第62話 想いを形に
夜遅く、突然の来訪者にもかかわらず、朝陽は何の躊躇もなく玄関の扉を開けた。
そうして、小さな紙袋を両手に持った少女の姿を視界に収める。
「......こんばんは」
「あ、うん。こんばんは......」
コミュニケーションの基本は挨拶から。
そんな当たり前のことさえも、ふわふわと浮ついてしまう。
今日という日がそうさせるのか、想い人の前で朝陽の胸は静かに高鳴る。
「夜中にいきなりすいません。その......今ってお時間ありますか?」
「大丈夫だけど......寒いだろ、中入れよ」
「い、いえ! すぐに済みますので......」
「また風邪引かれたら困る」
「......そう言われると、私は何も言えません」
結局、妥協点として玄関で話すことで落ち着いた。
「その......えっと......」
歯切れの悪い言葉を呟きつつ、冬華は不意に俯いてしまう。
華奢な身体が左右に小さく揺れる。もじもじと、何かを躊躇っているような。
朝陽はその様子を黙って見つめていた。
その視線の先には水玉模様の紙袋がはっきりと映る。
「......朝陽くん、今日が何の日か知っていますか」
やがて、冬華はゆっくりと口を開いた。
透き通るような綺麗な声は若干震えている。
「バレンタインデー、だよな」
「......だから、これを......朝陽くんに」
冬華は俯いて表情を隠したまま、両手に持っていた紙袋を差し出した。
朝陽はそれを、割れ物を扱うように丁寧に受け取る。
すぐに中身を確認すると、透明なラッピングが目に入った。
冷たい夜風に甘い匂いが運ばれてくる。
間違いなくこれは、冬華からのバレンタインデーチョコレートだった。
「俺にくれるのか?」
「はい。......日頃の感謝を込めて」
「友チョコってやつか」
「......多分、そうです」
友チョコに多分などあるのだろうか。
作った本人は伏し目がちに曖昧な答えを返す。
「ありがとう冬華、凄く嬉しい」
柔らかい笑みと素直な言葉が自然とこぼれた。
例えそれが、恋愛感情が伴っていない友達としての贈り物でも。
冬華からバレンタインデーにチョコレートを貰えた。
その事実が、朝陽にとってはどうしようもなく嬉しかった。
「今、食べていいか?」
「えっ......い、今ですか?」
「うん、今。ここで」
朝陽が真っ直ぐな視線を投げかけると、冬華は少し間を空けたのちに小さく頷いた。
急かす気持ちをぐっと抑えて丁寧にラッピングを開けると、丸みを帯びたチョコレートがいくつか目に入る。表面に塗されたシュガーパウダーが雪のように散らばっていた。
「......おいしく作れたと思います。だから、是非......食べてください」
今度は冬華から真っ直ぐな視線が飛んで来た。
白い肌はほんのりと桜色を帯びている。
意中の相手からバレンタインデーにチョコレートを貰えるなんて、どんなに幸せなことだろうか。
朝陽はチョコレートを一つ掴み、口に運ぶ。ゆっくりと味わうようにして、その小さな幸せを噛み締めた。
「めちゃくちゃおいしい」
感想は随分とシンプルなものになった。
言うことが他になかったわけではない。一つ一つ、何が良かったのかを列挙することも出来たかもしれないが、伝えたい言葉を整理すると、短い一言で完結したのだ。
不安そうな表情から一転、安堵の表情と嬉しそうな笑みを浮かべる冬華を見れば、これで良かったと確信を持てた。
「お菓子作りは教えてないのに、ちょっと驚いてる」
「それは......相葉さんに教えてもらったんです」
「......日菜美に?」
「吉川さんにチョコを作るとのことで、一緒にどうかと誘われて......」
初めて聞いた話で驚いたが、冬華はこの日の為に沢山練習を重ねていたらしい。
「板チョコを買いにスーパーに行った時、朝陽くんに会ってびっくりしたんですよ?」
「それであんなに慌ててたのか」
「せっかくならサプライズにしたかったので」
悪戯っぽく笑う冬華に、朝陽はまんまと振り回されたわけだ。
「今日もこの時間までずっとこれを作っていたのか?」
「......朝陽くんにおいしいと言ってもらえるように頑張りました」
詳しく聞けば、学校が終わっていち早く帰宅したのも納得のいく自信作を作り上げるためだという。
男子に囲まれるかも、と日菜美から大真面目な顔で促されたとも聞いた。
そこで一つ、朝陽の中で疑問が浮かんだ。
たかが友達にチョコレートを贈るために、そこまで時間と労力をかけるだろうか。
彼女はどこまでも律義で礼儀正しい。
その性格は言葉遣いや態度にも顕著に表れている。
このチョコレートは日頃の感謝だと言っていたし、クリスマスプレゼントを貰った時も同じような理由だった。
自分が思っている以上に、冬華に何かを与え、感謝されていることを朝陽は自覚している。
それは奇しくも冬華への恋心を自覚した時と同じで。
これがもし、本命だったらと朝陽は柄にもない妄想を浮かべていた。
「それと......これは朝陽くんのアドバイスのお陰なんです」
「俺の? 身に覚えないけど」
「ほら、前に言ってくれたじゃないですか。朝陽くんが私にしてくれた、一番最初のアドバイスです」
これまで料理に関して色々なことを教えてきたが、一番最初と言われるとピンと来ない。
遡れば初歩的なアドバイスが沢山浮かぶし、冬華の言う最初と自分が思う最初が一致しているかは定かではない。
しかし、一つだけ明確に思い出せる言葉があった。
――料理において一番大切なのは味じゃなくて愛なんだよ。
そういえば、最初のアドバイスと称してそんなことを言った気がする。
愛とは、料理を振る舞う人への気持ちのこと。
誰でも修得できる、でも意外と難しい基本の基だと朝陽はかつて伝えた。
それと同時に、もう一つの愛。
恋慕の情を、料理を美味しくする絶大な隠し味と伝えたが。
(まさかな......)
これは日頃の感謝からなる友チョコで、それ以上でもそれ以下でもない。
朝陽はそう自分に言い聞かせる。
「初心に戻ったってわけか」
「......はい」
自然と冬華の小さな頭に手が伸びた。
教え子の成長を喜ぶ気持ちか、それとも想い人を前にして触れたくなったか。
どちらにせよ、衝動的に朝陽は冬華の髪を優しく撫でる。
ビクッ、と明らかな反応があったが、冬華は抵抗せずに朝陽の手を受け入れた。
「......子ども扱いされている気がします」
「まあ、そんなとこだな」
「そこは否定してくださいよ......」
すぐに手を離すと、言葉とは裏腹に冬華が物足りなさそうな表情を浮かべた気がした。
しかし、再び手を伸ばすことなどできず、ぷいっとそっぽを向いてしまった冬華の長い髪が揺れる。
心なしか、いや確実に。改めて冬華を見つめれば、その横顔は真っ赤に染まっていた。
「......いつかお菓子作りも教えてくださいね」
そう言い残して、冬華は扉の向こう側へと消える。
ありがとう、と改めて伝えた感謝の気持ちは届いただろうか。
一瞬だけ入り込んだ月光は、玄関に飾られた三本薔薇のブローチを眩く照らした。
Ch 62
It was late at night, and despite the sudden visitor, Asahi opened the front door without any hesitation.
Then he caught sight of a girl holding a small paper bag in her hands.
"...Good evening."
"Ah, yeah. Good evening."
The basics of communication start with greetings.
Even such an obvious thing felt fluffy.
Asahi's heart quietly throbbed in front of the person he loved.
"I'm sorry to bother you at this time of night. Right now...do you have time?"
"No worries, but... it's cold here, come inside."
"N-no! It'll only take a second..."
"I don't want you to catch another cold."
"...When you put it that way, I can't really say anything."
In the end, they settled on talking at the entrance as a compromise.
"Uh...uhm..."
Fuyuka suddenly turned her head down while muttering a few slurred words.
Her slender body swayed slightly from side to side. She seemed hesitant about something.
Asahi quietly watched.
The polka-dot paper bag was clearly visible within his line of sight.
"...Asahi-kun, do you know what day it is today?"
Eventually, Fuyuka slowly opened her mouth.
Her clear, beautiful voice was slightly trembling.
"Valentine's Day, right?"
"...So, here... Asahi-kun."
Fuyuka turned her head down, hiding her expression, and held out the paper bag she was holding in both hands.
Asahi took it carefully, as if he was handling a fragile object.
He quickly checked the contents and saw the transparent wrapping.
The cool night breeze carried with it a sweet smell.
Without a doubt, this was a Valentine's Day chocolate from Fuyuka.
"You're giving it to me?"
"Yes... for all of the times you've helped me."
"So it's 'friend chocolate'?"
"...Probably."
Was there such a thing as a friend's chocolate?
The person who made it also gave a vague answer with a downcast look.
"Thank you, Fuyuka. This makes me really happy."
A soft smile and honest words spilled out naturally.
Even if it was a gift just as a friend.
Fuyuka gave him chocolates for Valentine's Day.
That fact alone made Asahi inexplicably happy.
"Can I try it now?"
"Eh... right now?"
"Mhm, right now. Right here."
When Asahi threw a straight look at her, Fuyuka paused for a moment and then gave a small nod.
As he carefully opened the wrapping, he could see several round chocolates. The sugar powder coated on the surface was scattered like snow.
"I think I made it...pretty well. So please try it..."
This time, a straight gaze arrived from Fuyuka.
Her white skin was tinted by a slight cherry-red color.
He couldn't measure the happiness he felt after receiving chocolates on Valentine's Day from the person he loved.
Asahi grabbed one of the chocolates and brought it to his mouth. He slowly savored it and chewed on that small piece of happiness.
"It's so good."
His impression of the chocolate was pretty simple.
It was not that he didn't have anything else to say. He could have listed what was good about each of them, but when he sorted out the words he wanted to say, he was able to express it in one short sentence.
When he saw Fuyuka's expression of relief and a happy smile on her face after her anxious look, he felt confident that this was the right thing to do.
"I'm kind of surprised, I didn't teach you how to bake after all."
"I was taught by... Aiba-san."
"...Hinami?"
"She said she was going to make chocolate for Yoshikawa-san and asked me to join her..."
Asahi was surprised to hear this story for the first time, but it seemed that Fuyuka had been practicing a lot for this day.
"When I went to the supermarket to buy chocolate bars, I was surprised to see you, Asahi-kun."
"That's why you were panicking."
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
Fuyuka smiled mischievously, and Asahi was completely taken in by her.
"You've been working on this all day until this hour?"
"...I did my best to make sure that...you would say it was delicious."
When he asked her about the details, she told him that she came home as soon as she could after school in order to create a confident work that she was satisfied with.
He also heard that Hinami urged her with a very serious face that she might be surrounded by boys.
Then one question came to mind in Asahi.
Would she put that much time and effort into giving chocolates to a mere friend?
She was disciplined and polite to a fault.
Her personality was also evident in her language and attitude.
She said these chocolates were for her gratitude towards him, and when she got him a Christmas present, it was for the same reason.
Asahi was aware that he had given Fuyuka something, and that she was grateful to him.
Oddly enough, it was the same time when he became aware of his love for Fuyuka.
Asahi had an uncharacteristic fantasy that this was a heartfelt chocolate.
"And... this is also thanks to your advice, Asahi-kun."
"Mine? I don't recall it though."
"You told me before, didn't you? That was the very first advice you gave me, Asahi-kun."
He taught many things about cooking, so it didn't immediately click with him.
He recalled a lot of rudimentary advice he had provided her and was not certain that the first which Fuyuka mentioned was the same as the first he thought.
However, there was one thing that he could remember clearly.
--The most important thing in cooking is not the taste, but love.
Asahi thought he might have said something like that which she called it as his first piece of advice.
Love was the feeling you had for the person you were serving the food to.
It was a basic foundation that anyone could learn, but it was surprisingly difficult to master, Asahi once said.
At the same time, there was another kind of love.
He told her that one's love was a great secret ingredient to make the food taste better.
'No way...'
This was a friend's chocolate made out of gratitude, nothing more, nothing less.
That was what Asahi told himself.
"Back to basics, huh?"
"...Yes."
His hand naturally reached out to Fuyuka's small head.
Was it a feeling of joy at the growth of his student, or did he want to touch his loved one?
Either way, on impulse, Asahi gently stroked Fuyuka's hair.
Fuyuka flinched, but didn't resist and accepted Asahi's hand.
"...I feel like I'm being treated like a child."
"Well, that's about it."
"Please deny it..."
Asahi immediately let go, and despite her words, he thought he saw an unsatisfied look on Fuyuka's face.
But he couldn't reach out again and turned away, and saw her long hair swaying.
Somehow, no, definitely. When he looked at Fuyuka again, her face had turned bright red.
"...I hope you'll teach me how to bake sometime."
After saying that, Fuyuka disappeared behind the door.
Wondering if he received the gratitude she wanted to express to him.
For a brief moment, the moonlight shone brightly on the three-rose brooch that adorned the front door.
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