Ti had flown by so quickly that I barely noticed it was already 7 October. In just one more month, Keiko would be coming back ho.
Living without her for the past month had changed my routine in ways I never expected. With her gone, I found myself cooking almost every day—at first out of necessity, but now, it was sothing I genuinely enjoyed. What surprised the most, though, was how much this simple habit brought closer to Rin.
She hadn’t skipped a single al I made in the past month. That alone made feel incredibly grateful. I never thought sothing as small as cooking dinner would help nd the distance between us, but here we were.
Just as I was lost in my thoughts, I heard Rin call out.
“Dad!”
I turned around to see her standing by the door, already dressed for school.
“Oh, you're heading out already?” I asked.
“Well... yeah,” she said, shifting slightly.
I could tell she had sothing on her mind. “What is it, Rin?”
She hesitated for a mont before asking, “What are you going to cook today?”
Her sudden excitent caught off guard, but it also ward my heart.
“Do you want anything in particular?” I asked.
Her face imdiately lit up. “Curry! Could you make curry?”
I chuckled at how adorable she looked when she got excited.
“Curry it is.”
She nodded in satisfaction before grabbing her bag. “I'm going now.”
“Alright, be careful on your way,” I called out, waving at her.
As I watched her leave, I felt sothing I hadn’t felt in a long ti—a deep sense of contentnt.
---
During my shift at the restaurant, I decided to make use of the free ti between custors.
“Ruka, can I try cooking sothing when it’s not too busy?” I asked.
She raised an eyebrow at , clearly intrigued. “You? Cooking?”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing it a lot lately at ho. I kind of want to get better at it.”
Ruka exchanged a glance with Miko, who smirked.
“Well, if you want to learn, you’re in the right place,” Ruka said, rolling up her sleeves. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
I watched them closely, picking up on their techniques. Ruka was a natural, and Miko’s precision was sothing I admired. I tried my best to replicate what they did, carefully preparing ingredients and adjusting flavors.
When I finally plated a simple dish and let them taste it, I waited nervously for their reaction.
Ruka took a bite, her expression neutral at first. Then, she nodded. “Huh. This is actually good.”
Miko grinned. “Yeah, I didn’t expect much, but you might have a talent for this, Ryuko.”
Their words stuck with . A talent? I never really thought about it like that before. I had spent so many years working different jobs, never really settling into sothing I genuinely enjoyed.
Was it too late for to start sothing new?
I shook my head. No, that kind of thinking wouldn’t get anywhere. If I enjoyed cooking, I should just go for it.
---
That night, I poured extra effort into making Rin’s curry just the way she liked it. She even asked to add extra vegetables, which was rare for her.
As we sat down for dinner, my phone rang. Keiko.
I answered the video call, and to my surprise, she looked exhausted but still smiled at us.
“Keiko, it’s almost 2 AM over there. Are you okay?” I asked, worried.
She chuckled. “I just finished taking a shower. It’s fine—I missed you guys.”
Rin imdiately perked up. “I really miss you too, Mom.”
Keiko’s face softened. “How are things over there?”
I glanced at Rin and smiled. “Well, we haven’t fought since you left, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Rin groaned as I playfully pulled her closer into the fra. “Yeah, don’t worry, Mom.”
Keiko’s expression turned amused. “Really? That’s a surprise.” Then her eyes widened slightly. “Wait… are you cooking now?”
I scratched my cheek, feeling a bit shy. “Yeah, for dinner.”
Rin suddenly leaned in and teased, “It’s really good, Mom. Too bad you can’t try it.”
Keiko gasped dramatically. “What?! You’ve been hiding this talent from all along?”
I laughed. “Well, I’ll cook for you when you co back.”
For a mont, Keiko didn’t say anything. Then, she looked away briefly before nodding. I could tell she was blushing.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she finally said.
The conversation went on a bit longer before I gently urged her to sleep.
“You need rest, Keiko. It’s late. See you soon.”
“See you,” she replied with a soft smile.
As the call ended, I leaned back with a sigh.
I really missed her.
But at the sa ti, I felt sothing new inside .
Cooking had started as a necessity, but now, it felt like sothing more. Sothing I wanted to keep doing—not just for Rin, not just for Keiko, but for myself.
Maybe, just maybe, this was sothing worth pursuing.
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