Appointment

Back in the dorm, Miyama Saku casually tossed his backpack onto a chair, leaned back, and sank into the bed.

The mattress gave a faint creak.

He lay on his back, staring straight at the ceiling with his limbs spread out.

"Don't feel like moving." He sighed softly, unable to even summon the motivation to turn over.

After a long while, he finally fished out his terminal and lit up the screen.

Several unread red dots lined the chat list.

Hiyori had sent the most messages, from a morning greeting to a reminder at noon, followed by several messages she had just sent about a novel she had been reading recently, along with a few excerpts.

He scrolled down, watching the words glide past beneath his fingers.

Further down were Sakayanagi's messages: two photos of Chess endgames, the pieces arranged neatly and quietly waiting to be solved.

If he had been in a better mood, he might have rested his chin on his hand, thought through a few moves, and sent her the solution. But today, he was far too lazy to use his brain.

The remaining messages were polite exchanges from trading contact information with classmates. He had replied to them long ago, and now they sat quietly at the very bottom of the list, barely noticeable.

He exited the chats without replying to any of them.

Besides, leaving messages on read was hardly a one-time thing for him.

Finally, he placed the terminal face down beside his pillow and looked back at the ceiling.

"I'll take a nap." He closed his eyes, and his breathing quickly steadied.

Then he fell asleep.

When he woke up, Miyama Saku found someone sitting beside his desk.

"Hiyori?"

"It's me." She answered, flipping through a book in her hands. Hearing him, she looked up and smiled at him.

"You came into my room again while I was asleep." Miyama Saku propped himself up, his voice still hoarse with sleep as he looked at her helplessly.

"Because I sent you messages, and you didn't reply." Hiyori closed her book and said lightly.

Miyama Saku picked up his terminal and glanced at it. Sure enough, after he had fallen asleep, Hiyori had sent a message saying she wanted to come over. Apparently, after waiting a while without getting a response, she had simply come by herself.

"I should've taken back the keycard you have." He sighed and tossed the terminal back beside his pillow.

"I don't care. You promised me, and besides, your door wasn't locked."

Miyama Saku opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

Thinking about it, it seemed he had never won an argument with Hiyori, from the past until now.

"Forget it. Hiyori, have you eaten dinner? I'm going to cook."

"Not yet." Hiyori sat in the chair and gently swung her feet, her toes tapping the floor now and then.

"I knew it." Miyama Saku shot her a glance, as though he had expected this all along.

He rolled out of bed and shuffled toward the kitchen in his slippers. Behind him came the sound of a chair being pushed back, followed by Hiyori's light footsteps.

The dorm was not particularly spacious. With the two of them walking one behind the other, their footsteps overlapped and sounded especially clear in the quiet room.

"What are you making today?" she asked.

"I don't know. I need to see what's left first."

"Then I'll help."

"I think you just want to taste-test."

"No, I can help wash the vegetables too." Hiyori followed behind him, her voice carrying a hint of protest.

"There was still dirt on the vegetables you washed last time."

"That was an accident."

Miyama Saku did not argue further. He opened the refrigerator and looked inside. The cool white light fell across his face, waking him up a little. Outside, the sky had already darkened. Hiyori leaned in beside him and peered into the fridge.

"Is that all?" She reached in and pointed at the contents.

"Don't touch anything." He lightly slapped her hand away.

"Cheapskate."

He bent down and took out eggs, greens, tomatoes, and half a pack of sliced meat, arranging them one by one on the counter. Hiyori leaned over and counted them. "That's quite a lot."

"Just enough for two dishes." Miyama Saku took out a box of tofu as well and casually shut the refrigerator door. "What do you want to eat?"

"I'll eat whatever you make."

"You're unusually obedient today."

"I wasn't picky to begin with," Hiyori said with perfect confidence.

Miyama Saku did not expose her lie and turned on the tap to start washing the vegetables.

Water rushed noisily. The green leaves unfurled beneath the stream, and the washed tomatoes gleamed a bright red. He lowered his head, hair falling over his forehead.

Hiyori watched from the side for a while, then reached out as if to touch the water.

Without looking up, Miyama Saku said, "The water's cold."

"It's fine." Her fingertips had barely touched the stream before she pulled them back. "It's really cold."

"Told you so." He turned down the water and placed the washed vegetables in the draining basket. "Go wait over there. Don't get in the way."

"I can beat the eggs."

As she spoke, Hiyori picked up an egg and lightly cracked it against the rim of a bowl. Her movements were unexpectedly crisp. She took up a pair of chopsticks and whisked it, forming fine bubbles in the bowl as the egg gradually became evenly mixed.

Miyama Saku marinated the meat slices first, then cut the tofu. The blade slid through it, leaving neat, distinct cubes.

He glanced at the bowl full of beaten egg in her hands and nodded. "Not bad."

"What do you mean, not bad? It's clearly very good."

"Yes, yes. Go cut the tomatoes into small pieces, and be careful with the knife."

"Okay." Hiyori set down the egg mixture, washed her hands, and picked up the knife. She carefully diced the tomatoes. The pieces were not particularly uniform, but they were not bad either.

Miyama Saku said nothing. He casually took the cutting board and gathered the chopped tomatoes together.

He turned on the stove, and blue flames licked at the bottom of the pan. As the oil heated, he carefully placed the tofu cubes inside. Fine sizzling filled the pan. The tofu slowly turned golden in the oil, its edges puffing up slightly. He waited patiently until the bottoms had set before gently flipping them over.

"Stay back. It'll splatter all over your face."

"You wouldn't let the oil splatter on me."

Miyama Saku did not respond. He merely shifted slightly, blocking her behind him.

Once the tofu was lightly charred, he plated it. Then he added the tomatoes and stir-fried them. They gradually softened in the hot oil, releasing a deep red juice. He added boiling water, and the soup quickly turned bright and vibrant. When it began to boil, he lifted the egg mixture and slowly poured it in along the edge of the pan. The egg ribbons swirled through the boiling soup, blooming one after another across the surface.

"It's so pretty," Hiyori said softly.

"Go get a soup bowl."

She answered and turned to retrieve one. Miyama Saku added the meat slices and greens to the wok for a quick stir-fry, and within minutes, the dish was ready.

The two dishes were brought to the table, steaming atop the small dining table. Hiyori set out the bowls and chopsticks, then sat across from him with her chopsticks raised, her face full of anticipation.

"Time to eat."

"Go ahead." Miyama Saku pushed the soup toward her. "Careful, it's hot."

Hiyori scooped up a spoonful of soup first, blew on it, and carefully drank it. Then a satisfied expression spread across her face.

"It's delicious."

"It's just tomato egg-drop soup."

"That still depends on who made it." As she spoke, she scooped up another spoonful.

Miyama Saku did not respond. He lowered his head and took a couple bites of rice. The warm yellow light shone down on them as they sat facing each other, their bowls and chopsticks occasionally clinking softly.

"Eat more meat." Hiyori picked up a slice and placed it in his bowl.

"You should eat it yourself."

"I can't eat that much."

He looked at her, then stopped refusing and put the slice of meat into his mouth.

"Are you free during lunch break tomorrow?" Hiyori suddenly asked.

"What is it?"

"I want you to go to the bookstore with me. The book I asked them to order has arrived."

Miyama Saku thought about it. He had nothing to do tomorrow at noon anyway. "Sure."

"Then it's a deal. Don't stand me up."

"Got it." He answered and lowered his head to continue eating.