Soup

ㅤ Despite all the side effects, they continued to bring the old man mushrooms, believing in miracles. However, despite its unusual properties, each variety had a unique, exquisite flavor. So everyone was curious to see what the current specimen would taste like. The taster was chosen by lot. So that they don't all accidentally start causing trouble at once, otherwise you never know what kind of mushroom we might catch this time. Hisui was chosen. Gathering his courage, he drank some broth from a spoon, biting into a mushroom cap. Everyone froze, watching the test subject. Nothing changed—the silence stretched on. Kohaku was the first to break down, more tormented by curiosity than by concern for her brother: "So, how is it?" "It seems fine," Hisui was surprised. Without further hesitation, Shing and Kohaku helped themselves to generous portions, settling down next to each other. Only Ines continued to feel uneasy. "Really? Not even a fever?" Ines tried to touch Hisui's forehead to make sure, but he gallantly intercepted her hand. He spoke, not breaking eye contact: "If I have a fever, you're the cause." "Huh…?" burst from a stunned Ines. The couple in the background glanced at them, puzzled. But they quickly returned to their soup, smiling at each other and touching foreheads instead of kissing; their mouths were occupied with something more interesting. Hisui, meanwhile, continued his advance, literally forcing Ines to back away from his confidence and piercing gaze. "You are the most amazing woman I've ever known," he spoke wholeheartedly, without a trace of embarrassment. Hisui deftly grabbed Ines by the waist, forcing her to bend over, avoiding the kiss. But Hisui had no intention of being so brazen; he simply wanted to get as close as possible before saying: "You’re the one I want to spend my life with." "I have a child!" Ines tried to remind him, without going into detail about the lack of blood relation. Hisui hugged Ines closer, whispering languidly in her ear: "This won't be our only child, will it?" "You're under the influence of mushrooms," Ines tried to protest, panicking. Ines didn't know about Hisui, but she was definitely already ablaze. Her heart was pounding wildly with excitement. She hadn't felt such embarrassment in a long time. "My mind is clear and lucid," Hisui refuted. "They could have some other effect!" Ines persisted. "Unless they gave me the courage to finally confess." 'They could incite you to do even worse,' Ines whispered skeptically to herself, recalling some particularly insidious mushrooms that had nearly cost Kohaku her brother and beloved in the most unexpected way. "Okay," Ines tried to find another way out, "let's do it this way: you sleep it off, rid yourself of any trace of the mushrooms' influence, and then…" Ines hadn't planned to agree, but somehow everything was moving in that direction. "I'll think about it!" she tried to leave herself some room to maneuver. "Agreed." Hisui released Ines, giving her hand a gentlemanly kiss. "Tomorrow I'll ask you again." The danger had passed. Ines exhaled, glancing sideways at the soup and the whispering couple, completely oblivious to the world around them. They were the ones this soup couldn't harm.

* * *

The next day, Ines forgot Hisui's proposal like a bad dream. No, it wasn't a burden to her. It was difficult for her to accept and comprehend it, after all, they had spent so much time together as comrades in arms. They had been through so much together… Hisui remembered everything. Watching Ines cheerfully chatting with friends, Hisui repeated the phrase he planned to utter over and over again. He memorized it so that no nervousness would cause him to falter: there was no room for cowardice. Gathering his courage, he resolutely approached Ines… Kohaku and Shing watched them closely, without interfering. They combined business with pleasure, witnessing the intertwining destinies of those dear to them, while finishing the most delicious soup they had ever had. Why waste good food? As it turned out, it had other value besides nutrition. ㅤ