Chapter 458: Position
After some more teasing from Natsumi-san, we were finally able to get out of there, much thanks to Akira. Now, we three stood in our apartment’s entrance. I haven’t been here for that long, but I did feel a little nostalgic about having to move out of here with Ai. Speaking of her, I could see the saddened look she had about having to leave this place. I squeezed her hand gently and made her look at me.
"She said it was going to only be temporary," I reassured, and he nodded. "Anyways, it’s not like I am in the mood for wanting to leave this place."
"Really?"
"I mean, I thought we would stay here after all this is done. I didn’t really have plans of having to move anywhere else," I said, and she looked at me with widened eyes, understanding what I was implying. She jumped into my arms, holding me tight.
"Really? Really really really really? You promise?" she asked excitedly, and I nodded.
"Though I do think we would need one more bedroom in the future, don’t you think?" I said, and she got even more excited by the idea.
"I will be living here with Kazu-kun as wife and husband, hehehehehehehe," she started to happily giggle and mutter. I looked at Akira and indicated that her work for today was done.
"Are you sure you would not require my assistance for packing?" she asked, and I shook my head. "Very well, I will also start packing up my stuff. I have already looked into where I will be moving in."
"That’s great," I said, and she bowed again, about to leave, but hesitated for a bit. I could see a slight blush form on her face for some reason. "What’s wrong?"
"Um...is it possible that I can request something of you?" she said, and I nodded. "If...it doesn’t bother you...can I assist you in preparing the supper?"
"I mean, it won’t really bother me. The more hands, the better. Why, though?" I asked, and she was a bit hesitant to say it, but I could see a sad look on her face, too.
"I...would like to take some with me today, if you are okay with that," she explained, and both of us looked at her, confused why she requested that.
After a little convincing, she ended up opening up to us. Her landlady was an elderly, sweet woman who would always visit her with some food almost every day. She lives with her son and his wife, who take care of her every day, though she has completely forgotten them. The only person she seems to remember as someone truly dear to her was Akira, and she didn’t want to just leave like that without doing one last thing for her. I personally had no idea or experience with this disease and didn’t know if that was the right way to go about it, but I couldn’t come to say no to her. It was very rare that she asked something of us, so I wanted to put my all into this.
"Okay, we are making sushi tonight," I announced.
"Yaay," Ai cheered and forced Akira to do so too. "Can I help too?"
"Sure, can you take care of the rice then?" I asked, and Ai nodded happily while saluting. "Akira, are you good with using the knife?"
"I...have used the tool before but not for cooking," she said, a sweat drop fell down the side of my forehead. Yeah, better not to ask about the details of that.
"Okay, I’ll show you how to cut the fish and cucumber, and just follow my lead," I said, and she nodded, and we entered the kitchen all energetically.
We washed our hands, and I brought out all the ingredients we would need to make the dish. Luckily, Ai’s cupboard already had a makisu, so shaping the sushi won’t be that hard. I decided to make them into rolls and then have Akira cut them into the desired thickness. Ai went to wash the rice and got the rice cooker ready for making sushi rice, while my job was to make the sushi vinegar ready to season the rice once they are done. We didn’t have too many ingredients to make a lot of it, but if there was not enough, I’ll just make something else on the side for me and Ai. We were just happy to help Akira at the moment.
I showed Akira how to hold the knife without making it look like a weapon for murder, and cut the tuna and cucumber. She was surprisingly very skilled with it, though I don’t want to ask where those skills came from. I have many ideas in my head, and most of them don’t look too wholesome. Anyway, the sushi vinegar.
I started preparing it by mixing rice vinegar with fine-grated salt and sugar, and submerged the kombu in it, and left it as it is.
I looked back to check up on both of them, and while Ai stood proudly after pressing the button to cook the rice, Akira was cutting the ingredients perfectly. Knowing what she wanted, I patted Ai’s head and told her how proud I was of her, and she clung to me happily, giggling. Then we both looked at Akira diligently doing her work. It was quite the sight to witness. Seeing her doing something nice for people around her showed a lot about her character, which we both loved.
"I’m done," she said after some time standing in front of perfectly sliced tuna and cucumber. She looked a little nervous, showing it to us, and we both gave her a thumbs up, making her face light up slightly.
"They are perfect," I said, and around that time, the rice was also done cooking.
I had Ai scoop it out in a bowl while having Akira measure how much of the vinegar needed to be mixed with it. Once they did that, I started to mix the rice with the vinegar gently and cut through it to make sure every grain was properly covered with the vinegar. I remember the first time I tried making them, I cut the vegetables too unevenly, I was too hard on the seaweed when rolling it all up, it broke in all places, and I used too much sushi vinegar, so the rice ended up tasting too sour. Even then, Natsumi-san made sure not to leave a single one of those sushi pieces uneaten and kept praising my cooking. Telling me how I was already more of an adult than her, knowing how to cook such delicious meals, and reassured that if it wasn’t perfect, the next one can be as long as I practice. Pretty sure she said that so she can have even better sushi next time, but I am grateful to her. Her encouraging words and giant appetite were the reason why I could continue to learn to cook all those meals. She always came home so tired with store-bought food that I wanted to help her in any way I could.
"Okay, time to roll it up," I said, pulling out the seaweed and makisu. Putting the seaweed sheet over the makisu, I placed the rice, then tuna and cucumber, before rolling it up. I then passed it to Akira to cut them into perfect little pieces. They were then passed to Ai, who had the most important role.
Taste test.
"Perfect!" she said, eating the sushi happily with some wasabi and soy sauce, and we all cheered in victory. Akira helped me to quickly prepare all the other sushi too, and luckily it was enough for me and Ai too.
I packed up her portion with some wasabi and soy sauce in a bigger tiffin, which she happily accepted and went to her room to give to her landlady. I joined Ai with eating the food, and I don’t like to brag, but they were indeed great. Ai helped me with the dishes, and afterwards we decided to take a bath.
"Second last bath in this place for a while," she said in disappointment, and I hugged her gently. "I know, Kazu-kun. We will come back here, but you know. I have lived here for a long time. Dad made this for me and Mom to live here with him. It is a little sad to leave this place. I had so many memories with you here."
"We will much more memories here, I promise you," I said, kissing the back of her head, and we took our bath together. Deciding to pack everything in the morning and tired from the training today, we both got into bed to rest. Well...I did, however, Ai had other plans.
She was straddling me, placing her hand on my chest. I could clearly see the entranced expression on her face as she scanned my body all over with her eyes.
"You looked so cool today, Kazu-kun," she said in a soft voice, moving her hand up to my neck. "I couldn’t get my eyes off you. You know what I was thinking constantly when I looked at you today?"
"What?" I asked, and she chuckled and placed a kiss on my neck.
"I am not going to let him sleep tonight~" she said, kissing me on my neck again.
I guess cooking together wasn’t the only memory we made on our last day here.
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