When I was watching the drama, I heard the sound of the doorâs intercom ring.
I was waiting for you!
I quickly headed to the entrance and opened the door. As I thought, it was Kohaku standing there.
I was looking forward to it because she said she would make me dinner too while collecting those lunch boxes.
âIâm sorry Iâm late.â
As soon as she enters the house, Kohaku apologizes.
âItâs okay. Iâm just glad that you made it. Were you not tired of working overtime?â
âI donât know. Itâs not overtime, my sister⊠Mashiro-chan had come to hang out.â
âShirasawa-san was here? I didnât notice her at all. Is she gone?â
Shirasawa-san knows Iâm her (her elder sisterâs) neighbor. If Kohaku was seen entering my house, it would be revealed that our relationship was not of the usual kind.
âIâm not worried about that. I sent her to the station properly.â
âI see. Then youâre fine. By the way, does Shirasawa-san come quite often?â
If so, I have to be careful to not neglect caution. If the timing of Shirasawa-san entering and leaving Kohakuâs house and the timing of Akari coming to our house collide with one another, our relationship will be revealed instantly.
âItâs about two or three times a week⊠should I not invite her to my home?â
It was wise to keep Shirasawa-san away to hide the relationship with me. âŠbutâŠ
âI donât want you to lose contact with Shirasawa-san just because of me. Itâs nice that you invite her. Moreover, donât you like your little sister a lot?â
âYes. Weâve been together ever since we were little. When it was decided that I could live alone after becoming a college student, we cried together.â
âIf you like her so much, why did you leave home? Even if this place is not that far away, it is not a distance that can be easily covered.â
Kohaku looks a little melancholic.
âWhen I am at my parentsâ house, I was bound by my father, I feel suffocated ⊠More than half of the chat with Mashiro-chan was about dadâs complaints ⊠I was told to visit the principalâs office every day during lunch break. And when I went, I was asked, âAre you not being approached by a manâ or like, âDid you get a boyfriendâ as if trying to get to dig till the roots to find a leaf.â
I become startled.
The father of the Shirasawa sisters is the principal of the school. He has the reputation of being severely strict. Moreover, he loves his daughter a lot. And for that reason, she is probably always on the lookout if her daughter gets a lover.
Even if they both get a lover, then even without them arguing, âI donât have a lover,â he will be able to see through the lie with their slight changes in expression.
âPlease, I beg you, donât break the face of a teacherâs face in front of the principal.â
âI understand that. I will try my best to not see my father at school. Although, I donât think I am being called by my father for any such reason. I donât think Iâm being suspicious. He probably doesnât, even in his wildest dream, think that I am going out with a student with the premise of getting married.â
âLet alone marriage. We are not even dating in the first place.â
I denied those two in quick succession. But Kohaku didnât back off.
âThen, Iâll make you like me even more so that you want to get engaged to me.â
Kohaku took the apron out of the bag. And with a lot of enthusiasm, she brought out an apron I gave her on her birthday while we were still dating.
Youâve been taking care of that for such a long time. I feel really happy.
Even so⊠As expected from a home economics teacher. The apron looks even prettier now. The cuteness is five times over.
Noticing my gaze, Kohaku smiled back. The cuteness is further increased by five times. As I thought Kohakuâs smile was so cute.
âDo you like my apron wear?â
âI love it.â
âIf you like it so much, you can even take a picture for your smartphone wallpaper.â
Kohaku takes the ball in his hand and makes a pose. Itâs so cute.
âI canât do that. Even though I want to, I canât let anyone find out about us. Iâll just burn it in my memory.â
âWell, if that is so⊠How about I wear a naked apron?â
âWhy the Naked Apron!?â
âBecause it will get burnt deeper into your memory âŠ? Itâs embarrassing, but⊠If Touma-kun wants, itâs okay. I will do it.â
It will undoubtedly be in the part of memories that will never erase in this lifetime. But the naked apron appearance is terrible for a different reason. I donât think my mental explanation will be able to hold its ground against my instinct, and I might do something horrible to Kohaku.
âIf you dress like that, youâll catch a cold. I wouldnât be able to forgive myself if Kohaku were to catch a cold because of me.â
âTouma-kun, youâre kind. I love you. But what about Touma-kun? Do you also love me?â
âObviously, I love you.â
Kohakuâs cheeks loosen in happiness as she goes on to cook immediately. I sit on my chair and wait for the dishâs completion while watching the dramaâs continuation.
âThank you for waiting~.â
Kohaku brought the food.
It was Salad Udon with Pork Shogayaki.
[TL note: Pork shogayaki (âbuta no shogayakiâ) is a dish in Japanese cuisine. Shoga means ginger, and yaki means grill or fry. It can also be made with beef, but the pork version is so much more popular that the term âshogayakiâ generally refers only to pork in Japan. It is the second most popular Japanese pork dish after tonkatsu. Shogayaki is a common addition to bento boxes, as it can be eaten cold. However, it is more commonly served hot with rice and shredded cabbage. *copied from Jisho]
It was raining outside and was hot and humid today, so I wanted to eat a refreshing dish. As expected of my ex-girlfriend. Weâve only been together for two years, and she already understands my thoughts well.
âThank you. It looks really delicious.â
Salad udon is beautifully colored with mini tomatoes and lettuce and looks delicious. There was also an appetizing aroma arising from the Shogayaki.
âBut why am I the only one having it? What about Kohakuâs share?â
âIâm not hungry. I actually ate earlier with Mashiro-chan.â
âI see. Then I will eat without hesitation.â
âI see. âŠcan I feed you?â
It seems she wanted to feed me by doing âAhn,â huh. She even prepared food for me; well, that sort of thing can be easily granted.
However, it is hard to âahnâ with UdonâŠ
âHow about you feed me that Shogayaki.â
Kohaku nodded happily as I handed over the chopsticks.
She picked up a piece of Pork Shogayaki, breathed it with fu, fu, andâŠ
âHere, A~hn.â
âA~hmmâ
I chewed and chewed. The flavor of Shogayaki came out good, and it is very delicious.
âHowâs it going? good?â
âYes. Itâs delicious.â
âIâm glad. Hey~, can I also have some?â
âSo in the end, you decided to eat too.â
âAfter hearing Touma-kunâs praise, I also started wanting to eat this. A~hn A~hn.â
She opened her mouth like a chick bird asking to be fed.