After I Started Living Alone, My Place Turned Into a Hangout Spot for Beautiful Girls - Chapter 7.1: Shizuru Mizutani (Part 7)

Chapter 7.1: Shizuru Mizutani (Part 7)

The next day after I learned how to use the flea market app Mercari.

The beautification committee’s activities meant my return home was late.

It had been a while since I stayed at school this late, I thought as I changed into my outdoor shoes at the entrance hall…

“Hey? It’s rare to see you at school this late, Teruaki.”

Shizuru, who had just entered the entrance hall in her practice clothes, spoke to me.

“Shizuru, why are you at the entrance hall yourself?”

“Today’s track and field practice ended early. The clubroom is small, so we change in empty classrooms in this building and leave our stuff there.”

I glanced around lightly.

After confirming no one was there, I asked Shizuru.

“You’re coming over today too, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll go! Oh, since we’re both here, want to walk home together? Alright, I’ll change quickly~~~!!!”

Shizuru changed from her outdoor shoes to indoor ones and headed inside the school.

I waited in the entrance hall for a few minutes…

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Shizuru returned after changing into her uniform.

Then, Shizuru and I left the school through the main gate and started walking toward my house.

“Don’t you usually walk home with your friends, Shizuru?”

“I want to. But I can’t walk home with anyone…”

“Why not?”

“No one in the track and field club lives in the same direction as me~. By the way, why were you staying so late today, Teruaki?”

“There was a beautification committee activity.”

“Oh, I see.”

As I walked and talked with Shizuru, I suddenly remembered something.

The flea market app transaction had completed, so I had obtained points usable as electronic money.

“Oh, right. Mind if we stop by the supermarket? The money from the flea market app came in, so I thought I’d eat something proper today.”

“What are you going to eat?”

“I really want to eat out, but I don’t have enough leeway for that yet. So, maybe I’ll make some simple curry and eat it.”

“Sounds good! I love curry too!”

“If you’d like, want to eat some too, Shizuru?”

“I’m picky about curry, you know?”

Shizuru was fully intent on eating curry.

While heading to the supermarket with her, we talked about things like what kind of curry we liked, or whether rakkyo pickles or fukujinzuke were supreme as curry sides.

※

After detouring to the supermarket, I returned home.

Shizuru, who had just finished club activities, headed to the changing area to take a shower.

As for me, I washed the rice, set it in the rice cooker, pressed the cook button, and got to work on making the curry.

“Shizuru said she likes chunky ingredients, right?”

I cut the onions, carrots, potatoes, and chicken thigh meat into slightly large pieces.

Then, I put the cut items into a deep pot and stir-fried them with a small amount of oil.

I wondered at what timing I should add the water—that was the right way, right? After stir-frying for a few minutes, Shizuru appeared in the kitchen after finishing her shower.

“Phew, that feels refreshing! How’s it going? Smoothly?”

“You said you like chunky ingredients, so I cut them properly large.”

“Oh, Teruaki, you’re matching my tastes and all? Do you like me or something?”

Shizuru teased me with a grinning face.

I still lacked experience in being teased by girls, so I got a bit fidgety.

“I-it’s not like that or anything.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Ahahaha~, Teruaki, you’re so fun to tease!”

“But if I actually ended up liking you, what would you do?”

I brought up a hypothetical.

Then, Shizuru declared clearly with a beaming smile.

“I’d say try your very best! Oh, but at least your chances are higher now than last time!”

“Hmm, in that case, maybe I’ll take my time and try hard.”

“No, you’re definitely not thinking of trying hard at all.”

Winning over Shizuru seemed like it would take a lot of effort.

I didn’t want to fight a losing battle, so I had to be careful not to fall for her.

“The curry isn’t ready yet, so rest in the living room. I still have to tear up the lettuce and stuff.”

“Eh, you won’t let me help?”

“Well, in that case, the tomatoes are yours.”

I asked Shizuru to cut the tomatoes.

As I started tearing the lettuce beside me, Shizuru cut the tomatoes as requested…

“Mmm~, yummy!”

Unable to hold back, Shizuru snacked on a freshly cut tomato.

Moreover, one slice wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

She stared at my face intently, as if asking if she could have another one.

“Just one more.”

When I permitted her to eat it, Shizuru happily chomped down on the tomato.

And again.

Shizuru stared at me intently with sparkling eyes, as if asking if she could have yet another one.

“Eat as many as you like.”

“Ehehe~, yay!”

Shizuru smiled cutely with a grin, rejoiced, and then began eating the tomatoes in small bites with her little mouth.

One, two, three—the cut tomatoes on the cutting board disappeared one after another.

Watching Shizuru eat the tomatoes so deliciously, I thought to myself.

I might like watching girls eat something deliciously.

※

Shizuru had polished off all the tomatoes through snacking.

But her appetite showed no sign of waning.

She devoured the finished curry rice in no time.

I was impressed, thinking how nice it was to see a girl who eats well,

“May I have seconds?”

She still seemed ready to eat more.

I took Shizuru’s plate.

“How much?”

“A large serving.”

“You eat a lot, Shizuru.”

“I’m in the track and field club. Everyone eats this much normally, you know.”