As the line for Shin's curry stretched far across the home economics room, a few students from Class A who had already eaten their portion—tempted by the lingering aroma and unable to resist—tried to sneak their way back in for seconds.
Whack.
Chop.
Tap.
Without even glancing up, Shin's hand lashed out with precise, practiced motions, lightly striking their outstretched hands with crisp karate-chops. The offenders flinched and pulled back immediately.
"No seconds," Shin said flatly, his eyes never leaving the serving ladle. "There might not be enough for everyone."
The students, clearly scolded, slinked away in low spirits. A few grumbled under their breath, but none dared try again.
Class B, watching the scene unfold, chuckled quietly. This was something only they had experienced before—and they found it oddly nostalgic.
Nearby, Kouki Amanogawa watched the scene unfold with growing curiosity. The line remained long—Class 6-B had mostly tasted the curry and already queued again, while Class 6-A students were still midway through their first round.
He glanced at the pot, then at his classmates... then finally, his gaze fell upon Kaori and Shizuku, who were seated at a nearby table, their plates already half-empty.
With a casual smile, Kouki walked over and sat on the edge of their table."Hey, Kaori, Shizuku... mind letting me have a bite? Just one spoonful."
Kaori blinked. "Huh? But... you didn't line up yet, Kouki-kun."
Shizuku tilted her head, setting her spoon down calmly. "You should line up like everyone else. It wouldn't be fair."
Kouki chuckled, brushing his hair back with a sheepish grin. "Aw, come on. I'm just really curious now. You two are practically glowing. Is it really that good?"
Kaori held her plate protectively. "Yes. Which is why you need to line up."
"...Seriously?"
"Seriously." Both girls said in unison.
Sighing, Kouki stood and looked over at the line again, which somehow looked even longer than before. Still determined, he walked over to a few of his Class 6-A friends waiting mid-line.
"Hey, I was thinking," he said with a grin. "You wouldn't mind letting me swap spots with you, would you? Just this once?"
At first, his classmates hesitated. But Kouki's smile, combined with his natural popularity and the logic of "he probably just wants a quick taste", made them cave easily.
"Sure, I guess... if it's you."
"Thanks! I owe you one!" Kouki gave them a quick high-five and stepped into their spot, only a few people away from the front now.
Soon enough, it was his turn. Kouki stepped forward with a confident smile, holding out his plate.
Shin, however, didn't move. He stared at Kouki, eyes narrowing slightly."...You cut the line."
Kouki blinked. "Huh? No, I swapped with my friend. He gave me his spot."
Shin's voice was calm but firm. "You didn't wait like the others. I can't give you a portion."
Kouki frowned. "But he gave it to me willingly! It's not like I forced anyone. Come on, it's just one plate."
Shin didn't budge."I don't care who gave it. Line order is first come, first serve. If I make exceptions, it wouldn't be fair to those still waiting."
The tension in the air spiked. A few nearby students turned their heads to watch. Kouki glanced at the friend who had let him cut in—he looked just as awkward, shifting his weight nervously.
After a long pause, Kouki sighed and lowered his plate.
"...Alright. My bad."He turned to his classmate and gave a small bow. "Sorry, I'll head to the back."
Shin gave a silent nod and turned to serve the next in line.
Kouki's tone remained polite, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes—confusion, maybe even frustration. He wasn't used to hearing no. Not from adults. Not from classmates. Certainly not from someone like Shin.
Still, Kouki said nothing more.
Shin gave a silent nod and turned to serve the next in line, as if the confrontation never happened.
____________________________________
After feeding both classes and the teachers, Shin silently returned to cleaning up the dishes, stacking plates and rinsing them with practiced motions.
Before he could finish scrubbing the first pot, a chorus of voices called out.
"Leave that to us, Shin!""You already cooked, let us at least do this part!""Yeah, yeah! It's our turn!"
A group of Class 6-B students surrounded him with bright grins and earnest eyes. Shin blinked, caught off guard.
"...You sure?"
"Obviously!" one boy grinned, taking a plate from Shin's hands."We'll do it faster if you're not glaring at the dishes."
Shin paused for a moment before giving a small nod."...Thanks. I'll leave it to you, then."
The students cheered as they took over the cleanup, and Shin quietly made his way back toward the classroom hallway.
But just before he reached the door—
"Takagi-kun!""Wait up!"
Kaori and Shizuku caught up to him, eyes sparkling with excitement. Kaori clutched her stomach dramatically.
"That curry was amazing! I think my soul left my body for a second!"
"I agree," Shizuku added, her tone more reserved but no less sincere. "The flavor was unlike anything I've had before. How did you learn to cook like that?"
Shin tilted his head slightly, surprised by the enthusiasm."...Thank you. I just... cook a lot at the orphanage."
"You made the spices yourself, right?" Kaori leaned forward eagerly. **"That wasn't from the packet.""And the texture of the carrots," Shizuku chimed in, "They were soft, but not mushy. That's difficult to get right."
Before Shin could respond, a new voice cut in:
"Hey, hey—so what's the secret, huh?"Kouki walked over, inserting himself into the circle with a casual grin."You've got everyone enchanted with curry, Takagi. You some kind of chef ninja or something?"
Kaori blinked, slightly thrown off."Kouki, weren't you already headed back to class?"
"I was, but..." Kouki glanced sideways at Shin. "Got curious. I mean, it's rare seeing you two this excited about something not involving swords or sweets."
Shin just shrugged and began answering Kaori and Shizuku's earlier question, completely unfazed by Kouki's interruption.
"...I caramelized the onions first. It brings out their sweetness and deepens the curry's base. Then I mixed a blend of garam masala, turmeric, cumin—"
"Garam... what now?" Kouki scratched his cheek, pretending to follow.
The conversation carried on, with Shin calmly explaining in detail, Kaori asking follow-up questions with genuine admiration, and Shizuku listening intently, occasionally offering her thoughts.
Kouki stood there awkwardly, trying to interject from time to time, but Shin paid him no special attention. Instead, the rhythm of the conversation naturally stayed between the three who had cooked together.
Eventually, the bell rang, signaling the end of the home education period. Students began splitting off toward their respective classrooms.
"We should go," Shizuku said softly.
"Yeah... Thanks again, Takagi-kun!" Kaori beamed."Next time, teach me how to do that onion thing!"
"...If there's time." Shin gave a faint nod before heading back to his room.
The moment he was out of sight, Shizuku turned to Kouki.
"You could've waited until he finished answering our questions."
Kouki blinked."Huh? I was just being friendly."
"It felt more like cutting in."Her tone was calm, but her eyes narrowed slightly."You were acting weird today."
Kouki scratched his head, trying to look innocent."I was curious, okay? I mean, it's not every day you see you two fangirling over curry."
He forced a laugh, but Shizuku didn't buy it. Kouki wasn't used to being left out—not by them. Deep down, she wondered if he even realized he'd been trying to reclaim their attention.
__________________________________
After school — Yaegashi Residence
Shizuku sat in her room, arms crossed on her desk, her gaze distant. The quiet voice, the focused hands, the rich aroma of the curry—everything about Shin lingered in her mind.
"...I know I've smelled that before."
The thought wouldn't leave her. Driven by the feeling, she got up and pulled out an old photo album from her shelf—one from her kindergarten days. She began flipping through the pages, letting memories flicker by.
"Mom," she called out from her room, "do you remember someone named Takagi from back in kindergarten?"
Her mother peeked through the doorway, a teasing glint in her eyes."Takagi? Hmm... Why? Thinking about an old friend?"
"Just curious," Shizuku replied quickly, keeping her tone even.
Her mother smiled knowingly."You're growing up so fast... asking about boys you cooked with, huh?"
"Mooom!" Shizuku groaned, cheeks flushing.
A loud thud echoed from the hallway.
"WHAT!?" x2"Shizuku... with a boy!? GUH—!" x2
Her father's and grandfather's shout was followed by the unmistakable sound of something (or someone) collapsing.
With a long-suffering sigh, her mother turned and started dragging her unconscious husband and father-in-law away by the ankles.
"Honestly... my dear and father never changes. fu ~ fu~"
Shizuku buried her face in her hands, muttering,"...They're both hopeless."
But the teasing faded as she found what she was looking for. Near the back of the album, she paused on a photo from a kindergarten cooking event. The picture was cheerful—children smiling around a large pot of stew—but her eyes went to the edge of the frame.
There, barely within the photo, was a small boy with unkempt hair that draped over most of his face. He sat apart from the others, staring blankly into a bowl of stew.
Shizuku's breath caught.
"...It really was him," she whispered.
The warmth of the curry returned—not just to her memory, but to her heart.The taste from that day... the boy from the corner...She hadn't just met Shin today.
She had remembered him.