Ichika tilted her head. "Sushi?"
"Yeah."
She hummed, thinking. "I guess that doesn't sound too bad."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought you were going to say it was a bad idea."
She shook her head. "I mean, I wouldn't eat something too heavy this late, but if you want it, I won't stop you."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "That's rare."
Ichika laughed. "Don't want you to go to bed hungry."
By the time we reached my dorm, I unlocked the door and stepped aside to let her in.
Ichika moved toward my desk, her eyes scanning over the few books and scattered papers. Then, she noticed my trash bin. "Oh, you should probably take this out soon."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, I'll do that later."
She gave me a knowing look but didn't push it. Instead, she walked over to my bed and sat down. "Sooo, what now?"
I thought for a second. "We could play something while we wait for the food."
Ichika perked up. "Oh, you're on."
I handed her a controller, and as we set up the game, the dorm filled with soft laughter, the kind that made the room feel warmer.
"I'll order the food real quick," I said, trying to sound casual, even though my stomach was twisting into knots.
It wasn't that I didn't want to order, I did. But the thought of talking to a stranger on the phone? That was something I was never good at. I always hesitated, overthought every word, and panicked if they asked me to repeat something. It was easier to just… not do it.
Still, I had to at least try.
I pulled out my phone, typing in the restaurant's name and finding the number. My thumb hovered over the call button, my mind racing through every possible way this could go wrong.
What if they couldn't hear me?
What if I stumbled over my words?
What if I ordered the wrong thing and had to correct myself?
Before I could psych myself out any further, Ichika, without a word, reached over and pressed the call button for me. Then, to my surprise, she took the phone right out of my hand and held it to her ear.
At the same time, she wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into a soft hug as she waited for someone to pick up on the other end.
I froze.
It was such a natural, casual gesture for her, but for me? My brain was short-circuiting.
She noticed, didn't she?
"T-thanks," I mumbled, my face heating up.
She tilted her head slightly, resting her chin against my shoulder. "Mhm, it's okay. Minami is like that too, you know?"
I blinked. "Minami? No way. She's so talkative, I wouldn't believe that."
Ichika laughed softly. "In person? Yeah, she never shuts up. But over the phone? She's super shy."
"Huh… never would've guessed."
"Mm, people surprise you sometimes," she said with a knowing smile before turning her attention back to the call.
I listened as she effortlessly placed the order, her voice steady and confident, with no hesitation at all. Meanwhile, I just stood there, feeling both incredibly grateful and mildly embarrassed that something so simple had me so nervous in the first place.
Maybe one day I'd get over it.
But for now… having Ichika there made it easier.
We ordered the food, or rather, she ordered it.
"Is it weird if I tell you something that I like- " she began.
"No," I interrupted quickly. I couldn't let her feel self-conscious about something that she likes.
"I like to eat sushi with bread," she confessed.
"What?" I asked, caught off guard.
"Yeah…" she chuckled softly. "It's just… adds to the taste…"
"Really?" I replied, intrigued by her unorthodox preference.
"Yeah… Is it too weird?" she wondered, eyes bright with amusement.
"I guess… But if you like it, I might try it as well," I offered.
"Really? You'll try one?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah, sure!" I agreed, only to suddenly realize, I don't have any bread in my dorm.
"I… don't have any bread now that I realize it…" I admitted, my shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. The excitement of trying sushi with bread had momentarily clouded my memory; I hadn't bought bread in weeks.
"Hm, no worries! I know how to make bread!" Ichika said, her voice brimming with confidence.
I looked up, surprised. "Wait, you do?"
"Of course! It's not that hard," she said with a grin. With a swift motion, she tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, then rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender arms. There was something oddly charming about the way she carried herself, determined yet effortlessly graceful.
She clapped her hands together. "Alright! I will be our chef. Call me Miss Ichika from now on!" she declared, striking a dramatic pose as if she had just been promoted to head baker in a five-star restaurant.
I chuckled. "Miss Ichika…" I repeated, testing the name. It rolled off my tongue smoothly, and I found myself liking it more than I expected. "Alright then, Miss Ichika, I leave our bread-making adventure in your capable hands."
She smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Good! Now, let's get started!"
Without wasting a moment, Ichika began rummaging through my tiny dorm kitchen, scanning the shelves with a level of focus that made it seem like she was about to take on a serious culinary mission. She pulled out a bag of flour, a small container of yeast, sugar, and salt, inspecting each one like a seasoned professional.
"Alright, we've got the essentials. Now, we just need warm water and a bit of patience." She turned to me, grinning. "Think you can handle that?"
I crossed my arms. "Patience? That's my middle name."
She snorted. "Yeah, sure. Let's see if you can wait for the dough to rise without poking it every five minutes."
I raised a brow. "That sounds like a challenge."
She smirked. "It is."
And just like that, the atmosphere in my dorm shifted from casual conversation to an unexpected but strangely exciting baking session. We got to work, Ichika guiding me through each step as if she had done it a hundred times before.
First, she mixed the yeast with warm water and sugar, letting it sit until it bubbled to life. "See? The yeast is waking up," she said, tapping the side of the bowl gently. "Kind of like you when you finally roll out of bed in the morning."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "Wow. Unprovoked attack."
She laughed, unbothered, and continued measuring the flour. "Alright, now we add the dry ingredients… and then we knead."
I watched as she dusted the counter top with flour and rolled up her sleeves even higher. Her hands pressed firmly into the dough, fingers expertly folding and stretching it. Something was mesmerizing about it, the rhythm, the way she moved with such ease, like this was second nature to her.
"Want to try?" she asked, glancing up at me with a playful challenge in her eyes.
I hesitated. "I mean… sure. How hard could it be?"
Turns out, kneading dough was way harder than it looked. My hands sank into the sticky mass, and almost immediately, it clung to my fingers like a desperate child refusing to let go.
Ichika burst into laughter. "Oh no, you're terrible at this!"
I scowled. "Hey, give me a break! It's my first time!"
She shook her head, still laughing. "Here, let me help." She reached over, her hands brushing against mine as she showed me the right way to fold and press the dough. For a moment, I forgot about the bread entirely, my focus instead shifting to how close we were, the warmth of her hands against mine, and the way her laughter softened into a quiet smile.
"…Got it?" she asked, her voice a little softer now.
I cleared my throat. "Yeah. I think so."
She nodded, seemingly satisfied, and we continued kneading together until the dough was smooth and ready to rise. We placed it in a bowl, covered it with a cloth, and set it aside.
"And now… we wait," she announced, stretching her arms over her head.
I sat down beside her, watching as the dough slowly began to puff up under the cloth.
"You know," I said after a moment, "…I-I think I like this version of you."
She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
I shrugged. "Miss Ichika. The self-proclaimed personal chef. It suits you."
She smirked. "Well, in that case, I'll have to make sure my first customers get the best bread possible."
I grinned. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Let's watch a movie while eating, okay?" Ichika said.
"Alright then, which movie?" I asked her, hoping it's not a romance or horror movie..