I’m confident in my abilities to cook a good meal. When it was only mom and me, I would make her dinner when she came home and breakfast before work. I watched plenty of videos on YouTube to learn the mastery of culinary too. So, making this meal wasn’t going to be anything troubling but because a certain someone it was quite the opposite.

“You don’t have an apron?! Well, look at what I have for you!”

“You had this planned from the beginning, Koda-san!”

In my face, the cutesy polka-dotted apron stared at me stubbornly. If the situation was any different this would be my taste. It’s cute and even as frills on the bottom but because it’s being held by this devil, I’m reluctant to take it.

“Hurry up now, put it on.”

I grumble and do as I’m told. I turn around to see the recipient lit up like a firework.

“Wow, you in an apron Nakagawa-san is wonderful.”

Koda-san is making this situation more stressful than it needs to be. She sits at the kitchen table watching me dance about the room.

“If I recalled, you said we both were making this meal.”

“Oh yes, let me just take off my dress jacket.”

Yet, she doesn’t move a muscle. She keeps veering at me from the side. Even as I cut up a small vegetable, I get oohs and aahs from the side. It’s seriously disturbing.

“If you’re not going to help cook at least get the bath ready.”

I scold out of irritation If anything.

“Aw, okay I can do that much.”

Accepting defeat or her own laziness, Koda-san trumped down and made her way to the bathroom. Finally, I got a little peace and quiet. Perhaps that was Koda’s big aim for me to do the cooking in an apron? Nah, she was just being a strange person like always. Just as I blew away the eccentric thought the front door opened.

“I’m home.”

Her timid voice calls out as she makes her way through the home.

“Welcome home.”

I call back to no one other than Hana-san. It would seem Mom drives her to the station and Hana-san takes the train from there to school. But coming from school she takes a little longer because of the extra mile or so from our home to the station.

“Oh, it smells good.”

Hana-san commented as she set her bag on the couch. I turned to see her in a black school uniform. Now looking at it I love the design. I wish the high school I was going to have that kind of fashion sense. There are two things I’m super into and that’s good music and cute clothing. Maybe my taste hasn’t matured from middle school yet…

“Hana-san, put all your stuff in your room.”

“What?!”

Hana-san taken aback by my motherly aura (all in my head.) pulled back slightly.

“That’s how you lost your math book this morning. Now, run upstairs and put your stuff away before you lay about.”

With a sigh and a slump of her shoulders, Hana seemingly admits defeat. But before she left, she stuck out her tongue while closing her eyes.

“Nnnnhhh!”

Then raced upstairs.

“I-I don’t think I deserved that…”

Downcast, I turned back to the food.

“Okay, the bath waters ready.”

Great, she’s back…Secretly I was hoping she slipped and fell in buying me a few more minutes if anything. But long behold, Koda-san came back to the kitchen with her nose to the ceiling. If she was any taller, she’d break the roof with her pride.

“I even put my trusty bath shampoo in there if you want to try using it, Nakagawa-san.”

That lemon citrus soap? I can’t deny that the smell is sweet but even I have a more mature palate than that I would believe.

“No thanks.”

“Wah?! Shut down so quickly?! But you said you liked it!”

“Yeah I do but…”

I taste the soup and it’s coming along…

“I just don’t think it’ll suit me, Koda-san.”

“It will suit you! You and I can smell the same, isn’t that wonderful?!”

“You stay away from me.”

I glared at her with the kitchen knife pointing her direction. Koda-san shivered as I approached slowly.

“Mom, I need you to sign something.”

Hana-san raced down the steps catching the two of us in yet another conflict for the day. If she was any later, she might have only been calling one-person mom from then on.

“Ah…am I interrupting something?”

“Nope, Koda was just about to take a bath.”

Koda slumps her shoulders and then reaches out her hand, taking hold of Hana’s paper.

“Hm, an outing to the mountains next month?”

“Yes!”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay up there? It sounds like a long hike.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Hana-san insisted, pumping her legs up and down. Gosh, she can be seriously cute at times.

“It seems you’ll be up there for a few days too. A bunch of activities along with cleaning up the public parks.”

I gaze at Koda-san as she dissects the page in front of her. Any other parent I know would have just signed the page and send their son or daughter away.

“We’ll have to make sure you have plenty of water and sunscreen, so you won’t get burned. And conditioners for your hair are out over this weekend as well, Hana.”

“Yes, mom.”

“Stay away from cliffs and strange places. And promise me you’ll stay in a group-“

“Could you just sign it?!”

Hana-san gloomed at me. We mistakenly caught eyes and cast away at the same time. It seems Koda-san is a tad overprotective of Hana-san. A sharp contrast to her childlike personality that she showed all day long. I guess there is a mature side to this woman.

“Paper signed!”

“Yes!”

“Go put it back in your bag now.”

I chimed in from the stove. Hana-san looked at me again. Her tongue slipped from her mouth and her eyes slanted.

“Nnnnnh!”

She cried then rushed out, back up the steps.

“That’s just a bad habit of hers. Don’t think too much into it.”

Koda-san nodded her head.

“Nah, I won’t.”

I still feel as if it’s undeserved, but I’ll take it.

“I’m home!”

My body flinched. There’s a voice I was honestly happy to hear. She stepped into the kitchen.

“Welcome home.”

I smiled gleefully. It was truly natural. Something nostalgic caught my chest seeing my mom in a business suit coming home from a long day. That’s right…This is the image that stayed with me in that year after father died.

“Welcome back, Ayumi.”

From the side-lines Koda-san jumped in, giving my mom an overly affectionate hug. Just the notion of her interrupting my moment with mom gave me a slight irritation. I had to let it go…they are together or whatever they want to call it. I didn’t mention it until now also, isn’t my mom a bit too old for her too? I mean she’s like 10 years her junior. For all I know, she could be trying to find a sugar mom or whatever they say in those western dramas. No matter how you look at this it’s…not right.

“Oh, look how cute your daughter is, Ayumi!”

“W-what?!”

I could feel the blood rushing to my head. It took me a moment but she’s pointing out the polka-dotted apron that this moron bought for me. If I’d known that was her end goal, to make my mother swoon over me then I would have shoved it down her throat.

“Madoka, you’re so adorable!”

“S-Shut up, mom!!!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Today was exhausting…”

“Sounds rough…”

On the other line, Ma-chan comforted me. I could hear her spinning on the chair in amusement though...

“So, let me get this straight…When you went into a coma your mom and that girl from her job got together? Who to think your mom swung that way?”

“Yeah, …it’s pretty weird. But…she sounded as if she actually cares for my mom.”

“Oh? ”

My eyes closed, imagining the face Koda-san made in the park. Even though I can’t envision them as having that kind of relationship…it seems that they do.

“Well…Koda-san’s a special case. She’s nothing but trouble, unlike Hana-san who is so much sweeter than her mother.”

Air escaped Ma-chan’s gut in from the phone. Followed by a shuffle of noise. I take it she’s moving to a more comfortable position.

“Hey, I’ll be home by Sunday, you want to hang out this weekend?!”

Surprised by the sudden proclamation I lift my head up, off the warm pillow.

“Cool. I need a break after I take the exams.”

“When are you taking them?”

“This Saturday. I’ll get the results immediately and will likely have to be a 1st year while you’re a 2nd year.”

“Don’t worry, big sister will show you the ropes. You’re going to my school, right?!”

“For the fiftieth time, yes.”

I could hear Ma-chan kick the wall relentlessly. Yep, she’s putting her feet up again. I’ll scold her if she does it at school.

“Oh, I probably should warn you.”

“About what?”

“I dyed my hair a few weeks back. My teachers are calling me a delinquent. But I need to express myself!”

“You did what?!”

“Yeah, It’s all bright now. I think it’s cute! I’ll send you a picture.”

As if she’d pre-planned this, an image showed up in my email. I checked it and long behold Ma-chan with a twist. Her bright blue hair looks out of place with the environment. She reminded me of a blueberry, and I didn’t even understand why. She looks like a troublemaker for sure. Now I wonder if I should associate with her…

“Don’t I look like a gaudy girl who’d punch your lights out?”

I sighed, shaking my head back and forth.

“You used to be such a sweet girl, Ma-chan.”

“I’m still Ma-chan, Mado-chan! Just needed a change of pace.”

Mae sighed. Not sure what made her want to make such an abrupt change. She used to have black hair in a single ponytail. Even if it was average, I thought her dark hair was cute. I click on the photo again to see Ma-chan’s new look. It seemed a bit over the top even for her. It’s like night and day came crashing together creating an abstract Ma-chan.

“So, how’s that flower of yours doing?”

“Huh? Why are you so interested in Hana-san?”

“Well, both of us are only children so I’m vicariously living through you now.”

I found myself scratching my own head.

“Do you seriously want my life?”

My head ached…I wouldn’t wish this life on anyone. Not even my worst enemy.

“Well, you’ve always been the cuter of us two Mado-chan. So, there’s a plus.”

“Really? I always thought you were the good looking one Ma-chan.”

“Nah, I’m too much of a tomboy.”

“But that’s your best quality.”

I thought back to middle school. Ma-chan would always hang around the boys. I found myself too shy around the opposite sex, so I never had any close guy friends. Then Mae started focusing on her clubs leaving me in the go-home club alone. It was around that time when I noticed how much I’ve relied on Mae’s company.

“You know…I only played basketball because you spent all your time in clubs, and I needed something to do too, Ma-chan.”

An awkward laugh seeped out from the other side of the line. It took me by surprised a bit before Mae continued.

“Speaking of which, are you going to try out for the basketball team again?”

“Hmm…probably not.”

“Why not?”

My neck craned to the ceiling.

“Not feeling it anymore…I guess.”

Like a log, I rolled to the side.

“You were into it though Mado-chan.“

“Let’s just drop it, alright Ma-chan?”

“…Sure. Well anyway, it’s getting late and I have school tomorrow. I’ll see you on Sunday?”

“Sunday! Where should we meet?”

We discussed various spots and ended up deciding on the station store that sells pastries. We figured we could get something to snack on while we head to the mall or something. I don’t really know what we will end up doing. We would usually figure it out while we're there. That’s how it always is when I hang out with Mae. We just go and our feet take us places.

“Oh, one more thing…do you mind if I invite a…friend?”

“Hm, sure…I don’t have a problem.”

I wonder why she waited until the last minute to mention a friend. The way she sounded though was like she had a gun to her head. Hm, guess I’ll find out when I cross that bridge.