“Onii, I heard. I heard about the Italian Mapo Tofu. Did you give it to another woman?! Akemi-chan is pissed off too, so be prepared for a long vacation next time, okay? Of course, I’m pissed too. I’m going to beat you until you cry.” (T/N: Onii here is a shortened form for Onii-chan meaning elder brother )

“Geh…”

I was tired from trying to keep Ryoko and Tomomi in a good mood today. I was taking a relaxing bath thinking about it. But after the bath, I checked my phone while wiping my head, and there was an email from my sister Akane. She is old-fashioned to say the least… or rather, she is an outdated, mail-only type. She doesn’t try to include trendy things, perhaps because of her stance of “I don’t want anything frivolous in basketball” Naturally, she doesn’t have any kind of messaging app. Even though she has a phone.

“She’s mad, isn’t she.”

To begin with, this email is a rare long email from Akane, who is all about short sentences, like ‘I understand’ or ‘I agree’ or something. I don’t know about the details, but why are these guys mad too?

“I can’t help it…”

Letting out a small sigh, I tap my phone calling Akane’s phone number. Soon after, I hear a familiar voice.

“Hello, you cheater.”

I was unfamiliar with the term.

“That’s an innovative way to answer the phone, oi~”

“Because you are, aren’t you? Ryoko and Tomomi were both very angry. “ Why did Hiro feed someone else his Italian Mapo Tofu” they said.” 

“No, there’s a deeper reason for that… but still… Why were those two so angry? Do you know why, Akane?”

“What? Are you serious, Onii? That’s a bit shocking.”

“No, I’m serious.”

‘Really~…… Alright, Onii. Then I won’t stop hitting you until you cry,”

“Violence?! Why?”

“I’m starting to feel sorry for Ryoko-chan and Tomomi-chan, I guess.”

“Wait, why is that?”

I hear a breath leaking out of the phone. She sighs.

“Alright then, I’ll try to teach it to you in a way you can understand. Ryoko and Tomomi both grew up eating Onii’s Italian Mapo Tofu food, right?”

“Well, they didn’t “grow up” eating it…”

“Shut up and listen! You know what? I’m grateful to you too, you know? All the families were busy working together, and then we only had Onii’s reliable cooking, right?”

“When you say “then”, you don’t mean it in a bad way right?”

You’re making it sound like I’m not reliable now!

“Are you still reliable?”

“I’m sorry.”

I’m not! 

“Don’t interrupt me. The food that everyone loved the most and tasted the best at that time was the Mapo Tofu. That’s why we all can’t forget that taste. Therefore it’s a “taste of childhood” so to speak…“

“Milky tastes like mommy?”(T/N: It is a catchphrase from Fujiya Milky that relates the love of the mother and the nostalgia of breast milk.)

“I’m gonna hit you, seriously.”

“Sorry..”

“Haah. Anyway! Even Akemi-chan bowed down and said to Ryoko-chan and Tomomi-chan, ‘Please let me have some too,’ you know? That’s how important this taste is to all of us! It’s not something you can just feed to some kid you don’t even know where he or she came from!”

Akemi is the only daughter of the head family of Higashi Kujo. She is a girl with a high awareness of her so-called “famous family” and a high level of nobility. That’s why she was extremely averse to the act of ‘bowing my head’. That Akemi bowed her head? For tofu?

“Oops, don’t tell anyone I just told you that, okay? I’ll be chastised by Akemi-chan.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it for the sake of my sister’s life. But still, Isn’t that a little over the top?”

I mean it’s a dish I made.  Is it really that big of a deal?

“People have different  feelings. I mean, when you think of it. There were always more than two people there when you served that dish, right?”

“Ah… Really?” 

“Tomomi-chan and Ryoko-chan or me and Akemi-chan or all four of us, but I’m sure we never ate it alone with you, right? That’s because we had an agreement.”

An agreement? Now that I think of it, yeah.  I felt like there was always more than one person when I served someone a home-cooked meal.

“But.. You have to tell me.  Even after you’ve made it, didn’t you think, ‘That was an important thing!’ after you’ve made it?

Isn’t that a bit too unreasonable? 

“I think it’s a bit irrational. So, even if I say I’m angry, it’s like I’m sulking. You will have to put up with a bit of nagging. I’m not amused though.  I can’t imagine how angry Ryoko-chan, Tomomi-chan, and Akemi-chan must be.”

“That’s too scary to think about…”

“Well, it’s hard being a popular guy right, Onii?”

“You’re noisy.”

You’re just being sarcastic.  I’ve never been popular in my life. I don’t even have a girlfriend at this age. 

“Well, whatever you say. So? Who is this “Ayane Kiryu” ? Is she your girlfriend or something? I can’t call her “sister-in-law” if she’s just a new character that just appeared on the scene. Onii, did you ask for my permission? I can’t remember… “ 

“Wait, why do I need your permission to go out with someone? Besides, she’s not my girlfriend. “

“She’s not your girlfriend? Then I don’t understand what you mean. Under what circumstance would you serve a home-cooked meal to her? I don’t get it.”

“Ah.. Right, I don’t get it either.”

“Wa? What do you mean?”

“You know who Ayane Kiryu is?”

While thinking, “I’m sure you’ll be surprised.” I said

“Well she’s my fiancee.”

“Wa? EHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!!!!”

Thank God, I had left the phone away from the receiver in advance. I could even hear the screaming coming from the other end of the line. 

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