About the Cool Beauty in My Class Declaring She Won’t Eat Anything Except My Bento - 8

Chapter 8: The Two Honest Little Devils

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“You…”

“I am sorry… I let my guard down.”

It was the night of the day my classmates had interrogated me. As I ate pasta for dinner and looked on in exasperation, Ayano, who sat across from me at the table, apologized.

“You’re the ‘cool beauty’ who’s incredibly popular with the guys, so you really need to be more aware of that…”

Even though a lot happened at that moment, things managed to settle down simply because it became public knowledge that “the two of us are living alone, so we’re helping each other out and I’m making her meal as part of that.” The fact that we spent our days off together and talked on the phone late at night hadn’t been found out… probably. That was a blessing in disguise.

“I intended to be fully aware of it, but…”

“I mean, yeah. I thought you’d be fine too, Ayano. You knew how to keep your distance last week. What happened today?”

At school, I had regretted not warning her yesterday, but the reason I hadn’t was because it was Ayano. I thought someone as capable as Ayano would understand how much gossip her remarks would generate, but…

“Of course, even I know that saying something like that is wrong. I know that, but… I couldn’t allow myself to insist that I was the one who made your cooking, Kirihara-san… I’m sorry.”

Ayano looked down, appearing dejected. It seemed that her pride—the desire not to steal someone else’s credit—had won out, and she couldn’t hold it back. When she put it that way, I felt like for the first time in a while, I saw a side of her that truly was the “cool beauty.”

“Well, whatever. At least I know now that you’re a girl who’s head over heels for my cooking.”

“Hm? Was that not already obvious?”

Instead of just forgiving her, I said it with a smirk, hoping to see her get embarrassed, but Ayano simply confirmed my words with a puzzled look.

“I love your cooking, Kirihara-san, you know? In fact, I’ve become dependent on it, to the point where my body might not be able to survive without you anymore. That is how much I love it.”

I was the one who ended up unable to look her in the face. Seeing Ayano convey her “love” without hiding anything, I felt like I finally understood why every guy in school fell for her.

“…Please keep things like that to yourself.”

“I refuse. It seems things don’t get through to you, Kirihara-san, unless I put them properly into words.”

“They’re getting through, they’re getting through.”

“No. I will keep saying I love you from now on.”

“What do you plan on doing to me?”

“I don’t plan on doing anything in particular but if I had to say, I want to make you blush.”

“So you were doing it on purpose.”

“Your blushing face is cute, Kirihara-san, so I want to see it a lot.”

“That should be my line…”

I replied with a wry smile, but when there was no response from Ayano, I looked up. There, Ayano was staring at me with wide eyes and slightly flushed cheeks.

“…I am not blushing, and I am not cute.”

“You’re blushing, and you’re plenty cute.”

“Please stop lying.”

“When have I ever told a lie… Though I do tease you.”

“That… is true, but still.”

Ayano nodded, looking troubled. Ayano was much cuter when she actually showed her ups and downs. That was true even when she was blushing, so there hadn’t been a single lie in what I just said.

“I usually try my best to look cute and beautiful, so I try not to let people see me blushing when I don’t know what kind of face I’m making.”

“So that’s how the ‘cool beauty’ started. But, don’t you blush quite a bit when it’s just the two of us?”

“That is because you say things that are bad for my heart, Kirihara-san… No, perhaps it is because I have been able to open my heart to you.”

“Then please keep it open from now on.”

“Eh?”

“Because I like the current Ayano better than the way you are at school. Stay like this.”

At my words, Ayano’s cheeks stained an even deeper red. As Ayano looked down slightly to escape my gaze, I continued with a smile.

“Which version of me do you like better, Ayano?”

“…The school version.”

“Oh, that’s unexpected.”

“The Kirihara-kun at home is… dangerous.”

“There it is. Honestly, young people these days call everything ‘dangerous’ or ‘bad’…”

“You are a young person too. But the current Kirihara-san really is dangerous.”

“Wait, what…?”

Looking grumpy, she took her finished dishes to the kitchen. I followed Ayano’s lead and headed to the kitchen as well.

“Please do not come here.”

“I finished eating too, though.”

“Not right now.”

“Come on…”

“Please do not say ‘cute’ so lightly to a girl.”

“I don’t really like telling lies, though.”

“Then I will say ‘cool’ to you many times as well.”

“I know you’re not the type who can tell lies very well either, Ayano.”

“…….It is not… a lie.”

The sound of dishes being set down clinked, followed by a silence that dominated the room. Both Ayano and I had ears that were burning hot, and neither of us had the composure left to speak.

“…If you put it that way, I can’t say anything in return…”

“I am sorry… Can I take back what I said after all?”

“Eh?”

“When I know it is not flattery, I actually do want you to say ‘cute’ a lot. Is it okay if we have a relationship where we praise each other for the things we like?”

(…Seriously, this girl might just be too cute.)

Even though I knew it was pointless, I covered my face with my left hand because I didn’t want her to see how red I had become, even if just a little. And then—I placed my hand on Ayano’s head and patted it.

“Ki-Kirihara-san…?”

“Sorry. I know I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t hold back. Don’t say such cute things too often, okay?”

I quickly pulled my hand away and returned to the living room.

(I absolutely don’t want our classmates to find out about this relationship.)

That was what I thought.

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