Chapter Text
"Hey Kaeya, You good? I can hear your stomach rumbling from a mile away just so you know"
"Oh. yeah. that.. My lunch was eaten by a kid" A look of confusion appeared on Jean's face
"A kid.....ate your lunch?"
"Yeah. It's fine though she seemed happy"
"Well, Good for you then. Just make sure that you don't starve yourself. I don't want to add a hospital visit to my busy schedule, eye patch."
Kaeya just sighs at the nickname.
'I guess I'll cook some instant noodles by the time I get home'
"Don't you dare think about eating another pack of instant noodles. 99% of your body's already made of that shit, you don't need more!"
"I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT- okay fine."
By the time Kaeya got home it was already past dinnertime and once again just like any other time, Jean's lectures went into his ear and flew out the other as opens up a pack of instant noodles.
"who is she to act like my mother anyways? ....as if I had one in the first place"
Kaeya darling, don't play with your food like some cat playing with it's toy! eat it properly, you'll starve if you don't
The words of his mother flashed through his mind for a moment. Those were one of the few memories Kaeya had of his mother. Ah youth.
⸻⸻⸻⸻
It was the next afternoon when he went back to the park to have his lunch as usual when he saw the very same bleached hair with a small backpack slung over his shoulder while holding the hand of a child in a red dress.
It wasn't long until the child noticed Kaeya watching them for afar. She turned towards him and tugged on her brother man's shirt and said "brother LOOK!!!! IT'S MISTER OH-KNEE-GILLEY!! HI MISTER!!!" as she ran towards him.
"teach me how to make the jeery bomb!"
Before Kaeya could respond the man with bleached hair approached them while saying "klee remember on what we agreed on earlier! apologize to him properly."
As soon as he came close he grabbed the little girl's head and pushed it down as if she was bowing, and the bleached man bowed too.
"I apologize on behalf of my sister for taking your lunch yesterday."
"sowwie mister" as klee gave Kaeya the so-called 'puppy eyes'
"I have something to give you" the girl said once again while holding out a heart shaped lollipop to Kaeya. "it's candy to give back after taking your oh-knee-jeery yesterday! it's a trade!"
He can't believe he did but the puppy eyes definitely had some sort of effect on him as the next thing he did was crouching down at the girl's eye level, accepting her little gift, and said "Don't worry about it, I don't mind. I'm glad you liked it though"
he turned his head towards her brother next to her "And sorry for giving it to your sister without asking you"
"Nah don't worry about it, She's always been like this since she was young so I should've been more aware of her habits"
"And also....I was wondering, what is this 'oh-knee-jeery' that she won't shut up about ever since we came home yesterday"
"Ah, it's an onigiri that i brought for lunch" Kaeya said while lifting his lunchbox.
"Ooohh so it's an onigiri... huh, it does look like a bomb"
As the man was looking at the funny shape of the onigiri Kaeya could only smile. "So uh, By any chance are you willing to teach us how to make the onigiri?"
Huh?
Me?
TEACHING??
⸻⸻⸻⸻
It's already Saturday morning
Kaeya was walking through a peaceful looking neighborhood while staring at the business card that said 'Alice's Pottery Class! Available Every Saturday! Experience the wonderful world of pottery!'
He sighed to himself as he followed the map imprinted onto that little card as he gets lost in thought
How did I even get myself into this situation.....
He didn't even recall saying yes. But the next thing he realized he was accepting the business card given to him by the man.
Soon he arrived at a cozy looking house when a blonde haired woman in an apron walked out
"Oh my! Are you here for the pottery class? it's starting soon so you should follow me!"
"Ah, um. Actually I'm not..here for the pottery class...... I'm here to see klee and her older brother...."
"OH DEAR! are you a friend of bedo? oh wow I'm so happy he finally invited a friend over!" the woman said with an excited look on her face. "He's usually sitting in the back porch. I can't believe Albedo's got himself a friend!" she said proudly.
"Thanks a lot miss.. um."
"Alice's the name! Now, I'm afraid I must get going so go on and enjoy yourselves!" Kaeya stood still as he watched Alice walk into a building across their house which he assumes is the 'pottery class' advertised.
Albedo's his name huh..
He walks into the back garden that Alice pointed towards earlier and saw the siblings lazily laying down on the porch.
"Hey, brother, would you rather eat poop-flavored curry, or curry-flavored poop?"
"I would probably choose the curry." Albedo said nonchalantly.
"Then what about..... Vomit-flavored stew or stew-flavored vomit?"
"...huh? hmm..." his mind now deep in thought until
"Uh, hello" A man with dark blue hair tied into a low ponytail was in front of him
"H-how are you?" said the man.
Albedo immediately sat up and looked at him.
"OH! MISTER OH-KNEE-JEERY!!! YOU CAME!"
"ah. uh. huh ?" Albedo could only stutter. He didn't expect that man would actually come.
Albedo welcomed the blue haired into their house and immediately went to prepare some drinks. Klee appears from behind.
"Klee will bring tea! Klee will do it!"
"HEY BE CAREFUL DON'T DROP IT—"
Klee walks carefully, her body slightly shaking. It was obvious that she was trying to not drop a single bit of the tea.
"Here you go!" Klee cheerfully puts down the tray onto the table.
"Thanks" Kaeya replied with a sweet smile.
"I'm really sorry about this, I forgot you were coming today." Albedo said as he walks into the room, his face looking apologetic.
"oh?"
"I didn't expect you'll actually come over"
"well, I made a promise. didn't I?" Kaeya replied with a warm smile. At that moment, Albedo actually thought that he had a pretty smile.
"YEAH! let's make oh-knee-jeery together!" Klee cheered.
It's been a long time since I "had a promise to meet on a day off" with someone. Kaeya thought to himself.
"By the way, I gotten your name yet..."
"Ah, yes. I'm Kaeya Alberich. Just call me Kaeya though, Alberich is one hell of a mouthful to say" Kaeya chuckled lightly.
"I'm Albedo"
"AND I'M KLEE!!"
"Klee?"
"KLEE! NICE TO MEET YOU MISTER KAIY"
"...Anyways thanks for coming." Albedo adds. Suddenly a 'ding ding' sound was heard. "Oh the rice just finished, I was cooking it for lunch"
"Whoa, that's some nice timing."
"Okay," Albedo says as he stands up.
"It's onigiri for lunch then!"
"YEEEAAHHH!" Klee yells excitedly
"Huh...? I mean. Yeah! .." Kaeya says (less excitedly). Klee can experience all the excitement in his stead.
⸻⸻⸻⸻
"...is what we said....but my onigiri is just like anyone else's...."
"Hmm.. Well, Klee really likes your onigiri so there has to be something unique about it" Albedo said as he opens the rice cooker.
"Ah, unique...? Now that you mention it, I do cook my rice in a stone pot"
"HUH that's a huge difference isn't it?"
"My rice cooker broke last year so I tried using a stone pot and the rice turned out great, So I just kept using it since then. But a rice cooker's good too." He reassured.
"Wait.."
"Don't you think the rice looks somewhat yellow..? it has this weird odor too" Kaeya mentions as he looks at the rice cooker
"is the rice cooker being washed properly?"
Albedo only looked the other way with an avoiding smile. "....So it's not washed huh." was the only thing Kaeya could say.
"Well, just for today why don't we make it like how you usually do? We also have a clay pot"
"Alright, Let's get started then!" Kaeya replies as he rolls his sleeve.
🍚.°×*•
Firstly, Wash the rice thoroughly
Then put it into the clay pot and turn the stove on to a high heat
Turn the heat down once it simmers, and boil it for thirty minutes
•*×°.🍚
"...And once there's no steam coming out of the pot, The rice is done."
"The clay pot cooks surprisingly fast" Albedo comments in amazement.
Kaeya takes the clay pot to the dining table and opend the lid of the pot. "Before we start making the ongiri.. the middle part is usually the tastiest so if any of you want to give it a try-"
"ME!" Albedo and Klee shouts at the same time.
Albedo and Klee each takes a bite off of the spoon Kaeya was holding just like a parent feeding their children.
The smiles both Albedo and Klee shown that they really liked it
Man, they're really transparent with their reactions
"Haha, You guys really are an adorable pair of siblings. Ah-" As those words slipped out of his mouth without thinking, He suddenly noticed the slight blush appearing on Albedo's face.
Damn, that’s one pretty face
Hold on. What?
"A-ah I get it now!" Albedo swiftly redirects their conversation, "The rice must be a key part into making a delicious onigiri"
"heh, I guess that's true!"
It is now the awaited onigiri making time. Kaeya, Albedo, and Klee all sat together on the dining as Kaeya starts teaching them how to 'assemble' the onigiri.
🍙.°×*•
On top of a plastic wrap, Lay a huge sheet of seaweed down and and scoop some rice on top of it and spread it even.
Then simply put on you desired fillings on top of the rice.
when you've finished, wrap everything in and shape it into a ball using the plastic wrap that has been laid down before.
•*×°.🍙
"Klee, what's your favorite sushi filling?"
"Klee likes salmon and konbu!"
"Well let's put that in shall we?"
"YEAH!" Klee replied way too enthusiastically while putting her fillings on her onigiri.
"What's big brother big brother Kaiyea like?"
"Hmm....personally I like tamagoyaki and fried chicken or something like that, then kimchi and natto..."
"......You can put that in an onigiri..?" Albedo sounding confused at Kaeya's response.
"Onigiri is freedom" Kaeya flashes an assuring smile while giving him a thumbs up.
And soon after that moment, All of them finally finished making their onigiris. Unlike the usual onigiri, these ones were a rounded shape (some of them looking oval) but all of them were filled with each of their favorite fillings and that's all that matters.
Klee's eyes lighted up in excitement thinking about just how delicious these onigiris would be. "Let's eat! Let's eat!" She said excitedly while jumping up and down.
"Wait, let's bring out the tea" Albedo says while getting up from his sitting place.
"Oh, Well then it's time to take my leave now I suppose" Kaeya suddenly stated as he too, also gets up from his sitting position. Before he could reached the door, Klee suddenly ran and grabbed his leg as if her life depended on it.
"Mister Kaiya don't gooooooo~" Klee looks up to him and gives Kaeya her puppy eyes. A slight hint of hesitation appeared on his face and Albedo must've noticed it because he asked "Do you have any plans?"
"No.. It's just that...."
"Then if it's alright, Let's eat together" Albedo offered kindly.
"I..uh..well, I...."
"What's up?" Concern showing through his voice.
You ruin my appetite.
The food tastes worse when Kaeya eats with us.
Those words ringing loudly inside Kaeya's head.
"Thanks..but that is a little.. um." Kaeya's fists unconsciously clenched together. "...for a long time... I've been bad at.. um" He can feel his face heating up as he struggles to get the words out until suddenly an onigiri gets shoved into his mouth. (it was albedo)
Kaeya shyly took a bite and he made eye contact with Albedo. "Now that wasn't as hard as you expected wasn't it?" He said with a smile.
All of them ate together and had a good meal. Both Albedo and Kaeya decided to wash the dishes so they did it together "I've learnt some new things today, Thanks for that" Albedo says with a smile. "No it's no problem! Thank you for having me today, It was fun." Kaeya smiles back.
⸻⸻⸻⸻
It is now nighttime and Klee is sound asleep.
"Hey, Albedo, I think it's time for to go back now. It's getting late" Kaeya spoke up.
"Oh sure, I'll see you out, give me a second"
"Oh- no, no. it's fine I can see myself out"
"It's alright, I insist." He replied with a smile.
"Really, Again, Thanks a lot for today I really enjoyed my time here"
"Same here. If you don't mind........I think Klee really likes you so if it's not a bother would you mind come play with us again..?"
"Sure! How about next week?"
"Next week's good. See you next Saturday, Albedo." Kaeya gives a warm smile.
"See you next Saturday." Albedo smiles contently to himself as he watched Kaeya leave the house.