"Thanks for coming," Aoi lead Yuusaku to her dining room. "Sit wherever you want." She then left to get the food.
There were only two chairs, each facing an empty plate and teacup. Two chairs. Do the Zaizens usually not have guests? Yuusaku thought as he pulled a chair out and sat down.
Aoi was back before long. She had a teapot and what looked like a small multi-tiered rack. She set it down and started to pour tea into the teacups, starting with his, then hers. A familiar scent wafted from the tea. "Help yourself."
"Alright." Yuusaku examined his options. There were cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and more, arranged on three trays on a stand that formed the multi-tier rack. He was expecting something plain and simple, not a miniature tower of goodies. But then again, this was Blue Angel and she can be flashy. Yuusaku reached for a tart at the highest tier of tray.
"Oh, you should try the sandwiches first." Aoi took a sandwich herself from the bottom tray.
Yuusaku raised an eyebrow as he picked a sandwich from the bottom tray. It didn't really make sense to him to take from the bottom tray first. A bit like drawing a card from the bottom of the deck.
He briefly held the sandwich in his hand, like he was inspecting a card he drew. Small with a cucumber-and-cream filling, it was obviously meant as a snack, an appetiser. He could probably finish it in three bites. Which he did.
"How was it? Do you like it?" Aoi wanted to know.
Like it? The sandwich was way better than he expected! The cream and butter melted in his mouth, complemented by the soft crustless bread and crunchy cucumber. A sprinkle of herbs keeping it interesting. It was the right blend of flavours and textures. "This is pretty good." Yuusaku helped himself to another sandwich. "I want more."
Her face seemed to brighten up at his praise. "Go ahead. Don't be shy." Aoi was pleased with herself.
One by one, they cleared the sandwiches from the bottom tray. "Where did you buy these sandwiches?" Yuusaku asked. Probably a high class bakery he could never dream of shopping in. "They were so good."
"I..." Aoi hesitated. "...made them." Like she didn't want anyone to know. Why not just lie then? Say they're from a high class bakery he could never dream of shopping in. It's not like he'd check if she was telling the truth. "Everything on the table, I made them."
Yuusaku looked down at his plate. "Sorry..." He felt bad that he implied good food was something she couldn't make herself and had to be bought.
"I've never told anyone about my cooking." Aoi took a bun from the middle tier. "They'd never shut up about it. Like how they only approach me when it's about getting favours," she added, as if she expected him to ask why.
Yuusaku could imagine their classmates begging Aoi to make some treats for them. Yeah, if he were her, he'd keep it to himself too. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone either," he assured her. Following her lead, Yuusaku pulled a piece of pastry from the middle tier. As he savoured its sweetness, it was obvious to him the pastry was freshly baked. "How did you learn to cook so well?"
"I've been doing this for years." Aoi brought her teacup to her lips and took a sip. "As a kid I signed up for every culinary class the school offered. Just so that I have something to eat that day even when my brother comes home after I went to sleep." As much as she tried to hide it, Yuusaku could sense her defensiveness over not being believed she could cook.
"Or even just something, anything, to stave off the hunger pangs until he comes home." Yuusaku knew what it felt like to starve for the whole day. The lightheadedness, the disorientation, the uncontrollable shivering... it's all coming back to him. Yuusaku flinched in memory of the pain.
"Right. You got me." Aoi nodded. "I don't cook at school anymore but-" She put her teacup down. "Yuusaku, are you alright?" She asked. Clearly she noticed.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Yuusaku managed as he composed himself. The memory didn't feel real in the presence of so much good food. It also helped that he ate something mere minutes ago.
"Have some tea whenever you're ready." Aoi gestured to his teacup. She was still watching him with concern.
Yuusaku lifted the teacup by the handle from the saucer and did as she suggested. Unlike the food, he felt he had drunk tea like this before somewhere. The scent was familiar, the taste was familiar, even the colour looked familiar. Wait! This is green tea - the Japanese type, he thought to himself. It's kind of weird to drink Japanese style green tea out of a western style teacup he's holding by the handle. "You have tea often?" he asked.
"Once or twice per week, whenever the mood fancies," Aoi refilled his drink. "Usually I have tea by myself. This is the first time I have it with someone else."
"Not even with your brother?" No wonder the servings are a little small - she's not used to cooking for anyone else.
"Especially not him! He believes I'll burn the house down if I cook." Aoi rolled her eyes. She then drew herself closer to him. "You have to keep this a secret, alright?" she pleaded.
"Alright." Yuusaku could relate. He had something to hide from everyone else too.
"Not just from my brother, but our classmates too." Aoi closed in on him. She could grab him by the neck of his shirt if she wanted to. "I don't want the word to spread to him."
"I swear, not a word from me," Yuusaku promised. This was in no way a difficult favour. "I can tell you like to make food for yourself. I'm not going to ruin it for you."
Satisfied with his assurance, Aoi figuratively let go of his collar. "That's one thing off my back." She leaned back with relief.
As they ate the tarts and sweets off from the top tray, Yuusaku wondered to himself how Aoi could pull off cooking behind her brother's back. Even if he was never home and never used the kitchen, would Akira not notice it in the utility bills?
It wasn't long before they finished all the food. Not a crumb remained.
"Which one did you like the most?" Aoi asked. She drank the rest of her tea.
"I don't know, Aoi. It's so hard to choose," Yuusaku replied. "And I mean that in a good way," he went on hastily when he realised what he said. "The sandwiches, the tarts, the pastries, they're all so good."
"Alright then, let me know which one you'll like to have more of next time."
Next time? You want to invite me again? After a pause, Yuusaku had an answer. "Make the one you think you need more practice on." Yuusaku realised, more than any snack, he wanted to watch Aoi improve and become the best she can be.
"You are one tough customer, Yuusaku." Aoi snarked. She got up to clear away the table. "You can look forward to eating more macarons."
"Can't wait." Yuusaku said as he helped her clean up.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the fic. Can I know, what do you think of the story? Did I do right by Aoi's character? Do let me know; I want to hear it from you.
Thank you GUIPA! Glad you liked it.