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Draft 8 11（第1页）

ChapterEight

AGlimpse（Hitome）　一目

Kagami’splanforsavingtowardmakingjewellerystartedwithapplyingtothecafeteriatobeakithelper.Baherpreviouslife，Hitomiwasnotoriousforwastingtoomuchtimeoncooking.Onceduringherfirstyearatuy，insteadofwritingherEnglishpaperthatwasduethematnineam，Hitomispentherentireday，from8amto4pm，braisi.Hermotherwasfurious.

Hitomihadboughtaparticularlywell-trimmedporkhockatthebutcher’s，andshecharredtheskintoremoveanypossibleodourduringcooking.Afterrubbingtheporkskin，sheparboiledit，andremovedthestock，pitintoapotonthebackburner.Hitomipouredsweetcookingwineandsoysauceovertheporkhock，alongwithacoupleofsticksofamon，andproceededtowatchthepotafterturningdowntheheattoasimmer.

Whehepotwasattheriskofburningdry，Hitomipouredacupofhotstockba，andshedidthisfortherestoftheday，untilallofthepreviouslyremovedstockwasusedup.

Theresultwasbeautiful，butHitomihadtotypeherpaperfrom8pmto3amthem.Miraculously，shemanagedanA-.

[Thesedtimeithappened，whenHitomiwaswritingaphysicslabreportforhersedyearcourse，shegotanFontheassig.]

“Cookingismeditative”

wasHitomi’sphilosophy.

“Watgthepotforsixhoursisautisticstubbornness”

wasHitomi’smother’srespoothat.

Rinhadalwaysbeenmoreuanding.OneofRin’scousinswouldmakedesserttoeaseheray.Theroommatewouldebackfromoutside，anduponseeingthreepiescoolingontheter，alongwithamoussecakeinthefridgeandtwospongecakesintheoven，ask“midtermtomorrow?”

“Yeah，two.”

wasthereply.

Kagamiappliedtohelpwithbaking，sineadinglargebatcheswouldtasaformofphysicalexercise.Shealsoaskedwhethershecouldmakethingsonthesidewithherownrecipe.Themanageragreedtothat，providedthatitwouldnotimpedetheusualflowofwork，andthatKagamiwouldupafterherself.

Kagamimadebreadandpastrieswithheroldrecipesthatsheremembered.

Shemadesavourydillloaves，amonappleloaves，andsweetsoftbiscuitswithfillingposedofpowderedtea，stardsugar.Butherfavouriteisaspecialsoftpeanutbuttercookiewithbrownsugar.

Hitomihadoasteditwhiletraveling，andtriedherbesttorecreateitonceshewasbackathome.Heatedoilwasmixedwithpeanutbutter，brownsugarandflour，andtheresultwasaverythinmixture.Warmwaterwasthenpouredintoitininstallments.Aswaterenteredmicroscopicparticlesofnutandflour，itwasabsorbedandcausedthenutandflourparticlestoexpand.

Ohesolidsofthemixturehadincreasedinvolume，whatwasonceaverythinliquidbecamethied，thenbecamesoftlumps.Thiswasdooavoidactivatinganyglutenintheflour.Thesoftmixturereadoveraverysoftrisendough，andinsteadofkneadingitinforauniformdistribution，thetwo-layereddoughgotcutinhalf，andthenonepiecelacedontopoftheother.

Thedoughthenressedflatwithaspatula，cutandstackedagain.Theprocesswouldberepeatedfivetimestoachievea32-layerproduct.Thedoughwasthenshapedintothickcookies，andbakedatalowtemperatureforaverylongtime.（approximately170degreesCelsius）

Afterbaking，theverycrustyandhardcookieswouldbecooledandstoredinatightwoodenboxht，wheretheywouldregainsomemoisture，strangely，andthesoftenedcookieswouldbereadyforptiontheday.

Thisrecipewaslaboriousandtimeing，butwasremarkablydelicious，andKagamifoundittobewell-receivedatKageyama.

Kagamiofferedherpastryrecipestothemanager，whobynowuoodtheirvalue，andKagamigotherfirstgoldaspayment.

Sinceregularworkonlypaidasilverpermonth，andKagamicouldonlyqualifyforonecopperperhourwithherlimitedavailabilityandlowhours，itseemedthatthemoreeffitwaytoincreasehersavingswouldbewritingdownrecipes.

（“Threebakingrecipesgavemetheequivalentoftenmonthsoffulltimekitwork，andwithmylowavailability，Iwouldhavetoworktwohundredhourstomatchamonthoffulltimepay.Wow...”

）

Betweenwinthecafeteria，andtryingtorecreaterecipesforJapayleSpongecake（kasutera　長崎カステラ），esewaterchestnuttapiocacake，Japanesechestnutdessertroll（yamatzuto　山土産），picakeroll（oimatsu　老松），steamedcake（ukishima　浮島）andteapudding（awayukikan　淡雪羹），Kagamislowlyincreasedhersavingsbyiigatingwhichdessertsdidinthisworld，makingthemfromscratch，andfinalizingthemintorecipes.

Ayearlater，Kagamiwasreadytoheadintotown.Sheskippeddownthemountainpathbyherself，sinceaskingAkishitoapanyherwoulddivulgehersecret;thegiftsshouldbeasurprise.

Afterclimbingdownthemountain，Kagamistoodbyaroadandsawtheoutlineofatowhehorizon.

“Twentyminutewalk，max.”

OneofHitomi’spastimeswhenshewentonroadtripswithRinwastolocateanobjectexactlyonekilometreaway;RinalwaysallowedHitomitoindulgeinthisrepetitivelittlehobby，andwouldletherknowwhethertheodometeragreed.

Kagamiwalkedpastfarmlandandranches，notigthattherewerelargepiecesofequipmentlikelypoweredbymagiccrystals，andsmallerequipmentdrawnbyhorses.

“Typicalisekaimix.Justlikeinamanga.”

Itleasanttobeabletospeakoutloud，andnothavingtoworryaboutwhatotherswouldthink.

Soon，Kagamiwentintotown，andfoundajewelleryshop.

“Wele，howmayIbeofassistance?”

“Goodday，dearlady，Iwouldliketopurchasesomematerialtomakemyownjewellery.”

“My，alittlegirllikeyou?Youmustreallylikewhatyouwanttomake.”