Right after returning to my room, I suddenly remembered something important.
“...Right, I need to hide that while I still can.”
While Sasaki was cooking, I moved the things in my room that absolutely couldn’t be seen to a safer place.
Earlier, Sasaki’s attention was grabbed by the *Kiraboshi Ayane Gravure Photo Book* sitting on my bed, so that was fine— but if she had found the unnamed “item” hiding under the bed, she would’ve punched me again like at the café.
Thank you, Kiraboshi Ayane. Thanks to you, I didn’t get punched by Kiraboshi Ayane. (Makes no sense.)
As I sat and waited quietly, a delicious smell drifted in from the kitchen.
Come to think of it, this is my first time eating food cooked by a girl.
Even though Sasaki used to be an idol, she’s still a proper girl— is she good at cooking?
Oh yeah, earlier she tried peeling a potato with a knife... I should tell her where the peeler is. If she cuts her finger with a knife, that’ll be bad.
“Sasaki! The peeler’s hanging next to the sink!”
“Got it, I know!”
Wait... it’s not just knives. What if she burns herself on a hot pot?
“Sasaki! Don’t touch the heated pots!”
“Huh? Why would I touch them?”
No, that’s not enough.
When serving, she might accidentally drop the pot handle.
“Sasaki! Hold the pot firmly—”
“What is it with you?!”
An irritated Sasaki appeared from the kitchen holding a ladle.
“Stop worrying like some overprotective parent!”
“B-But—”
“Don’t treat me like a kid!”
Sasaki stormed back into the kitchen.
Yeah... she lives alone, so she can handle herself.
My annoying worrywart habit popped out again. I need to chill.
After that, I tried checking on the kitchen a few more times, but she yelled at me every time, so I gave up and waited quietly.
—Twenty minutes later—
“Makishimaaa, it’s done—!”
In a cheerful mood, Sasaki carried dish after dish into the room.
“Whoa...”
Potato salad, potage soup, and meat sauce pasta.
The shabby little table looked too cheap for such Western-style dishes.
“This looks insanely good.”
“I just threw together whatever was in the fridge, so nothing fancy... but since you kept your promise and scored a goal, I kinda went all out.”
“So the ‘dinner promise’ meant homemade food.”
“Yup! I’m good at cooking!”
Sasaki said that bashfully, then gestured for me to eat. “Go on.”
Everything looked delicious.
I grabbed the fork, took a bite of the potato salad, then the pasta.
“It’s good— seriously good!”
“Right?”
“Knowing you, I imagined it’d look perfect but taste... questionable.”
“Hmm... So if my hand just happened to slip and this fork accidentally stabbed you, no one’s watching, so that’d be fine, right?”
“I—I’m sorry!”
Lowering the fork she’d raised threateningly, Sasaki casually started eating her pasta.
Holy crap— my blood nearly became the extra red in the meat sauce.
“There’s more if you want seconds.”
“Yeah.”
“I made enough for like five servings of each, so don’t hold back, okay?”
“...Eh?”
What did she just say?
Did she say five servings?
Sasaki stood up and brought out a pot, a giant platter, and a huge bowl.
“You’re a guy, so you need to eat a lot.”
A bowl overflowing with potato salad. A pot filled to the brim with potage. A platter piled high with a mountain of pasta.
Th-This is... way too much.
“Here, want me to add more pasta?”
“O-Oh...”
Just looking at the refill made me full, but I used the stomach power I built in my all-boys school days and somehow ate every bite.
✳︎✳︎
Because I finished everything, Sasaki looked satisfied.
Meanwhile, I was suffering from overeating, staring at the stains on the ceiling while waiting for the food to digest.
“You ate too much because my cooking’s just too good, huh? Makishima, you’re kinda cute sometimes.”
Sasaki poked my puffed-up stomach with her pink-polished nails.
It hurt a little, so I wished she’d stop.
“I’ll wash the dishes later. Thanks for everything today. I’ll text you tomorrow, so you should head ho—”
When I tried to get up, Sasaki grabbed my shoulder.
“I’m planning to stay here tonight, you know?”
“Huh?”
“?”
“HUUH?!”
I pressed my hand to my mouth to stop the metaphorical monja (vomit) from flying out.
“Y-You— staying over?!”
“Yep.”
“I-In my room?”
“Yep.”
She nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“...Is that... a problem?”
Leaning back against my bed beside me, Sasaki looked a little lonely.
“I’m worried about you. If something happens in the middle of the night, it’d be bad.”
“B-But! Staying in my room— doesn’t that bother you?”
“I’d hate it way more if something happened to you.”
“Sasaki...”
No no no no! Sleeping in the same room as *Kiraboshi Ayane* is way too much!
If she hears me snore and goes “Ew, gross,” I’ll die.
...But I can’t just reject her feelings.
She’s staying purely because she’s worried about my condition.
Nothing more... nothing intimate... right?
“F-Fine. If you insist that much, then... I’ll accept.”
“I can stay?! Really?!”
“Y-Yeah.”
When I nodded, Sasaki flashed her usual dazzling smile.
Why does she look so happy...?
“Okay then, um...”
“What is it?”
“Let’s take a bath.”
..............Sorry??????
✳︎✳︎
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