Pure elation was on Kon’s once again as he looked at me before he gazed unblinkingly at his cup. It was a miniature world of a gorgeous gradient, and every so often, bubbles would appear and pop. He admired it at his own pace, sucked up a tiny bit through his straw, then smiled wide—the sweet and sour taste must’ve been much stronger than he’d imagined. Stirring the cup with his straw slowly, he took one small sip after another.
After thoroughly savoring the strawberry soda, Kon let out a contented “Whew!” before pulling his mouth away from the straw. “This is good! This is amazing too! It feels like anything homemade is yummy… The shaved ice and soda you make are completely different from the ones you see in stores!”
With a wry and fond smile, I informed him, “That’s not always true. If you look at the things we’ve made together… Remember the canned food? There are some things that are only possible in big factories designed for mass production. I guess you could say each method has its strengths and weaknesses? Certain recipes taste better when pros are on the job, so my policy is to leave those to them and fork up money.”
Kon blinked. “Really? Not everything homemade tastes good?”
“That’s the way I think, at least. Plus, buying ready food at a shop means that you can eat it right away, which will save you a lot of time and effort, right? You know that if you make it yourself, it’s still going to be good, but you don’t always have the time or the energy for cooking.” I shrugged. “When you’re busy, using your money to save yourself trouble is a very important choice to make in my opinion.”
I continued, “Think about the jam in supermarkets. The jam I make. Then the handmade jam of a pro like Rei, which is likely many times more delicious than mine. You calculate how much time and money each takes, then choose wisely based on your current situation.”
Kon hummed thoughtfully. “Is that how it works? Choosing what suits you best is the most important, huh? In that case, I’ve got to learn how to make them so that I’ve got lots of options when I’m an adult.”
I nodded. “Exactly. Not just jam, but it doesn’t hurt to know how to cook in general. What you eat impacts your health directly, after all.”
It seemed to be food for thought for Kon. He stared intently at his empty cup, his mind churning away. Kon held his straw in his mouth, and it moved up and down as he slowly said, “You can make lots of different things, Mikura, and it’s your hobby. Rei can also make lots of different sweets, and he made it his job… That’s what you calculated and chose, isn’t it? You used to work at a…trading company, right? Hm, what kind of job am I going to choose? Something that involves creating things might be nice…”
Back when I was around Kon’s age, I declared that I wanted to become a firefighter under the influence of an anime. Next, I insisted I wanted to become an attorney under the influence of a game. And then, I convinced myself that being a cook was my dream job under the influence of a manga. Basically, I never thought out my “dreams”—I only whimsically went with my mood at the time. But Kon wasn’t anything like me. He seemed to consider his future pragmatically and strictly.
He wasn’t just a mature boy, he was an impressive and awe-inspiring young man. I gazed at him and carefully chose my words. “I suggest you keep your mind open to all kinds of possibilities. Think, research, and study about a wide range of things. Something that might help is asking about the stories of your dad, mom, grandpa, or relatives. Take the initiative to talk to everyone you know and use all that information to help you find your own path. That would include asking people like your friends, Sayori, and other kids around your age about their dreams—about what they want to do when they grow up. I think that would help.”
Kon blinked slowly. He inclined his head then let out a contemplative hum. “With Sayo, she mentioned she is going to do the same work as her dad, so I probably can’t go down the same path as her.”
My eyes widened. “Really? What’s his job?”
“Oh, he’s a police officer. I heard that Sayo’s family are police officers for gen-ah-rations and have been protecting the peace in the Beastly Wilds for a long time. There aren’t that many incidents, so they usually don’t have a lot to do, but when something happens, their entire family and relatives go out like a swarm and invest-ah-gate!”
“P-Police officers for generations?” I stammered. “The entire family and all their relatives? Wait, the police in the Wilds are hereditary occupations? No, that can’t be, it sounds like it would lead to all kinds of problems… Oh, but Sayori is a chipmunk… That likely means her family are the police among the chipmunk clan. There must be police in other clans too. Do they all assemble as one organization and monitor each other? Is that maybe how it works? Hmm… I’ve got to ask about law enforcement in the Wilds when I have the chance. I might need their help one day.”
Kon wore an extremely conflicted expression as he listened to me think out loud. It seemed that he still had some apprehension toward Sayori and felt that there was a rift between them. He needed more time to digest the events and figure out how he felt about everything.
I hope there’s a good way to mend broken bridges… Or at least a way to help Kon and Sayori sort out their relationship peacefully, no matter what they choose in the end. Praying that, I stood up and hustled over to the kitchen to make lunch that would warm up our chilled stomachs.