Mita Ori

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5606257122

What a lovely story! If I ever find someone I can be in a kitchen with without one of us spontaneously combusting, I'll know I've found the one.

I found Yutaka's semi-phobia of eating with others kind of relatable. I was born with a significant birth defect that took many surgeries to repair (the most recent only a year ago, and I'm nearly 30...). I've never loved eating around other people. At the same time, I've always recognized cooking for show more someone as a show of great and deep love. I remember years ago waking up at 4 am to make homemade cornbread for my coworkers, and everyone loved it, but I definitely didn't eat any in the clinic!

I also relate to the feeling of missing my great-grandparent's cooking and the serious crisis that happens when you realize you can no longer remember the taste. Even with the same recipe, it just isn't the same. I always spent Christmas with them, and since their passing a long time ago, Christmas has always had a heavy tinge over it, so a lot hit home in this story.

I am not the best cook in the world, but of the few things I can cook well, I hope someday I can cook them for someone with the love akin to that in this story. show less

Despite being an amazing cook, Yutaka has struggled to eat with other people because of the way he was treated as an adopted child. This has caused him to be a social outcast with his peers. While eating alone in a park he runs into a little boy, Tane, who asks him to share his onigiri. Tane’s brother Minoru apologizes for the rudeness and it turns out Minoru can’t cook. Their mother passed away and the family has been living on poor cooking ever since then.
Yutaka agrees to show them the show more secret of his onigiri and discovers a little family that wholeheartedly accepts him and somehow he just fits.
This is a sweet friendship to lovers story about learning that you are worthy of love. The dynamic between all the characters is really cute. I liked the little thread of romance through a family focused story. And it is BEYOND adorable how Tane calls him Yukata instead of Yutaka XD. show less

Easy, cozy, and chaste romance between Yutaka and Minoru, a couple of guys first drawn together by the voracious appetite of Minoru's cute little brother, Tane. They all have a little sadness in their life's baggage, but nothing too melodramatic or insurmountable. Maybe a little too predictable, but too gentle and sweet to really nitpick.

I’m not crying you’re crying!

But seriously I’m not actually crying because of my anti-depressants. Anyways I love this story and I hope I can make sure to read this on Christmas every year from now on.