A Warm Moment

Hana just returned home after work. She took off her shoes at the entrance, tossed her bag into a corner, and sank into the couch, where Shinya was watching her with a slight smile.

Her somewhat careless way of doing things bothered him a little, but it was also something he was getting used to, especially when she sighed after settling down, letting her blonde hair spread out on the colorful fabric of the couch. Hana did everything with such casualness that it made him wonder if he would ever act that way himself.

Noticing her exhaustion, Shinya thought he could prepare something to help her regain some energy. He stood up and walked toward the kitchen, but was interrupted when he felt Hana grab the hem of his shirt.

“Are you going to make something in the kitchen?“ she asked.

“Yes, why?“

“Shinya... we need to have a talk,“ she said, her expression so serious that it made him fear her next words. “Are you going to make strawberry shortcake?“

He nodded, but her response wasn’t as pleasant as he’d hoped.

She sighed and continued, “You know I love strawberry shortcake, but there’s a problem. I can’t live on that alone. I know you mean well, but let’s face it, you make it every day. For breakfast, for dinner... I’m starting to get concerned. Not that I want you to stop, but we need to mix things up a bit.“

Shinya looked at her, completely lost, as if he didn’t understand the logic behind what she was saying. To him, if her favorite food was strawberry shortcake, what was the problem with eating it every day? He had always prepared the favorite dishes for the souls he guided to the afterlife, and there had never been complaints. But hearing this from Hana made him feel like he had done something wrong.

“Sorry, but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to eat something you like,“ he said.

She placed her hand on her forehead, as if not wanting to explain something so obvious.

“It’s not that I don’t want to eat it. But to live, we need to eat other things besides sweets. As much as I want to, there needs to be balance.“

“So what do you suggest?“ he asked.

She placed a hand on her chin, thinking.

“How about okonomiyaki?“ she suggested, smiling as if she had just had a brilliant idea. “Just like that episode in Flowers of Tomorrow where they eat okonomiyaki at a street stall. But we can make it at home.“

“We?“ he questioned.

“Yeah...“ Hana said softly. “You always do everything alone. Sometimes I feel guilty. I could help, right?“

It was true that Shinya always prepared the food by himself. For him, watching her reactions when she ate was enough. But now, seeing Hana offer to help left him curious. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to learn something new about human behavior. And, to be honest, the idea of being by her side while cooking didn’t seem bad at all.

“Okay. We can do that.“

Hana seemed genuinely excited. She got up from the couch with renewed energy, as if the exhaustion from work had disappeared.

As she hurried to the kitchen to put on an apron, Shinya followed her, admiring her special vitality. After gathering utensils like frying pans, spatulas, and chopsticks, Hana opened the fridge to get the ingredients... and stopped, surprised.

Her expression changed. The plan seemed to be falling apart.

“What’s wrong?“ Shinya asked.

“We don’t have anything to make okonomiyaki,“ she replied. “No eggs, no cabbage, no bacon... Nothing.“

She slowly closed the fridge door, her head lowered, almost giving up, starting to take off her apron when Shinya spoke.

“Are you sure? I think we have everything we need.“

Hana opened the door again... and the ingredients were there.

She furrowed her brows in confusion.

“That’s weird... I must be going crazy,“ she murmured, looking at him with suspicion.

In reality, Shinya had summoned everything with his divine powers, something completely normal to him, but that left Hana visibly puzzled.

Not paying much attention, she grabbed the ingredients and began preparing the okonomiyaki batter, mixing the flour from one of the cabinets. Shinya helped whenever necessary, allowing her to take the lead. They seemed to dance in the kitchen, with a natural harmony, as if they had done this many times together.

Shinya found it fascinating how she mixed the flour, eggs, cabbage, and filling. Although he had made this dish many times for others, he chose not to intervene directly, he just wanted to observe her. There was something captivating about the way Hana moved.

He even overlooked the mess on the counter and smiled when he saw the flour dusting her face. But none of that mattered when he spotted the sparkle in her blue eyes. So alive and sincere that it made his own face warm.

Shinya prepared the frying pan while Hana finished shaping the batter into small balls, ready to fry.

“Don’t you think they’re too big?“ he asked when he looked at a huge clump being placed on the pan.

“The bigger, the better, right?“ she replied, with a smile so animated that he didn’t have space to argue.

With a gentle push of her body, Hana took over the okonomiyaki cooking, trying to flip the giant disc with the spatula. But, due to the weight, it broke in half. And while Shinya was concerned about the perfection of the dish, Hana just burst out laughing, thoroughly entertained.

“I always break one of them... What a disaster!“

Shinya approached and, without thinking too much, placed his hand over hers, guiding her with the spatula.

“See... This way it’s easier to flip, and it won’t break.“

Her expression changed immediately. The smile melted away, and Hana’s face turned red. Shinya realized he was so close that he could feel her breath change. So, he instinctively stepped back, creating space between them.

“I-I understand now... thank you,“ she said, adjusting a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to hide her embarrassment.

After that, they continued working together. Soon, they had some okonomiyaki ready, topped with special sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed powder, and katsuobushi. Hana laughed when she saw Shinya curiously watching the fine fish flakes move with the heat.

Then, they set the table and sat down to eat.

Hana didn’t waste any time, and after thanking for the meal, she began devouring the dish, making small sounds of approval with every bite. Shinya, on the other hand, just watched her, enchanted by every reaction she had.

“Are you not going to eat?“ She asked, noticing his fixed gaze. “This is divinely delicious!“

“You know that, as a god, I don’t need to eat,“ he replied naturally.

Hana let out a little laugh.

“I think that even if gods don’t need to, they can still enjoy something good once in a while.“

Her ironic tone made him smile, but it also made him pause, reflecting for a moment. The thought never crossed his mind. Preparing food had always been his way of comforting others, never himself.

Encouraged by her, he looked at the dish in front of him. The katsuobushi was still dancing gently as he picked up the chopsticks, cut a piece, and brought it to his mouth.

And for the first time... he tasted a dish.

The flavor exploded intensely, filling his mouth in a way he had never imagined. Without even realizing it, he took another bite. Then another, and another.

“This is good, isn’t it?“ Hana said, with a smile so welcoming that it felt like a hug.

Shinya couldn’t resist. Right there, in that small moment, he discovered something completely new. Something so simple for humans, but so impactful for him. The pleasure of eating, of sharing a meal.

As he chewed, he looked at Hana, who was also eating, smiling contentedly. The silence filled the space, broken only by the light sounds of bites and chews.

Shinya didn’t know if the real flavor came from the okonomiyaki, from the fact that he had prepared it with her, or from simply being there, sharing that moment with Hana.

Maybe what he was really savoring was each laugh, each look, each fast beat of his heart.

Or maybe it was just Hana who made that moment more special.