Dramatical Murder - Dinner with Koujaku

Dinner with Koujaku

.....

Ouch.
Something hurts.

It feels like something sharp is poking me...

Beni: Wake up, sleepyhead! Hey, come on!

Aoba: Tch, ouch...

Beni: I'm telling you to wake up! I'll hit you, moron!

Aoba: ...Mmh, that hurts!

I jump up in defiance of my persistent attacker, and the thing poking my face falls down. I reflexivelt grab it with both hands.

Aoba: Oh, Beni.

Beni: Aagh, let go of me! How can you treat a guest this way!?

Beni flaps his wings in my hand and gives me a sharp glare.

Aoba: Does that mean Koujaku's here?

Beni: Isn't that obvious!? Let me go!

I stand up from the bed with the shouting Beni in my hand.

Huh? Where's Ren?

I look for him and see him lying in the corner of the bed in sleep mode.

Oh yeah, he said some data was damaged.
I have to do some maintenance on him later.

But I want to eat something first.

I feel a lot better because I slept for a while.

The headache's gone now, too.

There's some pain in my joints, but it's not so bad that I can't walk.

When I step out of the room, a delicious smell drifts in from downstairs.

Granny's back. She's started cooking a meal.

When I look at my Coil, I see that it's already time for dinner.

Aoba: Is it already this late?

Beni: You almost didn't wake up, and I got angry. Do you finally get it now?

Ignoring Beni's complaints, I head down the stairs and look at the kitchen.

Koujaku sits at the dining table, and the room is filled with an appetizing smell.

Granny is standing in the kitchen nearby.

When Koujaku seems me, he grins.

Koujaku: Yo, morning there.

Aoba: ...Morning.

Koujaku: Looking super cool as usual, I see.

Aoba: ...No thanks to you.

A yawn leaks out against my will.

Aoba: Here.

I shoot Beni, who I was still holding from earlier, at Koujaku. Koujaku catches him skillfully.

Beni: I even went to the trouble of waking you up and you still treat me badly! Don't look down on me, Aoba!

Aoba: Direct your complaints at your master. Doesn't he make you run his errands?

Koujaku: Can't help it. You're a real grump when you've just woken up.

Aoba: That's not true.

Tae: Aoba, if you're up, help a little! The meal's ready, so get chopsticks and tea!

Aoba: Okay, okay.

Granny's yelling forces me to hurry to the shelf. Koujaku listens in and laughs cheerfully.

Koujaku: No matter how many times I visit, you never chnage, Tae-san. I feel relieved just earing your energetic voice.

Aoba: I dare you to be yelled at every day. It's pretty hard.

Koujaku: Ahahahaha.

When I shrug my shoulders while putting the chopsticks on the table, Koujaku laughs even more happily.

I pour tea into three teacups as Granny arranges the plates containing the freshly-made dishes on the table.

All the preparations for dinner are complete, and I sit at the table with everyone.

All: Thank you for the food.

Today's dinner is fish boiled with salt, stir fried konbu, and pork.

I try the pork and find myself instantly impressed.

Delicious.

A meal after you've slept away your exhaustion is delicious. Really delicious.

As I realize this, Koujaku watches Granny with a smile while chewing.

Koujaku: It's really good. It's no surprise though, seeing as Tae-san's cooking is absolutely the best.

Tae: Hmph. How can you say that when you decided to come over out of the blue?

Koujaku: Didn't I tell Aoba I was coming?

The blame is suddenly directed towards me, and Koujaku stares at me.

Aoba: Didn't you say you'de come 'in the near future'?

Tae: And you kept sleeping like a log. You wouldn't get up no matter how many times you were called.

Aoba: That was... well, I guess that's true...

Koujaku: But I'm really thankfull that you made a proper meal like this.

Tae: Don't misunderstand. There was some food that was going to expire soon, so this was a good chance to use them now.

Koujaku: That's why I love you, Tae-san.

Tae: Just shut up.

Granny snorts roughly and stuffs her mouth with konbu. Koujaku watches her with a smile.

For some reason, Granny seems to really like Koujaku.

Koujaku came to this island with his mother but it was actually more common for him to be alone.

That's why he often hangs out with me, and comes over to my house. Of course, he eats lots of Granny's home made cooking, too.

If I know Granny, she's definitely thinking that she has a second grandchild now.

Tae: Are you staying for the night?

Granny asks this while raising her eyebrows, and Koujaku stops his hand that was stuffing food into his mouth and nods without hesitation.

Koujaku: That's what I had in mind.

Tae: Really, would it kill you to have some shame?

Aoba: Well, it's the same was always. But I have work, so even if you're sleeping I'll slap you awake.

Koujaku: But isn't it the opposite? I've always woken you up gently even though you won't almost wake up at all.

Beni: Ain't that right?

Aoba: ...You guys...

After showing an irritatingly nice smile, Koujaku begins to eat his meal from the bowl again.

Then we exchanged silly conversations between the three of us, and, through our lovely dinner, time passed.