Chapter 24
Home Economics
Summer break was fast approaching, and Elyna was still powerless to curb that fateful crush.
She’d got so used to blushing that Sano probably worried about her poor resistance to heat.
Especially since air conditioning was scarcely used unless the temperature went over twenty-eight degrees inside the buildings.
Twenty-eight bloody degrees! At home, she’d be lounging in a bikini.
The morning sun was already too hot as Elyna pushed through the door of the home economics classroom with Satsuki in tow.
The space was arranged in a U-shape with cooking stations on either side.
Several second-year girls were already tying on aprons.
The moment Elyna stepped inside, a few heads turned.
“Ne, Trewith-sensei,” one of the braver girls called out with a giggle, “how was it to be in Sano-sensei’s arms?”
Elyna’s mind blanked, panic rushing through her veins. Did anyone see us at the festival? Beside her, Satsuki went very still.
“What?” Elyna stammered.
“Come on, we heard he carried you all the way to the infirmary,” another girl interjected. “That’s so romantic!”
Oh! The accident! Relieved, she was suddenly swept by a flash of anger. Did they think she’d done it on purpose? She raised her splint. “How romantic do you think it was, spraining my wrist and tearing my skin? Do you know how long it took for the medic to remove the gravel from my face?”
Satsuki’s dark eyes narrowed, sweetness replaced by a scowl. The girls exchanged uncomfortable glances.
“Ah, gomen nasai, sensei,” one of them mumbled, suddenly very interested in her indoor shoes. “We didn’t mean…”
Elyna heaved a sigh and summoned a more welcoming expression. “It’s fine. Just… think before you speak, ne?”
The girls turned back to their stations, whispers lingering in the background. Loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to pretend otherwise.
"...always monopolising Sano-sensei’s time…”
“Well, what do you expect from a ghost?”
Ghost. Pale hair and pale complexion. Elyna always stood out in southern countries, but that one stung the most.
“Shh! She’ll hear you!”
Of course, I hear you. I’m not deaf. Should she confront them, or let it go? What would Sano do? Satsuki’s touch on her shoulder called her attention back to the room; the girl’s features were scrunched in displeasure on her behalf.
“Don’t—”
“Your delivery, Elyna-chan!” a familiar voice piped in loud enough to make them both jump.
Elyna whirled around to find Shūji standing so close that she had to cross her eyes.
His expression was different than usual; a smirk quirking at his lips, but gaze dangerous.
He settled her bag on the tiled counter and slanted his head, just enough to send a look to the back of the room. His sharp gaze stopped all whispers.
“Did no one teach you about personal space?” Elyna huffed, biting back a smile. It seemed that Shūji was shielding her in his usual, vexing way.
The boy brushed his chin thoughtfully, still watching the girls with an expression that managed to be both casual and vaguely threatening. They froze like rabbits under a hawk’s shadow. “I don’t recall,” he drawled.
What can I possibly answer to that?
Elyna stepped back slightly. “You know you don’t have to play delivery boy anymore. My wrist is almost healed now.”
Shūji’s hand shot to his chest. “Ne, Elyna-chan, you wound me. I am a considerate person,” Shūji whined. His hand came to pat the top of Satsuki’s head like she was a particularly well-behaved pet, mischievous grin sliding back into place.
Elyna blinked. That’s… interesting.
“Shūji-senpai,” Satsuki eventually said. “Shouldn’t you be in industrial arts?”
He grinned. “Probably. But I had to make sure my favourite TA got her bag.” He turned back towards the door, pausing dramatically in the threshold. “Have fun doing girly stuff, you two. Try not to burn anything.”
Elyna threw a towel at his retreating back. “Get out, you menace!”
His laughter echoed down the corridor; the second-year girls were conspicuously silent now, very focused on preparing their stations.
Satsuki’s shoulders finally relaxed, though her expression remained stormy. “Baka,” she muttered, just loud enough for Elyna to hear.
Kimura walked into the room, oblivious to the earlier tension. “Ah, Trewith-san!” she greeted warmly, her neat bun of greying hair bobbing in the process. “Welcome!”
All the girls bowed, both to their teacher and herself.
“Today,” Kimura announced, “We’re making hambāgu. Trewith-san will help us practise English cooking terms while we work.”
With that blasted splint, she sure as hell wouldn’t be cooking. But she could always observe while she encouraged their pupils to speak. Trios formed easily; Elyna started with Satsuki’s group.
“Good morning,” Elyna tried in English, keeping her voice warm.
Three pairs of eyes widened in momentary panic before a girl with glasses that slid down her nose gathered her courage. “Good… morning, sensei.”
Nodding her encouragement, Elyna went on. “Today we’re cooking. Does anyone know the English word for this?” She pointed to the meat.
“Ah…” Satsuki frowned. “Mincemeat?”
Elyna smiled. “Absolutely. Or ground meat in American English. Very good!”
The girl's face lit up with pleasure, and Elyna beamed. During the next hour, she moved between stations, praising vocabulary attempts, correcting pronunciation and teaching new terms to the bolder ones that dared asking questions. Dice. Fold. Simmer.
“You like Japanese cooking?” a girl from class 2-A asked, emboldened by success.
“I do,” Elyna admitted. “Even though some things are still strange to me, like natto.”
A few snickers greeted that statement; natto was an acquired taste, even amongst Japanese people.
The hambāgu were now sizzling in the pans, the aroma of onions, herbs and meat filling the room.
Brown sauce bubbled merrily on the side, ready to coat the typical steak.
The clock read 11.50, just in time for lunch!
Satisfied, Kimura praised her students. Elyna’s stomach growled; the traditional fare appealed to her taste buds, especially since breakfast had only been a white mocha grabbed in the street.
The appealing smell must have carried down the corridor.
Not even a minute after the bell rang, a few familiar faces gathered at the door—teachers, coaxed in by the appeal of home cooked food.
One of them was Fujimoto, clutching his stomach dramatically.
Elyna’s heart leapt in joy, for where the physics teacher was…
There. Sano stood in the doorway, clad in the school’s regulation t-shirt, sweat still beading at his temple. As if called in, his eyes found hers immediately. His expression softened before the professional mask slid back into place.
“Kimura-sensei,” Fujimoto called out dramatically, “you’re torturing us! It smells amazing!”
The home economics teacher laughed. “We have extra portions if you’d like to try the girls’ work.”
Fujimoto proceeded to play the traditional dance of refusal and insistence, bowing in between a few ‘I could not’ and ‘If you insist’ before he walked straight into the room. The girls handed him a plate artfully arranged; not a minute later, he was digging in with enthusiasm.
A few other teachers sampled the Hambāgu—including Yamada, the stern math instructor—handing out praise that made their students glow.
Elyna found herself accepting a plate and chopsticks, courtesy of Satsuki.
The girl fled one breath later, muttering about the mochi she kept for the boys, and that they absolutely needed to complete their lunch.
A little stunned at the hasty exit, Elyna shook her head fondly. Satsuki had strong nurturing instincts, probably inherited from her parents who ran a restaurant. When someone settled on the empty seat beside hers, Elyna braced herself to have a conversation with Yamada.
Instead, she found Sano, warm gaze calling her in. She froze; ever since their encounter at the festival, they had both been avoiding each other. To end the stalemate with a tête-à-tête was unnerving. She couldn’t help but admire his courage.
“How did that first cooking class go?” he asked.
Oh, so he was worried. That’s… cute? Elyna munched upon a piece of hambāgu, reflecting on her students’ progress. “It was… much more dynamic. The girls were less guarded than in a traditional setting, and their sentences flowed better.”
Sano nodded. “It’s probably because of the cooking. It provides enough distractions so set them at ease.”
Elyna bit her lip; the analysis was sound. Astute, even. Sano knew his students well, and it made him an exceptional homeroom teacher.
“I don’t know if English influenced the result,” he smiled. “But it is delicious.”
The banter was easy, warm. Relaxing in her seat, Elyna lifted a sarcastic eyebrow. “Linguistically speaking, hambāgu is the butchering of a perfectly normal word. Literally.”
The joke caught him off-guard; his chest shook with genuine laughter, the sound low and rich. To see his composure crack was delightful. Then his expression sobered slightly, though amusement still lingered in his eyes.
When the last piece of Japanese steak melted in her mouth, Elyna proceeded to stack up the dishes. Sano’s hand stopped her immediately.
“Let me,” he commanded, retrieving her plate. “You must allow your wrist to heal.”
Elyna bit the inside of her cheek, feeling equally shameful—here, juniors worked in their seniors’ place, not the other way around—and endeared by his thoughtfulness. As he brought their utensils to the front, Elyna proceeded to gather her belongings in her heavy messenger bag.
The room was almost deserted, save a few students busy washing plates and tableware. The last of the students filed out, the clatter of washing up fading to a murmur. Elyna was about to leave when the Sano returned to her side.
“Elyna-san.”
His tone was serious. Feeling like a deer trapped in headlights, she froze.
What now? Did you not torture my heart for an entire half hour? Are you going for the killing blow, Sano-sensei?
His features were set in careful neutrality, yet his eyes conveyed anything but. At last, he spoke. “It seems you’ve found common ground with our national troublemaker. Be careful not to let him drag you in trouble.”
Elyna deflated in relief. “Oh! No worries. I’ve had a lifetime of practice with my little brother.”
“A lifetime,” he mumbled. As if mulling over the length of said lifetime.
“Sorry?”
Sano snapped back to attention, sending her a pointed look. “Did something happen that I’m not aware of?”
Caught in the contemplation of loose strands framing his strong jaw, Elyna blinked. “Mmm?”
His eyes turned dead serious, and she shivered. “With Onishi-kun,” he supplied.
Shūji? What of Shūji? Oh, the change of dynamics! She couldn’t possibly rat the boy out for the accident. Lying to Sano didn’t sit well with her, so she chose a half-truth.
“Oh,” she supplied. “I think we found an agreement. And Haruki and Satsuki were getting annoyed with his manners either way. It’s time for him to grow up.”
Strong arms folded over a solid chest, and Elyna couldn’t help but reminisce about how utterly wonderful it had been to taste that embrace.
She would probably never touch him again…
When his gaze trailed to the room, she took advantage of his distraction to detail his forearm, all sinewy muscles and tanned skin.
Those rolled-up sleeves would be the death of her.
“Well… that’s good, I think,” Sano mused, his voice low. Then his attention returned to her, and he offered a gentle smile. “Katayū-sensei will probably drill the boys during summer with the Nationals coming up.”
The boys? Oh! We were speaking of Shūji and Haruki.
Elyna lifted her splinted wrist. “Yeah. Well, I’m useless at kendō either way, so I bet it won’t matter if I go home.”
A rueful expression painted Sano’s features, causing her to melt on the spot. He looked almost melancholic.
“Nah. Enjoy your break.” He grabbed her bag on the table, assessing its weight by pulling the handle.
And suddenly, he was close. So close she could smell his cologne.
“Return to us better,” he added, his voice so soft that she almost didn’t react when he hoisted the heavy bag upon her shoulder.
The warmth of his hand lingered on her shirt, and Elyna froze.
“You know I’m always available if you need some help.”
Overwhelmed, Elyna took a step back and bowed.
“Hai, arigatō gozaimasu, Sano-sensei,” she whispered, her breath short.
Her cheeks were burning—from his touch, or her own madness, she wasn’t sure. But from the dazzling smile he gave her, he did not seem to mind. Lost in a world of sensations and what-ifs, Elyna only realised she had zoned out when his eyebrows scrunched in a puzzled frown.
“I’m… er” his hand rose to the back of his neck, a nervous gesture she found endearing. “Are you alright? Have you… have you lost weight recently?”
Of all the things she expected, this wasn’t high on the list. Was he tracking how she looked? The idea was baffling, and strangely fulfilling. Warmth spread through her limbs, a response to his worry. Now, how to appease that frown without lying?
His gaze was expectant and earnest.
“I… uh, a little,” she admitted. She searched for a convenient explanation that didn’t involve ‘mooning over her supervisor like a fool’. Sheepish, Elyna lowered her eyes to escape the thrall of his attention.
“Ah, I think I lost my appetite with the pain killers and all.”
A flash of hurt passed over his features, and she wondered if he felt guilty for the accident. It had happened on his watch, after all. Stupid Japanese honour. But so chivalrous… His expression was almost painful to watch so Elyna summoned a sunny smile.
“Nothing to worry about, really! Cornwall will fill me up in no time, with all the shortbread and Cornish Pasty.”
Her enthusiasm smoothed out the worry line between his eyebrows; his eyes dropped to the ground, a secret smile ghosting over his features.
“Ah, I understand. I hope that trip home will help you rebuild your strength.” He paused, and something flickered across his face—regret, perhaps, or longing. “Say hello to England for me.”
He gave her one last smile and left the room, gait graceful. Elyna remained rooted to the spot, wondering how something as simple as a home economics class had become so emotionally complicated.
How the hell was she going to handle spending six weeks away from him? On second thought, perhaps regrouping in Cornwall was a good thing after all.
Aksel: When do you land?
Elyna: 10 days
Aksel: it’s the final countdown! Tadadada! Tadadatata!
Elyna: stop singing, my ears are bleeding.