That evening.
「I’m home─.」
「Ah, Onii-chan, welcome back─!」
As I returned home, I heard my younger sister Mai’s voice coming from the living room. So I headed towards the living room before going to my room.
Entering the living room, I found Mai sitting on the sofa, watching TV. It seems she was watching a recorded anime program.
「Sorry for coming home late. Did you wait long?」
「Nope, it’s okay─. I just got home myself.」
When I apologized to Mai, she replied that it was totally fine.
So, to introduce her again, this girl’s name is Yamada Mai. She’s seven years old and a first grader in elementary school.
She’s quite a quiet child, but sometimes she comes to me for affection, which makes her a very cute little sister in my eyes.
「But Onii-chan, I’m hungry─.」
「Ahh, got it. Then shall we have dinner right away today?」
「Yeah! Let’s eat, let’s eat!」
When I said that, Mai looked very happy, so I washed my hands and gargled before opening the refrigerator in the kitchen. Then…
「Oh! Today it’s omurice, Mai’s favorite─!」
「Eh, really!? Yay─!」
Opening the refrigerator, I found two plates of omurice inside. This was today’s dinner that our mother had prepared for us before going to work.
So, while feeling grateful to our mother, I took out the plate of omurice. There was a sticky note attached to the plate. It seems to be a memo from our mother.
“Heat it in the microwave for about 2 minutes with the plastic wrap on before eating.”
「Fumu fumu, okay with about 2 minutes of heating. Mai, I’m going to warm it up in the microwave now, so just wait a little longer─.」
「Okay, got it─! Then I’ll wipe the table─.」
「Ahh, thanks─.」
When I told Mai, who was waiting in the living room, she said she would wipe the table. Mai really is growing up to be such a kind child.
Feeling happy about my sister’s kindness, I followed our mother’s instructions and put the omurice in the microwave with the plastic wrap on to heat it for 2 minutes.
「That should do it. Fuu, still, both mom and dad have it tough with work every day.」
I stared at the microwave heating process while thinking about our parents.
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My father is currently on a business trip abroad and has been absent from home, and my mother, who works as a nurse, has been on night shifts recently, so we hardly see her.
Well, both of our parents were quite busy with their jobs.
That’s why for dinner, we always had to choose between reheating the food our mother had prepared in advance or eating bento bought from a convenience store or supermarket.
Well, it’s a bit lonely in such a situation, but I understand that our parents’ work is tough, so I think it can’t be helped.
── Ding!
「Oh, it’s done!」
As I was thinking about my busy parents, exactly 2 minutes passed and the microwave beeped to signal the end of heating.
So I took out the warmed omurice from the microwave and immediately brought it to the table in the living room.
「Sorry to keep you waiting! Alright, let’s eat quickly─.」
「Thanks, Onii-chan! Okay then… itadakimasu!」
「Yeah, itadakimasu!」
Mai and I sat at the table together, put our hands together properly, and then started eating dinner.
So, Mai immediately began to happily stuff her favorite omurice into her mouth.
「Mogu mogu… Yeah, omurice is delicious after all─!」
「Ahaha, that’s good to hear. Mom’s cooking is always delicious─. Ah, but by the way, Mai, when did you start being able to eat green peppers that you used to hate?」
「Eh… ehh!? T-There’s green pepper in this omurice!?」
「Yeah, it’s finely chopped and mixed in.」
「E-Ehh!? N-No way… I didn’t notice at all…」
「What, you just didn’t notice? But even though it’s omurice with green peppers, Mai said it was delicious?」
「Y-Yeah, it’s really delicious… M-Mom is amazing!」
When I told her that it was omurice with green peppers, Mai was surprised but still praised our mother wholeheartedly.
「Ahaha, since when did Mai become a food critic? But I’m sure mom would be happy to know that Mai can eat green peppers now─.」
「Eh!? N-No way!! Y-You absolutely can’t tell her that, okay!? I-If mom finds out, she’ll make me eat green peppers every day from now on…!」
「Ahaha, got it. Then I’ll keep it a secret from mom.」
「Y-Yeah! You absolutely have to promise!」
「Ahh, I promise.」
And so, after that, I spent the rest of the dinner time happily chatting with Mai about trivial things.