Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051597934651646/episodes/2912051597935586219
A few days later. Evening. The doorbell at Houtarou Achi’s apartment rang softly.
With a clang, the door swung open to reveal Seika Hirugami standing there, clutching a plastic bag containing a Tupperware container.
“Hey there! I brought this over to thank you for the other day!”
Wagging her invisible tail, Seika beamed from ear to ear.
Houtarou blinked, running a hand through his bedhead.
“You didn’t have to go out of your way. Wait, that…”
“Hehe. It’s my special homemade hamburger steak! Achi-kun, you’re always eating convenience store bento, aren’t you?”
When Seika thrust the shopping bag right in front of him, Houtarou recoiled and let out a small sigh.
Even he, who usually takes a laid-back view of the world, seemed slightly flustered by the forceful energy of this pushy gal.
“Just come on up, for now.”
“Excuse me!”
Houtarou’s room, once he stepped inside, was as sterile as ever.
Empty convenience store bento boxes and jelly drink cartons were piled haphazardly next to the trash can.
The moment she saw that, a fierce maternal instinct and girlish heart flared up deep within Seika.
Seika’s eyes sparkled, and she immediately headed for the kitchen.
Acting as if she knew the place like the back of her hand, she opened the microwave and began heating the Tupperware she’d brought.
The low hum of the microwave echoed through the room, and soon a cheerful “ding” sounded.
The moment she lifted the lid, the rich aroma of demi-glace sauce filled the air.
The sound of meat juices bubbling and the savory scent tickling her nostrils instantly transformed the drab room into a warm dining space.
When she placed the plate, steaming with hot vapor, on the table, Hotaro’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Did you make this?”
“Yeah! Eat it while it’s still hot!”
Seika sat down across from him at the table, leaning forward with her chin resting on her hands.
Hotaro snapped his disposable chopsticks in half and cut the large hamburger steak into bite-sized pieces.
He brought a piece to his mouth and chewed slowly.
Immediately after the crisp texture of the surface, he faintly heard the sound of meat juices gushing out.
Houtarou, who usually showed little emotional fluctuation, froze in place.
And then, he could feel the tension in the air around him suddenly ease.
“It’s delicious.”
“Really!?”
It was a short reply, yet it sounded as if it had spilled out from the very depths of his heart.
Houtarou silently brought the hamburger steak to his mouth, taking one bite after another.
His face was simply that of a boy his age, breathing a sigh of relief at the warm, home-cooked meal.
“It’s a relief to have you here. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a meal like this.”
“!?”
At those unadorned, straightforward words, Seika’s face flushed instantly.
Her cheeks puffed out with a mix of joy and embarrassment as she desperately tried to hide her blush.
But deep down, her heart was pounding with delight.
“W-well, I guess I have no choice! Achi-kun, your diet’s way too unbalanced!”
“Hm?”
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll come over every day to make you dinner! It’s no use trying to refuse, you know!”
Seika declared, jabbing her finger at him.
However, after swallowing his hamburger steak, Houtarou set down his chopsticks and shook his head quietly.
“No, I’ll have to pass on that.”
“Huh?”
Faced with his unexpectedly cold response, Seika nearly slumped in disappointment.
Houtarou looked back at her straight in the eye with a detached, somewhat cold gaze.
“I’d appreciate it if you brought me a meal every now and then, but every day is too much. I don’t owe you, a stranger, anything that extreme.”
“But Achi-kun’s meals…”
“Making a classmate act like a housekeeper is just plain weird, no matter how you look at it.”
He rejected her with firm, practical words.
If it were any other guy trying to treat her like a convenient woman, she would have definitely jumped at the chance.
But the guy standing in front of her was different. He properly acknowledged Seika’s goodwill while drawing the right boundaries as a human being.
Ah, no. This kind of thing is really great, too.
Even though she could be as clingy as she wanted, he absolutely wouldn’t let himself be swayed.
Seika’s heart was pierced even deeper by his sincerity and maturity.
Overwhelmed with joy, she desperately fought the urge to collapse to her knees on the floor.
“O-okay…! I’ll stop coming over to cook for you every day.”
“Yeah, as long as you understand.”
Seeing Seika back down so easily, Houtarou picked up his chopsticks again, looking satisfied.
But Seika’s eyes were shining brightly.
She wouldn’t come every day. She would keep her promise.
But if she made an excuse—like she’d made too much, or there was a sale at the supermarket and she needed help—there would always be a way to drop by.
And so, the romantic comedy of the girl next door—who came over to look after him under one pretext or another—and the realistic, aloof guy began.
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