Translucent Waters (Nanase Haruka Love Story) (Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club)

Chapter Twenty-One: Until We Meet Again

Chapter Twenty-One

Until We Meet Again

 

Mizushima Kasumi’s Point of View

 

            Beep.

 

            Beep.

 

            Beep.

 

            The alarm buzzed in a clamorous manner, waking me up half an hour earlier than Nanase would be to go to Hokkaido—5:30. I wanted to prepare a special breakfast for Nanase—mackerel. Of course, I wasn’t just going to feed him just plain mackerel. I would make it into sushi . . . there would also be sides of seasoned rice, seared vegetables, and tea or coffee. This meal was also for Masaru since I never cooked mackerel that often preferred tilapia or salmon instead.

            I dragged myself out of bed, rubbed my eyes, and then brushed my teeth and so forth before tiptoeing downstairs to arrange the surprise meal. I took the mackerel out of the freezer, placed a pan on the stove as I turned it on, and then unpackaged the frozen fish. Taking out the sharpest knife I had, I began to cut the fish’s outer skin in my own particular fashion, took the bones out, and cut it into thin slices . . . making about . . . eight rolls per person. After the pan on the stove began to steam, I took some vegetable oil out of the cabinet and poured some into the skillet. After doing so, I put the slices of mackerel onto the pan, causing some sizzling noises to be heard.

            As the fish was cooking, I began to cook the rice in the rice cooker, and let the contraption do its job. I then put a grilling set on top of one of the other stoves after I had cut the broccoli, spinach, and asparagus accordingly. After placing those on the grilling set, I returned to the mackerel, which had been perfectly cooked at that point in time.

            Taking out three plates, I placed the eight rolls onto each person’s plate and sprinkled it with soy sauce. Returning back to the vegetables, I turned them over, causing the vegetables to sear the other side of the veggies. I took a pot and poured some water into it, in mind that the water would boil in time before Masaru and Nanase would be in the kitchen.

            Again, back to the vegetables, I turned off the grilling set and placed the vegetables onto the plates for each person evenly. After I had scattered some salt onto the vegetables and heard the water boil, I put some tealeaves in pot, before orientating the food on the plate to look professional.

            Posterior to hearing the rice cooker buzz, signaling the rice cooked, I took three small, porcelain bowls out of the cabinet and placed the rice into them. Of course, soy sauce being my favorite seasoning of all time, I sprinkled some of the sauce into Nanase’s and Masaru’s bowl before pouring three-fourths a tablespoon of the sauce into mine. What can I say? I love soy sauce. It’s a fact.

            After setting the three bowls diagonal-right to the plates, I returned to the boiling tea, turned off the stove, and poured the tea into three separate cups and placed them the diagonal-left to the plates.