HA2 24.1 – Simple But Nice Dinner
From Paolo’s place, Hide went straight to pick up Aizawa from Kitaro. As soon as the two arrived at their house, they then carried out the house cleaning as usual. They started it rather late so they couldn’t finish it before lunch time, but it was not a problem. After a simple lunch they continued the cleaning.
Hide couldn’t help but smile every time he saw Aizawa cheerfully did the cleaning. Lately, she did not only become more nimble and stronger. It was clearly visible she also had better endurance.
‘The morning exercise finally shows its result,’ Hide happily muttered. Then, he walked over to Aizawa and helped her finishing her last task to wipe the terrace windows. “Aizawa, I’m sorry you have to help Big Bro clean the house every Sunday.”
Aizawa instantly turned her gaze to Hide and made a big smile. “It’s okay. Helping Big Bro cleaning the house is fun.”
“I see,” Hide happily replying.
The two then finishing today cleaning while having big smile in their face. After that they took a bath, and then enjoying an idle but comfortable atmosphere to slip by, before finally went to Blue Sora to buy groceries just before the sun fully set in the west.
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Even though Aizawa didn’t mind it, Hide actually had a bit of regret to shift their weekly grocery shopping from Saturday to Sunday. It had considerably cut Aizawa’s chance to relax on weekend, whereas it was the only time she could invite Kei and Rei to play with her.
A few days ago, Rei and Kei also invited Aizawa to sleep at their house on Saturday night. Kei and Rei said that as their brother had part-time together at Saturday night, it was only proper if their little sisters were playing and sleeping together at the same schedule.
It was silly excuse. It was also easy to tell that Kei and Rei just wanted to play with Aizawa. However, Hide had no heart to prevent it. Currently, he still tried to find the exact Saturday where he could accompany Aizawa to play with Rei and Kei and stayed overnight at their house.
As for now, because at noon they couldn’t visit Tohru Ramen for a good lunch, Hide planned to make it up by taking Aizawa to have a diner out after their shopping.
As Aizawa arrived before him while carrying a pack of soy sauce Hide asked her, “Aizawa, do you have particular food you want to eat for today dinner?”
“Mmmmm….. No,” Aizawa happily replied while putting down the soy sauce she carry to shopping basket in Hide’s hand. “Everything that Big Bro cook is yummy. Aizawa love it so much.”
“Okay,” Hide weakly said as Aizawa went to find next item in her list.
Hide had never expected that Aizawa didn’t have particular food she wanted to eat, so it fully caught him off the guard like a goof. However, it didn’t enough to make Hide canceled his intention.
As Aizawa returned to him while carrying a pack of butters, the last item in her list, Hide said, “Today Big Bro is a little too tired to cook. Let’s have dinner outside.”
“Okay,” Aizawa replied without making a fuss, while putting the butter to the shopping basket.
“Any place or food do you want to try?”
Aizawa instantly turned her gaze to the empty table and stool in front of Blue Sora. “Can’t we have our dinner over there?”
“Okay,” Hide got caught off the guard for the second time, but he didn’t reject Aizawa’s idea and chose to dig deeper. “But can you tell Big Bro why do you want to eat our dinner over there?”
“When Aizawa was still in East Nichiko Elementary School, Aizawa’s friend always had snacking time over there before going home from school. Only Aizawa went straight home. So, Aizawa want to try it.”
“I see,” Hide said in low voice.
On her way home from school, Aizawa didn’t buy snack with her friends because she had to save her money for Yuko Mountain match and jacket. Hide fully realized it, but he never thought that Aizawa had longing to hang out in Blue Sora’s terrace.
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He thought that taking Aizawa to the match and had dinner in Seiya was enough to make up for his past mistake, but he was wrong. He still could do more for it.
While gently looking at Aizawa, Hide then said, “You decide the menu for today dinner then. Feel free to pick whatever you want.”
“Okay,” Aizawa firmly nodded her head, and she also looked very happy.
‘Well, as long as she is happy with it,’ Hide calmly muttered as Aizawa went to pick their dinner.
Initially, Hide deeply hoped Aizawa would ask him to take her to nearby café or at least bustling street stall they often passed by. However, it could wait. They still had lot of time to spend together. Sooner or later, they would visit various diners, from street stall to fine dining, and had a happy good dinner together.
And so, while having big smile in her face Aizawa brought the menu for the dinner one by one. So far, she picked menchi katsu or minced-meat cutlet, dorayaki or sandwich pancake, tuna-mayo rice ball, apple pudding, and frozen mikan or domestic grown of mandarin orange.
In a glance Hide could tell the menu was very random and childish. Not to mention, Blue Sora had dedicated section for take-out hot meal and provided microwave to warm it up. However, Hide said no words and fully followed Aizawa’s arrangement.
‘Without their childish side, a kid is not a kid anymore,’ Hide casually muttered.
Then, Aizawa returned while carrying a pack of instant ramen. Question mark instantly appeared in Hide’s forehead. “Do you want to eat instant ramen too?”
“Mhm,” Aizawa nodded as she put the instant ramen to shopping basket.
“Well, let’s change it to instant ramen cup,” Hide calmly said. “It’s easier to cook it here.”
“But Aizawa wants to eat it uncooked,” Aizawa said as she gave Hide an expectant look.
“Do you want to eat it uncooked?” Question mark in Hide’s forehead instantly thickened.
“Mhm.” Aizawa firmly nodded and added, “Like when Aizawa ate it with Big Sis Yukino on the trip to Hakaido.”
In reflex Hide recalled that he and Takeo were the one who showed to Yukino how to eat uncooked instant ramen when they had breakfast in Pine Abbot. Yukino then showed it to Aizawa when they were on the bullet train to Hakaido.
At that time, Yukino and Aizawa looked very happy as the two shared and munched a pack of uncooked instant ramen like a pair of bunny. And so, he didn’t want to ruin the memory that Aizawa cherished so dearly.
“I see,” Hide calmly said, “but you can’t eat uncooked instant ramen too often, okay?”
“Okay,” Aizawa obediently nodded.
After a smile Hide then took Aizawa to get their drink. Aizawa happily chose a bottle of mineral water while Hide took a can of non-alcoholic beer. Drinking non-alcoholic beer was like eating ramen without topping. You only got the noodle and the soup, so it lacked the kick that give you satisfied feeling. But Hide didn’t want to drink alcohol when he was with Aizawa, so he settled himself with the kickless beer.
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After paying everything in the cashier, Hide then used the free microwave to warm up the menchi katsu, tuna-mayo rice ball, and dorayaki. After that the two sat in an empty table in Blue Sora’s terrace, and Hide asked Aizawa to arrange their dinner.
“That’s such as nice arrangement,” Hide said after Aizawa finished arranging their dinner.
“Mhm,” Aizawa happily replied.
The two then put their hands together on their chest before offering gratitude for the food. After that, Hide helped Aizawa to crush the instant ramen into small pieces, mixed it with the seasoning, and opened the package into four directions.
After Hide put the ready to eat uncooked instant ramen before her, Aizawa immediately took a piece and happily munched it.
“How is it?” Hide asked.
“It’s tasty,” Aizawa replied while her face was brimming with happiness.
“I see.”
After enjoying a few pieces of uncooked instant ramen, Aizawa switched to menchi katsu. She tore the wrapping paper, and then took a big bite and happily munched it. A moment later, the whole menchi katsu already disappear and Aizawa switched to dorayaki, and it also disappeared in no time.
‘This kid has big appetite,’ Hide happily looked at Aizawa as she enjoyed the frozen mikan.
Then, Aizawa suddenly fixed her gaze at the non-alcoholic beer in Hide’s hand. “Big Bro, is the beer tasty?”
“Sort of.” After a smile Hide added, “This one has bitter after taste, but it can help Big Bro to ease physical tiredness, and prevent over thinking so Big Bro can have a calm and cozy moment. It also goes very well with fried food like menchi katsu.”
“Can Aizawa have a sip?” Aizawa expectantly asked.
“Definitely no,” Hide firmly replied. “You can drink alcohol only after your 20th birthday.”
After puffing her cheek for a moment Aizawa argued, “But Big Bro is still eighteen right now.”
“What Big Bro has right now is a non-alcoholic beer, and eighteen-years-old is the minimum age to drink it.” A lie smoothly slipped through Hide’s teeth.
“Then, can we go to Britiss pub as long as we don’t drink alcohol?”
Big question mark instantly popped up in Hide’s forehead. “Why do you want to go to Britiss pub? The place is not as interesting as you think.”
“But Mommy once told Aizawa that Daddy always took Big Bro along when he met with his co-worker for weekend drinking,” Aizawa casually said.
After a slight smile Hide said, “Yeah, he did.”
“At their first date, Daddy also took Big Bro along to meet Mommy at a Britiss pub,” Aizawa added.
“And so, you want to go to Britiss pub too?” Hide gently asked.
“Yeah,” Aizawa firmly nodded. Then, she gave Hide an expectant gaze. “Can we?”
“Well, if you really want to go to a Britiss pub, Big Bro will take you there.” Hide took a sip of his beer before happily adding, “Let’s finish our dinner and hit some Britiss pub.”
“Mhm,” Aizawa replied while her face was brimming with happiness.
*****
