“I certainly seem to have worked up quite a sweat.” Cecilia fanned her cheek with a palm.
Meanwhile, Ling was scrubbing ink off her face with a towel proffered by Ichika. “Phew, I’m all worn out. We’ll have to finish this later.”
Ichika appeared with two more bowls of soup and called out to them, “Did somebody say ‘leftovers’?”
He couldn’t help himself from smirking a little as he unleashed his latest wordplay.
“Yes, let’s eat.” But neither of the girls was taking the bait.
“Get it? Finish it later? Leftovers?” Once Ichika committed to a joke, he was damn well going to see it through, even if it meant wringing every ounce of humor out of it.
“Mm! This is tasty. You picked some good ingredients.” Ling poked at the shrimp and seitan, spinach and fish cake floating in her bowl as she chewed.
“And the broth is delicious too,” Cecilia spoke quietly as she sipped. She’d gotten a lot more confident about her own cooking lately as well.
“How about some amazake, too? I can go get a bottle,” Ichika suggested as he ate.
“Ichika. Aren’t we a bit young for that?” Ling quickly shot back.
“It’s okay. It’s not really alcoholic. Right, Ichika?”
Ichika nodded. Cecilia was a bit jealous about the two of them knowing something she didn’t, but still nodded along.
“It’s more like a sweet soup. Hold on, I’ll go get some.” Quickly draining his bowl, he headed back to the kitchen.
As she watched him put on his apron, Cecilia sighed, dreaming of a future where she saw that every night. “Wouldn’t that be nice.”
“Really? Guess I’m just used to it by now.”
“Oh my, Ling. How depressing. I’ll simply have to enjoy the sight enough for both of us!” She smiled serenely as she watched Ichika work. Noticing her gaze, he waved, sending a blush across her face.
“Grr...” It was Ling’s turn to be displeased with the lack of attention, and she immediately stared at Ichika. Who completely failed to notice. “Gah! Dammit, Ichika!”
“Wait, what?!”
And thus passed January 2nd.
✦ ✦ ✦
January 3rd.
“I kinda feel like shiruko tonight. How about you, Chifuyu?”
“Mm? I... I shink I’mma...” Chifuyu had been ensconced at the kotatsu since early in the day, the sake flowing like water. “I’mma go sleep now.”
A sudden thunk as she hit the floor, followed by steady breathing. Sighing, Ichika spread a blanket over her.
“Anyway, about that shiruko.” As he cooked a pair of mochi balls, the ding-dong of the doorbell announced another day of guests. “Be right there!”
Stepping into the foyer, he was greeted by the Sarashiki sisters—Tatenashi, or Katana to use her real name, and Kanzashi—in flashy, fancy kimono. “Oh, wow! You two decided to wear kimono too?” Ichika said, taken slightly aback.
“Well, of course. I am Japanese. Even if I’m Russian on paper.” Tatenashi had, of course, chosen to become a Russian pilot.
“Happy new year, Ichika...” Kanzashi primly bowed her head as Tatenashi snapped open a fan reading ‘season’s greetings.’
“Anyway, let me just get a picture, and then come in, spend some time!”
“Thanks. We both have the whole day free.”
“Mmm... Here’s a present, Ichika.”
He tried his hardest to turn it down—after all, only little kids get new year’s presents—but there was no way he could stand up against the stereo assault of Tatenashi and Kanzashi.
“All right, that’s sorted. Come on in! Or, uh, actually, can you give me a minute?”
As Ichika rushed back to the living room, Tatenashi poked Kanzashi. “Let’s sneak on in after him.”
“Really? We probably shouldn’t...”
“C’mon, it’ll be fun.” With a deliberately-too-quiet-to-hear ‘I’m coming in,’ Tatenashi stepped further into the Orimuras’, Kanzashi resignedly following.
“C’mon, Chifuyu, you have to get up. Go sleep upstairs or something.”
“Mmmm... Nawwww, I wanna shleep under the kotatshu...” Chifuyu mumbled before rolling over.
“We have guests.”
“Tell ’em to come back later.”
“I can’t just— Ah.”
By the time Ichika noticed her, Tatenashi already had an incriminating picture of Chifuyu on her phone.
“Looks like it was a good idea to drop by~♪”
“Mmmph...” Chifuyu slid herself as far under the kotatsu as she could fit.
Giving up on getting her to move, Ichika led the Sarashikis to the table set up between the living room and kitchen.
“Did you two have lunch yet? I’m making shiruko.”
“That sounds great! Doesn’t it, Kanzashi?”
“Yeah. I could go for some mochi...”
“Got it!” Ichika answered happily as he began cooking enough for three. The batch from before would make dinner for Chifuyu.
“Wow, this is great!”
“Yeah. I like it...”
It was a refreshing change from the extravagant feasts the Sarashikis had been holding.
“Phew. It feels great to relax.”
“Mmm... It sure does.”
As they chewed their mochi, Ichika saw a golden chance to snap a photo. “Gotcha!”
“Jeez. Don’t you have any manners, Ichika?”
“Yeah, c’mon...”
“Aww, why not?” Ichika winked, and the two found themselves blushing unexpectedly.
“Jeez, fine.”
“You’re such a tease lately...”
With their bowls nearly empty, conversation turned to how to spend the afternoon.
“Karuta’s probably a bad idea. What do you two feel like?” Ichika tried to steer the conversation away from things that could wake Chifuyu up.
“How about lucky laugh? We could all use some more luck, and some more laughs.”
“Yeah... It’s perfect for the new year.”
As Ichika began to nod in agreement, Tatenashi produced a set from her purse. “What a coincidence, I came prepared.”
“Tatenashi!” Ichika and Kanzashi both sighed in exasperation. It seemed like it would be another year of the student council president always being a step ahead.
“Why don’t you go first, Kanzashi? I’ll do your blindfold.”
“Well, I’ll try...” She clenched her hands.
“And Ichika, this is a perfect chance for you to cop a feel.”
“What?!”
“...I may have a blindfold on, but I can still hear you.”
Anyway, the game began.
“Hmm...” Kanzashi wrapped her fingers around the face parts, trying to gauge them by feel. I think these are the lips. They should go... Around here? Slowly but surely, Kanzashi began to assemble the face.
Ugh, this is so boooooooring. Having to sit and watch quietly while absolutely nothing went wrong was like torture for Tatenashi. Maybe I should spice it up.
Kanzashi was nearing completion of the face, completely oblivious to what was about to befall her. And then, suddenly, a hand cupped her breast.
“Eek?!”
Did... Did Ichika really just— He... He’s feeling me up... She could feel the hand relentlessly creep forward. And smell boozy breath...
“Bwahaha. Nice to see a shtudent of mine making progresh.” It was Chifuyu.
“That’s not nice! C’mon, Chifuyu, go up to your room!” For once, Ichika knocked some sense into her.
“Jeez, you’re such a killjoy.” Her pride wounded, Chifuyu disappeared up the stairs. And as the storm passed, Kanzashi sat quietly, still a bit shocked.
“Sorry. She messed up your kimono, too. Ugh.” Ichika stood, reaching out his hand, only to be batted away by Tatenashi in a playful mood.
“And the only way to wrap it up tight is to start all the way from the beginning!” She pulled open her sister’s kimono, exposing her cleavage.
“Eeeeeek!”
Unfortunately for Ichika, he was the one who ate the reflexive punch.
“Why me?!”
And thus passed January 3rd.