Ryori Chapter 1: Red in the white snow

Read chapter 1 of Ryori by Gin Tsūne on NovelPedia.

Freezing air was filled with the playful screams of delightful children across the snow-covered streets. Kata-Kedo, who had just passed by, barely noticed the low temperatures on the sidewalk he was walking on to his house. He wore a scarf around his neck which covered his mouth, giving him the opportunity to protect himself from his surroundings. A simple, yet warm-spending jacket covered his torso like the wool of a sheep's body. Only his eyes were exposed to the air. He had already grown desensitized, giving him no reason at all to be bothered by it. His blue, sharp eyes traveled up into the air. Nothing special was to be seen, just white clouds everybody had seen before. A singular snowflake that suddenly hit his cheek alerted Kata-Kedo to a possible snow shower today. 'Better to get inside.' Wiping the liquid off that had been left by the snow, he went to the right side where his snow-covered house awaited him. Sweeping the white dust off the door handle with his hand, he pressed it down to open the door. Kata-Kedo shook off the snow beneath his shoes before walking through the door and entering the warm house. “I’m home!” He yelled loud enough that anybody was able to hear him. At first glance, there wasn't any human soul. Just the silence that haunted the inside. Before hanging his jacket in the wardrobe right next to the entrance, thinking he would have some alone time, he finally got an answer from a deeper voice. “Where have you been, Kedo?” “Oh, just meeting up with some friends, you know.” He replied with a calm voice, as Kedo continued undressing, hanging his scarf on a hook and his thick jacket around a pole inside the wardrobe. The man entered the room where Kedo was, with a frown and crossed arms, giving a hint that he might be a little mad. “And not outside once again, am I right, son?” Kedo flinched in an instant, knowing very well that he lied to the man who was his dad. Perhaps the fake grin on his face might help? "Haaa… Don't lie to me, Kedo. I won’t be mad.” A guilty feeling spread across Kedo’s belly like the roots of a tree that had just started to grow. “I’m sorry…” His dad shook his head with a little smirk. “Come in, I’ve made some tea for us.” The guilty feeling in his belly disappeared over time, turning into a warm, relieved one. Kedo took a few steps into the room next to him with a table and a chair. On top of the table were two steaming cups with tea ragging out. Tea was something special in this world. Not every person could afford to own it. Sitting down on the chair and taking the cup gently in his hands, the tone of Kedo’s dad started to switch. “If they catch you again, it'll look dirty for you.” Sipping from his cup carefully, Kedo responded intelligibly, knowing that he was just a worried father trying to protect his own flesh and blood. “I know what you mean, really.” Kedo’s voice lowered, holding his cup more tightly as he looked deep inside the liquid. “I just feel like a bird inside a cage, you know? I’m self-aware that it’s dangerous. I don’t own the abilities to survive in the cold temperature like you, as a former Ryori.” His dad nodded understandably, knowing very well what was going on inside his head. He had found himself in such a situation at his age. Nonetheless, as his dad, he had to bring him onto the right path. “We shall continue the topic another time.” Kedo wasn’t sure if he was satisfied with his dad making a cut to the short conversation they had. The father pulled back the chair he was sitting on, walking towards the house door. “The new mayor insists on gathering all the Ryori inside the main hall. So I’ll be late.” 'So sudden?' Kedo asked himself, holding his chin, before being pulled out by the voice of his father. “And before I forget, there's someone I want to introduce to you later.” His father smiled widely, knowing that whatever it was, he’ll be excited and happy. Kedo, on the other hand, was slightly bewildered, but curious about the sudden information. 'W