Several days had passed since the group's eventful outing. Life at school had settled back into its usual rhythm, though memories of their day together lingered.
During class, the teacher cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention. "I need a couple of volunteers to fetch some printouts from the teacher's room," she announced.
Without hesitation, Mizuha's hand shot up. Almost simultaneously, Elly's hand rose more timidly.
The teacher nodded. "Yuki and Sakamoto, thank you. Please bring back the printouts for our class."
The two girls stood up, exchanged a quick glance, and made their way out of the classroom. As they walked down the corridor towards the teacher's room, a comfortable silence settled between them.
After collecting the stack of printouts, they began their return journey. The papers were divided between them, each carrying a substantial pile. As they walked, Mizuha's mind wandered to a thought that had been nagging at her for the past few days.
Breaking the silence, Mizuha turned to her friend. "Umm, Elly-chan, are you free this evening?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Elly looked at Mizuha, a bit surprised by the sudden question. "Yes, I'm free. What is it, Mizuha-chan?"
Mizuha's face brightened. "Then, can you come to my house this evening? I need you to teach me how to make Tamagoyaki like you made last time," she said, her voice tinged with excitement and a touch of embarrassment.
A warm smile spread across Elly's face. "Sure, I'm glad you're asking me to do that," she replied, her voice soft but filled with genuine happiness. "I'll come to your house this evening."
Mizuha's face lit up with relief and joy. "Really? Thank you so much, Elly-chan!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, she dropped her stack of papers in her excitement. "Oh, no! The papers! What am I doing?" Mizuha cried out in dismay.
Elly, concerned, quickly asked, "Mizuha, are you okay?" while bending down to help Mizuha pick up the scattered papers.
As they scrambled to gather the fallen documents, another girl passing by stopped and volunteered to help. "Let me help you guys," she offered kindly.
With the extra pair of hands, they quickly finished collecting all the papers. The girl handed the stack she had gathered to Mizuha, saying, "Here are your papers."
Mizuha bowed her head slightly, gratitude evident in her voice. "Thank you so much."
"It's no problem," the girl replied with a smile. Then, as if just noticing Elly, her eyes widened in recognition. "Eh, Sakamoto-san! It's been a while. Are you doing well?"
Elly, suddenly shy, stammered out a response. "Umm, I'm... okay... doing... thank you," she managed, her usual timidity around unfamiliar people surfacing.
The girl chuckled softly. "You're still as shy as before, huh?" She then glanced at her watch. "Okay, I need to return to my class. Please be careful, you two," she said, preparing to leave.
Mizuha bowed her head once more. "Once again, thank you so much."
As the girl walked away, Mizuha turned to Elly, curiosity evident in her expression. "Umm, Elly-chan, do you know her?" she asked, slightly confused.
Elly nodded. "Yes, her name is Akemi. She's Takumi-kun's classmate in class 1B," she explained. "She also used to be my classmate in middle school last year, along with Zul and Takumi-kun."
"Oh, I see. She went to the same school as you guys," Mizuha remarked. "Also, she seems nice, and her appearance is quite pretty," she added, impressed.
Suddenly, Elly's demeanor changed. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper, and her face paled slightly. "Umm, Mizuha-chan, actually...," she began, her eyes downcast. "Um, nothing happened," she finished, unable to complete her thought.
Mizuha was taken aback. Elly-chan... she thought, unsure of what to say.
Elly, seemingly realizing what she had just said, quickly tried to change the subject. Her expression shifted back to a smile, though it seemed a bit forced. "Umm, forget about that. Anyway, let's return to our class, Mizuha-chan."
As they resumed their walk back to the classroom, Mizuha found herself lost in thought. What happened with Elly-chan earlier? She seemed unable to finish her words.
Meanwhile, Akemi returned to her class and was walking to her seat when she saw Hikaru, who sat in front of her, spacing out and looking at the windows. Hikaru was still thinking about how he had suddenly asked Mizuha to hang out together, just the two of them, and felt embarrassed about it. His thoughts were interrupted by Akemi, who suddenly spoke to him.
"Hikaru-kun? Are you here? Hey!" said Akemi.
Hikaru, shocked, turned his attention to Akemi. "Huh, Akemi!? Don't shock me like that. By the way, welcome back," he replied.
"What are you doing? Spacing out like that?" Akemi asked, confused by Hikaru's behavior.
"Oh, it's nothing, just my own thoughts. Don't worry," Hikaru said, too embarrassed to tell Akemi about what was really on his mind.
"Really? Then there's nothing I can do," said Akemi.
"Oh, yeah, while I was on the way here, I met Sakamoto-san and the girl that you always meet during break time. Um, Yuki-san, right? The new recently transfer girl from Class 1F," Akemi continued.
"Huh, you met them? Did something happen to them?" Hikaru asked, suddenly interested.
"Umm, they had printouts scattered on the corridor. I happened to see them, so I just lent a hand to help them," Akemi explained.
"Oh, I see. Thanks for helping them, Akemi," said Hikaru, smiling at her.
"Well, that can't be helped. I cannot just ignore them and leave," said Akemi, showing her tsundere side to Hikaru.
At the same time, Mizuha and Elly returned to their classroom together after collecting the printouts. They put the papers on the teacher's desk and waited for the teacher to arrive.
Elly returned to her seat, while Mizuha approached Shimizu.
" Shimizu, this evening, Elly-chan is coming to my house to teach me how to make Tamagoyaki. Do you want to join us?" Mizuha invited.
Shimizu looked apologetic. "Ah sorry, I can't join you guys this evening. I have a meeting with my editor," she explained.
"Oh, I see, it's about your novel," Mizuha said, understanding.
"I'm really sorry," Shimizu replied.
"Don't worry about it," Mizuha reassured her. "I'll let you taste the result of my Tamagoyaki tomorrow."
Shimizu's face lit up. "Oh, I can't wait to taste it! You'd better make it taste good," she said with a grin.
Mizuha nodded determinedly. "I will! Just you wait and see."
The school session continued until it ended for the day. As Mizuha had to stop by the supermarket to buy groceries for making Tamagoyaki, Hikaru was walking alone.
Suddenly, someone called out to Hikaru. "Hikaru-kun!" Turning around, Hikaru saw Akemi running towards him.
"Oh, Akemi! What's up?" Hikaru greeted her.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to walk with you today," Akemi said. "Where's Yuki-san? She usually walks back with you, right?"
Hikaru wondered why Akemi knew he usually walked back with Mizuha. "Oh, Mizuha? She had something to do, so she needed to stop somewhere," he replied.
Good, this is my chance, Akemi thought to herself.
"I see, so can I walk with you instead of her today?" Akemi asked.
"Sure," Hikaru agreed.
"It's been a while since we've walked together like this," Akemi remarked.
"I think the last time was last year, right?" Hikaru recalled.
Suddenly, Akemi asked, "Umm, do you still think about her?"
"Who, Mizuha...?" Hikaru replied, confused.
"No, no, not her. I mean your ex...," Akemi clarified.
Hikaru's expression changed, and he looked uncomfortable. "Umm, Akemi, please don't mention that person again. It makes me uncomfortable," he said.
"Umm, sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry," Akemi apologized.
At that moment, Akemi's stomach suddenly growled, and she blushed in embarrassment.
Hikaru couldn't help but laugh. "Haha, what was that growl? Are you hungry?"
"That's so mean to say!" Akemi pouted.
"How about we stop by that family restaurant? I'll treat you today," Hikaru suggested, pointing to the nearby establishment.
"You'll treat me? Yeah, let's go!" Akemi happily agreed, her mood brightening at Hikaru's offer.
As Hikaru and Akemi entered the family restaurant, they were unaware that Shimizu was coincidentally there, having a meeting with her editor. Shimizu noticed them coming in and quickly covered her face with her manuscript paper.
Shimizu tried to redirect her attention to the editor, but she couldn't help feeling curious about Hikaru's unexpected appearance with the unfamiliar girl.
Hikaru? What is he doing here? Also, who is that girl... Shimizu wondered to herself. She felt relieved that they hadn't spotted her. Thank God, he didn't notice me here, she thought.
While Shimizu was distracted by Hikaru and Akemi's arrival, her editor was trying to get her attention. "Yamamizu-sensei, hey, are you hearing me, Yamamizu-sensei?" the editor called out.
"What are you looking at? I tried calling you so many times, but you weren't paying attention to me," said her editor, a bit upset.
Realizing she had lost focus on the meeting, Shimizu apologized, "Ah, sorry, I lost my focus. Can you repeat what you said earlier?"
"Like I said...," her editor began, continuing their meeting conversation.
Meanwhile, Mizuha had already returned from her errand, having bought the groceries needed to make Tamagoyaki. Alright, everything's prepared. Now I just need to wait for Elly-chan to arrive, she thought to herself.
About 15 minutes later, her doorbell rang - Elly had arrived.
"Ah, Elly-chan, welcome! Let's go inside," Mizuha said as she opened the door.
"I hope I'm not disturbing," Elly replied politely.
As they entered, Elly noticed something different about her friend. "Oh, glasses, Mizuha-chan?" she remarked, seeing Mizuha wearing her glasses.
Mizuha replied with a slight blush, "Elly-chan, not you too... Well, Shimizu's not here to make fun of me, so I can wear these."
"Umm, you're alone here?" Elly asked, looking around.
"Well, both my parents are working and they'll return late today," Mizuha explained. Then, with enthusiasm, she added, "Since you're already here, let's start making Tamagoyaki!"
"I'm counting on you, Elly-sensei," Mizuha said playfully.
Elly blushed at the nickname. "Please don't call me that, Mizuha-chan," she said, embarrassed but seemingly pleased.
As Mizuha and Elly began their cooking session, they fell into a comfortable rhythm working together in the kitchen. Mizuha looked at the ingredients spread out on the kitchen counter.
"Wow, Elly-chan, there's more to this than I thought!" Mizuha exclaimed.
Elly smiled softly. "Don't worry, Mizuha-chan. We'll go through it step by step."
"Okay!" Mizuha nodded enthusiastically. "What should we do first?"
"First, let's prepare the eggs," Elly instructed. "Can you pass me that bowl?"
"Like this?" Mizuha asked, handing Elly the bowl.
"Perfect," Elly replied. "Now, watch carefully..."
The two girls continued their cooking activity, with Elly guiding Mizuha through each step and Mizuha following along attentively.
"It's finished," said Mizuha, looking at the completed tamagoyaki.
"Wow, it looks very nice, unlike what I did before," Mizuha added, admiring their creation.
"Did you try to make it before?" Elly asked, curious.
"Yes, I did, but every time I tried, it became burnt and sometimes soggy," Mizuha replied, laughing at her past attempts.
"Oh, I see," Elly said with a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you taste it now, Mizuha-chan? Let's see how it tastes."
"You're right, I think I'll taste it first," Mizuha agreed, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about how her tamagoyaki would taste.
Mizuha took a spoon and carefully cut a small slice of the tamagoyaki. She brought it to her mouth, her anticipation building.
"So, how does it taste, Mizuha-chan?" Elly asked eagerly, watching her friend's reaction.
"Umm... it's so delicious!" Mizuha exclaimed excitedly. "That's it! It tastes just like the tamagoyaki you made before!"
Thrilled with the result, Mizuha turned to her friend. "Taste it too, Elly-chan!" she urged.
"Well, if you insist," Elly said, taking a small piece for herself.
After tasting it, Elly's face lit up. "Umm, delicious! It's just like how I make it. I'm glad you were able to do it," she said, genuinely happy for Mizuha's success.
"Umm, Mizuha-chan, why did you suddenly ask me to teach you this today?" Elly asked, curious about Mizuha's motivation.
"Umm, actually, it's nothing special, but I want to let you guys taste my cooking tomorrow. I've never cooked something like this before," Mizuha explained. Then, with a slight blush, she added, "Also, I want him to taste my cooking too," referring to Hikaru.
"I see, it's for all of us. Thank you, Mizuha-chan," Elly said, smiling warmly. "Why don't we make another one to practice more?" she suggested.
"That's a great idea, Elly-chan! Let's do it," Mizuha replied enthusiastically.
The two girls continued making tamagoyaki together, giving Mizuha more practice to improve her cooking skills.
After about 20 minutes, Mizuha's mother unexpectedly returned home. Hmm, we have a guest!? she thought, noticing the delicious smell. What's this smell? It's so good. Is Mizuha cooking?
As her mother entered the house, she called out, "Mizuha, I'm home!"
"Oh, mom, welcome home," Mizuha greeted her.
"Sorry for disturbing," Elly said politely.
"Oh, Mizuha's friend... Elly-chan, right? From the other day," her mother recognized Elly. "So, just you're the only one here? Where's the other one with the red hair?"
"Oh, Shimizu-chan! She's busy today, so she couldn't come," Elly explained.
"So, what are you girls cooking? I smelled something good from outside earlier," her mom inquired.
"We're actually making tamagoyaki. I asked Elly-chan to teach me," Mizuha explained.
"We just finished. Here, mom, have a taste," Mizuha offered.
"Well, let me taste a bit. Bon appétit!" her mother said, trying the tamagoyaki.
"So, how's the taste, mom?" Mizuha asked anxiously.
"Umm, it's delicious! Mizuha, you made this?" her mother exclaimed, surprised.
"Yeah, I did. It's all thanks to Elly for teaching me," Mizuha said gratefully.
"Well, I just taught her what I know," Elly said, blushing.
"Wow, that's great. Thank you, Elly-chan, for teaching her," her mother said appreciatively. "Oh, since you're already here, why don't you join us for dinner today? I'm going to make something special for you girls."
"Elly, are you okay with that?" Mizuha asked.
"Umm... I'm fine with it, but I need to tell my parents first," Elly replied.
"Understood," Mizuha nodded.
"Umm, I can help you cook," Elly offered.
"Don't worry about it, you're a guest today. Just leave it to me," Mizuha's mother insisted. "Why don't you two wait in Mizuha's room first? I'll call you when I'm done cooking."
After dinner, Elly prepared to return home.
"Are you okay? It's already dark. Do you need me to walk you home?" Mizuha offered.
"I'm fine, thanks," Elly replied.
"Umm, thank you for having me for dinner. The cooking was delicious," Elly said to Mizuha's mother.
"Don't worry about it. Please come again if you'd like," Mizuha's mother replied warmly.
"Thanks, Elly-chan, for teaching me today. Tomorrow I'll bring the tamagoyaki for the others to taste," Mizuha said.
"Umm, I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to see their reactions," Elly responded.
"Well, I need to go now. Please excuse me," Elly said, making her way back home.
"Please be careful," Mizuha said, waving goodbye to Elly.
As Mizuha lay down that night, her mind wandered to the next day. She felt a mixture of anticipation and nerves about sharing her tamagoyaki at school.
What will Hikaru think of my cooking? she wondered. The brief, strange interaction with Elly in the hallway earlier that day also lingered in her thoughts, particularly how Elly had seemed unable to finish her sentence about Akemi.
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Mizuha eventually drifted off to sleep, the events of the day fading as she prepared for what tomorrow might bring.