I Was Reincarnated As a Man who Steals The Protagonist’s Childhood Friend - 9 - Unexpected Visitor

“Welcome back, Aniki”

It became clear to me that this girl standing before me was Chisa, Takeshi’s sister. Memories of their sibling relationship began to resurface in my head, reminding me of the bond they shared. Chisa was in her third year of middle school, and she resided in the family’s home, which was located in a provincial area. Although I couldn’t recall the exact details of their hometown, I made a mental note to delve deeper into Takeshi’s background to fill in the missing pieces after her visit.

“Hey. So, uh, what brings you here, Chisa?”

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.” She seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying.

“Ah, before we dive into that, shall we go inside?” Realizing that she wanted to say something important, it would be more comfortable to converse inside my apartment, I suggested.

Chisa nodded in agreement, and I unlocked the door with the keys in my pocket. Stepping inside, I motioned for her to enter as well. Once inside, I placed the grocery bags on the dining table, stealing a glance at Chisa to see her reaction. To my surprise, she stood frozen near the entrance, her face reflecting a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, genuinely curious about her reaction.

“It’s just… strange. The last time I was here, it was filled with nothing but trash” she remarked, shooting a brief glance in my direction.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of offense at her comment. I wondered why Chisa seemed to harbor such a critical attitude towards her brother. Nevertheless, I chose to brush it off, urging her to come inside.

“Do you really have to say that? Anyways, just come on in already.” I replied, hoping to alleviate any lingering discomfort.

Chisa followed my lead, finding a seat on one of the sofas in the small living room. A modest-sized television was positioned in front of the seating area, offering a source of entertainment. 

“Hey, if you want, go ahead and use the TV. I Just need to change real quick so I’ll be right back” I said to her, making my way towards my room to swap into something more comfortable.

Once I had changed, I started gathering all the ingredients I needed to cook tonight’s dinner. I wanted to make ginger fried pork, a simple and delicious dish. So, I made sure I had everything I needed: the meat, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, clean water, cabbage, and vegetable oil.

I began by washing the thinly sliced pork meat and placing it in a large bowl. Then, grabbing the grater from the kitchen, I started grating the ginger, turning it into a fragrant ginger paste. After that, I added a generous amount of soy sauce, a touch of sugar, and ginger paste into the bowl with the pork, and mixed everything together thoroughly. To balance out the flavors, I added a small amount of water, and then I set it aside to marinate for at least ten minutes, as my phone’s recipe suggested.

Next, I grabbed the chopping board and knife, and started slicing the cabbage into thin strips. I planned to use it as a refreshing side dish to complement the main course.

“Preparations are done. Time to grab the frying pan and start cooking.” I said with a satisfied expression, feeling confident in my culinary skills even though it’s going to be my first time doing this.

I picked up the frying pan and placed it on the stove, adjusting the heat to a moderate level. With a drizzle of vegetable oil, I let it heat up until it shimmered slightly. The anticipation was building as I reached for the marinated pork meat, carefully pouring it into the preheated pan. Instantly, a delightful sizzle filled the air, and the tantalizing aroma of the frying pork began to waft through the kitchen.

I had to wait for the meat to reach a gorgeous light brown color before turning it over, as instructed by the recipe. I couldn’t help but feel content as I saw the pork sizzle and unleash its delectable aroma. My stomach started to growl with anticipation as the kitchen was filled with a beautiful symphony of crackling sounds and appetizing fragrances.

After a few minutes, I saw that the meat had really changed to an appealing light brown color. I carefully flipped the meat over using a clipper, and as it reached the hot surface of the pan, it made a satisfyingly loud sizzling sound. My senses were fully awakened as the aroma filled the kitchen and grew stronger, filling the room with a delectable aroma.

The combination of the sizzling sounds, the heavenly scent of the frying pork, and the sight of the beautifully browning meat created an irresistible ambiance. It was a true sensory feast, heightening my eagerness to taste the final result. The process felt like a dance of flavors, with the sizzling melody of the pork in perfect harmony with the tantalizing aroma that filled the air.

As I continued to fry the pork, the enticing scent grew stronger, captivating everyone in the vicinity. It was a delicious symphony that drew us closer to the anticipation of the upcoming meal. The aroma had an undeniable allure, teasing our taste buds and creating a mouthwatering sensation that was hard to resist.

“Wow, so you can cook, huh, Aniki? You sure are full of surprises today.” As I was making the dinner, Chisa’s voice disturbed me, and it gave me a schock.

“Waahh! Oh, it’s just you Chisa.” I exclaimed, caught off guard by her sudden comment.

“So, what’s with the sudden urge to cook?” she asked curiously.

“Just for fun, I guess?” I replied, a hint of uncertainty in my voice.

She gave me a hard stare, resembling an interrogator in a police station, as if she wanted to extract any possible information I had. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you,” I said, pausing for a moment to gather my thoughts. “I learned to cook because… well, because I wanted to taste the fruits of my own labor. I was getting tired of constantly eating pre-packaged food.”

“And also because it’s nice to have some homemade bentos with my friends,” I continued, reflecting on the enjoyable moments shared with my friends during the lunch break.

There was a brief silence before Chisa responded, “Huh, I see.”

“Wait, that’s it?” I questioned, feeling slightly disappointed.

“What? Did you expect me to say something more?” she replied with a playful question.

“No, but… nevermind. Let’s just eat,” I said, trying to brush off the momentary disappointment.

As I started preparing the cooked ginger fried pork, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten the most crucial element: rice. Amidst my excitement in making dinner, I had completely forgotten to cook the rice, an essential part of any meal.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about the rice. I already cooked it,” she said, as if she had read my mind. With a smile, she led me to the table where a bowl of freshly cooked rice was waiting, courtesy of the rice cooker.

I couldn’t help but feel relieved and grateful for her thoughtfulness. It was a small gesture, but it made a big difference.

We take our seats, give our thanks and start eating. The ginger fried pork was cooked to absolute deliciousness, its delicious juices leaked inside of my mouth, resulting in tender and flavorful meat. The combination of those simple ingredients makes the dish simple but delightful. If I show this final creation to a normal person, they would say it was created by a person who has some experience in cooking, but what would happen if I told them that it was made by a person who had no experience in cooking? Surely they would be in a total shock, and that includes me me, the one who made it in the first place.

As I savored the fruits of my labor, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Chisa, who wore a pleasantly surprised expression on her face.

“This is good,” she said, her words filled with genuine admiration.

“Well, thank you,” I replied.

A comfortable silence enveloped us as we enjoyed our dinner, the only sounds being the clinking of cutlery against plates and the occasional content sigh. It was evident that Chisa was thoroughly enjoying the meal I had prepared for us.

Once we finished eating, Chisa insisted on washing the dishes, despite my attempts to convince her otherwise. She asserted that as my guest, she should take care of the cleanup. Eventually, I relented and took a seat on the sofa, flipping through channels on the TV while she diligently tackled the dishes.

After a short while, Chisa finished her task and settled down beside me on the sofa. I noticed a hint of nervousness in her eyes as she began speaking.

“So, uh, about what I said earlier, Aniki,” she started, her voice slightly hesitant.

I turned to face her, giving her my full attention. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

She took a deep breath and met my gaze. “Can I stay here for the weekend?”