The White Dweller

Village Delicacies

“It… It was nice…” Setsuko murmured, her back still firmly pressed against the door of the house as she fiddled with her thumbs, blushing slightly.

Kushina chuckled through her nose with an endearing smile. “Well, why don’t you sit here, Minato will be coming home soon. We can talk about your day with Kakashi over some—argh, damn it!” She screamed all of a sudden, only succeeding in making Setsuko press against the door all the more.

As the red-haired woman clutched her head in embarrassment, she sat on a chair and slammed her forehead against the dining table with a loud bang, causing Setsuko to jump and thickly swallow in nervousness.

“I didn’t get to ask what kind of food you liked… what if you don’t like the food I made? That would suck y’know?”

For some reason, Setsuko was beginning to sweat, but she tried to disregard this as she waved her hands around frantically, stepping forward. “N-No, Uzumaki-san, that- It’s alright! I don’t really l-like… I mean, I don’t re-really have… any pre-pre-preferences! I’m fine with ea-eating anything! Please, c-calm down, it’s okay! E-Even if I may not li-like the food, I’m sure you-your cooking will com—uh, compensate for it!”

Setsuko felt like slapping herself for using the word “compensate”. How was that supposed to make Kushina feel better?

“See, Kushina? Even Setsuko-chan thinks your cooking is delicious! She hasn’t even tried it yet!” Minato reassured his wife, carefully placing a hand on Setsuko’s head. Surprisingly, she didn’t flinch as much as she did. Maybe Kakashi said something to convince her to loosen up…? Hopefully.

“You’re my husband, Minato… I don’t think you really count…” Kushina muttered sulkily, pressing her cheek against the hard, smooth surface of the wooden table, facing Minato and Setsuko.

Minato pouted playfully, patting Setsuko’s head. “Well, if that’s how you look at it… Kakashi, Rin and Obito seem to love your cooking! Our friends included too!”

When Kushina said nothing in reply, Minato urged to Setsuko to go to the dining table, gently coaxing her to eat with them. Without any other choice to go along with it, she neared the table, and as she did so, the delectable smell of what seemed to be Gyoza, Yakisoba, bowls of fried rice, Yakitori and Agedashidofu—all of which Setsuko liked, yet hardly ever had the chance to eat.

“I’m surprised though, Setsuko-chan. You said the word ‘compensate’. For a ten year-old, that’s a pretty big word. Not that I’m insulting you or anything, y’know? I’m just pretty amazed, I guess. I was thick-headed when I was your age… unlike Minato here, who was a natural genius,” Kushina mumbled enviously, her shoulders slumped in a sulky way—to which Minato chuckled at once he took a seat across his wife. He couldn’t wait to start eating her cooking.

Setsuko hesitantly slid onto the chair at the end of the table, where the couple could easily converse with her.

“U-Uh… my mom—mother and father t-taught me everything I know by themselves… they, um, are, quite formal and… they tend… to-to use enhanced vocabulary when, er, talking to me,” she stammered clumsily. Setsuko wasn’t comfortable with talking about her parents at all—the same went for talking about herself in general. Being cautious was her top priority at the moment. She needed to remind herself that she was in a different domain she was completely unfamiliar with and slightly unused to in terms of atmosphere (climate-wise).

“That’s really nice.” Kushina said, and both Setsuko and Minato could hear the far-off, distracted tone in her voice.

Clearing his throat, Minato smiled and picked up his chopsticks. “Now, why don’t we start eating?”