Captivated
With a loud crackle, a fire roared up before her eyes.
Miyo knelt down on the floor near the open kitchen door, exposing herself to the frigid air of this clear winter day and gazing at the charcoal brazier with Yurie.
The smoke pluming from the red-hot binchotan white charcoal passed up through the gaps in the wire rack and flowed up into the air.
Atop the wire rack was a white, plump, bulging winter treat.
“Hee-hee, I can’t wait to have some of this mochi,” Miyo murmured as she used her freezing hands to conceal her uncontainable smile. Yurie smiled with her.
“Oh, I can’t wait, either. Mochi is simply delicious.”
“Yes… It really is.”
Just picturing it in her mind was enough to make her ecstatic and set her heart beating.
The texture, chewy and gummy while still being soft. The faint sweetness that lingered in her mouth, even without any added seasoning. The way it stretched out long and thick when she bit into it piping hot, as much of a feast for the eyes as the stomach.
Finally, of course, there was the scrumptious, mouth-watering flavor.
Miyo had very rarely gotten to enjoy this delicacy back in her childhood home.
She and Yurie conversed with each other, watching the mochi heat up and puff up on the brazier. Just then…
“Aren’t you cold sitting down there?” called out Kiyoka with exasperation, coming to the kitchen doorway without either noticing.
“Oh, Young Master.”
“Kiyoka!”
Literally and figuratively leaping, Miyo drew close to her fiancé.
Unable to restrain her elation, she felt her frozen cheeks growing warm. Right now, however, that was a trivial matter.
“Um, Kiyoka, we’re having mochi for lunch today!”
“S-sure, sounds good.”
When Miyo spoke with a slightly rapid cadence, Kiyoka nodded looking a bit overwhelmed. Then, after a moment’s pause, he let out a chuckle, his lips forming into a smile and his expression softening.
“You like mochi, do you?”
Whether she liked it or not…she couldn’t really say. It was simply a happy, special treat to her.
As Miyo cocked her head, unable to immediately find the right words to answer him, Kiyoka took his muffler he was carrying and wrapped it around her neck.
“Don’t get so enthralled you get sick. Just a haori coat isn’t nearly warm enough.”
“Okay…”
As she watched Kiyoka depart, saying that he was looking forward to lunch, there was a light sweetness in her mouth for some reason, though she had yet to eat any of the mochi.
This time, Miyo made sure to hide her flushed cheeks by burying them into the muffler.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login