Chapter 17 Strangely Enough, I Don't Mind
#21MotoKanojoStrangely Enough, I Don’t Mind
“Fua… ah…!”
On Saturday morning, I woke up at 7 AM as usual.
“Aha! Good morning, Naoe-kun!”
“Ah, good morning, Kakizaki-san.”
Already awake, Kakizaki-san was surprisingly cheerful as she prepared breakfast in the kitchen—though, technically, it’s just a sink installed in the room.
Tomorrow marks a week since we started living together, and we’ve both gotten pretty used to this setup.
She no longer cries like she did at the start, and now, she even smiles like this.
Me? Well… ever since we shared that laugh together, I still haven’t been able to laugh properly.
I keep telling her things like, “I want you to stop crying,” or, “You should smile more,” but if I’m not smiling myself, it doesn’t sound convincing. So, I’ve been trying to make an effort, but…
“Pfft… Ahaha! Naoe-kun, you still make such funny faces!”
“Ehh…”
…she always ends up laughing at me like this.
But if it makes Kakizaki-san happy, I guess I don’t mind.
“Come on, come on! Naoe-kun, fold up the futons!”
“Ah, o-okay.”
Nudged by her enthusiasm, I hurriedly folded the futons and set up the low table in the middle of the room.
“Nfufu~! Today’s breakfast is tofu and nameko mushroom miso soup, fried eggs, and a salad with radish, carrot, avocado, and lettuce!”
“Wow, it looks delicious.”
Seeing the beautifully arranged breakfast on the table, I couldn’t help but admire her effort.
Yeah… ever since we started living together, my diet has improved dramatically.
More than anything, I’ve started looking forward to her homemade meals lately.
Haha… maybe, without realizing it, I’m changing little by little, thanks to her.
“U-um… you didn’t like today’s breakfast very much?”
Oops, my bad.
Lost in thought, I noticed Kakizaki-san looking at me with a worried expression.
“Of course not. Eating your meals has become one of the things I look forward to these days.”
“A-ah!? Y-you always say things like that so casually…”
Flustered, Kakizaki-san blushed a bright red and squirmed in embarrassment.
Well, anyway, let’s eat.
““Itadakimasu!””
Clasping my hands together, I started with the miso soup. Ah, it’s so comforting and delicious.
“Honestly, I wish I could have your miso soup at the university too… wait, huh? What’s wrong?”
When I looked up, I saw Kakizaki-san’s face flushed red, her body trembling slightly. Why…?
Well, whatever…
“Oh, r-right. For tonight’s dinner, I’ll be eating out, so you don’t need to prepare my portion.”
“Eh? R-really? Oh…”
After hearing that, her shoulders slumped as if all her energy had drained away.
…I guess, since we’ve been eating dinner together every night this past week, she might feel a bit lonely…
“U-um! Actually, I’ll eat dinner at home after all! I-it might be a little late, but I’ll try to come back as early as possible!”
Before I realized it, even though I had a mixer today, I couldn’t stand seeing her so down, so I ended up saying that…
Well, Sasaki-senpai is covering the mixer costs, and I was planning to handle the basics and leave quickly anyway, so it should be fine…
“Um, are you sure? You’re not overdoing it?”
“O-of course! I’m totally fine!”
When Kakizaki-san asked me timidly, her uncertain eyes looking up at me, I puffed out my chest and replied.
Then—
“Ahaha… thank goodness…”
She clasped her hands together and smiled warmly.
That smile was so dazzling that it made my chest feel hot—but deep inside, there was a sharp, stinging pain…
“A-anyway, let’s eat quickly.”
“Yeah!”
To distract myself from those feelings, I focused entirely on finishing breakfast.
“Yo, Yuuta! Over here, over here!”
That evening, after finishing my part-time job, I met up with Sasaki-senpai in front of the station.
Of course, it was because we were heading to the mixer.
“Haha! There was a bit of drama, but this is a mixer with the girls from Doukei Women University! I guarantee you’ll find someone you like, Yuuta!”
With that, Senpai gave me a hearty slap on the back. Ouch.
“…There’s absolutely no way that’s going to happen.”
“No, no, you never know! Since they’re from Doukei Women University, they’re bound to be refined ladies. Someone like that might suit you, Yuuta!”
Senpai’s excitement was likely his way of trying to help me move on—to face forward and take the next step in life.
Still, whether or not they’re refined ladies doesn’t matter to me. I mean, it’s not like… I could do anything… Wait, wasn’t Kakizaki-san a former refined lady too…?
Hmm… but in her case, she’s surprisingly down-to-earth, and her speech isn’t overly formal. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like she’s an “Ojou-sama” at all…
“Oh! Looks like you’re really looking forward to today’s mixer, huh, Yuuta?”
“Huh…?”
Startled by Senpai’s comment, I let out a confused sound.
Me? Looking forward to the mixer? No way.
“…How did you even come to that conclusion…?”
“W-well, you were just smiling! You hardly ever smile normally!”
“Ah…”
Apparently, I had been smiling unconsciously while thinking about Kakizaki-san.
Ever since I met her, my sense of normalcy has been completely thrown off…
But—
Strangely enough, I didn’t mind it at all.