Once again, I'm back with a new chapter of Uwagusuri! This time, it is mostly in Naru's POV (point of view). It's hard typing in Naru's pov but well... I'm trying really hard. Here goes nothing!
7th Bake: île flottante
It's another beautiful day and the weather was not as hot as it had been the week before. John was currently tending the store while Mai was in the store across Uwagusuri. Naru, as usually was in the kitchen. Seems that he likes the kitchen a lot. Business was rather slow that day and Naru was done with his daily routines (which even I have no idea what it is) early. Naru stepped out of his 'den' and was surprised that Mai was nowhere to be found. Naru asked John with a rather fierce tone as to where Mai was. John told him where she was with a smile on his face, not bothered by Naru's icy glares.
That idiot. I specifically told HER to tend to the store WITH Brown-san and she goes off to another store. Right across at that… I better reprimand her properly later on.
Naru stalks over to the store across his. It was traditional looking store, the total opposite of his store. When he stepped into the store, it was apparent that while his store was of western kind, this store was of Japanese traditional sweets style.
Great. She's even enjoying tea with these people.
"Mai," Naru said with a stern voice.
Mai quickly spun around at the mention of her name.
"Na—naru? What are you doing—"Mai didn't finish her sentence as she accidentally spilled her tea on her skirt.
Mai excuses herself to the toilet and the atmosphere in the store became tense. Naru was glaring daggers at the store owner while the owner just looked at Naru with a calm smile.
"Nice meeting you, Mr Davis, I am Takigawa Hoshou. A close friend of Mai-chan," the owner said calmly.
Naru was not in the mood of talking to this man with long hair tied up in a ponytail. He was more interested as to when Mai is finally getting back to work. Finally, just before Naru lost his composure, Mai came out of the toilet and stood in front of Naru.
"Hoshou, tell Ayako that I—"
Naru cut Mai's sentence short with ,"I am sure that I did not pay you to goof around, drinking tea with other people and chatting."
Mai puffed out her cheeks, with every intention to scream at him for being an ass but once again, she was stopped by what Naru did next. Naru grabbed her wrist and began dragging her out and into Uwagusuri in a total of just five minutes. Naru did not let go even after entering the store. Instead, he stared at Mai and thought of how to reprimand her.
… Really. What am I doing? I didn't have to drag her out like that at all. Also, I can't reprimand her when she is just going to forget about my rules again.
Naru let out a sigh and let go of Mai's wrist. Someone, Mai had hoped he wasn't going to let go. Naru enters his 'den' without uttering a word to neither Mai nor John. Mai and John looked at him, puzzled.
Naru tried busying himself with perfecting the dough which would be used the next day. However, his mind still wandered to why he has been acting utterly childish in front of Mai this past week. What could have been the cause? Naru was desperately trying to find the answer to his question when time just seemed to fly pass by. John entered the kitchen to tell him that he was leaving for the day. Naru was about to ask if Mai was leaving to but John seemed to know that, "Mai says she'll be waiting for you at the counter." Naru was quite surprised that Mai would wait for him and somehow, that made his heart soften.
John had left the store and Mai was waiting patiently at the counter. And as usual, Mai starts dozing off. After Naru was done with the kitchen clean up, he walks over to Mai.
Sigh. She seems to fall asleep easily.
Naru took out a blanket from the cupboard underneath the counter and draped it over Mai. Just as he was about to move away from her, Mai began stirring and opened her eyes slowly. Sleepily, she asked Naru, "Why were you in such a bad mood today?..."
Naru did not answer her, instead he moves to the mini fridge by the counter and took out a plate of Ile Flottante. Mai's sleepiness seem to wear off when she saw the dessert.
"I wanted you to try it this afternoon but I had somehow forgotten it," Naru said softly.
Did I just lie? I don't forget things so easily.
Mai only nod her head before taking a bite off the dessert. Naru kept silent, staring at Mai without realising it. When Mai was finally done with her dessert, Naru told her that he'd walk her home since it's already very late.
On the way to Mai's apartment, Mai told Naru about Hoshou and his wife, Ayako. Mai was taken care of Hoshou and his wife for a year when she was fifteen, a year after she became an orphan. Not only were they really caring and nice to her, they had wanted to become her adoptive parents but she declined it. Naru listened to all these closely. He had always wanted to know more about Mai but he knew that he couldn't just ask right to her face.
"Thanks for walking me home, Naru. I really appreciate it," Mai gave her usual huge smile before going into her apartment.
That night, both Naru and Mai dreamt of each other.
End of 7th Bake
WOHOO! I'm done with another chapter~
Don't you wonder what their dream was? Hehehe, too bad, I don't know as well. More like, I didn't really give it much though. If I seem to have an idea, I'll be sure to tell. Thank you for reading another chapter of 釉薬. Please await the next chapter which is coming up soon! :3
