Hearing his voice, the woman turned around to reveal a beautiful yet youthful face that didn't seem to match her age.
She had well-defined features that seemed to dim down the people around her just so she could be the only focus.
This was his mother, Akari Sumeragi.
"Welcome back, Haruya. How was school today?"
Akari reshifted her focus back to her cooking.
"You know," Haruya said as he moved towards her, taking off his coat. "Same old boring classes."
As Haruya stepped into the kitchen, the rich aroma of simmering meat sauce washed over him, warm and inviting.
The faint sound of bubbling from the pot on the stove blended with the steady rhythm of a knife meeting the cutting board.
At the counter, Akari Sumeragi was working with quiet focus, her knife expertly slicing through a pile of onions. The light from the ceiling lamp caught on her figure as she leaned slightly forward, her movements deliberate and steady.
Beside her stood a maid in uniform, watching closely and mimicking each step with her own smaller pile of vegetables.
The air carried not only the scent of food but also the faint warmth of the stove, wrapping the big kitchen in a homely atmosphere.
Who said big houses can't feel cozy?
"After waiting for it to simmer down a little, you may add the onions and let the flavor mix in for a while. Got it, Hayasaka-san?"
Akari guided the maid thoroughly, teaching her the steps patiently.
"I understand. Thank you, Akari-sama."
The maid, Hayasaka, nodded seriously.
"No need to be so polite, just refer to me as Akari."
Hayasaka hesitated, glancing toward Haruya at the doorway.
"B-But, isn't it improper…?"
Akari smiled faintly without looking up.
"It's improper only if you make it feel that way. We're all just people here."
Hayasaka lowered her head.
"…Then, Akari-san."
Haruya watched this all happen from the sidelines.
He yawned and decided to go to his room for a while to get out of his mother's way.
As his own mother, he knew what kind of woman she was.
A great pastry chef, a kind-hearted soul, a doting mother, and... a bad cook.
His eyes twitched a couple of times just by thinking of what had happened in the past.
Don't get me wrong, she was an incredible pastry chef. One of the best in Japan. Her cakes alone could silence a crowded room.
But outside of pastry?
The Shibuya Incident once occurred within the Sumeragi household.
An event so catastrophic that even now, years later, the maids refused to speak of it in detail. A single mention of "that curry" was enough to make them exchange uneasy glances and retreat into silence.
Of course, it wasn't that bad.
It was just that his mother had seemingly maxed out her stats in baking techniques and the art of presentation, so she couldn't give focus to any other diverse cooking methods.
However, just because she couldn't cook well didn't mean she couldn't manage the other branches of cooking. Just like a well-seasoned chef, she could delegate, instruct, and oversee with the kind of confidence that made even professionals nod along.
Her knife skills were sharp, her timing flawless, her presentation immaculate. The only problem came when she was the one tasting and adjusting the flavors. Somewhere between sugar and soy sauce, something always went terribly off course.
That was why most of the actual cooking had long since been entrusted to the maids while Akari guided them like an orchestra conductor, ensuring the performance looked and felt perfect.
The greatest behind-the-scenes chef of Japan!
Or so it went.
Haruya sighed.
'As expected from a former top student in one of the world's best culinary schools. Tatsuki or Akatsuki or whatever it was called.'
As long as she didn't make it herself, everything would be alright.
And speaking of the maid Hayaka... It seems like she's an acquaintance of his dad. Although her name sounded a bit familiar, he decided to brush it off for now.
Haruya soon entered his bedroom, dropped his bag, and jumped on top of his wide bed.
Why do students like him always feel seemingly exhausted from doing nothing all day but sit and listen?
Well, mostly sleep and slack off. Can't blame him for already knowing the topics.
Just as he was about to doze off, his pockets suddenly started to vibrate.
"Unmei nante iena~"
"Ato nan senchi chikazukeba iin darou~"
"Kimi ga ii to ienai mama mitsumeteru ushirosugata~"
His ringtone sounded.
Snatching his phone from within his pockets, he put it close to his face and saw a familiar name.
Nagisa Kubo.
Haruya suddenly had a random thought pop up in his mind.
5th graders like us with smartphones. I bet living as a kid back then was pretty inconvenient in terms of communicating with friends.
Haruya swiped to answer, leaning back against his pillows.
"Yo, Nagisa. Just got home. How's it going?"
"Hey! I'm just about to finish my homework… maybe," Nagisa replied, her tone a mix of relief and exhaustion. "You're always so fast with yours. How do you do it?"
Haruya smirked. "Old habits. Or maybe just being smart. You know, the usual."
Nagisa giggled. "Uh-huh, sure. That does sound like something you'd say, Haruya-kun."
He shrugged inwardly. "Maybe. But hey, you called because you needed help again, right? Ask away. Math? Science? Anything."
"…Fine, maybe just a little math," she admitted. "I keep messing up these fractions and decimals."
"Easy. I'll walk you through it. But only if you promise to listen carefully this time," he teased.
"Hey! I'm trying my best!" she protested, but her puffed cheeks softened the words.
Haruya laughed quietly. "Alright, alright. Let's start with fractions. What part's giving you trouble?"
Nagisa sighed, letting out a small huff. "It's adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators. I always mess up the multiples."
"Ah, easy fix," Haruya said, leaning back a little. "You just find the least common denominator first, then adjust each fraction so they match. Then add or subtract the numerators. That's it."
Nagisa tilted her head, frowning. "Yeah… I know that in theory. But when I actually do it, my brain just… stops."
Haruya chuckled. "Okay, think of it like this. Imagine you have two different-sized pieces of chocolate. You want to combine them evenly, right? You have to cut them into pieces the same size first. That's your least common denominator. Then you just count the pieces."
Nagisa blinked, a small smile forming. "Huh… chocolate, huh? That actually helps."
"Of course it helps. Everything is better with chocolate," Haruya said, grinning. "Now, try a problem with that in mind. I'll watch... or listen in this case."
"Okay…" Nagisa muttered, and Haruya could almost hear her thinking through each step, the soft tapping of her pencil echoing through the phone's microphone.
After a moment, she exclaimed, "Hey! I got it right!"
Haruya laughed. "See? You just needed the right perspective. Easy."
Nagisa huffed, but there was a small pride in her voice. "Yeah… easy when you explain it. Don't get too overconfident, though, Haruya-kun. I'll get better soon."
"You already are," he said, teasing lightly. "But I'll still help. Someone's gotta keep you from failing math."
Nagisa giggled softly. "Fine, fine. Don't regret it when I surpass you, though."
"Regret? Don't get too ahead of yourself, Nagisa-san," Haruya replied.
Just as the two were continuing their chat, another voice suddenly appeared on the other side of the phone.
"Nagisa, it's time for dinner, let's go." An older female voice sounded.
'Her mother? Or her older sister?'
Haruya wondered.
"Got it. Haruya-kun, thanks for teaching me today. I have to go now, see you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow then."
Haruya stared at the phone screen for a while and shrugged.
'I wanted to ask if she wanted some pastry made by mom, but I guess that can wait for now.'
Soon enough, it was his turn to get called next.
"Haruya-sama, it's time for dinner."
One of the maids knocked and called from behind the door.
"Coming."
...
[Kubo Household]
"Hmm? Who were you on the phone with?"
She turned to see her older sister, Akina, standing in the doorway. Slightly taller than Nagisa, with long red hair tied neatly in a low ponytail, her sharp, kind eyes sparkling with mischief.
Akina Kubo.
"Is it a boy?" Akina asked, a teasing tone in her voice.
Nagisa fidgeted, trying to hide her phone behind her back. "N-No one!" she stammered, her voice squeaky.
Akina raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Uh-huh, sure. Just talking to… your math tutor?" She leaned casually against the doorframe, giving Nagisa a playful smile that made her squirm.
"Akina-nee! Don't tease me!" Nagisa protested, waving her hands.
Akina chuckled softly and walked forward, giving Nagisa a light nudge toward the door. "Alright, alright, save it for later. Come on, dinner's ready. Let's go before it gets cold."
Nagisa pouted but obeyed, letting her older sister guide her out of the room.
"Don't get any funny ideas, you hear?" Akina added over her shoulder, grinning.
Nagisa huffed quietly as she followed, her cheeks still warm from embarrassment.
The sisters disappeared down the hallway, leaving the room quiet again.