第84話 調理実習
キーンコーンカーンコーンと陽気な鐘の音が鳴る。
同時に数学の先生が教室を出て、四時間目の授業が終わった。
ようやく昼休みの時間になり、教室が一気に騒がしくなる。
ふと周りに目を向けると、教室を飛び出していく日菜美が見えた。
すぐに「廊下は走らない!」と大きな声が聞こえてきたので、誰がどうなったのかは想像に容易い。
心の中で呆れ笑いを浮かべつつ、目的の席を見ると、冬華はクラスメイトに話しかけられているようだった。
(確か、最近仲良くなった友達だっけ。一緒に飯食べるのか)
朝陽はその様子を嬉しく思いつつ、ほんの少し寂しいと思ったりもする。
そんな日々はもう慣れっこで、同時に慣れてしまった自分をもどかしいとも思った。
今は動かないのではなく、動けない。
朝陽は視線を下に落とし、お弁当箱を開けた。
中には昨夜の残り物のチンジャオロースやナスのチーズ焼きなどをメインに、今朝軽く作ったおかずが並ぶ。
「おいおい、そんなにガッツリ食べていいのか?」
「昼ご飯なんだから別にいいだろ」
誰か確認することなく言葉を返すと、机を挟んで対面に千昭が座った。
どこか呆れたような顔をした千昭は、自分のお弁当箱を開けて、朝陽に見るよう促す。
「今日はこのくらいがベストでしょ」
「少な......くもないな。普通の量じゃん」
「まあね、俺は普段もっと食べるから」
結局なにが言いたいのか朝陽が怪訝な顔をすると、千昭の顔に今度は笑みが浮かぶ。
「これから調理実習だろ。腹空かせとかないと」
千昭の言う通り、今日は六時間目に調理実習が控えている。
昼ご飯を食べた後に炊き込みご飯は重いとか、六時間目を見越して昼ご飯を減らすのは辛いだとか。前回の調理実習は不平不満が多かった。
しかし、むしろ今日は好意的な意見が多いように思える。
作るのはクッキーで、せいぜい小腹を満たす程度。勉強に疲れた頭にちょうどいい糖分ということもあり、楽しみにしている生徒が大多数だ。
そして、学校という特別な空間には浮かれた話が付き物で。
「龍馬、クッキー楽しみにしててね!」
「ありがとう、明日香。でも、砂糖控えめでお願いね。監督に怒られちゃうから」
「もちろん! ちゃんとわかってるってば!」
廊下から聞こえてくるやり取りを小耳に挟みながら、朝陽は卵焼きを口にする。
ちょうど砂糖控えめで作っていた卵焼きは、フライパンに熱が伝わらなかったようで、少し固めの食感だった。
「朝陽もわかってるだろ? 今日はプチバレンタインデーみたいなものよ」
「なんだそれ。初耳だな」
「気になるあの子に手作りクッキーでアピール!ってやつ」
「じゃあプチホワイトデーもあるわけか」
「そうそう、実は男子がアピール日もあって......ってそこじゃねえ!」
千昭が軽いノリツッコミをして、すかさずグイッと迫ってくる。それも、いつものニヤリと憎たらしい笑みと一緒にだ。
「あの人から貰えるんじゃねーの?」
「まあ、それは......」
あの人が誰を差すのかは、二人の間で必然的に決まってくる。
朝陽が好きな人、氷室冬華のことだ。
「でも、材料に限りあるし、一人分が精一杯だろうな」
「......何が言いたい」
「もし貰えなくても落ち込むなよ」
その言葉に、朝陽は思わず言葉が詰まる。
しかし、すぐに落ち着いて口を開いた。
「今日は随分と挑発的だな」
「気のせい気のせい」
「お前は絶対貰えるし、羨ましい限りだ」
「早くそういう関係になれってことだよ」
そう言って、千昭は意地の悪い笑みを浮かべた。
昼休みが終わり、五時間目が過ぎて、すぐに六時間目の家庭科の授業がやってきた。
生徒は持参したエプロンや三角巾などを持って、家庭科室に移動する。
「それでは各グループ、手順に従って調理を始めてください」
先生の説明を聞いた後、開始の合図がされる。
すると、ちょんちょんと肘をつかれ、朝陽は横を振り向いた。
「同じグループでしたね」
えへへ、と微笑む冬華に小さく胸が跳ねる。
衛生面を考慮して、水色の三角巾と花柄のエプロンを纏った冬華は新鮮で可愛らしい。
授業が始まる前は大勢のクラスメイトに囲まれ、絶賛の嵐だったのも頷ける。
「失敗するなよ? 俺は口出さないからな」
「むっ。誰かさんにいっぱい教えてもらいましたから、その心配はいりません」
小声でやり取りをしていると、周りからの目が集中する。
冬華は気にしていないようだが、朝陽としては中々に痛い上に気になるので、この辺にして早速調理に移った。
そして、あっという間に生地ができあがる。
「前々から思ってたけど、火神って料理上手いよな」
「それな。ベテランの風格が漂ってるわ」
男友達にそんなことを言われて少しいい気分になりつつ、朝陽は対面の席に目を向ける。
練習の成果を存分に発揮した冬華は、目立つミスなく調理を終えた。
あちらも友達から褒められたようで、ニコニコと嬉しそうな笑顔が浮かぶ。
「やっぱ氷室さんって何でもできるな」
「本当、勉強も運動も料理も完璧って凄すぎるわ」
そんな賛辞の声を内心おかしく思いながら、タイミング良く鳴った電子音に呼ばれて、朝陽は電子レンジに向かった。
絶妙な焦げ加減と、香ばしい匂いが食欲を誘う。
後は少し冷ましてテーブルに持っていけばいいのだが、クッキーに釣られてか小さな足音が聞こえてきた。
キラキラと目を輝かせた冬華が朝陽の隣に立つ。
これは私が型を作ったとか、あれは一回り大きくしたとか、いろんなことを教えてくれた。
そして、まだまだ話したりないといった様子の冬華が口を開く。
「立花さんにお礼がしたかったので、上手にできて嬉しいです」
「......立花さんって例の家政婦だっけ?」
「はい。ずっとお世話になっている家政婦さんです」
冬華はハート型のクッキーを見ながら、言葉を続ける。
「感謝の気持ちを今まで伝えられなかったので、この機会にと思いまして」
それは冬華らしい、とても素敵な動機だった。
同時に、千昭の言葉が頭をよぎり、そのニヤニヤ顔を腹いせに脳内で殴っておく。
それからクッキーを貰える気になっていた自分に朝陽は恥ずかしさでいっぱいになった。
同じようなことがバレンタインデーにあったな、と思えば苦笑するしかない。
「喜んでもらえるといいな」
そう無難に言って、朝陽は同じグループの友達が待つテーブルに戻った。
自分で食べる人、誰かにあげる人。
冬華は当然後者で、ラッピング作業を進めていた。
後片付けをして授業が終わり、その場で各自解散となる。
朝陽はさっさと教室に戻ろうとしたのだが、またしても肘のあたりを控えめに突かれて振り向く。その先に立っていたのは、青い髪飾りを付け直し、普段の装いに戻った冬華だった。
「はい、朝陽くん」
冬華が差し出してきた透明なラッピングは、つい数分前に見た物だ。
中には一緒に作ったクッキーが入っている。
しかし、これは家政婦にあげると言っていたような。
「家政婦に渡すんじゃないのか?」
「立花さんに渡す分は他にありますから」
曰く、友達に頼んで多めに作ったらしい。
「ありがとう。大切に食べるよ」
朝陽が笑いかけると、冬華もつられて口角が上がる。
よく見ると、手渡されたクッキーの中には綺麗なハート形も含まれていた。
Ch 84
The sound of the bell rang.
At the same time, the math teacher left the classroom, and the fourth class period was over.
Finally, it was time for lunch break, and the classroom became noisy all at once.
Suddenly, Asahi looked around and saw Hinami running out of the classroom.
Soon after he heard, "No running in the hallways!", so it was easy to imagine who it was.
With a dumbfounded smile on his face, he looked at the intended seat and saw that Fuyuka was in conversation with her classmates.
'I think it's someone she's recently become friends with. Are they gonna have lunch together?'
Asahi was happy about it, but also a little sad.
He was used to such days, and at the same time he felt frustrated with himself for having gotten used to it.
'It's not that I don't want to act right now, but rather I can't.'
Asahi looked down and opened his lunch box.
Inside were leftovers from last night, such as beef and green peppers stir fried and grilled eggplant with cheese, as well as side dishes that he had prepared lightly this morning.
"Hey, is it okay to eat that much?"
"It's fine, it's for lunch, after all."
Without checking who it was, he replied a few words back and Chiaki sat down across the desk from him.
With a somewhat dumbfounded look on his face, Chiaki opened his own lunch box and urged Asahi to look at it.
"This is the best I got."
"That's quite... a lot. Or not, normal, I guess?"
"Well, I usually eat a lot more."
When Asahi made a dubious face as to what he was trying to say, a smile appeared on Chiaki's face this time.
"We have cooking class, right? You need to stay hungry."
As Chiaki said, they had a cooking class coming right up during the sixth period today.
Students said that cooked rice was too heavy after eating lunch, and that it was hard to reduce lunch in anticipation of the sixth period. There were a lot of complaints about the last cooking class.
However, there seemed to be rather a lot of positive feedback today.
What they were making were cookies, which at most would fill their little stomachs. Most of the students looked forward to them, as they were just the right amount of sugar for their study-weary brains.
And in the special space that was school, there were always hype stories.
"Ryoma, look forward to the cookies!"
"Thank you, Asuka. But please go easy on the sugar. Coach might get mad."
"Of course! Don't worry about it!"
Overhearing the exchange coming from the hallway, Asahi took a bite of his omelet.
The egg rolls, which were made with just a little less sugar, were a little hard, as if the heat had not been transferred to the pan.
"You know it, don't you, Asahi? Today is like a petite Valentine's Day."
"What's that? That's new to me."
"Appealing to the person you care about with homemade cookies! You know?"
"So there will be a petite White day."
"Yeah, yeah, actually, Wait no! That's not the point!"
Chiaki made a light flirtatious comment and immediately moved towards me. It was accompanied by his usual grin and hateful smile.
"Don't you think you will get some from that person?"
"Well, that's..."
Who that person referred to inevitably led to a certain someone.
The person that Asahi loved, Himuro Fuyuka.
"But we're limited on ingredients, and I'm sure we'll only have enough for one person."
"...What are you trying to say?"
"If you don't get some, don't be discouraged."
At these words, Asahi couldn't help but choke up.
However, he quickly calmed down and opened his mouth.
"You're being very provocative today."
"It's just you."
"You'll definitely get it, how unfair."
"I'm just telling you to hurry up and get into a relationship."
Chiaki then gave a nasty smile.
The lunch break was over, the fifth period had passed, and soon the sixth period of home economics class arrived.
Students moved to the home economics room with the aprons and bandana they brought with them.
"Now then, each group, please follow the instructions and begin cooking."
After listening to the teacher's explanation, the signal to start was given.
Then Asahi was grabbed by his elbow and he turned his head to the side.
"We're in the same group."
His heart jumped a little as Fuyuka giggled.
For hygienic reasons, Fuyuka looked fresh and pretty in her light blue bandana and flowery apron.
No wonder she was surrounded by a large number of classmates and raving about her before the class started.
"Don't s***w it up, alright? I'm not gonna tell you what to do."
"Grump. You don't have to worry about that, because a certain somebody taught me a lot."
As they whispered back and forth, the eyes of the people around focused on them.
Fuyuka didn't seem to mind, but Asahi found it bothersome and painful, so he left it at that and moved on to cooking.
And in no time at all, the dough was ready.
"I've been thinking for a while now, Kagami is a good cook."
"I know, right? He has this air of a veteran."
Feeling a little better after being told such a thing by his male friend, Asahi turned his attention to the seat facing him.
Fuyuka, who showed the results of her practice to the fullest, finished cooking without any noticeable mistakes.
The other side seemed to be happy being praised by her friends.
"As expected, Himuro-san can do anything."
"Really, it's so amazing to be perfect in studies, sports, and cooking."
Feeling funny inside about such compliments, Asahi went to the microwave oven when the well-timed microwave alarm rang.
The perfect amount of charring and the savory smell of the food that would entice appetites.
All he had to do was let it cool a bit and take it to the table, but he heard small footsteps, probably caught by the smell of cookies.
Fuyuka, with her eyes sparkling, stood next to Asahi.
Fuyuka told him all sorts of things, such as that she made the mold for this one, and that she made that one a size larger.
Then Fuyuka, who looked like she had more to say, opened her mouth.
"I wanted to thank Tachibana-san, so I'm glad it went so well."
"...Tachibana-san is your housekeeper, right?
"Yes. The housekeeper that I've been in debt to for a long time."
Fuyuka looked at the heart-shaped cookie and continued to speak.
"I've never been able to express my gratitude, so I thought I'd take this opportunity."
It was a very nice motive, typical of Fuyuka.
At the same time, Chiaki's words came to mind, and he punched that grinning face inside his brain to keep it from laughing.
Asahi was filled with embarrassment at himself for feeling like he could get some.
He couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of the same thing that happened on Valentine's Day.
"I hope she'll like it."
With that, Asahi returned to the table where his friends from the same group were waiting.
Some eat it themselves, some give it to someone else.
Fuyuka was of course the latter, and was working on the wrapping.
After cleaning up, the class ended and everyone was dismissed.
Asahi was about to quickly return to the classroom, when he was again discreetly poked in the elbow and he turned around. Standing ahead of him was Fuyuka, who had reapplied her blue hair ornament and had returned to her normal attire.
"Here, Asahi-kun."
The transparent wrapping that Fuyuka offered him was the one he had seen just a few minutes ago.
Inside were the cookies that they made together.
'But she said she was going to give it to her housekeeper.'
"Aren't you supposed to give this to the housekeeper?"
"I still have some to give to Tachibana-san."
According to her, she asked her friend to make more.
"Thank you. I'll eat it carefully."
When Asahi smiled, Fuyuka followed suit and smiled too.
Looking closely, he saw that the cookies that were handed to him included a beautiful heart shaped one.
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