Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0573je/15/
I had an old dream.
It was after my mom died and I was taken in by relatives.
I didn’t experience any violence or anything like that.
The family there was working all the time and I was always home alone and lonely.
I tried to get their attention by cooking for them, but they would not even touch my food because they ate out all the time.
Often they didn’t come home for long periods of time without any notice, and I felt like a stranger just living under the same roof.
Because of this, it was always difficult for me when I fell ill.
They never took care of me, and they never even noticed that I was sick, so I just stayed under the blanket until I got better.
Even if I was in pain, or feeling lonely, or hungry, I had to do something about it myself.
“……Hmm?”
The boyhood dream of cowering alone in a fever clears, and a familiar ceiling appears.
That and the smell of something delicious.
……Is it garlic and ginger?
No, but where did this smell come from…….
“Ah, Inami, you woke up, are you okay? How are you feeling?”
Haku san, wearing an apron, came from the kitchen.
The ponytail and the unfamiliar appearance made my heart jump.
Her usual suit is nice, but this one is more casual and lovely.
“My condition is, well, so-so…..I mean, Haku san, you haven’t left yet? Ah, were you waiting for me to wake up because you were hungry?”
I was about to get up to make something when she stopped me.
“I made a meal myself and waited for you ! I was waiting for Inami to eat it !”
“….Eh?” H-Haku san make it for me? For me?”
“Yes. I turned on the stream and consulted with all the viewers, but…..I-I tried my best in my own way !”
She must have remembered that I had explained this and that about stream yesterday.
I never expected that she would put it into practice right away and even start cooking.
She is amazing……
“Do you think you can eat? Or do you want to go back to sleep?”
“No, I’ll eat. Actually, I only drank water today. If I don’t eat when I can and take my medicine, I won’t be able to heal.”
Got it !] She replied and went back to the kitchen to get ready.
I put my hand on my forehead as I watched her back.
……This is getting hotter. No wonder my head feels fluffy.
“Thanks for the wait ! Go ahead and eat !”
Served in a black bowl, it is porridge scented with garlic and ginger.
Chicken is also included, and the dish is garnished with small slices of green onion, which whets the appetite.
“I made it according to the recipe that Inami introduced….I’m new to cooking, you know. I’m sorry if I got something wrong, okay?”
The recipe I introduced…..?
Oh, that porridge video? I remember when I first posted it and it didn’t get much traction at all.
“…From the looks of it, it’s very well made. Thank you, Haku san. Now, let’s eat it.”
I picked up the spoon, scooped up a bite, and lifted it up.
However, the strength drained from my hand and the spoon fell to the futon, along with the porridge. I almost dropped the bowl, but Haku caught it just in time and saved the day.
“You don’t have to do anything, Inami. I’ll feed it to you.”
“Heh? Ah, no, that’s a little…..”
“It’s too dangerous to watch. Just let me do it. I like Inami who is dependable, but I also like Inami who relies on me.”
[Right?] Haku san smiled at me, showing her white teeth.
I couldn’t say anything more to her dazzling smile and just watched as she blew on the porridge and let it cool.
…There’s something about it, but I can’t put it into words.
This is nice.
“Come on, open your mouth!”
“…….Y-yes.”
I was endlessly embarrassed, but I obeyed.
She looks at me with a worried look on her face as I chew.
“…Don’t worry, it’s really delicious.”
“R-really !?”
“Yes. You’re much better at it than I am.”
“Is that so? Hehe, I don’t know about that. Well, yes ! Hmph ! Haku san is a girl who can do it if she tries !”
She laughed cheerfully and began to cool down my second sip.
When I complimented her on the taste, she cleared her throat.
……To put it bluntly, I can’t taste exactly what it tastes like because of my cold. Maybe I’m lying.
But I don’t think these things are about taste.
I’m happy that she made it.
This feeling is worth more than simple taste. It’s the kind of value that you can’t find in stores.
To begin with, this porridge is something my mother used to make for me when I was a child.
I recreated the taste, made a video of it, and posted it on the Internet.
I had no idea that Haku san, of all people, would make it for me.
The warmth of the nostalgic memories of those days naturally made my mouth drool.
“…It makes me so happy to hear you say it’s delicious.”
She murmured a little and used her finger to remove the grain of rice from the corner of my mouth and lick it off.
“I had no idea because my whole life was always about stealing from others. …I think I might have started to like cooking.”
A thin film of tears formed in her silver eyes, and she relaxed her lips in embarrassment.
I probably used to have a face like that too.
I was struck with the sensation that I was flipping through an album, and it made me happy, too.
“Well, do you wanna make it with me sometime?”
“Are you sure !?”
“When I’m feeling better, that is. But first, let’s go buy an apron for Haku san.”
“Then, we’ll go out again ! Yay, I’m looking forward to it !”
Suddenly, the lonely days I spent at my relative’s house came back to my mind.
Even after I was on my own, it was still the same.
I was in debt, and my future was bleak.
…..But it’s different now.
I have someone by my side who relies on me and doesn’t make me feel bad when I ask for help.
My health is at its worst, but my heart is light and I don’t feel anxious.
“You have to eat a lot, sleep a lot, and get over your cold so that we can go out early. Here, Inami, aahhn.”
“Y-yes.”
I was embarrassed, but I obediently ate the porridge.
After taking the medicine, Haku san urged me to lie down on the bed.
“It’s scary to sleep alone when you’re not feeling well, right? I’ll stay by your side until you fall asleep.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but if you stay too long, you might get infected….”
“I’m fine ! I’ve never caught a cold !”
Haku san said proudly.
The phrase “idiots don’t catch colds” comes to mind for a moment, but I quickly dismiss it as too rude.
“If you catch a cold, I’ll take care of you.”
“Really? Will you stay by my side?”
“Yes, I will stay until you feel better. It’s lonely to be alone when you’re going through a hard time.
“……I know.”
I think she remembered something, nodded her head with a melancholy expression and touched my hand.
Probably because hse was carrying a bowl of porridge. Her hands are sweaty and slippery when mixed with mine.
I gently grasped it and caught it so that it would not fall away. She twitched, looked at me, and drew a gentle arc with her lips.
“Good night, Inami.”
“Good night, Haku san.”
We exchanged words and slowly dropped our eyelids.
Even in the darkness, her body warmth is certainly there.
Biting back the reassurance, I let sleepiness take over my consciousness.
◆
[Like I said ! It’s not like that ! Inami is mine, and I don’t want anyone to take him away from me, but it’s not like that! ! …………M-maybe….it’s different, I think…..]
A few days later.
Somehow, I made a full recovery, and without thinking about it, I watched Haku san’s stream VOD when she made porridge.
The last part.
Haku-san had become a toy for the viewers and was releasing her affection towards me into the electronic ocean. Whether embarrassed or happy, I don’t know what kind of face I should make.
“…… Calm down, me. She only sees me as her friend. So she just doesn’t know the difference between friendship and love…….”
I actually think she does, and the only reason she comes to my house in the first place is to kill me. I don’t think she has any lust towards her target. Maybe.
“N-no, no, no…..no way……”
A DM from one of my viewers.
I clicked on the link and was directed to a ranking of the most popular couples YouTubers.
A ranking that I had nothing to do with.
And yet, for some reason, our “Inami Kitchen” was ranked No. 3.
I see the comment like a supernova with high expectations, or they envied me because my girlfriend was so cute, or that they wanted a boyfriend who could cook well, and so on……. It seems that the public already thinks of us as a couple.
How did it come to this?
I thought ours was a perfectly normal cooking channel until recently.
“…..What should I do? No, but there’s nothing I can do about it…….”
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