-------------- Severance? In the hotel kitchen again, Kyoko and the man were cooking what looked like enough food for dozens of people. Kyoko was clearly Kyoko again, not the Kuon boy. She was also cooking well again, like Kyoko. And she was clearly sad about something, brooding as she worked.
"Well... I'll leave this for now..." he said, stepping away from a huge wooden tub of rice. "And I'll chop the other stuff."
Kyoko jumped back in shock as he started slicing at top speed with all the natural skills of a professional chef.
"T...Teacher! You're good! Why?!"
"Hm?" he asked, then he laughed. "I told you my wife loves having the family eat together. And she really loves home cooking," h said with a soft friendly smile. He was clearly in a very good mood. "When she and I cook, we each cook something by ourselves, even if it's just one dish. So I can cook, more or less."
"Wow," Kyoko said. "If you can cook so well... why was I assigned to be with you? To cook for you?" She was so confused. "Teacher could've cooked everything..." he had the startled look of someone caught out in a lie. "Because I mad food that ordinary people eat."
"Th-that's because I was here for work and vacation. Have you seen a fool go on an incentive trip and cook his own meals?"
"Ah.. I see. You're right," she said, nodding. Then she have a small laugh as he started a slower chop. "But... teacher... you must be busy with work. Yet you cook too. You're really amazing. You're a good husband and a good father. You're a god-father," she said with a bright smile, looking up from her own cooking.
He narrowed his eyes at what he was cutting. "Call me a good father. I've no intention of becoming a mafia don. My motto is love and peace."
"Isn't it like being the mother of the world? It's cool," she said, "You're like a legendary father."
"Too bad, but my love isn't big enough for the whole world. The only one who can do that is the boss."
"Com oooon," she whined at him, looking over from her share of the cooking. "That's not true. Teacher. To me, you're already a legendary father." He flushed, glancing at hr, but she was looking down at what she was cutting as she spoke. "I've... never thought even once... that I wanted a father... But I'd like to... have had... a father like you...." Her words were spoken slowly and sad as she focused.
His expressions as she spoke moved through surprise, to mild embarrassment, to sympathy to... something very like love. Not that memory Kyoko had seen any of that.
"Y... WHAT ARE YOU BABBLING ABOUT?!" He shouted, startling her.
She stepped back from the cooking, not looking at him, not seeing his expression of warmth that didn't match his shout or his stern tone. "Y-yes, you're right! I'm sorry! I dared to dram about something I don't deserve..." she started, about to bow. But his words aborted the gesture.
"You're telling me now?" His voice was still stern.
She finally looked up and was clearly shocked at the look on his face.
"I'm your father... and you're my child. I don't remember... severing our ties... as father and son... You're not... going.. to call me... father anymore?"
She sniffled as the memory faded. She scrubbed at her face.
Kyoko | OTA | WarniRe: Kyoko | OTA | Warning for some mild toxic masculinity, and family angst. PT 1
--------------
Severance?
In the hotel kitchen again, Kyoko and the man were cooking what looked like enough food for dozens of people. Kyoko was clearly Kyoko again, not the Kuon boy. She was also cooking well again, like Kyoko. And she was clearly sad about something, brooding as she worked.
"Well... I'll leave this for now..." he said, stepping away from a huge wooden tub of rice. "And I'll chop the other stuff."
Kyoko jumped back in shock as he started slicing at top speed with all the natural skills of a professional chef.
"T...Teacher! You're good! Why?!"
"Hm?" he asked, then he laughed. "I told you my wife loves having the family eat together. And she really loves home cooking," h said with a soft friendly smile. He was clearly in a very good mood. "When she and I cook, we each cook something by ourselves, even if it's just one dish. So I can cook, more or less."
"Wow," Kyoko said. "If you can cook so well... why was I assigned to be with you? To cook for you?" She was so confused. "Teacher could've cooked everything..." he had the startled look of someone caught out in a lie. "Because I mad food that ordinary people eat."
"Th-that's because I was here for work and vacation. Have you seen a fool go on an incentive trip and cook his own meals?"
"Ah.. I see. You're right," she said, nodding. Then she have a small laugh as he started a slower chop. "But... teacher... you must be busy with work. Yet you cook too. You're really amazing. You're a good husband and a good father. You're a god-father," she said with a bright smile, looking up from her own cooking.
He narrowed his eyes at what he was cutting. "Call me a good father. I've no intention of becoming a mafia don. My motto is love and peace."
"Isn't it like being the mother of the world? It's cool," she said, "You're like a legendary father."
"Too bad, but my love isn't big enough for the whole world. The only one who can do that is the boss."
"Com oooon," she whined at him, looking over from her share of the cooking. "That's not true. Teacher. To me, you're already a legendary father." He flushed, glancing at hr, but she was looking down at what she was cutting as she spoke. "I've... never thought even once... that I wanted a father... But I'd like to... have had... a father like you...." Her words were spoken slowly and sad as she focused.
His expressions as she spoke moved through surprise, to mild embarrassment, to sympathy to... something very like love. Not that memory Kyoko had seen any of that.
"Y... WHAT ARE YOU BABBLING ABOUT?!" He shouted, startling her.
She stepped back from the cooking, not looking at him, not seeing his expression of warmth that didn't match his shout or his stern tone. "Y-yes, you're right! I'm sorry! I dared to dram about something I don't deserve..." she started, about to bow. But his words aborted the gesture.
"You're telling me now?" His voice was still stern.
She finally looked up and was clearly shocked at the look on his face.
"I'm your father... and you're my child. I don't remember... severing our ties... as father and son... You're not... going.. to call me... father anymore?"
She sniffled as the memory faded. She scrubbed at her face.