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 90-91

Chapter 90: On the Way Home

“Ah, that was fun!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

On the bus ride home, Amatsuka beside me had a beaming smile on her face. In the end, she didn’t wear the Eisa costume, but since she seemed satisfied, I guess it turned out well.

“Motobu-kun, um, can I ask…what you thought?”

“…About what?”

“…About when I was dressed in Ryuso.”

Sitting next to me, Amatsuka looked up at me from a slanted angle, as if trying to peek at my face. Her eyes reminded me of how she looked back then, a vision that had captivated me.

“It was my first time wearing Ryuso, so I enjoyed it.”

She lightly bumped her shoulder against mine. Her expression showed that she could tell I was dodging the question.

“…Do you really need my opinion?”

“Well, yes, for future reference, and because I’d like to hear a boy’s perspective…”

For some reason, her words put me at ease. Maybe because it reminded me of something—I’m just a background character, after all.

“You looked very beautiful.”

I thought about how lucky one would be to have a wife like her sitting beside them. But I knew Amatsuka beside me was out of my league. So, there was no need to get conscious of her or to give it any meaning.

A flower on a high peak, beautifully arranged, no matter how much you yearn for it, you will never be united with that flower.

Know your place. That’s why I felt at ease giving her my honest thoughts.

“I see. Thanks.”

Amatsuka widened her eyes and smiled at me. She was probably worried about whether the Ryuso outfit suited her since she doesn’t usually wear such clothes.

“I want to wear it again.”

“You can wear it again if you come to Okinawa.”

“Yeah.”

There might be places where you can wear Ryuso elsewhere, but Okinawa seems like a more reliable option.

“Motobu-kun, you seemed nervous.”

“Of course I was.”

Amatsuka was looking at the photos she had taken on her smartphone. A ticklish sensation crept up my back. Looking at the beautiful Amatsuka beside me made me feel uncomfortable with myself in comparison.

I admit that Amatsuka next to me was beautiful, and that was fine. But I didn’t feel like taking more pictures. The emotional fatigue was overwhelming.

“Oh, a message from Mom!”

A message from her mother, Rin Amatsuka. Amatsuka grinned as she read it.

“Mom said the photos were nice, so she’ll cover the cost later.”

“…When you say you showed her the photos, does that mean she saw pictures of me as well?”

“Yep. Mom sent a ‘thumbs up’ emoji.”

“…I see.”

I felt like I had added another embarrassing moment to my collection. I didn’t really want anyone to see it. Since I had met her mother once before, I could easily imagine Rin-san giving me a thumbs up.

“Still, you and your mom get along well, don’t you, Amatsuka-san?”

“Yeah, we do. After all, we’re family.”

Since I don’t have any parents, I don’t quite understand that feeling. My guardian, Manoka-san, is probably more like a big sister to me. I guess she’s like an overprotective sister.

“To me, Mom feels like an older sister with a big age gap.”

“That’s how it is, huh.”

If my father were still alive, I wonder if we would have had a sibling-like relationship too. I don’t really know.

I don’t have many memories of being praised, and I barely remember his face, let alone his smiling face.

“I love pictures of my mom and dad together, but we don’t have many at home. The one I look at the most is their wedding photo. They look so happy, and my dad looks a bit embarrassed.”

Amatsuka reminisced about the photo with a nostalgic smile. I’m sure she was raised with love. That’s why she turned out to be such a wonderful person.

“That’s why I kind of admire that.”

Amatsuka gave me a big, bright smile, which felt almost blinding.

“Motobu-kun.”

“Yes?”

“I want to come back here again. Next time, with—”

“Oh, we’ve arrived.”

“We need to get off!”

We both hurriedly pressed the stop button and got off the bus. While getting off, we almost forgot our luggage, causing more panic. Tomorrow, we’re heading back to Tokyo, so today’s outing was essentially the last event, but it ended up being a bit hectic.

Still, it was fun.

I pretended not to hear the last thing Amatsuka tried to say.

—

Chapter 91: A Call from Miaki-san

“I’m back!”

“Mano-nee, you’re already opening a beer as soon as we get home.”

“Well, why not? I did my best as the driver, and I got everyone home safely.”

“That’s right, Takeru-kun! Hug me! Praise me! And love me!!”

“I suppose I have no choice. I’ll make you some snacks.”

“I love you, Takeru-kun!!”

I dodged Manoka-san as she tried to hug me and headed to the kitchen.

After coming back from Okinawa, both Chika and Manoka-san looked completely exhausted. Traveling back home often takes a toll on your energy. After all, there’s no place like home. While our family home in Okinawa is still home for Chika and me, our current life is based in Tokyo.

“Takeru-kun!”

“This is a bit suffocating, you know?”

Manoka-san hugged me from behind as I stood in the kitchen. When she’s tired, she tends to be clingier than usual, but today she was especially persistent.

“You went on a date with Amatsuka-chan, didn’t you? I’m so jealous. I want to go on a date with you too, Takeru-kun!”

“I’ll consider it in my next life.”

Even though I said I would make snacks, I was pretty tired too. So, I decided to make something simple—cold tofu. I topped the tofu with kimchi and drizzled some sesame oil over it. The gentle aroma of the sesame oil made it an easy snack to prepare, and Manoka-san really likes this snack, so it’s convenient for both of us.

“Here, your snack.”

“Yay!”

This should keep her quiet for a while. We already had dinner on the way back from the airport, so all that’s left to do is take a bath and go to sleep.

“Onii-chan, I’m going to take a bath first.”

“Alright.”

As I returned to my room, my phone started vibrating. It kept vibrating, indicating an incoming call. When I checked the screen, it was Miaki-san. That was unusual. Curious, I answered the phone.

“Good evening. This is Motobu. What’s up, Miaki-san?”

“Sorry for calling so suddenly, Motobu.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Are you free on the 18th?”

August 18th. I had no plans. If I had to mention something, it would be Amatsuka-san’s birthday.

“I’m free.”

“Great. It’s Amatsuka-chan’s birthday, and I want to throw her a party.”

“Got it. I’m okay with attending.”

“Can you handle the cooking?”

“That’s about all I’m good for.”

“I’m not sure if that’s reliable or not.”

Miaki-san laughed. Even though she has a strong, dependable personality, it was nice to hear her laugh so naturally. We continued to iron out the details.

“How many people are coming?”

“It’ll be me, Miko, you, Kurose, and Momohara.”

“That means Toubaru-kun is in charge of the cake, right?”

“Yeah, that guy is good at making sweets.”

Recently, Momohara has been teaching Miaki-san how to make sweets. It’s kind of heartwarming to see how far he’s come, considering how timid he used to be. He’s really grown up.

“What about gifts?”

Yesterday, when we went out, I gave Amatsuka-san a Shisa strap, but if we’re throwing a birthday party, I might need to prepare something else.

I’m the kind of person who rarely gives gifts, so occasions like these are always a struggle for me.

“Amatsuka-chan doesn’t really like receiving presents. She says she’d rather just have fun with everyone. She says that every year.”

“Really? I thought women usually liked that sort of thing, especially in groups.”

I imagined her and her friends laughing and exchanging gifts. Amatsuka-san seems like the type to have a lot of friends.

“I’m sure the ones who do that kind of stuff probably enjoy exchanging presents or whatever, but Amatsuka-chan and I have been friends since middle school. If we did it every year, we’d run out of ideas, and it’d get expensive.”

“I see…There’s a lot to consider.”

It felt like I had just glimpsed into the complexities of female friendships. I suppose someone like Amatsuka-san, who’s at the top of the social hierarchy, probably has to deal with more relationship issues than others. Maybe she puts in extra effort to avoid creating any unnecessary tension.

“Well, if you’re dead set on giving her something like a wedding ring, I can help set that up for you.”

“That’s not happening.”

The strap I gave her during our outing might have been a nuisance. Maybe it would’ve been better to give her something like sweets or bath products—something that gets used up. It might have been less troublesome that way.

“Alright, we’ll go over the details tomorrow. Sorry for calling so late.”

“No worries. Goodnight.”

“Yeah, goodnight.”

This is the first time I’ll be properly celebrating someone else’s birthday. I have to do my best to make sure the food is perfect.