Suddenly, a sense of oppression came over, and Nako saw the flattery in these people's eyes.

I heard from Sakura that in the past, today was the period when people working here had the most abundant income.

Because what they do is related to the protagonist's mood, the most generous bonus will be waiting for them every year.

If I could confide in Takiichi, "They worked hard today," of course this would be just a casual thing in the eyes of some people.

With this unexplained tension, Nako responded naturally.

She began to skillfully replace Sakura, greeting each chef's gentle introduction like a hostess.

However, after hearing all these words coming to an end, Nako realized that it was time for him to say when.

"These are one of the young master's favorite dishes. Every year at this time, he will use them to entertain the guests who come to Kagaya. If possible, I would like to ask Miss Nako to taste them. After all, you are the one who knows the best here.

I belong to the young master."

The praises that came from around him made Nako feel ashamed. They were the joy that burst out crazily after being shy.

She thought that in the past such 'tasting' work should be done by Sakura, and they did not choose to let Momo come over.

It was only then that Nako began to look around with clear eyes for the first time.

The servants and chefs here are all a head taller than her.

They were lowering their heads with very humble eyes. From their brows, you couldn't tell what state their eyes were showing, but they were standing with their heads raised and their chests raised.

The height difference between standing and slightly bending down made Nako feel dizzy. She was still like a child, and for the first time she faced the power that could control the fate of many people, "life and death".

If Sakura were here, she would choose how to respond.

I heard that I have been going here frequently since I was very young to experience living like a noble. Although I was born in a remote rural place like Kagoshima, it turns out that my so-called unparalleled temperament was honed in this atmosphere.

Sure enough, apart from age and physical development, there are still many aspects that are far different from Sakura.

This may be the reason why I haven't attracted Takiichi's attention for a while.

"OK..."

As if she was falling from a height into an abyss, everyone was looking up at her.

Such concentrated gaze was like silver needles, but I thought of just tasting it.

Go and experience the taste of his favorite cuisine. This novelty will immediately be like the light emitted by an angel, driving away all the gloomy emotions in your heart.

From stopping breathing to naturally inhaling, the heart also contracts.

A strong sense of self-confidence about what to do filled her body. Since she had decided to do this, she should not back down.

Nako knew that it was not fear, but a lack of motivation to move forward.

A long, long time ago, facing the gaze of AKB48 seniors, the feeling of gravity that hit her face on a stage only half a meter high, once squeezed out all the water in her body.

The feeling was very painful, and the body couldn't move.

But...at that moment, his voice was like the gospel of God coming, pouring into every corner of his body. From then on, Nako felt that he had been saved.

His field of vision began to rotate, and the soles of his feet were raised naturally. Nako concentrated on picking up the silver spoon in front of the dinner plate, scooping out a small piece like this from the joint between the round rice and the soup, and put it in his mouth.

The indescribable deliciousness spreads out from the mouth, deeply stimulating the taste buds, and then begins to convey the joyful emotion to the brain and heart.

"Hmm~"

Nako snorted instinctively, and the rich nasal sound became a signal that made these cooks breathe a sigh of relief.

Someone said something and it was a pleasant satisfaction.

Some people continued to ask whether improvements were needed. Nako shook his head slightly and responded to them with a satisfied smile.

"The taste he likes makes me one step closer to understanding him again."

Nako boldly instructs the chefs to put forward their own opinions. Things that usually seem strange and weird are often unexpected. This is what Takiichi taught her a long time ago.

This is her, this is herself alone.

No matter what, they all have different highlights and differences from Sakura.

Whether the cherry blossoms are still blooming, Nako has no idea.

I put down the spoon and washed my palms on the kitchen counter.

After finishing her trip to the kitchen, Nako left, dragging her Japanese-style bathrobe that occasionally touched the ground.

There are two different doors leading from the kitchen to the inside and outside, one to the front yard and the other to the living room inside the Kagaya.

Near midnight, the moon in the sky is gradually emitting an overwhelming beam of light.

They covered the entire pale planet, and the stars in the sky sometimes disappeared, and then reappeared very abruptly.

Kabu and Nuomi were barking in the front yard, as if they couldn't feel the night in the air at the moment.

All that can be seen is radiating light.

Immediately afterwards, a perfect phantom appeared in front of his eyes. Because she was too dazzling, Nako frowned and rubbed his eyes.

At that time, her eyes moved to the phantom. The strong light in the kitchen left a trace of dazzling sequelae in her eyeballs.

Gradually, she saw clearly the phantom walking towards her, holding a square box wrapped in pink cloth, and was suddenly startled.

"Hitomi-chan? Why are you here?"

The appearance of Hitomi (Honda Hitomi, I will just use Hitomi in the following text) made Nako look panicked. Compared with Sakura appearing here, this appearance seemed to be the biggest surprise tonight.

"How should I put it? This is a sudden thought..."

Hitomi held the wrapped things with her hands intertwined. In fact, her current height of 155cm did not put much pressure on Nako.

"What exactly is going on?"

Nako stood on tiptoe and did not see any other figures behind Hitomi.

So, she came here alone?

The real friendship with Hitomi probably started around mid-February when we were in the sixth grade of elementary school.

When they learned that the announcement of the middle school exam did not mean anything now, such a small topic deepened their impression of each other, and they began to become good sisters who talked about everything on the surface.

Compared to Sakura, who is two years apart, Hitomi makes Nako feel closer to her.

"My father was transferred to Kyoto City for a job. It happened that his working address was very close to here, and I happened to be staying at his place, so I asked him to send me here on the way."

Hitomi suddenly came to Kagaya, just like a student returning from school.

Wearing the sailor uniform and school bag that he had not yet changed out of, he spoke to her in a chatting tone.

"Huh? So you didn't tell Takiichi-chan?"

At first, Nako didn't understand what Hitomi meant, and thought it was just an excuse she made to rationalize her coming here.

But when she spoke, her eyes did not dodge and her face was not wrinkled, all confirming to herself that these things were really 'true'.

A sudden idea? Nako then began to listen to the show off in her tone with absent-minded eyes.
Chapter completed!