After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me - Chapter 29

Dinner/Tsukino Retry/A Change of Heart

We did all of the housework in the morning, then we went to have a lunch at a nearby family restaurant and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at home.

What an ordinary way to spend a holiday. I was concerned that Tsukino might be bored, but seeing her in such good mood erased all of my worries.

I looked at the clock and noticed it was dinner time, so I sat up from the couch.

“I think it’s time for dinner. Tsukino, what do you want to eat tonight?”

“Just sit down and relax Yuto. I want to cook dinner for you today.”

“Eh… Tsukino is cooking!?”

“Yup, I had made up my mind since Yuto agreed to live with me for the day. I want Yuto who have taught me how to cook to eat my cooking.”

“But, are you sure? I was planning to be Tsukino’s caretaker for the entire day.”

“I am very grateful, and I want to thank you for that. I’ll be really glad if you let me cook for you.”

“Sure, I’m looking forward to it. It’s Tsukino’s cooking after all.”

…well, to tell the truth, I was a little worried.

Until that time, I had been always cooking Tsukino’s dinner, and she probably didn’t have many opportunities to cook herself. The only dish Tsukino could make was meat sauce pasta, and there was a possibility that she would add some strange twist to it.

“So, Yuto, will you wait for me in my father’s room? I want you to eat the food I cook by myself without any help from you today.”

“By yourself…? But Tsukino might get hurt while she cooks. I can watch over her from here right…?”

“No, you can’t. Yuto is worried and want to lend me a hand, right?”

Yes, she was right, she knows me too well.

I quietly went to Tsukino’s father’s room and waited about 30 minutes there, I killed some time by randomly going through my phone.

When Tsukino called me over to sit down at the dining table, I stared at the white rice on the table.

“Perhaps, our main course will be eaten with rice…?”

“Yeah, that’s right, is it that weird?”

“But Tsukino, all you can cook is meat sauce pasta, right? Eating rice with pasta, I think that’s too much carbs…”

“…I knew it, Yuto thinks I can only make pasta.”

Tsukino proudly brought the food to me as I was standing there gaping.

It was clearly not meat sauce pasta.

It was the first dish Tsukino had cooked for me.

“…meat and potatoes?”

“I learned how to cook it really hard. I want Yuto to praise me of how delicious the dish is.”

I was really surprised.

The freshly made meat and potatoes in front of me looked so delicious.

“Do you want to try it? Don’t worry, I didn’t use strawberry jam this time.”

As I slowly put the food into my mouth… I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.

It’s like the first time I ate her meat and potatoes, but it’s not the same.

The potatoes were not overcooked, they were very soft and delicious. The ingredients were seasoned with Japanese seasoning that you will soon be craving for rice.

It was made by a beginner who seemed to start cooking a month ago?

Tsukino who was fidgety looked at me.

“How is it? …what do you think about it?”

“…it’s really delicious. I’m truly impressed that Tsukino made this by herself.”

“Really? Yayyy.”

She was so happy to be praised, Tsukino’s face quickly lit up.

“But when did you learn to cook? I made dinner for you almost every day.”

“Since the day I confessed my feelings to Yuto, I have been learning how to cook secretly in the middle of the night. That’s why I’ve been staying up later than usual lately. You didn’t notice it, did you?”

Come to think about it, when I met Tsukino in the park with Mia a while ago, she looked awfully sleepy.

Was it because she was practicing cooking until late at night?

“I brought some meat and potatoes bento for Yarimizu-san and the rest of the student council, I asked them what could I do to make them tastier you know?”

“I didn’t know… Tsukino, you were cooking seriously.”

“I want Yuto to acknowledge me, not as a childhood friend, but as a girl.”

I turned my attention to Tsukino because of what she said.

“Hinata-san is a very good cook, isn’t she? I thought if I could cook, even just a little, Yuto would turn his attention to me. …I’m glad I worked so hard, because of it, Yuto said my cooking is delicious.”

Because of that reason, Tsukino who was afraid to even hold a knife, made such an effort.

Tsukino knew that I still have some unfinished feelings for my first love.

At that moment, I could feel something hot rising up from deep within my chest. It must’ve been something called passion or love.

Tsukino, the girl who has always been so close to me—was so single-minded.

“…If there is a girl who is really good at cooking, I don’t even know if I will like that girl or not. The girl I liked, Hinata just happens to be a good cook. That’s all there is to it.”

Tsukino didn’t say anything, she just stares at me and let out a small laugh.

I clenched my fists tightly.

“But how can I hate a girl who is so pure and worked that hard to impress me? …thanks for that Tsukino.”

“…maybe, Yuto is embarrassed?”

“Ah, that’s not good. The only girl who would cook for me is Tsukino. Well, Hinata cooks for me as well, but she is my family…”

“Hmm… a girl huh?”

Tsukino let out a giggle and a smiled.

“The meat and potatoes are getting cold. Let’s eat it together.”

“…yeah.”

The taste of the meat and potatoes were really delicious, but I was really nervous then that I couldn’t really taste them anymore…

It was really strange.

Since I was little, it’s only natural for me to be near Tsukino. I thought that relationship would stay the same and continue to be just like that.

But that time, my mind was so unsettled.

“I guess because I’m with Yuto all day, time seemed to go by so fast… Tomorrow is the day you go on a date with Hinata-san, right? Are you ready for it?”

“…I’ve been thinking about it a lot. In case you’re wondering, tomorrow is the first time I go out with Hinata as classmates.”

“I see. Well, I guess we shouldn’t stay up too late tonight.”

Maybe it was just my imagination, but Tsukino sounded very lonely when she said it.

“Hey, can I ask you one last favor?”

“Are you asking it as a childhood friend?”

“I’m asking it as a girl named Tsukino Saya. Yuto promised me that he would do anything he can to fulfil all my requests. Then I have another favor to ask.”

Then Tsukino told me her request shyly, but sweetly.

“…can I sleep with Yuto tonight?