Literary Tea Kettle #WeeklyShortShortNote

One evening, an old, worn-out tea kettle suddenly started talking.
"I am a masterpiece once known as the 'Literary Tea Kettle'."
I, holding a pot in the kitchen, froze.
A talking tea kettle is rarer than socks standing upright in a Hokkaido winter entryway.
"Literary... do you read?"
"Not only do I read, but I am also skilled at telling stories and boiling them. You haven't been reading books lately, have you?"
It hit the nail on the head. Chasing YouTube edits, my pile of unread books has grown like a snow-covered mountain.
The tea kettle clinked its rim and said,
"Literature is something that stirs the heart. Let me have you taste some literary hot water."
It moved itself to the stove, and steam began to rise. A sweet aroma spread, smelling like a story.
"Go ahead, take a sip."
As I took a sip, the prologue of an adventure, romance, mystery, fantasy... stories welled up in my brain one after another.
"Amazing...! This will sell!"
To my excitement, the tea kettle said dryly,
"Don't sell it. Literature is meant to be savored, not used as a tool for business."
"No, it will definitely go viral!"
"Boiling is enough for going viral."
With a puff of steam, it fell silent.
The next morning, the tea kettle had returned to being just a lump of metal.
However, the lingering effect of the literary hot water was still quietly steaming deep in my chest.

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I participated in Taharakani-san's project, "#WeeklyShortShortNote"!