"Are you upset?" Izumi Kotomi asked.
Aimi nodded firmly, not needing words to convey her feelings to Kotomi.
Seeing her sister's displeasure, Kotomi sighed softly and said, "Even if you are upset, there's nothing I can do about it. I'll likely be spending most of my weekend in Tokyo."
Even as the older sister, Kotomi knew she couldn't always let Aimi have her way.
However, to be fair, compared to the little sisters in other ani, Aimi was already quite obedient and considerate—always looking out for her Onee-chan.
At least, unlike so sisters in ani and light novels who could be quite frustrating early on, Aimi, while showing occasional signs of being a bit of a "little rebel," was ultimately a very thoughtful, not-tsundere, and unspoiled good little sister.
Hearing Kotomi's words, Aimi puffed out her cheeks slightly and said, "Onee-chan, you're working too hard. Do you really need to push yourself like this?"
"Tired? I don't really feel that way," Kotomi replied.
Maybe to Aimi, it seed like Kotomi was always busy and tired, unable to properly rest even on weekends.
But Kotomi herself didn't feel exhausted. She had always loved creating things, even in her past life. Now that she had the chance to turn her passion into a career, how could she possibly waste it?
Even though she was busy on weekends, Kotomi felt fulfilled. She was investing her ti and effort and reaping the rewards through her creative work.
Whenever she thought about it, she didn't feel tired at all.
Sotis, it's not the effort that's exhausting, but the fear of putting in the ti and energy without receiving the proper recognition or reward.
"If you don't feel tired, Onee-chan, then I guess it's okay. Just make sure to take care of yourself," Aimi said as she gently squeezed Kotomi's soft, delicate hand, marveling at how such small hands could type so quickly on a keyboard.
A tentacle monster... and it turns out it's my Onee-chan!
As they walked into Anjima Yakiniku, the air was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of grilling at and sizzling fat. The sound of at hitting the grill, with its signature sizzle, was like an invisible hand, stirring up the hunger in their stomachs.
Even if you weren't hungry, the sound alone could make you crave food.
For example, Kotomi had thought that after eating two yakisoba bread rolls at school, she wouldn't be able to eat much at dinner. But yakiniku once again proved that no matter what or how much you ate beforehand, the sound and sll of grilling at would make your hunger rise with the flas.
As two guests entered the restaurant, a black-haired girl in a deep blue cheongsam paused her work and approached them with a smile.
"Welco! Is it just the two of you?" Sakura Adachi asked warmly.
Compared to her high school days when she was so aloof and cold that even the teachers mistook her for a delinquent, Sakura had beco much more cheerful in the 13 years since she started living with and dating Hougetsu Shimamura. Her teal-green eyes seed to always be quietly hoping that Shimamura would appear at any mont, even while working.
Her little ears twitched occasionally, as if she was eagerly waiting for Shimamura to call her na from behind.
A loyal dog... or perhaps Shimamura's faithful Adachi-ken.
"Yes, just the two of us," Kotomi replied first, and Sakura led them to a quieter table.
Though there was so noise in the restaurant, it was much quieter than before since fewer people had co for yakiniku tonight.
"One plate of pork belly, one plate of beef brisket... No, it's too much trouble to order plate by plate. Let's go with the extra-large at platter. Onee-chan, you can order the rest. I'll have oolong tea for my drink," Aimi said simply as she ordered the extra-large at platter and then handed the nu to Kotomi.
"Going for the platter, huh? You sure know how to make things easy," Kotomi said, taking the nu.
"You've ordered most of the at already, so I'll just add a plate of beef liver, beef tongue, beef tripe, beef pancreas, beef sweetbread, beef heart, so cabbage and onions for wrapping the at, and six pasteurized eggs. For the main dish, two bowls of rice, and I'll have oolong tea with extra ice," Kotomi added.
"Alright, let confirm your order," Sakura said as she jotted down the items, then repeated the order to make sure it was correct before taking the nu and walking away.
She soon returned with two glasses of iced water and wet towels.
"Onee-chan, do you like eating offal?" Aimi asked curiously, noticing that Kotomi had ordered mostly offal.
Kotomi always looked so happy when she was eating, as if it was the most joyous thing in the world.
Though Aimi found her foodie sister endearing, it also left her wondering what exactly Kotomi liked to eat the most.
Was it that she just loved all delicious food?
"Recently, I've been thinking about a short novel. I haven't decided whether I'll write it yet, but I wanted to try out so of the main character's favorite foods," Kotomi explained.
"What kind of novel would involve offal? Um... Onee-chan, you're not planning to write a horror novel, are you?" Aimi asked, instinctively shrinking back a little. She was terrified of anything horror-related.
Whether it was novels, movies, comics, ani, or gas, if it was scary, Aimi couldn't handle it.
"Don't worry, it's not horror. I haven't thought about writing horror stories yet. This idea is more of a romantic, light literature piece," Kotomi reassured her.
"Romantic? Light literature? Have you thought of a title?"
"I Want to Eat Your Pancreas."
"...Onee-chan, that sounds like a horror novel!"
"It's not! I know the title might be a bit misleading, but I promise it's going to be a heartwarming and emotional love story," Kotomi said, waving her hand in assurance.
Heartwarming?
Emotional?
How co these perfectly good words suddenly sound off when they co out of Onee-chan's mouth?
As they were talking, their iced oolong tea was brought to the table, followed by the at platter that Aimi had ordered, along with the offal Kotomi requested, cabbage and onions for wrapping, pasteurized eggs, and two bowls of white rice.
As she began to think, Aimi couldn't help but find it odd—why were the utensils at yakiniku restaurants always made of cold steel? The spoons, chopsticks, and rice bowls all had that slightly clinical look.
The beautifully arranged fresh at on the platters looked expensive and delicious. The marbling on the at was so vibrant and appetizing that it seed like you could enjoy it just by looking at it, without even grilling.
"Enjoy your al. If you need anything, just call ," Sakura said after helping them get the grill started before stepping away.
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