After Picking up a Runaway Girl From the Same University on My Way Home From Work, We Started Living Together in Secret - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Epilogue

“This is… my bed, right?”

As soon as I woke up, I found myself staring at Risa’s sleeping face right next to me.

Her peaceful expression still carried traces of innocence.

Her soft hair was scattered messily, with the tips almost touching my face.

The blanket wasn’t covering her, and her sleepwear was disheveled enough to reveal her belly.

Of course, I had no memory of sleeping together.

Before I went to bed, I distinctly remember seeing Risa asleep on her own futon.

Which means… she must have gotten into my bed after I fell asleep.

“Did she crawl in because she was still drunk?”

Considering it was the same Risa who had barged into the bath uninvited, it wasn’t entirely implausible.

Then again, fussing over sharing a bath but not over sleeping in the same bed feels contradictory.

That aside, a delicious aroma was wafting through the air.

There was only one place that could be the source of such a smell.

Careful not to wake Risa, I slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen.

“Thought so.”

The sight that greeted me was a breakfast I definitely hadn’t prepared.

Slightly burnt tamagoyaki, leftover ginger pork from last night, and miso soup with tofu, fried tofu, and green onions.

There was only one person who could have made this.

Risa must have woken up early and cooked it herself.

Whether it was her way of atoning for yesterday, I couldn’t say without asking her, but I appreciated her effort nonetheless.

“You couldn’t even make a sunny-side-up egg properly before. You’ve come a long way.”

I usually try to keep breakfast simple and quick.

If I had made this, it would have been just the tamagoyaki and miso soup, and I’d eat it even if it wasn’t perfect.

A slightly burnt tamagoyaki is still edible.

If the miso soup is too thin, you can add more miso; if it’s too thick, just dilute it.

The ginger pork was leftovers, so reheating it and plating it would suffice.

And I always cook rice before bed, so that wasn’t an issue.

As for why Risa had been sleeping beside me, I could guess.

She probably made breakfast early but wanted me to eat it when I woke up.

Or maybe she just wanted me to see her effort.

So she waited for me to wake up and fell asleep next to me in the meantime.

That’s most likely what happened.

If not for the breakfast, I might have thought she had just crawled into my bed in a half-asleep state. Considering her past actions, I wouldn’t have been surprised.

Like yesterday’s bath incident…

“Let’s not go there. That’s a bad idea.”

I forcibly pushed the image of her bare skin and that little square box from my mind.

Even if I wasn’t at fault, recalling it made me feel overwhelming guilt.

Also, I didn’t want to risk acting weird when I faced Risa later.

“For now, I’ll get dressed before she wakes up. The bathroom might get busy later since she made breakfast.”

With that thought, I returned to the room, grabbed some clothes from the closet, and began changing.

On the bed, Risa stirred.

“…Mmm… aah.”

A faint groan escaped her lips.

The bed creaked softly as her upper body slowly rose.

Through the gap in her bangs, her sleepy eyes met mine.

“Good morning, Risa.”

“Morning… Minato.”

Still groggy, she responded after a brief pause.

Then, tilting her head slightly, she seemed to wonder why.

“…I got up early, made breakfast, and was watching Minato to see when he’d wake up. So why am I the one asleep and you’re the one awake? Is this a dream?”

“It’s reality. I saw the food you made in the kitchen. You probably just dozed off.”

“Good.”

She placed a hand on her chest, relieved.

“But it feels like a waste.”

“What does?”

“Watching Minato’s sleeping face was fun.”

“Please don’t. That’s embarrassing.”

“Not like it changes anything.”

“…You didn’t do anything else, right?”

“I didn’t. I thought about poking your cheek, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

…Do girls find poking a guy’s cheek amusing?

If it were a girl doing it, I might understand, but at this age, isn’t that the sort of thing only lovebirds do?

“Still, making breakfast on your own was impressive. Nice job.”

“I can do it if I try… though it’s thanks to Minato teaching me.”

“I just gave you the basics. The effort to master it was all yours.”

“…I’ll keep working hard. I want to make meals tastier than Minato’s someday.”

“Can’t let you outdo me. I bet Tokiomi-san would love it if you cooked for him, too.”

“Maybe. But most of all, I want Minato to eat my cooking.”

Her words made me happy.

Living alone, you usually cook just for yourself.

But when someone like Risa is around, you start cooking for them, too.

The last time I cooked for someone other than myself was when I let Risa stay over…

“…That meal was pretty similar to this one, wasn’t it?”

“You noticed? It’s the breakfast you made for me when you let me stay over. I couldn’t make it as well as you, though. The tamagoyaki got a bit burnt.”

“A little charring adds character. Did you use salt or sugar?”

“Sugar. You like it sweet, right? I’ve grown to like it too.”

So she even knew my preferences.
Well, if she liked it too, that was fine by me.

“Let’s eat quickly. We don’t want to be late.”

“Yeah.”

After reheating the food, we set it out as usual and said, “Itadakimasu” in unison.

Risa, however, didn’t pick up her chopsticks. She just stared at me.

Her expression was slightly tense.

Was she waiting for me to eat?

I could understand wanting to hear feedback on her first fully homemade meal.

With that, I took a bite of the tamagoyaki.

“It’s good.”

“…I’m glad.”

Hearing my straightforward opinion, Risa visibly relaxed and smiled softly.

Her smile overlapped with the one she had that day.

“…When I took Risa in, I never imagined she’d stay this long. I thought it would just be for a day, but here we are, still sharing meals and living together.”

“I didn’t think it would last either. I figured you’d kick me out eventually.”

“That was the plan at first. But now… well, I don’t mind for now. It’s more fun with two people than alone. Not to say there aren’t downsides.”

“Like yesterday’s bath thing?”

“I’m glad you realize that. It’d be great if you could hold back next time.”

“I’ll try.”

That sounded like the kind of promise people make when they don’t really plan to keep it.

And the fact that I couldn’t entirely dismiss her made me realize I might be a bit too lenient.

After finishing breakfast and cleaning up, we got ready to head to the university.

“Today’s outfit is pretty flashy, huh?”

Risa wore a pink off-shoulder blouse, a black skirt, and matching black knee-high socks—a style often called “landmine fashion.”

Her hairstyle matched, with her hair tied into twin tails on either side and the rest flowing down her back.

It was a look that wouldn’t suit just anyone, but Risa pulled it off perfectly.

“They call this kind of outfit ‘landmine fashion.'”

“Is it a type of Lolita fashion?”

“Not exactly. It’s hard to explain and not worth knowing.”

I see… Fashion is complex.

“Usually, you’d pair it with thick-soled boots, but I stuck with my sneakers. Those boots are hard to walk in, and I don’t like them much.”

She slipped on her sneakers, turned to me, and held out her hand.

“Let’s go.”

Without thinking, I took her outstretched hand, and we stepped out the door.

If there’s one thing that changed when I took Risa in…

It’s this peaceful, happy life I now have.