Souji Natsume continued to stock the shelves, his emotions gradually settling after the events of the day. It was mid-afternoon, and he had quite a lot to accomplish. After finishing with the shelves, he moved on to dusting, carefully maintaining the bookstore's inviting atmosphere. The aisles needed tidying up, and he meticulously arranged the promotions and special offers for the day. Souji was prepared to step in at the register whenever his mother, Miyako Natsume, needed to step out of the store. Despite the busy schedule, he felt a spark of enthusiasm inside him.
After completing his tasks, Miyako called Souji over to the register area. "I need to head out for a bit, can you close up the shop for today?"
Souji didn't mind; he didn't have much planned for the day. He was engrossed in a book and thought he might stay a little late to finish it even after closing the shop.
"I don't mind. Will you be home late?" he asked.
"I'm just going to get some groceries and a new pan for cooking. We need one after what happened last week," she said, with a chuckle and a slightly exasperated tone.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Souji mumbled quietly.
"What were you thinking?" Miyako inquired curiously.
"I was trying to recreate a dinner I had at an Italian place. It was super delicious," he replied bashfully.
"What kind of dish uses that much lemon?" she said, sounding a bit exasperated.
"Risotto al limone!" Souji exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement and a hint of drool at the corner of his mouth.
"It's a lemon risotto dish that delightfully combines the essence of spring and summer! Lemons are in season, so I just had to try it out for myself!" he wiped away the drool, trying to maintain composure.
He continued enthusiastically, "I read about it in a novel where the protagonist makes it for the heroine, and she was so impressed with his cooking that she kept coming back for more! The main character could entice anyone he wished once his cooking skills grew, and I wanted to learn it too!" he said proudly.
Miyako couldn't help but smile at her son's passion for cooking. "Oh my, does that mean we should be expecting company over?" she teasingly asked.
"Nah, I'm not expecting anyone..." Souji replied, his excitement dampened a bit. "Besides, I can't invite anyone over yet. I've yet to master the dish!" He laughed, as if he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
"Souji..." Miyako suddenly looked worried as he mentioned trying to make the dish again. "I keep having to go through pan after pan every time you decide to play around in the kitchen. Start with the basics rather than going for difficult recipes..."
Miyako playfully closed the distance between them. "AND DON'T COOK LEMON IN A NON-STICK PAN!" she mock-yelled and playfully hit him on the head.
Souji pretended to be hit hard and fell to his knees, wearing a defeated expression. Slowly getting back up, he turned to his mother and said, "Sorry for ruining your favorite pan. I didn't know citrus could destroy the non-stick coating like that."
"It can handle normal citrus; you drowned the pan in lemon!" Miyako teased. "Don't worry about it; you'll get it eventually. Just make sure to ask me if you want help."
"Okay, okay..." Souji paused briefly before continuing, "Could you bring home some lemons, please?"
Myako was dumbfounded. He was going to try cooking again. In truth, Souji was so bad at cooking that he frequently ruined dishes as simple as fried eggs. But she found it hard to discourage him. He had no talent for cooking, yet he enjoyed himself so much in the kitchen that she couldn't bear to dampen his spirits. "Maybe I'll buy him his own pan," she thought to herself.
"Alright, I'll get you some lemons... but I'll buy you your own pan to experiment with. Text me if you need any other ingredients," Myako said, trying to be supportive of her son's culinary endeavors.
Souji thanked her and celebrated quietly to himself. He couldn't contain his excitement as he imagined the dish he was going to attempt that night.
as he watched his mother head out, souji stood their contemplating to himself "Closing up the shop alone gives me some time to myself. I guess I could finish that book I've been reading, but all I can think about right now is trying that lemon risotto recipe again. I know I messed up last time, but this time will be different. I can feel it!"
After Myako left, Souji found himself alone in the store. He calmed down a bit and headed towards an empty chair to sit and finish reading his book. The rest of the day was slow, and hardly any customers stopped by. With the extra time, Souji managed to finish the book he had been reading, and a contented yawn escaped him as he stretched his arms.
Originally, he had planned on staying late, but now that he was done, he felt a bit aimless. He contemplated what to do next, pondering the evening ahead filled with cooking and culinary exploration. Souji was thrilled at the prospect of experimenting with the new pan and the fresh lemons. The anticipation of creating something new in the kitchen made him feel energized.
He pulled out his phone and browsed through risotto recipes, mentally planning ahead for the dish he would create tonight. Soujie had an inclination for experimenting with new recipes, although they never quite turned out the way he envisioned. Still, he held hope that tonight might be different.
"Risotto al limone, it's such a perfect dish for this time of year. If only I can get the balance right between the lemon and the creaminess of the rice. I should probably start with something easier, but this dish has been on my mind for weeks now. Maybe I should watch some cooking videos to improve my technique..." souji was deep in thought.
As he contemplated the evening ahead, the sun slowly began to set, casting a warm, amber glow through the storefront windows. Soft shadows danced on the bookshelves, creating a beautiful ambiance. The pace of the day gradually slowed down, and the smooth jazz playing in the background faded away as it reached the end of its last track. Souji didn't mind closing the shop; in fact, he enjoyed bringing the day and its routines to a peaceful conclusion. He got up to carefully flip the "Open" sign to "Closed" when suddenly, a woman walked into the store.
She was dressed in a fluffy white coat, and a light brown skirt below the knee protruded from underneath. Her figure was beautifully illuminated by the evening sun, casting a soft, radiant glow that captivated Souji's eyes. Without hesitation, he turned the sign to "Closed" and warmly welcomed her.
"Good evening, miss. We're about to close, but I'd be happy to assist you first. What can I do for you today?"
"Hello, I apologize for coming in so late," she explained, trying to catch her breath. "I was hoping I would still find you here after the interview. My friend mentioned that your store has a great selection of books, and she really enjoys your recommendations." Clearly, she must have hurried to get here, Souji thought to himself.
"I'd be more than happy to assist you. Do you have a particular genre that interests you?"
"Ummm, my friend said there was a lady that worked here..." she sounded a bit unsure as she mentioned this.
"That would be my mother. I'm sorry, she had to step out early today, but I don't mind helping you find the right book!" Souji reassured her, picking up on her hesitance and sensing her shyness about her request.
Souji felt that giving her some space to look around would be a better approach. He straightened up and softened his demeanor to make her feel more comfortable.
"Please feel free to look around the shop. I would be happy to assist if you have any questions in finding a book. I've read quite a bit of what we have to offer. There's a lounge area to the front, and a coat rack if you feel a bit warm."
With that, he gestured at the different areas of the store and explained where everything was.
"I'll be in the front. Please call me over if you need anything."
In retail, you need to give new customers some breathing space rather than suffocating them the whole time they are shopping, and Souji decided to do just that. With that, she thanked him and headed to hang her coat.
As she looked through the bookstore, Souji was at the front, glancing in her direction. She had soft white skin and raven black hair that was tied up in a professional bun. She was wearing a beige cardigan that fit her well but was loose and looked comfortable. He thought to himself that the weather right now was perfect; you could wear warm, cozy clothes but could still get away with wearing something light like a t-shirt. Her slender arms were reaching up to a high shelf and caused her to stand on the tips of her toes. Souji was looking at her side profile, and he was enamored with her. She was a bit older than him, probably in her mid-20s, but a little younger than his sister, he thought.
"Um, could you help me get this book?" the woman asked pleadingly as she turned her head to Souji. He was caught off guard and worried that she had caught him looking at her.
"Of course," Souji got up and played it cool, hoping she didn't notice he was staring. He walked in her direction, grabbed a footstool for that aisle, and retrieved the book for her.
The book she had picked up was titled "Shattered Memories of Love." Souji wasn't an avid reader of mysteries, but he did enjoy romantic ones, and this seemed to be the perfect blend of both genres.
The story revolved around a high school teacher who wakes up one day with no memories of her past. Grateful for her loving and caring husband, she embarks on a journey to recover her lost memories. As she struggles to remember her past, she begins to uncover unsettling truths about her husband, suspecting that he might have been involved in her memory loss. The tale is woven with hope, deceit, and despair as she delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding her memories and her husband's intentions. Later in the story, shocking revelations come to light, exposing a villain who had been tampering with her mind, tarnishing her love for her husband, and harboring dark desires for her.
As they continued their conversation, Souji remarked, "That's a good series. I believe they will be releasing the final volume in two months' time. Have you read this one before, miss?" with a warm smile.
"I've read the first three parts, but I wanted to get volumes four and five out of the way before the finale... Have you read these?" she inquired.
"I have, volume five is especially captivating!" Souji replied enthusiastically.
Her surprise was evident when she asked, "It's a pretty advanced book, how old are you?" She curiously looked into Souji's eyes, trying to gauge his age.
"I'm 16, second year in high school," Souji responded nonchalantly, sensing the direction the conversation might take and preparing himself for a possible reprimand.
"You're caught up, you said, so that means... you've read volume three's conclusion?" Her voice began to waver toward the end, and Souji noticed her cheeks flush red.
"Oh no, she's asking about the romance part! Why did she have to bring up volume three? It was so intense and emotional, and I loved it, but talking about it with her feels awkward. I hope she doesn't think I'm weird for liking romantic stories." soujis mind was racing as he found the right thing to say...
Souji hesitated briefly but decided to be honest, "Yeah, I finished that part..." His face started turning a little red, as he felt a bit embarrassed discussing romance novels with someone he had just met.
The woman in the beige cardigan seemed to hesitate as well, but a warm smile soon returned to her face. "Oh, it's so refreshing to meet someone who appreciates romantic mysteries like I do. Not many boys in your age group tend to read these genres," she admitted.
Souji's embarrassment began to subside, replaced with a sense of connection with this mysterious woman. "Well, I find them intriguing. They offer a unique blend of suspense and emotion," he explained.
As the conversation continued, Souji noticed a teasing grin on her face when discussing the end of volume three. He gulped a little and started to get a little nervous. The woman seemed to be into some heavy romance, and Souji didn't know how to respond to such a specific question.
"Um, well, you see..." Souji trailed on with ums and uhs, trying to find the right words to escape from this woman's clutches.
But the lady did not back down; instead, she seemed to be enjoying the playful banter. "Hmm, it looks like you haven't really read the book... I wonder why you would say you did? Are you trying to entice me into buying it from your store?"
She could tell he actually read the book, as he was flushed red and averting her gaze. There wasn't anything explicit in the book, but there were a lot of lovey-dovey interactions at the end of volume three, and she was surprised that a teen like him would talk so brazenly about it. She wanted to tease him a little more.
"N...N..No, I did read them, it's just that it's embarrassing to talk about it with a pretty lady like you!" Souji stammered, feeling the pressure of the situation.
The lady in the beige cardigan turned red and soon had a wry smile. She grabbed Souji's wrist and whisked him towards the lounge area, where she sat down quickly and motioned her arms back and forth many times, beckoning him to have a seat.
"Eeeh, what did I just say... what did she just do... does she want to talk to someone about volume three?" Souji's brain circuit was fried, and he couldn't think anymore. He was embarrassed beyond belief, and here was the woman he just called pretty, inviting him to have a seat with enthusiasm.
Souji reluctantly sat down opposite from her, mentally preparing himself for their discussion...
End of Chapter 2
