The cooking was successfully finished.
“Behold!”
I proudly served the dishes, arranging them neatly on the table.
As I placed the last plate down, the two who had been sitting with their eyes closed suddenly opened them wide, startled.
“Wow! …Uh, Miss?”
“Let’s see what Eve’s cooked up… Wait, huh? Eve?”
“…Why are you both looking at me like that?”
I had expected them to gasp in awe, showering me with praise.
But contrary to my expectations, their reactions were… underwhelming.
“This… what is it? Oh! Is it steak?!”
“…That’s steamed egg.”
“Ah, then this must be the steak!”
“That’s an apple pie…”
“…Oh.”
“…Ah.”
Silence.
The lively chatter that had filled the table just moments ago was replaced by an awkward, uncomfortable quiet.
“W-Well, at least this dessert looks nice! These must be the chocolate cookies you love, Eve!”
“…That’s the steak.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize. That just makes me feel even worse…”
“Well… hey, as long as it tastes good, that’s all that matters, right?”
“Y-Yeah, of course! Harp, as expected, you’re so smart.”
“…You two don’t need to try so hard.”
That’s just how my cooking is.
Having revealed my utterly disastrous cooking skills for all to see, I hung my head in shame, unable to face them.
I felt awful.
Alex had chosen to stay and have dinner with us instead of returning to the village, and now I’d ruined his meal.
Having put so much effort into preparing dinner and with Harp trusting me to take charge of the meal, I couldn’t bear to lift my head.
“There’s no need to feel so down! I-I’ll give it a try!”
“I’ll try it too!”
“…It’s fine. If it tastes bad, you can spit it out.”
I wasn’t expecting much.
The whole “It’s fine as long as it tastes good, haha” line?
That’s a classic setup in stories, and it almost always means the food is terrible.
It was a hundred percent going to end with a “Bleh!”
“Oh?”
“Wow.”
“…Huh?!”
But their reactions were strange.
There was no “Bleh,” no grimacing, no pale faces—just pure, genuine amazement.
“This is delicious!”
“Right? It’s incredibly tasty!”
“…There’s no way…”
No way. They couldn’t actually mean that… right?
“Look, the steak may be burnt on the outside, but the inside is perfectly juicy!”
“Exactly! It’s cooked so evenly—it’s incredible!”
“No way…”
Still uncertain, I cautiously cut off a piece of steak and put it in my mouth.
“…Gasp! It is delicious?!”
It was true.
Not just the steak, but the steamed egg, the apple pie, and even the salad—they all looked charred on the outside, but the insides were perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor.
“This level of culinary skill! You truly are amazing, Miss! It seems not just anyone can be a headmaster!”
“This is practically magic-level skill. How did you manage this?”
“I… honestly have no idea.”
Am I dreaming?
“Miss?”
“Ow, ow… Nope, it hurts, so it’s definitely not a dream.”
“Well, then hurry and eat! These dishes are so good they might disappear before you know it.”
“…Y-Yeah!”
I wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but since it was clear the cooking was a success, it was time to sit back and enjoy it.
“Wow, this is so delicious!”
“Absolutely perfect. I knew Eve’s cooking would be amazing.”
“Miss, you’re the best!”
Hmm.
If I had to guess, maybe some latent culinary genius deep inside me had suddenly awakened?
If that wasn’t the case, I had no explanation for what just happened.
But, oh well. Good is good, right?
I pushed aside the confusing thoughts and focused on savoring my incredible culinary triumph.
I eagerly picked at this dish and that, marveling at the flavors.
“It’s so good!”
“So tasty!”
“This is amazing!”
Kind people, delicious food shared together, and a cozy dinner in a wooden house surrounded by the natural scent of the forest.
“Wow!”
Is this what it means to be carried away by the atmosphere?
As my stomach filled, warmth spread through me, and I started to relax.
All sorts of thoughts swirled in my mind.
Not long ago, every day had felt overwhelming, just a struggle to survive.
But now, I had found a precious family and formed cherished bonds.
“This is nice, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I’ve never experienced such a warm atmosphere before.”
“Hmm? Harp, just what kind of life have you lived?”
“Me? Hmm, I’ve been through a lot. But I’m happy now, so it’s fine.”
Like a salad, where each ingredient brings its own unique flavor, everyone gathered here had lived entirely different lives, in entirely different worlds.
“Shall we gather like this again sometime?”
“Not a bad idea. How about tomorrow?”
“I don’t like that idea.”
“Haha, Harp, your prickly attitude is just like a cat’s.”
“Stop patting my head.”
“Oops, they say children take after their parents. Even what you say is the same.”
“I’m not a child; I’m the headmaster!”
“It’s just a joke.”
There wasn’t any alcohol on the table, yet everyone seemed intoxicated.
Intoxicated by one another.
“Haah… You know, Eve, I think it’s a blessing that you came to our village.”
“I think so too. I’m glad Alex was the first person I met here. Oh, and Harp too, of course.”
“I agree. If Miss Eve hadn’t been here… if I hadn’t followed the light from the orphanage that day… ugh, I don’t even want to imagine it.”
Though it hadn’t been long since we’d met, and though there was still so much we didn’t know about one another…
“Oh, right. Harp, what do you think about visiting the village?”
“…What are you scheming, Alex?”
“Scheming? I just want to introduce you to the villagers, that’s all. No other reason, haha.”
“Don’t worry too much. Nothing bad will happen. The villagers are friendly toward beastfolk, and if anything does come up, this old man will take care of it. You have nothing to fear.”
“I’m here too!”
“Miss…”
Because we had reasons to trust and rely on one another.
Because we each carried a belief that this bond would never be broken.
“And it’s personal too… I don’t ever want to see a child suffer again.”
“Alex…”
“…Ugh, why the sudden shift to a sentimental mood? Fine, I’ll go already.”
“Harp, you don’t have to push yourself.”
“…It’s fine, Miss. If I’m going to keep living at the orphanage, it’s something I’ll have to get used to anyway.”
“Alright, but if you feel embarrassed, just stick close to me.”
“Got it… I will!”
This moment, where just looking at each other brought happiness, felt more precious than anything else.
Truly.
But happy moments always seem to pass too quickly.
Before we realized it, the mountains of food and the endless stories had all disappeared, and the dim sky outside had turned pitch black, so dark we couldn’t see a step ahead.
“See you next time~!”
“Next time… come if you want, or don’t.”
“Take care! And don’t step outside, no matter what—it’s dangerous!”
“Who are you calling a kid? I won’t go out, okay?”
“I’m serious! Don’t even think about it! It’s incredibly dangerous out there!”
Reluctant to leave, Alex gave us several more warnings before finally trudging away with his heavy steps.
“Is he always like that?”
“Yeah. Despite how he looks, Alex worries a lot.”
“It’s so dark outside… I wonder if he’ll make it back okay.”
“Of course, he will. Alex is super strong. Oh? Wait, Harp, are you worried about Alex? You are, aren’t you?”
“Wha—no! I mean… it’s just really dark out, that’s all.”
Look at Harp, even worrying about someone now. How admirable.
It seemed sharing dinner with Alex had been a good thing.
At some point, she’d started making eye contact with him and chatting easily.
Maybe she wasn’t as shy anymore.
You’ve grown, Harp!
“Th-thank you, but… um, Miss, since Alex is gone now… uh, well…”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Th-that… uh… never mind…”
That? What’s “that”?
Oh, wait. Could it be?
Now that I thought about it, it was late, and we’d just eaten, so it was probably close to bedtime.
“Harp, you’re surprisingly impatient, huh?”
“W-well… ugh.”
It made sense.
Kids tend to need a lot of sleep.
After a big meal, she must have been feeling sleepy.
Post-meal drowsiness was no joke.
“Well, I’ll just lie down for now. Do you want to wash up first, Harp?”
“…Oh! Y-yes, of course! I’ll be quick!”
“You don’t have to rush.”
I had wanted to wash up first—getting cleaned up and going straight to bed was one of life’s little pleasures.
But I decided to let Harp go ahead.
Unlike me, she’d been outside for a long time earlier, sweating and likely feeling sticky and uncomfortable.
“I’ll be back soon!”
“She’s in such a hurry.”
Clatter, clatter.
Harp practically dashed to the bathroom, her hurried movements louder than usual.
It felt uncharacteristic for her and made me feel a little sorry.
How uncomfortable must she have been to move that urgently?
…I should’ve told her to wash up before dinner.
“Hup—”
With that thought, I flopped onto the bed.
Taking care of a kid is tougher than I expected.
I wish she’d let me know whenever something was bothering her.
But maybe it was because she’d been through so much—she had grown so mature that she didn’t show her discomfort easily, even when she wasn’t feeling well.
It made me worry.
She doesn’t need to act so grown-up around me.
She should just let herself be a kid.
“Ah, well… time will sort things out.”
Hoping that the day Harp could fully let go of her burdens would come soon, I surrendered to the weight of my drooping eyelids.
I really shouldn’t fall asleep like this…
I need to wash up…