Henyo?

Shiho Shimotsuki is surprisingly picky about food.

 

"Kotaro-kun, you shouldn't eat only convenience store lunches. I think you need to eat more nutritious and tasty food. You have an obligation to live a long life."

 

On her days off, she would have lunch at my house.

 

Well, neither Azusa nor I can cook, so our meals are usually bento boxes, side dishes, or instant foods from convenience stores or supermarkets.

 

So, Shiho complained a lot about the lunch we had at the Nakayama house.

 

"I won't forgive you if you eat such unhealthy food and die before I do. If that happens, I will have no choice but to die with you, go to the grave with you, and live happily ever after."

 

"It's so heavy."

 

Love is heavy.

I want her to be happy for a long time after I am gone, but I am sure Shiho cannot stand the loneliness.

 

So I can't die first, and of course I don't want Shiho to be gone first either, so we came to the strange conclusion that we have no choice but to die together in the end.

 

"I think it would be good for us to taste more of this life, though we will be together forever. So, let's eat a nutritious meal, shall we? For example, you know, ... chocolate!"

 

Well, yes.

I knew that, but somehow I guess she just wants to eat sweets.

 

"...I think it's not healthy for you to eat all sweets when you come over to our house just because... Satsuki-san is so strict."

 

Shiho's mother, Satsuki-san, is basically soft on her daughter.

However, she is strict about food, and will not allow her daughter to eat a full meal of sweets, juice, or junk food.

Shiho, who is generally lenient on herself and loves sweets, is not happy about it.

 

"Mmmm. Kotaro-kun, you're trying to embarrass me again by saying the right things. That's unacceptable. Because human beings have feelings, right? I don't care how right you are, if your heart says you don't like it, you can't accept it."

 

"Is it troublesome if I say the right thing... Human beings are troublesome."

 

“I know. Good grief..., they really are a nuisance."

 

No, I think Shiho is just bothersome, to be precise.

Shiho is a cunning girl because she is adorable in all of these ways.

 

“I bought lunch for Shiho, too, but you're not going to eat it?"

 

"... Because it doesn't taste good. I'd rather have chocolate than eat this."

 

When I offered her the lunch box, she turned her head away and would not accept it.

 

"Ugh,... why doesn't Mom make lunch for me on her days off? I love the dishes that Mom makes the most,... but she says ... she's too busy spoiling Dad that she doesn't have time to make lunch, you know? He's a grown man now, but he's so childish."

 

“You say that, Shiho?"

 

I think you are more childish than anyone else.

Well, if I point that out to you, you will get pissed and deny it, so I won't say anything.

 

"Then what about the future? You can't have Satsuki-san cook for you forever, can you?"

 

It was not something I intended to say.

It was just a line that I casually uttered..., but when I thought about it, it was a statement that envisioned the future.

 

It was as if it was a given that Shiho and I would get married.

I usually don't talk about such uncertain things, so Shiho seemed to be caught by surprise.

 

“He............ nyo?"

 

Shiho's face instantly turned bright red and her lips wrinkled.

Even her ears were reddening and her eyes were darting around like in a manga.

 

"Henyo?"

 

I tilted my head at the strange cry.

Shiho is not very good at improvisation or ... sudden events.

Maybe that's why she was behaving so suspiciously.

 

"Well, you're pounding me like that again ...! You're such a womanizer. I'm sure you're thinking about your future with me ♪, Kotaro..., don't say such cute things. I can't stop grinning with joy."

 

Usually, I'm just being played with, or rather teased and confused,... but sometimes I'd do this back and she'd react in an amusing way, so it was fun.

 

I was not aiming for that, but as a result, I was satisfied to see Shiho's cute side.

 

"Ufufu♪ In the future... I can't keep asking my mom to cook for me, so I have to learn how to cook too. But I don't want to cook alone.　Let's cook together, Kotaro! I'm sure we can make a wonderful dish together."

 

And so, while discussing the future, the two of us continued to eat together.

I'm tired of eating bento from convenience stores..., but today's lunch tasted unusually good.

 

It must be because Shiho was by my side.

With her around, any meal tastes better.

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