Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 4===

His father was frequently away from home. At first, Haruaki would buy takeout such as lunchboxes but eating outside food all the time, he soon grew tired of it. Hence, he started cooking on his own. But being young, after all, he could not cook very well in the beginning, of course.

"Eh~ That's weird, I clearly followed the steps in the book..."

Haruaki frowned and looked at the ginger-fried pork on the plate. However, the food on the plate was charred so black that it was impossible to know what it was unless the name of the dish was mentioned. Oily and greasy, it really did not look like something edible.

I'll cook dinner tonight! He had already boasted confidently. But currently, the only other housemate was waiting on an empty stomach. I guess I've no choice but to order takeout and announce to her that I failed&mdash;Just as he thought that, the aforementioned housemate entered the kitchen with displeased look.

"Hmm~ Thou art not done yet? I am so utterly famished... Oh my?"

"Oh! This is... Umm&mdash;"

"..."

Because I'm not used to cooking. Because it's my first time. Because the explanation in the recipe is too difficult to understand&mdash;Just as Haruaki averted his gaze in embarrassment, trying to explain himself&mdash;

She reached for the plate and used her fingers directly to pick up a piece of burnt and blackened pork, tossing it into her mouth.

"...Hmph, such abominable taste."

While commenting gruffly, she was still moving her mouth to chew. Even though one could clearly tell from sight alone that the food was bad. Even though there was clearly no need to eat it at all.

Swallowing the burnt meat with a gulp, she scoffed again and turned around, about to leave the kitchen.

"H-Hear me out! Umm, uh&mdash;I-I won't fail again next time!"

He frantically promised towards her back.

Looking back at him, she grinned over her shoulder.

"So long as 'tis meat, I care not either way. If thou failest again next time, perhaps I shall dine upon your flesh."



Speaking of failures, of course he was not the only one who failed. Naturally, she had her own failures too. They could be described as similar to the situations when Fear first moved into the Yachi home, except with the difference that she was not particularly trying to help others.

For example&mdash;On a certain day in the past, just as he was spacing out, she had dashed out of the living room and into the garden. Then taking a leap after a running start, she landed on top of a utility pole outside the house's boundary wall. Raising a karate chop towards the other figure at the top of the pole, she had asked while glaring sharpy:

"Where art thou from, ninja?"

"Huh... Huhhhh?"

"Thou art scouting this residence, but 'tis too obvious. Thou hast climbed the wrong tree, 'tis extremely conspicuous. Thou art probably a ninja in training, but this Muramasa doth not show mercy to the enemy&mdash;"

"Hey&mdash;! He works for the electrical company, okay&mdash;!?"

He remembered how he cried out in panic while looking up at the fluttering kimono.

But still, now that she had pointed it out, a handy man dressed all over in navy-blue workclothes, leaning against the top of the utility pole, really did look a bit like a ninja.



There was also one time when he heard a strange noise after returning home from shopping.

A very clumsy but also very familiar noise&mdash;''pu-pii''!

"..."

He tiptoed to his own room and pulled the sliding door open with a clack. She looked back, startled. She could not possibly have failed to sense his presence, but perhaps she was really focusing hard on something.

Sitting on the tatami floor, she was holding the recorder he used for music class.

"B-Brat, do not misunderstand! I am simply very bored, trying to find something amusing, so I chanced upon hither room and discovered this thng. I am not interested, well... Ultimately, 'tis because I have never seen this type of flute before!"

"Don't go entering other people's rooms without asking. Anyway, never mind."

She looked a little red in the cheeks. Turning her face away, she handed the recorder to him. Only glancing sideways at him, she said:

"However, brat, since thou left this on the desk, it implieth that thou intendest to practice next?"

"Yeah, there's a test tomorrow."

"Then play it Practice is very important. I shall watch thee practice, how now?"

"Oh&mdash;You want to know how it's played?"

"C-Certainly not! 'Tis out of my perfect consideration, to prevent thee from failing in front of others, wanting thee to feel used to an audience's gaze, nothing more... Very well, first demonstrate which finger presses where!"

"Jeez. I'm still not very good at playing this, you know?"

After taking the recorder, he suddenly realized in surprise now.

The recorder's mouthpiece. Just now, she had placed the recorder's mouthpiece between her lips. It felt a little moist somehow. As soon as he became aware of this, his heart suddenly pounded hard uncontrollably.

(This... Wouldn't this be what they call... an indirect&mdash;)

"How now?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"

It would not count if he wiped it. Reset, reset. Indeed, there was absolutely no need to feel concerned or bothered&mdash;Thinking that to himself, he used his clothing to wipe the recorder nonchalantly then brough the mouthpiece to his lips. Under her gaze, he began to play the prescribed melody.

He found it difficult to get the beat right because his heart was still pounding very noisily.



Apparently out of certain considerations, his father had reminded her to avoid walking outside as much as possible. Hence, she essentially spent her time at home either eating or sleeping, frequently looking exceedingly bored. Although she seemed to enjoy period dramas shown on television, period dramas were not available twenty-four hours a day.

In the end, his daily task could also be said to be serving as her playmate to kill time. Or rather, toy might be more accurate.

There were many memories. While he was jumping rope, she watched from the veranda. Perhaps wanting to try it as well, she joined in the rope jumping soon after. But because the rope's length was meant for a child, she jumped very awkwardly. Even after he told her "too short, it's not gonna work," she still continued to jump angrily. She was able to make bamboo-copters with a single finger. When looking up towards the rotor spinning in the sky, her eyes looked like they were staring far off into the distance. Apart from that, there were many many memories to reminisce about.

Indeed. From his perspective, she was definitely not an existence of legend.

Although when she first arrived at his home, she was merely an ordinary stranger.

But before he knew it, she had become simply a certain person who existed there.

Like his father, she had become a certain person in his home without any sense of dissonance.

In other words, inside his heart, she was simply&mdash;