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AFTER shopping at the supermarket, the three of us carried hefty shopping bags laboriously back home. After we arrived, we washed our hands before we started sorting through our haul and putting things away into the fridge and cabinets.
In the middle of the sorting session, I noticed Kon glancing at me repeatedly. He seemed restless and fidgety. In his hands was a bloated shopping bag. I’d been efficient with my work and was pretty much finished, so I accepted the bag while shaking my head with fond exasperation. I knew he couldn’t wait for his dessert, so I rolled up my sleeves and began my next mission.
Today, there was a sale on large Japanese fruit jelly cups, and so I purchased a selection of many flavors. Take out the blocks of jelly from the cups. Cut into bite-size cubes. Transfer into a bowl.
The specific flavors I chose were satsuma mandarin, peach, grape, and apple. With a varied selection like this, you’ll have vibrant colors and many flavors. When the bowl is filled with jelly cubes, pour in a generous amount of soda.
This was our dessert for the day. It was also our reward for Kon, who’d helped out with shopping despite the sweltering and humid heat. This quick dessert was something light, refreshing, and easy on the stomach.
If I had the time, I actually wanted to buy agar-agar powder and make the agar jelly from scratch, but the clock never paused to wait for anyone. To cut down on the preparation time, I was using store-bought jelly instead. Cheap jelly cups are honestly mediocre—they don’t leave much of an impression. But if you mix an assortment of flavors and pour on a liquid such as soda or a certain famous fermented milk drink that you have to dilute, the jelly is transformed into a tantalizing dessert. If you scoop it up with a ladle and arrange it in a glass vessel paired with a somewhat stylish spoon, it will even look like art on top of tasting like art.
That was exactly what I did. I retrieved a glass cup and a fancy dessert spoon before serving the final product to Kon. He accepted the cup with both hands, his eyes lit up in anticipation. His gaze was practically glued to the contents as he walked into the living room with big strides. He quickened his pace, wanting to dig in as soon as possible, but he still carried his prize carefully so that he wouldn’t spill the soda.
I smiled to myself while watching him until a hand moved in my vision. Techi was thrusting her hand before me—a silent demand.
Oh. Of course, I’m going to prepare one for her too. Honestly, she doesn’t have to act like a child, I thought with slight exasperation, but of course, I could never say that out loud. Without another word, I prepared Techi’s fruit jelly cup. Just like I’d done with Kon, I stuck a dessert spoon into the jelly assortment before handing it over.
Though Techi’s expression remained impassive, her eyes widened slightly and were shining with excitement. She strutted briskly into the living room.
After our marriage, Techi had begun acting oddly childlike. Or, to be more precise, she started being more direct and open with her feelings. From time to time, her childish side would slip out, and perhaps it was her way of acting cute and asking for me to fuss over her.
I felt like her more innocent, pure side was actually her true self at heart. In front of the kids, she had to act like a responsible adult. In front of her parents, whom she’d apparently caused a lot of grief, she had to act mature. She had to put on masks and take on a persona which was required of her. Maybe. I might be overthinking things.
Either way, our married life had only just begun. I shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions this early. I had plenty of time to gradually learn more and more about the woman known as Tokatechi during my long life with her.
Such thoughts swirled in my mind as I watched Techi leave. I didn’t prepare another serving for myself—I headed straight to the living room with the bowl of jelly and soda, a glass cup, and a spoon. This kind of jelly was perishable, so having leftovers wasn’t the best idea. I placed the bowl on the low table, served myself, then announced this to the pair, “Feel free to have as many seconds as you want.”
The two were speedily carrying jelly into their mouths, but I could tell that their eyes were shining with joy. The jelly and soda quickly vanished from their cups. They took turns to get a second helping before eating again. The cycle repeated, and the contents of the sharing bowl were gone in no time.
One portion had been enough for me. I hadn’t had plans to grab a second, but I was still stunned at their incredible speed. They’d polished off the entire bowl before I could even finish one small cup!
If I used homemade agar jelly, which allows you to enjoy the flavors and textures of the original fruits better, this dessert would’ve disappeared even faster. I can’t even imagine that. I was actually thinking about making the homemade edition sometime and bought some of the necessary ingredients today, but I don’t think I purchased nearly enough. I should head to the supermarket sometime and buy more, I decided.
I also had another item on my shopping list: plums. It was around the time of year when those would start lining the supermarket shelves. There were so many things I couldn’t wait to make. The long-awaited umeboshi, of course, but also plum jam, plum syrup, plum jelly, and even umeshu, plum liqueur. If I didn’t get to work around now, I might carelessly forget about the season and let this opportunity slip from my clutches. That was the last thing I wanted.
A thought occurred to me. I haven’t really explored much of the Wilds… Is there a chance they might have plum trees or plum orchards around here? If they do, I could get my hands on plump, high-quality plums, so I should do some research, huh?
As I entertained the thought, I finished the last of the jelly left in my cup. And that was when I finally realized the two sharp gazes drilling into me. I wasn’t being dramatic when I called them sharp—these gazes were intense and filled with predatory desire. The silent message was that they were starving, and they wanted me to make much more food because this dessert barely made a dent in their appetite.
I frowned slightly and looked at them both, sending them a silent message with my eyes, “Hold on. You two have eaten loads already!”
This time, Techi conveyed her message with a projected voice. “That was a light and refreshing dessert, yes. I was bingeing before I knew it. The problem is that I feel as if I haven’t eaten at all, because it’s not filling. If possible, I want something that’s light, but also has substance.”
I blinked dumbly at her words. Calling it the paragon of willfulness wouldn’t be far off—it was self-contradictory, and it was such a tall order that I wanted to ask, “What in the world do you want me to do?” I was completely stuck, but I got moving. I collected the sharing bowl and the empty cups before standing up slowly.
I hummed in thought and frowned. “In that case… I guess I’ll use fruits to make…something. I’ll figure it out.” As I spoke, I rifled through the archive of memories inside my head, especially the older ones. Did I know any good recipes? Was there any good contenders among the snacks I’d eaten as a child? Could I find anything that could satisfy the two gluttons with bottomless stomachs?
Like how I would squeeze a lemon, I squeezed my brain dry for any drop of wisdom as I turned to head to the kitchen.
And that was when a certain scene leapt into my eyes. The bonsai pot had been left on a shelf which could be seen from the living room, and the flower bud of the Fusang tree let out an audible and soft pop before coming into full bloom before my eyes. Delicate petals of a gorgeous pink spread out, bursting with life.
I couldn’t tear my gaze off the enchanting flower. It was so beautiful that if it had been any other time, I would be letting out a sigh of wonder and staring at it in a daze. I fixed my gaze on it and muttered, “Seriously? Did it…really have to bloom now, of all times? Does this tree really have a correlation with good deeds?”
Neither Techi nor Kon offered an answer to my question. Only the chirping of insects occupied the house for a long while. I was dazed for just as long.
When I came to my senses, I sighed and shook my head. I should stop thinking so hard about that tree. I’m getting nowhere. Instead, I focused on the task at hand. I advanced into the kitchen to make another dessert for my two hungry customers.