Psychic Diner: A Departure with the Taste of Memories, Episode 21

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Chapter 3: The Goodbye Omelet Rice

5. Laba Congee

"It's medicinal cuisine. Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look very well."
Having been called out, the woman placed a hand on her cheek.
I see. So, Eight-Treasure Congee is medicinal cuisine.
That reminds me of when Kazuki said he was going to make medicinal curry. This might be along those same lines.
"But isn't medicinal cuisine bitter? I'm not really a fan of bitter things..."
The woman frowned.
It seems the woman shared the same opinion as Yahiro.
No matter how good it is for beauty or health, one doesn't exactly go out of their way to eat something bitter and pungent.

Incidentally, Yahiro also dislikes strong herbs, especially cilantro.
"Then, why not try it, just for the sake of argument?"
Being strongly urged by a handsome man, she apparently couldn't say no, and the woman agreed, looking half-reluctant.
"If you insist..."
The woman said with a wry smile.
This kind of pushiness is only forgiven because it's coming from a handsome man; otherwise, she might have gotten angry and left, calling it an unwanted meddling.
Kazuki immediately set to work on the dish.

Eight-Treasure Congee is made by simmering glutinous rice, Job's tears, lotus seeds, soybeans, jujubes, pine nuts, and mung beans—all of which have been well-washed and soaked in cold water—with added sugar. Once the prep work is done, it's an easy dish to make since all that's left is to simmer it.
Before long, the Eight-Treasure Congee recommended by Kazuki was placed in front of the woman.
It was a congee packed with beans, looking healthy at a glance.
"Is this Eight-Treasure Congee?"
"Yes, that's right."
In China, it's also called Laba Congee and is eaten on traditional holidays.
Although it's called "Eight-Treasure," it doesn't mean it contains exactly eight ingredients; it just means it has a lot of various kinds, and there's no set number of ingredients. Incidentally, the same goes for Eight-Treasure Vegetables.

The woman put a spoon into the thick congee, stirred it around, and cautiously checked the taste of the medicinal cuisine she was trying for the first time.
At first, she just took a little bit on the tip of the spoon to check the flavor.
After swallowing the congee she had put in her mouth, the woman silently kept her gaze fixed on the bowl.
Yahiro stared intently at the woman's face, looking worried.
He felt uneasy that the woman didn't have a single word of feedback regarding the Eight-Treasure Congee. He wondered if it was delicious or not.
Was it not good after all? Even if it was bitter or tasted like medicine, he had assumed that anything Kazuki made would never be a failure, but perhaps the medicinal cuisine didn't suit her palate.
Yahiro watched the woman's reaction with bated breath.
The woman scooped up another spoonful of congee and this time popped the whole thing into her mouth.

She chewed the congee as if savoring it, then swallowed.
"It's sweet and delicious."
Hearing that feedback, Yahiro instinctively did a victory pose.
As expected, there's nothing Kazuki makes that tastes bad.
"I thought it would have a pungent taste because it's medicinal, but it's not like that at all. It's very delicious."
"Thank you."
Kazuki bowed slightly.
"What ingredients are in it? They all look unfamiliar."
"Besides glutinous rice, adzuki beans, and Job's tears, that red fruit is a jujube. It's very rich in vitamins, iron, and folic acid, and it's good for regulating the stomach and for beauty."
Hearing that it was good for beauty, the woman placed a hand on her cheek.
Kazuki continued to explain the ingredients.

Just as he had explained to Yahiro earlier, Kazuki explained fluently that goji berries are for vitality, lotus seeds are effective for nourishment and weak stomachs, adzuki beans are for preventing irritability and recovering from fatigue, pine nuts are for preventing dry skin and constipation, and jujubes are rich in dietary fiber to regulate the intestinal environment and are effective in preventing anemia.
Yahiro also listened to Kazuki's explanation with interest, looking impressed.
Kazuki-san is knowledgeable about medicinal cuisine, too.
He was impressed that he was truly an amazing person—not only making delicious food but also helping ghosts pass on and having knowledge of medicinal cuisine.
The woman carried the congee to her mouth with her spoon, savoring it bite by bite.
The texture of the various types of beans was enjoyable, and the thick soup was easy to eat with just the right amount of sweetness.

"A gentle taste..."
Perhaps she had been crying before coming here, but new tears welled up in the woman's red, bloodshot eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
Kazuki kept his mouth shut and watched the woman eat in silence.
Although the woman had said she had no appetite, she ate all the congee served to her while crying and quietly set down her spoon.
The bowl was empty. She had finished it all.
"Thank you for the meal. It was very delicious."
A faint flush appeared on the woman's face.
"I'm glad."
"It's been a long time since I've had a delicious meal. Truly..."
Looking down at the empty bowl, the woman slumped her shoulders.
"If only I could have let that child eat this too..."

That child!

Thinking it might be the case, Yahiro signaled to Kazuki with his eyes. As if to ask, "Could this be the mother of that girl from the other day?"
Naturally, Kazuki must have noticed as well.
With this, they should be able to track down Miyu's whereabouts.
The woman choked on her words and started crying again.
Seeing the bruises on the woman's hands, Yahiro felt a pain in his chest.
"What's the matter? Sometimes talking about it can make you feel better. If you'd like, I'll listen."
As always, there was something about Kazuki's gentle smile and tone that made people want to talk to him. He thought that being able to make people let their guard down in a good way was Kazuki's greatest weapon.
Although the woman showed signs of hesitation, perhaps due to Kazuki's soft-spoken, unobtrusive, and non-meddlesome attitude, as well as his ability to draw people out, she began to open up.

"I work at a cabaret club in Shinjuku. I have to go to work soon..."
The woman paused there.
She said she worked at a cabaret club, but the glamour and flashiness of the nightlife world that Yahiro imagined couldn't be felt from the woman in front of him.
On the contrary, if he may be so bold, she looked completely exhausted by her work, her life, and living itself.
Besides, the pink suit she was wearing seemed inappropriate for heading to work at a cabaret club, let alone for attending a child's class observation.
Although, Yahiro has never actually been to a cabaret club, so he wouldn't know.
The woman closed her mouth, but Kazuki didn't rush her, simply waiting for her to continue.

"Four years ago, I met my husband at work and we got married. My workplace was a bank in Tokyo..."
He heard the name of the bank where she had worked until four years ago. It was a major bank that everyone knew. However, if she met her husband there, wouldn't their household finances not be that strained? That was Yahiro's own assumption.
"He was a very kind person from the time we were dating. Even after we got married, he was a person who was cooperative with housework and childcare, and he was so wonderful that everyone envied me for having such a great husband."

Hmm, past tense?

"A kind husband and a cute child. A warm home surrounded by loved ones. I thought this happiness would last forever without changing."
The woman held a handkerchief to her mouth and shook her shoulders slightly.
"That happiness, too, began to crumble with small sounds little by little after four years of marriage. My husband's work, which had been going well until then, began to clash with a newly assigned boss at every turn, and unable to bear it any longer, my husband raised his hand against that boss. Naturally, my husband had to resign from the company, and from then on, he became a different person. He started using violence."
Whoa, Yahiro voiced in his heart.

How pitiful.

The wounds on the woman's arms were indeed due to violence.
It must have been painful. Still, a domestic abuser is the worst.
To be violent toward a woman—he's not even fit to be called a man. Thinking this, Yahiro clenched his fists tightly.
"Even so, after he used violence, he would change his attitude, treat me kindly, and apologize. So I tried to think that it couldn't be helped because he was just a little irritated. However, my husband's violence escalated more and more, and the harm reached not only me but also my young daughter."
At that, Yahiro looked up, startled.
Then, Miyu-chan, who appeared the other day, was indeed suffering from her father's violence.

- Continued in Episode 22 -

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