The sound of his voice snapped her back to attention. She nodded vigorously.

"Yes, pasta's fine. And I'm a bit hungry anyway, so the sooner we eat, the better."

Naoto filled the kettle at the sink and then placed it on the stove top. Then she filled a large pot and set that on the stove, too. It would be a while before the water came to a boil.

"Do you make the sauce from scratch?" Naoto asked. "I could help you with that, if you like?"