Chapter 57: X*X That You Like

“Like…Asahi-kun…”

 

Asahi jumped back from the sofa when he heard such a voice in his ears.

“You scared me…”

“That’s my line…”

Next to where Asahi was sitting, Fuyuka had a surprised expression on her face.

They had finished eating dinner and he left Fuyuka to wash the dishes, but it seemed that time had passed before he knew it.

Filling his stomach made him sleepy, and because he was in a daze, Asahi did not notice the unexpected approach.

And perhaps he had missed some important words.

“Sorry, but can you repeat what you just said?”

There was a feeling that he might be asked to talk about something incredibly important right now. Feeling such a premonition, Asahi sat back down on the sofa and prepared himself.

Fuyuka, on the other hand, cleared her throat and resumed the conversation. Her expression was somehow serious.

“What is your favorite food, Asahi-kun?”

“…Sigh.”

“Was it a bad question?”

“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

When Fuyuka looked at him anxiously, Asahi shook his head and denied it.

The involuntary sigh was to himself for misunderstanding and getting carried away.

“My favorite food?”

“Yes. I’d love to know.”

“Alright, but why all of the sudden again?”

“That… Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of it before.”

It bothered him that Fuyuka suddenly looked away, but it was nothing to make him reluctant to answer.

“If I had to pick a favorite, I’d say French food. My parents influenced me to like it.”

“I see, could you be more specific?”

“Specifically, like…galettes or bouillabaisse. I like hamburgers, too.”

When Asahi replied, Fuyuka eagerly took notes on her phone.

As he was wondering what the purpose of going that far was, Fuyuka asked a question again.

“How about something sweet?”

“I like it, too. Sweets, cakes…”

Asahi listed the things that came to mind and then added one last thing.

“I think I especially like chocolate.”

When he answered that, Fuyuka’s face lit up.

Apparently, the results were satisfactory, and the question period came to an end.

Putting her cell phone in her pocket, which she had been using as a notepad, Fuyuka began to prepare for her return.

“…What is your favorite food, Fuyuka?”

“Mine?”

“Yep. I know you like dishes made from eggs, but I don’t know anything else.”

He wanted to be with Fuyuka for as long as possible. With this in mind, Asahi returned the question she had asked earlier.

As he had expected, Fuyuka stopped in her tracks on her way to the door. Then she placed her hand on her chin.

“My favorite food…”

 

Asahi thought back to Christmas Eve.

When asked why she liked egg dishes, Fuyuka took the time to think about it, just as she did now.

The answer at that time was because it was her mom’s specialty.

Knowing that likes and dislikes tend to take root during childhood, Asahi was convinced and somehow sensed the dark past in Fuyuka’s melancholy expression.

In other words, it was the collapse of the family. The cause of this was told by the person herself in the most painful way.

But the cold ice that covered Fuyuka’s heart had already melted. No, it was melting.

“I like everything. I like everything you cook.”

And so, Fuyuka smiled softly and kindly.

“…Thanks.”

 

Asahi took a deep breath to calm his heart, which was now beating once again.

Then, an electronic sound rang out. It seemed to be coming from Fuyuka’s cell phone, and what arrived was a text message.