IT was nighttime now, and the sound of Yuffie’s fork poking at burdock salad was loud in her dorm room.
“Mm, delicious,” she murmured, bringing a bite to her mouth.
Burdock salad was a specialty of the village of Millil, and for her, the representation of her mother’s cooking. It was simple to make too. Just wash the burdock, shred it into small strips, and rinse in water to remove the scum. Then drain the water and put it in a hot frying pan, stir fry with sauce, vinegar, sugar, etc., and voila, burdock salad.
You might ask, “But how is that a salad when burdock is the only ingredient?” And Yuffie would respond, “Don’t take things at face value.” At first glance, it might seem like a simple dish, but the sweet and sour taste of the burdock is combined with sugar, vinegar, and the fragrant sauce to create a medley of intertwining flavors. Both the texture and unique taste were addictive. Plus, the salad was also a good friend to Yuffie, a country bumpkin who wasn’t wealthy, in helping her save money.
“I still can’t believe it…”
As she munched on her dinner, she thought back to her joining the student council.
“I wonder if that was really the right choice…”
She sounded forlorn. Although Lyle and the others had welcomed her, she still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was out of place in the student council.
“Don’t be discouraged,” Friend purred as he came over to where Yuffie sat, bursting with negativity. “It’s going to be all right; you’ll figure it out.”
She smiled a little as he comforted her with his usual cheery support. “You know what? You’re right… You’re totally right… Thank you, Friend.”
“You’re welcome.”
As she stroked the cat, the invisible clouds that had been casting a shadow over her lifted. A different kind of brightness filled her heart now. She was happy that others wanted to get to know her, even if they were after her offensive magic. Such a meager joy, but there. She worried endlessly about how she’d fare on the student council moving forward and how her attack magic would be treated.
“It will all work out somehow, right…? It has to…”
Her voice carried hints of resignation and optimism. This was how she convinced herself, finding a spoonful of confidence from taking a small step of courage. Yuffie forked up another bite of the burdock salad.
“…Maybe I made too much.”
Looking at her plate, which was still half-full, she sighed. There was still more in the kitchen.
“Oh, I know, I’ll share some with my neighbor.”
Yuffie clapped her hands in excitement. She had given her neighbor two burdock roots as an apology for the noise she had made due to her admittedly eccentric behavior. She had been too timid to hand it over directly, so early in the morning, she wrapped it in a bag and left it in front of her door with a message with the words “I’m sorry” written on the card. By the time she got home from school, the burdock was gone. It made her happy to know that the girl had accepted her apology.
“I’ll try to learn more delicious burdock dishes…” Yuffie promised herself.
💠🌸💠