“…..yup, she really stood right in front of my apartment.”
“Your apartment really is right behind Eihashi-san’s place huh.”
When my apartment came within sight, I saw a girl standing in front of the entrance.
Well, obviously that’s Eihashi-san…..still, she wasn’t wearing her uniform. Instead, she was wearing an inconspicuous black dress.
Originally, we planned to meet up with her at the T-junction where we parted ways on the day of the study session but when we were heading here from the mall, she called Ichinose-san and said that she will wait in front of my apartment instead. Probably because waiting by herself at the junction might stand out too much.
Well, she didn’t exactly say that she will wait in front of my apartment since Eihashi-san wasn’t certain that I really live here though.
The junction is connected to the main street so there are a lot of people and cars passing through there.
Since it is connected to the main street, many people use it as a shortcut so standing there alone would make her stand out.
Getting tired carrying the takoyaki pan and feeling bad for keeping Eihashi-san waiting, I decided to enter the apartment and guide them in.
“Alright, let’s head in.”
.
.
.
.
I entered my room and put all my luggage on the desk for the time being
My place is a 1LDK with a separate bedroom. I normally study at the desk in my bedroom so there are books placed there.
“Masato, I will cut the vegetables and octopus so can I leave setting up the pan to you? You’ve been here a lot of times already so you know where everything is right?”
“Okay, I will manage on my own then. I’m borrowing your charger alright.”
When I was about to enter the kitchen to cut the vegetables, Ichinose-san called out to me.
“Ah! Wait Hiura-kun! Is there somewhere I can change?”
“Hmm, the toilet or the bathroom would be……no. Couldn’t be helped huh, do you mind changing in my bedroom?”
“It’s fine! I don’t mind at all you know!!”
I’d like her to mind it a little though…..well, the toilet is too small to change in and the bathroom is a no-go since I stuff my used clothes inside the washing machine there. That left only my bedroom available.
I’d prefer doing laundry every day but with me living here alone, doing it every day would be a waste of water so I only do the laundry on Tuesday night and Saturday morning.
Ichinose-san might not care but I do. Rather, I left my underwear in there too so I have to be careful.
“Then I will be cutting the vegetables so tell me when you are done, Masato. Also, it would be helpful if you can grab the eggs and make the dough for me.”
“I will help too.”
Eihashi-san offered to help cut the vegetables but unfortunately, that’s not possible.
“There’s only one knife here so leave the cutting to me.”
“It’s okay. I brought my own kitchen knife…….It’s scary so I only brought a practice knife for children though…….”
Wow, I used one a long time ago but let’s not ask her why she has such a thing around when she lives alone. Well, she might be afraid to violate the swords and firearms act too.
I don’t really know but I’ve heard that it is okay to carry a blade if you wrap it up properly.
“Then I will be cutting the octopus so can I leave the cabbage to Eihashi-san?”
“Yes. there are four of us after all, a cabbage for each might be just right.”
It would be bad if we don’t have enough dough so I bought enough for 6 people. Well, Masato did ask me to make a hot cake with takoyaki flour too though.
Then I and Eihashi-san started cutting cabbage and octopus in the kitchen but I noticed that Eihashi-san’s pace is extremely fast.
Her knife is one that aims for children’s use so it has a rounded tip and a sharp edge but she is still very fast.
How fast? Her pace is even faster than a slicer. There’s not even a gap between the Tatatatatatata sound when she rapidly slicing the cabbage.
Wait, I can’t just watch her. I have to cut the octopus too.
“Seiya, the pan is ready so I’m grabbing the eggs alright? Also, since we didn’t buy the oil, I’m grabbing it too okay.”
“Yeah, the eggs are in the fridge and the oil is……..wait, why do you know where I put it?”
Looking back, Masato was taking out the oil from the lower shelf. Normally, you wouldn’t think to look there right.
It would be bad to spill the oil so I put it inside the shelf underneath separated from other seasonings.
“Well, I remember you put it there when you made the ginger pork for me last time. Rather, seeing you two in the kitchen side by side like this…….it’s like you two are a couple that lives together you know.”
The moment Masato commented so, I could hear a rustling sound from beside me.
“C, Co, Couple……!?”
When I looked at the person who raised that voice, namely Eihashi-san, I saw her knife dropped on the table as she fidgeted.
This is bad, she must be really angry……
“O, Oi, Masato! At least put it as a cooking class! S, See! Eihashi-san even has a children practice knife with her right!”
“……cooking class……children practice knife…….”
This time, she let out a long sigh and continued cutting the vegetables again.
It might only be my imagination but I feel that her speed is even faster than before.
It might have been untactful to comment on the practice knife even though she brought it with her to help.
Judging from her speed, Eihashi-san might even be better at cooking than me…….I thought that I did a bad thing so I signal Masato with my eyes, asking him what to do.
“Hmm…..I see. You and Eihashi-san do look like a student and a teacher huh. Like how the student brought a practice knife by accident and selfishly asked to swap the knife with the teacher because he couldn’t cut well with it right?”
“Y, Yeah…..something like that…….Eihashi-san, since you are already done cutting that, let’s carry them over to the table.”
“Right. But I will follow you after I clean up the vegetable piece so please go ahead and make the dough first.”
Eihashi-san’s mood returned to normal when she finished cutting. So Eihashi-san can get angry like that too huh. She’s not different from a normal girl after all.
“No, I will clean it myself…..”
“You can see the kitchen from the dining room, I won’t do anything strange so can you leave it to me……?”
“Well…..alright. I understand. We will wait for you at the table. Alright, let’s make ourselves a trial product.”
Since I felt her anger first hand just a moment earlier, I couldn’t say no. I mean, Ichinose-san who just came back is staring at me too.
No matter how many lives I got, it would be enough if I offend Eihashi-san in front of Ichinose-san.
Well, since I can see her from the dining room, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
“Alright, it’s time for a warm-up. Russian Takoyaki would be boring if you get caught so it’s okay to practice a bit first right?”
“Yeah, I can’t feed wasabi to Seiya if I got caught after all!”
“Right! I can let Masato escape my Tabasco Takoyaki too!”
“If you two are gonna flirt with each other then I will take the first batch okay!”
“Why do I have to flirt with a guy who got nothing but red marks on the test though.”
“Right, why do I have to be coupled with such an airhead insensitive idiot like this guy.”
Eh, you have to go that far?
“I don’t know why you would go that far but…..I want to practice making one before Eihashi-san’s done so let’s take half each.”
“Un, right……”
Ichinose-san also has a delicate expression on her face. Don’t tell me, she thinks that I am an airhead insensitive idiot like Masato too? Nah, that’s impossible.
For the time being, it’s decided that I will use half the pan and Ichinose-san will use the other half so we started pouring the dough onto the pan.