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Chapter 5 â To Move Forward\nVolume 2\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nThe first dish I learned to cook was rice porridge.\n
I had never cooked before, and I didnât even know how to make an omelet. Itâs hard to believe now, but thatâs how dependent I was on my mother.\n
During my depression, both Sayaka and my father tried their hand at cooking. However, both of them were fatally clumsy, and the meals they brought me were always pre-made. This continued for a while after I came back to normal, but there came a time when this was not possible.\n
Sayaka fell ill.\n
Her fever was around 38 degrees. I took her to the hospital and got her some medicine to control her symptoms, but it seemed she could hardly eat. Thatâs when the classic porridge came into play. So, I stood in front of the kitchen and was astonished to find that I had no idea what to do.\n
âTo begin with, I had never cooked rice before.\n
What was always brought to the table was soft rice with steam rising from it. But I donât know how the milled rice grains become like that. I suppose I could boil the rice in water, but how much rice and how much water should I put in?\n
Immediately I looked it up on the Internet. There was a lot of mixed information, and I didnât know which one to use. First, I cleaned a cup of rice and put it in the pot. I filled the pot with water to the right level and turned on the heat.\n
Sprinkle some salt and bring the water to a boiling level. I put the eggs and green onions in the pot, and then put the lid on the pot.\n
It was surprisingly hard work. I had thought that porridge was not a big dish. No, it really wasnât a big dish, but maybe I just felt that way because I wasnât used to it.\n
After about half an hour, I thought it was enough and turned off the heat. I tried to eat it, but it was almost tasteless. I added more salt and tore up some dried plums. When I put it in a bowl, I realized I had made a mistake.\n
âThe amount was too much.\n
It was too much for one person with little appetite to eat. I had no idea how much a cup of rice was. It was too little when I put it in the cup, so I was careless.\n
I had no choice but to pour some of it into a bowl for myself to eat later. I put the spoon on a tray and carried it to Sayakaâs room.\n
She was lying on her bed, sweating. She had already slept a lot, so she didnât feel sleepy anymore, or so she had said earlier.\n
(Whatâs that?)\n
She seemed to have noticed the smell when I entered the room. I replied, (Itâs porridge).\n
Sayaka was very surprised.\n
(Eh? Why? Oniichan made it?)\n
She raised her upper body and stared at what was in my hand. It canât be that bad looking. I put the tray on the desk.\n
Sayaka crawled out of bed, wrapped herself in a blanket, and said,\n
(Oh, itâs proper porridge.)\n
(What did you think it was?)\n
(No, I thought it was a genetic condition that prevented us from cooking anything. Youâre different.)\n
Sayaka, who still called me âOniichanâ, looked at me with a sparkling gaze. I remember being a little proud of myself.\n
(If one looks on the internet, anyone can do this.)\n
(Okay, okay.)\n
(Go back to bed, Iâll feed you.)\n
(No, thatâs all right.)\n
(What are you talking about when youâre that dizzy? )\n
Her face is red, and her eyes look sunken in. Her body was swaying slightly as if she was unsteady on her feet.\n
Reluctantly, Sayaka returned to bed. I walked over to the side of the bed with the bowl and spoon. After scooping up the porridge and puffing it, I brought it to her mouth.\n
Her mouth took in only a small amount. She must have really had no appetite.\n
She chewed for a while, and then she said something.\n
(Itâs too salty and sour.)\n
She blatantly frowned. Maybe I used too much salt the second time.\n
( Is that soâŠ.? )\n
(Here, oniichan, you should try some of this.)\n
She thrust it into my mouth. I tried it, and it was just as she had said.\n
(SorryâŠ)\n
(Itâs genetic as I thought.)\n
âI thought it wasnât that badâŠ\n
I was so focused on the quantity failure that I forgot about the taste.\n
(If the taste was too light it could have been fixed. But it canât be fixed if itâs too strong⊠Iâll go back and make it again.)\n
(No, itâs fine.)\n
Sayaka said.\n
She took the bowl from my hand and started to eat quietly by herself. To be honest, I donât think she can eat when she doesnât have an appetite, but she didnât stop eating. Perhaps she was being considerate in her own way.\n
It was frustrating. I resolved to make something delicious next time.\n
In the end, Sayaka ate the entire bowl of porridge. She ate it as if she was stuffing herself, so she must have been straining herself.\n
(You really ate it all. )\n
(Well, kind of.)\n
She thrust the bowl back at me, turned her face away, and laid down. Even though it was a failure, I was glad I made it since she ate it properly.\n
I left Sayakaâs room and returned to the kitchen. After washing the dishes, I faced the remaining porridge.\n
âI guess Iâll just have to eat it.\n
It wouldnât have been a problem if it had tasted good, but with the way it tasted, I wasnât sure if I could finish it all.\n
I stuck a spoon into the pot and tried to eat it directly. It still didnât taste good.\n
âBut how could I not eat it when she had already finished it?\n
It took me about half an hour, but I finished the porridge.\n
It was a memory from about four years ago.\n\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nTN: Start of final chapter of Vol 2.\n\n