Eriri was feeling somewhat irritable. She felt this was very wrong.
Why was it that Kiso Yukina could wear matching couple aprons with Yuu and be alone with him in the kitchen, while she could only sit on the sofa staring blankly at the TV?
She had come over with the purpose of not letting the two of them be alone together after that phone call, but what she was doing now - what difference was there from not coming at all? After all, she was just an insignificant side character who could be ignored, wasn't she?
Not only had she accomplished nothing, but watching from the side made her feel even worse. Am I an idiot?!
Looking at the two people communicating about something in the kitchen, Eriri bit her thumbnail, her leg bouncing rapidly on the floor. She was even more irritated.
That day at school, the image of them walking together like a match made in heaven had made her feel both disappointed and a sense of crisis. The current scene of the two coordinating so well struck her heart even more deeply.
In any case, she couldn't let them continue like this. If their relationship continued to grow this intimate, she would truly have no chance.
Eriri made a decision. She adjusted her facial expression and slowly wandered over as if nothing was wrong, stopping outside the kitchen and clearing her throat lightly.
"Um, Yuu, is there anything I can help with? It feels a bit awkward with you two busy cooking while I'm just relaxing on the side."
The two turned around together.
Murakami Yuu was somewhat surprised. If he remembered correctly, this well-off young lady had almost zero knowledge of cooking.
"You want to help?"
He asked to confirm.
"Yes, if there's anywhere I can help, please don't be polite."
Looking at the fidgeting Eriri, Murakami Yuu roughly understood what she was thinking. He wanted to laugh but held it in.
"Since Sawamura-san wants to help, then let's do it together. Yuu's kitchen is spacious anyway - three people working together won't feel crowded."
Kiso Yukina didn't seem to mind. She had been kind and welcoming from start to finish. She smoothly took out an apron from a cabinet on the side and handed it to Eriri.
"Here you go, Sawamura-san. You're dressed so nicely today - it would be such a shame if your clothes got stained with oil."
"Thank you..."
Why would you know there's an apron in that place?!
Just how familiar are you with Yuu's house?!
Eriri, whose mind was wildly shaken internally, calmly accepted the apron. It wasn't the same style as what the two before her were wearing. Though she minded somewhat, she had now successfully inserted herself into their alone time, so her mood wasn't as irritated as before.
"So, what do I need to do?"
After washing her hands and standing between the two, Eriri gradually recovered her composure.
"Let's start with something simple. Help crack four eggs into a bowl, and after beating them, pass them to me."
Murakami Yuu handed over the eggs and bowl.
"That's simple."
Eriri rolled up her sleeves looking very confident, but the moment she got started, that confidence instantly shattered.
The first egg slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, shattering. The second egg was tapped too hard against the bowl's edge and the liquid fell directly onto the counter. The third egg was finally carefully gotten into the bowl, but it contained many small shell fragments.
"Sorry, Yuu..."
Eriri was so ashamed she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"It's okay, Eriri. For a beginner, this level is already great. When I first started, it was probably the seventh or eighth egg before I could smoothly get the egg into the bowl like you did."
Murakami Yuu comforted her without any trace of annoyance in his tone. They were just a few eggs - consider them practice for Eriri.
What he truly cared about was Eriri's expression - like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting for punishment, full of anxiety.
Looking at her like that was somehow both amusing and heartbreaking. Such a clumsy person.
"How about Sawamura-san helps with cutting vegetables? Use this small Western-style knife - even beginners should find it easy to use."
Kiso Yukina offered another suggestion.
"That's true."
Murakami Yuu also agreed.
"Since you're not a professional chef, hold the knife however feels comfortable. Just be careful to go slowly when cutting, and don't cut your hand."
"Okay, I'll try. What shape should I cut them into?"
"Roughly uniform-sized chunks will be fine."
"Got it. I can handle just that much."
Eriri regained her confidence and came to the cutting board, carefully wielding the knife against a potato.
A moment later.
"How... how is it?"
Even Eriri herself couldn't bear to look, so her tone sounded very timid and unconfident.
Looking at the potatoes of various sizes - some sliced, some chunked, some in strips - Murakami Yuu thought hard about how to keep Eriri's labor from ending up in the trash. After all, this was her first time working hard at this. It wouldn't be good to dampen her enthusiasm. After considering for a moment, he spoke:
"Don't worry, these are completely usable. We bought these potatoes to make mashed potatoes anyway. Cutting them like this will make it much easier to boil and mash them later. It's actually a pleasant surprise.
All in all, Eriri, you did great."
Eriri initially didn't quite believe his words, but after Kiso Yukina on the side also gave affirmation with the same reasoning, only then did she embarrassedly touch her head. That dishonest way of being receptive to praise while trying hard to conceal it made the expressions of both present people somewhat subtle - wanting to laugh but unable to.
"The preparation work is pretty much done. Let me handle the rest alone. How about Yuu goes to the living room to keep Sawamura-san company while waiting for the meal?"
Eh?
Eriri looked at Kiso Yukina somewhat strangely.
"Is that okay?"
Murakami Yuu asked.
"Mm-hmm, don't worry. I'd also like to take this opportunity to try cooking alone without Yuu's guidance. Please give an objective evaluation later."
She helped remove the aprons from both of them, then without further ado pushed them out of the kitchen. Turning around, she switched on the range hood and hummed a song while operating skillfully.
The two now idle people sat back down on the sofa, though Eriri's gaze still occasionally drifted toward the kitchen.
Belatedly, she seemed to realize something.
Kiso Yukina happily humming while cooking, herself with zero cooking knowledge unable to help, and Murakami Yuu ordered to keep her company in the living room.
This sense of déjà vu...
Her gaze swept back and forth between Murakami Yuu watching TV and Kiso Yukina cooking. After sorting through her thoughts, Eriri finally understood something, and her expression became like she'd been insulted.
This is... da... dad and mom?!
...