Episode 12: My Favourite Omelette Rice

I can’t sleep… The clock’s hands point to one o’clock.

I have school tomorrow, and I’ll never manage to get up. That panic only makes it harder to sleep.

It’s not that something unpleasant happened and I can’t sleep. My heart was racing from today’s events, and I couldn’t sleep.

It’s been ages since this happened.

　Endo-san said she’d make me omurice as a thank you.

Omurice was one of my favourite foods.

When I was little, Mum used to make it often on days when I’d worked hard at my studies. But now, I can’t even recall the taste of Mum’s omurice anymore.

It’s been years since I last ate Mum’s omurice.

This feeling of not knowing what I used to like made me anxious, so I decided to go to the omurice restaurant with Mai.

　The restaurant’s omelette rice was delicious, but it made me remember my mother’s even less.

Omelette rice, which I used to adore.

Human memory is full of vague parts; forgetting is overwhelmingly more common. My mother’s omelette rice had simply become one of those things that faded away.

　＊＊＊

“Hoshizora, you don’t look well. Are you alright?”

Mai looked concerned, so feeling apologetic, I forced a smile.

“I was just surprised by how delicious it was.”

“Getting so surprised your face goes pale? That’s so like you, Hoshizora.”

Mai chuckled softly.

Another favourite thing gone. I’ll probably never remember it again for the rest of my life. Thinking that made my chest ache.

　Another reason tying me to this world had vanished.

＊＊＊

That happened last week. Though I was utterly sick of omelette rice, Endo-san persuaded me to have dinner with her.

She brought me to a house far too large for anyone living alone.

Mai had told me Endo-san lived by herself, so I entered, dumbfounded, wondering if she’d lied to me. But I soon realised that assumption was wrong.

On the Buddhist altar were photographs of a young man and woman. The man had a gentle face, and the mother bore a striking resemblance to Endo-san.

As I stared at them for a while, Endo-san informed me they were her deceased parents. It wasn’t my place to pry into someone’s family background, nor did I want to be asked about mine, so I decided not to ask any more questions.

“I’m going to make omelette rice now. You don’t mind, do you?”

Of all things, the menu was omelette rice.
I couldn’t very well refuse, so I just replied, “Yeah.”

Even though she was kindly making it for me, remembering what happened last time made my stomach ache. Being here stirred up all sorts of mixed feelings, leaving me feeling utterly jumbled. Just like the eggs Endo-san was whisking right now.

　Because of Endo-san, I remembered the omelette rice Mum used to make. She’d often draw cute bears in ketchup on top of the yellow omelette, and I’d eat it happily.

Another unpleasant memory surfaced.

I’d stop dwelling on gloomy thoughts. I shook the bad memories out of my head.

　I had other things troubling my mind. The fact that I’d have to keep tutoring Endo-san from now on.

It wasn’t unpleasant, but I reckoned Endo-san would insist on repaying me every time I tutored her. Since I wasn’t teaching for any reward, I was also racking my brains over what good countermeasure to come up with.

　When she first asked me to tutor her, I thought she was just teasing. But Endo-san focused on her studies more than I expected, and her grades, which had been average at best, shot up to the top thirty in the school.

I wonder what drives Endo-san so much.

As I pondered this, Endo-san finished cooking and walked over.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the omelette rice on the plate she brought.

　It looked just like the omelette rice you’d get in a restaurant.

Just like you often see in videos, Endo-san cut into the centre of the omelette, and a cloud of runny omelette spilled out, barely holding its shape.

I swallowed hard and reached my spoon towards the omelette rice.

　The egg part was soft and utterly creamy. It was so beautifully shaped that it felt almost a shame to ruin it with the spoon.

When I scooped it up, the red omelette filling emerged from within.

That exquisite colour combination stirred my appetite.

I brought the omelette rice to my mouth.

The perfect creamy texture of the egg combined brilliantly with the filling, spreading happiness throughout my mouth.

　Even though no one was going to take it from me, I kept bringing spoonful after spoonful to my mouth.

The omelette rice Endo-san made tasted far more delicious and gentle than any other omelette rice in my memory.

If I could, I’d want to keep eating it forever.

Then, realising I’d become too absorbed in eating, I snapped back to reality and looked at Endo-san.

Our eyes met, and I could see the corners of her mouth relax slightly.

“Was it alright?”

Truthfully, it was absolutely delicious, and I should have praised it lavishly, but I couldn’t be honest. I gave a curt, unflattering reply like “It was okay,” and now I regret it a little.

Endo-san stood up, about to start washing up.

Thank you…

I have to say it properly…

I regretted once again how I’d avoided connecting with people until now.

　At times like this, it would be nice to be able to smile and honestly say what I liked or that I’d like to eat it again, but right now, it feels harder than bungee jumping.

“…Endo-san, thank you for the meal. Thank you.”

That was the best thank you I could manage right now.

Not knowing how Endo-san felt about it, I lowered my gaze. Endo-san said nothing and started washing up.

　Time flew by in an instant, the clock’s hands nearing ten o’clock.

Even though she lives alone, I thought staying late would be an imposition, so I prepared to leave.

It was delicious. I wanted to convey just that one thing. If I said it and left immediately, I probably wouldn’t have to face her.

“――It was delicious.”

Without looking at Endo-san, I said it and hurried to leave the house. But Endo-san stopped me.

Suddenly hugging me from behind nearly made my heart leap out of my chest. I tried to push her away immediately, but I sensed her body was trembling, so I couldn’t.

“Come eat again sometime.”

Hearing that, my heart leapt at the thought I might get to eat it again. But I didn’t want to make promises about an uncertain future, nor did I want to get my hopes up.

“If I feel like it.”

　I said that, trying not to give her hope, and not to hope myself.

Endo-san’s omelette rice was delicious.

My mum stopped making omelette rice for me, and she probably never will again.

But my favourite food remains omelette rice, and I found myself wanting to eat Endo-san’s omelette rice again.

As I reflected on today’s events, I must have fallen asleep, and morning had arrived.

　Endo-san is beautiful, popular at school, good at sports, does reasonably well in her studies, and is a skilled cook.

She’s so perfect it makes you feel jealous.

But in front of her friends, she puts on a smiling facade and doesn’t show her true self. So I’d always thought she must be a scheming person deep down.

But yesterday, her cooking was heartwarming.

Hoping I might get to eat it again someday, I headed off to school today.