Mihua, Near the Mouri Family's Building
Eri Kisaki was genuinely furious, ignoring Shuichi Hayashi's calls no matter how loudly he shouted after her.
In the raging storm, he couldn't let her walk home alone, so he trailed behind, playing the part of a reluctant stalker. Only when he saw her safely enter her apartment building did he turn back toward the Mouri family's place.
Kogoro Mouri was still awake, slouched in the izakaya downstairs, yawning. The moment Shuichi walked in, Kogoro started grumbling. "Shuichi, where the hell have you been? And Eri—she took off right after you did and hasn't come back."
"I ran into Eri on the way back," Shuichi said, pausing. "Wait, you said she left right after me?"
"Yeah," Kogoro said, irritation creasing his brow. "You two were gone all night, leaving me to deal with the shop. I had no clue what to do with this stuff, so I've been stuck waiting here."
No wonder her clothes were soaked despite the umbrella. She must've been out in the rain looking for me for hours… I've got to apologize tomorrow. Shuichi's mind wandered as he wiped the rainwater from his face.
"Shuichi, what were you even doing? Hey!" Kogoro raised his voice when he noticed his friend zoning out. "Hey!"
"Nothing much," Shuichi said, snapping back. "Yukiko got drenched, and I was worried some creep might target her, so I walked her home…"
"Drenched?" Kogoro slammed a fist on the table, exasperated. "Damn it! If I'd eaten my noodles faster, I could've been the one to take her an umbrella!"
"Then, at her apartment, we ran into…" Shuichi trailed off, noticing Kogoro heading for the door. "Where are you going?"
"What do you think? Home to sleep!" Kogoro said, his face a mask of frustration. "Oh, by the way, let me borrow that JK wet-look photobook."
"…It's in the box under my bed. Find it yourself."
Shuichi shook his head, exasperated, and changed clothes before tackling the izakaya's cleanup. Ingredients that could be saved went into the fridge; the rest went into the trash. After over an hour of work, he locked up and trudged to his rented room on the second floor.
Entering his bedroom, he found the photobook pages scattered across the floor, images of girls in bikini swimsuits everywhere. "That idiot Kogoro. It's just a magazine—did he have to make this much of a mess?"
"Whatever, I'll deal with it tomorrow," Shuichi muttered, yawning. After a quick shower, he collapsed into bed.
…
The next morning, Shuichi headed to the izakaya to make breakfast while dialing Eri's number on the shop's landline.
No answer.
He went up to the third floor, handed breakfast to Mrs. Mouri, and borrowed her phone. This time, the call connected quickly.
"Hello, Mrs. Mouri—achoo!" Eri's voice came through, followed by a sneeze.
"Eri, you're sick?" Shuichi asked, but the line went dead with a click.
"She's sulking?" Mrs. Mouri said with a knowing smile, watching Shuichi stare at the receiver. "Go apologize to her. Girls need coaxing."
After Shuichi left, Mrs. Mouri knocked on her son's bedroom door, intending to call Kogoro for breakfast. The door, unlocked, swung open at her touch.
Kogoro was sprawled on his bed, snoring loudly, a swimsuit photobook open by his pillow, crumpled tissue balls littering the floor.
"That idiot!" Mrs. Mouri sighed, smacking her forehead. She turned and left, slamming the door with a bang.
The noise didn't faze Kogoro, who'd stayed up late "studying." He just rolled over, mumbling, "Big sis, let's play…" before sinking back into a dead sleep.
…
Knowing Eri was sick, Shuichi stopped by a supermarket on the way to her apartment, picking up green onions, ginger, and other ingredients to make a scallion-ginger broth. The remedy, perfect for sweating out a cold and boosting circulation, was just what Eri needed after getting soaked.
At Eri's apartment building, Shuichi punched in the familiar entry code. The security guard, an old friend by now, greeted him with a grin. "Here to apologize to Eri, huh?"
"How'd you know?" Shuichi asked.
"Last night, that girl came back drenched," the guard said, his tone scolding. "Letting a girl walk home alone in a storm? That's a bit much, even if you two are fighting."
Shuichi brushed it off with a few quick words and hopped into the elevator. Eri's apartment was 706. He rang the doorbell.
Footsteps approached, and the peephole's light shifted, but the door stayed shut.
"Really not opening?" Shuichi called. When no response came, he reached for his wallet, ready to use a plastic card to pick the lock—a trick Eri knew he could pull off.
Sure enough, before he could start, the door swung open. Eri stood there, hair disheveled, cheeks flushed, wearing sky-blue pajamas with a cat pattern. "You jerk!" she snapped, glaring.
"Why the name-calling first thing?" Shuichi said, holding up a bag of ingredients with a sheepish grin. "I heard you're sick, so I came to cook you something."
"I can cook myself!" Eri huffed, tilting her chin defiantly.
"Eri, you're already sick. If you get food poisoning, you'll end up in the hospital…"
Before he could finish his earnest plea, Eri's foot flew toward him in a swift kick.
Taking advantage of the playful scuffle, Shuichi slipped inside and set the ingredients in the kitchen. Eri watched his back, biting her lip in frustration. She knew when her childhood friend got this stubborn, she was powerless against him.
No matter how good his food is, I'm saying it's awful! Eri vowed silently, curiosity tugging at her as she followed him into the kitchen.
As she approached, she saw Shuichi pull a green onion from the bag, inspecting it closely before shaking his head. "A bit too thick."
Too thick? Eri froze. She was clueless about cooking, but seeing Shuichi scrutinize the onion's size triggered a memory of an old Japanese folk remedy for colds: sticking a green onion up your—
"No way! I don't want it!" Eri shouted, shaking her head frantically, hands flying to cover her backside as she backed toward the kitchen door.
"Huh?" Shuichi blinked, baffled. "Don't want what?"
"No green onions!" Eri said, her voice trembling on the verge of tears. "Shuichi Hayashi, if you dare try that, we're done!"
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(End of Chapter)
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