There were a lot of tenagaebi, and we carried them home with us.
Fortunately, this spot was relatively close to our house, and with body-strengthening magic, it didn’t take long to get back. If we ever felt like eating river shrimp again, we could easily drop by and catch some. Though we didn’t find any ayu, this hike wasn’t without its rewards.
That evening, the tenagaebi became the highlight of our dinner.
We prepared them in two ways: kakiage and deep-fried whole, a perfect snack to go with drinks, as Karen had requested.
Karen, who had made the request, helped me with the cooking.
We started with the kakiage.
Thinly sliced onions, carrots, and burdock root, along with prepped tenagaebi, herbs, and mushrooms, were mixed together. We coated the mixture with a batter made from flour and potato starch dissolved in chilled water.
The key to making good kakiage is to lightly dust the vegetables with flour beforehand, work quickly without overmixing the batter, and ensure the water stays cold. Overmixing or letting the temperature rise too much can make the batter sticky and ruin the texture.
Using a ladle, I scooped small portions of the mixture and fried them in oil. The shrimp shells turned a beautiful cherry blossom pink, combining with the carrots to create brightly colored fritters.
As for the remaining shrimp, we simply deep-fried them.
In terms of savoring the pure flavor of the shrimp, this might have been the main attraction.
「Hey, Sui. Do you think I could make this deep-fried shrimp on my own?」
Karen, assisting with the cooking, suddenly asked me this.
「On your own?」
「Yeah. Is it difficult?」
「Hmm, well… frying can be dangerous, but…」
The induction cooktop we used had a temperature control function, so it wouldn’t catch fire as long as it was set properly. Even if oil splattered, my barrier magic would protect her.
「If I’m here to watch, you’ll be fine.」
「I see… so I can’t do it without you after all…」
「It’s not that you can’t, but just in case. Why do you ask?」
「Oh, no particular reason. Just wondering.」
「I see. Just wondering, huh.」
Karen was gradually getting more comfortable in the kitchen. Maybe she was starting to feel ready to try making something on her own. Since deep-frying is relatively straightforward, she might have thought it would be a good place to start.
As we talked, the sliding glass door to the living room opened, and Mint peeked in.
「Is dinner ready? How are the shrimp?」
「Almost there. Get ready to eat.」
「Got it! Chocola, come here! Mint will wipe your paws!」
「Bark!」
Mint and Chocola, who had been playing outside, made a cheerful fuss on the porch while I turned to Karen.
「It’s done. Could you get the plates ready?」
「Okay.」
Dinner that night featured tenagaebi kakiage and deep-fried shrimp, along with chilled tofu, miso soup, and a refreshing salad to balance the rich flavors of the fried dishes. The crispy, aromatic shrimp delighted everyone at the table, and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal as a family.
※※※
Three days after our hiking trip—
It was early afternoon, and with nothing in particular to do, I was lounging in the living room, playing with Chocola.
Having just returned from a walk, Chocola was fully relaxed. He sprawled out on his back like a frog, completely at ease, so I scratched under his chin.
「Kyuu… fshu~」
「You’re such a master of extremes, aren’t you? On or off, nothing in between.」
「Kyuuu…」
His body was slack, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular, and his tongue hung lazily out of his slightly open mouth.
「You look so cool when you’re alert, though.」
「Kuun…?」
「Well, this side of you is still very much Chocola.」
I scratched his belly, and his eyes narrowed in pleasure.
At that moment, the living room door opened.
「Sui, do you have a moment?」
「What’s up?」
Karen stepped inside, glanced at Chocola, and chuckled at his froggy pose.
「Do you have any plans for tomorrow?」
「Plans? I don’t think so. We’re not due for a shopping trip, and there’s nothing pressing to do around the house.」
「Good. Then don’t go anywhere tomorrow—just stay home.」
「Sure, but why?」
It was an unusual request. Stay home? Why would she ask that? I tilted my head in confusion, and Karen sighed.
「…Did you forget?」
「Forget what? Did we make plans?」
「Unbelievable. We’ve talked about this before—about how we don’t have a tradition for this, so we’d need to keep track of it ourselves. Even Viole-sama reminded me about it. But the person it’s all about doesn’t even remember.」
「What are you talking about?」
Was there something I’d forgotten? I tried to recall, but Karen narrowed her eyes gently and said,
「Check the calendar on your phone. Tomorrow is your birthday—am I right?」
「Ah…」
I froze.
I quickly grabbed my phone from the table, unlocked it, opened my notes, and checked the date in Japanese terms—
「April 19th. Tomorrow is… April 20th.」
April 20th.
Just as Karen said, it would be my 20th birthday.
「Wait, but last year… and your birthday, or Mother’s birthday…」
「That’s right. In our culture, we don’t celebrate on the exact date of birth. It’s usually done in the same season or month instead. But this year is different.」
Karen walked over to stand behind the sofa where I was sitting. She tousled my hair, then wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug. Resting her chin on my head, she continued,
「You’ve said it so many times before—no drinking until you’re 20. That’s the custom in Japan, and it’s what you’ve believed in and followed all this time. So we waited. This year, we decided to celebrate your birthday on the actual date.」
「We…? Mother too?」
「Tomorrow, don’t go anywhere.」
With a mischievous yet cheerful tone, Karen released me and stepped back.
「We’ll celebrate your birthday, drink together, and make some snacks. Honestly, we wanted to handle everything in secret, but frying shrimp can be dangerous, so you’ll have to supervise.」
「Ah… yeah.」
Karen’s smile bloomed like a flower, and all I could manage was a weak response.
—Even though she had told me in advance, it was still the sweetest surprise.
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