The doorbell rang, and Naoko quickly came over to open the door.

Matsu Qianqiu stood outside, her two children on the left and right, and Starfish had changed back into her clothes.

"Auntie......"

"Naoko~"

Song Qianqiu hugged her, smiled, and then said hello to the flower couple who came inside.

"Toruya, Sawako, long time no see."

"Thousand Autumn ......"

Kazuko smiled, "The last time I saw you, it was almost four or five years ago. ”

"Have you been that long - don't you usually watch my shows?"

"How can I have time?"

"It's so sad!"

The three of them entered the house, and the adults and adults sat in the living room and chatted, and Naruse and Starfish followed Naoko into the kitchen.

There was gurgling in the boiling pot, something was boiling.

Seeing the five-fold lacquer box on the side, Starfish asked, "Is Naoko preparing the Imperial Festival cuisine?" ”

"Yes. Tomorrow is the New Year, so it's a little late to start preparing. ”

Naoko continued to get busy, and Naruse came closer, and there were some black beans stewed in the pot, which looked like they had been boiling for a while.

There were two lacquer boxes next to it, and he understood that one of them was for his family.

"I'm here to help."

"No."

"Can you do it alone?"

Naoko hesitated slightly, "It shouldn't be too much of a problem......

Naruse went straight to the side to pick up the ingredients.

"What do you need to prepare for the Imperial Festival?"

He eats the dishes every year — in recent years at the mall — and for the first time, he's helping to prepare.

Naoko leaned over, "The ingredients have been sorted, that's all." ”

She introduced that part of the cooking was to be placed in the third weight of the food box, part of the main dish that needed to be fired, and a bunch of ingredients were to be placed in the first weight of the food box to celebrate the New Year, including the black beans that were boiling in the pot at this time......

Naruse looked at it, starting with the most recent one, "Then let's start with yellowtail." Is the sauce of teriyaki ready? ”

"No, I'm going to cook it first. I'm ready to ...... now."

"No, I'll do it."

Naruse was not very familiar with the kitchen of Naoko's house, so he looked for it and took out a small bowl from the cupboard.

Miso, soy sauce, ginger, and sugar are needed to make the sauce, and he only finds the first few items, "Where's the sugar?" ”

"Over there." Naoko gestured to the starfish.

Starfish searched for it, picked up the sugar jar, and brought it to him.

Naruse glanced at her, not looking at her, "Just let it go." ”

"Hmm......" Starfish replied, still standing beside him.

Naruse took a deep breath and forced himself not to be distracted.

Adding a few seasonings to a small bowl, he scooped up a few spoonfuls of sugar and made it himself.

The tiny crystals melt into the soy sauce and miso, and are dyed with finely chopped ginger to become part of the sauce.

Once the sauce is ready, Naruse starts the heat and cooks.

On the other side, the black beans, which had been simmered in soy sauce and sugar for half an afternoon, were almost cooked.

Naoko stirred lightly a few times, picked up another black bean, and tested the firmness.

Naruse glanced at it, "It's boiled." ”

"Hmm."

She picked up two more and tasted them for him and the starfish.

"It seems a little too sweet." Naruse said, chewing on black beans.

Naoko put the black beans on the chopsticks into her mouth, and rolled her eyes, "I feel okay......"

Starfish chewed on the beans and didn't speak.

"The taste is a personal issue, but it's almost cooked, so take it out."

"Hmm."

Naoko extinguishes the fire, scoops out the black beans, and sets them aside to drain.

While waiting, she glanced at the yellowtail that was boiling in the pot next to her, and reminded Naruse to add a little more sauce.

"What...... Well. He picked up the small bowl.

She looked at him and felt that he seemed a little absent-minded.

And the same absent-minded person, and the starfish behind him.

"Starfish."

“……”

"Starfish—"

"Huh?" She finally came to her senses, "What's wrong?" ”

Naoko stared at her for a few seconds and smiled.

"Help me bring me the box with the Imperial Festival dishes. The black beans are cooked and ready to be loaded. ”

"Good ......"

Starfish held the lacquer box, and Naoko poured the drained black beans into the small grid, followed by another lacquer box.

"Alright."

Starfish looked down for a moment and put the lacquer box back in its place.

Looking at the ingredients at hand, Naoko said, "It's time to cook the katoko next." ”

After cleaning the pot, reconnecting the water, and cutting the red and white fish cakes into slices, she got busy again.

"-If you're okay, let's go back first." Naruse said suddenly, his eyes still fixed on the bubbling sauce in the pot.

Naoko turned her head to look at him, and then at the starfish behind her, this sentence was obviously meant for her.

And she was clearly reluctant.

Staring at his back, her gaze was so white that it made Naoko's heart uneasy.

She looked at her again.

“……”

After a brief moment of staring, the starfish looked away and pursed her lower lip.

"Then I'll go back first."

"Hmm...... Be careful on the road. ”

She glanced at Naruse again, and he didn't look back, saying the same thing as Naoko.

Starfish left the kitchen at this time, and then the sound of her saying goodbye to Matsu Chiaki and Naoko's parents came from outside.

"The door isn't closed over there, starfish remember to bring things back."

"Good ......"

Naoko looked at Naruse, "The starfish seems to have something on her mind. ”

"Really...... Maybe I'm not happy with my mom's birthday present. ”

"What did Auntie give?"

"A set of ragged clothes that can't even cover your shoulders, with a necklace encrusted with fake gemstones."

“……”

Naoko opened her mouth.

Naruse took a deep breath and moved closer to her, "Just kidding...... Don't let my mom hear what you just said. ”

Feeling the temperature on her shoulders, she pursed her lips and smiled, "Hmm." ”

"Isn't it almost like this?"

"I'll look at ......"

On the other side, the Naruse family.

Taking the dress from the sofa, Starfish stood in the living room, did not leave directly, and looked at the party decorations on the wall.

Song Qianqiu said that he looked at the festivity, kept it for the time being, and waited for the New Year.

She looked back at the room where she had changed her clothes, and her mind still remembered what had just happened.

His proximity, his gaze, and ...... His orders.

“……”

His heart beat inexplicably, and the starfish touched his lips.

She already had a plan.

After chatting with the flower couple who had not seen him for a long time, Song Qianqiu got up and walked around the flower house, and came to the kitchen quietly.

Naoko and Naruse are still busy preparing the Imperial Festival meal.

"It's too slow to cook like this, so let's take some of it and prepare it in my kitchen."

"Is it okay for Harumi to be alone?"

"I don't think there's a problem, and I'll take care of all these ingredients - if you're not sure, let's talk about what to pay attention to."

"I'll look at ......"

Naoko explained the precautions while handing out the ingredients that were handed over to him to take back for cooking, and after an occasional glance, she found that Matsu Chiaki was leaning against the kitchen door, looking at them with a smile.

Naruse also quickly realized, turned his head and looked, "Are you done talking?" ”

"Oh, there's so much more to talk about, and I can't finish talking about it." Song Qianqiu smiled.

"Then you can continue to talk, I'll go back and prepare the imperial festival dishes first."

"Mom is going to welcome the New Year together at Naoko's house in the evening, okay?"

Naruse was stunned for a moment, and then looked at Naoko again.

"Everything."

"Then it's decided."

Song Qianqiu smiled, "There are more people, and it's more lively." Otherwise, if it's just me and Chunhai, it's too lonely. ”

(End of chapter)