Chapter 7: Ice Lady and Dishes

Thanks to the extra rice I had cooked for tomorrow’s lunch, I was able to prepare the curry for the two of us without any problem.

It was worth letting it sit overnight, the savory smell and the contents seem appetizing.

A mild sweetness spreads in the mouth, and the aged flavor and richness enhance the umami of the curry.

“…Delicious.”

“Well, thanks.”

The homemade curry seemed to suit the “Ice Lady’s” taste, and she gave me an honest compliment after taking a bite.

My worries that she would cry again like last time, but the meal went much more smoothly than three days ago.

However, although we ended up sharing a meal together, we were not close enough to talk to each other casually.

Unavoidably, only the sound of dishes echoed in the silence, and Asahi, who had finished eating first, had quite a bit of time on his hands.

‘I guess, I should answer the remaining problems.’

It was quite strange to be  seated in the same place all the time, so Asahi moved away and headed towards the sofa, where he spread out his notebook on the table.

A few hours ago, it would have been a difficult problem to solve, but now, with Fuyuka’s guidance, he should be able to solve it on his own without any problem.

Asahi immediately racked his head to see which formula should be used for this problem.

However, as it was right after dinner, he couldn’t gather his thoughts together.

In such a situation, Asahi was unexpectedly interrupted while thinking.

“…Kagami-san, you are quite skilled in cooking, right?”

I suppose It couldn’t be helped that I doubted my ears when I heard the voice that sounded like the rolling of a bell.
I hadn’t expected Fuyuka to start up a conversation with me.

I’m sure she was not the kind of person who couldn’t stand silence, and her starting a conversation was far from the image of an “Ice Lady”.

“I know I’m supposed to be proud of my porridge and curry, but I think my parents influenced me on this one.”

“…Parents, huh?”

“My dad’s a chef, and mom’s a pâtissière.”

It was not like I’m hiding it, so I informed her honestly, and Fuyuka, who had stopped eating her curry, let out a small voice of admiration.

I will refrain from telling her that one of them owns a three-star restaurant and the other was a famous contest winner.

In some cases, it might be seen as bragging and may even tick others off.

“Then, are you pursuing a career in culinary, Kagami-san?”

“I used to be so determined to take over the family business when I was little, and my parents had expectations with me and supported me. But now I’ve kind of changed my mind.”

“Did your…parents object to that decision?”

Fuyuka looked straight at Asahi and asked him a question, as if she was very interested in what he had to say.

Her gaze was serious, and her words seemed to have some passion within them.

Above all, there was a faint hint of concern in her eyes.

“Well, we had an argument at first, but in the end they respected my choice because it was mine to make, they said. My parents also encouraged me to live alone.”

“…You have quite a lovely family, haven’t you?”

“Well, I’m grateful for everything and because of it I’ve learned how to serve food to others.”

As a rather quiet person, Asahi was surprised to find himself unconsciously being talkative, but still continued to talk.

Conversations that consisted of just a few words and responses should be pretty normal, but when it was with the “Ice Lady,” it felt somehow special.

Eventually, the casual conversation continued until Fuyuka put down the spoon and clasped her hands together.

“Was the bug in your stomach settled down?”

“…Thanks to you. Thank you for the food.”

I got carried away and made a little joke, however her response was cool and mature, not funny at all.

On the contrary, I was met with a cold stare, so I’d better refrain from going any further.

“Put the dishes in the sink with water.”

Fuyuka nodded her head and headed for the kitchen with a plate and cup in each hand.

Now that Fuyuka’s stomach should be full, she should be able to resume the study session without any worries.

However, I was a little hesitant to start studying right after dinner.

He didn’t know about others, but Asahi took pride in the fact that he couldn’t concentrate on anything while he was feeling full.

I don’t mind solving problems by myself, but if I have to ask someone to teach me, I would feel uncomfortable.

As I was about to suggest that we take a break for a little while, I heard the clinking of dishes and the noisy sound of water.

“…What are you doing?”

“As you can see…I’m doing the dishes.”

I was troubled when she looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, “Naturally, I should do it.”

Wearing rubber gloves and holding a sponge in her hand, you could tell at a glance what Fuyuka was about to do.　

What I wanted to ask was why she was doing the dishes.

“I’ll take care of it later. You can just leave it be.”

“That won’t do. Please let me at least do this much.”

“…Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

It was only a two-day exchange, but it was easy to imagine that Fuyuka would be stubborn in not giving in when it came to this.

Since there was no particular reason to stop her, Asahi thought it would be best to leave it to her and just decided to watch over her.

I could have gone back to the living room and continued with my studies, but I continued to stare at Fuyuka from behind as she did the dishes.

It all starts with a slight uncertainty.

However, that small piece of doubt eventually becomes something certain, and then it connects with other pieces one after another.

“Hey, Himuro, mind if I ask a question too?”

“…If it’s something that I can answer.”

“Do you cook for yourself on a regular basis?”

There was a loud clank as the cup rolled around in the sink.

Fortunately, it was not dropped from too high and the cup was made of plastic, so there was no real problem, but the person who dropped it seemed to have a bigger problem.

“…Why would you ask that?”

Do you think you’re acting cool and calm as usual?

Fuyuka’s voice trembled slightly, her ears turned slightly red and picked up the cup as if nothing had happened and continued doing the dishes.