Chapter 41 My Student's Growth and Effort

My Student’s Growth and Effort

“Wait a moment before sitting down.”

Kanade said this, pulling a leisure sheet from her bag and spreading it out on the grass.

She placed her bag and other items at the corners of the sheet, preventing it from being blown away by the wind.

Her quick and efficient preparation was typical of Kanade.

Watching her work, her skillfulness made me smile unconsciously.

Today wasn’t entirely my plan.

It was Kanade who thought about it, prepared for it, and made it happen—just for me.

Seeing her dedication warmed my heart.

This… being doted on like this… it really feels like happiness.

I must have been lost in admiration because I didn’t even notice when Kanade had finished and was now standing right in front of me.

“Ariga-cchi, what’s wrong?”

“N-no… it’s nothing. I was just spacing out for a bit.”

“Heh, I thought you were mesmerized by me. I mean, I’m cute, aren’t I?”

“Don’t say that about yourself. You’re more of a beauty, Kanade.”

“Jeez… hearing it so directly is embarrassing.”

She scratched her cheek, her face turning red with a hint of shyness.

To cover her bashfulness, she grabbed my hand, made me sit down, and quickly began preparing the lunch.

When she acts like this, it embarrasses me, too.

Even when we find a rhythm, it’s disrupted again… It felt like the day kept repeating that way.

As I reached out to help with the lunch, my hand brushed against Kanade’s, and we both froze, letting out a surprised “Ah” at the same time.

“…Hey, Ariga-chi.”

“…What is it?”

“…Why do you compliment me so much now? Like, about my appearance… and other things.”

“Do I? I didn’t think I’d changed much, but…”

“But?”

“If I have changed, it’s probably because I can be more honest now. Before, I used to hold back my words.”

Back when I was married, my ex-wife was incredibly jealous.

For example, she would gush about idols or actors, saying, “They’re so cool! So dreamy!!” but if I said something similar about an actress, she’d glare at me like a demon.

It was as if she was saying, “You’re not allowed to look at anyone but me!”

If this were an anime or manga, it might be classified as tsundere, and we’d call it “moe.”

But in real life, it was just emotionally unstable and unpredictable… Above all, it planted a fear in me, fearing when she’d throw a tantrum.

So, I naturally stopped expressing myself. I would only say things to please her.

Kanade wouldn’t know any of this, so of course, she’d wonder what had changed.

Back in high school and even when I first entered college, when she’d ask me, “What do you think?” I’d always dodge the question.

“Looking back now, I realize I was curt and rude, wasn’t I?”

“Really? I think I was the one who was worse, though.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. I mean, you were married, and yet I kept pestering you, making things awkward.”

“…So you were aware that you were troubling me.”

“Of course! But I thought the only way to get my feelings across, no matter how selfish, was to keep saying it.”

“Kanade…”

“So, Ariga-cchi, there’s no need for you to dwell on it! Back then, it was my fault! End of story!”

She ended the conversation forcefully, flashing me a big grin.

That smile cleared away my lingering dark thoughts, and I felt as light and clear as the sky above.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, no problem! More importantly, let’s eat already. I made a healthy lunch this time~!”

With that, Kanade opened the lunchbox.

Inside was a vibrant, healthy-looking meal.

At first glance, the contents were balanced with meat and vegetables, and the carrots were even shaped like flowers, showing her attention to detail.

The colors of the vegetable terrine were stunning, with red, yellow, and green, making it a treat just to look at.

“As expected of Kanade. It looks delicious…”

“Ehehe.”

Kanade is the eldest daughter of a traditional Japanese restaurant family.

Knowing this, I refrained from saying, “As expected of the Amamiya family.”

This was her effort, not something she did simply because of her family—I understood that well.

She must have appreciated my thoughtfulness.

Smiling happily, Kanade leaned her shoulder against mine.

I took a bite of the food and chewed.

“Delicious…”

The words slipped out naturally.

In response, Kanade murmured softly, “Thank you…”

Her expression didn’t change much, but her cheeks were faintly flushed.

“I’ve lost… This is a complete defeat.”

At my words, Kanade puffed out her chest proudly, a triumphant look on her face.

I’ve been doing household chores for a long time, and honestly, I’m confident in my cooking.

So I secretly thought I wouldn’t lose.

But today, that confidence was thoroughly shattered.

…She’s incredibly talented.

It’s so good that it’s hard to find the right words…

Kanade’s lunch was far beyond anything I could match. Each bite made me savor it more, as if melting away the fatigue from work.

There was even dessert at the end, making the aftercare perfect… truly flawless.

At that point, there wasn’t a trace of frustration left—just pure admiration.

It was almost refreshing…

After finishing my meal, I set down my chopsticks and bowed my head with a deliberate motion.

It was a gesture akin to surrender.

“Hehe. What are you doing, Ariga-cchi~?”

“Thank you for the meal. Your skill is truly exceptional…”

“You’re welcome~ I’m glad you enjoyed it!”

With a bright smile on her face, she seemed somewhat relieved, her expression softening.

Then, she began tidying up the bento box.

Wait, are you just going to ignore my surrender pose…?

“Kanade, you’ve seriously gotten so good at cooking… I couldn’t stop eating. Even though I ate a lot, I still feel like I could eat more.”

“Oh, come on~ You’re exaggerating.”

“Not at all. I could honestly eat this every single day.”

“Eh? W-What did you just say…?”

“I said I could eat this every single day. Was that strange?”

“N-No, not strange at all!!”

She replied quickly, covering her cheeks, fidgeting nervously.

She started muttering to herself, saying things like “What should I do?” “I need to prepare myself~,” and finally, “Conquering his stomach was the right move!” nodding to herself.

The rapid changes in her facial expressions were so entertaining that I couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

But then, with a small “Ah…” as if she’d realized something, her smile vanished instantly.

In the end, she pursed her lips and looked rather displeased.

It was hard to believe she had been so cheerful moments ago—now, she seemed genuinely annoyed.

“Did something happen?”

“Not really~. I just thought I shouldn’t get too excited and end up in despair later. Gotta stay on my toes until the very end!”

“I was being completely serious, though.”

“Eh… Hearing it like that just makes me expect more~!”

“Haha.”

“Hey! Don’t laugh it off!”

“Ugh!” Kanade puffed out her cheeks and started shaking me.

Though her expression and gestures seemed angry, her eyes were smiling mischievously, making it feel playful.

I calmed her down by placing my hand on her head and lightly patting it. In response, Kanade narrowed her eyes happily.

“Anyway, the fact remains—it was delicious. Easily the best meal I’ve ever had.”

“Hehe~ Thanks for the kind words. All that practice really paid off!”

“I see. You’re quite the hard worker, Kanade.”

“Well, sorta. I mean… My mom did teach me, after all.”

“Oh… really?”

“Yeah. I mean, it would be a waste, right? Having a professional so close and not learning from her?”

“You’ve really grown, Kanade.”

“Hehe~ You can praise me more, you know~.”

When I patted Kanade’s head again, she playfully nuzzled against me, her face relaxing into a soft smile.

Feeling an overwhelming affection for her, I continued patting her until she shifted her posture.

She’s come so far—approaching me of her own accord like this. She used to be so against it.

Kanade’s family runs a traditional high-class restaurant.

So, being the successor caused a lot of issues in the past…

But now, everything seems fine.

People really do grow.

She used to resent cooking, and now she’s reached this level of skill… It almost makes me want to cry.

Am I getting more emotional these days…?

As I tried to discreetly rub my eyes to hide my tears, I felt a gaze on me.

Nervously, I glanced at Kanade, only to find her staring at me intently from close range.

“…What is it?”

“Um… Are you crying? Your eyes are super watery! A-Are you okay?”

She looked genuinely worried as she peered into my face.

But there was no way I could admit, “I’m just moved by how much you’ve grown!”—it was too embarrassing. So, I simply gave her an awkward smile and left it at that.