After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me - chapter 12

Shopping/A Coincidental Meeting/That’s Good Tsukino-chan

The next day has come.

School has ended, I was on my way home when Hinata stopped me and asked me to accompany her to a supermarket near our house. She wanted to buy some ingredients for tonight’s dinner.

“Ah, that’s a good deal. Do you like hamburgers?”

“I don’t really like it, but there is a 20 percent discount on ground meat. I think we should buy it since it’s a good deal.”

“So you’re looking at discounted ingredients first then think of a menu? That’s great…”

With a giggle, Hinata let out a laugh.

“It feels strange to shop for dinner with Yuto like this. We were classmates until just a few days ago.”

While saying this, Hinata picked up a bottle of salad oil. There was a label saying ‘Special Discount. Only one item per person is allowed.’

There were only two bottles left, how lucky.

While Hinata was trying to take the second bottle, Hinata’s hand touched another customer’s hand who was trying to take the same item.

The girl bowed deeply.

“Ah… I’m sorry. Please take it.”

“No, please go ahead, we already have a bottle—eh, Tsukino-chan?”

The person whose hand had collided with Hinata’s was Tsukino. Tsukino was surprised, as if she had not expected to meet us.

“Yuto, and Hinata-san…?”

“It’s a coincidence, isn’t it? Tsukino regularly goes here for shopping as well, don’t you?

“Yes. Because it is the closest to my house. But why are Yuto and Hinata together? …Oh, I see. Come to think of it, you two are sister and brother.”

Hinata and Tsukino were having a friendly conversation, but Tsukino’s expression seemed to soften somewhat.

It may be because they are talking as the student council president and vice student council president, but it is unusual for the quiet Tsukino to open up so much. Usually, Tsukino is much shyer.

A large part of this was probably due to Hinata’s personality. After all, the only person who can call Tsukino ‘Tsukino-chan’ is Hinata. The Sunflower Goddess’ communication skill is too good that it nullified the Moon angel’s shyness, it’s terrifying.

But maybe that was the first time I had seen Tsukino shopping for groceries by herself.

“Tsukino, are you trying to cook again?”

“…yeah. It’s because I messed up the meat and potatoes. I let Yuto down.”

“No, no, I’m not disappointed. In fact, I have nothing but high expectations.”

“…? Eh, did you try to make meat and potatoes Tsukino?”

The Hinata clapped her hand, as if she understood the flow of the conversation.

“But meat and potatoes are pretty hard to cook, aren’t they?”

“…is that so?”

“It’s not easy to chop the ingredients using the rangiri style, and the flavor will be inconsistent if you don’t use otoshubita. I failed the first time I made it as well.”

(otoshubita is a Japanese cook utensil, rangiri is a Japanese cutting style)

“Rangiri? Otoshibuta? …eh, are those names of a special move?”

Oh, she sounded gibberish. Maybe that was the first time she heard of those words.

“Hey, Tsukino. If you like, I can teach you how to cook.”

Tsukino looked surprised.

“Yesterday, Tsukino said she wanted to do it alone, but I think she would improve faster if she had someone by her side to teach her. I can cook a little, and I think I could help you to get a little better.”

If Tsukino doesn’t want to eat my cooking anymore, of course I would be sad.

But Tsukino was trying to do her best right in front of us. If that was the case, I wanted to help Tsukino in any way I could.

“Are you sure? I will probably be going to cause you a lot of trouble, you know?”

“I don’t mind at all. Well, I will be bothered if Tsukino became too good at cooking.

“…why?”

“I mean, if you are better than me, you wouldn’t need me to cook for you, right? or maybe you got tired of my cooking and decided to make your own…”

As if interrupting my words, Tsukino grabbed my arm.

The look on Tsukino’s face was so serious that it took my breath away.

“That is not true, not true at all. I like Yuto’s cooking. If Yuto cooked for me, I will gladly eat it.”

“…I-I see. That’s good then. I am happy to see Tsukino eat my cooking with such great enjoyment.”

Surprisingly, I was relieved to hear those words. I even said to myself, what if she was sick of my cooking?

Then, is why Tsukino is trying to get better at cooking?

“Yuto and Tsukino are good friends, aren’t they? Come to think of it, Tsukino is having Yuto to cook dinner for her these days, right?”

“Yeah, I am really grateful for it and I feel like I’m indebted to Yuto. That’s why I was so surprised when I found out that Hinata-san is Yuto’s sister.”

“I don’t feel like Yuto is my brother yet either.”

Then, the two of them continued to chat and shop together, I was thinking about a dish to make with Tsukino. It would be better to avoid too difficult dishes, I wondered what dish would be the best…

We finished our shopping then we put our groceries inside our eco-bags. Hinata puts the meat and fresh fish in plastic bags, probably to keep the eco-bags clean.

While I picked up the eco-bags, Hinata smiled.

“You’ll carry our groceries? Thanks.”

‘Well, it’s Hinata who does the all the cooking. I’ll feel bad if I don’t do this much.”

“What…? Yuto’s food is cooked by Hinata-san?”

“It’s been a few days since me and Hinata became a family. In order to deepen our relationship, Hinata cooked for our dinner and we ate dinner together.”

Then, I suddenly realize.

For some reason, Tsukino was frozen in place, as if she had turned to stone.

“Tsukino…? What’s wrong? You suddenly froze.”

“What? It’s nothing. I see, Hinata-san cooks for Yuto…”

I knew it, Tsukino seemed different recently.

As we arrived at our apartment we separated from Tsukino and we went back to our room.

“I’m going to go to Tsukino’s now. We’ll probably have dinner together. Sorry, I’ll eat the food Hinata made for me tomorrow.”

Since living with Hinata, we had made a rule, ‘no dinner until six o’clock in the evening.’ It’s kind of strange for me at first, because I live by myself all this time and now, I have a family rule.

“Yeah, I get it. Don’t worry about it. It must be really great to be Tsukino-chan right?”

…hmm?

“Hinata, is something bothering you?”

“Eh!? What, what are you talking about? I didn’t say anything, did I?”

“But for some reason your eye looks teary. If I didn’t mishear, you said ‘. It must be really great to be Tsukino-chan right?’ did you?”

“…eh, hehehe.”

Hinata laughed dryly.

“You see, Yuto and Tsukino have known each other since childhood, right? When you and Tsukino talk, you can tell you’ve been together with Tsukino for a long time, …I really envy that”

Ah, so that’s what has been bothering her.

Tsukino and I have been next door neighbors since we were kids, and we are as close as a family. To be honest, Tsukino is the first person that comes to mind when I think of someone I feel comfortable with.

“Well, Tsukino is my childhood friend. But Hinata is my sister, right? We are living together from now on, and before you know it, we’ll be close as a family should be.”

“…Yeah, I hope so.”

Hinata smiled hesitantly.