Kanako patted Sanae's shoulder and shook her head, signaling her not to speak.
Although Sanae didn't know what was happening, she could see that Suwako was not in a good mood. Understanding this, she remained silent.
Some things can't be fixed with mere comfort, and the wounds within need time to heal alone.
Suwako walked by herself to a small pond where she often liked to stay. The surroundings were secluded and quiet, imparting a sense of peace.
This was a treasured spot she had found on Youkai Mountain after moving to Gensokyo and establishing the Moriya Shrine.
It wasn't just because the environment was good, more importantly, it closely resembled the home she had long, long ago.
As usual, Suwako went to the pond's edge and sat on a rock, her short legs dangling listlessly in the air, devoid of their usual vitality.
Normally, she would swing her legs, hum a tune, and recall those happy, peaceful moments from the past.
But today, she didn't seem to be in the mood.
Ribbit! Ribbit!
Just then, a few clear croaks brought Suwako back to her senses. She looked towards the pond's edge, where frogs were hopping out of the water, looking up at her.
Suwako forced a faint smile onto her face.
"Are you worried about me? Don't be, I'm fine."
Ribbit! Ribbit!
A seemingly younger frog hopped onto the rock beside Suwako, croaking as if saying something.
"Share my troubles?" Suwako fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then lifted her head to look at the sky, her eyes gradually losing focus as her thoughts drifted back thousands of years.
"I remember that time so clearly... Back then, I was just as weak as you all."
By the pond, a pair of frogs listened quietly as Suwako told her story, and Suwako shared her long-sealed history with her companions.
A goddess and a group of frogs. Suwako, as a goddess, showed no divine majesty or grandeur. Instead, she seemed like a vulnerable young girl… helpless, weak, merely tearfully recounting events when faced with troubles.
At this moment, she was incredibly fragile, making one feel she wasn't worthy of pity… after all, she's a goddess.
How could a god possess human emotions? But who truly knows? Those memories from millennia ago...
Perhaps, aside from these frogs and Kanako, no one else knew the traces of those bygone years.
Far away at the Shinomiya Residence, Yusei was playing a game with Kaguya.
Suddenly, he sneezed.
Seizing this momentary opportunity, Kaguya launched a combo, defeating Yusei's character. As the [Game Over] screen appeared on the TV, Yusei put down his controller and spread his hands helplessly.
"You win."
Kaguya happily tossed her controller aside, grinning, "Remember our bet!"
"Don't worry, I remember." Yusei didn't mind losing. The bet was simply that the loser would cook a meal. Easy enough.
Yusei got up from the sofa and looked towards Hayasaka.
"Ai-chan, the kitchen is fully stocked, right?"
"Naturally. Please follow me."
Hayasaka led Yusei to the kitchen. The bet for their game was the same for both: whoever lost would cook a meal for the other three.
Kaguya had proposed this because a couple of days ago, she saw a Shoujo manga where the male lead made a heartfelt bento for the female lead.
This made Kaguya realize that Yusei had never once cooked for her or Asuna. Seizing this opportunity, she suggested this bet.
Asuna was also looking forward to it. Thinking about it, she had eaten Yusei's cooking before, but it was ordinary home-style food, not something made with special intent for a girlfriend or wife.
At the kitchen.
The Shinomiya residence was enormous, with countless rooms. There wasn't just one kitchen either. With many maids, numerous rooms to clean, and daily needs, it was natural to have more than one kitchen.
Ever since Yusei had replaced his [Genius] ability, his culinary skills had regressed to the level of passable home cooking.
Back when he cooked for Shiro, his skills were quite good, and Shiro found it delicious.
With Hayasaka's help, Yusei spent two hours tinkering in the kitchen and finally managed to produce some decent-looking dishes.
Proper cooking was somewhat difficult, but baking cakes and desserts was relatively easier.
Yusei followed a recipe book and made three servings of cake.
He didn't plan to eat any himself; they were for Asuna, Kaguya, and Hayasaka.
When Yusei brought out the small cakes, Asuna, being a culinary expert, looked at him strangely.
Pointing at the somewhat oddly shaped cake, she asked, puzzled, "Yusei-kun, are you sure you followed the recipe? It looks... a bit off."
Yusei and Shiro both had a sweet tooth. It was fine if they weren't eating sweets, but once they had cake or desserts, the more sugar, the better.
Yusei had followed the recipe initially, but he added more sugar later himself. In his opinion, the sweeter, the tastier.
This resulted in the cake's frosting and the scent it emitted being somewhat cloying.
Kaguya didn't say much.
Looking at the cake Yusei made for her, she decided that no matter what, she would eat it. This was, after all, the first time this idiot had cooked for her… it held special meaning. No matter how bad it tasted, she would eat it.
Eagerly, Kaguya picked it up, took a prepared spoon, scooped a portion, and put it in her mouth.
Instantly, an overwhelmingly sweet flavor shot through her mind. The cloying sensation wasn't one of sweet happiness but rather a torment of sweetness.
Even though Kaguya had mentally prepared herself, she was still assaulted by Yusei's sudden foray into dark cuisine.
Hayasaka, who had witnessed Yusei's entire cooking process, had already prepared some palate-cleansing food on the side.
Seeing Kaguya's reaction, Asuna shot Yusei an exasperated look, then also picked up her cake and took a bite.
Sure enough, the flavor was indescribable.
Nevertheless, Asuna ate it bite by bite, her expression not changing much. No matter what, this was a meal made for her by her future, no, current husband.
It reminded her of those warm, ordinary days on the 22nd floor in SAO. Whenever she tried making a new dish, Yusei was always the one to taste-test it.
And every time, he would encourage her with joy.
This time, she would do the same for him.