Chapter 18: Christmas for One

"Woo......"

The muffled noise of a vacuum cleaner fills the apartment that has not been seen for a long time. At this time, Jingzi was dressed as a housewife and wore a pink apron, she held a vacuum cleaner in one hand to absorb the dust on the carpet, and the other hand held the remote control to browse the news programs on TV.

When the sound of the washing machine reminded her from the balcony, Keiko casually turned off the vacuum cleaner in her hand and walked towards the balcony, she picked up the basket containing the clothes, first opened the lid on the drum washing machine, and then Keiko put the clothes in the washing machine into the basket one by one, and then hung them on the drying rack one by one.

When Keiko returned to Tokyo alone from Kyoto, what awaited her was this high-end apartment that she hadn't lived in for more than half a year. Exhausted, Jingzi only had time to change the bed sheets in the bedroom last night and went to bed early. It wasn't until she woke up that Keiko regained her strength to take care of the hygiene at home.

After seeing the clothes and bedding being hung on the drying rack, Keiko couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Housewives don't seem to be a big deal, but it's fun to do housework once in a while, but if you make it a career, Keiko doesn't think she's ever had such an idea.

After vacuuming the carpet and sofa, Keiko then wiped down the furniture and floors that had not been used in a long time. Perhaps because Christmas was approaching, Keiko replaced the bed sheets and quilt covers in her bedroom with snowflake patterns, and carefully washed her bathtub. And put the newly bought toiletries in a familiar position in the bathroom.

"Gollum!"

When Keiko finally cleaned up her home, her stomach began to rumble. In order to alleviate the fatigue caused by housework, Keiko raised her hand and stretched it slightly. Looking at the apartment that has been renovated because of her labor, Keiko can't help but feel a little sense of accomplishment in her heart.

"Okay, it's finally done, just go out and eat a big meal as your reward!"

Keiko muttered silently in her heart, and then she picked up her coat and handbag and left the apartment.

When Keiko walks the familiar streets of Akasaka, she can always see Christmas trees in front of some shops from time to time. This forced Keiko to add a new task to her schedule today - to procure things for Christmas.

When Keiko passes by a Spanish restaurant, a photo of paella posted on the menu at the door intrigues Keiko. So I stopped and walked straight into the restaurant.

"Welcome, how many guests are you?"

"One!"

"Please come and take a seat here!"

The staff at the restaurant said as they ushered Keiko into a two-person seat. Afterwards, Keiko was served clear water and a menu.

"No, I want a paella and a glass of sangria!"

Keiko directly handed the menu back to the other party, and then said what she wanted to eat without hesitation.

"Okay...... Ma'am, please wait a moment!"

The waiter who took the menu agreed, and then withdrew.

About ten minutes later, Keiko's paella was served, along with a glass of sangria. Keiko picked up the spoon she had at hand, gently filled some rice along the edge of the plate and put it in her mouth. For a moment, the taste of seafood contained in the rice can't help but whet the appetite of the mirror.

……

Half an hour later, after enjoying a satisfying paella, Keiko got up and left the restaurant, and then walked into a large shopping mall that was frequented by the restaurant upstairs.

This is a place that Keiko used to come to, and although she hadn't been here for more than half a year, Keiko still remembered the counters and shops that she used to take care of. With a brisk pace, Keiko found the confectionery shop that she liked very much every day, and then walked straight in.

"Welcome!"

"Can I still pre-order the strawberry cake for Christmas?"

"Hmm...... What size cake do you need to order?"

"That...... I ate it alone, so I thought I could make a cake of a smaller size, but don't worry, I can still pay the original price!"

"Strawberry cake for one? Isn't that too small!...... I'm sorry I said something superfluous, but please wait a moment and I'll ask our pastry chef here before I get back to you!"

……

After some careful communication, Jingzi finally got a positive answer from the merchant. She paid the deposit as she wished, and promised to come and pick up the cake in person tomorrow afternoon. After dealing with these things, Keiko immediately left the confectionery shop and went straight to the supermarket downstairs.

Keiko strolls alone through the fresh food section of the store with her shopping basket in her hand. Look at the shelves with a dazzling array of products. Jingzi couldn't help but feel embarrassed for a while.

"I really don't know what to buy to go back to? If it's too complicated, I don't have the confidence to succeed in the first time! Forget it, let's find something simple and go back for dinner!"

Keiko pondered in her heart, and unconsciously walked to the Wagyu shelf. When he saw a snowflake-shaped black cat and cow on the shelf, Keiko, who was still struggling, suddenly had the urge to eat steak.

When Keiko made up her mind, she quickly took a box of her favorite black beef steak from the shelf and put it in her shopping basket. Immediately afterwards, Keiko went to the dairy refrigerated area and picked up a piece of butter and put it in her shopping basket along with some of her favorite vegetables. Knowing that she was about to leave, Keiko walked to the wine section again, picked up a bottle of Italian wine and put it in her shopping basket, and then went straight to the place where she was paying.

A good black beef steak, some of your favorite vegetables, a piece of butter, a bottle of wine. Keiko returned to her apartment with her few things. Then I turned on the TV and spent the afternoon leisurely.

……

When the steak for dinner was brought to the table by Keiko, Keiko also lit an incense candle for herself with great interest. She picked up her knife and fork and cut off a piece of steak and put it in her mouth. As soon as she chewed it, Keiko spit the food in her mouth directly on the plate, and then leaned back on the chair with some annoyance.

"Who said frying steak is easy......