Chapter 3 Part 3 – My wife is the type who praises and encourages me

Translator: Chaos

Editor: Riciel

The day of the field trip.

I woke up an hour earlier than usual to go to the kitchen to help Riko, but to my surprise, I found her already getting ready.

“Hey, Minato-kun…! Good morning. You’re early…!”

Wearing a pale yellow apron over her school uniform, she closed the refrigerator she had been looking into and rushed to my side.

“Good morning. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help… But I woke up too late. Sorry.”

“No! I just woke up too…! – Do you want to help me?”

“I’m not sure if I can…”

Or rather, it is more likely that I will hold you back.

When I told her to freely kick me out  of the kitchen if I were to be in her way, Riko narrowed her eyes and smiled at me amusingly.

“Do I want to kick Minato-kun out? That’s definitely not true. I’m glad we can cook together.”

“Oh, really?”

Yeah! Because… then it’ll look like we’re newlyweds, wouldn’t it?”

Riko liked newlywed-like things. I’m sure that’s what she meant when she had told me she was happy to do such things.

“Then, can you wash the vegetables first?”

“Okay.”

I’m glad.

I can do this much, as expected.

Huh. But is it better to take the time to wash it properly?

Or should I just focus on efficiency and get it done quickly?

The vegetables are from the supermarket, so they don’t look particularly dirty.

But they might still be unsanitary…

…No. I don’t know which is the right answer.

I want to scold myself for thinking that washing vegetables was as easy as it was a moment ago.

It’s best to shamelessly ask…

“I’m sorry, Riko. How much should I wash the vegetables…?”

“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t explain it better…! To clean the vegetables, just give them a quick wash! So if it’s potatoes, for example-”

Riko came up next to me and snuggled in close. Unlike me, who was panicking when our shoulders almost touched, she seemed oblivious to the distance between us as she was distracted explaining.

“It’s like this.”

“O-oh, yeah. I see.”

Thanks to her careful explanation, I was finally able to grasp how to do it. I started to follow Riko’s example, and Riko, who was watching me while I cooked next to her, complimented me on my work.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it! You’re doing great!”

I was just washing vegetables, but when she said that, I suddenly felt more motivated.

“What should I do next?”

“Well, I’ll ask you to cut the vegetables. But before that, let’s use a peeler to peel them.”

“Peeler?”

“That’s the peeler I’m talking about.”

“I didn’t know this tool had a name…”

“Hmm, isn’t that a cute name?”

“Doesn’t… that sound like something from Pokémon?”

“Haha, I get what you mean!”

Riko laughed at my words.

What is this? … This is too much happiness for me…

Helping with the cooking is the best…

Before I started helping, all I had cared about was whether or not I could do it well and whether or not it would slow her down, but now with Riko’s gentle guidance, it’s been nothing but fun.

I felt like humming to myself as I went about my work.

Peeling carrots, peeling potatoes, peeling sweet potatoes.

Then cut them as instructed.

“Wow, Minato-kun, that’s great! You’re good!”

I laughed, feeling embarrassed because Riko was so generous with her praise.

“You’re praising me too much, Riko. I can peel and cut vegetables just like you were taught in elementary school.”

“What? But Minato-kun, you can learn after just one explanation and you’re really good at it. I really think you are amazing.”

When she approached me with a serious face and said, “Minato-kun is really amazing”, I could only reply, “Oh, yes.”

… But I still think Riko is a little lax in her assessment of me, though…

“Also, as well as being dexterous… Minato-kun’s hands are so careful that it makes me nervous when I see them…”

“What?”

“Oh…! It’s nothing…! I’m going to make an omelet…!”

Riko quickly turned her back and began to prepare an omelet at the counter kitchen.

I glanced at the back of her head and thought about it.

… Does it make you nervous if someone is careful with their hands?

Maybe my behavior has made her even a little aware of me…

Oh, no, no, no!

As soon as I became aware of it, my heart began to beat like a rapid-fire alarm, and I began to feel very breathless.

Calm down, me. Calm down…

As I desperately tried to tell myself to calm down, the delicious smell of sesame oil suddenly tickled my nostrils. I looked up and saw that Riko was about to pour eggs into the pan.

The eggs spread out in the pan with a nice sizzling sound. Riko moved her chopsticks with an experienced hand and rolled the egg from one side to the other. After the egg was neatly rolled up and placed into one side of the pan, a thin layer of oil on the other side was applied using kitchen paper, and the egg was poured in again.

The egg was then expertly rolled again.

… Wow, I didn’t know that’s how you make omelets. [EN: This is the Japanese way to make it. The omelet is also known as ‘Tamagoyaki’.]

I also had no idea how you can roll it up so neatly…

It’s like in a magic scene.

I’m sure if I tried to cook it, I’d end up with a soggy mess.

I was so intrigued that I started to look at her with a passionate gaze, until Riko, who had finished cooking the egg rolls, turned around laughing.

“I get nervous when you stare at me like that…”

“…! That’s right. Sorry.”

“It’s not that I didn’t like it, you know? I was just embarrassed… Can you taste my omelet?”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Yes, by all means.”

Then, let’s get started.

I was about to pick up my chopsticks to grab the omelet on the plate, when Riko stopped me and said, “Wait.”

“Hmm?”

“Here you go.”

“……!”

She smiled and happily offered me an omelet she had grabbed with her chopsticks.

Of course, I ate it…

This is…

It’s the first time I’ve had an “Ahh” since getting married; the last time was when I had caught a cold and she had made me eat rice porridge.

It was the second time, but it was still very embarrassing.

But I’m a little bit happy…

I didn’t have time to think unlike the first time.

Now I don’t have the option of refusing Riko’s “Ahh”.

“I’ll take it…”

I opened my mouth, almost boiling with embarrassment.

“Hmm… Wow…”

The soft and nostalgic taste of the omelet was so delicious that it moved me.

“It’s really delicious. I want to eat all of it.”

When Riko heard my words, her expression relaxed as if she was relieved.

If we cook together, we’ll get these benefits…

The joy of being allowed to taste the food.

Riko’s smile.

The special feeling of cooking together in a small kitchen.

I’ve never been interested in cooking and thought it was just a hassle, but…

I can’t believe how much fun it is to be with Riko.

Because I work part-time almost every day, it’s rare that I’m home when Riko cooks, but I’d like to help her when I get the chance.

I know I shouldn’t get carried away, but I’m beginning to feel the urge to enjoy playing newlyweds with Hiko.