A Case in Which My House Is a Gathering Place for Girls - Chapter 22: I Learned It From My Grandfather in the Countryside

“By the way, I’d like to ask you one question… Can Sasazuki cook?”

“…What does that mean? Are you making fun of me?”

Sasazuki, who was examining fresh vegetables in response to my question, puffed up her cheeks. Rather than being scary, it was more like watching a child trying their hardest to be angry, which was so endearing that I almost couldn’t help but smile. But I managed to hold it in at the last moment.

“I am an actress even though I look like this. My mother has trained me a lot so that I can get any role offer at any time. My parents usually prohibit me from getting injured.”

“Umm… what does that exactly mean?”

“It means I’m fully prepared to be a perfect bride.”

Sasazuki struck a triumphant pose as she said this. As expected from someone known as the nation’s beloved daughter. Her every little gesture of hers was as adorable as a small puppy.

“I’m relieved to hear that. I want my childhood friend to learn how to cook.”

Kanna has practically made herself at home at my place and she once attempted to cook in my kitchen. The scene that unfolded was beyond words—sheer catastrophe. A disaster. A massacre. A bloody valentine. As long as I’m alive, I will never let her step into the kitchen alone again.

“That is something unexpected. I can’t believe that Hanazono Kanna, who is completely flawless, had a weakness.”

“Is that so? I’m sure Kanna is the president and amazing, but from my point of view, she’s just an ordinary girl.”

“Itsuki can easily say such shameful lines on his face and may have the talent of an actor. I’ll introduce you to my manager next time.”

“…Please don’t say that so seriously. I can’t judge whether it’s a joke or not.”

Not to mention club activities, but also the exclusive manager of Asakura, so it’s all the more so when it comes to entertainment companies. In the first place, I have no great talent for acting.

“Apart from that. Itsuki, may I ask you a question?”

“Umm, I’d rather not put it aside… What is it?”

“How did Itsuki manage to find me?”

According to Sasazuki, ever since she mastered the ability to erase her presence, only her family and her manager had been able to notice her existence.

“We met before the physical education class started. That means you were already aware of me, right?”

“It depends on when the first word refers to, but the first time I saw Sasazuki was after the entrance ceremony and when we moved to the classroom.”

“As expected… I felt that way somehow. Where did Itsuki acquire such supernatural powers?”

“Supernatural power is a bit of an exaggeration. I just happened to notice you, that’s all.”

Sasazuki tilted her head in confusion, as if my words weren’t making any sense to her. Strange, I didn’t think I said anything weird, but maybe I hadn’t explained it properly.

“My grandfather is a hunter. We’ve been in the mountains together since I was a kid and I was helping him hunt. So I learned how to detect the presence of my prey, and vice versa.”

Hunting in the mountains—it sounds simple when put into words, but the reality of life-and-death encounters is far from easy. Even if you have a weapon, one wrong move could mean death. That’s what my grandfather always told me.

“You track the faint traces left by your prey, sense its presence, find it, and then take extreme care not to let it notice you before taking it down in one strike. If you fail, it escapes and in some cases, it may even fight back. That’s why my grandfather always told me to never let your guard down in the mountains.”

In the mountains, especially when dealing with bears—the most ferocious and feared creatures—being able to detect their presence or hide one’s own is an essential survival skill.

“I see. Do you mean I’m just an animal to Itsuki?”

“I don’t think I ever said that.”

“Or maybe you’re actually a high school detective who learned all sorts of skills from your dad in Hawaii?”

Sasazuki placed a hand on her chin as her eyes gleamed as if she had just made a brilliant deduction. I felt sorry to disappoint her, but she wasn’t even close. If anything, she was like a certain useless dad before getting knocked out.

“…Yes. No. That’s not it at all.”

“Hey, Itsuki. Am I still keeping my presence low right now? Am I vanishing?”

I gave a wry smile and nodded while mentally noting that Kanna speaks in four-character idioms while Sasazuki prefers English.

“I’m matching my presence to yours. Otherwise, I’d just look like some crazy guy talking to himself, wouldn’t I?”

“That’s true. So basically, that means… we don’t exist in this world?”

“You can say that we are the only ones in this world.”

“… Itsuki is more of a romantic than I expected.”

Sasazuki quickly pushed her cart and ran from the vegetable section to the meat section. I followed her, saying that it would be dangerous to run into the store.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t hear the most important question. What are you going to cook for dinner?”

“Hmm. I’m glad you asked. I’ll have Mapo tofu for dinner tonight!”

As she spoke, Sasazuki grinned at the corner of her mouth with a pack of ground pork in her hand. So far, the ingredients she put in the basket are ginger, garlic, green onions, and cotton tofu. That’s what she meant from the beginning.

“Now we just need to buy the seasonings, and it’ll be perfect.”

“You’re putting in quite a lot of effort. It would be easy to buy the ingredients on the market.”

“That’s a matter of principle. It’s been a long time since I cooked, and I love Mapo tofu, so I think I’ll make it with all my heart.”

Sasazuki explained with a sorrowful expression that she absolutely loved spicy food, but her parents forbade it as they said that spicy foods were bad for her throat and that it didn’t suit her character.

“I see… Being an actress must be tough.”

“Yes, it’s so tough. That’s why I need to relieve some stress every once in a while─”

“I think the contrast between your cute appearance and your love for ultra-spicy food is actually pretty interesting.”

“…You flirt.”

For some reason, Sasazuki’s face turned bright red, and in a barely audible voice as she muttered those words before suddenly kicking me in the shin and scurrying off again. This time, she even left her cart.

“Wait a minute, Sasazuki! Don’t leave your stuff behind!”

“From now on, Itsuki will be in charge of my errands. Hurry up and come here.”

I hurriedly pushed the cart and followed her in order not to lose sight of Sasazuki walking through the shop while saying unreasonable things.