[Warning 15+]
Author's Note:
Based on the rankings from this morning and noon, we actually hit #2 overall for the day!
Awawawawawawa!
Part One~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 11"Hey, Big Bro!"
The Kirishimas had just moved in a few days ago.
Dishes, summer clothes, stationery, notebooks, textbooks—you name it.
They'd unpacked the bare essentials for daily life, but there was still a mountain of boxes waiting to be opened. In Hayato's room, cardboard boxes were piled up like a mini fortress.
"Alright, let's do this."
Right after getting home and changing, Hayato dove straight into the unpacking grind. Looks like he'd be stuck organizing this mess for the next few days.
Unlike their old place back in Tsukinose, which was unnecessarily huge, this cramped 3LDK (Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen) apartment was a total headache to figure out in terms of space.
"Big Bro, you in there? I'm coming in."
"Yeah?"
Himeko didn't even wait for an answer before barging in.
Himeko was still in her school uniform, clutching her smartphone in one hand.
"Got a message from Dad. He said he's heading over to Mom's place again today."
"So I guess I gotta figure out dinner then."
"Yeah, pretty much. Honestly, when are you gonna finally get a smartphone, Big Bro? I'm tired of acting like your personal messenger."
"Haha, my bad, my bad."
"Ugh, seriously…!"
Hayato let Himeko's annoyed voice slide right off his back as he headed toward the fridge.
Since Hayato'd used up a bunch of ingredients yesterday and this morning just to clear things out, the fridge was looking pretty sad.
"It's empty… …I wonder if we've got anything in the freezer."
"Hey, Big Bro."
"Yeah?"
Suddenly, Hayato felt a tug on the back of his shirt.
When Hayato turned around to see what was up, he was met with Himeko's face looking a bit somber, like she was holding something back. It was a look that took him right back to "that time."
But still, Himeko forced a bright tone as she started wheedling for a favor.
"The thing is, I'm just really in the mood for Big Bro's 'Greedy Portion Hamburg Steak' today."
"Man, that's a total pain to make. Plus, we'd have to head out to go shopping first."
"I know, I know. I'll help out too, okay? Please?"
"…Good grief."
When his little sis asked Hayato with a face like that, there was no way he could say no.
Himeko was already clutching the family wallet in her hand, rushing Hayato to get a move on.
Looks like Himeko was coming along. She definitely didn't want to be left alone.
Hayato gave her head a rough little noogie.
"Hey! What was that for, Big Bro?! You're messing up my hair!"
"It's fine. Mom's hospital transfer was for that exact reason, right?"
"Oh… …yeah…"
"C'mon, let's head out before it gets dark. I'm still a bit shaky on where the supermarket even is."
"Ugh, Big Bro, you're hopeless."
Hayato kept his voice sounding as bright as possible.
As they left the house, Himeko naturally picked up the pace, dragging Hayato along as if she were trying to outrun her own anxiety.
◇◇◇
The neighborhood supermarket was about as average as it gets.
Various veggies, fresh meats and fish. Cow milk and a ton of different drinks and seasonings. Colorful snacks and some random household goods. Nothing to write home about, really.
However, it was a different story for the Kirishima Siblings.
When it comes to shopping in the neighborhood, they only knew the messy old mom-and-pop shops run halfway as hobbies, the local farm co-op, or maybe a roadside station if they felt like traveling. To both Hayato and Himeko, a supermarket where everything was under one roof felt like a straight-up food theme park.
They had to fight for their life to keep some self-control and not overspend. That day, a new Kirishima Family rule was born: Snacks are capped at 200 yen per trip.
By the time they got back, the sun was totally down. They flicked on the lights and got straight to cooking.
"Himeko, mince the veggies for me. I'll start on the mushrooms."
"Roger that, Big Bro. Man, I didn't realize veggies were this pricey… …This really is a 'Greedy Portion Hamburg Steik' at these rates."
"Haha, yeah. Back in Tsukinose, we got so many mushrooms and veggies from the neighbors that we couldn't even finish them all."
The "Greedy Hamburg" is a hamburg steak bulked up with a ton of vegetables.
Besides onions, the mix includes cabbage and eggplant, which soak up the sweetness of the veggies and the fat from the ground meat to really make the flavor pop.
They used to just toss in whatever random veggies they got for free, but after a lot of trial and error, they finally settled on this combo.
To top it off, they make a Japanese-style mushroom sauce by simmering various mushrooms like shiitake, shimeji, maitake, enoki, and king oyster in soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then thickening it with a cornstarch slurry.
It's not just for hamburgs—it goes great with white fish, omurice, or pasta too, so they make a big batch and save the rest in Tupperware.
Toss the veggie scraps into some miso soup so nothing goes to waste, and dinner is served.
"Let's eat…! …Mm~, ow, hot! Big Bro, water!"
"Yeah, yeah. What are you even doing…"
Dinner wasn't ready until well after 8 PM.
Watching Himeko make a fuss about the heat because she was eating too fast, Hayato let out a sigh of resignation while handing her some water. Seeing her eat with such gusto brought a small smile to his face, though. The boldly seasoned Greedy Portion Hamburg Steak, combined with their hunger, made the white rice disappear in no time.
"I knew it, Big Bro's sauce tastes like the perfect snack for drinks."
"Himeko, you've never even had a drink before. Well, I have been told it goes great with some dry shochu, though."
"Hehe. Whatever, it's delicious."
"I see."
"…The very first thing Big Bro ever made was this Greedy Portion Hamburg Steak, right? It's like a taste full of memories for me… …And you've gotten, like, way better at cooking since then."
"…I guess so."
"So, yeah, looking forward to more of this, Big Bro."
"You should learn how to cook too, Himeko."
"If it's frozen or instant, I'm a pro!"
"…Good grief."
Hayato and Himeko. Big bro and little sis. The sound of cheerful convo. A dinner table for two. A dinner table far too large for just two people.
It felt a little lonely, but for them, it was a sight that had become all too common.
Author's Note:
Grateful doesn't even cover it—we actually climbed all the way to #2 in the daily overall rankings!
Seriously, I couldn't have done this without all of you guys reading. Before I posted this, I was so anxious I was practically losing it…
I wanna keep writing stories that'll keep you guys hooked. For that to happen, seeing some solid support from you all would be a total game-changer. If you haven't yet, please smash that bookmark button or flip those hollow stars ☆☆☆☆☆ into solid ones ★★★★★. Your comments and reviews seriously keep me going. If I don't get that support, though... what happens then? Well, I put it into a poem for ya.
Check it out, the title is "Massive Fire (Total Backlash)"
~~~
"There's this terrifying group psychology out there…"
"Bookmark!! Where's my bookmarks at?!!!"
"Why aren't they showing up?!!! What the hell is going on?!!!"
"No five stars ★★★★★ either!! You guys are way too slow!!!!"
"Hurry up… …leave a comment, anything, just give me something… ...My novel is…"
"Because!!! You probably already figured it out!!!"
"Nobody… …is actually registered on Narō!!!"
"Hurry up!! Bookmark it already!! Give me five stars ★★★★★, write a review!! Somebody, anybody!!!"
"Nobody!! There's nobody here to give me points!!"
Something's wrong… …this is seriously sketchy…
"Wait, what??"
The rating system on Narō is top-tier; it's literally designed so you get a reaction within 5 minutes of hitting 'publish.'
"Huh?? That fast?"
Yup. They say within 1 minute of the update notification, readers are already flooding in.
And an author thinks everything through—down to the last second—so that the readers can finish the whole thing in under 4 minutes!!
And yet, I still haven't seen that red text for comments or reviews… …This is definitely not right…
Something… …must have happened…
"What the heck could it be…"
"Yeah, you probably already get it by now……"
"Nobody!! Is actually registered on Narō!!!"
Anyone can sign up for a Narō account for free to support authors and their novels.
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The system is set up so that gaining points helps promote the story to more people. So, if you're enjoying the ride, please drop a bookmark, give it five stars ★★★★★, or leave a review.
Your comments are what keep me hyped to keep writing…!
Hope to see you guys in the next chapter.
The next update is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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