Koko-chi Is Art
In both hands, flowers…
No—Koko-chi.
Soft white steam curled upward, and the sharp, mouthwatering aroma rising from the red sauce made me swallow hard. Beneath that glossy crimson glaze lay a batter that wasn't overly crispy—just the perfect texture—and the sight of it stirred something deep in my chest.
I brought the skewer in my left hand gently to my lips and carefully bit off the tip.
Crunch.
And right after that came the moist, tender give of the meat. The sauce—sweet, yet with just the right kick of heat—wrapped around my tongue, and a single drop slid free, landing sticky on my chest.
With every chew, that beautiful texture and flavor moved my very soul.
This… was art.
The moment my teeth sank into the Koko-chi, a sea of red sauce surged through my mind, and chickens dressed in batter like formal evening wear swam through those crimson waters. In that process, any chicken that hadn't been fried just right failed to survive. Only the chicken clad in the most exquisite batter endured the fierce competition and reached the skewer—and then, with solemn reverence, it parted its own flesh and slid itself onto the stick, piece by piece.
That was how Koko-chi was completed.
No one would dare call this mere chicken on a stick. I would make sure of it.
Koko-chi was art. Koko-chi was beauty. Noble by its very existence, it delivered pure emotion to the living.
I was Elysia—the one who loved and protected every beauty in this world. And to those who insulted Koko-chi, I would deliver the most agonizing punishment imaginable.
For example: never letting them see my face again for the rest of their lives.
Surely some people, forced to live without gazing upon a face this beautiful, would choose death of their own free will…
And if they did, I would gladly place a crystal flower made from my tears before their graves.
Along with eight takeout Koko-chi.
And once the mourning was over, I would share Koko-chi with my friends.
One for Tania. One for Adele. One for Luna. One for Rina.
And four for me.
I was standing by the roadside, lost in that happy daydream, eating the Koko-chi in both hands, when—
"…Ah."
I ran straight into Yi Siyun and Carmen, who happened to be passing by.
The moment our eyes met, Siyun went "Hik!" and flushed bright red, whipping her head away.
"You…"
Carmen's glare swept over me—then flicked, just briefly, across the Koko-chi in my hands.
Huk. Does she want some?
But even for Carmen, I could not give up my Koko-chi. That would be an insult to the skewer that had been waiting so patiently to be eaten by me.
It was absolutely not because I was still sulking over her leaving me behind last time.
I pulled the Koko-chi protectively against my chest.
"I'm not giving you any."
"…?"
Carmen's face twisted into pure incredulity.
"I wouldn't eat it even if you offered."
"…What?!"
She wouldn't eat it even if I gave it to her…?
How could a person be like that? Was she… dismissing Koko-chi?
But Carmen was pretty, so I supposed it was possible.
Ah—maybe she'd never tried Koko-chi before, and simply didn't know how good it was?
"Ugh… but these are mine……"
Still… if it meant introducing Carmen to the true beauty of Koko-chi, then maybe just one bite…
I squeezed my eyes shut and held out a skewer with trembling hands.
"I-I'll give you just one bite…"
"No. I'm not eating it."
"…Really?"
"Yes."
Joy at getting to eat all the Koko-chi myself and sorrow at having my one-bite offer rejected crashed together inside my chest. This was Koko-chi I only shared with people who truly mattered… and she'd turned me down.
It felt like a heartfelt confession had just been rejected. My mood plummeted.
"Hic…"
"…Are you crying right now?"
"I'm not……"
But against my wishes, tears rolled down my cheeks one after another.
And at the same time, a voice called my name from behind.
"Elysi… are you crying?"
Luna came trotting up from behind me, and Carmen's expression tightened. She pulled Siyun protectively behind her back.
"Why are you crying?"
Luna had already reached me. She tilted her head and asked.
"Lunaaa…"
"Hm?"
"You know how good Koko-chi is, right?"
At that, Luna snorted a little laugh and nodded.
"Of course. I know perfectly well."
As expected—only Luna. Luna was the strongest.
I glanced between the skewer in my left hand and Luna, then held it out to her a little.
"Want some……?"
"No… you bought that, so you should eat it. Instead…"
Luna gently pushed the skewer aside with her hand—and instead slipped her arm around my waist, drawing me toward her.
With the strength of an Awakener, I couldn't resist. I was pulled right in.
"Eut…!"
Luna dipped her head slightly and licked the sticky sauce that had dripped and trailed down my chest in one smooth stroke.
The ticklish, warm brush of her tongue made me shiver before I could stop myself.
"Kyaah?!"
Beside us, Siyun covered her flaming-red face with both hands and ducked behind Carmen, who looked thoroughly flustered.
Luna licked a few more times, soft and deliberate, then lifted her head to look up at me with a wicked little smile.
"I can have this much for free, right?"
I couldn't resist that smile. I nodded quietly.
"Just one drop of sauce… yeah…"
Luna smirked, slid the hand around my waist a little lower until it rested on my hip, and tugged me gently closer. That captivating smile still on her face, she spoke in a playful tone.
"Let's head back to the classroom. I'm sleepy."
"Okay……"
Of course there was no way I could refuse her. The strength in the hand resting on my hip was no joke.
But… was it just me, or had it gotten a little warmer?
"H-how can they just do th-that outside…!"
Was that really okay, out where everyone could see?
More than that—they were both girls. Was that kind of thing even allowed?
Between girls?
Siyun covered her burning face and groaned, then finally lifted her head—
"Hey, Siyun. You okay?"
The moment she saw Carmen looking at her with worried eyes, her heart started pounding for some reason.
That glossy black hair. That healthy, sun-kissed skin tone, as if she'd been tanning. Those warm dark eyes full of concern, and that gentle touch that was the complete opposite of her usual gruff attitude. Those firm, long limbs—and a chest that looked like it wouldn't even fit in one hand.
"Ah, ahh…"
Her already-hot face grew even hotter. She swayed on the spot, then her foot slipped and she lost her balance.
"Siyun!"
Carmen closed the distance in an instant and caught her around the waist with both hands.
In a flash, the space between their faces shrank—and Siyun found herself noticing things she never usually saw. The long, fine lashes. Lips that looked soft and moist. The faint glimpse of white, cute teeth and tongue between slightly parted lips. The ticklish brush of breath, and the faint tang of sweat mixed into the scent of fabric softener.
She could feel every little detail of Carmen she'd never noticed before.
And that wasn't all.
Because Carmen had caught her so urgently, practically pulling her into an embrace, the chest Siyun had only been looking at a moment ago was now pressed against her own—and the soft sensation came through with startling clarity.
The arm supporting her waist was so solid it made her heart flutter without permission.
"Hey. You okay?"
And then that same offhand way of speaking, as always.
All of it, in this single moment, made Siyun's heart hammer like mad.
"Haah…. I-it wasn't like this usually…"
Mortified, Siyun covered her face with both hands again and mumbled. Carmen looked thoroughly confused.
"Usually? What was different from usual?"
Carmen tilted her head, assuming the words had been directed at her.
But the truth was that Siyun had been talking to her own wildly racing heart—and Carmen would have no idea of that for quite some time yet.
Nom nom.
"Is it good?"
"Mm-hm!"
"Yeah? Hmm…"
I nodded at Luna's question, which somehow felt especially tender. My mouth was still full of Koko-chi, chewing carefully.
Then Luna put on a mischievous look and asked,
"Then maybe I should have just one bite after all?"
"Huh? Uh…… here…"
I made a miserable face and held the skewer out to her.
It was the last piece left on the stick… but for Luna, I could give even my final Koko-chi.
Luna looked at me with playful eyes, then opened her mouth toward the skewer—
"Uuugh……"
—and watched me squirm for a moment before pulling her head back without taking a bite.
"Just kidding, just kidding. You eat it, Elysia."
"I-is that really okay?"
"Of course."
And with that, she gently stroked my hair.
Luna was exactly ten centimeters shorter than me, so she had to lift her arm a little higher. Feeling that ticklish, soft touch, I put the last remaining Koko-chi into my mouth.
As expected—it was the most beautiful flavor of all.