Chapter 6: Hearty Steak

Our apartment buildings turned out to be surprisingly close.

Serina’s university was in a familiar area too—within biking distance, even. We shopped at the same supermarket and knew exactly when the discount stickers went out. It was almost strange we’d never run into each other before.

“Thanks for having me.”

Serina strolled into my apartment like she’d done it a hundred times.

She was holding a heavy-looking eco bag. I took it from her and stowed it in the fridge.

“How much did that cost?”

“That’s a secret.”

In the end, we’d barely spent more than a fancy lunch at the racetrack, snacks included. Serina insisted that wasn’t enough of a thank-you. On the way back, she pulled up a gourmet yakiniku place on her phone, all smiles, and said, “Let’s go here next!” The prices had made my head spin, and in a panic, I blurted out, “I’ll just cook us steak myself.” Whether that was a good idea or not, I couldn’t say.

The meat I just put in the fridge was thick, marbled, and stunning—clearly premium quality. She’d even peeled off the price sticker. That luxurious cut looked completely out of place inside my humble fridge.

To ease my nerves, I popped open a can of beer and took a long swig.

It fizzed down my throat and left a pleasant sting in my chest.

“The manager's organizing a BBQ soon. You should come with me,”
Serina said as she plopped down on the couch.

Apparently, she’d made a good impression working at the sweets shop on Christmas Eve and got scouted for a long-term position. She didn’t have a reason to say no, so now she worked there a couple of days a week.

“Ugh, it’s gonna be all young people. I’ll stick out.”

“I don’t think we’re that far apart in age… Oh, and the manager’s footing the bill.”

“I’m in.”

She laughed at how fast I answered, then turned on her phone.

I cleaned up the kitchen, beer still in hand, and started prepping to cook the steak.

“They say it’s gonna snow tonight.”

“Really?”

I rarely left the house, so I paid no attention to weather forecasts.

But when I looked out the window, heavy, oppressive clouds were rolling in.

“Guess I should head back early, then.”

She said it like an offhand comment, and without really thinking, I replied,

“You could just stay over.”

“I can’t do that.”

Serina’s voice came out sharper than I expected.

That rubbed me the wrong way, so I teased her.

“You’ve stayed over plenty of times.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m just that kind of girl—crashing at people’s places without asking.”

She fetched a blanket from the bed and curled up like a cat on the couch.

I laughed at the sight and heated the frying pan while seasoning the meat.

Cooking steak is a serious, one-shot battle.

Flip it too much and you lose the aroma. Fuss over it too long and you overcook it.

I focused, dropped the beautifully marbled steak onto the sizzling-hot pan, and let the loud sizzle fill the room. The savory aroma hit almost immediately.

Flip. Wait a bit. Remove before it gets too tough.

“All done.”

“Smells amazing!”

Serina perked up and carried the steak-laden plate to the table. We had rice, miso soup, and some spicy takana pickles. That was it.

We set everything out, said _itadakimasu_, and dug in.

No one spoke. You don’t talk while eating meat like this. You feel it with your whole soul, then sip some tea to catch your breath.

“That was insanely good.”

“Your cooking was perfect. Seared just right, still tender and juicy.”

“Nah, it’s the quality of the meat. Seriously, how much did it cost? I’m scared to know.”

“Still a secret.”

Serina gave me a playful grin like a sparkly-eyed cartoon character.

“I didn’t go into debt or anything.”

“If you had, then I’d be mad.”

Time drifted softly after that.

Our bellies full, our bodies sluggish, and despite having a guest over, I felt like I could pass out at any second.

“Oh—snow!”

Serina stood up and pulled back the curtain.

Fat snowflakes were drifting gently down, painting the window with delicate white crystals.

“Wanna go outside for a bit?”

“Sure.”

I dragged my lazy body off the couch, threw on a coat, and stepped out.

Even though it hadn’t been long since it started, a light layer of snow had already blanketed the street.

“Wow…”

Serina scooped up a handful of snow from atop the apartment wall.

Then, without warning, she packed it and whipped it at me.

It smacked right into my stomach, leaving a white splotch on my coat.

“Are you five?”

“Ahaha!”

Thud. Thud. Two more snowballs hit me, dead-on.

Apparently, she had good aim.

Getting pelted without fighting back was too lame, so I scraped up some snow and molded it into a palm-sized snowball. While I worked, her snowballs kept landing on my back.

“Even if you make it big, it won’t matter if you miss.”

Serina taunted me with a grin.

I smirked right back and started walking toward her.

“I don’t need to aim—if I get close enough, I can’t miss.”

And then—I ran.

We were in the apartment’s shared parking and bike lot. Not a soul in sight.

I chased Serina as she weaved around parked cars and darted behind pillars. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re surprisingly athletic.”

“I did like PE.”

I finally cornered her at the edge of the lot, but she didn’t even look flustered.

“Are you really gonna hit me with that?”

“Oh, I’m hitting you.”

But the snowball in my hand had grown slick with my body heat.

Still, I adjusted my grip and tossed it gently—aiming for her torso.

“Ah—”

As expected, throwing wasn’t my strong suit. The snowball veered wildly off-target.

Crash.

It hit a bike, which wobbled dangerously. Serina rushed in and steadied it.

“That was close…”

The bikes were crammed in tight. If one fell, the rest would domino.

“… Thanks.”

She gave me a long, pointed stare. I scratched my head, embarrassed.

“Let’s go back?”

“Yeah, before you break something else.”

She turned to leave.

I couldn’t argue, so I followed quietly.

Ah-choo.

In the elevator, Serina sneezed.

“Wanna take a bath?”

“No, that’s okay…”

She sneezed again once we got inside.

Even with the heater on, her face looked a little pale.

“Come on. Don’t be shy now. I’ll run it for you.”

“… Okay. Thanks.”

She hung her head as I went to get the bath ready.

What was she afraid of? I thought we were close enough to call each other friends. Maybe that was just my assumption.

When I came back to the living room, Serina was sitting upright in a formal seiza, looking serious.

“Um. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Okay.”

She hesitated—_um_, _uhh_—and clutched her head in frustration.

I tilted mine, waiting silently.

She still couldn’t say it, so I started clearing the table, stacking dishes, heading for the sink. Just as I grabbed the sponge—

“I like women.”

“I see.”

Whoosh.

Water splashed over a plate, rinsing off the grease.

It wasn’t enough, so I added soap and scrubbed more thoroughly.

“… That’s it?”

“What else am I supposed to say?”

“I don’t know, like… Be surprised?”

“I kinda figured. Oh—your ex called, by the way. Forgot to mention.”

“Wait, what?”

Right—I’d been too busy nursing her back to health to bring that up.

I remembered the sharp tone on the phone and winced instinctively.

Serina checked her phone, then slumped.

“Seriously?”

“Sorry, my bad.”

“It’s fine… I guess…”

She sulked under the blanket.

Watching her like that, I got curious about her love life.

“Do you have a girlfriend now?”

“Nope.”

Her muffled voice was light and honest. I guessed she wasn’t still hung up on her ex.

“Planning to find someone new?”

“It’s… Complicated.”

There was a hint of resignation in her tone.

Even someone as beautiful as her had a hard time with love. I didn’t fully understand it, but I could believe it.

While I pondered, I noticed Serina staring at me.

“What?”

“You’re not gonna ask if you’re my type?”

That froze my brain for a second.

Type? Me?

“I’m not that full of myself.”

It had never occurred to me she’d see me that way.

I was just an average woman—plain and unremarkable. No match for her.

“Why not? You’re cute, Saki.”

“I mean… The idea of us dating is just… I can’t wrap my head around it.”

Serina laughed—light and a little empty.

The sound overlapped with the hum of the water heater.

“I like that about you.”

That’s all she said before slipping into the bathroom.