Miyamoto-san drove us to the electronics store from where we bought the set of home appliances. We arrived at the store early, barely making it for snack time, but I wondered if the clerk from that time would be there?
“Huh-uh. There’s no problem about that. I made an inquiry yesterday and confirmed that he would be there.”
Kaede smiled wryly and informed that she had called the store yesterday to confirm their working hours.
“He was at work yesterday, so I talked to him directly and he said he would select a recommended model for us to keep. Then we check it and if everything is okay, we buy it.”
I’m wondering when you made that phone call, but you’re very crafty for Kaede. Did you really want to have chocolate fondue that badly?
“Mmm. Could it be that your face is jealous of the fact that I was secretly calling someone? Why would you think so!?”
“Eh, it’s not like that, okay? I’m not jealous of you for calling the store?”
Kaede laughed a little at me, as I said while facing away, and then brought her face closer to my ear.
“Don’t worry. I am a wife who is devoted to Yuya-kun and loves only you.”
The words whispered to me while I was hot, sent an electric current through my body, and my heart thumped loudly. But I had to calm down. This was a store. And because today was the weekend, there were a good number of customers right after the store opened, so my embarrassment was over the limit.
“I’d like to hear your answer, Yuya-kun. What do you think?”
“I don’t think I need to tell you that, but–“
“No, you can’t. You have to put it into words. That’s what you promised me, right?”
Kaede brought her face closer to mine. It was true, I told her that there were some things you wouldn’t understand unless you put them into words. But does it have to be now? I don’t know if this is something that needs to be said in the presence of staff and other customers!?
“It is no good! Aah, please tell me soon. What do you think of me, Yuya-kun?”
“—I’ll be back. Oh, I’m all about Kaede, too. I love you so much! I hope that’s enough!?”
I shouted, half desperately. Kaede was satisfied with the performance, the women in the store applauded for some reason, and the men gave me a grudging look.
“Oh, um… can we please not do this in the store? The other customers and our employees will die in agony.”
Holding the item with both hands, a slender clerk with glasses gave me a hard time at the beginning. No, you’re right. I’m so embarrassed I’d rather dig a hole and go in, and if anything, I’d be the one who would die in agony.
“It’s been a while. Thank you for taking the trouble to place an order. Is this the machine you recommended for making chocolate fondue?”
“Yes. It’s reasonably priced, and it’s not that big, so it won’t take up much space. I recommend this product for first-time users.”
“Fufu. Then I’ll take this one. Can you put a handle on it so I can take it home?”
“Thank you very much. Please come this way so I can proceed with the billing.”
Kaede interacted with the clerk as if she were a lady and completed the purchase procedure in no time. It was not like she had a quick switch, she seemed like a different person. But this kind of Kaede was also fresh, cool and reliable.
“Mou, Yuya-kun… Even if you praise me that much, nothing will come out of it?”
“I mean it. I need to become a man who can be counted on. Oh, I’ll get the luggage.”
I received the package from the staff. It was not a very big box, but it was indeed a hefty one.
“Fufu. I’ve already relied on you enough, so please have confidence in me.”
As she said this, Kaede twined her arms around me and leaned in close to me very naturally. She had a gentle smile on her face, like a goddess filled with compassion.
“Thank you very much. We look forward to seeing you again.”
It was not only not nice to be approached by a sales staff with an emotionless voice, it was even creepy. Could you please not look at me like a dead fish?
“… That’s why I’m in the rear. I wish you many years of happiness! Please nominate me again!”
“Yes, thank you! Please let me know when you come back.”
No, do they have a nomination system at electronics stores? Could the clerks please stop standing upright and posing as if they were offering their hearts!? I think he’s in too good a mood, this guy.
“Fufu. See you soon. Aah, Yuya-kun. We’ve bought the equipment, now it’s time to go get the food! Let’s buy strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, all kinds of stuff!”
*****
“I hereby declare the first ever Chocolate Fondue Competition! Crackle, crackle!”
“I’m sorry to say that I’m at the height of my excitement, but before I do that, I need to prepare first, okay?”
When we got home, we put on our aprons and stood in the kitchen, but Kaede was already at the climax, as you could see. She was getting excited all by herself, almost like jumping up and down, but was she okay like this?
“No problem, no problem! I’ll prepare the fruits I bought and leave it to Yuya-kun to boil the main ingredient, the chocolate!”
“That’s the most important task, but what do you mean you’re leaving it to me!? Isn’t it the other way around?”
Sadly, my protests didn’t reach Kaede, and she happily took the fruit out of the pack and started cooking. Shrugging my shoulders, I gave up and got to work. First of all, I chopped up a few sheets of chocolate that I had bought so that they would melt easily and put them in a pot. Then, I turned on the induction heater to keep it warm. When the chocolate started to melt, I added a little bit of milk that I heated in the microwave to about 45 degrees Celsius, and used a wooden spatula to work it around until it became glossy and smooth. This was a very nerve-wracking process.
“Mmm!! These strawberries are so sweet and sour! It’s like they’re ready to eat!”
But Kaede, who was working next to me, was nonchalantly snacking on the precious large strawberries. It was not fair to eat them on a flight.
“Mou, I can’t help it. Yes, uh-oh.”
As I was about to open my mouth to take a bite, the strawberry made a sharp turn and was sucked into Kaede’s mouth. This was the only time I couldn’t forgive Kaede for her smug expression. I want my innocence back.
“Ehehe… please don’t look so scared. I’ll feed you properly later. Eh? Look, the chocolate sauce looks good! That’s right! I’ll leave you to assemble the machine!”
Then Kaede left the kitchen as if she was running away with the fruits on her plate. Damn it. I’ll eat a lot of this later. As I brought the finished sauce to the table with the pot, Kaede was beckoning me to hurry up. The machine was safely assembled and the switch was turned on, so everything was ready.
“Yuya-kun, I’ll hold the pot with you. So let’s do the chocolate pouring, just like the cake pouring. It’s our first joint effort as husband and wife!”
Kaede put her own hand on top of mine, and together we held the not-so-large pot. I suddenly felt embarrassed when she said, “This is our first time working together,” even though it hadn’t been a problem before. My cheeks started to heat up and my heart started to beat faster.
“Let’s go, Yuya-kun! That!”
As I slowly tilted the pot and poured in the chocolate sauce, the machine started to whirr, and eventually—
“Look at this, Yuya-kun! The curtains! It’s a chocolate curtain! It’s amazing!”
Please don’t bang on my shoulder in excitement because it hurts me plainly. Well, Kaede is cute when she’s innocently excited, so I don’t dare say anything about it.
“And so, without further ado, the first ever Chocolate Fondue Contest! Strawberries, here we go!”
With a shout that sounded as if we were entering into battle, we stuck the strawberries into the long, thin fork we had bought for this purpose and charged into the curtain. We dipped the whole thing in a generous amount of chocolate and quickly snacked on it, taking care not to spill any.
“”Yummy—!””
I couldn’t help but overlap my voice with Kaede’s. The sourness of the strawberries and the sweetness of the juice that comes after the chocolate spread softly in my mouth.
“This is unbearable! I’m going to try bananas next. Chocolate-covered bananas are an ironclad combination! It can’t not be delicious!”
One after another, Kaede put the fruit on her fork, dipped it in the chocolate, and ate it. The speed at which she ate the fruit would have surprised even the fastest eaters. I ate at my own pace, focusing on the strawberries. It’s not like I’m holding a grudge for missing out on something earlier.
“Aah, mou… You’ve got chocolate on your face from eating so quickly, Kaede.”
“Huh? Where?”
Kaede replied while squirming and filling her mouth like a squirrel. Aah, mou. Every single one of them is so cute. You can’t warn people to not talk while eating. At that time, a revelation came to my mind as I thought, “If you want to do it again, now is the time. That’s for sure. Kaede’s been making me nervous all day. We should at least get a little payback.”
“I’m going to wipe you down now, so just sit tight.”
“Yes, sir. Thank… … !?”
Pretending to wipe it off with a tissue, I put my face close to hers and licked off the chocolate. Yes, it was sweet and delicious.
“Yes, it came off beautifully. You’re good to go.”
“Yuya-kun… what did you just… pee-pee… pee-pee? Are you a handsome boy from a shoujo manga?”
Kaede’s face turns red, and she mutters to herself with a puckered mouth. It looks like I was able to make her nervous, so the strategy was a success. Well, I guess I’ll eat too.
“—Wait a minute, Yuya-kun.”
Eh? I was about to react when Kaede came up to me with a piece of strawberry chocolate in her mouth and kissed me, holding my face firmly with both hands.
“Mmm”
Kaede let out a breath and twirled the strawberry around my tongue as if to say “eat me” with her soft tongue. The sweetness that filled my mouth was not only from the strawberry chocolate. After accomplishing what she wanted to do, Kaede slowly pulled away from me, but the transparent thread dripping from her body was very s**y, and she licked it off, looking like a bewitching goddess. I couldn’t take my eyes off those jet-black eyes.
“Fufu… What’s wrong, Yuya-kun. You’ve got a lot of eyes, don’t you? Was it that good, eating with your mouth?”
No, no, no. My head is foggy and I can’t think of anything. When Kaede saw me, she smiled and handed me another strawberry with lots of chocolate on it.
“Can you feed me this time, Yuya-kun? I want to eat it by mouth, too.”
The moment she whispered in my ear, a shred of my reason popped. I wrapped my arms around the soft waist of Kaede, the little devil and goddess in front of me, and gently embraced her and kissed her on the mouth. A special sweet and sour time passed quietly by.
“We’ll continue in bed… Please eat me gently, okay?”
My answer was… needless to say.
And yet, if I may say so, it was an even sweeter and hotter moment than usual
“Yuya-kun… I love you.”
It was a happy time.
Miyamoto-san drove us to the electronics store from where we bought the set of home appliances. We arrived at the store early, barely making it for snack time, but I wondered if the clerk from that time would be there?
“Huh-uh. There’s no problem about that. I made an inquiry yesterday and confirmed that he would be there.”
Kaede smiled wryly and informed that she had called the store yesterday to confirm their working hours.
“He was at work yesterday, so I talked to him directly and he said he would select a recommended model for us to keep. Then we check it and if everything is okay, we buy it.”
I’m wondering when you made that phone call, but you’re very crafty for Kaede. Did you really want to have chocolate fondue that badly?
“Mmm. Could it be that your face is jealous of the fact that I was secretly calling someone? Why would you think so!?”
“Eh, it’s not like that, okay? I’m not jealous of you for calling the store?”
Kaede laughed a little at me, as I said while facing away, and then brought her face closer to my ear.
“Don’t worry. I am a wife who is devoted to Yuya-kun and loves only you.”
The words whispered to me while I was hot, sent an electric current through my body, and my heart thumped loudly. But I had to calm down. This was a store. And because today was the weekend, there were a good number of customers right after the store opened, so my embarrassment was over the limit.
“I’d like to hear your answer, Yuya-kun. What do you think?”
“I don’t think I need to tell you that, but–“
“No, you can’t. You have to put it into words. That’s what you promised me, right?”
Kaede brought her face closer to mine. It was true, I told her that there were some things you wouldn’t understand unless you put them into words. But does it have to be now? I don’t know if this is something that needs to be said in the presence of staff and other customers!?
“It is no good! Aah, please tell me soon. What do you think of me, Yuya-kun?”
“—I’ll be back. Oh, I’m all about Kaede, too. I love you so much! I hope that’s enough!?”
I shouted, half desperately. Kaede was satisfied with the performance, the women in the store applauded for some reason, and the men gave me a grudging look.
“Oh, um… can we please not do this in the store? The other customers and our employees will die in agony.”
Holding the item with both hands, a slender clerk with glasses gave me a hard time at the beginning. No, you’re right. I’m so embarrassed I’d rather dig a hole and go in, and if anything, I’d be the one who would die in agony.
“It’s been a while. Thank you for taking the trouble to place an order. Is this the machine you recommended for making chocolate fondue?”
“Yes. It’s reasonably priced, and it’s not that big, so it won’t take up much space. I recommend this product for first-time users.”
“Fufu. Then I’ll take this one. Can you put a handle on it so I can take it home?”
“Thank you very much. Please come this way so I can proceed with the billing.”
Kaede interacted with the clerk as if she were a lady and completed the purchase procedure in no time. It was not like she had a quick switch, she seemed like a different person. But this kind of Kaede was also fresh, cool and reliable.
“Mou, Yuya-kun… Even if you praise me that much, nothing will come out of it?”
“I mean it. I need to become a man who can be counted on. Oh, I’ll get the luggage.”
I received the package from the staff. It was not a very big box, but it was indeed a hefty one.
“Fufu. I’ve already relied on you enough, so please have confidence in me.”
As she said this, Kaede twined her arms around me and leaned in close to me very naturally. She had a gentle smile on her face, like a goddess filled with compassion.
“Thank you very much. We look forward to seeing you again.”
It was not only not nice to be approached by a sales staff with an emotionless voice, it was even creepy. Could you please not look at me like a dead fish?
“… That’s why I’m in the rear. I wish you many years of happiness! Please nominate me again!”
“Yes, thank you! Please let me know when you come back.”
No, do they have a nomination system at electronics stores? Could the clerks please stop standing upright and posing as if they were offering their hearts!? I think he’s in too good a mood, this guy.
“Fufu. See you soon. Aah, Yuya-kun. We’ve bought the equipment, now it’s time to go get the food! Let’s buy strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, all kinds of stuff!”
*****
“I hereby declare the first ever Chocolate Fondue Competition! Crackle, crackle!”
“I’m sorry to say that I’m at the height of my excitement, but before I do that, I need to prepare first, okay?”
When we got home, we put on our aprons and stood in the kitchen, but Kaede was already at the climax, as you could see. She was getting excited all by herself, almost like jumping up and down, but was she okay like this?
“No problem, no problem! I’ll prepare the fruits I bought and leave it to Yuya-kun to boil the main ingredient, the chocolate!”
“That’s the most important task, but what do you mean you’re leaving it to me!? Isn’t it the other way around?”
Sadly, my protests didn’t reach Kaede, and she happily took the fruit out of the pack and started cooking. Shrugging my shoulders, I gave up and got to work. First of all, I chopped up a few sheets of chocolate that I had bought so that they would melt easily and put them in a pot. Then, I turned on the induction heater to keep it warm. When the chocolate started to melt, I added a little bit of milk that I heated in the microwave to about 45 degrees Celsius, and used a wooden spatula to work it around until it became glossy and smooth. This was a very nerve-wracking process.
“Mmm!! These strawberries are so sweet and sour! It’s like they’re ready to eat!”
But Kaede, who was working next to me, was nonchalantly snacking on the precious large strawberries. It was not fair to eat them on a flight.
“Mou, I can’t help it. Yes, uh-oh.”
As I was about to open my mouth to take a bite, the strawberry made a sharp turn and was sucked into Kaede’s mouth. This was the only time I couldn’t forgive Kaede for her smug expression. I want my innocence back.
“Ehehe… please don’t look so scared. I’ll feed you properly later. Eh? Look, the chocolate sauce looks good! That’s right! I’ll leave you to assemble the machine!”
Then Kaede left the kitchen as if she was running away with the fruits on her plate. Damn it. I’ll eat a lot of this later. As I brought the finished sauce to the table with the pot, Kaede was beckoning me to hurry up. The machine was safely assembled and the switch was turned on, so everything was ready.
“Yuya-kun, I’ll hold the pot with you. So let’s do the chocolate pouring, just like the cake pouring. It’s our first joint effort as husband and wife!”
Kaede put her own hand on top of mine, and together we held the not-so-large pot. I suddenly felt embarrassed when she said, “This is our first time working together,” even though it hadn’t been a problem before. My cheeks started to heat up and my heart started to beat faster.
“Let’s go, Yuya-kun! That!”
As I slowly tilted the pot and poured in the chocolate sauce, the machine started to whirr, and eventually—
“Look at this, Yuya-kun! The curtains! It’s a chocolate curtain! It’s amazing!”
Please don’t bang on my shoulder in excitement because it hurts me plainly. Well, Kaede is cute when she’s innocently excited, so I don’t dare say anything about it.
“And so, without further ado, the first ever Chocolate Fondue Contest! Strawberries, here we go!”
With a shout that sounded as if we were entering into battle, we stuck the strawberries into the long, thin fork we had bought for this purpose and charged into the curtain. We dipped the whole thing in a generous amount of chocolate and quickly snacked on it, taking care not to spill any.
“”Yummy—!””
I couldn’t help but overlap my voice with Kaede’s. The sourness of the strawberries and the sweetness of the juice that comes after the chocolate spread softly in my mouth.
“This is unbearable! I’m going to try bananas next. Chocolate-covered bananas are an ironclad combination! It can’t not be delicious!”
One after another, Kaede put the fruit on her fork, dipped it in the chocolate, and ate it. The speed at which she ate the fruit would have surprised even the fastest eaters. I ate at my own pace, focusing on the strawberries. It’s not like I’m holding a grudge for missing out on something earlier.
“Aah, mou… You’ve got chocolate on your face from eating so quickly, Kaede.”
“Huh? Where?”
Kaede replied while squirming and filling her mouth like a squirrel. Aah, mou. Every single one of them is so cute. You can’t warn people to not talk while eating. At that time, a revelation came to my mind as I thought, “If you want to do it again, now is the time. That’s for sure. Kaede’s been making me nervous all day. We should at least get a little payback.”
“I’m going to wipe you down now, so just sit tight.”
“Yes, sir. Thank… … !?”
Pretending to wipe it off with a tissue, I put my face close to hers and licked off the chocolate. Yes, it was sweet and delicious.
“Yes, it came off beautifully. You’re good to go.”
“Yuya-kun… what did you just… pee-pee… pee-pee? Are you a handsome boy from a shoujo manga?”
Kaede’s face turns red, and she mutters to herself with a puckered mouth. It looks like I was able to make her nervous, so the strategy was a success. Well, I guess I’ll eat too.
“—Wait a minute, Yuya-kun.”
Eh? I was about to react when Kaede came up to me with a piece of strawberry chocolate in her mouth and kissed me, holding my face firmly with both hands.
“Mmm”
Kaede let out a breath and twirled the strawberry around my tongue as if to say “eat me” with her soft tongue. The sweetness that filled my mouth was not only from the strawberry chocolate. After accomplishing what she wanted to do, Kaede slowly pulled away from me, but the transparent thread dripping from her body was very s**y, and she licked it off, looking like a bewitching goddess. I couldn’t take my eyes off those jet-black eyes.
“Fufu… What’s wrong, Yuya-kun. You’ve got a lot of eyes, don’t you? Was it that good, eating with your mouth?”
No, no, no. My head is foggy and I can’t think of anything. When Kaede saw me, she smiled and handed me another strawberry with lots of chocolate on it.
“Can you feed me this time, Yuya-kun? I want to eat it by mouth, too.”
The moment she whispered in my ear, a shred of my reason popped. I wrapped my arms around the soft waist of Kaede, the little devil and goddess in front of me, and gently embraced her and kissed her on the mouth. A special sweet and sour time passed quietly by.
“We’ll continue in bed… Please eat me gently, okay?”
My answer was… needless to say.
And yet, if I may say so, it was an even sweeter and hotter moment than usual
“Yuya-kun… I love you.”
It was a happy time.
