A late foreboding Tuesday night, with Airi...
That night, I was nearly over my fever, and I was out cold on my bed. Hours later, I arose for one reason...
Airi mumbled, ''Uh...? (Yawns) lavatory.....''
When I set off into our hallway, out of the blue, I heard eerie sounds! Hearing the sounds, my feet did not want to move, but I forced my feet to!
Walking down the stairs to our living room, I made out sounds of clanging and other things. It then hit me, that under the closed kitchen door, I saw the lights on!
I made my decision to head slowly to the door... Midway there, it got quieter. Than I grabbed the door, and I fairly cracked it open to peek in... In the kitchen, I saw..... Sister?
Ami quietly said to herself, ''Darn! I somehow made the salt moist in a simple rice ball? Mmm... The plums I put inside are chewy too. (Sniffs) Ah. My rolled eggs in the oven!''
A minute of burnt eggs being put out, later...
''(Moans) How do I keep managing to overcook eggs? (Thinks) How do I fix this bento calamity? (Angrily groans) One!, one more attempt, then I need my six hours of respite...''
Left lost at what I sighted, I nearly forgot to visit the lavatory... nearly..... I took off back to my bed, and lots of questions came to my mind...
The next morning, with Airi...
Now that my fever had faded, it was a relief to be back at school and see my friends. I hope my sister didn't notice, that on our way to school, I hardly said anything...
Since first period initiated, I wasn't sure if I should tell any of my friends about what I sighted last night. Then, at the start of lunch time, I had a idea!
Aya edgily asked, ''Um... Why did you desire us to eat on the roof? Is there something wrong, Airi?''
Airi uneasily replied, ''I'm sorry, but there was a thing I needed to tell somebody, and I picked you, Aya!'' Aya shyly said, ''Uh, okay, Tell me please?''
Some explaining time later...
Aya unnerved, asked, ''So you realized, that your sister, Ami.....is awful at cooking? Is that right?'' Airi rapidly nodded, ''Mm-Hm!, Mm-Hmm!!''
Aya sweetly said, ''I need a second to process, okay?'' Airi said, confused, ''Uh, sure?''
For half a minute or so, Aya was purely quiet, yet her faced expressed so much, that I didn't grasp one bit, what she was thinking.....
Aya cheerily said, ''Don't mind that. (Swallows) So your sister hid from you, the truth of her dreadful bentos, and you had not a clue, correct?'' Airi drearily said, ''Uhh... you are right.....''
Aya sincerely said, ''Don't frown. (Chuckles) If you will be so kind, I think I have a notion. Please, listen up. (Smiles)''
Meanwhile, in the classroom, with Ami...
Ami thought while eating, ''Where did she vanish too? Sister's friend isn't here either.....''
Later, after school, at the Ayami home, with Ami...
I arrived home alone, and because my sister started working part-time as of late, I decided to work on my homework in silence. For some strange reason, I felt a sense of foreboding, that I didn't understand...
A hour-ish of work later...
At the door, ''(Lock opening) Sister! I'm home!'' Ami yelled, ''Ugh... Be quiet! Don't distract me from my homework. (Halts) Hold on..... Aren't you working today?''
Airi gleefully said, ''Honestly, I don't. They gave me one more day off, so I don't give my fever to another customer! Plus, I have a shocker for you, sister! Look up.''
Ami bitterly said, ''How terrific... Look up? What are yo-(Pauses in shock)''
Aya politely greeted, ''It's great to see you again, Ami. I have dropped in here to help you with a certain issue that I heard about, earlier today...
Ami stunned, said, ''One of you, explain this at once!''
I shared with Ami, what I set eyes on last night... Not only that, I broke the news to her, that Aya would be staying with us for a night to help out sister!
In the Ayami kitchen...
Ami wearily said, ''I'm not sure, how things were brought to this point...'' Airi sincerely said, ''Flip that frown, sister. I'm here to help you, and so is she.''
Aya honestly said, ''You poor thing... if you would have asked for help ages ago, you could've ate healthier meals by now... Leave it to us, alrightly!''
Ami tiringly asked, ''Let's... let's get this over with.....'' Airi and Aya said, ''Right!''
Hours of a gourmet montage, later!
Aya said to Ami, ''Once I helped Airi to her bed, she fell asleep like a log... How burned out was she?'' Ami grimly thought, ''How wonderful! Airi tired herself out, so I'm now alone with her friend...''
Ami timidly said, ''I finalized the rolled eggs, and everything with it. Please, inspect them, will you? (Anxious)''
My sister's friend surveyed my umpteenth attempt at a basic bento. I felt so nervous, and I didn't want either of them to notice my anxiety...
Aya firmly said, ''I'm no expert in cuisine, despite my adequacy, I think I came to a realization...'' Ami asked, ''On account of...?''
Aya answered, ''This unbalance I taste in your dishes, I think it may be on grounds of inside struggling in your heart. It's affecting the taste of everything you make.''
Ami uneasily replied, ''W-What are you denoting? (Looks away) I don't have any inner toils, that you speak of...''
Aya suspectly said, in Ami's face, ''Believe in my words, I know from experience... This happened to my father before... Whatever he made, never tasted edible till he got some things off his chest...
Please, say what's troubling you, so...''
When she uttered those words, and I saw the look in her eyes, it felt like something small fragmented inside off myself... I didn't know what to tell her, till I.....
Ami hesitantly said, ''Fine... I...I.....loathe the fact that growing up... Many others around myself..... were more skilled at cooking.....than I was...''
Aya asked, ''Better...at cooking...?''
Ami dismally said, ''Ugh...! On top of that, upon moving in with my sister... How fair was it, that my own sister is more adept at it, than I was? (Groans)''
Aya sympathetically said with tears, ''Wow..... I didn't expect that... Likewise, I understand... (Smiles, and sniffs) Feel better, now?''
Ami timidly nodded.
Aya sincerely said, ''Now, rest up, and try again come morning, you got that?'' Ami shyly nodded.
Did my sister boost her cooking?
You'll see.....!!