Gurgle gurgle!
The sound of hot pot boiling echoed clearly inside the large dojo.
Lifting the lid of the clay pot, a big cloud of steam shot straight up to the ceiling, making it so that Aiden and Mai Shiranui, sitting face-to-face at the small dining table, could no longer see each other clearly.
When the steam dispersed, Aiden finally saw Mai Shiranui's delicate face carrying a trace of delight.
"I'm going to start eating!"
Mai Shiranui placed the clay pot lid to the side, pressed her hands together, and called out before eagerly picking up her chopsticks to grab a piece of her favorite mochi.
She had been busy all afternoon, and she was already starving.
But just as she was about to put the mochi into her own bowl, she seemed to remember something, and quickly put that piece of mochi into Aiden's bowl instead.
"Aiden, you eat first!"
"Better if Teacher Mai eats first, after all, you've been busy all afternoon!"
Aiden shook his head and put the mochi back into Mai Shiranui's bowl.
"How can that be, you are the student, I am the teacher, the teacher should take care of the student." Mai Shiranui put the mochi back into Aiden's bowl again.
"Yes, you are the teacher, I am the student, the student should respect the teacher." Aiden once again put the mochi back.
But Mai Shiranui was determined to let Aiden eat first, even speaking in a spoiled tone, "Aiden, you eat first, okay? I also want to hear Aiden's opinion on my cooking."
"Uh… fine then!"
They always say a woman who knows how to act spoiled will be loved, and what's more, this was Mai Shiranui, so Aiden couldn't resist.
He picked up the piece of mochi that had been pushed back and forth three times and finally put it into his mouth.
Chewing lightly twice, the taste wasn't bad. It should be thanks to the soup base, since mochi is similar to rice cake, by itself it doesn't have much flavor, just sticky and a little hard to chew.
"How does it taste?" Mai Shiranui stared at him with shining eyes, watching Aiden chew with his eyes half-closed, asking carefully with a tone of expectation.
Swallowing the mochi that had taken forever to chew down, Aiden gave Mai Shiranui a smile, "Very delicious, the soup base is really good."
Hearing the praise, Mai Shiranui immediately smiled so brightly her eyes curved into crescent moons, saying joyfully, "Of course, this is the Shiranui family's exclusive secret recipe."
Of course, what she called the "Shiranui family's exclusive secret recipe" was really just something she came up with herself. She said it that way just to give the Shiranui name some face.
Then she pressed her hands together again, letting out a crisp clap and said, "Since that's the case, I'll officially start eating then!"
As soon as she finished, she quickly picked up another piece of mochi from the boiling pot. Without even minding how hot it was, she bit right into it.
"Uuuh! Hot, hot, hot! But so tasty!"
Even though she was grimacing from the heat, Mai Shiranui still didn't spit it out, and her face even showed an expression of happiness.
Seeing her like that, Aiden couldn't help but shake his head, then picked up some vegetables from the pot and put them in her bowl, reminding her, "Eat slower, don't burn yourself!"
"Mhm, mhm! Thank you, Aiden!"
Mai Shiranui nodded, but probably she really had burned herself a little, Aiden could clearly see some glistening liquid in her eyes.
But was it really from being burned?
Aiden didn't know. Maybe only Mai Shiranui herself knew.
After eating all the food Aiden had put in her bowl, Mai Shiranui enthusiastically served him some as well.
"Aiden, you should eat more too. You need to be full to have strength, only then can you practice the Shiranui family's ancient martial arts properly!"
"Aiden, don't be picky. Vegetables are very important too, they make your eyes sharper!"
"I don't like mushrooms…"
"Alright, alright, Teacher Mai, my bowl is already piled full!"
"Mmm! Aiden, do you want to drink some wine? I still have some sake my grandfather left behind. I think drinking a cup right now is perfect for the occasion, let's count it as celebrating you becoming my disciple."
"I still have to drive!"
"Then stay the night, the bed is already prepared!"
"I won't run away… Teacher Mai…"
———
"Aiden, you must come earlier tomorrow!"
At the entrance of the Shiranui Dojo, Mai Shiranui clutched Aiden's arm, her eyes brimming with tears as she spoke.
Besides being a little unwilling to part and really being afraid he wouldn't come tomorrow, the more important reason was that she had drunk some alcohol.
Probably because she was too happy, although Aiden refused to drink on the grounds of having to drive, Mai Shiranui still found a sealed bottle of sake from her grandfather's room.
Luckily, her tolerance wasn't bad, so she hadn't gotten herself drunk, but it had made her emotions run high. Sending him off at the door, her weepy appearance was like seeing off her husband leaving on a long trip, afraid he wouldn't return.
"You must remember the dojo's number, don't forget it. When you get home, remember to call me to let me know you're safe. And also, tomorrow when you come, remember to memorize your home phone number…"
Listening to Mai Shiranui's nagging, Aiden felt helpless, "Alright, alright, I know already, Teacher Mai. You're not old yet, so why are you nagging like this!"
"Uuu, Aiden, why don't you just stay tonight!" The emotional girl said again, face downcast.
Aiden was completely defeated. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against the spot of his chest where his heart was, "I swear, I really won't run away! I'll definitely come tomorrow!"
Honestly, that action was a little ambiguous. Her cheeks, already flushed from drinking, warmed even more. But Aiden's words reassured her quite a bit.
"Alright then, I believe you!" The girl nodded and gently pulled her hand back.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Teacher Mai!"
Aiden waved at Mai Shiranui, then turned and walked toward "his" GTR.
When he reached the car, Aiden looked back and saw Mai Shiranui was still standing at the dojo entrance. When she saw him turn, she even went on tiptoe and waved to him.
Aiden smiled, then opened the car door and got in.
Engine started, heading back to the shrine.
And only when the GTR's taillights disappeared into the dusk did Mai Shiranui finally turn and go back inside the dojo…
———
Tokyo's night traffic wasn't much better than the daytime. By the time Aiden drove back to Yata Shrine, it was already close to eight in the evening.
Parking the car in the garage and getting out, Aiden saw his motorcycle, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Of course, nothing had happened to the bike, just that it now had a few decorative trinkets on it that only girls would put on…
Aiden felt a little headache, hesitating whether to take them off, when a maid came running up to him.
"Mr. Aiden, you're finally back. The young lady was worried sick!"
"What happened?" Aiden asked curiously, looking at the maid.
"Please follow me first, I'll take you to see the young lady."
The maid gestured politely, then added, "The young lady was worried you wouldn't be able to find your way back home, she was just about to send the shrine's maids out to look for you."
Aiden couldn't help but laugh, "How could someone as big as me possibly get lost!"
"After all, sir, you're from Z-Country, you're not very familiar with here, so that's why the young lady was so worried." The maid turned to glance at him, her tone carrying a subtle oddness.
In fact, there was something she really wanted to say, that after serving the young lady for so many years, it was the first time she had ever seen her this anxious.
Aiden didn't notice the oddness in her tone, only nodded, "I'll thank her properly when I see her in a bit."
As they spoke, Aiden and the maid had already passed through the quiet shrine path and arrived at the office building's entrance.
At this time, Maki was pacing back and forth anxiously at the doorway. Seeing Aiden return, the joy on her face was plain as day.
"Aiden, you're finally back. I thought you couldn't find the way home!" Wearing her miko outfit, Maki hurried over to Aiden.
Before he could speak, she continued, "Right, it's already late, have you eaten? If not, you can eat with us. Tonight, Chizuru personally cooked. Her cooking is very good."
When Maki mentioned Chizuru's cooking, she especially stressed her tone.
Although he wanted to say he had already eaten, Maki's enthusiasm made Aiden change what he was about to say.
"I ate a little, but I'm not full."
"That's perfect, come quickly, the dining hall is just next to the office."
With that, Maki grabbed Aiden's arm and pulled him toward the dining hall.
But halfway there, her refined, delicate nose twitched slightly, she seemed to catch a scent of a woman's fragrance that didn't belong to her.
Surprised, Maki glanced at Aiden, her heart a little flustered. 'Could it be he went wandering around Kabukicho?'
But he didn't smell like alcohol. She'd heard men who go there always drink.
Thinking that, her heart eased a little.
Maybe it was Yumiko's scent, after all, she had been the one who brought him here. In her heart, she made that excuse for Aiden.
And also…
'My sister's husband absolutely must not go to Kabukicho. If he wants to watch a song-and-dance performance, I can teach my sister… If worst comes to worst, I can too…'
She didn't even know why such thoughts arose, but to Maki, it all seemed only natural.
Lost in thought, Maki had already brought Aiden into the dining hall. But to call it a dining hall was a bit much, the room wasn't very big.
Just like the scene of eating at Mai Shiranui's place, the so-called dining table was a low-legged table, only a bit longer than the one at Mai Shiranui's.
At this moment, seven or eight dishes were already on the table. Besides some delicate stir-fries, there were also a few kinds of sashimi, looking like beef or horse meat.
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