Earlier that day, before Shido's arrival, Mahiru's mood had been far from pleasant.
Her mother had paid her a visit but not with kind intentions. The conversation had left Mahiru emotionally drained, and once her mother left, she retreated to her room in silence. Hugging her pillow tightly, she let her tears fall quietly until exhaustion pulled her into sleep.
When she finally woke up, it was already evening. Her stomach grumbled faintly, reminding her she hadn't prepared dinner yet. She got up from her bed and walked towards the fridge and looked inside. There was nothing inside except for a few ingredients. This rarely happens to her since she was taught to be responsible all the time.
Just as she glanced at the clock and noted it was still early enough to step out for groceries, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Who would possibly ring my doorbell at this time?" Mahiru muttered, her brows knitting together in a frown.
She walked in the corridor and peered at the peephole cautiously as she was afraid that it might be a person with bad intention.
To her relief, the person on the other side didn't seem dangerous
Seeing that the person outside didn't seem to have any malicious intent, Mahiru slowly opened the door. Still, she didn't completely let her guard down.
To her surprise, the man introduced himself as the owner of the apartment next door.
"Oh, right, this is a little greeting gift. I hope you'll accept it," Shido said with a friendly smile as he handed her a bag of cake from Iori's cake shop, along with a Tupperware container filled with croquettes.
Mahiru accepted the paper bag and Tupperware gently, her eyes flickering with curiosity. Peeking inside the bag, she found a strawberry cake that looked undeniably delicious. Her expression softened, after all, she was a girl, and like most, she had a fondness for sweets
But then, as she opened the Tupperware and saw what was inside, her eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"Croquettes?" she echoed, glancing up at Shido with a puzzled look.
"Well, I cooked too much and wouldn't be able to finish it all by myself, so I figured I'd share some with you." Shido said a bit awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. 'Maybe this was a bit too much for a first meeting...' he thought.
"Mmm." Mahiru shook her head, her blonde hair swaying gently with the motion. Then, for the first time, she offered a slight smile.
"Actually, I was planning to go to the convenience store to buy some preheated food since I forgot to restock food in my fridge. But thanks to your croquettes, I guess I don't need to go anymore. Thank you."
She lowered her head politely, giving Shido a graceful bow.
"Please, raise your head. You'll make me feel bad if you suddenly bow like that." Shido said, flustered, waving his hands nervously. 'She's really polite... maybe too polite?'
"Is that okay?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Yeah."
There was a brief pause. The air between them seemed to still.
"Then… do you want to come in for a tea?"
Mahiru spoke the words before she could really think about them. As soon as they left her lips, both of them froze, the air between them halted with a sudden silence.
Her face turned a deep shade of crimson, her eyes widening as her lips twitched uncontrollably . Embarrassment crashed over her like a wave, and in that moment, she wished she could just disappear, or at least hide her face from Shido.
Even though she didn't get a bad impression from him, inviting him inside her apartment the very first time they met… it felt way too forward. 'What was I thinking?!'
A knot of anxiety twisted in her chest. 'Would he think I'm some kind of indecent woman?' she wondered. 'What kind of person invites a stranger into their home right after meeting them? What if he takes it the wrong way? What if he misunderstand?'
"…Maybe next time. I still have to introduce myself to the other neighbor," Shido replied quickly, his eyes catching the shift in Mahiru's expression. It was so amusing that he almost laughed, but he quickly held it in. Though he felt a twinge of regret for turning down her invitation.
But it's still not too late in the future right? There's no need to rush things.
Upon hearing his words, Mahiru felt a wave of relief wash over her, as though she'd been freed from some invisible burden. She let out a quiet sigh, her body relaxing a little. Still, a tiny pang of disappointment lingered in her chest. She was embarrassed and awkward, but a small part of her had hoped Shido would accept.
"I-Is that so? Then… alright." she stammered, forcing a small smile.
"Then, I'll be going now."
"Un. Good night."
"Good night."
Shido offered her a gentle smile before turning and walking toward the apartment at the far end near the elevator.
Mahiru watched his back for a moment, her gaze lingering before she finally turned to head inside. As much as she had enjoyed the brief encounter, she felt a wave of relief now that he was gone, her face had been burning the whole time. If he had stayed even a minute longer, she wasn't sure whether she could've kept it together.
Suddenly, her stomach let out a low grumble, as if impatiently reminding her it was time to eat. Mahiru froze, her cheeks flushing again, even though she was alone in her apartment, the sound still made her want to crawl under a blanket and disappear.
Fortunately, she was inside her apartment alone otherwise she might die from embarrassment if someone heard it.
Putting the croquettes on a plate, Mahiru then prepared herself a bowl of steaming rice. She sat down at the table, her gaze settling on the croquettes. As she looked at them, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She thought of the caretaker who had once looked after her, the one who had taught her so many things, including how to cook. Croquettes had been one of her favorite dishes, especially when made by those familiar hands.
Now, someone had made them for her again. It wasn't quite the same, but it carried the same warmth.
Mahiru placed her hands together, closed her eyes briefly, and murmured softly, "Thank you for the food."
Mahiru picked up a croquette with her chopsticks and took a small bite.
"…It's delicious."
That was all she said, but her hands didn't stop. Bite after bite, she alternated between croquettes and rice.
Then, she felt something wet trickle down her cheek.
"Huh?" she whispered, raising her fingers to her face. When she pulled her hand back, she stared at the moisture in surprise. "I'm… crying?"
She blinked, as if hoping the tears would stop. But they didn't. They kept falling, quietly and gently, just like the memories that flooded in with the taste of the food.
Mahiru said in disbelief unable to believe that she was actually crying. However, she couldn't stop the tears as the croquettes made her recall her caretaker's cooking.
The flavor stirred something within her, memories of warmth, of home, of the caretaker who used to make croquettes just like these. The tenderness in each bite, though different in technique, carried the same love.
"Mnn… It's good…" she whispered again, forcing a small smile through her tears.
However, she didn't stop eating. She kept savoring the meal, each bite was like a fragile red thread connecting to something she'd thought was long behind her.