Actually, the Hungry Gyaru Who Eats a Lot Was Being Cheated On, so I Decided to Win Her Heart (And Stomach) From Her Jerk Boyfriend - 71

Chapter 71: In the Clear Morning Air

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The next morning, after I had mostly finished the breakfast prep in the kitchen, Shizuku came into the living room, rubbing her eyes.

“Fwaaah… ah, Suou-kun. Mornin’~”

“Morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, totally great~”

She gave a firm thumbs-up, but she didn’t look great at all.

“For someone who says that, you still look pretty sleepy.”

“It’s fiiine, don’t worry ’bout it~ I’m just bad in the mornings~”

“…I see.”

Her speech was much more slurred than usual, and her whole vibe felt kind of fluffy and unfocused. She really must have been weak in the mornings.

That’s kind of surprising… or maybe not.

If anything, it fit my image of her perfectly. It might be rude to say, but I just couldn’t really picture Shizuku being sharp and energized first thing in the morning. While vaguely imagining a lively, just-woken-up Shizuku in my mind, I checked the time.

…It’s not even six-thirty yet.

I was usually up and moving around this time, but for someone not used to waking up early, getting up at this hour had to be pretty tough. Even so, the reason Shizuku got up was, of course, for her diet.

A while back, I had happened to see an interview video of a certain athlete. In it, he talked about how he had been overweight and was ordered to slim down. In the end, he lost nearly ten kilograms, and one of the things he did during that time was take walks before breakfast. Whether it would work for Shizuku, I wouldn’t know unless we tried it. But at the very least, it would be easier on her body than intense running, and it should be easier to stick with. That was why we had agreed last night, before going to bed, to give it a try.

Incidentally, the reason I started using the treadmill for walking before strength training was also because of that same interview. As I continued working while recalling the contents of the video, Shizuku slowly walked over.

“What’re you makin’~?”

“Steamed chicken. The same one I made yesterday. The seasoning’s different, though.”

I answered while checking the water temperature on the display of the sous-vide cooker attached to the pot. Last night, what Shizuku and I ate had been something simple, lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper. The one I was making now, however, was based on lemon juice, olive oil, and coarsely ground black pepper.

I mixed those together, put the mixture into a freezer bag along with the chicken breast, removed the air to create a vacuum, and was about to heat it using the sous-vide cooker. Once everything was set, I placed the bag with the chicken breast into the pot and confirmed that it wasn’t floating. Then I turned to face Shizuku.

“For a while, we’re gonna be living off chicken breast. So I’m adding some variety to the seasoning so we don’t get sick of it.”

“Wow, you’ve really thought this through.”

“Yeah. It’s not just for me. Shizuku’s gonna be eating it for a while too.”

“…Huh?”

Shizuku blinked, her eyes widening. She still looked pretty sleepy, but her blue eyes sparkled with expectation. Come to think of it, I hadn’t told her yet.

“Suou-kun, you’re making some for me too? For real?”

“Yeah. If you’re okay with it, that’s the plan.”

“Of course I’m okay with it. I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it~ Hehe, yes!”

“And besides, I wouldn’t be able to bear it if you try some reckless crash dieting again and end up collapsing from heatstroke.”

I answered with a quiet chuckle. In an instant, Shizuku’s expression shifted, and she shot me a sulky glare.

“…Suou-kun.”

“Kidding. It’s true I don’t want you pushing yourself anymore, but that’s not the only reason. I just want you to eat the food I make.”

These days, even if you can’t cook, it’s surprisingly easy to prepare diet-friendly meals. You can keep calories low and still get the necessary nutrients with ready-made dishes from convenience stores or supermarkets.

As long as she remembered the balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, Shizuku should be able to put together a reasonable weight-loss plan on her own. Even so…

Even so, I…

“Um, Suou-kun. Does that mean—”

“Will you keep coming over to eat at my place?”

I said it while looking straight at her.

“Now that I know what’s going on, there’s no need for you to keep trying to handle everything on your own.”

“Now that you mention it… yeah, you’re right. …But are you really sure?”

“Of course I am. I just told you yesterday I’d do whatever I can. And if you’re not around, my sister and Ichika will get lonely too.”

And… I will feel kind of lonely too…

When I muttered that last part under my breath, Shizuku stared at me intently, then broke into a bright smile.

“Okay. Then I’ll take you up on that and come over to eat again!”

“…Yeah. It’ll be diet food for a while, but once your weight’s back to normal, I’ll make whatever you like.”

When I said that, her smile grew even brighter.

“So think about what you want and have a request ready by then.”

“Yeah! That’s a promise, okay?!”

After Shizuku finally seemed fully awake, we changed into our workout shoes and stepped outside together. I took in the clear summer morning air, where a faint coolness and lingering humidity competed with each other, and felt a slight sense of comfort. When I turned around, Shizuku, still wearing my oversized sweatshirt and T-shirt, was lightly stretching her body.

“All right, let’s go.”

As I started walking at an easy pace, Shizuku stepped up beside me with a light, almost bouncing stride.

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