Vol 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)
Nayuki’s voice came from the kitchen occasionally
“Yuichi, do you like adding peppers to burdocks?”
“I’m fine with that, just not too much”
“Which hotpot soup do you like—vinegar or miso?”
“Will you throw cream in if it’s miso?”
“I will if you like”
“Throw it in, then”
“Sure”
When the house was filled with aro to the kitchen for a look
“It’s almost done~”
In her apron, Nayuki said without even turning around How adorable I’m tempted to embrace her from behind and make her squeal
“Woah!”
W-What the heck was on my mind?
“Nayuki, dishes!”
“I haven’t prepared salad Do you want some?”
“No Idesire to work”
“Although I don’t really get you, the plates and dishes are put in the right cupboard”
“Good”
I began setting up the dishes with clanking sounds, extreined
Nayuki who didn’t knoaver ca a earthenware pot with cat-patterned ther it on the thermal stove I had put on the table
“Okay, done~”
When we opened the lid, white smoke buffed out Chicken, mushrooms, and the like swam around the miso soup There were also burdocks and cold spinaches on the table
“Thanks for the food”
I first tried the burdocks that were on the side The taste was to , as spicy as I wanted
“Delicious”
“Cream is also added into the hotpot, so it’s delicious too”
Nayuki pouredceramic soupspoon Its taste was thick, and hot that warms my whole body Touched, I had another bowl
“Eat more, but save some for mum”
“Oh, of course”
Since I came here, this was the first time we had dinner only by the two of us
“Muuess”
Nayuki said while blowing the hot tofu
“She’s so hard-working and great I can’t iine how she can work and at the sas at home so well”
“Absolutely Mum is the person I feel proud of the most”
Nayuki looked at the empty seat usually occupied by Akiko
“Muht me how to make this hotpot too”
“That’s why it’s so delicious”
“But I used my oay as well”
“Yes, yes”
Half-finished, Nayuki suddenly stood up
“It’s snowing again”
With that said, she opened the curtains on the other side of the living room
Looking outside, we could see falling snow a the courtyard dyed white by the reflection of the snow
“What a scene to look at while eating hotpot”
“Yuichi, you’re too young to say so so old But this really is a scene”
It was snowing outside, yet in front of us a boiling hotpot Seeing I was alhtful for me to have enjoyed it
After dinner, we ate oranges while watching television in the living room
“Yuichi, the bathing water is ready”
“Okay”
Standing up, I carelessly let so slip from my mouth, “Somehow it looks like we’re needs”
“What?!”
Nayuki’s face turned red instantly Seeing her face, I felt embarrassed too
“U weird”
“I understsand”
“I’m off, then”
“Please do so”
Anyway, the bath today made me a bit dizzy
After bathing, I returned to the living roo on the sofa
“Nayuki, go back to your rooet a cold Hey, Nayuki”
I gently moved her shoulders
“Yes…”
Nayuki then grabbedto scratch her cheeks with my hand
Her cheeks were soft
“Na-Nayuki…”
“Yes…Mum…”
I see
Asleep, She took hed, in relief as well as in a bit of regret
“It’s et up If you really sleep here, I don’t think I can wake you up”
“Okay…oh, sorry~”
Nayuki seemed to have understood the situation and slowly pushed herself up from the sofa
“I’ to take a bath and sleep too”
“Go ahead”
Left alone, I thought of how soothing it would be to drink erator Despite the serator in the house was very large, as Akiko, an expert in cooking, would put in not only ingredients for basic meals but also jam and other stuff she had erator I found a set of burdock and spinach wrapped meticulously with a plastic wrap Two sushi+ rolls were also erator
Nayuki ht of how tired Akiko would be when she co after and that she could irab it and eat it
A warm sensation filled me
Nayuki and herable to support each other
“It’s so relaxing!”
Nayuki came back after a while
Fruit sha hair My heart was beating almost audibly
“Hey, Yuichi, are you still awake?”
“You’re the one to talk Isn’t it just a bit after nine?”
“It’s late We should sleep already”
“When do you normally sleep, I wonder?”
“Around nine”
“Even primary kids nowadays don’t sleep that early”
“Is that so? Ku…”
Nayuki see her extreme sleepiness
“You should go to the second floor and sleep”
“Sure What about you, Yuichi?”
“I, well…cohts in the bathroo?”
“Seems so”
“I’ll get back to e them Do you have spare ones?”
“Yes They are in the lowest box in the cupboard beside the washi+ng machine”
“Okay”
“Where did that idea come from? Out of nowhere”
“Nothing, really Just so that bothers me”
“…I see…”
I couldn’t possibly say anything about why I feel obliged to help her and herme live in their house
So I changed the light bulbs
When I think about it, there wasn’t any need to change theht since we had already taken baths, but I still did it, quite obstinately, as it wasn’t nice to take back what I had said now
When I came to the second floor, complete silence had enveloped the house
Nayuki should be sleeping soundly With that in mind, I returned to my room
But there was one thing I didn’t know, at least back then, of course
On that night, Nayuki couldn’t bring herself to sleep oddly
Somehow it looks like we’re needs
Nayuki repeated Yuichi’s words in her heart and rolled back and forth
Needs
Yuichi and I?
But we’re cousins
Yuichi said that only because of the atmosphere
And Yuichi didn’t re important
So important to Yuichi and I…
On the next , when I woke up and went downstairs, Akiko had already been preparing breakfast
“Good , Yuchi”
“Good …When did you come back, Akiko?”
“Early in the o”
“Eh, don’t you need some sleep?”
“I took a day off today So I’reet you and Nayuki to school”
Akiko said while s, and went to the second floor to wake Nayuki up
“Good ~”
Nayuki went downstairs, yawning like usual, and became fully awake only after she had almost completed breakfast
After the night, it was , same as ever
The tiht seemed like a dream
But…
“Nayuki, are you still eating?”
“Yes It’s fine We won’t be late”
“What you say fine couldn't be believed Here, let ulp that down”
I took the cat-printed cup, stood up, one hand on ulp
“Ah”
Nayuki lifted her head to look atof saying that, Nayuki lowered her head in embarrassment
Then I realised myself
I just h the cup
Was this what they call an indirect kiss?
“Good! Let’s go, then, Nayuki”
“Sure!”
We used extravagantly sis, put on our shoes, and leave the house
Tilting her head, Akiko saw us off, s
Speaking of which…
“What work does Akiko do?”
While waking (and so a few steps), I asked Nayuki
“What is it…”
“Hmm?”
“Actually, I’m not sure as well”
Nayuki didn’t look as if she was joking Probably she had complete trust in Akiko that she didn’t really care to ask even when she didn’t know
“It doesn’t really matter, anyway”
Si Nayuki’s h mystery that couldn’t be understood
But she was kind and good in cooking, so nothing about her bothered me
I didn’t further pursue asking about her affairs
In this world, there areunknown