Tenshukaku.
Makoto was sitting at her desk, sifting through files and reports.
Suddenly, Ei pushed the door open.
"Big Sister."
Makoto lifted her head. Her younger sister was holding a covered clay pot with both hands.
"…What's this?"
"I made you sukiyaki! You've been working for so long, you must be starving!"
"…."
Makoto fell silent.
Ei was still the same as before.
She couldn't handle politics, but whenever she saw her sister buried in work alone, she wanted to help. And the only way she could think of helping was by cooking.
Back then, she used to pop up out of nowhere too, carrying some new dish she'd just learned.
The problem was, Ei's cooking talent wasn't exactly great. Her sense of taste wasn't much better.
The memories made a complicated smile tug at Makoto's lips.
"Thanks, Ei. Just set it to the side."
"You should eat it while it's hot, Sister. It won't taste good cold."
"…Alright."
After all, this was Ei's heartfelt effort. And it was the first dish she'd made since their reunion.
As her sister, there was no way she could refuse.
Makoto put down her papers and calmly took the pot from Ei.
It's fine. Relax.
She'd forced herself to eat plenty of Ei's dishes in the past. Her resistance was stronger than before…
With that in mind, Makoto lifted the lid.
What greeted her eyes was a quivering mass of red-and-green jelly-like goo.
She froze again.
Wait… what in the world is this?
"Ei… you said this is sukiyaki?"
"Yes."
"Did Inazuma's recipe change while I was gone?"
"I don't think so. I used the same method Saiguu taught me back then."
"Then why does it look like this?"
"I added some Slime condensate."
"…And what made you think to do that?"
Makoto's words stalled. Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Miko at lunch.
"Don't tell me… that little fox told you to?"
"Mhm."
"…."
The hot lid in her hands radiated heat, but it couldn't warm the chill in her heart.
"Try it, Sister."
"Ei… did you taste it yourself?"
"I had a bite."
"And? How was it?"
"It was fine."
Those hopeful eyes were impossible to refuse. Makoto sighed inwardly, but her smile never faltered. She picked up her chopsticks, pinched off a piece, and slipped it into her mouth.
Thanks to the Slime condensate, the dish looked strange, but since the stuff was tasteless, it hadn't changed the flavor. Just the texture.
On her tongue was a familiar, peculiar taste.
And with it came memories she thought long buried.
Five hundred years had passed. Ei's cooking was still just as bad.
Back then, Makoto could force it all down without a flicker of expression and even lie through her teeth, praising it as delicious.
But after eating Xia Zhi's food for so long, her standards had risen too high. Her whole body resisted swallowing this.
She struggled to choke it down, all while wondering how to escape this disaster with grace.
Ei looked up at her. "Sister, what do you think?"
Makoto nodded with a smile. "It tastes exactly like the sukiyaki you used to make."
Ei's eyes lit up. "If you like it, I'll make more tomorrow!"
"…Tomorrow, huh."
Makoto lowered her gaze, thinking.
"I don't really want sukiyaki tomorrow night."
Ei blinked. "Then what would you like?"
"I've been living with Cousin for a while now. I've grown fond of Liyue cuisine."
"Liyue cuisine…"
A flicker of distress crossed Ei's face.
She hadn't cooked properly in five centuries.
Even the sukiyaki Makoto had just eaten had taken several failed attempts before Ei could even call it "successful."
And even back then, she'd only managed a few simple Inazuman dishes Saiguu had taught her. She'd never learned Liyue cuisine.
And she never lied to her sister.
"…I don't know how to make Liyue dishes."
Makoto set her chopsticks down and stroked her sister's hair. "That's fine. You can learn. I know you'll pick it up quickly."
Encouraged, Ei's spirits surged.
"Alright, Sister! I'll start learning right away!"
"Good. I suggest you ask our cousin. His cooking is excellent."
"You mean Mr. Xia?"
"Not Mr. Xia! He's my cousin, so he's your cousin too. Don't be so distant."
"Ah?"
Ei blinked, caught off guard.
Makoto's face grew serious. "And remember—he's also my lifesaver. When you go to him for lessons, you must treat him with respect."
"…I understand, Sister."
"Good. Now go rest. I still have work to finish."
Ei glanced at the pot on the desk. "And the sukiyaki?"
Makoto put on a straight face. "Don't worry. I'll finish it all later."
Ei nodded, a little relieved. "That's good."
She left quietly, closing the door behind her.
Makoto stared at the pot of culinary disaster and sighed softly.
Then, as if struck by a thought, she set the lid back on, pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and posted it on her feed.
[Late-night overtime. My sister brought me sukiyaki.]
After showing off, she set her phone aside and returned to her files.
Minutes later, she finished the report and idly checked her phone. Her post already had likes and comments.
[Jean]: Jealous +1.
No need to ask. They were probably stuck in their offices too.
Makoto shook her head. If they knew the truth about this pot, envy would be the last thing they felt.
––
Last time, Xia Ci had updated the phone system, adding a bunch of new features.
One of them was "Special Concern."
You could mark someone, and the system would immediately push notifications about their updates.
It was one-way—the person marked wouldn't know.
As for why Xia Ci added such a suspicious function… well, anyone with sense could guess.
Someone like Barbara, a complete siscon, had no doubt long since set Jean as her "Special Concern."
So when Jean liked and commented on Makoto's post, Barbara—fresh out of the bath—got the notification instantly.
She clicked in, then froze in thought.
Why would her sister suddenly like that post and comment "jealous"?
It was like saying she envied someone else's sister for bringing them supper.
Was that… a hint?
Was her sister hoping she'd do the same—bringing her midnight snacks while she worked overtime?
Barbara clutched her phone and rolled on her bed.
In the past, she'd never dare entertain such bold thoughts.
But after attending several of Mr. Xia's gatherings, her relationship with Jean had grown much closer. They even chatted often over the phone now.
Still, they hadn't yet crossed the line into openly calling each other "sister."
Maybe… this was the chance she'd been waiting for.
Barbara lay staring at the ceiling for a long time before finally pulling up Noelle's profile and sending a message.
[Barbara]: Noelle, can I ask… what kind of food does Captain Jean like?
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