweets thereafter.
"...What about cooking?"
"Can't do, and won't do. You know that, right?"
"...And you cannot tidy up. It is amazing how you are living alone..."
"Shut up. That has nothing to do with you, right?"
The scathing truth hit him, so he frowned and finished his jelly juice.
He had suffered days ago, and was planning to clean up, but being told this for days turned his determination to the opposite direction.
Amane, in turn, was curious as to why Mahiru was being a little naggy; she stared back at him and let out a little sigh.
"... Please wait for a moment."
Before he could respond or deny, Mahiru returned from the veranda to her apartment.
Upon hearing the windows clatter shut, Amane asked. "What was that?"
She said to wait, but what did she want him to wait for?
He looked towards Mahiru's apartment with surprise, but naturally, there was no response.
Guess I'm cooled down. Time to go back.
He waited for her as told, but the winter night was colder than he thought. A sweater was insufficient.
In any case, he did not know why he was waiting so obediently.
The temperature was so cold, he was breathing white air. He exhaled, and there was an electronic buzzing sound from the corridor.
He immediately turned towards the door once he heard the bell.
There was only one visitor he would expect to arrive.
He did not know why she would appear, but he avoided the messy pile of clothes and magazines as he went towards the corridor.
"Well, I'll be accepting this graciously. You don't have to be sorry about me getting sick."
"Not at all. We are even now after I had taken care of you. I am doing this for self-satisfaction... but I am relatively concerned by how you are not living a proper lifestyle."
"I get that."
Amane had always been in a hapless state whenever she saw him, and her decision might be expected from a certain perspective.
Even at this point, the entrance behind Amane was a complete mess, and Mahiru had seen it all when she took care of him. There was no point hiding.
"... Do eat proper meals and live a proper lifestyle now, will you?"
"Are you my mom?"
While Mahiru lectured away with a completely serious look, Amane retorted back in exhaustion.
He brought the gift handed to him back, frisked for disposable chopsticks from the supermarket, and sat on the living room sofa.
How would the food Mahiru shoved to him taste?
He was thinking that the porridge from before tasted good. His tongue was insensitive due to the cold, but the taste of the porridge, cooked from uncooked rice, did enter his stomach gently.
Given the prior experience, Mahiru's cooking skills were fine. How would it taste this time?
Harboring some expectations, he opened the tupperware lid with some apprehension, and drifting out was undoubtedly the fragrance of cooked food.
It contained some root vegetables and chicken. The soup was mild in color, the bright colors of the carrots and the green bean garnish stood out.
Food of various colors were chopped into bite-size, whetting the appetite of Amane, who had only consumed jelly.
He quickly split the chopsticks and brought the carrot to his mouth first.
"It's nice."
The taste was obvious at once.
As to be expected of the health-conscious Mahiru, the seasoning was mild, but the fish stock was rich. This was not the powdered stock that was usually bought from the supermarket. It was stock boiled from bonito flakes and kelp. The taste was completely different.
He slowly chewed, savoring the flavor of the stock, seasoning, and vegetables spreading in his mouth.
The freshness of the vegetables was thoroughly emphasized while the soup flavor was absorbed. Amane himself disliked eating vegetables, but even he could enjoy it.
Do eat more vegetables, so the message implied, for there was little chicken inside. The chicken was really fresh, tender, not overdone. There was nothing to nitpick about it aside from quantity.
The ingredients were relatively plain for a high school girl's cooking, yet it clearly emphasized her skills.
One could say it demonstrated a stark difference from those who had just learnt how to cook.
It would be better if there was some rice or miso or soy sauce, so he thought, but unfortunately he did not cook any rice... or rather, he had finished his supply of rice, and this little wish was left unfulfilled.
It was too late for him to say so, but Amane regretted not going out to buy two packets of rice.
"The Angel's really amazing."
So Amane praised the superhuman who was perfect at studying, sports, and housework, yet terrified and unhappy about being called that. He continued to savor the ideal taste of these root vegetables.
---