[Warning 15+]
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 114There's Somethin' I Wanna Talk to You About
Twilight hit right as the midday heat started to chill out.
The old-school shrine sittin' halfway up Mount Tsukinose was gettin' soaked in that deep orange glow of the sunset.
The history of Tsukinose Shrine goes way back. Even the current buildin' still looks exactly like it did when it was first built back in the Edo Period.
Right behind the shrine office, there's this modern-lookin' house that's a total 180 from the shrine vibes. In the kitchen, Saki had this dead-serious face on, like she was tryin' to thread a needle or somethin'.
"Four tablespoons of soy sauce, four tablespoons of mirin, four of sake, four of sugar..."
Saki's face wasn't the only thing stiff with nerves; Her hands were shakin' a bit too as she dumped those perfectly measured spices into the pot.
Then, a sweet aroma wafted up and hit her nose, makin' Saki crack a tiny little smirk.
"You don't gotta be that precise with the measurements, Sweetie—it's gonna take forever at this rate."
"I-It's fine! Mom, just stay out of it!"
"Alright, alright. But hey, you're forgettin' the drop-lid."
"!? I-I was just about to do that, okay!?"
After gettin' called out, Saki scrambled to get that wooden lid on.
Under her Mom's watch, Saki was whippin' up some Nikujaga.
Saki sautéed the sliced meat in oil, then tossed in some big-*ss chunks of potatoes and carrots along with sliced onions. Then she poured in the dashi broth and seasonings, added some shirataki noodles, skimmed off the foam, and let it all simmer down.
It's a total staple on any family dinner table. And Saki was bettin' it was the same for Hayato.
(Ugh... ...I hope I'm doin' this right.)
Keep it steady for now—stick to the recipe. No crazy experiments.
Lately, Saki's been makin' a side dish for dinner pretty often. It was all 'cause she was gonna be headin' out of the countryside next year once she started high school.
That's nothin' new in Tsukinose. Since the closest high school is a two-hour trek one way, plenty of people bail on the countryside.
The move is usually to pick a school with a dorm, so you don't gotta stress about food, but still...
(I-I'm gonna be able to help out with the cookin' too, just you wait!)
Saki's whole motivation was basically Haruki.
Word on the street was that Haruki's been bustin' her *ss lately learnin' how to cook from both Hayato and Minamo 'cause she felt bad always havin' 'em do everythin'. Before, Haruki was just choppin' veggies, peelin' skins, or passin' around spices and tools, but lately, she's supposedly been trusted with doin' some actual cookin'.
Just picturin' that scene made Saki feel a little—okay, honestly, a lot—jealous.
Saki knew there wasn't a d*mn thing she could do about it right now, but that one-year age gap was really startin' to get under her skin.
Saki watched the drop-lid rattle as the pot simmered. She was stressin' over how it was gonna taste.
Did I pull it off? Is Big Bro gonna think it's fire? For that matter, what kinda flavors is he even into?
"If it's for a boy, wouldn't a heavy, rich seasoning be better to get him eatin' more? I remember Hayato-kun pilin' meat drenched in sauce all over his rice at that BBQ after the wild boar hunt, y'know?"
"!? Mom!!"
Saki shouted back in protest at her Mom's comeback, which hit the nail right on the head like her Mom was readin' her mind.
◇ ◇ ◇
After dinner.
Since the Summer Festival was right around the corner, Saki wasn't skippin' her Kagura dance practice for nothin'. But tonight, her heart just wasn't in it.
"Ugh, Mom! You totally could've told me about the meat sooner!"
After hittin' the shower to wash off the sweat from practice, Saki stomped down the hallway, lookin' salty as heck.
The whole reason was that Nikujaga. That wild boar meat was, like, way too gamey.
"What do you mean 'You gotta get the stink out of wild boar with sake and spices first'? Like, seriously!?"
In the online recipes Saki looked up, there wasn't a single word about preppin' wild boar meat with a strong-ass smell. I mean, if you think about what usually hits the stores, nobody's expectin' you to use that stuff, though.
It was a total trap set by Saki's Mom, who just figured 'Hey, why not use wild boar instead of pork?'. It's one of those classic Tsukinose traps that happens all the time.
By the way, Saki's Mom had teased her, sayin', 'Good thing you caught that before you tried servin' it to Hayato-kun, huh?' which made Saki totally lose her cool and snap back, 'That's not it at all!'
"...Ah."
Once she got back to her room, Saki noticed her smartphone on the bed lightin' up with a notification. Looked like the group chat was blowin' up.
What are they even talkin' about today?
What's Hayato been up to today?
Today... ...did somethin' big happen between Big Bro and Haruki-san?
All that rage toward her Mom just vanished into thin air. Now Saki's head was a total mess of hope, nerves, and jealousy, makin' her hesitate to even unlock the screen.
Saki sat in a formal seiza style on the bed, clutchin' her smartphone to her chest with both hands and takin' a deep-*ss breath.
"Alright, let's do this! ...Wait, what?"
Saki pumped herself up and started scrollin' through the logs, but for a second, she thought her smartphone was glitchin' or somethin'. That's how much Himeko was just straight-up wildin' in there.
'Saw a celeb live.' 'Legit right in front of me.' 'The place from TV.' 'First time seein' a camera, it was huge.' 'I might be on TV.' 'I shoulda picked a better outfit.' 'Big Bro's fault.'
Judgin' by the messages, it looked like there was some event where they went and Himeko saw a celebrity in the flesh. That's why she was trippin' so hard. But nobody could keep up with her energy, so she just kept postin' a never-endin' stream of hype.
Saki let out a little chuckle at her bestie's typical Himeko antics, and the tension in Saki's face finally started to fade.
But once Saki caught up to the latest messages, the topic had completely shifted, though Himeko was still goin' just as hard as before. And Himeko wasn't the only one.
'No fair, no fair, no fair! Big Bro, how could you go get yakiniku all by yourself? That's so cheap! Loin, ribs, beef tongue, and even tripe!'
'Hayato actually ate it... ...tenderloin, misuji, pork jowl... ...Hayato really went and did it... ...just followed his gut and ate everythin' in sight...'
'Man, that wasn't just a full stomach, it was like a challenge to my limits. You gotta have a time limit and a strategy, but most of all―you can't go all-in if you're always stressin' about your weight or some rebound, y'know?'
''Grrrr...!!''
It was just their usual back-and-forth banter.
Saki could tell that Himeko, Haruki, and even she herself just really wanted some yakiniku. They weren't actually tryin' to bash Hayato, they were just actin' like spoiled brats and sulkin' 'cause he hit up an all-you-can-eat spot without 'em. And Hayato probably knew that too.
It was the exact same scene Saki used to watch from the sidelines back in Tsukinose, lookin' on with total envy, wishin' more than anythin' that she could be part of that circle.
Saki was jealous. Jealous of Haruki.
Jealous of how Haruki, right after their reunion, already had the same vibe and closeness as Himeko, Hayato's little sis and Saki's bestie who was closer to Hayato than anyone else.
Saki knew deep down that if she didn't make a move, nothin' was ever gonna change. She knew what she needed: Some real backbone. She let out a long-*ss breath, said "Alright," and pumped her fist against her chest.
'Good evenin'. Big Bro, did you seriously go get yakiniku? Without tellin' Hime-chan or Haruki-san?'
'Oh, Saki-chan! Get this, Big Bro went to an all-you-can-eat yakiniku place behind our backs! All-you-can-eat! Without sayin' a word! Ain't that messed up!?'
'And on top of that, Hayato's tryin' to scare us with all this "Rebound effect" and "Subcutaneous fat" talk!?'
'M-Murao-san!?'
With Saki's heart racin', she typed out a slightly mischievous comment.
Saki was nervous as heck thinkin' he might hate her for it, but both Himeko and Haruki jumped on board, and even Hayato barked back with a comeback. Saki could tell he was a little rattled by her suddenly teasin' him like that, which was a far cry from her usual self.
Saki found the whole thin' hilarious, and for a split second, she thought Hayato was actually pretty cute, even if he was older.
Because they were so tight, that harmonious back-and-forth Saki'd always craved was finally happenin' right there. Her face relaxed and her heart started actin' up. So, she threw a little bit of her own selfish wish into the chat.
'Alright then, as an apology, how about our mischievous Big Bro handles all the grillin' when you guys come back to Tsukinose?'
Saki waited for a reply, her heart drummin' in her chest.
This was a bold-*ss move for Saki, somethin' she never would've had the guts to say before.
'Heck yeah, BBQ! I wanna eat meat skewers with tons of sauce! And those special sweet-and-spicy spare ribs too!'
'I wanna eat a whole chicken stuffed with herbs and roasted! Oh, by the way Hayato, I've been dyin' to know about that trick for lightin' the fire you mentioned the other day!'
'Himeko, that's a total pain to make... ...okay, okay, I get it, so stop jumpin' around! The noise is gonna hit the floor below and we're gonna get chewed out!'
Looks like Himeko's mood did a total 180 in like, a second.
Saki let out a dry-*ss laugh at how easy her bestie was to please, but at the same time, somethin' felt off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it yet.
But Saki's gut was tellin' her that she definitely shouldn't ignore it. And before Saki could even wrap her head around it, Haruki went ahead and dropped the answer.
'So, Saki-chan, I'm thinkin' about headin' over to Tsukinose too. Do you mind if I ask you for a few favors when I get there?'
"...Oh."
Saki blanked out, a tiny gasp escapin' her lips while she clutched her smartphone.
Nikaidō Haruki was comin' to Tsukinose―those words felt like a straight-up vow from Haruki, meanin' she was ready to show up even if people hit her with cold stares or talk behind her back out of pure curiosity.
'...Haruki, you're comin' too?'
'Whoa, Haru-chan's comin' along! Then let’s all go check out some Festival yukatas together!'
'Yeah, for sure, since we're already at it. Yukatas, huh? Yeah, that sounds pretty sweet.'
'Hehe, well then, I'll make sure to give you guys the warmest welcome I can.'
Saki felt a certain strength, a clear-as-day change in the air.
Saki's heart was thumping so hard she was legit worried they'd hear it through the chat. Looks like she was way more rattled than she even realized.
'Alright, so about the specific dates—the day of the Festival is―'
Then, she tried to steer the convo somewhere else so they wouldn't catch on. Luckily, the Kirishima siblings bit and started talkin' about how they gotta clean up their old house back in Tsukinose that's been sittin' empty. She let out a huge sigh of relief.
But that didn't last long. A private message popped up just for her (Saki), and it sent her anxiety straight through the roof.
'There's somethin' I wanna talk to you about when we get to Tsukinose.'
It didn't say what. But man, she could easily guess what kinda "somethin'" that was gonna be.
Saki's mind just went totally blank in a split second, and there was no way she could bring herself to reply to Haruki's message that night.
Author's Notes:
Please show some love in any way you can!!
And hey, for the support—just like with your feedback and fan letters—just "Meow" is totally enough, for real!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
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Read in other languages:
Twilight hit right as the midday heat started to chill out.
The old-school shrine sittin' halfway up Mount Tsukinose was gettin' soaked in that deep orange glow of the sunset.
The history of Tsukinose Shrine goes way back. Even the current buildin' still looks exactly like it did when it was first built back in the Edo Period.
Right behind the shrine office, there's this modern-lookin' house that's a total 180 from the shrine vibes. In the kitchen, Saki had this dead-serious face on, like she was tryin' to thread a needle or somethin'.
"Four tablespoons of soy sauce, four tablespoons of mirin, four of sake, four of sugar..."
Saki's face wasn't the only thing stiff with nerves; Her hands were shakin' a bit too as she dumped those perfectly measured spices into the pot.
Then, a sweet aroma wafted up and hit her nose, makin' Saki crack a tiny little smirk.
"You don't gotta be that precise with the measurements, Sweetie—it's gonna take forever at this rate."
"I-It's fine! Mom, just stay out of it!"
"Alright, alright. But hey, you're forgettin' the drop-lid."
"!? I-I was just about to do that, okay!?"
After gettin' called out, Saki scrambled to get that wooden lid on.
Under her Mom's watch, Saki was whippin' up some Nikujaga.
Saki sautéed the sliced meat in oil, then tossed in some big-*ss chunks of potatoes and carrots along with sliced onions. Then she poured in the dashi broth and seasonings, added some shirataki noodles, skimmed off the foam, and let it all simmer down.
It's a total staple on any family dinner table. And Saki was bettin' it was the same for Hayato.
(Ugh... ...I hope I'm doin' this right.)
Keep it steady for now—stick to the recipe. No crazy experiments.
Lately, Saki's been makin' a side dish for dinner pretty often. It was all 'cause she was gonna be headin' out of the countryside next year once she started high school.
That's nothin' new in Tsukinose. Since the closest high school is a two-hour trek one way, plenty of people bail on the countryside.
The move is usually to pick a school with a dorm, so you don't gotta stress about food, but still...
(I-I'm gonna be able to help out with the cookin' too, just you wait!)
Saki's whole motivation was basically Haruki.
Word on the street was that Haruki's been bustin' her *ss lately learnin' how to cook from both Hayato and Minamo 'cause she felt bad always havin' 'em do everythin'. Before, Haruki was just choppin' veggies, peelin' skins, or passin' around spices and tools, but lately, she's supposedly been trusted with doin' some actual cookin'.
Just picturin' that scene made Saki feel a little—okay, honestly, a lot—jealous.
Saki knew there wasn't a d*mn thing she could do about it right now, but that one-year age gap was really startin' to get under her skin.
Saki watched the drop-lid rattle as the pot simmered. She was stressin' over how it was gonna taste.
Did I pull it off? Is Big Bro gonna think it's fire? For that matter, what kinda flavors is he even into?
"If it's for a boy, wouldn't a heavy, rich seasoning be better to get him eatin' more? I remember Hayato-kun pilin' meat drenched in sauce all over his rice at that BBQ after the wild boar hunt, y'know?"
"!? Mom!!"
Saki shouted back in protest at her Mom's comeback, which hit the nail right on the head like her Mom was readin' her mind.
◇ ◇ ◇
After dinner.
Since the Summer Festival was right around the corner, Saki wasn't skippin' her Kagura dance practice for nothin'. But tonight, her heart just wasn't in it.
"Ugh, Mom! You totally could've told me about the meat sooner!"
After hittin' the shower to wash off the sweat from practice, Saki stomped down the hallway, lookin' salty as heck.
The whole reason was that Nikujaga. That wild boar meat was, like, way too gamey.
"What do you mean 'You gotta get the stink out of wild boar with sake and spices first'? Like, seriously!?"
In the online recipes Saki looked up, there wasn't a single word about preppin' wild boar meat with a strong-ass smell. I mean, if you think about what usually hits the stores, nobody's expectin' you to use that stuff, though.
It was a total trap set by Saki's Mom, who just figured 'Hey, why not use wild boar instead of pork?'. It's one of those classic Tsukinose traps that happens all the time.
By the way, Saki's Mom had teased her, sayin', 'Good thing you caught that before you tried servin' it to Hayato-kun, huh?' which made Saki totally lose her cool and snap back, 'That's not it at all!'
"...Ah."
Once she got back to her room, Saki noticed her smartphone on the bed lightin' up with a notification. Looked like the group chat was blowin' up.
What are they even talkin' about today?
What's Hayato been up to today?
Today... ...did somethin' big happen between Big Bro and Haruki-san?
All that rage toward her Mom just vanished into thin air. Now Saki's head was a total mess of hope, nerves, and jealousy, makin' her hesitate to even unlock the screen.
Saki sat in a formal seiza style on the bed, clutchin' her smartphone to her chest with both hands and takin' a deep-*ss breath.
"Alright, let's do this! ...Wait, what?"
Saki pumped herself up and started scrollin' through the logs, but for a second, she thought her smartphone was glitchin' or somethin'. That's how much Himeko was just straight-up wildin' in there.
'Saw a celeb live.' 'Legit right in front of me.' 'The place from TV.' 'First time seein' a camera, it was huge.' 'I might be on TV.' 'I shoulda picked a better outfit.' 'Big Bro's fault.'
Judgin' by the messages, it looked like there was some event where they went and Himeko saw a celebrity in the flesh. That's why she was trippin' so hard. But nobody could keep up with her energy, so she just kept postin' a never-endin' stream of hype.
Saki let out a little chuckle at her bestie's typical Himeko antics, and the tension in Saki's face finally started to fade.
But once Saki caught up to the latest messages, the topic had completely shifted, though Himeko was still goin' just as hard as before. And Himeko wasn't the only one.
'No fair, no fair, no fair! Big Bro, how could you go get yakiniku all by yourself? That's so cheap! Loin, ribs, beef tongue, and even tripe!'
'Hayato actually ate it... ...tenderloin, misuji, pork jowl... ...Hayato really went and did it... ...just followed his gut and ate everythin' in sight...'
'Man, that wasn't just a full stomach, it was like a challenge to my limits. You gotta have a time limit and a strategy, but most of all―you can't go all-in if you're always stressin' about your weight or some rebound, y'know?'
''Grrrr...!!''
It was just their usual back-and-forth banter.
Saki could tell that Himeko, Haruki, and even she herself just really wanted some yakiniku. They weren't actually tryin' to bash Hayato, they were just actin' like spoiled brats and sulkin' 'cause he hit up an all-you-can-eat spot without 'em. And Hayato probably knew that too.
It was the exact same scene Saki used to watch from the sidelines back in Tsukinose, lookin' on with total envy, wishin' more than anythin' that she could be part of that circle.
Saki was jealous. Jealous of Haruki.
Jealous of how Haruki, right after their reunion, already had the same vibe and closeness as Himeko, Hayato's little sis and Saki's bestie who was closer to Hayato than anyone else.
Saki knew deep down that if she didn't make a move, nothin' was ever gonna change. She knew what she needed: Some real backbone. She let out a long-*ss breath, said "Alright," and pumped her fist against her chest.
'Good evenin'. Big Bro, did you seriously go get yakiniku? Without tellin' Hime-chan or Haruki-san?'
'Oh, Saki-chan! Get this, Big Bro went to an all-you-can-eat yakiniku place behind our backs! All-you-can-eat! Without sayin' a word! Ain't that messed up!?'
'And on top of that, Hayato's tryin' to scare us with all this "Rebound effect" and "Subcutaneous fat" talk!?'
'M-Murao-san!?'
With Saki's heart racin', she typed out a slightly mischievous comment.
Saki was nervous as heck thinkin' he might hate her for it, but both Himeko and Haruki jumped on board, and even Hayato barked back with a comeback. Saki could tell he was a little rattled by her suddenly teasin' him like that, which was a far cry from her usual self.
Saki found the whole thin' hilarious, and for a split second, she thought Hayato was actually pretty cute, even if he was older.
Because they were so tight, that harmonious back-and-forth Saki'd always craved was finally happenin' right there. Her face relaxed and her heart started actin' up. So, she threw a little bit of her own selfish wish into the chat.
'Alright then, as an apology, how about our mischievous Big Bro handles all the grillin' when you guys come back to Tsukinose?'
Saki waited for a reply, her heart drummin' in her chest.
This was a bold-*ss move for Saki, somethin' she never would've had the guts to say before.
'Heck yeah, BBQ! I wanna eat meat skewers with tons of sauce! And those special sweet-and-spicy spare ribs too!'
'I wanna eat a whole chicken stuffed with herbs and roasted! Oh, by the way Hayato, I've been dyin' to know about that trick for lightin' the fire you mentioned the other day!'
'Himeko, that's a total pain to make... ...okay, okay, I get it, so stop jumpin' around! The noise is gonna hit the floor below and we're gonna get chewed out!'
Looks like Himeko's mood did a total 180 in like, a second.
Saki let out a dry-*ss laugh at how easy her bestie was to please, but at the same time, somethin' felt off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it yet.
But Saki's gut was tellin' her that she definitely shouldn't ignore it. And before Saki could even wrap her head around it, Haruki went ahead and dropped the answer.
'So, Saki-chan, I'm thinkin' about headin' over to Tsukinose too. Do you mind if I ask you for a few favors when I get there?'
"...Oh."
Saki blanked out, a tiny gasp escapin' her lips while she clutched her smartphone.
Nikaidō Haruki was comin' to Tsukinose―those words felt like a straight-up vow from Haruki, meanin' she was ready to show up even if people hit her with cold stares or talk behind her back out of pure curiosity.
'...Haruki, you're comin' too?'
'Whoa, Haru-chan's comin' along! Then let’s all go check out some Festival yukatas together!'
'Yeah, for sure, since we're already at it. Yukatas, huh? Yeah, that sounds pretty sweet.'
'Hehe, well then, I'll make sure to give you guys the warmest welcome I can.'
Saki felt a certain strength, a clear-as-day change in the air.
Saki's heart was thumping so hard she was legit worried they'd hear it through the chat. Looks like she was way more rattled than she even realized.
'Alright, so about the specific dates—the day of the Festival is―'
Then, she tried to steer the convo somewhere else so they wouldn't catch on. Luckily, the Kirishima siblings bit and started talkin' about how they gotta clean up their old house back in Tsukinose that's been sittin' empty. She let out a huge sigh of relief.
But that didn't last long. A private message popped up just for her (Saki), and it sent her anxiety straight through the roof.
'There's somethin' I wanna talk to you about when we get to Tsukinose.'
It didn't say what. But man, she could easily guess what kinda "somethin'" that was gonna be.
Saki's mind just went totally blank in a split second, and there was no way she could bring herself to reply to Haruki's message that night.
Author's Notes:
Please show some love in any way you can!!
And hey, for the support—just like with your feedback and fan letters—just "Meow" is totally enough, for real!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages: