第36話 氷の令嬢Vs太陽の男
田舎町に佇む個人経営の喫茶店を思わせる、質素で素朴な外観を前に足を止め、年季が入った木製の扉を開ければ途端に別世界へと
つい先程までは、煌びやかなイルミネーションが輝く大都会の繁華街を歩いていたはずなのに、目に映るのは緑を基調とした自然の色ばかり。
その中で、中心に飾り付けられた特大のシャンデリアは唯一無二の存在感を放ち、薄暗い店内を余すことなく照らす。
それはまるで、深い森の中に差し込む一筋の光。
三ツ星レストラン、
実家に続いて、第二の家とも呼べるフレンチ料理店に客としては数年ぶりに訪れた朝陽は、何も変わっていない店装に懐古の念を覚えつつ、その記憶の中に満面の笑みを浮かべる男の姿と全く表情が読めない女の姿を見つけて頬が引き攣った。
「何も起こりませんように......」
名前を伝えて案内された席に座りながら、誰にも聞こえない声で小さく呟く。
『友達と行く』
簡潔に、端的に、ありのままの事実を返信した。
だから、誤解はされないはずだ。
第一、年一番の繁盛期の最中にそれぞれ持ち場を離れられるはずがない。
そんな事を自分に言い聞かせながら視線を前に向けると、対面に座る少女が目と首を忙しく動かして、グレージュの髪を左右に揺らしていた。
無邪気な瞳で店内を眺めている冬華の姿は実に子供らしく、嫌な予感がよぎって見構えた身体が弛緩する。
「昔と何も変わってないだろ?」
「そうですね......とても、懐かしい気持ちがします」
薄っすらと笑みを浮かべる冬華の表情に憂慮の色は見えない。
懐かしい、と振り返った過去が良い思い出であるならば、今日ここに連れて来て良かったと思える。
今のところ、朝陽が危惧していた展開が起こる様子もなく、腰を落ち着けて食事を楽しめそうだった。
「こちら、本日のコースになっております」
「あっ、ありがとうござい......ます?」
コツコツ、と足音を響かせ近づいて来た人物に対して、丁寧に頭を下げた冬華の言葉が不自然に途切れた。
一方の朝陽はというと、頭を下げるどころか、天を仰いで大きなため息を一つ。
心の中で、フラグの回収が早すぎると悪態をつく。
「......何で父さんが接客してるんだよ」
「えっ......? お父さん、ということは......」
です。本業は朝陽の父、副業でシェフやってます」
手短な自己紹介と共に、ニカッと白い歯を覗かせる長身の男は、同じく真っ白なシェフコートを着ている。
ウェイターの制服は黒を基調としているが故にかなり浮いているし、そもそもここは彼のお店なので目立たないはずがない。
世界でも名が知れた一流シェフの登場に、優雅にワイングラスを傾けていた紳士淑女は騒然となり、従業員は揃って目を丸くして足を止めた。
「すいませんね皆さん、いきなり登場しちゃって。我が息子がようやくガールフレンドを連れて来たもんで、居ても立ってもいられずに厨房を飛び出した次第です」
「すこーしばかり、お話したらすぐに戻りますんで! あっ、サインですか? そちらはコースに入ってないんですよ、申し訳ないっ!」
落ち着いた大人の空間だったはずの店内が、太陽の様に明るくて熱い男の登場で雰囲気がガラッと変わる。
ただ、周りを見れば皆等しく笑顔に溢れ、誰一人文句を言う人はいない。
この異常で不思議儀な光景が、火神和明という人物が持つ多大な人望の証明なのだろう。
「お嬢さんのお名前は?」
「ひ、氷室冬華です」
「そうか、氷室さんというのか! 日頃、うちの息子が世話になってるね」
「いえ、お世話になっているのは寧ろ私の方で......」
「いやー、良く出来たお嬢様だ! 朝陽、素晴らしい女性を連れて来たな。これで火神家は安泰安泰!」
ワハハハ、と豪快に笑う和明の勢いに気圧されて、冬華が困惑の色を浮かべた表情で無言のSOSを送ってくる。
しかし、朝陽は同じく無言で首を横に振るしかなかった。
過去一度とて、火が付いた父親を止められた試しがない。
料理人の道を外れ、別の道へと歩むことを決めた時だって、朝陽一人ではこの熱い男を説得できなかったのだ。
「父さん、いったん落ち着こう。冬華が困ってるだろ」
「本当だ、これは申し訳ない。朝陽があまりに綺麗な彼女を連れてきたもんだから、父さんついつい興奮しちゃって」
「おい、さっきから勝手に話を進めるな。俺達はそういう関係じゃない」
「何を照れているんだ朝陽。氷室さんも顔を真っ赤にしちゃって。二人とも初々しいなー、おじさん昔を思い出しちゃうよ」
再びワハハハと愉快な笑い声を響かせる和明に、一応は立ち向かってみたものの、やはり止められる気が全くしない。
氷の令嬢ならば和明に一矢報えるのではと思ったが、冬華は冷たい視線を浴びせるどころか俯いてプルプルと震えてしまっている。
「ごめん、冬華。もう少しすれば厨房に帰ると思うから、それまでは我慢してくれ」
どんなに長く見積もっても、五分以上は厨房を空けられないはずだ。
今は完全に、人の話を聞かない厄介なおっさんだが、三ツ星レストランを経営する一流シェフであることは間違いない。
この忙しいシーズンの最中に私情で使える時間は限られている。
ただ、その五分が途方もなく長い。
「氷室さんは朝陽のどういうところに惹かれたのさ」
「えっ、そ、それは......」
「あと、二人の馴れ初めも聞かせてほしいな。今まで朝陽に恋人のコの字すらなかったから気になってしょうがないんだよね」
朝陽の隣に図太く座った和明は、ありもしない事を次々と冬華に質問している。
対する冬華は何とか否定しようと試みているが、完全に和明の勢いに押されてしまっていた。
頼むから、早く帰ってくれ。
そんな思いが、目を合わせた冬華と通じ合った気がした時だった。
「......和明、うるさい」
抑揚のある心地良いクラシック音楽が流れる店内で、一定の波長を響かせる女性の声がした。
その凛とした声の主を見て、朝陽は複雑な表情を浮かべ、冬華は困惑の色を覗かせる。
そして、これでもかと燃え盛っていた和明は一気にヒートダウンした。
「あっ、はい。すいません」
「厨房、戻って。みんな困ってる」
「えっ、でもあと三分くらいは......」
「今すぐ戻りまっす!」
随分と上下関係がはっきりとした会話を最後に、和明が一目散に料理人の聖域へと戻っていく。
その後ろ姿は何とも情けないというか、頼りないというか。
厨房に戻ればまたさっきの暑苦しい炎が復活すると思うと笑えて来る。
ただ、実際に笑みを浮かべられる状況ではなかった。
山火事を一瞬で鎮火した女性は、さっきまで和明が居た朝陽の隣に座ると、ニコリともせず口元だけを動かす。
「初めまして、火神透子です」
本業は朝陽の母、副業でパティシエやってますという声が、どこからともなく聞こえた気がした。
名前だけの端的な自己紹介を済ませた母親を、朝陽はチラリと横目で覗き見る。
表情筋が死んでいるのかと心配になる真顔に、感情のない淡々とした声音。
どこか、少し前の冬華を思わせる母親の登場に、朝陽は再び大きなため息をつくことになった。
Ch 36
In front was a simple and rustic exterior, reminiscent of a coffee shop in a country town, opening the aged wooden door you would be instantly dragged into another world.
Just a few moments ago, they were walking through the glittering illuminated downtown area of a big city, but now all they could see were the colors of nature.
Inside, the oversized chandelier in the center of the restaurant illuminated the dimly lit interior to its fullest with its unique presence.
It was like a ray of light shining into a deep forest.
A three star restaurant, Soleil Levant.
It had been a few years since he had been a customer at the French restaurant that he called his second home, and he felt nostalgic for the unchanged look of the restaurant, but his cheeks twitched when he found a man with a big smile on his face and a woman whose expression was completely unreadable in his memory.
"I pray that nothing will happen."
As he sat down at the seat he was shown after giving his name, Asahi muttered quietly in a voice no one could hear.
"I'm going with a friend."
Asahi replied briefly and straightforwardly, telling the truth as it was.
So there should be no misunderstanding.
First of all, there was no way they could leave their respective positions during the peak season of the year.
Asahi told himself this as he turned his gaze forward and saw a girl sitting in front of him, her eyes and neck were busy moving around and her glazed hair swayed from side to side.
The sight of Fuyuka looking around the store with innocent eyes was very much childlike.
"Nothing's changed, right?"
"Yes... It feels so nostalgic."
Her face, smiling thinly, showed no hint of concern.
If the past that she looked back on with nostalgia was a good memory, then Asahi was glad that he brought her here today.
So far, there was no sign of the development that he had feared to happen, and so Asahi could sit back and enjoy his meal.
"This is for today's course."
"Ah, Thank you very...much?"
Fuyuka's words were unnaturally cut off as she bowed politely to the person who was approaching with the sound of his footsteps.
As for Asahi, instead of bowing, he looked up to the ceiling and sighed loudly.
In his mind, Asahi swear that the flag was collected too quickly.
"...Why are you the one doing the serving, dad?"
"Eh..? Dad? Which means..."
"Hi there, I'm Kagami Kazuaki. Asahi's father by profession and a chef as a side job."
With a brief introduction, the tall man, who smiled and flashed his white teeth, was also wearing a pure white chef's coat.
The waiter's uniform was black, which made him stand out from the crowd, and since this was his restaurant, there was no way he could not stand out.
The ladies and gentlemen who had been elegantly sipping their glasses of wine were in an uproar at the arrival of the world-renowned chef, and the employees all stopped in their tracks, rolling their eyes.
"I'm sorry, everyone, for appearing so suddenly. My son has finally brought his girlfriend, so I couldn't stay and ran out of the kitchen."
"I'll go right back after a little bit of talk. Oh, you want a signature? I'm sorry, that's not part of the course!"
The atmosphere in the restaurant, which was supposed to be a calm and mature space, changed drastically when a man as bright and hot as the sun appeared.
However, if you look around, everyone was equally smiling and no one was complaining.
This unusual and mysterious scene was proof of the great popularity that Kagami Kazuaki had.
"What's your name miss?"
"I-it's Himuro Fuyuka."
"I see, so it's Himuro-san. My son's been in your care, hasn't he?"
"No, it's more like I'm the one who has been taken care off."
"What a wonderful, young lady. Asahi, you've brought a wonderful woman with you. Now, the Kagami Family is safe and sound!"
The momentum of his dynamic laughter pressured Fuyuka to send a silent SOS with a puzzled expression on her face.
However, Asahi could only shake his head in silence as well.
Never before had he been able to stop his father from starting a fire.
Even when he decided to deviate from the path of a chef to take a different path, he could not convince this passionate man by himself.
"Dad, calm down."
"I'm really sorry, but I got excited when you brought your beautiful girlfriend here."
"Hey, don't go off on your own tangent. We don't have that kind of relationship."
"What are you embarrassed about, Asahi? Himuro-san is also pale red. Both of you are so fresh, it reminds me of my old days."
Asahi tried to confront him, who was once again laughing hilariously, but it didn't feel like he could stop him at all.
He thought that the "Ice Lady" could give him a run for his money, but instead of giving him a cold shoulder, Fuyuka turned her head and shivered.
"I'm sorry, Fuyuka. I think he'll be back in the kitchen in a little while, so bear with it until then."
No matter how long you would estimate, he shouldn't be able to leave the kitchen for more than five minutes.
Right now, he was an annoying old man who didn't listen to people, but he was definitely a top chef who ran a three-star restaurant.
There was only so much time he could spend on personal matters in the middle of this busy season.
However, those five minutes were tremendously long.
"What was it about Asahi that attracted you, Himuro-san?"
"Eh, that's..."
"I'd also like to know how you two got together. I can't help but be curious since Asahi never even had a girlfriend until now."
Kazuaki, who sat brazenly next to Asahi, asked Fuyuka a series of questions about things that were not even real.
Fuyuka, on the other hand, was trying to deny it somehow, but was completely overwhelmed by Kazuaki's momentum.
'Please, just leave.'
This was when Asahi made eye contact with Fuyuka.
"...Kazuaki, shut up."
Asahi heard a woman's voice echoing a certain wavelength in the store, where pleasant classical music was playing.
Looking at the owner of the dignified voice, Asahi had a complicated expression on his face, while Fuyuka looked puzzled.
Then, Kazuaki, who had been on fire, heated down at once.
"Ah, yes, I'm sorry."
"Get back in the kitchen. We're all in trouble."
"Eh, give me atleast three more minutes..."
"I'll come right back!"
After a conversation in which the hierarchy was quite clear, Kazuaki returned to the chef's sanctuary at once.
The back of his head looked so pathetic and unreliable.
It was funny to think that the hot flames from earlier would return when he returned to the kitchen.
However, it was not a situation where Asahi could actually smile.
The woman who extinguished the forest fire in an instant sat down next to Asahi, where Kazuaki had been earlier, and only moved her mouth without smiling.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Kagami Touko."
Asahi thought he heard a voice out of nowhere saying, "My day job is being Asahi's mother, and a pastry chef on the side."
Asahi glanced sideways at his mother, who had done a brief self-introduction of just her name.
She had a serious expression that made him wonder if her facial muscles were dying, and an emotionless, indifferent tone of voice.
The appearance of Asahi's mother, who reminded him somewhat of Fuyuka from way before, caused him to sigh loudly again.
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