Chapter 33
Sachi's high fever was caused by creatures on the deserted island, which not only cause high fever but also mental confusion, explaining why Sachi kept saying "I'm sorry" when he had a fever.
Generally speaking, illnesses caused by specific organisms are difficult to treat, but the Whitebeard Pirates' ship's doctor is Marco. To borrow Ace's words to comfort Thatch and tell him not to worry too much, Marco can save anyone who returns, as long as they have a breath left.
Marco neither confirmed nor denied it, but his usually listless eyes widened considerably when Ace finished speaking, and his hunched back straightened. Clearly, no one dislikes being praised, and the reliable Marco was no exception.
So, when you saw Sachi recovering the next morning, you weren't surprised and breathed a sigh of relief. When Sachi came out of the infirmary and met your gaze, he stood there for a moment before recovering.
For some unknown reason, Sachi turned his head away, a blush appearing on his wheat-colored skin, and his usually strong voice became weaker because of his movement.
"Thanks for yesterday..."
Sachi is feeling embarrassed about yesterday. But in your opinion, you didn't do anything wrong. However, since Sachi is so bothered by it, refusing his thanks will only make things more complicated.
"You're welcome. I just did what I could. Besides, I usually receive more care from Sachi, so don't worry about it."
Your explanation did not reassure Satchi; instead, it only made him furrow his brow.
"That's not quite right..."
Sachi said something else after that, but you didn't hear the second half of his sentence because his voice was too soft. After saying what you couldn't hear, Sachi returned to his usual self, a gentle smile on his face.
"By the way, would you like some cake? I'll make you a chiffon cake this afternoon as a thank you for helping me yesterday."
"If it weren't for you, I can't even imagine what would have happened to me if I had encountered danger in that state."
Sachi's words made it impossible for you to politely refuse him. At this point, you reasonably deduce that Sachi will repay you for yesterday's favor with another "gift," and that the gift will likely be similar to the one Harta gave you.
A cake is better than precious gold and silver. After weighing the pros and cons, you gladly accepted Sachi's suggestion and included your request.
"I'd also like to learn how to make cakes. Can I watch and learn while they're making cakes this afternoon?"
If you're asked to do nothing and just wait to eat, you'll feel guilty since you don't even feel like you've done anything. Even if you can't do anything in the kitchen, it's still better than waiting to eat in your room.
Sachi, who offered to bake you a cake, is now conflicted about whether he's shooting himself in the foot. He can't bring himself to refuse you, whose eyes are full of smiles and anticipation.
"Of course."
Just by being in the kitchen with you making a cake, he probably won't think about yesterday, right? Sachi wasn't sure, but he was certain that his heart was beating faster than when he had a fever when he heard you say you wanted to make a cake with him.
-
Making chiffon cake requires few ingredients and the process is simple. But Sachi decided to make more desserts on short notice, saying it was to shut up those hungry ghosts.
"Otherwise, before you even have a chance to eat it, those hungry ghosts will smell it and come over and devour it all."
When Sachi mentioned the "Hungry Ghosts," he wore his usual smile. Based on Sachi's words, you reasonably guessed that one of the "Hungry Ghosts" was Ace, who would fall asleep after a few bites. Although Ace wasn't particularly interested in sweets, even a six-inch chiffon cake wouldn't be enough to satisfy him in his normal state.
Thinking of this, you couldn't help but laugh at what Sachi said, and it was this laughter that caught Sachi's attention as he was preparing the ingredients. Meeting Sachi's probing gaze, you tried your best to suppress your laughter and began to talk about what you had been thinking.
"The abundance of 'hungry ghosts' on the ship was also due to Sachi's excellent cooking skills."
Caught off guard by the compliment, Sachi felt a flush rise to his face. His gaze, fixed on you, darted around in sync with his rapidly beating heart, trying to find a corner to settle his eyes on. Perhaps in his panic, Sachi forgot that you were standing right behind him, and he could easily avoid eye contact with you by simply turning around.
So the situation becomes that Sachi is frozen in place, his gaze fixed on the floor in front of your toes.
"Is that so? Oh, could you get me three eggs? They're on your left!"
Fearing you'd notice something amiss, Sachi quickly came up with a plan: she'd ask you to fetch something to distract you. You didn't disappoint her; when she brought up eggs, you went to get them as she suggested.
The sudden shift in topic and focus made you forget what you had just been talking about. Seeing that you didn't bring up the topic that had made your heart race again, Sachi breathed a sigh of relief as she took the eggs. At the same time, while relieved, Sachi glanced at you out of the corner of her eye, observing your reaction, and felt a little disappointed. Fortunately, this feeling didn't last long. Composing herself, Sachi refocused her attention on making the chiffon cake.
Perhaps to keep you from getting bored, Sachi will occasionally ask you to fetch something for him or help him separate egg whites and yolks. These are tasks that won't tire you out or bore you.
You did indeed do as Sachi said. However, as the process of making chiffon cakes and other desserts became increasingly complex, there wasn't much you could do. So, now you're back to where you were at the beginning, standing aside watching Sachi work.
It wasn't your intention to be unhelpful or cause trouble, but standing by and watching Sachi, who was just recovering from a serious illness, busy himself all by himself felt wrong. With the sound of an iron basin being placed into the sink, you found a task you could do.
Sachi, engrossed in his work, has no time for you and is completely focused on battling the ingredients in front of him. Seeing this, you interrupt Sachi and head straight to the sink to wash the pots and pans covered in batter. Once you've finished washing your tools, Sachi, who's putting the cake in the oven, spares some time for you.
Sachi looked puzzled when he saw you standing in front of the sink and the neatly arranged pots and pans next to you.
"You washed it all?"
Upon first seeing Sachi's surprised expression, you can't help but wonder if washing the tools you've just washed has actually hindered him. This realization makes you panic, and you hurriedly ask Sachi for an answer.
"Um, did I make things worse?"
Upon hearing this, Sachi froze on the spot. Realizing that you had misunderstood what he said, he quickly waved his hand to explain.
"No, no! I was just so surprised."
"Accident?"
Sachi, his gaze still fixed on the clean pots and pans, chuckled and explained, "I usually wash these all together afterward. I didn't expect someone to wash them for me today; it's a real surprise."
After receiving a reply from Sachi that he hadn't made things worse, you breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that he didn't make things worse."
Even so, Sachi still made you sit aside and stopped you from working. The reason for not letting you work was given in a lighthearted yet assertive tone by Sachi.
"If washing things causes your hands to get scratched, I'll end up doing more harm than good by secretly giving you extra food."
At Sachi's request, you sit in the chair he brought into the kitchen and watch him busy himself at the stove. Perhaps it was the sweet smell of the kitchen and the sounds of Sachi handling the ingredients that complemented each other so well, but before long, you, sitting beside him, began to doze off.
Logically, you shouldn't be feeling sleepy after not taking a nap for a long time. But when drowsiness and fatigue washed over you, you still fell asleep in the chair that Sachi brought over.
You dreamt of things from long ago. In your dream, you weren't on a boat bobbing up and down with the waves, but sitting in your rented room, busy with your hobbies. You went to work on time, rushed to catch the bus or subway, and spent your days off traveling with friends or alone. The routine of your life, the tranquility and warmth revealed amidst the busyness, made you nostalgic.
You don't know how long you slept, only that the long-lost tranquility in your dream made you want to prolong your sleep. But a dream is just a dream, and no matter how wonderful it is, you will eventually wake up.
As the oven stops running, your dream, which you never wanted to wake up from, returns to reality.
Perhaps the atmosphere in the dream was too wonderful. Before you were fully awake, you looked around and confirmed that you were in the kitchen where you had been before going to sleep, not the familiar single room in your dream. As your consciousness gradually cleared, a sense of loss came over you as you accepted reality, along with the smell of cake still lingering on your coat.
The person who provided the coat was standing in front of you, Sachi, whose face rarely showed worry, and a hint of awkwardness that puzzled you. Perhaps it was because you had just woken up, or perhaps it was because Sachi's coat was too big, so big that it provided a sense of security covering your upper body, pulling you out of your inexplicable sense of loss. It was then that you realized how close Sachi was to you.
It was within easy reach of Sachi's chin, just a glance up. This didn't match the feeling Sachi gave you when you first met, but Sachi, who had just covered you with his coat, didn't seem to realize this yet, still standing there stunned by your sudden awakening.
Indistinguishable between the brief sleep and the sweet scent of the coat that lingered in the room, you temporarily forget your unequal status as a Sachi, pulling the coat up to just cover your lips. Then comes the distinctive voice of someone just awakened.
"Are you trying to do something bad to me, Chef Sachi?"
Your words made Sachi, who had covered you with a coat to keep you warm, widen his eyes. His wheat-colored skin flushed a noticeable red as you spoke. When Sachi realized what the "bad thing" you were talking about was, he quickly took two steps back, creating distance between you.
"No, I just—"
He just thought you looked cute when you were sleeping, so he didn't want you to catch a cold or anything. Saying that seemed to confirm his intention to do something "bad," Sachi stopped mid-sentence.
From your perspective, Sachi, who had stepped back to a safe social distance, looked like a robot that had run out of power, frozen in place without moving. You, who had intended to stop there, couldn't help but wonder about the second half of Sachi's unfinished sentence.
"Just what?"
For some reason, Sachi got stuck on the word "only," his face turning red. He finally said, "The cake is ready," and turned to walk towards the stove, giving up on arguing with you about this topic.
Watching Sachi's retreating figure, which seemed to be fleeing in panic, you, who were still covered by Sachi's coat, felt a little regretful, regretting that you had played such a joke on Sachi.
Remembering that Sachi's jacket is still on you, you decide to return it to Sachi, and then apologize for the joke that wasn't very funny to Sachi.
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