Chapter 203: Being Ordinary
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Being Ordinary
To make the hamburg steaks, I took out the canned mackerel and eggs from the fridge and got the other ingredients from the cupboard.
Breadcrumbs, cooking oil, starch, salt, pepper, and so on.
The recipe wasn't very difficult.
First, mix finely chopped onions, breadcrumbs, and beaten eggs in a bowl.
Then, for the mackerel that would replace the meat, I squeezed it firmly by hand to drain the oil, mashed it up, and added it to the onion, breadcrumb, and egg mixture.
The key was to season it lightly with salt and pepper and knead the mixture well until it became sticky.
After that, I just had to shape it like a normal hamburg steak and cook it in a preheated frying pan.
Sizzle!
The hamburg steak began to cook, sizzling as it hit the oil.
It was my first time trying this dish, but from the outside, it looked perfectly fine.
Since I was using fish instead of meat, I had squeezed out all the oil to prevent any potential fishy smell. Thanks to that, only the distinct, savory aroma of cooking protein filled the kitchen.
While the hamburg steaks were cooking, I made a simple sauce using ketchup, soy sauce, and mirin.
I specifically used ketchup not only because its characteristic sourness helps cut through any fishiness, but also because it contains a lot of sugar, making it easy to create the sweet flavor that children love.
Once cooked, I transferred the hamburg steaks to a plate and drizzled the sauce I’d made over them, completing my cooking manga-style mackerel hamburg.
'Time for a taste test.'
Since it was my first time making it, I was a little hesitant to serve it right away.
Using chopsticks instead of a fork, I cut a bite-sized piece of the finished mackerel hamburg.
Slice!
Perhaps because it was made with mackerel, the texture was different from a regular hamburg steak.
Carefully, so it wouldn't fall apart, I dipped the piece in sauce and brought it to my mouth.
Gulp—
"…!"
It was so much better than I had expected that my eyes widened in surprise.
I could say the taste was remarkably similar to a regular hamburg steak.
Confident in the flavor, I beckoned to Ayase's younger brother, who was watching from the living room with eyes full of anticipation.
"Say 'ah'."
Like a baby bird receiving food from its mother, Ayase's younger brother opened his small mouth wide.
I dropped the piece of hamburg steak in. He chewed for a moment, then gave me a big thumbs-up.
"It's delicious!"
"Great. Can you and your sister help set the table? I'll make some fried rice in a bit."
"Okay!"
Ayase's younger brother immediately ran to the living room to call his sister.
I watched him go, then started prepping vegetables for the fried rice his younger sister had requested earlier.
*
""Thank you for the meal!""
"You're welcome."
I smiled warmly and nodded as the two siblings thanked me in unison.
Cooking several dishes at once had created a mountain of dishes to wash, but it was all worth it since they enjoyed the food.
After putting the empty plates in the sink, I placed the freshly made, warm vegetable porridge on a tray and headed upstairs.
Knock, knock!
I knocked just in case, but there was no sound from inside the room.
Opening the door cautiously, I saw Ayase lying in bed, fast asleep and breathing softly.
I couldn't just wake her up when she was sleeping so soundly, so I decided to just leave the tray of porridge and go. I tiptoed toward her desk.
Clink.
Just as I quietly set the tray down and turned to leave.
"…What are you doing?"
Startled by Ayase's voice, who seemed to have just woken up, I whipped my head around.
"Oh, I was just going to leave this here."
"Never mind that, just bring it here."
As she requested, I brought the tray with the porridge to her bedside.
Cough! Cough!
Still letting out small coughs, she sat up and asked me.
"Where are my brother and sister?"
"They ate dinner and are playing in the living room. You don't have to worry."
"…Thanks."
"Like I said before, this is nothing. Just focus on getting better."
I said, handing the tray to Ayase.
"You still have the strength to hold a spoon, right?"
"Of course. What do you take me for?"
She opened the lid of the pot, scooped up a spoonful of the vegetable porridge inside, and put it in her mouth.
"Hagh!"
Her eyes flew open, likely because it was hot.
I quickly poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.
Ayase immediately drank the water to cool her mouth down.
"You should be more careful."
When I said that, she looked at me resentfully with tears welling in her eyes, then started blowing on the porridge before eating.
It wasn't a large portion, so she finished the bowl in no time. Looking like she was finally feeling a bit more alive, she wiped the sweat from her neck with a towel and asked.
"So, when are you planning on leaving? My mom should be home soon."
"I was just about to head home anyway. I've been here for quite a while."
As I replied and stood up with the tray of empty dishes, Ayase quickly reached out her hand.
"Ah, wait a minute."
"What is it?"
"Can I ask you for one more favor?"
"What is it?"
When I asked, looking puzzled, she seemed to find it hard to answer right away, her lips parting and closing a few times before she finally managed to speak.
"Could you… wipe my back? I can manage everywhere else, but I can't reach my back."
"…Your back?"
I froze for a moment at her unexpected request.
Do people normally ask a friend of the opposite sex to do something like that?
My thoughts must have shown on my face, because Ayase waved her hands with a flustered expression.
"I-It's not like that! I'm just asking because I'm worried I'll get my brother and sister sick if I ask them!"
"Well… if that's the case."
As I hesitantly agreed, she handed me a towel soaked in a basin of water.
"Could you turn around for a second?"
"Sure."
I obediently turned my back to her as she asked.
Rustle! Rustle!
The soft sound of fabric brushing against skin reached my ears.
"You can turn back now."
After getting her permission, I turned around again, and an astonishing sight unfolded before me.
Ayase, having taken off even her bra, was facing the wall with her bare back exposed, her shoulders hunched.
"Q-Quickly, do it."
Seeing her shy and embarrassed like a young girl—a sight I could never have imagined from her usual self—I hesitated for a moment, but soon began to wipe her back with the wet towel.
"Hngh!"
Her shoulders trembled with a flinch, probably because of the sudden coldness.
I thought I had gotten used to seeing a woman's naked body after seeing the President's, but apparently not.
The wet towel on her back traced down her spine, stopping just above her tailbone.
'Good thoughts, good thoughts.'
Ayase was showing me her bare skin because she trusted me as a friend. Not wanting to cause any strange misunderstandings, I recited the Heart Sutra in my head as I wiped her sweat-drenched back.
After wiping down her small back once, I immediately turned away and said.
"All done."
"O-Okay?"
It seemed Ayase was just as awkward about the situation, as she immediately started to pick up the clothes she had taken off and put them back on.
After the awkward moment passed, she returned to her original attire and spoke to me, her cheeks slightly flushed, perhaps from the fever.
"Thank you so much for today. You've been a huge help."
"Don't mention it. This is something friends can do for each other."
When I humbly brushed it off, Ayase asked with a slightly tired face.
"So, you'll be heading back soon? I don't think I can see you off in this state."
"It's fine. Your health comes first."
As I said that and stood up with the tray, she let out a long yawn.
"Well then… I'm going to get some more sleep."
"Okay. Rest well."
Hearing my words, Ayase nodded and lay back down on the bed. After confirming she was settled, I quietly closed the door and left.
'I hope she gets better soon.'
I'll just do the dishes and head home for today.
*
Ayase Satsuki is an ordinary high school girl.
Her family consists of a single mother and two younger siblings who are in elementary school.
Her father passed away in a car accident when she was in the second grade, leaving her mother to support the family alone.
Because of this, her family was not well-off during her childhood.
It might have been different with one child, but with three, the costs naturally multiplied.
Her mother, who worked as an editor for a small magazine company, worked day and night to earn enough money to feed her three children.
Naturally, Ayase, as the eldest daughter, took on the role of guardian for her two younger siblings while her mother was away. As a result, she had to grow up fast at an age when she should have been carefree.
She started her first part-time job in middle school.
Unlike now, she wasn't an honor student back then. Wanting to help with the family's finances even a little, she worked various part-time jobs.
Of course, since she was lying about her age, there were times when her pay was withheld, but she was satisfied just by the fact that she was earning money.
However, this led to her neglecting her studies. Her mother found out about her secret part-time jobs, and after a big fight in her second year of middle school, she started looking for side jobs she could do from home.
That was how she discovered the profession of a YouTuber.
Unlike other part-time jobs that required strenuous physical labor, she could easily earn money just by talking and uploading videos of herself playing games.
Of course, the money she earned was only pocket change, but for a middle school student who received a weekly allowance of 1,000 yen, even that was a considerable amount.
At first, she started in a poor environment without proper broadcasting equipment, but her circumstances changed drastically when a company that had recognized her talent early on suggested she try being a Virtual YouTuber.
'Minazuki Luna.'
A virtual female character with purple hair who charmed viewers with a cute voice.
And that became another name—and a profession—for the ordinary girl, Ayase Satsuki.