Chapter 5: Nanase-san Ended Up Coming Over to My House
(How did it come to this…?)
I was cutting vegetables, repeating this question to myself for what felt like the umpteenth time today.
My familiar home kitchen. Thanks to my mother and I keeping it clean and tidy, it maintained its cleanliness, and there, an unfamiliar figure was present.
If I glanced to the side, I’d see Nanase-san peeling potatoes with a peeler… Cooking side-by-side with her, small as she was, I was silently panicking.
“Ah~, sorry about this! Even though I said I’d cook, I ended up leaving the main part to you, Onoue!”
“N-No, just having you help out like this is a huge help.”
In fact, preparing the meal today was going much more smoothly than usual.
It was partly because there were twice as many hands, but Nanase-san helping with the tedious prep work had been a really big factor.
As I was thinking that at this rate, we’d be done pretty quickly, Nanase-san said.
“I’m done peeling the potatoes! What should I do next?”
“Um… well then, could you get out a pot? Also, it’d be a help if you could break up the curry roux.”
“Okay! A pot, a pot…!”
While watching Nanase-san open the sliding door under the stove and search for the curry pot, I cut the potatoes she had peeled.
After cutting them into slightly larger pieces so they wouldn’t completely dissolve when cooked, I put them in a bowl, and then did a final check of the ingredients.
“Wow! You’ve already cut them? You’re so skilled~!”
“I’ve been doing this for years now. It’s just experience, experience.”
I’ve been helping out around the house since middle school. I wouldn’t say my cooking is professional level, but I’m used to this much.
Nanase-san, too, though her movements were a little clumsy, supported me wonderfully. Thanks to her, it’s been much easier than usual, and I’m really grateful.
She also took out a large, thick pot, and thinking that maybe she knew a thing or two about cooking as well, I tossed the ingredients into it one after another.
“So, Onoue’s place makes chicken curry, huh? The chunky meat is delicious, isn’t it!”
“Yeah. Or rather, beef is too expensive for us to buy… It’s usually pork or chicken.”
…My family doesn’t have a father. He died in an accident a long time ago.
Since then, my mother has been supporting us brothers on her own, juggling work and housework.
Seeing my mother like that, I decided to quit basketball in middle school.
I thought about doing housework and getting a part-time job to lessen her burden even a little, and above all, club activities cost money.
Considering my younger brothers also have entrance exams coming up, it’s definitely better to reduce the financial burden on our household as much as possible.
So, anyway, after all that, I put the ingredients on to cook, added water, let it simmer, skimmed off the scum that floated to the top… and as I continued cooking, I waited for the right moment and added the curry roux.
As the roux Nanase-san had broken up began to dissolve, a wonderful curry aroma started to fill the kitchen… and an atmosphere signaling the dish’s completion also began to spread.
“Wow, that smells amazing…! It’s making me hungry~!”
“All that’s left is to let it simmer on low heat until it’s done, I think. I’m sorry to ask, but could you keep an eye on the pot and stir it occasionally?”
“Of course! Leave it to me!”
I entrusted the pot to Nanase-san, who puffed out her chest proudly, and handed her the ladle.
I wondered if I should get her a stool, but she wasn’t that small, it seemed, and she could see into the pot just fine.
Thinking how truly helpful it is to have someone assisting like this, I switched on the rice cooker.
“I cooked a little extra, but I wonder if this will be enough…?”
“I know what you mean. On curry days, you tend to eat a lot of rice, don’t you?”
“Well, there’s that too, but… since you’re here today, Nanase-san, I was wondering if I should have cooked a bit more rice.”
“Eh…? Ah, there’s some for me too?”
“Yeah. Since you’re already here, you should eat with us. My family will probably welcome you normally, too.”
“Though they can be a handful,” I added, speaking to Nanase-san.
It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to have her help make all this food and then just say, “Okay, goodbye” once it’s done.
Even if Nanase-san declined, it’s curry, so leftovers wouldn’t be a problem… As a token of my gratitude, I’ll invite her to dinner.
“Ah, but if it’s inconvenient for you, Nanase-san, please don’t hesitate to say so, okay? Your parents would probably worry too…”
“No, it’s fine! My parents both work, you see. There are quite a few times they don’t come home. Today’s one of those days, so… I’ll gratefully join you!”
Nanase-san accepted my dinner invitation with a smile.
As I smiled, hoping she’d have a good time, the sound of a door opening with a clatter was followed by approaching footsteps.
However, there were more than I expected… Just as I was thinking my younger brothers had all come home at once, an unexpected person appeared before me.
“Sorry, Yusuke! I said I’d be late, but plans changed and I finished work early! Sorry for coming home so soon, I… huh?!”
“Ah, um, nice to, meet you…”
The one who burst through the door was my mother.
My mother, who had apologized as soon as she got home, locked eyes with Nanase-san, who was stirring the curry pot in the kitchen, and froze completely.
Creeeak… Her head turned towards me with the stiff movement of an unoiled machine. After looking back at Nanase-san again… my mother whipped her head back around with unbelievable speed and shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Masato! Taiga! Yusuke brought a girl home!! Call the police!!”
“Hey, why would you do that?!”