✿

The three of us, Tsumiki, Gojo, and I were sitting at the dining table. Somehow, even though it hasn't been long since we moved here to live with Gojo, it felt like we were a family. Weird.

Tsumiki happily munched on her food. "Are you guys enjoying the dinner?" She asked us.

"It's delicious," Gojo replied. "You're a really good cook Tsumiki."

Tsumiki seemed to enjoy getting complimented. She really was a good cook. It was a natural talent of hers.

"This curry rice tastes even better than the kind you can get at restaurants. You'll make a good wife one day." He complimented. 

Tsumiki beamed. "Aww, thank you. But who says I want to get married?" She laughed. Gojo laughed along with her.

I felt it again. That pang of jealousy. Even though me and Gojo have gotten closer recently, Gojo and Tsumiki still hung out a lot without me. Granted that was probably because I kept refusing their offers to join. But now he's praising her to the high heavens, like she was some cooking goddess. 

Gojo and Tsumiki kept eating. "Even back then, either me or dad would do the cooking. Megumi sucks, so no one would let him cook," she explained.

I looked at her with contempt. Usually it didn't bother me when people said I sucked at cooking, but Gojo's weird wife comment got under my skin. "I just didn't want to cook back then," I argued. "I'm good if I practice."

But Tsumiki giggled. "Though he says that, but he can't even boil chicken properly."

"I'm done. I'm going to my room." I got up from my seat and left the dining room. I heard Tsumiki call out after me, but I didn't even bother to acknowledge her. 

✾

It was the middle of the night. Gojo and Tsumiki were in their rooms sleeping, probably. I turned the kitchen light on, and took out all the necessary kitchen utensils and items to make something. 

I looked at the recipe on a piece of paper I brought with me. Rice porridge. It didn't look hard. Just boil the chicken to make soup, boil the rice in it, add in the vegetables, and add seasoning. 

Stupid sister. I can cook. You'll see.

I took out the chicken breast, put it in a pot full of water, and boiled it on the stove top. See, I can cook a chicken properly. I don't know what Tsumiki was talking about. 

While the chicken was boiling, I took out the vegetables. Mushrooms, chives, zucchini, carrots, and onions. Mushrooms were the softest, so those were the ones I chopped first.

Just wait. I'll make something even better than stupid Tsumiki. And then Gojo will praise me too. 

I stopped, realizing what I just thought about. I shook my head. I'm not cooking for that guy! I'm not cooking because I'm jealous or because I want Gojo to compliment me. I'm just cooking because....because...

I pictured Gojo's face in my mind, eating my food happily. A homemade meal, from me for Gojo. Your cooking is the best Megumi-chan! I imagined him saying. I shook my head again.

But it really was a bad idea for me to be out of focus while cooking, especially while using a knife, because I ended up cutting my finger while chopping the carrots. 

"Owww!" I yelled. "That hurts!" I dropped the knife on the ground. It clattered to the floor. I saw blood gushing out of my finger and I started to panic. 

But just then I saw Gojo enter the kitchen, with an empty glass of water in his hand. "Megumi-chan?" He saw me crouched down, holding my throbbing finger, and rushed over to me. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" He asked.

I showed him my bleeding finger. "I just wanted to cook, but then I accidentally cut myself. It hurts." I complained. 

He turned off the stove, held my other hand and led me away with him. "Come on, let's go get you treated."

Gojo disinfected my wound and then put a band aid on my finger. I felt ashamed the whole time. I wanted to cook, and I just ended up getting into an accident. So much for trying to be better than Tsumiki. 

We went back to the kitchen so we could clean up. "Why were you cooking in the middle of the night?" Gojo asked me.

I sniffled. "I don't know." I mumbled. "I'm stupid. I got jealous of my stupid sister Tsumiki because she's a better cook than I am even though I know she is. It just annoyed me watching you praise her like that and hang out with her and....I don't even know," I sulked. 

Was I wrong and immature? Probably. I'm still a kid though. So let me be a bit selfish.

To my surprise, Gojo lifted my finger up to his mouth and kissed it better. "I wonder why you're so jealous of Tsumiki. Is it some inferiority complex you have? Even though I keep telling you that you're special." 

He looked around at the mess I made in the kitchen. "Well, it looks like you're almost done. Go and wait at the kitchen table Megumi-chan."

I was a little confused, but I followed his instructions. After about 15 minutes passed, Gojo came to the table and placed two bowls down filled with rice porridge, one in front of me and one in front of himself. 

"Thank you for the food!" Gojo clapped his hands gleefully. Then he brought a spoonful of porridge to his mouth. "Yum!" He exclaimed.

I propped my arm up on the table and leaned my face against my hand. "Why are you eating that? I'm not a good cook. It probably doesn't even taste good." I sulked.

Gojo raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Anything my Megumi-chan makes tastes good." He complimented. "You're cooking is the best cooking in the world!"

Even if it was disingenuous because my cooking really wasn't that good, my cheeks still turned a little pink. 

My Megumi-chan. 

✿