Chapter 4 (1/2)

It’s Sunday.

After Kiho and Kaede-chan, there weren’t any other people I got close to. It’s a little lonely.

Well, I did converse with some people normally. But not to the extent that I could call them friends I feel.

By the way, since the entrance ceremony, it’s been 4 days.

By that I mean the 4th day has yet to pa.s.s. Even so. Even so! The number of idiots who have confessed to me has already reached two digits. The rascals who came to talk to me were generally meeting me for the first time. There were some brave souls (read: idiots) among them who after being rejected tried again the next day.

There’s nothing more irritating. I’ve acc.u.mulated a lot of stress so I want to go out and play, but next week is our preliminary proficiency test. As one would expect, I have no time to play.

Hence, I’m making a meal.

Though by that I mean lunch. I can get rid of stress–through cooking!

It’s fun, and it’s pleasant to make delicious things. I also like watching my family enjoying themselves eating. This is the best way to relieve stress. I would recommend this to everyone.

Alright! What should I make!?

Ah, that’s right! The j.a.panese peppers in our garden should’ve just sprouted by now. My meal should incorporate those. I know, let’s make a Pesto! Yeah, good idea.

I forgot to mention it, but our house has a garden which has a pepper tree planted in it. I’m the one who planted it.

Although it’s easy for a pepper tree to die, I raised it in a pot. Pepper sprouts are really delicious after all.

Not just that! NOT ONLY THAT! The leaves of the tree have a peculiar smell which can be used as an effective insect repellent. We’re in an age where every family has at least one plant. Well, it’s difficult to raise one, so I suggest Googling how to.

But enough about pepper trees.

I come out of the garden having picked the pepper sprouts. New sprouts nicely came out, so I pick a mountain of them.  I won’t use all of them, so I’m going to lightly boil and freeze the rest.

By the way, I’m also raising some Basil and Italian Parsley. However, I won’t be using them today so I let them be. No wait, if I use the Basil, I can make a salad.

I head back to the kitchen and wash the sprouts.

I blend the portion I’ll be using, and then I prepare the pasta. I’m feeling like Fusilli today, so I’ll use that. Make sure to put salt in the boiling water accordingly.

While waiting for the water to boil, I prepare the salad.

It’s the spring season, so I should use some spring vegetables. I wash some baby potatoes and leave them with their skin still on. I hear a *ding* from the stove. OK, I finish skewering the potatoes. I leave them to steam on the stove, and then I put some lettuce in cold water and shake it. As for the snap peas, it will be pleasing to the eyes to cut them so that the beans can be seen, so I do that. I slice some paprika and fresh spring onions and cut up the steamed potatoes into bite-size. Preparations complete.

I put the lettuce, snap peas, paprika, basil, spring onions, and baby potatoes into a bowl and drizzle some olives.

Finally, some dressing.

Dressing is easy to make. In some olive oil, add wine vinegar, minced anchovies, and some shredded, crushed garlic. Then finish with some salt and pepper. That’s it.

While I’m making my salad, the pasta starts to rise with the boiling water, so I hurry up and add the finis.h.i.+ng touches.

I roast some finely chopped garlic, salt, and olive oil in a frying pan, and a pleasant aroma is released. Once that’s done, I add some of the leftover boiled broth to it and shake the vinaigrette to emulsify it.

Afterwards, I put the initially blended sprouts into the boiling water with the cut up pasta and mix well.

It’s complete after I add some sprouts for decoration.

Fufun, it’s flawless if I may say so myself. Well, this is just a simple dish so I don’t know if I can act all haughty haha!

Cooking really is fun as I said. All my stress was already blown away. I know! I’ll send a picture to Kiho!

My family gives me a 10/10.

I’m troubled when my younger brother asks for seconds, but he’s my brother, so I give him half of mine.

I got too carried away making the salad and made more than normal, so this works out fine.

If I spoil him so much, he might not become a kid unable to separate from his older sister no matter how much time pa.s.ses.

Afterwards, I study until dinner. Then, I study after dinner. Before going to sleep, I do calisthenics for thirty minutes. With that, the day ends.

Tomorrow is our first proficiency test. I hope I get a good score. Although I don’t think it’ll be a problem, I can’t make any careless mistakes.

———————–

Monday comes along. I was confessed to this morning. Seriously, give me a break.

The f.u.c.k is “Make me miso soup everyday.” Ain’t that a proposal!? I don’t even f.u.c.king know your name. What a joke.

“Morningー”

I enter the cla.s.sroom and greet Kaede-chan and Kiho, who are already sitting at their seats.

“Hey! Sora! What was with that picture! Sending me that picture during lunch is foul play!”

The first words out of her mouth are angry ones about yesterday’s picture.

I apologize. But, I don’t regret nor reconsider my decision. Also, angry Kiho is cute.

“Sora-san, good morning. What’s this about a picture yesterday?”

Along with her greeting, Kaede-chan asks about the picture.