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 65-66

Chapter 65: Expectations

Due to the continuous rain, today’s physical education class was held in the gymnasium.

Momohara and I quietly touched a basketball in the corner of the gym.

“It’s pretty cramped with boys and girls together, huh.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t really concern us.”

Basketball is a popular sport among teenagers going through puberty. I watch the lively students running around. Honestly, I feel like sitting on a porch with some bitter tea, just watching them.

“By the way, Motobu-kun. How are things going with Amatsuka-san?”

“Why the sudden question?”

“There’s a rumor that you and Amatsuka-san are dating.”

“Do we look like a well-matched couple? Me and Amatsuka-san? No way. That would be too presumptuous. For someone like me, at least.”

I shrink into the corner of the hierarchy. Meanwhile, Amatsuka-san runs across the court, her golden ponytail swaying.

There’s no way we could ever be compatible.

“Oh, I see.”

“So, where did this rumor come from? It could be a nuisance to Amatsuka-san.”

“I’m not sure, but people say they’ve often seen you two walking together.”

“It’s just shopping trips to the supermarket. My parents aren’t around, and Amatsuka-san doesn’t have a father. We’re just doing the same errands to help our households.”

When I go to the supermarket, I don’t intentionally wait for Amatsuka-san to go with me. We’re not a couple or anything like that. I do teach her how to cook, but that’s all.

I simply want to go shopping as soon as possible. The fact that Amatsuka-san coincidentally follows my schedule is what’s causing the misunderstanding.

Well, there are things to teach even during grocery shopping. Choosing fresh fish and vegetables is important when selecting ingredients.

Even if the prices don’t change, there’s a slight difference in quality. You have to get the best deals and the safest products. After all, you can’t feed your family rotten food.

“And… how do you personally feel about her, Motobu-kun?”

“Well, I mean…”

Momohara doesn’t usually pry like this. We’ve only just met in high school, after all.

“Why are you so curious all of a sudden?”

“Well… because I’ve always admired this kind of thing.”

Momohara smiles sheepishly. I still don’t quite understand what “this kind of thing” is, but there’s no malice in it. It’s probably just pure curiosity.

“Amatsuka-san is a very cute person.”

I mutter this while watching Amatsuka-san run around the court. It feels almost like watching TV.

“She’s cheerful, and I don’t sense any malice from her. She’s also serious about cooking, which is admirable.”

“She’s the kind of person everyone falls for, isn’t she?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Even though I teach her how to cook, watching her from afar makes me feel like she belongs in a different world. We live in separate realities. Yet here I am, teaching her how to cook.

It’s strange.

“So, do you like her?”

Momohara, usually a bit shy, now looks at me with bright, eager eyes. Why is he so invested in this? Please, stop looking at me like that with your sparkling eyes—it’s too much, especially since you almost look like a girl.

“Well… I like her, in a normal way.”

“Not like that~”

“But that’s all I can say.”

There’s nothing more to it. It’s the same feeling as liking a goddess, a famous actress, or an anime character. It’s an affection that assumes you’ll never reach them.

If you don’t expect anything, it remains a beautiful dream, and that’s enough. Getting overly excited or upset about it is pointless.

“Beautiful flowers are best admired from a distance. That’s all there is to it.”

Don’t expect anything from others. That’s the way for someone like me to live a happy life. I don’t seek ordinary, conventional happiness. Even that would be too much to ask for.

Living quietly is enough. For now, that’s all I can manage. I just want to maintain good grades and get into a good university. Romance is a luxury I can’t afford.

—

Chapter 66: Studying With Kurose-san

The rainy season has passed, and it’s finally the time to feel summer approaching.

However, before we can enjoy summer, we have to face the final exams.

“Kurose-san, who ranked first in the midterms, please teach me this.”

“… It feels really good to be relied on by you, Motobu-san. I’m glad I can help with studying.”

“Just teach me, please.”

“Y-yes.”

As students facing final exams, Kurose-san ranked first in the midterm exams, and I was second. Losing to a pervert is frustrating, but since I lose in almost every aspect of specs, I can’t say much.

I’ve started receiving tutoring from Kurose-san after dinner, and I’ve been clearly shown how her way of thinking is different from the average person.

“By the way, how come you’re so smart even though you don’t go to cram school?”

“Well, that’s because Naoto-san trained me.”

“Oh… Was it from that Gekkagumi group?”

“Yes. They would say things like ‘You don’t belong anywhere, so study hard and prove them wrong,’ and they’d push the delinquents to study. As I studied, I ended up becoming one of the teachers.”

The Gekkagumi was originally just a group of delinquents. However, Naoto-san beat them into shape and rehabilitated them. Naoto-san’s current alias in Gekkagumi is “Tsukimiya Reo, the President.” Apparently, he was a leader in middle school and left the group once during high school, but he is now the president.

“I heard that Naoto-san used to cross-dress and lead the group in high school, and some members call him a ‘witch.'”

“A witch, huh?”

It’s well-known in Gekkagumi that Naoto-san cross-dresses. It’s terrifying to think that even though he says he doesn’t do it as a hobby, some people call him a ‘witch.’

“He never ages, persuades delinquents skillfully, and changes the local perception of the group from ‘delinquents’ to something like ‘a self-defense group.’ The members even participate in local festivals. It’s amazing how he handles everything, making him seem like a witch.”

“By the way, Hinata-san also mentioned that Naoto-san hasn’t changed his appearance since high school.”

Naoto-san’s cross-dressing state is so seamless next to Hinata-san that they could easily be mistaken for sisters.

“Naoto-san is also very smart. I was originally taught by him. He didn’t go to school either.”

… Learning from someone smarter than going to school definitely improves one’s intellect. What is modern education even about?

“So this is Naoto-san’s study method. No wonder there are so many unusual interpretations.”

“When I asked Naoto-san how he got so good at English, he said, ‘I learned it by playing FPS games with foreign players.’ He also recommended FPS games to group members who struggled with English. He really is an extraordinary person.”

Kurose-san calls Naoto-san extraordinary. It’s true; he’s quite remarkable, so there’s nothing to argue about.

English is difficult for Japanese people. The grammar is different, and I’m among those who struggle with English. Some people find it nearly impossible to grasp, and yet, in daily life, they use English words almost as if they were Japanese.

Even if you dislike strings of text, just being able to hold some basic conversations in English certainly lowers the barrier.

“Sometimes, I think Naoto-san might be a con artist because he’s so smooth with his words.”

“He writes novels, so he’s good at using persuasive language. He’s skilled at deceiving people without lying. It’s a bit scary.”

From my perspective, Kurose-san is scarier, but I’m relieved to know that even Kurose-san experiences normal fear.

“Well, even though I’ve been deceived, I’m happy now.”

Kurose-san smiles as she says this. It seems unfair for such a beautiful and intelligent person to have that kind of expression.

“Well then, it’s time for me to graduate from dinner.”

“I absolutely don’t want that! I have to eat! If I don’t, I’ll bite my tongue off and die from bleeding!”

“… Scary. You’re really scary, Kurose-san.”

I thought I had recently become a bit more mentally stable, but it’s still not the case. The way she says it with a smile is truly frightening.

It looks like I’ll be living this feeding life for a while longer.