She dismissed him with a laugh.

Shoji gestured towards the kitchen. ‘Shall we have our dinner?’

‘Of course,’ Eri said, getting up. ‘I’ll check if the food needs heating up.’

Shoji brought their glasses to the dining table while Eri returned with the bucket of chicken and two packets of fries. She also topped up their drinks and brought in two cold hand towels.

He opened the bucket. ‘You bought a dozen? Isn’t it too much?’

‘My mother used to say, when it comes to food, better too much than too little.’ She passed the towel to Shoji.

He wiped his hands. ‘My mother says the same thing all the time.’

‘Maybe that is the motto of all mothers in Fukuoka,’ she said. ‘Let’s dig in.’

There was plenty of meat, all coated nicely and evenly with well-seasoned batter.

In Fukuoka, Shoji hadn’t celebrated Christmas. It was only after moving to Tokyo that he started following the KFC Christmas tradition, mostly courtesy of the various girls Jin was seeing. They would usually ask him to join in.

And then Yoko had come. He remembered how she’d remarked that Japan was the only country to celebrate Christmas with fried chicken. She had chuckled in amusement. Years had gone by, yet he still missed that laughter.

‘Hey, Shoji,’ Eri said, tearing the meat with her manicured fingers. ‘You didn’t ask your friend to come along, did you?’

He was taken aback for a moment. ‘How did you know?’

‘Just a feeling,’ she said. ‘You looked stiff when you told me she couldn’t come.’

‘Sorry, I forgot to ask her, and this afternoon she went out before I got the chance.’

Eri stared into his eyes. ‘Did you forget, or did you try to forget?’

‘Why would I do that?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said, shrugging. ‘Perhaps you don’t want me to meet her.’

‘Why not?’

‘Maybe you don’t think I would approve of this arrangement?’

He laughed. ‘So now you’re my mother?’

‘I prefer to think of myself as a smart and beautiful older sister,’ she said. ‘You’re an adult now. You don’t need anyone’s approval. But if I see something that’s not right, I’m going to call you out on it.’

‘Like every self-respecting older sister should.’

‘That’s right,’ she said, pausing. ‘Are you sure you’re not stringing her along?’

The suggestion made him uneasy. He shifted his eyes. ‘You’re overthinking this. There’s really nothing between us. She’s just a friend who’s short on cash. I’m helping her until she can find a permanent place to stay. That’s it.’ But even as he said those words aloud, he began to question his feelings.

‘Then that’s fine. Sorry for assuming.’ Eri took a bite of a chicken thigh. ‘But don’t give her false hope, okay? A clear rejection is way kinder.’