— — — — — —
Oikawa's entire attention was fixed on Kawasaki.
Their eyes met.
At first, Kawasaki smiled back at him.
But before long, her cheeks turned red, and her gaze began darting away.
She grew more and more flustered.
Eventually, she lowered her head, "...Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
'Because I want to. Because no matter how much I look, it's never enough. I really love you.'
If they had been at home, Oikawa would have pulled her into his arms.
Unfortunately, they weren't.
And that felt like a waste.
"What a shame, Kawasaki." At last, Oikawa looked away. He turned off the still-running faucet and placed the washed vegetables onto a plate.
"A shame? What's a shame?"
"It's a shame we're in kindergarten," Oikawa said, looking genuinely dejected.
Kawasaki froze for a second before realizing what he meant.
Her head dropped even lower.
And the kitchen fell silent. The only sound left was the rhythmic chop-chop-chop of her knife against the cutting board.
For some reason, Oikawa found moments like this even warmer than conversation.
An online comment that had been popular recently suddenly came to mind, "You think today is just another ordinary day. Years later, you'll realize it was actually one of the best days of your life."
A day like this might never come again.
Just as Oikawa had guessed, they ended up making four dishes.
Stir-fried beef cubes. Donburi. Tonkatsu. Pan-fried sardines.
Truthfully, Oikawa hadn't done much.
Kawasaki had marinated the beef. Kawasaki had cooked the rice. Kawasaki had prepared the pork. Even the sardines had been cleaned and processed by Kawasaki.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that waking him up so early this morning had never really been about needing help. She probably just wanted to see him.
Or maybe she didn't want him eating alone at home.
...
As lunchtime approached, Kawasaki became increasingly busy.
Standing at the stove, she looked like a female general commanding troops on the battlefield. Her enemies were the dishes in the pans.
But Kawasaki handled them all with effortless composure.
The aroma of beef gradually filled the kitchen.
A moment later, the rice cooker chimed to announce it was finished.
Oikawa walked over, took out the small bowls used by the children, and filled them one by one with rice.
By the time Kawasaki finished the donburi, the stir-fried beef cubes had already been plated. The sardines were done as well.
Watching Kawasaki carefully wipe the edges of each plate clean with a cloth, Oikawa once again felt it was a shame she wasn't training to become a professional chef.
"Kawasaki, you look incredibly professional." He grinned. "Trying to impress Keika-chan and become the big sister she worships?"
Judging from Kawasaki's awkward reaction, Oikawa was fairly sure he'd guessed correctly.
After all... she was a full-fledged little-sister fanatic.
"Hmph. And what's wrong with that?" Kawasaki seemed to realize he was teasing her and stiffened her voice in response.
"Nothing at all. If I were Keika-chan, I'd definitely admire a sister like you."
Sincerity was impossible to resist.
Oikawa couldn't promise he was always sincere. But at this moment, he absolutely was.
"You're acting weird today."
Kawasaki was finding it harder and harder to keep up.
Aside from the beginning, when she'd briefly held the advantage, Oikawa had controlled the pace of every exchange.
She didn't dislike it. She just felt... a little unwilling to admit defeat.
In a sense, it was like two children debating whether the sun was closer in the morning or evening.
"Maybe it's because I'm weirdly in love with you." One of Oikawa's cheesy pickup lines came out effortlessly.
"Y-you can't just say things like that!" Kawasaki panicked.
She wasn't even sure why she was panicking... Maybe because she felt herself losing ground again.
After calming down, Kawasaki shot him a glare. The expression looked strangely aggrieved.
Then she turned her attention back to the pot.
People always said music revealed the emotions of the performer.
Could food do the same?
If it could... then Oikawa felt that the donburi currently simmering in the pan was infused with two emotions: Joy. And unwillingness to lose.
"Oikawa, what are you planning to do after you graduate from university?"
The sudden question caught him completely off guard.
"Start a publishing company," he replied instinctively. "I'll probably start planning it seriously while I'm still in university. Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing..." After a brief pause, Kawasaki continued, "Oikawa, a publishing company would need legal staff, right? I'm planning to study law in university."
She glanced at him, "Do you know which university has the best law program?"
"Probably the University of Tokyo." Oikawa thought for a moment.
Suddenly, he remembered Kensuke Usuda.
That arrogant guy had graduated from the University of Tokyo. Yeah, someone as prideful as him would definitely choose the best law school available.
It was weird. Why did he write Genius Detective, a slice-of-life mystery novel with nothing about law in it?
"Wait... Are you studying law because of me?" Oikawa's expression became serious. "Kawasaki, you don't have to do that. Choose the subject you genuinely love. That would make me happier."
Kawasaki answered without hesitation, "Law is what I love most."
Then she suddenly looked back over her shoulder and smiled. That single smile lit up Oikawa's entire winter.
What was it like?
He stood there, stunned, searching for an answer.
After a long moment, he found one.
It was like casually glancing up at the night sky and unexpectedly witnessing a brilliant shooting star streak across the sky, illuminating the darkness for a fleeting instant.
The quote from earlier resurfaced in his mind once again, You think today is just another ordinary day. Years later, you'll realize it was actually one of the best days of your life.
A day like this really would never come again.
Seeing Oikawa frozen in place, Kawasaki couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
It was childish. But she felt like she'd won.
And she hadn't lied to him, either. Law truly was her favorite subject.
It was just that… it had only become her favorite a moment ago. Before that, she merely liked it.
...
..
The kindergarten was as noisy as ever, filled with the nonstop chatter of children.
But one thing was immediately obvious. Six-year-old Keika was practically the leader of the kids. Everyone around her seemed to take cues from her.
"Keika, Keika! Is that your big sister?"
"Keika, your sister is so pretty! Seriously, she's really pretty! And her cooking is amazing too. Better than my mom's!"
"Keika, your sister is the best!"
"Keika, when I grow up, can your sister be my wife?"
The last comment made the smile on Oikawa's face freeze instantly.
Unfortunately, the children were eating together at their tables, so there was no serving line. Otherwise, he would have transformed into a ruthless cafeteria auntie and taught that brat the harsh realities of society.
"Keika, is that handsome big brother your sister's boyfriend? He's so handsome! Even more handsome than the celebrities on TV!"
Now this little girl had taste.
Oikawa shot Kawasaki a smug look.
Kawasaki immediately glared back at him.
"Of course not!" Keika puffed up her cheeks and glared angrily at the girl who'd spoken. "When I grow up, Oikawa-niisan is going to marry me!"
"I'll definitely be prettier than Saki-neesan! And my boobs will be bigger too!" Keika looked incredibly proud, as if growing up would automatically solve every problem in life.
Meanwhile, Kawasaki's face darkened. She turned and stared directly at Oikawa.
Oikawa felt completely innocent.
Being popular wasn't his fault. Sometimes, being too charming was a burden.
...
A few minutes later, he and Kawasaki finished placing food on all the children's tables.
Besides the four dishes they'd cooked, there were also several kinds of pickled vegetables Kawasaki had prepared beforehand.
Pickled vegetables, or tsukemono, were basically Japanese pickles.
"Thank you, Saki-chan. And this young man is...?" The kindergarten principal, a woman well past sixty, approached them.
"I'm Oikawa Toru." Oikawa greeted her first.
"Oikawa-kun," The principal smiled warmly. "I remember seeing you a few days ago. You came to pick up Keika-chan, didn't you? And you even called her parents to confirm everything."
"Yeah, when it comes to children, it's always better to be careful." Oikawa nodded with a smile.
"Good boy." The principal nodded approvingly before taking Kawasaki's hand. "Saki-chan, thank you so much for today. I honestly don't know what I would've done without you."
"Oh, no, not at all!" Kawasaki hurriedly waved her hands. "I just helped cook. Even without me, you could've found someone else."
"But they wouldn't have your cooking skills." The principal chuckled. "Girls who can cook are already becoming rare. And girls who can cook this well are even rarer."
She patted Kawasaki's hand. "You'll definitely become a wonderful wife and mother someday. Trust me, I'm never wrong about people."
Kawasaki blushed from the praise and secretly glanced at Oikawa.
The principal caught it immediately. "Oikawa-kun, don't let the person in front of you slip away."
"I won't," Oikawa answered without hesitation. "We've already kissed, after all. She's definitely going to be a great mother to my son someday."
Kawasaki's face instantly turned even redder.
After the principal walked away, Kawasaki silently moved beside him.
Then she reached over and pinched his waist... Hard.
Oikawa immediately feigned exaggerated suffering. "Awoo, ahawoo… why are you pinching me?" he complained.
Kawasaki huffed. "Because of what you just said!"
"What did I say?" Oikawa asked innocently.
"'A great mother to my son,' my foot!" Kawasaki's face flushed as she tightened her grip. "I… I'm not having your son!"
"A daughter would be fine too," Oikawa said without missing a beat. "Honestly, I like daughters even more."
Kawasaki pinched harder.
"I'm not having your daughter either! I… I would never—"
"Never what?" Oikawa interrupted.
Kawasaki froze. Her face turned even redder.
Using all her strength, she viciously attacked his waist again and again.
Unfortunately, today's Oikawa seemed to have unusually high resistance to pinching.
So, anyone can say today's result: Kawasaki defeated!
...
..
After all the children finished lunch and went down for their afternoon nap, Oikawa and Kawasaki finally sat down in the kitchen to eat.
The four dishes they'd set aside beforehand waited on the table. There were also the pickled plums Kawasaki had specially prepared.
But at the moment, Kawasaki didn't seem to be in much of a talking mood.
Her cheeks were still bright red, like a perfectly ripe peach.
Oikawa desperately wanted to poke them.
After thinking it over, however, he abandoned the idea.
Playing with fire was dangerous. Especially when Kawasaki's emotions were this unstable.
If he did it now, the best-case outcome would be injury.
A wise man knew how to read the room.
Still... even when you could control your hands, controlling your mouth was a lot harder.
Oikawa smiled. "Kawasaki, your cooking is amazing."
Kawasaki shot him a cold look. "Don't talk while you're eating."
"Kawasaki, you're really pretty," Oikawa added.
"You're not allowed to talk anymore!" Kawasaki snapped, glaring at him furiously.
"Kawasaki, can you call me Daddy?" Oikawa said casually.
"Didn't I just say—" Kawasaki started, then froze.
Halfway through her reply, she realized what he meant.
And if looks could kill, Oikawa would have already been reduced to ashes.
The meal began in silence. And ended in silence.
Throughout the entire lunch, Kawasaki's face remained bright red.
It was unbelievably adorable.
"You don't need to wash the dishes. I'll do it." Kawasaki stood up immediately.
"What kind of man doesn't cook and doesn't wash dishes? If life were that easy, he'd get struck by lightning." Oikawa rose from his seat and reached toward her waist.
"Y-you... what are you doing?" Kawasaki jumped backward like a startled kitten. Her face instantly became even redder.
"I'm taking off the apron," Oikawa said casually.
"...Oh."
She realized she'd misunderstood.
Now even the tips of her ears had turned scarlet.
"I-It's not like you need an apron to wash dishes anyway... Here." Kawasaki hurriedly untied the apron and handed it to him. Then she dumped all the bowls and chopsticks into the sink and fled the scene.
Within seconds, she had completely disappeared.
Oikawa clicked his tongue in disappointment. He'd been planning to tease her a little more.
She ran way too fast.
...
"Jerk. Big jerk."
"All you ever do is bully me."
"Hmph... I'm never talking to you again."
After a brief pause, she amended her declaration, "...At least not for the rest of today."
Kawasaki sat on a swing outside the kindergarten, muttering complaints about a certain someone.
Just then, a small puppy came trotting over and rubbed itself against her leg.
It was a tiny yellow-and-white puppy. Less than a year old, probably.
Small. Fluffy. Ridiculously cute.
The moment she saw it, more than half of her lingering frustration vanished.
"Hey, are you lost?" She picked the puppy up. "Tell big sister where your home is, and I'll take you back."
"Woof! Woof!" As expected, the puppy barked in response.
"Hungry?" Kawasaki blinked. "Are you hungry?"
"Woof!" The puppy sounded pitiful enough that she was convinced it really was.
"What should I do? I don't have any food on me..."
Then she suddenly remembered. The sausage in her pocket.
That morning, Oikawa had stuffed it into her hand because he was worried she might get hungry later.
A smile crept onto her face before she could stop it.
If she'd still been carrying forty percent anger toward Oikawa before, now it had dropped below ten.
How could she actually stay mad at that idiot?
Kawasaki pulled out the sausage, peeled the wrapper away, and fed it to the puppy.
Watching it wolf down the food, she smiled even more brightly and rubbed its head.
"Little puppy, you should thank that big jerk. The sausage came from him."
She paused, "Well... actually, you don't have to thank him that much. He's a total idiot, after all. A really awful idiot."
A cold gust of wind swept through.
Kawasaki shivered.
It was mid-December, the coldest time of year in Chiba City.
She'd run outside wearing nothing but a sweater. Of course she was freezing.
"It's all that idiot's fault." A little grievance rose inside her chest.
The anger that had fallen below ten percent quietly crept back up.
Then suddenly, warmth enveloped her.
Kawasaki froze. Feeling the jacket settle over her shoulders, her face instantly turned red again.
"Beautiful Kawasaki, do you not know how to say thank you?"
"...Thank you." Her voice was so quiet that even she could barely hear it.
"Kawasaki, I think a mosquito just buzzed past my ear. Did you hear it too?" Oikawa said cheekily, smiling. That made Kawasaki's anger flare up again.
"When did you get here?" She didn't turn around. Squatting on the ground, she asked in a small, aggrieved voice.
She looked exactly like someone who'd been wronged.
"Let's see..." Oikawa pretended to think. "Probably around the part where you said, 'Little puppy, you should thank that big jerk.'"
"Y-you were eavesdropping!" Kawasaki looked shocked, her face saying she hadn't expected him to be that kind of person.
"That's not eavesdropping." Oikawa sounded deeply offended. "I was listening completely out in the open. Besides, if sound reaches my ears, how is that eavesdropping?"
"Jerk," Kawasaki muttered the insult under her breath.
Oikawa just smiled.
Then he gently pulled her to her feet.
Carefully, he helped her put on the jacket properly.
He zipped it all the way up.
Finally, he wrapped the scarf around her neck and adjusted it until it sat just right.
At that moment, every trace of anger inside Kawasaki disappeared.
She suddenly felt that she must be an incredibly easy girl to fool.
Because every time she decided to be mad at him... he only needed a few simple gestures, and she would forgive him all over again.
.
.
.