A Story About a Blonde Gal Angel Who Excessively Praises My Cooking. After Asking Me to Teach Her How to Cook, Feelings of Mutual Love Began to Grow

“Takeru-kun, welcome.”

“Hello, Hinata-san.”

The school festival was fast approaching. I had asked Hinata-san to prepare some small items for the festival, and today I came to pick them up.

Hinata-san’s gentle smile is so comforting. It really soothes me.

“A school festival, huh? That sounds fun.”

“Hinata-san, you and Naoto-san are coming too, right?”

“Yeah, of course. It’ll be a sister-in-law date with Nao-chan!”

It seemed like Hinata-san was also looking forward to it.

“But Naoto-kun seems pretty busy.”

“Well…Naoto-san is always like that, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, but I think it’s because of Touka-chan.”

Hinata-san made a slightly complicated expression. Naoto-san hadn’t told Hinata-san much about Kurose-san, and he had asked me not to mention anything about it either.

So, Hinata-san probably didn’t know about Kurose-san’s deep past. In her mind, Kurose-san was just an orphan associated with the Gekkagumi.

“…Naoto-kun always does things without telling me.”

“As his wife, that must make you uneasy.”

“Yeah. I know I can’t do much about it, but it’s still a little lonely. I think it’s because he doesn’t want me to see.”

I had already received the items I came for. I should go before I accidentally break my promise to Naoto-san.

After all, Hinata-san didn’t know that Naoto-san had indirectly killed the father of Touka Kurose’s mother, Shino Tachikawa.

But when Hinata-san invited me to have tea, I couldn’t refuse.

We sat together at the counter and continued talking.

“Naoto-kun has three stab wounds on his body.”

“…Three? Really?”

The conversation suddenly took a heavy turn.

“All three were from his mother. I saw two of them happen myself.”

“…His mother did that?”

During our trip to Okinawa, when Naoto-san played at the beach, he had kept his shirt on, so I hadn’t seen those wounds.

“Then, when we went to the hospital, I found out that Naoto-kun is a novelist, works as a detective’s assistant, and is the leader of a biker gang called Gekkagumi.”

“…That’s a shocking revelation.”

“I remember it being total chaos with Naoto-kun’s editor, the detective, and the gang members all showing up.”

I had heard that the Gekkagumi used to be a biker gang. But Naoto-san himself doesn’t ride a bike and can’t even drive one.

Since I had heard that directly from Naoto-san, it didn’t surprise me much.

But if Hinata-san had found out about it back then, she must have been shocked. I mean, it’s hard to make sense of all that. It still doesn’t make much sense even now.

“Takeru-kun.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve died once, you know.”

“…Does that mean your heart stopped once?”

“No, I really died.”

I hadn’t heard that before.

Hinata-san died once? That didn’t make any sense.

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I’d like you to listen.”

“…O-Okay.”

Why was she bringing this up now? I couldn’t see the connection. Still, I felt I had to listen properly.

“If I had lived as myself, I would be the same age as Naoto-kun now, and legally, we would be step-siblings.”

“…I-I see…”

I couldn’t fully grasp it, but I continued listening, trying to take it all in.

“This is the old me.”

Hinata-san showed me a photo on her phone. In the picture, there was a younger Naoto-san, or maybe I should say Nao-san, along with several girls.

Among them, there was a girl with long, pure white hair and pale skin who looked just like Hinata-san.

“People called me albino. The old me died of cancer.”

I had heard of albinism before. I didn’t know much about it, but I knew it was a condition people were born with.

But more than that, the white-haired girl in the picture looked exactly like Hinata-san. Her expression and aura were the same as the Hinata-san I knew now.

“Back then, my name was Himawari. That was my name.”

Himawari. The same name as the general store “Himawari.”

“I have memories of my previous life. Naoto-kun spent 15 years searching for me.”

Hinata-san spoke of it nostalgically, like it was a distant memory. A story that seemed too far-fetched to be real.

Reincarnation…that’s something you hear about in dramas or movies. It’s hard to believe.

“I died at the end of my first year of high school, just before the school festival. I had known Naoto-kun for a little over half a year at that point.”

Hinata-san gazed at the ring on her left ring finger.

“I have memories of my past life, but they’re just memories. I am Chisaki Hinata now.”

There were indeed puzzling things about Hinata-san and Naoto-san. There was a significant age difference between them, yet Hinata-san knew so much about Naoto-san’s high school years that she shouldn’t have known.

If she was reincarnated and retained her past life memories, it would explain things.

“I recognized him right away from my memories. I was so happy. But at the same time, I wondered…What would happen to me now? What would become of Chisaki Hinata?”

It was hard to relate to the idea of someone having memories of their past life. Was it like experiencing frequent, vivid déjà vu?

It seemed like a wild story, but looking at Hinata-san, I couldn’t see any sign that she was lying.

“Right now, I’m Hinata, but what Naoto-kun wants is a sunflower…If the whole world is connected, then the past me and the present me probably can’t do anything for him.”

“I don’t think that’s true. It might sound like a pretty phrase, but…”

A world unlike that of normal people.

There are no words that a mere high school student like me can say to them.

“Yeah, Naoto-kun tells me I can do what I want. He says it’s because I used to have a body that couldn’t even walk under the sun.”

What kind of life is it where you can’t be exposed to sunlight?

I can’t even imagine it.

Can you not even think of the sun’s light and heat as a nuisance?

“Naoto-kun treats me like a princess, cherishing me so much. But that makes me feel lonely.”

I don’t understand that feeling.

Isn’t being cherished something that makes you happy?

“I think boys are silly. They try to solve problems even if it means getting hurt for someone else’s sake. Even though I want to protect Naoto-kun, just having him by my side is enough.”

It’s often said that men are foolish.

I guess we never outgrow that, I think.

That’s why we admire heroes.

Always staying the painfully childish ones.

No matter how smart we become, in the end, men still want to be strong.

Of course, not everyone is like that, but still.

“But, I still can’t do anything for Naoto-kun. I know he doesn’t want his past to be known, so I just stand by his side, pretending I don’t know anything, and smile.”

“Heh. Naoto-san is a boy, too.”

I realized that Naoto-san, in a way, is just an ordinary person.

Though calling him an alien might seem more fitting, he’s human.

“Boys are dumb. They just want to look cool for the girl they like.”

Whether he’s crossdressing or not, Naoto-san is still Naoto-san.

“Honestly, I’d like him to lean on me a little more, you know? From a wife’s perspective.”

“…I can’t imagine Naoto-san leaning on Hinata-san.”

“That’s how it really is, though.”

“Actually, I imagine it’s Hinata-san who’s doing the leaning.”

“Ah! Takeru-kun, that’s mean!! It’s true, but still!”

Hinata-san gets angry and taps me on the shoulder, but it doesn’t hurt.

Once she’s satisfied, she stops and goes back to looking a little sad again.

“Touka-chan doesn’t have any memories from when she was little either. I don’t ask Naoto-kun about it, and I don’t investigate it. But maybe, Takeru-kun, you know a lot, so I want you to help Naoto-kun.”

I thought Hinata-san was a strong person.

She knows what she doesn’t know.

Maybe she’s waiting for Naoto-san to tell her someday. Though she doesn’t know if he ever will.

“I think Naoto-kun cares about Touka-chan because she’s similar to me.”

Of course, it’s not about her face or personality being similar. I understood that.

Their situations must be different as well.

“I want you to help him, but at the same time, I don’t want you to become like Naoto-kun. He’s too kind-hearted. I want you to be a kind person, but not like that.”

A kind-hearted person and a kind person.

I don’t really understand the difference right now.

Isn’t a kind-hearted person also a kind person?

Otherwise, Naoto-san wouldn’t have saved me back then.

“Takeru-kun, you’re a little like Naoto-kun, so I’m worried, okay?”

“…Am I like Naoto-san?”

“Yes, you are~. Especially your twisted personality.”

“Well, I’ll admit that I’m twisted…”

I had mixed feelings about that.

I’m not someone who can do everything like Naoto-san.

But it’s true that I have a twisted personality.

It’s something I don’t really want to admit.

“Takeru-kun.”

“Yes?”

“If Naoto-kun ever tries to do something wrong, I want you to stop him. Even if it’s just because of your selfishness.”

I can’t even imagine what Hinata-san means by “something wrong.”

And I’m not sure if I could stop him.

“That sounds difficult, but I’ll try.”

“Oh, but don’t push yourself, okay? You’re still a high school student.”

“I understand my limits.”

I think Naoto-san is a remarkable person.

And I’m just a high school student.

At most, just a kid.

“I’m just a student, so in my youthful recklessness, I’ll mess with Naoto-san. He always has me wrapped around his finger, so once in a while, I’ll turn the tables.”

“Yeah, yeah! Go ahead and trouble him a little! He’s always so calm and handles everything perfectly, so it’s okay to make him struggle sometimes!”

I thought it was a cute little complaint about her husband.

For a complaint, it didn’t have any malice.

If anything, it sounded more like she was bragging.

“Sorry for talking so much.”

“No, I enjoyed hearing about Naoto-san. It was interesting.”

“Just keep it a secret from Naoto-kun, okay?”

“Of course. I won’t say a word.”

She really is an angel.

Even without that pleading look, I wouldn’t say anything.

I understand why Naoto-san wants to protect her.

“Well then, see you at the school festival.”