Childhood Home
“Let’s have our meals after putting the luggage aside then. It’s also about time after all. How about yakisoba1?”
“Ah, I will help in the cooking”
“Really? That’d be a great helpー”
It took slightly less than 30 minutes in the car Shigeo-san drove. We finally arrived at Yae’s childhood home, the house I’d also stayed at until graduating middle school.
“”I am home””
“Ufufu, welcome home”
“Welcome home”
The same sight as before was there when I opened the front door holding 2 people’s share of luggage. While getting strangely sentimental despite returning on every long vacation, we head to the second floor where our rooms are.
“Here, Yae’s luggage”
“Thanks”
“No problem”
I first dropped by Yae’s room and handed her the luggage I was carrying. Unlike going on a trip to other places, since there are some changes of clothes here as well, her luggage is on the lesser side. I suppose Yae having more luggage nonetheless is, as expected, because she is a girl huh.
I head to my own room after handing the luggage to Yae. I got a slight sense of bliss when I saw the room that had been tidied beautifully as usual.
“I am sorry for being late. What should I do?”
“You’re not late at all. First, can I have you cut the vegetables over there?”
I washed my hands in the bathroom and headed to the kitchen. I went about helping the Mina-san who had already started cooking. That said, there is not many things to do if it we are cooking yakisoba though.
“How’s school?”
“It is fun”
“That’s good to hear. Has Yae-chan been causing you trouble?”
“Not at all”
The conversation continues without us stopping our yakisoba-cooking hands. That said, the topic is about the school and the life with Yae and such. As I thought, she is probably concerned as a parent.
“School?”
“Fun”
“Is that so”
“You?”
“Good harvest”
“I see”
I pricked up my ears, wondering what they were talking about in the living room, and they were having a straight-to-the-point conversation. It does not come off like they are having a fruitful conversation since both Yae and Shigeo-san are taciturn, but it seems the two of them are having fun talking.
The yakisoba was completed soon after talking in that manner. My help was pretty much just cutting the vegetables, and Mina-san finished it up by herself after that. As I thought, she is more skilful than me huh.
“”””Itadakimasu“””””
The conversation continues even when the four of us are eating. The Nakamatsu household is pretty lax when it comes to manners around those parts. As one would expect, I got scolded in the past when I talked with my mouth full though.
“So, how far did you two go?”
“”……””
Yae and I both ignore the straight sexual harassment question from Mina-san without flinching. We are already used to it since she asks us something like this once every time we come back.
“Mina”
“Oーkay. Sorry”
And then her getting chided by Shigeo-san is how the flow of things goes. But since her apology is all talk, it feels like she will say the same thing to us as well the next time we come back.
“Mina-san, in the first place, we are not in that kind of relationship”
“……exactly”
I convey the truth to Mina-san taken-aback-ly, and Yae sings the same tune as me as well. It’s just that I have a feeling that Yae got somewhat disgruntled; I wonder if it is my imagination?
“Hmーm, is that so”
“……”
Mina-san is looking over here and grinning, and Shigeo-san is looking over here with eyes that are like he wants to say something despite his usual expressionlessness. He’s probably actually saying, ‘I see’.
