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 - Chapter 37-38

Chapter 37: Too Much Stuff to Handle

The first semester midterm exams had ended.

The Kurose Touka stalking incident was still ongoing, but since today was the end of the exams, I managed to escape for a while to take care of the chores that had piled up.

“…I’m exhausted…”

Tomorrow, Saturday, Chika will be away on her middle school camp trip. Manoka-san is on a business trip and won’t be back until next Tuesday. And tomorrow, Saturday, I have lunch with Amatsuka-san and the others. After that, in the evening, I’m supposed to cook for Kurose-san.

…This is harder than studying for exams.

“Mo… Motobu-kun. Are you going to the supermarket now?”

“Oh, Amatsuka-san. Good work… Yes, I’m going to the supermarket now.”

“Uh, um…”

Amatsuka-san’s reaction is awkward. She definitely thinks I’ve done something criminal. Please believe me, I’m innocent. I haven’t done anything. Actually, I’m the victim here. I was almost killed. Please help me.

“Motobu-kun, are you… dating Kurose-san…?”

Amatsuka-san asked, her gaze shifting between the ground and me as we walked. Her uneasy expression is probably because she’s worried that her cooking teacher might be a criminal. I have to clear up this misunderstanding somehow.

“No, we’re not.”

“Oh… I see… that’s a relief…”

Amatsuka-san muttered softly, seemingly relieved for the moment. But this could be taken as a desperate excuse. I can’t really prove we’re not dating. The fact that Kurose-san’s stalking is a reality that I can’t change.

But how much should I tell her about what’s going on with Kurose-san? I can’t exactly say, “Her love is too intense, please help me.” Talking about her taste disorder isn’t something to mention lightly either, and the class probably doesn’t know she has it.

For those who do know Kurose-san, this is a complete red flag. Involving Amatsuka-san wouldn’t be good. It could even affect her place in the school hierarchy.

“I have a lot of—”

“It’s okay, Motobu-kun.”

I was about to give a clumsy excuse when Amatsuka-san cut me off.

“I trust you.”

Amatsuka-san smiled at me as she said that. There was no reason behind it. Just a simple statement of trust.

But the fact that I even thought she might suspect me of being a criminal might be a bit paranoid. Maybe I’ve started to lose it too. Almost being killed, being cried over, and stalked… It’s not a normal situation, and maybe it’s affecting me too.

But somehow, maybe because of that, or maybe for some other reason, Amatsuka-san’s words reassured me.

It felt like she was helping me carry something I couldn’t handle on my own.

“Thank you…”

“Huh?! What’s wrong, Motobu-kun?! Are you crying?! Are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

How pathetic. Too many things changed too quickly, too much happened. I must’ve been losing it, especially when I started worrying about the possibility of Chika or Manoka-san getting hurt.

Actually, it’s not impossible… My mind is a mess. I can’t think straight.

Even now, with Amatsuka-san patting my back, I’m finally starting to calm down.

“…No, really, I’m sorry.”

“Are you okay?”

Amatsuka-san looked into my eyes with concern. I’m embarrassed to be seen crying. I wiped my tears with the handkerchief she handed me. The faint sweet scent was comforting.

“I’m okay… Thank you.”

To an outsider, this must look strange. Suddenly crying after looking tired. It’s just so embarrassing.

“If anything happens, you can talk to me, okay?”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

Amatsuka-san is kind. She doesn’t push or pry. I appreciate that.

“Alright, today I’m making taco rice without worrying about saving money.”

“I don’t really get it, but I’m glad my mentor seems to be feeling better.”

“It’s thanks to you, Amatsuka-san.”

“Hehehe… Really? But, um, what’s taco rice?”

“Taco rice is a rice-based version of tacos, and it’s an Okinawan dish—”

We just talked about cooking, nothing more. But that alone was fun.

I’ll think about Kurose-san later. For now, that’s enough.

—

Chapter 38: An Early Morning for the Househusband

“Okay, big brother, I’m off to my school camp.”

“Alright.”

I woke up at 4 AM to make Chika’s lunch, so I’m extremely sleepy. When staying at a camp or other lodging facilities, you have to be more mindful of hygiene than usual. You can’t always wash the containers there, and even if you use disposable ones, you might not be able to throw away the trash on-site, which could create a lot of waste.

On top of that, considering the possibility of long hikes outdoors, you need to make sure the food doesn’t spoil by keeping it properly cooled.

For events like sports days or field days, parents usually come to watch and everyone goes home that same day, so there’s no need to worry much about aftercare. It’s the same for the lunches I usually pack for Chika to eat at school.

But considering aftercare is part of the househusband’s role. In other words, I’m really sleepy.

“Oh.”

“What’s up? Did you forget something?”

“Big brother, the only girl you’re allowed to bring home is Miu-san, okay?”

“Hmm? Well, the only person I’m teaching how to cook is Amatsuka-san, so that’s true, right?”

I can’t say for sure that Kurose-san won’t force her way in. That’s why I haven’t told anyone that I’ll be alone at home this weekend. It’s a matter of life and death.

“Even if you’re going to do it, make sure to use protection, okay?”

“…Well, checking the stove is a basic rule for a full-time househusband. If the house burns down, I won’t be able to do any housework. It’d be a disaster if a full-time househusband burned down his workplace.”

Just thinking about the house catching fire, even when I’m this sleepy, makes me break out in a cold sweat. I’m already being supported by Manoka-san, so if the house burns down, it would affect my entire life plan.

…I’m thinking about too much, and now I have a headache. I feel a bit chilly too.

“…I feel like we’re totally not on the same page, but whatever. Alright, big brother, I’m off!”

“Yeah, see you later.”

Sleepy, sluggish, cold. Today, after lunch with Amatsuka-san and the others, I’ll be cooking at Kurose-san’s house in the evening.

For someone like me, who usually only does housework and studies, this is a busy schedule. But I can’t afford to be tired.

“Time to clean up…”

I put on my earphones and started cleaning while letting music play in my ears. Sometimes I listen to the radio, but today I’m in the mood for music.

The kitchen is usually clean, but I don’t pay much attention to the rest of the house. It’s impossible to keep it spotless after coming back from school. Cleaning mainly happens on weekends and holidays.

Vacuuming at night might disturb the neighbors. As a full-time househusband, I have to maintain good relationships with those around me to keep living comfortably.

Luckily, I’ve managed to secure a position where the neighborhood housewives say, “You’re so young, but you’re doing great.” Sometimes they even give me dishes like nikujaga, and I share extra food I’ve cooked with them. It’s a give-and-take relationship.

Winning without fighting. This is the most important thing for a full-time househusband.

“Well, that should do for cleaning.”

Spring is coming to an end, and soon the rainy season and summer will arrive. I’m sweating a little, so I need to take a shower and get ready for lunch.

“Oh… What should I wear…”

I think about it while showering. I don’t usually go out much, and when I go to the supermarket, it’s usually after school. On weekends, I mostly wear tracksuits.

“Chika always says I have ‘terrible fashion sense’ when it comes to casual clothes.”

In fact, Chika picks out my casual clothes when I buy them. And the one who pays for them is Manoka-san. Although Manoka-san herself has stylish clothes, the ones she picks for me are like butler suits or tuxedos. They even look like cosplay outfits.

So, if Chika doesn’t coordinate my outfit, it’s difficult for me to go out with others. Even when I went on a picnic with Amatsuka-san, it was Chika’s expert coordination.

Since I’ll be meeting Amatsuka-san’s mother as well, I probably should have asked Chika to help with my outfit…

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll just copy the outfit Chika picked for me last time.”

It’s not like it’s a formal New Year’s event, so I don’t need to be too strict about it. My health isn’t great, and I can’t think straight anyway. I’ll just put something on and send a photo to Chika for approval later.

“…I feel refreshed.”

I dried off my body and hair, then headed to my room.

“Huh?”

There was a complete outfit hanging on a hanger and a note. The handwriting was Chika’s.

“‘Wear this for lunch with Miu-san!!’… I love you, Chika.”

I don’t know how she knew about the lunch, but she probably heard it from her private conversations with Amatsuka-san.

Now I won’t have to embarrass myself. I’m saved.