Kitchen Encounter (Tsukasa Eishi x OC)

Chapter 29: The Past

Eishi had told me to go to a nearby café within the campus. I told my brother I'd be meeting senpai and he wanted to accompany me but I asked him for some time alone.

When I pused open the double glass door of the café, the bell connected to it, rang. I turned my head around to look at the setting and every spot of the café are filled with books and vines, making me feel as if I'm in a library from the past.

I walked forward and finally found the boy I was meeting up with, in the corner reading a book, "Crime and Punishment."

"Hey," I said to get his attention. His gaze transferred to me and he smiled at the sight of me before putting the book down. "Take a sit."

I pulled the chair and senpai snapped his fingers to call the waiter.

"So, what made you call me at this hour?" I asked him. The normal feeling where I've always felt calm around him was no longer there as it turned to nervousness after what my brother had told me.

I couldn't look him in the eye.

"Let me just order first. What do you want?"

I scanned the menu before replying, "Just tea is fine."

"You ought to eat something."

"My brother's already cooking back at home. I don't want to waste his efforts," I explained. While that may be true, I also didn't want to stay around him for too long. My mind is too confused to talk to him. But, my heart really wants to stay with him.

"At least let me add bread." I nodded my head. "Well, what kind of tea do you want?"

I put down the menu without looking at my companion. "Earl grey."

I heard him order my tea and garlic bread and ordering chamomile and garlic sautéed spinach.

Chamomile and spinach? Why does he need a food and drink that calms you down? Am I just overthinking it? Now that I think of it when I spotted him here, I saw him uneasy.

I didn't want him to feel even more bad and stress more so I looked up to meet his eyes even though I'm so nervous.

When I met his eyes and saw how tired he was, all the nervous feelings I had dissipated. "Are you alright?"

He smiled timidly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

While looking down and fidgeting with my fingers, I answered him. "It's just...you seem uneasy and I'm worried about you..."

I heard him chuckle. "There's nothing for me to be worried about when I'm with you."

My eyes widened. What does he mean by that?

Our order arrived so I didn't have the time to ask. We ate in silence but the normal comfortable aura around the two of us came back as if it was never even gone.

While sipping my tea, I decided to ask him again. "So, why did you ask me to come here?"

He was chewing his food and finished it before answering me. "You're right. I was uneasy before meeting with you. Some problems came from home. I called you here so that I can calm down. I hope you don't mind."

Problems?

"Yes. I don't," I said, confused. "But I don't understand how I can even make you calm down."

"Neither can I. Let's just finish our food and I'll take you home. I want to apologize to your brother for taking you out before dinner."

I simply nodded my head and soon enough, we finished our food and headed home.

...

Indeed, Eishi had apologized to my brother. He even brought him Wagashi from the café to show how sorry he is.

He stayed in the living room to talk to my brother about school business while I went to my room to change into my pajamas.

I'm not worried that my brother will reveal my secret as he knows that's my own secret and I deserve to have privacy over it.

When I opened the door to my room, I heard my brother ask Eishi something just as he was about to leave the house.

"Tsukasa-sama, why do you always spend time with my sister?"

"Is it wrong to spend time with a friend?"

It felt like an arrow had struck me, right into my heart. He only sees me as a friend...

"No. But in your case, it might."

"What do you mean, Hiroto?" I heard Eishi reply with a tone I had never heard him use for me. Anger.

"Do you remember what happened back in our first year with Osamu- senpai and Igarashi-senpai?"

Osamu-senpai? Igarashi-senpai?

Silence. Eishi didn't respond to my brother.

"Why must you bring the past back, Hiroto-kun?"

"You must remember, no one is ever who they are now without the past, Eishi-kun."

It's the first time I have ever heard my brother call Eishi by his first name. It sent chills to my spine.

"Some things are better not resurfaced."

"I just don't want the same thing to happen to my sister. Osamu-senpai was also your friend. But, what did you do?"

Is this the story? The story of why my brother doesn't like Eishi for me?

"That will never happen," Eishi stricly replied with a tone of finality.

"Do enlighten me why it will never happen."

"Because Caterina is special to me. I'd never hurt her intentionally."

Though my heart leaped in joy because of what I had heard, my mind told me listen to just one word. Intentionally? Did he hurt those two people intentionally? How? Why would he do that?

I realized that I was eavesdropping in hopes of looking for an answer to my brother's unfinished story. I had no right to listen to other people's private conversation so I slowly closed my door, making sure it wouldn't make a noise before laying back in bed.

Yet, the damage is done. I heard their conversation and...I can never unhear it. That's why I must discover the secret of Eishi's past.