[Warning 15+]
Author's Notes:
Looks like this is the end of Part 3 Sub-Part 3.
Startin' next time, we're jumpin' into Part 3 Sub-Part 4.
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 104...Oh, I Get It Now
"Tsukinose, huh..."
Clutchin' her smartphone in one hand, Haruki's mumble faded into the air of Hayato's room.
Haruki's head was a total mess right now. For Saki, Haruki had to be a pretty complicated person to deal with, for sure.
But honestly, gettin' that invite from Saki was as much of a shock as it was a genuine mood booster.
Haruki pulled on the sleeves of the clothes she was changin' into while replaying those words in her head.
Haruki'd been treated like an outcast.
By her own Mom. By everyone around her.
Haruki had zero place to belong.
Bein' an illegitimate daughter with a "who-knows-who" dad meant gettin' a whole lot of shade from the world.
And it was the exact same story for Haruki's Grandpa back in Tsukinose.
"'Give back what you've borrowed,' huh..."
That was practically Haruki's Grandpa's catchphrase.
And that's exactly why Haruki'd rather have Hayato owe her one than be the one in debt to him.
Those words were meant for Haruki's Mom, but her Grandpa's sharp, piercin' gaze always made sure they hit Haruki too.
Haruki looked around the room with a frown on her face.
A pipe bed, a steel desk, and a multi-purpose rack that doubled as a bookshelf—totally functional. With its white, blue, and gray color scheme, the room was like a textbook example of a high school boy's den.
Haruki's sports bag, tucked away in one corner, looked like it totally belonged there without a hint of awkwardness.
"...Maybe next time I should just toss some of my underwear in here too."
Seein' how perfectly at home her stuff looked, Haruki's frown softened into a little smirk as she muttered to herself.
◇◇◇
"Ugh..."
As soon as Haruki stepped back into the livin' room, she caught sight of Hayato in the kitchen, arms crossed and lettin' out a frustrated groan.
Right in front of Hayato was a huge slab of pork shoulder, about a whole kilogram. Local pork at 88 yen a gram—further slashed to half price—a total steal that he'd snatched up on total impulse today.
"Yo Hayato, decided on what to make yet?"
"...Still brainstormin'. The expiration date is right around the corner too."
"Well, it was a clearance item after all. Eh, maybe just some regular tonkatsu or―nah, deep-fried stuff is a tough call right now."
"I could go with tonteki steak, but we gotta use up those veggies too."
"Ahaha, right, we did have a massive harvest right after finals ended."
Starin' at the meat they'd bought without a second thought, they just looked at each other and shared a dry laugh.
It was the exact same laugh they used to have back when they'd play by the river and fall in, or break the door of some mountain shrine, or accidentally leave a gate open and let all the chickens escape...
Always.
Haruki'd always thought things would just keep goin' on like this forever.
"Alright, no point in overthinkin' it. I'll just start by carvin' out the portions for the tonteki."
"...Oh."
"Whoa! ...Haru-ki?"
It was a total reflex.
Haruki grabbed Hayato's hand just as he was about to move away from her.
"...Eh, well, you see."
"U-huh?"
There wasn't really a reason. If Haruki had to be real, she just wanted to touch Hayato.
But there was no way Haruki could just say that out loud, so her face turned beet red. She scrambled to come up with an excuse.
"M-Minestrone!"
"...Huh?"
"Y'know, that dish that uses a ton of summer veggies—both Minamo-chan and Saki-chan said it's a total must-try."
"Wait, for real? ...But I've never made that before, y'know?"
"Don't sweat it. I've made it with Minamo-chan before."
"Since when?"
"Just a bit durin' Finals week. So, Hayato, you handle the tonteki pork steak, please."
"Got it."
Haruki was talkin' so fast she even noticed it herself.
Hayato wasn't the type to be a buzzkill and poke fun at her for it, though.
So, the two of them stood side-by-side in the kitchen and got to work.
Makin' Minestrone is pretty straightforward, but man, it's a real grind.
Haruki coated the bottom of the pot with olive oil and let the minced garlic infuse the oil with its scent. Then she tossed in onions, carrots, and celery, sautéin' 'em carefully so they didn't burn. Once those aromatics got all soft and tender, she just added the eggplant and zucchini from the Gardenin' Club, some tomatoes, and let it simmer with bouillon and a bay leaf.
But the catch is, every single veggie has to be diced into tiny cubes, and keepin' that wooden spatula movin' takes some serious patience. Haruki's wrists started killin' her after a while, too.
On the other hand, makin' tonteki is about as simple as it gets.
Once you've sliced the meat to your likin', you just hit it with some salt and pepper. Then all you gotta do is prep a sauce with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, oyster sauce, and some grated ginger and garlic.
Hayato, who'd already finished shreddin' the cabbage for the side dish in record time, moved over to help Haruki out and started choppin' up the veggies.
"Just gotta let it simmer now and we're done. Thanks, Hayato, you're a lifesaver."
"Don't mention it, it's nothin'. Alright, guess I'll start searin' this side then."
Sayin' that, Hayato drizzled some oil into the hot pan and tossed the meat in, makin' that satisfyin' sizzle as the oil popped.
Once both sides were browned just right, Hayato just had to pour in the sauce he'd prepped, throw the lid on, and let it steam-fry.
That left them with a bit of downtime. But even so, they couldn't exactly take their eyes off the stove.
In that sudden lull, Haruki threw a question at Hayato, actin' all casual like she was just makin' small talk as usual.
"Hey, I was thinkin'... ...is it really okay for me to go along with you guys to Tsukinose?"
Hayato's face stiffened. Comin' up with an answer for that was a total nightmare.
"...I honestly don't know."
"Ahaha, thought so. I mean, I heard Grandpa basically skipped town in the middle of the night."
"Well, if Haruki actually shows up, everyone's gonna be all over you with questions, for sure."
"Not like I'd have any answers for 'em even if they asked, though~."
"...Even if they already know the deal, there's always gonna be someone who'll poke and prod, though."
"Haha, you're probably right."
Right now, Haruki's Grandpa's house is a total ghost town.
With nobody around to look after it, the place has completely fallen apart over the last five years. Back in Tsukinose, everybody knows exactly how that whole mess went down.
"Saki-chan told me she really wants to see me. Saki-chan said if I came along with both Hayato and Hime-chan, I should just crash at Saki-chan's place."
"Sounds like a plan, doesn't it? ...I mean, a shrine's probably the safest bet for a bunch of reasons. The head priest's family—Murao-san included—aren't the type to go spreadin' weird rumors or anythin'."
"Well, yeah, I'm happy about it and all. But still, I don't even know how I'm supposed to show my face back there..."
"Haruki..."
It was a topic that was just too heavy to answer.
But just then, the rice cooker let out a loud beep, signallin' that the rice was finally done.
"Alright, let's scoop the rice and get the rest of the dishes ready."
"Gotcha, on it."
The convo got cut off right there, like that was the end of it.
But that was fine with her. To Haruki, it was just like ventin' anyway. She knew from the start there wasn't gonna be a straight answer, and just havin' him listen made her feel a bit better. She got busy settin' the table.
"Oh... ...Hayato, which bowl should I use for the minestrone?"
"Nothin' looks right? ...I mean, worst case, we could just use the miso soup bowls, I guess."
"Ahaha, that'd look so out of place."
"And another thing, Haruki."
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what the people around there are gonna think... ...but I'd be really happy if I could go back to Tsukinose with you."
With a rice paddle in one hand, Hayato said that over his shoulder while scoopin' out the rice.
Haruki froze in her tracks. She completely stopped movin'.
Those words, tossed out so casually, sank straight into Haruki's chest, startin' a racket in her heart that was almost deafenin'.
"...Oh, I get it now."
Haruki looked down and mumbled a quiet reply.
It seemed like Haruki needed a moment before she could actually look Hayato in the eye again.
◇◇◇
"Big Bro, Haru-chan! Seriously, I was so shocked today findin' out you guys were workin' part time there!"
The second they sat down for dinner, Himeko started poutin' and throwin' a fit. Looks like her friends had given her an earful about the whole thing.
But both Hayato and Haruki had seen it with their own eyes back at work—while Kazuki was gettin' grilled by a mob of girls, Himeko was totally spaced out, lost in the menu and the sweets on the other tables. Classic Himeko—even when people were talkin' to her, her brain was probably 90% focused on the food. Because of that, both Hayato and Haruki just looked at each other and shared a dry laugh.
As soon as Himeko took a bite of dinner, though, her puffed-up cheeks deflated instantly.
"Whoa, this miso-soup-lookin' thing is fire! It's more like a meal than a drink, honestly!"
"A-Ahaha. Hime-chan, that's Minestrone. It's an Italian veggie soup."
"Huh? Oh, right, Minestrone! I knew that! ...But why is it in a miso soup bowl? This was you, wasn't it, Big Bro? Are you just dumb or do you have zero style?"
"...We just didn't have any bowls that fit."
Even though Himeko kept complainin', she clearly loved the taste.
Tonight's main course was tonteki with a sweet and savory garlic-ginger sauce, paired with a Minestrone that packed all the concentrated goodness of summer veggies with a tangy tomato kick. The heavy-hitting tonteki went perfectly with the shredded cabbage to keep things fresh, and it was a match made in heaven with the white rice.
Since Hayato and Haruki were both starvin' after their shift, they were practically inhalin' their food.
"Oh, right. Almost forgot."
"What's up, Himeko?"
While the three of them were busy inhalin' their dinner, Himeko suddenly let out a shout like she'd just remembered somethin' out of the blue.
For some reason, Himeko looked all troubled, with her eyebrows bunched up.
"So, about the pool trip—my classmates are insistin' that I should totally go too."
"...Are you sure they don't just wanna show up because they're gunnin' for Kazuki or somethin'?"
"Who knows? ...I wonder why?"
They just looked at each other and tilted their heads in confusion.
They couldn't figure out what those girls were actually up to. Meanwhile, Himeko's eyes started sparklin' as she blurted out, "Guess I gotta go buy a new swimsuit then!"
Author's Notes:
It's February 22nd (2021)! Meow meow meow—it's Cat Day! That's why I decided to drop an update! Meow!
I actually thought about waitin' until 10:22 PM (22:22) to post, but since I usually drop updates a little after 7:00 PM anyway, I was like, "Eh, do I really wanna change it up?" So basically, what I'm tryna say is...
Just leave a "Meow" in the comments and we're good!!
Meow.
／l、
（゜、 。｀フ _
_」、 "∨
└じl_r' ,)
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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"Tsukinose, huh..."
Clutchin' her smartphone in one hand, Haruki's mumble faded into the air of Hayato's room.
Haruki's head was a total mess right now. For Saki, Haruki had to be a pretty complicated person to deal with, for sure.
But honestly, gettin' that invite from Saki was as much of a shock as it was a genuine mood booster.
Haruki pulled on the sleeves of the clothes she was changin' into while replaying those words in her head.
Haruki'd been treated like an outcast.
By her own Mom. By everyone around her.
Haruki had zero place to belong.
Bein' an illegitimate daughter with a "who-knows-who" dad meant gettin' a whole lot of shade from the world.
And it was the exact same story for Haruki's Grandpa back in Tsukinose.
"'Give back what you've borrowed,' huh..."
That was practically Haruki's Grandpa's catchphrase.
And that's exactly why Haruki'd rather have Hayato owe her one than be the one in debt to him.
Those words were meant for Haruki's Mom, but her Grandpa's sharp, piercin' gaze always made sure they hit Haruki too.
Haruki looked around the room with a frown on her face.
A pipe bed, a steel desk, and a multi-purpose rack that doubled as a bookshelf—totally functional. With its white, blue, and gray color scheme, the room was like a textbook example of a high school boy's den.
Haruki's sports bag, tucked away in one corner, looked like it totally belonged there without a hint of awkwardness.
"...Maybe next time I should just toss some of my underwear in here too."
Seein' how perfectly at home her stuff looked, Haruki's frown softened into a little smirk as she muttered to herself.
◇◇◇
"Ugh..."
As soon as Haruki stepped back into the livin' room, she caught sight of Hayato in the kitchen, arms crossed and lettin' out a frustrated groan.
Right in front of Hayato was a huge slab of pork shoulder, about a whole kilogram. Local pork at 88 yen a gram—further slashed to half price—a total steal that he'd snatched up on total impulse today.
"Yo Hayato, decided on what to make yet?"
"...Still brainstormin'. The expiration date is right around the corner too."
"Well, it was a clearance item after all. Eh, maybe just some regular tonkatsu or―nah, deep-fried stuff is a tough call right now."
"I could go with tonteki steak, but we gotta use up those veggies too."
"Ahaha, right, we did have a massive harvest right after finals ended."
Starin' at the meat they'd bought without a second thought, they just looked at each other and shared a dry laugh.
It was the exact same laugh they used to have back when they'd play by the river and fall in, or break the door of some mountain shrine, or accidentally leave a gate open and let all the chickens escape...
Always.
Haruki'd always thought things would just keep goin' on like this forever.
"Alright, no point in overthinkin' it. I'll just start by carvin' out the portions for the tonteki."
"...Oh."
"Whoa! ...Haru-ki?"
It was a total reflex.
Haruki grabbed Hayato's hand just as he was about to move away from her.
"...Eh, well, you see."
"U-huh?"
There wasn't really a reason. If Haruki had to be real, she just wanted to touch Hayato.
But there was no way Haruki could just say that out loud, so her face turned beet red. She scrambled to come up with an excuse.
"M-Minestrone!"
"...Huh?"
"Y'know, that dish that uses a ton of summer veggies—both Minamo-chan and Saki-chan said it's a total must-try."
"Wait, for real? ...But I've never made that before, y'know?"
"Don't sweat it. I've made it with Minamo-chan before."
"Since when?"
"Just a bit durin' Finals week. So, Hayato, you handle the tonteki pork steak, please."
"Got it."
Haruki was talkin' so fast she even noticed it herself.
Hayato wasn't the type to be a buzzkill and poke fun at her for it, though.
So, the two of them stood side-by-side in the kitchen and got to work.
Makin' Minestrone is pretty straightforward, but man, it's a real grind.
Haruki coated the bottom of the pot with olive oil and let the minced garlic infuse the oil with its scent. Then she tossed in onions, carrots, and celery, sautéin' 'em carefully so they didn't burn. Once those aromatics got all soft and tender, she just added the eggplant and zucchini from the Gardenin' Club, some tomatoes, and let it simmer with bouillon and a bay leaf.
But the catch is, every single veggie has to be diced into tiny cubes, and keepin' that wooden spatula movin' takes some serious patience. Haruki's wrists started killin' her after a while, too.
On the other hand, makin' tonteki is about as simple as it gets.
Once you've sliced the meat to your likin', you just hit it with some salt and pepper. Then all you gotta do is prep a sauce with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, oyster sauce, and some grated ginger and garlic.
Hayato, who'd already finished shreddin' the cabbage for the side dish in record time, moved over to help Haruki out and started choppin' up the veggies.
"Just gotta let it simmer now and we're done. Thanks, Hayato, you're a lifesaver."
"Don't mention it, it's nothin'. Alright, guess I'll start searin' this side then."
Sayin' that, Hayato drizzled some oil into the hot pan and tossed the meat in, makin' that satisfyin' sizzle as the oil popped.
Once both sides were browned just right, Hayato just had to pour in the sauce he'd prepped, throw the lid on, and let it steam-fry.
That left them with a bit of downtime. But even so, they couldn't exactly take their eyes off the stove.
In that sudden lull, Haruki threw a question at Hayato, actin' all casual like she was just makin' small talk as usual.
"Hey, I was thinkin'... ...is it really okay for me to go along with you guys to Tsukinose?"
Hayato's face stiffened. Comin' up with an answer for that was a total nightmare.
"...I honestly don't know."
"Ahaha, thought so. I mean, I heard Grandpa basically skipped town in the middle of the night."
"Well, if Haruki actually shows up, everyone's gonna be all over you with questions, for sure."
"Not like I'd have any answers for 'em even if they asked, though~."
"...Even if they already know the deal, there's always gonna be someone who'll poke and prod, though."
"Haha, you're probably right."
Right now, Haruki's Grandpa's house is a total ghost town.
With nobody around to look after it, the place has completely fallen apart over the last five years. Back in Tsukinose, everybody knows exactly how that whole mess went down.
"Saki-chan told me she really wants to see me. Saki-chan said if I came along with both Hayato and Hime-chan, I should just crash at Saki-chan's place."
"Sounds like a plan, doesn't it? ...I mean, a shrine's probably the safest bet for a bunch of reasons. The head priest's family—Murao-san included—aren't the type to go spreadin' weird rumors or anythin'."
"Well, yeah, I'm happy about it and all. But still, I don't even know how I'm supposed to show my face back there..."
"Haruki..."
It was a topic that was just too heavy to answer.
But just then, the rice cooker let out a loud beep, signallin' that the rice was finally done.
"Alright, let's scoop the rice and get the rest of the dishes ready."
"Gotcha, on it."
The convo got cut off right there, like that was the end of it.
But that was fine with her. To Haruki, it was just like ventin' anyway. She knew from the start there wasn't gonna be a straight answer, and just havin' him listen made her feel a bit better. She got busy settin' the table.
"Oh... ...Hayato, which bowl should I use for the minestrone?"
"Nothin' looks right? ...I mean, worst case, we could just use the miso soup bowls, I guess."
"Ahaha, that'd look so out of place."
"And another thing, Haruki."
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what the people around there are gonna think... ...but I'd be really happy if I could go back to Tsukinose with you."
With a rice paddle in one hand, Hayato said that over his shoulder while scoopin' out the rice.
Haruki froze in her tracks. She completely stopped movin'.
Those words, tossed out so casually, sank straight into Haruki's chest, startin' a racket in her heart that was almost deafenin'.
"...Oh, I get it now."
Haruki looked down and mumbled a quiet reply.
It seemed like Haruki needed a moment before she could actually look Hayato in the eye again.
◇◇◇
"Big Bro, Haru-chan! Seriously, I was so shocked today findin' out you guys were workin' part time there!"
The second they sat down for dinner, Himeko started poutin' and throwin' a fit. Looks like her friends had given her an earful about the whole thing.
But both Hayato and Haruki had seen it with their own eyes back at work—while Kazuki was gettin' grilled by a mob of girls, Himeko was totally spaced out, lost in the menu and the sweets on the other tables. Classic Himeko—even when people were talkin' to her, her brain was probably 90% focused on the food. Because of that, both Hayato and Haruki just looked at each other and shared a dry laugh.
As soon as Himeko took a bite of dinner, though, her puffed-up cheeks deflated instantly.
"Whoa, this miso-soup-lookin' thing is fire! It's more like a meal than a drink, honestly!"
"A-Ahaha. Hime-chan, that's Minestrone. It's an Italian veggie soup."
"Huh? Oh, right, Minestrone! I knew that! ...But why is it in a miso soup bowl? This was you, wasn't it, Big Bro? Are you just dumb or do you have zero style?"
"...We just didn't have any bowls that fit."
Even though Himeko kept complainin', she clearly loved the taste.
Tonight's main course was tonteki with a sweet and savory garlic-ginger sauce, paired with a Minestrone that packed all the concentrated goodness of summer veggies with a tangy tomato kick. The heavy-hitting tonteki went perfectly with the shredded cabbage to keep things fresh, and it was a match made in heaven with the white rice.
Since Hayato and Haruki were both starvin' after their shift, they were practically inhalin' their food.
"Oh, right. Almost forgot."
"What's up, Himeko?"
While the three of them were busy inhalin' their dinner, Himeko suddenly let out a shout like she'd just remembered somethin' out of the blue.
For some reason, Himeko looked all troubled, with her eyebrows bunched up.
"So, about the pool trip—my classmates are insistin' that I should totally go too."
"...Are you sure they don't just wanna show up because they're gunnin' for Kazuki or somethin'?"
"Who knows? ...I wonder why?"
They just looked at each other and tilted their heads in confusion.
They couldn't figure out what those girls were actually up to. Meanwhile, Himeko's eyes started sparklin' as she blurted out, "Guess I gotta go buy a new swimsuit then!"
Author's Notes:
It's February 22nd (2021)! Meow meow meow—it's Cat Day! That's why I decided to drop an update! Meow!
I actually thought about waitin' until 10:22 PM (22:22) to post, but since I usually drop updates a little after 7:00 PM anyway, I was like, "Eh, do I really wanna change it up?" So basically, what I'm tryna say is...
Just leave a "Meow" in the comments and we're good!!
Meow.
／l、
（゜、 。｀フ _
_」、 "∨
└じl_r' ,)
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.
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Read in other languages: