Can I brag about my very devoted wife to you? - Chapter 1 Part 4

Chapter 1 Part 4 – I thought I’d never experience having a girl say “ahh” to me in my life

TL: Chaos

ED: Riciel

The bath had warmed me up well and relaxed me, but I still felt quite exhausted. As I walked out into the hallway after changing my clothes, I felt the dull exhaustion that came with a cold weighing me down. Hanae Riko had said she would prepare a meal for me, but I didn’t have much of an appetite.

Oh, man.

I didn’t want to leave out the food she had made for me, so what should I do?

I hesitantly opened the door to the living room and the aroma of soup stock drifted in. To my surprise, right after I opened the door, my stomach, which had been as limp as my body, felt as if waking up.

Oh, I might be able to eat some of this…

“Hmm, my blood circulation seems to have improved. But I think I’m still tired, right…?”

While I was murmuring this, Hanae Riko came to my side and looked up at me as if she was peering into my face.

I couldn’t stare back, of course, so I quickly turned away.

… Didn’t I have quite an overly brash attitude by turning away?

“I’m worried about you getting cold, so just go to bed. I’ll bring the ojiya and medicine to the bedroom, so you can rest in bed, okay?” [EN: Ojiya: Japanese rice soup/porridge.]

“Okay, okay.”

It wasn’t all because I was tired, but I’ll let it slide for now. I was urged by Hanae Riko and meekly headed for the bedroom. In fact, I was starting to feel quite sluggish. The thought of getting into bed was such a relief.

After a while, I heard a knock at the door. As I replied, Hanae Riko came into the room with a tray of food and a delicious smell.

She put the tray on the low table beside the bed and arranged the pillows so that I could sit leaning against it. She was so thoughtful. She had a good personality, was kind, beautiful, and could even do housework.

I wonder if she really is a human like me.

As I was thinking about this, Hanae Riko moved her chair from the front of my study desk and sat down next to my bed. On her lap was a tray with an egg ojiya dish, a ginger-scented soup, and a grated apple.

“What do you want to eat first?”

“Um…”

When I told her that I was first attracted to the rice porridge garnished with mitsuba, Hanae Riko picked up a spoon and to my surprise, took a bite of it herself. The steam rising from the ojiya looked hot to the touch. She blew gently on it to cool it down, then looked at me and smiled. [EN: Mitsuba: An aromatic herb.]

“Well then, Shinyama-kun. Please open your mouth. Ahh~~”

“……!”

I finally understood what she meant by ‘helping me eat’. And it was already too late. I had already agreed to it.

“Oh, Hanae-san, that’s…”

“Shinyama-kun, you said earlier that you’d let me help you eat…”

Wait a minute.

Why do you look so sad?

I did indeed ask Hanae Riko for help.

What should I do…?

“Could you say ‘ahh’ for me?”

Are you sure about that …?

Isn’t that disgusting for you?

I didn’t ask you to do that…!

Besides, I’m rather sick…

Oh, that’s right.

it’s not disgusting if I’m sick! 

This isn’t so weird then.

So since I’ve got a cold and I’m weakened… I’m allowed to… feel … good for once, right…?

I was so flustered that I didn’t even realize that my thoughts sounded somewhat obscene.

“Shinyama-kun…”

Please don’t look at me with that downhearted face as if you’re about to start sobbing.

“Okay, okay…”

Yeah. yeah…!

When I awkwardly opened my mouth, Hanae Riko narrowed her eyes as if being relieved. Then the porridge was gently dropped onto my tongue. At that moment, the taste of slightly sweet dashi and egg scented my mouth. It was so delicious. It also made me feel warm and fuzzy in the back of my mind. The porridge was just warm enough, thanks to Hanae Riko’s efforts to cool it down. I savored it carefully, swallowed it, and took a breath to savor the aftermath.

“I wondered if it tasted too thin…”

“No, not at all. It was delicious.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

‘Hanae-san, you’re a good cook, aren’t you?’

I wanted to say that much, but I lacked the courage to put it into words.

“Do you want to try the ginger soup?”

“Oh, I’ll do that myself-“

“No, that’s not nursing. Here you go.”

“Ugh…”

When I froze, Hanae Riko put her hand down once with a troubled look on her face.

“Oh, Shinyama-kun. Don’t get all worked up.”

“But…”

“I think it’s okay to let someone else take care of you when you’re not feeling well. Don’t you think so too…?”

I wondered if this was truly real. I was becoming more and more suspicious of reality. Maybe it was just a dream that I was having because of the fever. Everything didn’t feel so real. In fact, everything that was happening was too convenient for me.

It was a dream coming true that the most beautiful girl in the school came to the house of a plain guy like me and nursed me gently.

So while it’s a bit graphic, isn’t this a dream after all?

I was really starting to think so. But if it’s true that… then let’s just go with what Hanae Riko said.

To tell the truth, it was hard for me not to be happy to be nursed by such a cute girl.

I leaned back against the pillow and let out a deep breath. Then I let my mind go. From that point on, I did what she asked me to and ate all the porridge, soup, and grated apples by hand.

“Which one do you want next? Oh, but don’t overdo it, okay? You don’t have much of an appetite when you have a cold, do you?”

“That’s true. But Hanae-san’s cooking is delicious.”

I was naturally tempted to eat more. I thought I’d never get an appetite, but I felt very happy when eating her food. When I told her it was delicious, Hanae Riko gave me a bashful smile. It was so cute that I was momentarily taken aback. No, this might have been a kind of dizziness caused by a cold, but…

“I’m glad it suited your tastes, Shinyama-kun. Thank you for saying it’s delicious… Hehe, I’m glad. Oh, wait. You’ve got some on you.”

“……”

She was surprisingly considerate and even wiped my mouth with a cloth.

Oh, no. What the hell is this?

I’m so embarrassed, but I’m being filled with another emotion.

No, it’s not the same as being filled.

I mean, yes, this is probably happiness.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m weak from a cold right now, but the more Hanae Riko takes care of me, the happier I feel.

I wonder if it’s okay for me to feel this way.

This has to be a short-lived miracle.

When Hanae Riko returns home after taking care of me, this illusion will disappear. 

But the memory of our happy time together will never disappear from my mind.

I know, this sounds like a pretty cruel thing to say.

But I’m a simple guy who’s probably never going to have a girlfriend in his life, and if I don’t do anything against this, I’ll have to live off this happy memory of today until the day I die.

It might have been a mistake for me to make Hanae Riko spoil me. As I was tormented by such regret, I gradually started to feel sleepy under the influence of the medicine.

Damn, I don’t want to sleep yet.

I don’t want this happiness to end.

I’m not good with girls, but I never thought I’d feel this way…

But contrary to my expectations, the illusion of Hanae Riko did not disappear from my life. It was the next morning when I realized this.