Episode 13

My cheek where Akari had slapped me ached and became hot.

After a while, the door to the living room opened and Chisato and Mayu came out.

“You’re so ruthless…I think this time was basically Sato senpai’s own fault, but the last one was just as expected…I think it’s fine to keep calling her the same way as before.”

“Yeah, Aniki sucks. Poor Akari chan…it’s clearly overkill.”

The two of them twitched their cheeks and wore bitter smiles on their faces.

“Ugh,….. I’m not sure I know where the line is either,…….”

Certainly, changing the name was probably overkill.

There was a part of me that felt bad about calling Akari [Sato san.]

“..…I mean, you both heard that !?”

Since when !? I’m sure I’ve made all sorts of embarrassing remarks, but I hope they didn’t hear me…?

As Takeru was thinking back on his remarks, Chisato pointed toward the entrance and asked a question.

“So, Sato senpai went away, but aren’t you going to chase after her?”

Takeru smiles at Chisato and tells her not to worry.

“If something like that happens to Akari, it’s best to leave her alone for a while. There’s no point in saying anything anyway.”

“Well, Akari chan is stubborn, isn’t she?”

Takeru’s words are met with a wry smile from Mayu, who agrees with him.

Once Akari gets emotional, she can no longer think rationally, and she can no longer communicate. In such situations, it is best to leave her alone until her head cools down and wait until she is able to speak calmly.

“Hmmm…..? That explains a lot.”

Chisato frowned at that and showed a subtle reaction, as if she was both convinced and not convinced.

“Well, we’ve known each other since childhood.”

When Takeru said this, Chisato turned her face away without saying anything more.

Takeru tilted her head at Chisato’s strange reaction, and Mayu opened her mouth as she took out an ice cream from the freezer.

“But you think we should make up as soon as possible this time.”

“Eh? Why?”

“I mean, Akari chan was the one who ate the most of Grandma’s cooking. Wouldn’t it be better to ask Akari chan to help with the ginger set meal?”

Come to think of it, it was Akari who was the most attached to Grandma among Takeru and Mayu.

Indeed, Mayu was right. If I asked Akari for her help, I might be able to find out something.

The same night, I called Akari, and she picked up after about three calls.

“Hello, Akari?”

“…………….”

However, I heard nothing from Akari.

I could hear rustling noises on the other end of the line, so it must be connected.

“Hey, Akai?”

“……Is it not ‘Sato san’?”

I thought I finally heard her, and she replied back to me in a miffed tone.

Akari is probably still angry about earlier.

Takeru, wanting to be a little mean, dares to reply on her words.

“Ah, I guess it was better that way? Sorry, Sato san.”

“……whee……gusu.”

I thought she was going to get angry, but Akari seemed weaker than I had imagined, and she let out a sob, so I hurried to apologize.

“I’m sorry, Akari ! I was not calm at the time, or….I thought it would be hard for me to change the way I called you. Shall I continue calling you the same way I have been calling you? Hey?”

“……Yeah, okay.”

Her voice was thin and weak, but she seemed to be able to hold on without crying.

“I’m sorry about today. The reason I couldn’t tell you why Chisato  is here is not because I’m hiding something from you, but because…..Chisato’s situation and I couldn’t tell you without permission.”

“……Sure, it’s not like you’re dating or anything, right …..?”

Akari asks, feeling anxious.

“Yeah, that’s definitely true.”

When I firmly affirmed that, Akari answered with relief.

[Okay, then, okay. I understand.] After saying that, Akari continued speaking in a depressed voice. [I’m also sorry about the daytime, but I had a lot of different emotions and couldn’t help but reach out…]

“It’s nothing true. In the past, you’ve mastered things like arm grip, haven’t you?”

Perhaps it was when she was in elementary school, Akari became addicted to martial arts for a time due to her father’s influence. At that time, she used to do various tricks for fun, such as arm grip.

At the time, she was a child and didn’t think anything of it, but now she feels that the skinship was too much.

At Takeru’s teasing words, Akari let out an irritated voice.

“Wait, when are you talking about this ! I’ve told you many times to forget about that !”

She always reacts strongly when the topic is brought up, as if the memories of her days as a kid general have become black history in her mind. I could see Akari’s red face.

Takeru was relieved to hear Akari’s voice, which had been weak, had regained some of its tension.

“Hahaha, anyway, since we were both at fault, is it okay to make up?”

Ken said, and Akari smiled wryly.

“Hehehehe, yeah. Thanks for calling, Ken.”

Takeru was relieved to see her back to her normal self.

However, this was not the end of the call. Takeru was afraid to speak.

“I’ve got a little favor to ask you, Akari.”

“……Is it related to Chisato chan?”

Even though I hadn’t said anything yet, she hit me so hard that I was speechless.

When Takeru remained silent, Akari continued speaking in a cold tone, perhaps taking it as an affirmation.

“I knew it. Was that the reason why you called me just now?”

“No, no, no, that’s not true. I just wanted to make up with Akari. I just wanted to make it up with Akari. It’s more of a favor, so you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

Takeru answered immediately.

Then, Akari started to growl [Ugghh~~~!]

It seemed that she was not willing to cooperate with Chisato. However, after having made up with each other, it was hard for her to say no, and she was probably conflicted about it.

Unfortunately, if Akari doesn’t want to do it, it can’t be helped. Takeru gives up on asking for help, and decides to offer a helping hand to make it easier for her to say no. 

“If I were to ask you a favor, I would have to tell you why Chisato san came to my house, so it would be a long story, but it would be better to…”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

I was about to say that I should stop, but Akari suddenly responded with some kind words.

“…Eh, are you sure it’s okay? It’s going to take quite a while though.”

“Okay, talk to me quickly.”

Takeru wondered why she was suddenly rushing him after she had growled at him so much, but he confided in her about what had happened with Chisato.

When he had finished telling her everything, Akari let out a big sigh.

“I see, you wanted to recreate Grandma’s taste…… I see, So, I guess the reason you brought Chisato chan home was just to help her.”

Akari said, relieved.

“Yeah, but no one seems to remember exactly what Grandma tasted like. I’m pretty sure I follow the recipe exactly, but Chisato  san says it’s not the same.”

Akari spoke as if reminiscing about the old days.

“I remember all of Grandma’s flavors. I’ve been eating it ever since I first met Ken in elementary school, how could I forget?”

After saying this, Akari mumbles, [But…….].

I don’t know why, but Akari seems to dislike Chisato. It may be that she really doesn’t want to cooperate with him.

“I knew it, you don’t like it?”

“…But Ken wants to help Chisato chan, right?”

“Y-yeah, well, yes, I do.”

“Then…..I’ll do it.”

Yes, for a long time, Takeru had never asked Akari for anything and she had never refused him.

Even though she complained rather than replying, she always ended up being with Takeru.

“Thank you, Akari.”

“……Yeah.”　

Akari answered in a slightly embarrassed but firm tone of voice.

The next morning, I invited Akari over to my house and had her eat the gingerbread I had made.

Ummm, this is it, this is how it tastes !”

[ [Yeah, it’s totally different ! !] ]

Akari’s drinking voice was interrupted by Takeru and Mayu at the same time.

During the cooking process, Akari frequently tasted and adjusted the flavors, but the result was something completely different from Grandma’s taste that Takeru remembered.

Or rather, this seasoning is almost the same as the one Takeru used to make for Akari’s lunch.

Perhaps Akari had forgotten Grandma’s taste while eating the ginger set meal that Takeru made.

“Akari, if you don’t remember, you should have been honest with me…..I don’t have time to play right now.”

Takeru stared at Akari, and she hurriedly waved her hands in the air in denial.

“I-I’m not ! I’m very serious ! It really tasted like this !”

“It can’t be ! It wasn’t this strong of a soy sauce taste, it should have been a little sweeter !”

“Even if you say that, I don’t understand as I’m not a food expert !”

Akari puffed up her cheeks and turned away with a sigh.

It doesn’t make sense anymore.

Mayu, Chisato, and Akari all insist that it tastes different.

The appointed day is coming up tomorrow, but I still haven’t reached Grandma’s taste. If I don’t do this, I won’t be able to deliver the taste of those days, even though I have even invited Chisato san’s parents.

Takeru exhaled heavily and nodded his head.

Akari, seeing Takeru’s reaction, puts her index finger to her temple, squeezes her eyes shut, and begins to groan.

After a few moments, she opens her eyes and screams out.

“Ah ! I remember that Grandma used to say she used magic !”

“M-magic?”

Takeru looks at Akari suspiciously as she suddenly starts talking nonsense.

Akari continued to speak in a flustered manner.

“I-I’m not lying ! She said that when she thinks about the store’s regulars, Ken, and Mayu chan when she cooks, the food tastes better !”

If you think about the store’s regulars when you cook, the food tastes better……?

Akari’s words made Takeru feel as if he had connected the dots.

Mayu must have come to the same conclusion, because she muttered, [I don’t think that’s magic……] and glanced at Takeu with wide eyes.

Takeru nodded and agreed with Mayu.

“Yeah, I’m thinking the same thing.”

Grandma probably changed the flavors to suit her regulars and their tastes.

That would explain the three different answers to Grandma’s taste.

She probably served orthodox dishes to Mayu and Takeru, who preferred balanced flavors, and adjusted the amount of soy sauce to reduce the sweetness for Akari, who preferred salty foods instead of sweet ones.

That is what she did for all the regulars at the restaurant, including Chisato.

Takeru realized once again how great his grandma was.

But then—

“Then….., you mean it’s impossible to make it when Chisato san vaguely remembers the taste in the first place……”

The taste that Chisato once ate means that only Chisato has eaten it. That means that it is impossible to serve her the same taste unless she herself remembers it exactly.

Takeru’s shoulders drop as if he is weak.

Akari then comes up behind Takeru, grabs him by the shoulders, and rocks him back and forth.

“Ken, this is no time to be down ! It’s already tomorrow !”

Akari is encouraging him in her own way. Takeru answered with a weak smile.

“Yeah, but I just found out that there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

“I told you that the taste you made while tasting it earlier will be fine !”

Akari doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on and says something like that.

“No, it’s not that, Akari, Grandma is……”

As he was about to explain to Akari, a question suddenly came to Takeru’s mind.

Why does the ginger set meal that Takeru used to make for Akari taste the same as the ginger set meal that Grandma used to make for her?

Takeru didn’t know that Grandma served Akari with a different flavor of ginger set meal and he never learned that flavor from Grandma.

And the ginger set meal  that Takeru was making for Akari was a flavor that he had created after studying the taste that Akari liked in her own way.

Is it a coincidence that those two tastes became the same……? No, it is not.

[I see ! I should have done that from the beginning !} Takeru, inspired by a flash of inspiration, stood up, grabbed Akari’s hand, and shook it up and down in a wide gesture. [Thanks, Akari ! Thanks to you, I have hope !]

Akari looked blankly dumbfounded for a few seconds, then puffed her chest out with a smug look on her face.

“Eh? Ummm, yes, that’s right ! You should have trusted me from the beginning !”

Akari was proud, but she didn’t seem to understand anything.

Of course, it was because of her words like that that he was saved, but in a good way.

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