[masterlist] the recipes for... | kurama ushio novel translation [18trip]
Foreword: Ushio often uses fandom slang or terminology. These have been appropriated to English-speaking fandom terms to the best of my ability. While his novel does not contain explicit spoilers for the main story, it reveals much-needed context for how he acts.
Content Warnings are present where necessary at the beginning of each chapter.
the recipes for... | track 5 ― fondant au chocolat
Translation: en
Proofreading: aca, dimi, kimi, myun, jay, jelly
"PatiBattle? Are patissiers going to battle...?"
And so, that evening…
After I got home and had some snacks, I happened to glance at the TV that the Robo-Mama had needlessly put on for me.
"PatiBattle? Are patissiers going to battle…?"
I had time to kill, so it was really just by accident that I happened to see the anime that was airing on the TV.
"…Huh?"
I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.
"Wow, this looks cool…"
I'd discovered something.
"This is crazy…!"
I had… discovered something amazing.
PatiBattle. Chiyoda Reito. It was like I'd been crossed by fate and destiny.
"…"
I watched in rapt silence. Something felt like it was clicking into place inside of me.
PatiBattle was everything that I desired from the bottom of my heart: a story packed full of excitement, youth, and friendship.
My heart couldn't stop pounding in pure excitement.
Before my eyes, colour returned to the ashen grey remains of my world after the fire had incinerated everything.
"Aah…"
Seeing the protagonist and his rival compete against each other, and then exchanging praises and hugging each other after a good match brought me almost to the point of tears.
Suddenly, I remembered what Muu-chan had told me earlier.
"I'd like to give you a hug."
It was then that I realised…
I'd thought that I'd hated everything in the world― but there was still one thing I loved dearly: Muu-chan.
I'd regained one thing that I loved.
"…"
In the blink of an eye, the credits were already rolling.
The original author's name was shown in the credits, so I supposed it must have originally been a manga. Following my curiosity, I found myself ordering the volumes online before I could think better.
While I was madly typing away on my phone, Robo-Mama aimlessly peered at my screen.
"…Hey."
"…"
"Recently, you've been turning on the lights while you do chores, and you turn on the TV now, too."
"…, …"
"Are you… looking out for me?"
"This is just between you and me, but… I don't really hate you that much."
"…"
"Do you want me to try and get you a part that lets you talk? If there even are mouthpieces that can be installed onto older models…"
"…"
At that point in time, it was natural that Robo-Mama couldn't talk.
All she could do was blink her sensor eye.
Besides, her barrel-like cylindrical model meant that she didn't even have a neck, but…
"…"
…But it really did seem like she was nodding in reply.
"Okay, got it."
I thought, maybe I could ask someone at the robotics factory nearby.
"Maybe I could try making sweets, too."
Not only did I regain something I loved that day, I had also found new things to love.
I started to think things like I could try this, or I could try that.
"Since this Reito guy seems cool and he's good with chocolate… let's try making chocolate desserts."
I was able to meet Reito, the character who I love above all others.
I was able to find the ultimate hobby in baking sweets.
And all of it is thanks to PatiBattle.
"…Every time I look at him, my chest feels fluttery… What could that mean…?"
…That was the sort of childhood I had.
---
I was back in my room, decked to the nines with all of the nuis and merch that I could never put in my dorm room.
As I closed my copy of Shounen Dive, I let myself sink into a million fantasies.
"It's still so good no matter how many times I read it… Even though I got spoiled by those annoying idiots, it didn't take away all the fun…! Besides, Reito and Minoru partnering up really is a genius move for the story! Even though Ouji will definitely get jealous…"
The freshly made fondant au chocolat resting on the table beside me was giving off a wonderful aroma.
I had taste-tested some crumbs earlier, so naturally, I was quite pleased with the fact that I had made such exquisite sweets.
Tomorrow, I'll give some to Muu-chan and his sister.[1]
I couldn't wait to see their happy faces.
Just like that, my bad day from overhearing those spoilers had turned into a wonderful day, thanks to my daily sweets-making.
"I've got high hopes for all the fanfiction writers… May there be tons of fic about Reito gently consoling a depressed, jealous Ouji…"
Honestly, I prefer spicy food, and I don't like sweet foods that much at all.
But I still want to keep baking sweets.
"Aah… I can't wait for Sanseiu-sensei's newest work…! I hate the crowds at conventions, but if I could meet them and shake their hand… or not. At the very least, I've got to give them sweets as a gift…"
Even despite everything, I want to be able to touch, too. I want to be able to hug someone else, and be hugged by them back…
…But I can't do that.
"Now then, time to see what new posts there are today… Ugh, there's already ReiMino here? And… blocked."
Instead, I'll make the most delicious, satisfyingly sweet desserts so that one day, I can give them to the people I care about.
"What? They're rerunning that pair tapestry from last time!? And you can't even pre-order? It's like they want to see a fucking bloodbath out here!"
If they like my desserts, then it'll be like touching their hearts instead. Isn't that already the same as a hug?
"Crane game limited nuis… Alright, guess I'll have to just rescue each and every Reito from the grasp of those claws."
That's why I'll keep making the sweetest, most delicious chocolates.
A few hours later, I wrapped up the fondant au chocolat and stuck a sticky note on it with instructions: Just heat it up in the microwave when you want to eat it.
Now that my work was done, I decided to return for PatiBattle seconds, but just as I settled in, something flashed before my eyes.
"Huh? What?"
Right before my eyes…
[ PatiBattle! Hiatus Announcement ]
…A sentence straight from the depths of Hell.
"Huh…? Huh? Hah??"
The sound of every single cell in my body simultaneously being annihilated echoed in my ears.
---
[1] Ushio specifies Muneuji and 姫 hime, which means 'princess'. Muneuji calls his little sister by this nickname, so it's very likely that Ushio is referring to her!
Translation: en
Proofreading: aca, dimi, kimi, myun, jay, jelly
Content Warning: light jokes about death
PatiBattle is my life.
A masterpiece containing the quintessential element, the character that gives meaning to my very existence— yeah, you heard that right: his name is Chiyoda Reito.
PatiBattle is my life.
A masterpiece containing the quintessential element, the character that gives meaning to my very existence— yeah, you heard that right: his name is Chiyoda Reito.
---
"Come the hell on, if I don't get there soon, it might all be gone…!"
I was held back after school for ages by the teachers today. Some lecture about my behaviour in class or something.
Stuff like my attitude being all over the place, or reading manga under my desk in class…
But why today, of all days?
Of course, I just had to run my mouth and say that I'd listen any other day, please let me off just for today… but that just ended up adding oil to the fire and I got held back even longer.
[ Next Restock TBA ]
"…"
I flew into the anime shop I frequented and stopped in front of the display case for newly stocked merch.
I hadn't been able to pre-order, so all the merch I wanted had all already been snagged.
"Seriously… I wish this would stop happening…"
And it's just my luck that I don't have any friends I can ask to buy merch for me.
"'Restock TBA'…? The very concept of this should fuck right off."
Student life may as well be slavery.
Sure, pointing and laughing at the working class and calling them corporate slaves has been a thing since ages ago, but isn't being a student pretty much the same thing?
At these places called 'schools', you're physically limited to what you can do, you're forced into doing club activities after school, and even once you get home, you've gotta do homework or chores… All that takes up a shit ton of time.
Adults always overestimate the amount of free time we kids have.
"Fuck…!"
Despite all of that, somehow I'm making do with the little free time I have.
Attending events, making shrines, exchanging official and blind box merch, buying out merch stocks[1], nui outings, birthday pilgrimages…
"Aah… my life has no meaning anymore… Just end me already…"
I just couldn't take it any longer. I stumbled out of the store, and, after sparing only a glance to make sure no one was around, started hitting my head against the wall, over and over. Over, and over, and over.
I failed. I'm a failure. I'm sorry, Reito, I'm so sorry that I couldn't bring you home.
The theme for the acrylic standee set this time around was 'Training Camp - First Year, Winter ~Wedding Cake~'.
A set that dressed every single character in exquisite bridal attire.
Not being able to get something like that on the day of its release is absolutely unforgivable. I might as well just die.
The way back was freezing cold. The weather sucked ass, too.
---
Today, I decided to go home instead of returning to the dorms.
Here, I can do whatever I want without anyone getting in my way.
"…Yeah, I guess it'll do."
My feelings of frustration needed some kind of outlet. All of the love I was so ready to shower on my new standee had to go somewhere, too — so I eagerly channelled it into something else.
"Aren't you looking pretty good now?"
I held up my apron, extremely pleased with the crooked rows of can badges and pins that covered its entirety. Naturally, the apron was in Reito's image colour.
And right over the chest, where my new merch should have been, shone in its place a new, extra-large aluminium standee.[2]
That's right. In this patisserie kitchen, we don't have ita-bags — we have ita-aprons, obviously.
"I've gotta finish this before Reito's birthday…"
I guess you could say it's like a way of measuring love.
If this weight is the weight of my love, then even if it's heavy because of how many things I've slowly added to it, I can't get enough. I just can't get enough of the insanity of wearing it.
Merch of Reito is in ridiculously high demand, so it's really not great for my wallet, but… I'm fine with that.
Because only then does it feel like I'm giving up even my soul for Reito.
"Now then…"
Finally satisfied with my sparkling, gleaming rows of badges, I moved onto the next part of my daily routine — checking socials.
After all, numerous new fanworks are being created every day.
"Searching for… 'PatiBattle!'…"
With great enthusiasm, I searched for every single keyword that I could think of.
'Patissier Battle', 'Chiyoda Reito', 'ReiOu', 'Rei0u', 'ChocoPudding'…[3]
"Damn, this person's art is so good… wait— wait, they drew this!? This is insane! Fuck, oh fuck… I can't take it, it's so radiant that I can't even look at it properly…!"
This must be what it means to be happy. Being able to see the masterpieces being born every day is happiness.
While happily wading through my feed, I spent hours lost in the online world.
"…Ah."
There it was: Reito/Shouta.
And… blocked. It's like I never saw it in the first place.
It really was a shame that they didn't understand the better dynamic. But staying in your own lane makes the world go 'round, so never having to see it again was good enough.
And finally, after checking everything else, I'd left the best for last:
"Sanseiu-sensei…!"
Sanseiu-sensei, the god of ReiOu. Even if they hadn't uploaded anything new, I could spend hours rereading all of their older works.
"What's wrong? Could it be… is that embarrassment I see?"
"H-hey! I still can't believe it… What would someone like you see in me…?"
"If you keep saying things like that, I'll just go ahead and eat you up."
"Mmph…!?"
"…Delicious."
"R-Reito-kun!"
"Aren't you so sweet? Maybe… even sweeter than chocolate."
"Aaah, it's still this good every time I read this!? Even though I've read it before? This flavour never gets old no matter how many times I reread it! Seriously! What the fuck! I'm gonna go insane!"
After rolling around on my bed, I grabbed my pillow and screamed into it while writhing in glee.
How was I supposed to remain sane after reading that!?
"It's so cute! It's so cute that I'm gonna die! Killing me directly would be less painful, Sanseiu-sensei!"
Throwing my emotions into this much disarray… that was the power of the great Sanseiu-sensei.
I'd heard that they tabled at a large convention a few months ago, but…
"I wanna meet them and thank them…!"
I wanted to go so badly, but…
"…I can't deal with crowds…"
---
[1] 無限回収 mugen kaishuu refers to the act of buying the same merch over and over without caring about the cost. If you've ever seen one of those huge birthday shrines with a million of the same pins? That's the energy.
[2] アルミ arumi basically is a shortened form of ‘aluminium’. This could refer to a can badge, but it could also be an aluminium standee, which is a cutout of an artwork from an aluminium can. Since Ushio is saying that instead of the acrylic standee, he got an arumi, and also that he mentioned can badges earlier, I've gone with this option.
[3] 礼王 is Ushio's OTP, Reito/Ouji. He'll explain this later! After this, he searches for 礼玉. Note that 玉 looks like 王; it's pretty common to use something to censor part of the name so that it doesn't appear in searches. I've replaced the O with a 0 to replicate the same effect since it wouldn't make much sense to literally transcribe it. 'ChocoPudding' is another version of their ship name (which he will also explain later).
Translation: en
Proofreading: aca, dimi, kimi, myun, jay, jelly
Content Warning: severe ptsd symptoms
In just a single night, I lost everything.
All that remained in my world were things I 'hated'.
In just a single night, I lost everything.
All that remained in my world were things I 'hated'.
"Maybe we should put Ushio-kun in the orphanage. He's been nothing but trouble."
"He was much better behaved when we met him before. The fire must have done something to his personality."
For a while, I was taken in by relatives, but because I was a problem child, they ended up sending me to the orphanage ― so naturally, I hated my relatives.
"Ushio-kun has… a difficult personality, and he conducts himself poorly… But I suppose it might be natural after that happened to him."
"I really do think he's a good kid at heart… But going so far as to be violent to the other kids is…"
"Even if we tell him off, he's never stopped…"
Because I kept pushing away the other kids at the orphanage, they ended up kicking me out ― so I hated the orphanage, too.
Nobody knew what to do with me at this point, so my relatives prepared an apartment for me to live in with a Robo-Mama.
"…"
"What's this run-down, outdated Robo-Mama? Is it second-hand?"
"…"
"It doesn't even have the function to talk… I want the newest model."
I hated the lawyers who wouldn't let me freely use the money I inherited from my parents 'for the sake of my future'.
I hated the weird Robo-Mama who couldn't even speak and ran around doing chores in the dark.
I hated having to go through painful rehabilitation that forced me to over-exert my body.
I hated entering elementary school late.
I hated the black schoolbag I had to use after the green one my father bought for me from the department store was lost in the fire.
"Waaaaaah, Ushio-kun pushed me!"
"Aah, Shinmura-kun fell over! You can't do that, Ushio-kun!"
"I'm gonna tell the teacher on you!"
I hated the classmates who pointed the blame at me even though I barely even knew them.
"Ushio-kun, how many times have I told you not to push other people!? Shinmura-kun was just messing around and touched you from behind."
"…"
"Look, Shinmura-kun grazed his hands. If you did something wrong, you should apologise. Why did you push him?"
"I― I… said, to stop…"
I hated Shinmura-kun, who kept messing around even though I told him to stop.
I hated the teacher, who sided with the injured even though I didn't do anything wrong.
"…I hate germs."[1]
In the end, I didn't want to tell anyone the truth.
---
Since I kept pushing them away and hurting them, my classmates stopped coming near me.
Even the teachers would seem on edge when I was around, so I was completely, totally alone.
That's why I hated anything and everything.
The only place I felt comfortable was the rooftop of the school building. Nobody would go there, so I had it all to myself.
Even so, there were times when the rooftop was too hot or too cold, so I didn't like it that much.
"Haah…"
As I absentmindedly sighed, I heard a heavy, metallic sound, and the door to the rooftop slid open.
"So you were here, Uu-chan."
It was Muu-chan. His pretty, princess-like face was clouded over with worry.
"I heard about what happened in the classroom. The teacher got angry at you?"
"…"
Muu-chan stood next to me, looking out beyond the fence.
As I watched the same setting sun, we fell into a shared silence.
"Uu-chan?"
"Mm?"
"You said you hated germs. That's a lie."
"…"
"You don't like being touched, right?"
"Tch…"
As he spoke, he took a half-step sideways towards me…
"Is it because, after the fire―"
…But no matter what, he would always make sure not to touch me.
"―you had to have all of your skin replaced?"
Only Muu-chan had noticed.
Being touched made my skin tingle. It felt gross and I hated it, so I ended up avoiding others and pushing them away.
The doctors at the hospital said it was a mental after-effect.
…Basically, it was just something my mind had made up.
In short, I'd given up. I'd given up on my relatives, on school, on getting better.
Even though I loved everything…
…It turned out like this.
So I hated, hated, hated that even my own body had changed so much.
"…"
After a moment of silence, Muu-chan took out two paper sumo wrestlers from his pocket.
"We might not be able to wrestle any more, but we can do this instead."
"…"
"Let's wrestle again some day. When that day comes―"
Muu-chan held out the stronger-looking paper sumo wrestler to me.
"―I'd like to give you a hug."
"Mm…"
"Do you want to sleep over tonight?"
I shook my head. That robot would just be pointlessly waiting for me with the lights turned on, after all.
The sleeves of my tracksuit bloomed with the pitiful stains of my tears as I pretended to wipe my nose.
The sunset that seemed as if it would set the whole world ablaze stretched on forever into the horizon.
I don't think I'll ever be able to forget this day.
---
[1] Specifically here, Ushio says けっぺき症 keppeki-byou, which is a more formal term for being a germaphobe or a clean freak, but saying "I'm a germaphobe" kinda feels awkward in English, so I decided to reword it slightly.
Translation: en
Proofreading: aca, dimi, kimi, myun, jay, jelly
School. Classroom. Lunch break.
After eating my lunch, I spent the rest of my break at my seat, devotedly poring over manuscripts as usual.
School. Classroom. Lunch break.
After eating my lunch, I spent the rest of my break at my seat, devotedly poring over manuscripts as usual.[1] I had been holding back from spending because of yesterday's standee, but now that yesterday had happened, I had impulsively splurged on as many of the doujinshi that had escaped my grasp as I could.
"…"
Even though I had been reading in little spurts during class breaks, there were still pages upon pages to read.
This must be heaven.
Really, I couldn’t care less about school and classes. I was happy in this little world of my own.
And so, while I was carefully keeping a straight face — despite the wonderful world of ReiOu I was drowning in — I overheard the voices of a couple of girls whose names I didn't even know.
"Hey, have you read today's pre-release issue of Weekly Shounen Dive yet?"
"Not yet!"
I mean, I'd already gotten my hands on it, of course.
"Listen, listen! In the new PatiBattle chapter, Reito and Minoru partner up!"
"…Tch."
Without even thinking, I stood up from my seat.
Are they stupid? Just saying spoilers like that? Something's gotta be wrong with them. At this point, it might as well be a public nuisance.
I didn't want to catch another stray bullet coming my way, so I quickly made for the door.
"Get this: they're getting along really well!"
"…"
The comment reached me as I was walking away, scoffing internally.
A new ship being born?
Whatever. I'll gladly crush new ships without any substance under my heel.
---
"Ugh, it's no use, I can't concentrate. It's all their fault…"
Not even seeking refuge in the Home Economics classroom had helped me concentrate on reading at all. As I'd expected, my mind only kept wandering.
It's all their fault for yapping spoilers all over the damn place! The hell do you mean Reito and Minoru partnered up?
Minoru… Ugh, that Kaju Minoru!
I had been planning to quietly read the new chapter in the safety of my room once I got home, but now, all I wanted to do was dash back to the classroom and check what really was in the new chapter.
"I can't believe people are shipping it, but I guess things are getting interesting…"
That was the charm of the manga that had me in a chokehold: PatiBattle!, which had been serialising in Weekly Shounen Dive for years.
With a super-elite boarding school as a stage, its students each aim to be the world's finest patissier. A passionately youthful story harmonising dessert battles and friendship.
"The pinnacle of entertainment, the peak of passion… that's PatiBattle."
PatiBattle's Chiyoda Reito: the favourite to top all faves.
Just saying that his specialty is chocolate and that he's the good-looking type obviously isn't enough to describe everything about him.
Those girls from earlier must have mistaken Reito's partner as Kaju Minoru, because Reito's partner will always, always be the source of their one-sided rivalry: Tentsuki Ouji.[2]
Putting Ouji's specialty, pudding, with Reito's chocolate makes for the cutest ever ship name, ChocoPudding, but the hell do you get when you put Reito and Minoru together? ChocoFruits??[3]
"I seriously can't believe it~."
I guess the ship name is pretty cute. Putting chocolate on anything makes it cute, after all.
That's what makes Reito amazing.
…But ReiMino is a no-go. My body would violently protest against it.
I knew my own NOTPs, but that didn't make me less of a picky otaku. Frankly, it's physically impossible for me to agree with every single interpretation of ReiOu that's out there anyway.
But even so… there does exist a one-and-only god whose vision I revere above all else: Sanseiu-sensei.
I want to go to that convention.
I want to meet them someday.
I want to shake those hands that have created so many masterpieces…
And so, while I was draped over the table and lost in those rambling thoughts—
"So you were here, just as I thought. I was looking for you since you weren't in the classroom."
"Muu-chan…"
The door to the Home Economics classroom opened, and Muneuji — the one person in the world who I could trust — stepped inside.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing. What're you doing here, Muu-chan? …Ah."
Just as I was about to stand up, my phone slipped from my grasp…
…And clattered to the floor right at Muu-chan's feet.
"…!"
Right there, on full display, was the page I had been reading ― a steamy handholding scene between Reito and Ouji…[4]
―Crap! Muu-chan's gonna see!
I flew into action. Desperately, I reached down to grab my phone, but just as I did so, Muu-chan also bent down―
"Uwah―"
"Waah―!"
I bumped into Muu-chan's chest, sending us both crashing to the floor. I could feel his face, his hands, his arms…
"―ngh, ah―"
Instantaneously, a shock pulsed through my body.
The sensation of every hair on my body standing on end grossed me out so much that I scrambled back in a panic.
All the while tightly clutching my phone.
I knew I had been rude, but all Muu-chan did, already understanding my situation, was slightly knit his brows in worry.
"Is your body alright?"
"…Mm. Sorry."
"It's not a problem. Don't worry about it."
…Really, everything just sucks.
Even though I trust Muu-chan this much.
Dealing with this body's shitty tendencies… Not being able to use my money however I want because of the lawyers' administration… Not even being able to walk through crowds to meet Sanseiu-sensei.
If only―
If only that hadn't happened.
---
[1] He specifically says 同人誌データ doujinshi data here, which means a finished manuscript for a doujinshi, which is then sent to a publisher to get published. Ushio is reading them on his phone; it's implied that they were uploaded somewhere after being physically published.
[2] Ushio doesn't specify which side the one-sided rivalry comes from, just that there is one, but I've taken some context from ch5 and very broadly applied it here to assume the rivalry is Ouji → Reito. It could as well be Reito → Ouji, who knows!
[3] Minoru's name means 'fruit'. Yeah. Literally. His full name together means… 'fruit tree fruit'.
[4] Ushio uses 叡智 eichi here to describe the scene. Literally, it means 'knowledge', but in this context, it's used as an censor for 'ecchi', which has a similar sound and means 'erotic' or 'sexy'. I went with 'handholding' instead as a censor; it doesn't have the same play on words, but serves the same purpose!
Translation: en
Proofreading: aca, dimi, kimi, myun, jay, jelly
Content Warning: fire and fire-related injuries
Years ago, when I was still a child...
There was a time where I 'loved' everything the world had to offer.
Years ago, when I was still a child…
There was a time where I 'loved' everything the world had to offer.
I still remember the kitchen of the house I lived in as a kid.
That day, while my mother was making curry, I ran into the kitchen and jumped on her back while she was hunched over the stove.
Putting on a pleading face, I made myself look as if I was on the verge of tears.
"Mama~! Big Sis is bullying me!"
"Hm?"
My mother turned around, a perplexed smile on her face.
"That won't do. You've got to be a good sister and not bully your little brother."
At the entrance of the kitchen, my sister's mouth sharpened into a pout as she started to complain.
"But Ushio wants my sweets! He should eat his share! These are mine!"
"Mamaaaa~ Big Sis is a bullyyyy!"
"Oh, don't cry, Ushio! How about this? I'll buy cookies for you later."
"Really!?"
"Ugh, Mom, you spoil Ushio too much. If you just give him what he wants every time he cries, he won't grow up into a proper adult!"
"Mamaaaa, Sis is being meaaaaaaaan!"
"Now, don't talk like that to your brother."
I wouldn’t say all of it, but if I had to guess, I'd say at least part of my personality was inherited from my sister.
She was always strong-willed and overflowing with sarcasm, and she would always bully me, but…
"Oi, Ushio. Come here."
"Why…?"
"I'll give you a little. Just a little, okay? 'Cause it's annoying when you're crying like that."
―Because I loved my sister, who actually was kind underneath her words, I guess I did end up a little bit similar to her.
"Making dinner this early?"
At that point, my father entered the kitchen, craning his head towards the pot on the stove.
He must've been enticed by the fragrance of the curry.
"I have archery practice today, so once I've finished cooking, I'll take Ushio to the dojo with me."
"Alright. But is it super spicy again today? Papa's stomach hasn't been great recently…"
"Well, if it's not spicy, then is it really curry?"
Hearing that, my father burst into laughter, and my mother's laughter soon joined his.
I loved my carefree, kind father, and his constant laughter, too.
"Alright, it's done. Let's get going, Ushio! While Mom is practicing, you can play with Muneuji-kun!"
The archery dojo that my mother had taken me to since I was a baby ― that too, was something I loved.
---
Once a week, the archery dojo Muu-chan's family ran would hold a class for the general public.
My mother had been one of the students of that class, and she had almost reached a level where she could participate in tournaments.
The teacher of the class was Muu-chan's mother, and so, as mothers of around the same age, even I could tell that they were good friends.
"Good afternoon! Let's have a good lesson today!"
"Welcome, Kurama-san. Let's have a good lesson, shall we?"
"Here, this is for you! We're having super spicy curry again today, but I made too much as usual, so do take some…"
"Oh my, thank you~! You don't know how much I love your super spicy curry. Next time we make it, you should take some of our extra-sweet stew home with you."
"Really? You're too kind!"
"Fufu. Now then, shall we begin?"
The sound of the arrows hitting the target was always so cool, so I loved waiting for my mother's practice to finish.
"Uu-chan."
"Ah! Hi, Muu-chan!"
"Good afternoon. Let's play wrestling again today?"
"Yeah, let's!"
Wrestling with Muu-chan while we waited was fun, so I loved that, too.
But what I loved the most was―
"Sorry I made you wait so long, Ushio! I'm done now, so let's go home."
"Mama!"
"Ahaha, if you squeeze me so tightly I'll forget how to breathe, you know? There, there."
―Getting tightly hugged and squeezed by my mother and burying myself into her soft, marshmallow-like body.
"See you, Uu-chan."
"See you, Muu-chan!"
―Shaking hands with Muu-chan and promising to come back and play next time.
"Good practice today, Kurama-san. See you later, Ushio-kun."
―Having my head patted.
―Being touched. Touching. All of it.
Even though I loved it so much…
---
That very night…
I couldn't sleep. I couldn't breathe. It was so hot. When I opened my eyes, all I could see around me were flames.
I called for my mother and my father and my sister, but they didn't reply at all.
And, just as my consciousness was fading away, I was found by rescuers.
"I have a young boy of about 5 years old with me! He has burns sustained to his whole body, consciousness level 2…! Requesting emergency transport!"
They were making fun of the pain I was in. It felt like every inch of my body was being burned to a crisp.
"How awful… he'll need a full-body skin transplant."
Faintly, I heard the faraway voices of the rescuers speaking.
"How are his parents and sister looking!?"
I wanted to see them. Dad, Mom, Sis…
"Unfortunately… we couldn't save them."
In that moment, I realised that I would never see them again.
