第43話 氷の令嬢と元日
「まさか、こんな事になるとは思いませんでしたね......」
「ああ、全くの予想外だった......」
元日の真っ昼間、朝陽と冬華は肩を並べて苦笑いを浮かべていた。
この状況になる事を冬華はもちろん、朝陽もちっとも予想していない。
しかし、今となっては様々な気づきがある。
よくよく考えてみれば、明らかに不自然だったのだ。
二日は朝から店で仕込みを始めると意気込んでいた二人が、突然一泊すると言い出すなんて。
「もうすぐ、御節ができるからなー!」
キッチンから聞こえて来る、愉快で豪快な明るい声。
「ごめんなさいね、二人の世界を邪魔しちゃって」
正面から聞こえて来る、抑揚のない淡々とした声。
「一から説明しただろ。二人の世界とかじゃないから」
「そうだったかしら? 半同棲生活を営んでるって聞いた気が......」
「断じて言ってない」
「ち、違います!」
「えっ、何だって?」
「和明は料理に集中して」
「うっす」
一人暮らしには広すぎる1LDKの部屋も、四人集まるとかなり狭く感じる。
散々騒いで迷惑を掛けたので当然の報いだろう。
本当に、大変だったのだ。
今から半日前、和明と透子が深夜にインターホンを鳴らしてからずっと。
「それにしても、冬華ちゃんがお隣さんだとはねえ」
心なしか、ほんの少し口角を上げる透子に、ウンウンと激しく頷く和明。
二人は朝早くから起きて、手の込んだ御節料理を作ってくれている。
それは大変ありがたく、嬉しい事なのだが、手放しで喜べないのが現状だ。
元日の深夜に真顔でそう言われ、朝陽は思わず天を仰いだ。
――可愛い息子に早く会いたくてな!
ワハハハ、と近所迷惑すれすれの笑い声に、朝陽は大きなため息をついた。
確かに一泊するとはメッセージで聞いていた。
しかし、誰も今からだとは思っていない。
そんな朝陽が下した評価は真っ当なものだったと言えるだろう。
真夜中の訪問者はまず最初に、シューズボックスの上に飾られた三本薔薇のブローチを見つけて騒ぐ。
そして次に、玄関で見慣れない小さな女性用の靴を発見して騒ぐ。
最後に、困惑と驚きの表情を浮かべながら姿を現した冬華と対面して大騒ぎ。
夜遅くに一緒に居たということで、それはもう弁明が大変だった。
根掘り葉掘りと質問攻めに合い、ようやく解放されたのが深夜一時過ぎだったか。
夜更かしに慣れていないのか、随分と眠そうにしていた冬華は先に帰されたものの、こうして昼頃に遊びに来るよう半ば強制的に約束を取り付けられていたというのがここまでの話だ。
「冬華ちゃんは朝陽に料理を教わっているのよね?」
「は、はい。朝陽くんにはとてもお世話になっています」
「そう、それはよかったわ。この子、ぶっきらぼうで無愛想だし、人に教えられるか心配だったの」
「......散々な言いようだな」
「だって、本当のことでしょう?」
「まあ、否定はできないけども」
こればっかりは、朝陽も自覚があるので認めるしかない。
ぶっきらぼうで不愛想な母親に育てられたのだ。
同じように子が育つのも道理だろう。
「朝陽に何か不満があれば遠慮なく言ってね。私から改善するよう伝えておくから」
「不満なんてそんな......確かに朝陽くんはぶっきらぼうで無愛想ですけど......」
「冬華も言うのかよ」
どうしてもいつもの癖で声音や口調が淡々としてしまうが、冬華に対してはなるべく意識して言葉を選んでいるつもりだった。
しかし、冬華は少なからず透子と同じような意見を持っているらしい。
それはもう不満の一つじゃないだろうか、と朝陽が微妙な顔をすると、冬華は少し間を空けて伏し目がちに言葉を続けた。
「......でも、それと同じくらい優しいですから」
「なるほどねえ」
「今ので何を納得したんだよ」
「色々と、よ」
どうやら意識的な気遣いが伝わっていたらしく、朝陽が少し表情を和らげると、透子が不敵な反応を見せた。
話せる限りのことを話したので、変に邪推される筋合いはないのだが、何か思うところがあるらしい。
朝陽、冬華、そしてまた朝陽と交互に顔を見て、何度も小さく頷いている。
「お母さん、応援しているわ」
「さっきから何の事を言ってるんだ」
「もちろん、冬華ちゃんのお料理よ。それともう一つ......」
相変わらず口元を真一文字に結ぶ透子は、今度は真っ直ぐ冬華を見据えた。
隣に座る冬華は何故なのか頬をほんのりと赤く染めている。
どうやら、二人は目で何かを語っているらしい。
残念ながら、その目に見えない会話の内容を朝陽は感ずることができなかった。
「お三方、お待たせいたしましたー! 本日のメイン、豪華絢爛御節料理の完成でございます!」
結局、もう一つが何を示すのか朝陽は知ることができず、話題は漆塗りの三段お重箱へと移り変わる。
小さなダイニングテーブルに四人が座ると言う窮屈な食卓に、赤々とした車海老を始め、黒豆にかまぼこ、田作りに昆布、他にも黄色が目立つ、数の子、伊達巻、栗きんとんなど縁起の良い物がずらり並んだ。
「さあ、氷室さん。遠慮せずに沢山食べてな」
「そうね、自信作だからいっぱい食べてほしいわ」
家族での食事とも、友達との食事とも違う種類の雰囲気が部屋全体に漂う。
火神家の食卓に冬華が居るという光景は異常で非日常なはずなのに、どこか温かい落ち着きがあった。
「......いただきます」
控えめに手を合わせた冬華の表情は、緊張気味だが穏やかに見える。
この賑やかで騒がしい空間を決して嫌がっていない、そう思えた。
Ch 43
"I didn't expect this to happen..."
"Yeah, it was really unexpected..."
In the middle of the day after New Year's Eve, Asahi and Fuyuka stood shoulder to shoulder, smiling bitterly at each other.
Neither Fuyuka nor Asahi expected this situation to happen at all.
However, looking back, there were many clues that would have led to this.
Upon a closer look, it was clearly unnatural.
The two of them were so excited to start preparing at the restaurant in the morning and they suddenly said they would stay overnight.
"The food will be ready soon!"
A cheerful voice came from the kitchen, full of joy and energy.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you two."
The voice coming from the front of the room was cold and indifferent.
"I explained it to you from the beginning. It's nothing like that."
"Is that right? I thought I heard you two were living together..."
"I never said anything like that."
"I-it's nothing like that."
"What are you talking about?"
"Kazuaki, focus on cooking."
"Ugh."
A one-bedroom apartment was too big for one person, but when four people were gathered, it felt quite small.
A "few" were left out, but he deserved it for the trouble he caused by making so much noise during the night.
'It was really, really hard.'
Half a day ago now, ever since Kazuaki and Touko rang the intercom in the middle of the night.
"I never expected that Fuyuka-chan was your neighbor."
Kazuaki nodded his head vigorously to Touko who had a small smile on her face.
They got up early in the morning to prepare elaborate dishes for the New Year's.
Asahi was very grateful and happy about that, but he wasn't able to express that joy.
When someone said that to him with a straight face at midnight on New Year's Day, Asahi couldn't help but look up to the heavens.
--I can't wait to meet my adorable son!
Asahi sighed loudly at the sound of laughter that was almost annoying to the neighbors.
Asahi did hear in his message that they would be staying overnight.
But no one expected it to start now.
The evaluation made by Asahi was a fair one, some might say.
The first thing the visitors saw was the three-rose brooch on the top of the shoe box and made a fuss about it.
Next, they found an unfamiliar pair of women's shoes in the doorway and made a fuss about it too.
At the end, with a look of confusion and surprise on their faces, they fussed over when they came face to face with Fuyuka.
And Asahi had to explain why they were together late at night.
It was a little past one a.m when he was finally released after being bombarded with questions.
Fuyuka, who was not used to staying up late and looked very sleepy, was sent home first, but she was half forced to make an appointment to come and hangout around noon.
"Asahi is teaching Fuyuka-chan cooking, right?"
"Y-yes, I have been very much indebted to him."
"Well, that's good to hear. This kid is so blunt and unsociable, so I was afraid he wouldn't be able to teach others."
"...That's a h**l of a thing to say about me."
"But, it's true, right?"
"Well, there's no denying it."
This was also something that Asahi was aware of, so he had to admit it.
He had been raised by a blunt and unsociable mother.
It was only natural that children would grow up in the same way.
"If you have any complaints about Asahi, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll let him know so he can change it."
"Complaint? It's true that Asahi-kun is blunt and unsociable, but..."
"You too, Fuyuka?"
Touko's tone of voice was always indifferent due to her usual habits, but she tried to choose her words as consciously as possible for Fuyuka.
However, Fuyuka seemed to have the same opinion as Touko.
When Asahou made a subtle face, Fuyuka paused a little and continued to speak with a downcast look on her face.
"...But, he's also just as gentle."
"I see."
"What did you understand from that?"
"A lot."
Apparently, it conveyed a conscious concern. As Asahi's expression softened a little, Touko reacted with a scowl.
Asahi told her as much as he could, so she had no reason to think he was crazy, but she seemed to have something on her mind.
She alternated between looking at Asahi, Fuyuka, and Asahi again, nodding her head several times.
"Mom is rooting for you."
"What were you talking about for a while now?"
"Of course, it's about Fuyuka's cooking. And one more thing..."
As usual, Touko's mouth was still tied in a straight line. This time, she looked straight at Fuyuka.
Fuyuka who sat next to Asahi, her cheeks were slightly turning red for some reason.
Apparently, they were both telling something to each other with their eyes.
Unfortunately, Asahi could not sense the contents of that invisible conversation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! Today's main dish, the gorgeous Osechi dish, is ready!"
In the end, Asahou could not find out what the one more thing represented, and the conversation turned to the lacquered three-tiered stacked boxes.
It felt cramped, with four people seated at a small dining table, and it was lined with red prawns, black beans, kamaboko (fish cake), pancakes, kombu (kelp), and a variety of other fortune foods, such as sardines, datemaki, and kuri-kinton (chestnut dumplings), all of which were conspicuously yellow.
"Go on, Himuro-san. Don't hesitate and eat a lot."
"Yes, I'm proud of it, so I hope you'll eat a lot."
The entire room exuded a different kind of atmosphere than that of a family meal or a meal with friends.
The sight of Fuyuka at the table of the Kagami family should have been unusual, but there was a warm calmness about it.
"...Itadakimasu."
Fuyuka clasped her hands together modestly, her expressions were tense but gentle.
It seemed that she didn't dislike this bustling, noisy space.
How To Melt the Ice Lady
【コミカライズ連載中】氷の令嬢の溶かし方　～クールで素っ気ないお隣さんがデレるとめちゃくちゃ可愛い件～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/how-to-melt-the-ice-lady/
Comedy Romance School Life Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Beautiful Female Lead Caring Protagonist Cooking Cute Story Famous Parents Kind Love Interests Kuudere Male Protagonist Modern Day Popular Love Interests
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2567fv/
高峰 翔