Kazunari Miyoshi/The Evening Glow and You

Searching for the Favorite Pudding

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

	*KNOCK KNOCK*
Kazunari	Tsuuuuzuroooon! You home?
	*DOOR OPENS*
Tsuzuru	Yes yes, I’m here. What is it?
Kazunari	Delivery service! I just came back from the convenience store and they were selling some of the pudding that you love so much, so without even thinking twice I bought you some!
Tsuzuru	Eh, really!? Thanks for the thought.
Kazunari	You’re very much welcome—— Huh? Is Massu not in the room with you?
Tsuzuru	Yeah, he just left actually. Did you need him for something?
Kazunari	This pudding comes in as a 3-pack, so I was hoping we could all eat together. I even got Massu his own spoon too.
Tsuzuru	I see. I think it’ll be a while before he comes back, though.
Kazunari	Guess we can’t do anything about that~ Then how about we eat our share together first?
Tsuzuru	Sure. I was just thinking of taking a break from writing my report.
Kazunari	Alrighty! Please excuse me theeeen!
Kazunari	And without further ado… TA-DAAA! It’s Tsuzuroon’s absolute favorite “Pururun Pudding”!
Tsuzuru	Thanks— Huh? Absolute favorite…?
Kazunari	Eh, did I get it wrong?
Tsuzuru	No, I do love it. I’ve been having them since I was a kid.
Kazunari	Thank goodness then!
	Though I’m pretty sure you told me about this specific pudding being your favorite in the past before…
Tsuzuru	Did I really…?
Kazunari	Really really! Remember, when I met you at the school’s co-op store that one time——
	—— —— —— —— FLASHBACK —— —— —— ——
Kazunari	(It’s finally lunchtime ~! I’m so starving that I’m in the mood for some sausage rolls. Wonder if they still got some?)
	(Hang on. The guy talking with the store staff, is that Tsuzuroon?)
Tsuzuru	… So you’re all out of stock after all?
Co-Op Staff	I’m so sorry~ That product has been incredibly popular. It seems like the manufacturers haven’t made plans to catch up with the sales either.
Tsuzuru	It’s okay, I got the gist of the situation. Thank you though.
Kazunari	(It IS Tsuzuroon! He’s coming over this side too, I should call out to him!)
	Tsuzuroon, heyaaaa!!
Tsuzuru	Oh, Miyoshi-san. Good afternoon.
Kazunari	I happened to catch a bit of what you were talking about just now. Are they all out of your fave bread or something?
Tsuzuru	Well, it’s sort of like that. The thing that’s sold out though isn’t a pastry though— just some regular pudding.
Kazunari	Huh, pudding?

Kazunari	Do you maybe mean that one brand that’s been all the buzz in social media for a while now? That “Pururun Pudding”?
	The one that’s said to make their stuff from specialty eggs, so the taste and quality is top-notch, AND sells for a pretty affordable price— That same one?
Tsuzuru	That’s the one, yeah.
	I used to get them here at the co-op, even the convenience store sometimes. But because of how popular it is, they’re all sold out just about anywhere I try to find them.
Kazunari	I heard as much~ I kept seeing posts about people still not finding a single pack even after going around like, 10 different stores or something.
Tsuzuru	I can kinda believe that… I guess I’m gonna have to put up with not having any of that pudding for a while…
Kazunari	… You love pudding that much, Tsuzuroon? Are you the type who can’t go through a day without one?
Tsuzuru	No, I’m not that desperate for them.
	But I’ve had them plenty as a kid before, so now every once in a while I do get the craving for them.
Kazunari	That so~ But doesn’t the thought of not getting to eat them entice you to have them even more?
Tsuzuru	That’s exactly my predicament right now. It’s as if any other pudding I’ve tried tastes a little too off in comparison…
Kazunari	Even puddings have their subtle differences in taste and softness, don’t they~! Wow, the more I talk about pudding, the more I want them myself!
	You wanna try searching for them later on our way home?
Tsuzuru	It’d be great if we can find some, yeah!
	Ah, we got so busy talking, I didn’t even realize that break time's almost over. I’ll excuse myself first.
Kazunari	Okie, bye-bye—!!
	(Wait, it really IS almost time! If I don’t buy my own lunch soon I won’t even get enough time to chow down!)
Kazunari	(SIGHS)....
	(No matter how many convenience stores we stopped by on our way home, not a single one of them had any puddings in stock. It must be THAT popular after all…)
Futaba	Onii-chan, welcome home!
Kazunari	Ah, hey Futaba. I’m back—
	*STOMACH GROWLS*
	Waah, sorry! That was my stomach! Talk about super embarrassing…!!
	(The co-op only had small dessert pastry left by the end, so that’s all I got to eat for lunch…)
Futaba	Are you hungry, onii-chan? Mommy said to tell you that she left some desserts in the fridge!
Kazunari	Is that right? Thankies for telling me!
Futaba	Ehehe, you’re welcome!
Kazunari	(Now then, time to have some of that dessert that Mami left in the fridge—)
	*FRIDGE DOOR OPENS*
	…HOLD UP!! Is this—— “Pururun Pudding”!?
	(This MUST be the dessert she was talking about! Never thought I’d find such a miracle in our own fridge!)
	(Tsuzuroon’s still trying to find some, so I should ask Mami where she got these right away!)
	(No wait, considering the buzz around it, it might already be sold out before I can get them…)
	(But since these are a 3-pack, maybe I should gift one them to Tsuzuroon instead?)
	(Alrighty, I’ll have to ask Mami about it afterward!)

Kazunari	(I’m so glad Mami was fine with me taking these pudding with me~!)
	(Tsuzuroon really looked like he’s been wanting to have this pudding so badly. He’ll be thrilled to see I have these. Hopefully!)
	*DOOR SLIDING*
	Tsuzuroon, you here~?
	(Hm? There doesn’t seem to be anyone in his class…)
	(My class’s homeroom time took a bit longer than others, so I guess everyone had already left for home huh…)
???	…(snore).... (snore)
Kazunari	(Ah. Now that I look carefully, there’s someone slumped over the desk over there. Wonder what’s up with him… He’s not sick, is he? )
	(Hang on. Isn’t that seat…)
	…… Excuse me for intrudiiing.
	*FOOTSTEPS*
Tsuzuru	…(snore).... (snore)
Kazunari	I knew it was Tsuzuroon’s.
	(Seems like he’s just asleep… Maybe he dozed off in the middle of homeroom time and missed the closing bell?)
	(But thank goodness he’s still here though! I’ll hand him his pudding once he wakes up…)
	*DOOR SLIDING*
Classmate	Minagi. Are you awake yet——
Kazunari	Shhhh. Tsuzuroon’s still sleeping.
Classmate	Eh, Miyoshi-senpai? Why are you in our class…?
Kazunari	I just have a lil’ sort of business with Tsuzuroon. Btw, I can look after him from here so no worries, ‘kay?
Classmate	For real? Well, if that’s the case, I’ll leave Minagi to you then.
Kazunari	Okie dokes!
	*DOOR SLIDING*
Tsuzuru	…(snore).... (snore)
Kazunari	……
	(I know it’d be better to wake him up sooner than later, but it just looks like he’s having such a good nap right now. He must’ve been so tired.)
	(If he really is though, then I should just let him sleep for a little while longer…)
	(Ah, looking closely, seems like he’s got marks left on his cheek. It’ll take a long while before they fade away for sure——)
Tsuzuru	…Just what have you been staring at this whole time?
Kazunari	Ah, Tsuzuroon! You’re finally awake huh? Good morn’~~
Tsuzuru	Good morning. Actually, I have been awake for a while now, you know.
Kazunari	Huh?! No way?! So why did you keep pretending to be asleep then?
Tsuzuru	That’s… Well, I sorta figured out that you were looking after me by not waking me up.
	So I didn’t want to just, y’know, tell you that I had already been awake… It would’ve been a little rude of me…
Kazunari	Awh, but you didn’t have to mind it THAT much! You’re way too serious, Tsuzuroon~!
Tsuzuru	When you say it like that, I suppose I am. But anyway, did you need me for something?
Kazunari	Oh, right right! Look! Thanks to a major coincidence, I now have one pack of “Pururun Pudding” to gift just for you!
Tsuzuru	Eh, no way!?
Kazunari	Yep. My Mami just happened to get a 3-pack on her trip to the supermarket before. But it seems like she got the very last pack available.
Tsuzuru	I’m really thankful for the thought but… Is it really fine for me to have it?
Kazunari	‘Course! I asked the staff of the school’s co-op to let me chill it in their fridge until I had to go pick it up, so the taste should still be fine!
	Oh, but if you wanna enjoy it at home instead, then you can put it in this cooler bag and take it with you!
Tsuzuru	…Thanks. Then I’ll take you up on the offer and enjoy it when I get back home.
	—— —— —— —— FLASHBACK END —— —— —— ——
Kazunari	——is what pretty much happened, right~?
Tsuzuru	Yeah. I really was grateful for that time.
	But after all that, I'm still certain that I didn’t even once mention that this pudding was my absolute favorite though, did I?
Kazunari	Huuuuh, but it’s almost like you practically said it though! Besides, you looked like you were on cloud nine when I gave you that pudding back then!!
	Plus you were super fuming when I had carelessly ate your 3-pack pudding before too!
Tsuzuru	I’m pretty sure my anger was reasonable though? I made certain to write my name on them, didn’t I?
Kazunari	Well yeah! But……….
Tsuzuru	Huh…? You suddenly went quiet, what’s wrong?
Kazunari	Nah, I was just thinking we haven’t changed that much since our high school days. Like, here we are still making a huge fuss about pudding like back then.
Tsuzuru	Hm, no, we have changed.
Kazunari	Eh, really?
Tsuzuru	Yeah. After all, back then, we didn’t enjoy our pudding together the way we’re doing it now, right?
Kazunari	That’s true! So in short, we’ve gotten a lot chummier together since our high school days after all!
Tsuzuru	Ehh, you think so?
Kazunari	Why the doubtful tone!?
	*DOOR OPENS*
Masumi	……..
Kazunari	Ah, Massu, welcome back!! You’re just in time——
	*DOOR CLOSES*
Kazunari	Hey— Why’d you close the door without saying a word!? Massu!! Come on, open the door!!
	*DOOR OPENS*
Masumi	… I wasn’t expecting Kazunari to be here. I just came back, so I don’t feel more drained than I already am.
Kazunari	Awhhhh come on, don’t say that!
	Here here, Massu! You must be hungry, right? I’ve got your share of pudding right here, so let’s enjoy them together!
Masumi	So annoying…. And why pudding of all things…?
Kazunari	Nothing wrong with puddings! In fact, this one’s super tasty! Riiight, Tsuzuroon?
Tsuzuru	Yeah. This pudding really is as delicious as ever.
Kazunari	Riiiight~!!

Dita