Yōsen stood by the hole in the roof, quietly waiting for Komatsuse's arrival.
He raised his hand to remove the remaining thatch from the top of his head, brushed off the dust on his body, and carefully checked his clothes.
Fortunately, they weren't ruined.
'If Shinobu found out that the clothes she had just given were damaged in a matter of days, she would probably be angry...'
After a long while, Komatsuse, who had been gone for some time, finally returned.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Yōsen froze, feeling a bit at a loss.
He hadn't expected that she would be so sad just because the roof was broken.
Komatsuse rubbed her eyes and, as if nothing were wrong, handed the clothes in her hand to him before heading outside.
"Yōsen-san, please go and wash up! I'll clean up here."
She returned with a broom and, seeing Yōsen still standing there, asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
But she saw Yōsen looking at her firmly, his expression serious.
"I will... take... responsibility."
Although he might not be able to fix it perfectly, Yōsen would still do his best to repair the roof.
"Take... responsibility?"
'Responsibility for what?'
Before she could figure it out, Yōsen had already left.
'What on earth does Yōsen-san mean?'
'Why did he suddenly start talking about taking responsibility?'
'Could it be...'
Thinking of this, she cupped her flushing red cheeks with both hands.
'Could it be taking responsibility for me?'
'Hehe... hehe~'
But before she can sink deeper into her own fantasy.
The departed Yōsen turned back.
"Tomorrow I... will fix the... roof. Since I... broke it, I will... take responsibility. Don't be... sad anymore."
Yōsen, who hadn't gone far, still felt he should say something; otherwise, Komatsuse might remain sad, after all, he had damaged her home.
'Sad? Who? Me?'
'???'
'Yōsen-san thinks i'm crying because the roof being broken?'
'I'm not, and I didn't!'
A moment later, the just-departed Yōsen turned back once again.
"Where is... the bathroom?"
...
"Splash, splash~"
He let the hot water pour down from the top of his head, wiped his face, and dried his hair with a cloth.
After getting dressed, he sat under the eaves, waiting for the wind to dry his hair.
The grayish-white clothes were a bit loose on him, looking as if they might slip off at any moment.
Yōsen looked at the clothes, remembering the girly knot Shinobu had tied with extreme speed.
He reached out to tidy his clothes and tried to tie the belt.
Unfortunately.
It was either too tight or too loose.
In the end, he could only tie an unrecognizable knot, which looked rather ugly.
He sighed.
'This would have to do.'
'Next time we meet, i should ask her to teach me.'
Yōsen thought to himself.
"Yōsen-san?"
Komatsuse came out of the house, holding a pancake left over from dinner. She shook the pancake and asked,
"Are you hungry?"
Human food was optional for demons; they were mainly just ate human, but for him to also do it? maybe only unforgivable criminal when he at his limit.
No matter how much he ate human food, he never felt full.
But.
Whenever he tasted something sweet, he would always eat a bit more.
This flavor had an inexplicable attraction for him, causing a slight ripple in his otherwise empty heart.
Thinking of this,
Yōsen, who was about to refuse, paused as he recalled that familiar taste, and reached out to take it.
It was an ordinary pancake, as plain as could be. Its only characteristic was that it was sweet.
He tore off half and handed it to Komatsuse. She took it and sat down beside Yōsen, looking at him with a grin.
"Since Grandma and I both like sweets, I added some sugar to the batter when making the pancakes. Can you get used to the taste, Yōsen-san?"
"Yes."
He lowered his head and took a bite; the sweetness filled his mouth.
It was that familiar feeling again.
But he still felt nothing.
Just as he was about to take another bite,
suddenly,
a woman's voice drifted over.
"Oh! Don't eat that! I made it wrong!"
Yōsen looked up and scanned his surroundings, his gaze finally landing on Komatsuse.
He saw that she was still slowly eating her pancake, looking a bit confused by his sudden look.
"W-what's wrong?"
"Did you... just... say something?"
"No."
Was he hallucinating?
No.
That's not right.
That voice was...
It was...
Yōsen only felt a flash of white light before his eyes.
A strange yet familiar memory surfaced in his mind.
"Yōse-chan, I'm going to cook for you myself today!"
The young Yōsen, with his blue eyes, looked at the girl with focus and trust, nodding slowly.
The girl was several years older than Yōsen, with long orange hair and golden eyes, as warm as she was.
"What does you want to eat?"
"You decide, you're the one who cook..."
"Alright then."
The girl thought for a moment and made up her mind. With a mysterious smile, she pushed Yōsen out of the kitchen.
"Ok then."
"Wait until I'm finished before you come in."
"Go wait for me outside."
He didn't ask questions and stood obediently at the door.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
He boredly toyed with a butterfly resting on his fingertip, he calmly watching it flutter around him until his eyes lit up when he heard the girl's call.
He quickly walked into the kitchen and returned to her side.
But she looked discouraged.
"Sorry, Yōse-chan. I couldn't make a good meal for you. I failed."
She had intended to make a savory pancake, but she had used sugar instead of salt. The pancake was a waste. Other dishes were too difficult for her, so she had no choice but to give up.
"It's fine, Eldest Miss." Missing a meal meant nothing to him.
"You haven't eaten yet either, Eldest Miss. Please go and eat first."
"Then let's go eat out! I heard a newly opened restaurant on the street tastes very good!"
"Also..." The girl leaned down slightly, cupped his face in her hands, and rubbed it gently.
"How many times have I told you? Call me Big Sister!"
"...Eldest Miss."
The girl helplessly flicked his forehead.
"You usually listen to me in everything else, so why won't you listen to this?"
Yōsen didn't say anything, just stared straight at her, gazing into those golden eyes.
"Eldest Miss, it's time to eat."
"Alright, alright, you little adult! Don't keep a straight face all day, smile more~"
"...Let's eat."
...
After finishing the meal and returning to their residence, Yōsen went to the kitchen to get the girl's dessert.
As he passed the table, he saw some charred pancakes.
Did the Eldest Miss make these?
After a moment's thought, he reached out, picked one up, and examined it for a while.
Aside from being a bit burnt, it didn't look like a total failure.
Thinking of her disappointed expression, Yōsen couldn't bear to see her like that, so he prepared to put it in his mouth.
"Oh! Don't eat that! I made it wrong!" The girl hurriedly tried to stop him, but he still took a bite.
The cooled pancake was a bit hard, so he chewed firmly.
It's so sweet.
The girl looked at Yōsen nervously.
'How strange must a sweet pancake taste?'
She didn't know how to cook; otherwise, she wouldn't have mistaken sugar for salt.
She should be glad she used sugar instead, or else that amount of salt would have been lethal.
"It's good. Very sweet."
Yōsen took small bites of the pancake and swallowed them expressionlessly.
"Isn't it strange?"
He just shook his head. He had almost no appetite or desire for food; even a dinner of beautifully plated dishes was merely a way to fill his stomach.
But
this pancake, with its burnt smell and intense sweetness, was more delicious than anything he had ever eaten before.
To him,
everything she gave was the best.
The girl, half-doubting, also picked one up and took a bite. It was sickeningly sweet; even she, who loved sweets, found it a bit much.
"So you likes sweet things?"
'Likes sweets?'
'What is 'liking'?'
Yōsen didn't understand, but he still nodded.
"We're the same then~" Her golden eyes looked at him with a smile, a sunny smile that might kill the demon.
"Oh, right!"
"Give me your hand."
Yōsen obediently held out his hand, and a Milk candy was placed in it.
"Did you know?"
"When you're sad, eat a piece of candy, and you will be less sad."
Yōsen clenched his palm.
Sad?
What is that?
He couldn't understand...