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 7-8

Chapter 7: The Class Representative

“The orientation for each subject is mostly over, so today’s homeroom will be about deciding the class representative.”

It’s the Monday after the holidays. The students in the class are gradually starting to form their own groups, though the relationships are still tentative and awkward.

In the midst of this, I am basically alone, except when Amatsuka gets involved.

“Does anyone want to be the class representative?”

The homeroom teacher asks lazily, but no one responds. I am one of those who remain silent. Being alone has its drawbacks, but the biggest advantage is not having to interact with others and not being tied down after school.

Being free after school means I can easily go shopping at places like the supermarket. As someone who is practically a full-time househusband, this is the greatest benefit for me.

“No one? You can get internal assessment points! If no one volunteers, I’ll have to sacrifice someone!”

The teacher makes a casual but threatening remark. Does this teacher have no heart?

“Teacher, I’ll do it!”

“As expected of Amatsuka. Alright, Amatsuka is the class representative. I’ll leave the rest to you, Amatsuka.”

“Roger!”

Amatsuka volunteers as the sacrifice. Impressive. Most of the class seems to agree with this decision.

Even though the class atmosphere hasn’t fully developed yet, Amatsuka’s charisma certainly stands out.

“Okay, does anyone want to be the vice-representative?”

Just by calling out cheerfully, Amatsuka lightens the mood of the class considerably.

“Mia-chan, don’t you want to be the vice-representative?”

“I’ll pass.”

“Aww, come on, let’s do it together!”

Amatsuka’s good friend, Kumako Miaki. With silver hair, sharp eyes, a beauty mark under one eye, a cool choker around her neck, and a slender figure, she’s probably the only one in the class who matches Amatsuka’s specs. Both are in the “gal” category, but Miaki has a cooler vibe.

“…Mia-chan turned me down.”

“Good luck, Representative!”

While Amatsuka’s followers offer her casual cheers, one female student raises her hand.

“Oh, Kurose-san! Thank you so much for volunteering!”

The one who volunteered is Kurose Touka. With long black hair and a calm demeanor, she’s the person who most looks like a class representative. Other than Amatsuka and Miaki, she’s quite a beauty.

The class representative and vice-representative have high specs.

“Okay, Kurose-san, you’re the vice-representative!”

“Yes.”

“Alright! Now, who wants to be the secretary?”

With Kurose-san as the vice-representative, it might be even harder for others to volunteer. Both of them are so capable.

While I’m observing from the sidelines, Amatsuka and I make eye contact. We made eye contact…

“Motobu-kun! You’re the only one for this!”

“…No, I’m not.”

“Please!”

Why do Amatsuka’s eyes sparkle like that? Like a pure child, it’s dazzling. Please don’t look at someone like me with those eyes.

“But…”

“Please, Master! It’ll be easier to balance things with at least one boy!”

“…But…”

It’s true that with both the representative and vice-representative being girls, it might be hard to get a balanced opinion from both genders. But I doubt things would change much even if I became the secretary.

“…Is it a no?”

“…Alright, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, Motobu-kun!”

I was defeated by Amatsuka’s sparkling pressure. It’s inevitable that a background character like me would lose to the light.

Well, it’s partly my own fault for getting involved with Amatsuka in the first place, and as someone aiming for a university recommendation, it’s something I should do. I have no choice but to accept it.

…If possible, I wish Amatsuka wasn’t the class representative. I wanted to avoid any trouble, and being a class officer during the first semester of the first year is tough.

“And with that, the class officers are decided, so next, let’s decide the committee members!”

So, the class officers for this semester are: the sparkling angel, the serious beauty, and the background character…

—

Chapter 8: Shopping at the Supermarket

After being appointed as the class secretary, I head to the supermarket after school.

“Spring cabbage is nice. Oh, tomatoes are cheap too. Hmm, ground meat is also affordable.”

I don’t usually decide on a menu before going to the supermarket. Unless there’s a specific request, I typically look for inexpensive ingredients and plan the menu around what I find.

Manoka’s financial management isn’t very good. I’m the one who keeps the household budget, and I present the expenses to her each month, managing them accordingly.

“…Even as a high school student, I have to think about the rising taxes and the cost of living…”

“Master, why the gloomy face?”

“You scared me… Oh, it’s Amatsuka.”

“You’re out shopping too, Master?”

“It’s a basic duty of a full-time househusband.”

“You’re working hard, Master.”

Amatsuka is also out shopping for dinner; she holds a store basket, which seems out of place with her stylishly worn uniform.

“Did you find anything cheap?”

“I’ve secured spring cabbage, tomatoes, and ground meat.”

“Spring cabbage, nice!”

Amatsuka, perhaps imagining a dish using spring cabbage, mutters, “…Sounds delicious…”

“Have you decided on your menu, Master?”

“Not yet. But I was thinking of making stuffed cabbage rolls with the spring cabbage and ground meat.”

“Stuffed cabbage rolls!”

Amatsuka’s eyes light up. Sometimes I wonder if she has LED lights in her eyes; they’re so bright, too bright for someone like me.

“I’d like to try making them too, but they seem difficult.”

“They’re not that hard.”

“Won’t they fall apart?”

“If you use toothpicks, they’re less likely to fall apart.”

“That’s a good tip!”

Amatsuka’s constantly changing expressions are fascinating to watch.

“Oh, it’s Amatsuka-chan. And next to her is Motobu?”

I turn around and see Kumako Miaki, a supermarket employee.

“Oh, Miaki-chan! You mentioned you started working here yesterday.”

“Yeah, that’s right. What are you two doing? A date after school?”

Miaki’s mischievous smile suggests she’s thought of a joke. I’d appreciate it if she didn’t tease us like that. It could turn into bullying… mostly for me.

“No, we just ran into each other while shopping.”

“I see. I thought you two had started dating since you couldn’t stop talking about how delicious Motobu-kun’s omelet was in yesterday’s chat.”

“Hey! Miaki-chan! Don’t make it embarrassing by telling her like that!”

As they flirt, I fade into the background. Miaki is Amatsuka’s friend. I can’t do anything about that. In the survival of the fittest, I, a mere background character, am powerless.

“Well, I should get back to work. Enjoy your date!”

“Geez! …Miaki-chan always teases me.”

“Amatsuka-san, eggs are cheap too.”

“Eggs? Oh, yeah… eggs. They’re really cheap.”

Eggs are practically a staple food. With eggs, you can make almost any dish.

Sometimes, I even take my sister and Manoka with me on solo shopping trips; that’s how important eggs are. I can’t believe I almost missed the egg price on the flyer.

“I ended up buying quite a lot today.”

“Same here. I bought a ton too.”

“Buying too many bargains isn’t exactly wallet-friendly, though.”

“True that.”

After shopping, we walk home together in the evening.

“Are you going to make stuffed cabbage rolls, Master?”

“Yes. I’m already craving them.”

“Me too! I’ve never made them before, so I’m not sure if I can, though.”

She seems inspired by my suggestion. It’s important to want to try cooking something, even if you’re not sure you can do it.

Still, Amatsuka seems anxious about making them, so I explain the key points as we walk.

“…Sorry! I don’t get it!”

“…I see…”

Stuffed cabbage rolls aren’t that complicated, but maybe that’s just my perspective as someone used to cooking. Especially with new dishes, it’s natural to feel a bit scared.

Like wondering if your hamburger steak is undercooked or worrying that your first attempt at deep-frying might cause a fire.

Given that, it’s understandable that Amatsuka feels a little nervous, especially since her parents often come home late.

“Would you like to make them at my house? We have the ingredients, and it’s not too far.”

“Really?! Master?!”

“Uh, yes.”

“Please, Master!”

She eagerly accepted… How much did she want to eat stuffed cabbage rolls? Well, she’s sort of my disciple, so I guess I have no choice. After all, I was the one who got her interested in stuffed cabbage rolls in the first place.

I must take some responsibility.

“Alright! Let’s go to Master’s place!”

Amatsuka looks really excited.