YAMI NO MATSUEI - DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS

THE SHADOWS OF MY PAST

Chapter Fourteen - Evaluations

The world came about from pitch darkness to utterly blurry…

Then slightly blurry where I could only distinguish colors…

Then the colors became blurry shapes as my sense of hearing slowly returned….

I was lying down on something soft and my head hurt. I heard something or someone shift, that figure leaning towards me and hovering over me. My spiritual senses acknowledged that the figure meant no harm so with this knowledge, I relaxed my defenses by closing my eyes and allowed the throbbing headache to subside.

"Tatsumi…."

When I heard that soft yet worried voice, I stirred yet my efforts to bolt up were hampered with how the world spun for me.

I then heard that person say, "Take it easy, Tatsumi…."

"What happened?" I asked with a groan, my senses still reeling and still not being able to recall what got me to this predicament.

With Tsuzuki-san's calm voice being laced heavier with concern, he explained to me, "You nearly choked on your food and you lost your footing. You hit your head somewhere and passed out. Just take it easy and rest for a little while."

Even though I felt as if I was still cross-eyed, I gazed at Tsuzuki-san and studied the change in his features as I asked, "Forgive me for asking but…."

"But what?"

After second-guessing as to what would be the best approach to ease the burning curiosity within my aching head, I just decided to ask pointblank, "What did you actually cook?"

Tsuzuki-san blinked for a minute, those beautiful amethyst eyes of his reflecting his vulnerable open-heartedness and innocence. "It's seafood linguini, remember?"

"That wasn't seafood linguini. The sauce is supposed to be white, not green. You're also supposed to put aside the squid heads and cut the squid into small sections. There are no aniseed and parsley in linguini. Aside from that, parsley is a garnishing that you use sparingly. All you'll need is five pinches of parsley for that huge platter you've prepared. It looked as if you harvested an entire parsley farm and put it in the sauce. How many bundles of parsley did you put in your sauce?"

"Five…maybe six," was Tsuzuki-san's reply, his face and eyes now showing a hint of sadness.

I took a sigh. Yes…Tsuzuki-san did put the entire parsley farm in that sauce. I would not be surprised if I would be making many trips to the bathroom between now and for the next few days since parsley could be used as a diuretic, especially if consumed in large quantities.

Well, Tsuzuki-san was not the only person in my existence who could not cook if it meant his survival. Mother could not cook, either. Nonetheless, the two of them shared something in common - they pour their heart into everything that they do, no matter how bad they might be in what they were doing.

After many minutes of silence between us, Tsuzuki-san broke the ice between us as he said in a near-whisper, "I'm sorry. I worked so hard at it, and…."

Tsuzuki-san then fell silent.

It just broke my heart to see those tears beading at the corner of Tsuzuki-san's eyes. His eyes reflected such silent yet deep-rooted remorse over what happened as he tried to explain, "From what I remembered, that was how my older sister made linguini. I couldn't believe I botched it."

I did my best to sit up and once my dizziness dissipated from my movement, I gazed into those amethyst eyes. I smiled softly and I touched Tsuzuki-san's hand. "You did your best, that's the important part. You didn't have to go out of your way because of me."

"I love to cook and I want to learn how to do it well," said Tsuzuki-san with sadness laced in his voice. "I was doing my best by cooking something that I know or thought I cooked well, and you got sick because of me."

Keeping my gaze on Tsuzuki-san, I told him, "We could've gone out to eat, Tsuzuki-san. You didn't have to go through so much trouble."

"It's not trouble. I wanted to do this for you…my way of thanking you for everything…for being so nice towards me…."

I was caught off-guard with what I heard from Tsuzuki-san. He had gone through all this trouble for me? I could not help but get drawn by those eyes of his, my hand lifting up and resting on his cheek in such a gentle manner. I should be upset about how he botched his cooking as well as how badly I paid for tasting his cooking, but how could I be upset knowing that he did everything that he could to please me…or to thank me?

The world was still spinning out of control for me. My legs were rather wobbly and my head was still throbbing from a headache. Although I was nauseous and I could still taste and smell that strong dose of parsley in my mouth and breath, I managed to tell him, "You've done your best for me…and that means so much to me. Please don't be sad…."

Tsuzuki-san then rested his forehead against my forehead, his eyes closing as he chose solace in this position. In turn, I took a deep breath and did the same. I relaxed into this position - the closest that I have ever been with anyone who was not family to me.

For me, there was something comforting about this moment between us…yet why was my heart racing so fast?

I closed my eyes, letting my thoughts and emotions find a semblance of consolation and peace. I could not figure out these feelings and my mind had been nagging me as to what type of mystery did Tsuzuki-san hold behind those friendly smiles and expressive amethyst eyes.

And why was I having these thoughts and feelings?

In my efforts not to face these nagging sentiments within me, I tried to get up so that I could bid by farewell and go home. However, my legs and knees betrayed me as they turned against me.

Tsuzuki-san held me up and he told me, "Why don't you try to get some rest? Just a nap, perhaps? Go home when you're feeling better."

I was normally stubborn about such things but this time it was hard to ignore that I did not have the coordination or the equilibrium to head straight home, moreover stand steadily. I plunked on Tsuzuki-san's bed as my wobbly legs began to feel weaker after I expended the last of my strength.

Per Tsuzuki-san's prompting, I relented and lay on his bed sideways while he rested a comforting hand on my arm. I closed my eyes once more and let my head rest on the pillow that I have apparently been laying on since I passed out.

Very soon, I let go and allowed my mind and body to rest. All that I needed was a couple of hours of sleep…a nap….

Just for a few hours….

--

I blinked for a few times after I opened my eyes from my nap.

Or I thought that it was just a nap….

I sat up as I saw the view outside the window. I had to think back as to where I was since my surroundings were once again unfamiliar to me.

Right… I remember. I took a nap at Tsuzuki-san's apartment since I was not feeling well after that food mishap called his cooking and my body's violent rejection towards it.

The "nap" that I took was actually a deep sleep and it was now dawn - an hour later than the time that I normally would wake up every morning based on the clock by my side of the bed.

I then glanced sideways and saw Tsuzuki-san in deep sleep and still snoring. By the gods, I must be that sick to sleep through such snoring.

Nonetheless, I kept my gaze on Tsuzuki-san and smiled. He looked so peaceful and innocent as he slept…well, I said that he looked peaceful. Sounding peaceful was another thing since he was snoring up a storm, his snoring loud enough to wake up the dead in a figurative sense.

And Mother definitely did not snore, nor did I. Mako-san snored, but it was altogether quiet.

I sighed and smiled more warmly, an inward chuckle filling my entire being as I shook my head and remembered that atrocious-tasting cooking.

Then again, the smile escaping from my lips turned more empathetic as I remembered how apologetic Tsuzuki-san was about last night. Those eyes of his were just so strong in expressing his emotions that words were not needed.

My gaze rested on Tsuzuki-san and I let out another quiet sigh. There was an element of grace and beauty within him both inside and out. As much as I should raise holy hell for last night's incident, how could I get upset when someone tried his hardest to please a guest?

--

"You knew, and you didn't tell me? How could you be so cruel?"

Mako-san just burst out laughing as he poured me another cup of tea, the old man knowing fully-well from the way I looked that I was literally and figuratively sick to my stomach. He then told me after he managed to stifle his laughter for a minute or two, with him having his eyes brim with tears because he could not contain his laughter, "Well, I thought love was blind. Also I wasn't that cruel towards you. I did feed you some of my honey bread before you left the house. Plus, how am I supposed to know that your stomach was as queasy as the rest of us?"

"But you knew that Tsuzuki-san was an awful cook -- so why didn't you tell me or even forewarn me in passing before I left last night?"

"How was I supposed to know that your date still is a terrible cook after many decades' worth of existing, constantly trying to learn how to cook, and repeatedly making people sick? I thought that by now, he's already a good cook…something akin to a gourmet chef…"

I inwardly scoffed, still upset in the old man in my endearing way since I was not really that upset with him.

"Now, now…. I did tell you that I didn't expect you home last night. I was right."

Still shaking my head from disbelief and bewilderment that the one who protected me from scoundrels literally fed me to a culinary wolf in sheep's clothing named Tsuzuki Asato, I replied, "Tsuzuki-san and I are not dating. Last night was an evening between friends. Secondly, I may not die from his cooking anymore because I'm already dead, but I could still get deathly sick. At the same token, my taste buds aren't dead."

Remembering and having my senses vividly remember the taste and smell that I experienced yesterday - especially the overwhelming taste and smell of parsley - I fell silent as my body shuddered. I guess my hyperactive imagination began playing this sick joke once more since my senses made my stomach churn.

Mako-san smiled at me and poured me more tea in my cup while his free hand kept rubbing my back. "Why don't you take a rest for today since you're not feeling well?"

I shook my head. "I just started work. I don't want to miss a day, and I can handle it. I can catch up on rest when I get home from work. If worse comes to worst, then I'll go home."

"All right. Just keep drinking hot water throughout the day to warm up your stomach and to wash out the parsley, although I'm sorry that it'll make you go to the bathroom more often than what the parsley's doing to your system. At least the water will wash away the parsley's effect sooner."

Many minutes of silence passed between the old man and me. I closed my eyes as I let the comfort of his fatherly touch along with the hot tea warming up my stomach reach deep in the core of my being and make me feel a little better.

I then looked at the still-amused dear old man and told him as I could picture Tsuzuki-san's face last night during the repeated apology, "He's nice and friendly, Mako-san. Sure, his cooking made me pass out but he went out of his way to make last night a good night. It just so happens that he's not gifted in cooking."

"He is a good man, Seii-kun. He's also a very good friend. He's very true and innocent in his ways," was Mako-san's reply as the smile in his face became more empathetic still.

I just realized one thing -- last night was different.

It was a rarity that one would go out of his way to serve me or please me. I was normally more comfortable in being of help to someone rather than being served.

In spite of how foul-tasting Tsuzuki-san's cooking was, he prepared for last night with wholehearted enthusiasm.

What I told Tsuzuki-san last night was true and I truly meant those words -- he did not have to go out of his way just for me. In fact, I was more embarrassed than he was because I spent practically our entire evening together either unconscious or asleep.

Yet in spite of what happened last night, I was grateful for my time together with Tsuzuki-san. I would not mind having an evening together with someone who happened to be a warm person and a good friend.

Maybe I should teach Tsuzuki-san how to cook…after all, how hard would it be for him to learn how to cook a good meal?

End of Chapter Fourteen

Normal Disclaimer

Yami No Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness) and its characters are copyrighted properties of Matsushita Yoko. This fan fiction and the original characters that appear within this fan fiction belong to PJ Zatken.