Work Text:
“Bocchi-chan! Try some karaage I made!”
Gotoh ‘Bocchi’ Hitori snapped back to reality when she smelt the familiar aromatic scent entering her nose. Sitting across from her with a bento box in hand was Ichiji Nijika, Bocchi’s bandmate and close friend.
“Ah, uh, I’m not that hungry, thanks….” Bocchi nervously said, unsure of the proper response in this scenario due to her lack of experience sharing a bento with someone else, let alone a friend.
Nijika pouted, feeling a little offended by the response. “Is that what I get after all the love and care I’ve given you?”
“Ahhh, n-no! That’s not what I-”
“Relax relax, I was just joking!” Nijika said as she handed a pair of chopsticks to Bocchi. She watched as Bocchi picked out a piece of karaage before putting it in her mouth. It only took a few seconds of chewing before Bocchi’s expression became gleeful.
“So good…..” She expressed blissfully.
“I always cook for me and my big sis after all.” Nijika not so subtly bragged.
“You just going to forget the previous dozen failed attempts of burnt karaage?” Nijika’s sister, Seika, retorted from across the room.
“Quiet, you!”
Seika scoffed as she continued typing on her laptop. The two Kessoku Band members sat in brief silence enjoying their food as Nijika took a quick glance at the giant clock across the room.
Half past three, we would be practicing by now.
That was the routine everyone had agreed upon a week into summer vacation, the band would spend some time practicing in the studio followed by either some part-time work at Starry or just hanging out. But today, things were different. The vocalist, Kita Ikuyo, had informed through LOINE she had last-minute arrangements with her other friends but promised to be back for part-time work in the evening. The bassist, however, was less of a reason. Yamada Ryo had called Nijika earlier that morning informing her that she wouldn’t be joining practice. When asked why, she answered with a blunt “I don’t feel like it today,” before hanging up.
Damn Ryo, I’ll make sure you eat my failed cooking next time you mooch off me!
With half the band missing and all motivation to practice out the window, Nijika and Bocchi simply hung out at Starry. Nijika tried making small talk with Bocchi, but she has known her long enough to know she wasn’t good at it. At least with her sharing some food, the two could at least get something rolling instead of sitting awkwardly in silence.
“T-thank you for the food.”
Nijika returned her gaze towards Bocchi as she gently returned the bento box. “Nijika-chan is such a good cook…”
Nijika chuckled as she nervously scratched the back of her head. It was less because Bocchi had complimented her, she had spent years cooking for her sister after all. It was more so her selfish reasoning for cooking for her in the first place. When she visited Bocchi’s house with Kita, she remembered the soft smile Bocchi had when she was eating her mother’s karaage. The kind of smile she has never seen from her before.
She wanted to see that smile again.
It took her several attempts (and a very annoyed Seika to taste test) before she was satisfied with the results. Nijika wanted to make karaage worthy of Bocchi’s happiness and based on the reaction she had after her first bite, she passed with flying colours. But, she still wanted to hear it from the girl herself. Which is when she decided to spring the question “How did you like my cooking, Bocchi-chan?”
Bocchi nervously fidgeted while avoiding Nijika’s gaze. Nijika understood how difficult it was for Bocchi to communicate sometimes, so she patiently waited for her to find the words she wanted to say. After a while, Bocchi finally answered. An answer Nijika had not anticipated.
“I-I wish Nijika-chan could cook for me forever!”
Nijika’s heart reacted faster than her face did, she felt it skip a beat as her mouth was left agape and her face turned red. If it was Ryo saying it she would’ve just rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. But to hear it come from Bocchi of all people….
What is this warm feeling in my chest all of a sudden?
“Um, Nijika-chan…?” Bocchi called out, a worried expression on her face as she assumed she had just said something weird.
Nijika snapped back to reality upon hearing Bocchi call her name. “I-I-I’m fine Bocchi-chan! Don’t worry about it!” She said while waving her off. In truth, her heartbeat was beating faster than ever, almost as fast as the beats of her drum in the middle of an intense song. If she had a foot padel now she could definitely play a tune with just her heartbeat. “Is it me or is it getting a little stuffy in here?”
“The AC is working just fine.” Seika answered as she sipped on her juice box.
Unable to stay idle any longer, Nijika hastily stood up from her chair, catching Bocchi by surprise. “Say, Bocchi-chan, how about we go outside for a bit and get a drink?”
“H-huh? Uh, s-sure….. I guess.”
Before Bocchi could even get out of her seat, Nijika had already grabbed her hand and headed up the stairs out of Starry. She calls out to Seika about leaving and was simply met with an acknowledging grunt.
As the two girls stepped into the hot summer streets of Shimokitazawa, the sounds of the hustle and bustle of everyday life echoed outside the live house, occasionally accompanied by the sounds of buzzing cicadas. Nijika gleefully hummed and skipped down the street, occasionally turning to check up on Bocchi who was trailing behind. While the weather outside was intense, Bocchi was left pondering if the sun or Nijika’s smile shined brighter that day.
Deep down, she liked to believe it was the latter.