I Realized I Was the Cheating Bastard in a Hentai Manga only after I Had Already Stolen the Heroine - 11-12

Chapter 11: Change in My Everyday Life

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~Kyouko Takanashi’s POV~

Before long, Hiiragi-kun had finished everything clean and brought his hands together.

Clap!

“Thanks for the meal. Seriously, that was delicious. How much do I owe you?”

“Fufu, it was nothing special. You don’t need to pay me. Just think of it as me getting rid of leftovers.”

“…No, sorry, but at least let me pay something. There wasn’t a single drop of condensation on the inside of the lid, so that means you cooled the food properly before closing it, right? You even put in antibacterial sheets, and made sure the sauces and juices didn’t mix with the other dishes. It was such a carefully made bento, with the eater in mind. Not paying for this would be practically a sin.”

I was happy. He understood the effort I had put in. He acknowledged it. It felt like my hard work had been rewarded.

“…Still, I don’t need money. Just knowing you ate it and enjoyed it is enough.”

“…C’mon, please! You gave me such delicious food, but if you don’t even let me pay, my conscience is gonna eat me alive. I’ll be stuck with this restless feeling all day. So please, at least let me pay for the ingredients, if only to save me from that!”

“U-umm… If you insist that much…”

“Great, thanks! So, how much would it be?”

“Fufufu, why are you the one thanking me? Hmm… Maybe around 300 yen, I guess?”

“Got it. …Ah, damn. I don’t have any change, so please accept this.”

Hiiragi-kun held out a 1000-yen bill.

No, no, no, no!

“I-I can’t take that much! If you don’t have coins, then it’s fine not to pay at all!”

“C’mon, c’mon, don’t say that.”

Hiiragi-kun took my hand and slipped the money into it.

My heart skipped a beat. Even though his hands were big and looked strong, he touched me so gently.

Unlike Kouta… No, wait, that’s not the point!

“Geez, goodness!”

“Takanashi, you don’t know? In other countries, there’s this thing called a tip. On top of the price, you give extra money for excellent service.”

“This is Japan, you know…”

“Well, it’s fine, isn’t it? Now I can spend the rest of the day with a clear conscience. Ah, I know. If something like this happens again, let me eat another one of your bentos. Think of this extra as covering that too.”

I didn’t even know if there would be a “next time.”

…Oh. But I realized I wanted there to be a next time.

“Hey, Hiiragi-kun, if it’s okay with you, can I come eat here with you again?”

“If you don’t mind, Takanashi, I’d welcome it.”

“…Also, um, sometimes… Can I make you a bento too?”

“…Really? For me, that’d be more than welcome, but…”

“Yeah! Not every day, but sometimes, okay?”

“Got it. Then I’ll look forward to it. Ah—should we exchange contact info? If you let me know in advance, I can prepare some coins too.”

“Y-yeah! Let’s exchange contact information! I’ll message you when I make one! Ah, but no tip next time, okay?”

“Hahaha, got it.”

And so, about once a week, I started having lunch with Hiiragi-kun. And every other time, I made him a bento. For me, those moments became something I looked forward to. While living my usual everyday life, I came to treasure those occasional meals with Hiiragi-kun. Gradually, the number of times increased, but he always welcomed me with a smile.

We talked about all sorts of things. I even… Ended up learning that Hiiragi-kun had a sex friend. He said it wasn’t really lunch table talk, but I was too curious and asked anyway. I had always thought “sex friends” were something sleazy and corrupt, but strangely enough, I didn’t feel any disgust toward him. Listening to him, I could understand clearly that their relationship was based on mutual respect and agreement.

I even got the contact information of his partner, Yuuka-san. It was embarrassing, but… When I confessed to Hiiragi-kun that I was actually pretty perverted, and curious about sexual things, he said it might be awkward for me to ask a guy, so he arranged for me to talk with Yuuka-san instead.

Honestly, part of me secretly hoped that if I said something like that, he might just push me down then and there. After that, I talked with Yuuka-san too, and even met her directly. The details of her and Hiiragi-kun’s play were incredibly stimulating.

Before I realized it, my “material” for masturbating had shifted from celebrities and manga characters… To Hiiragi-kun himself.

I’m way too much of a pervert…

Around that time, I started calling him Shuuya-kun. And.. Everyday was so much fun. 

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Chapter 12: Unchanging Everyday Life

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~Kyouko Takanashi’s POV~

“Hey, where’ve you been going every lunchtime lately?”

“Well, even you go eat with your friends sometimes, don’t you, Kouta? I also want to eat with my friends sometimes, you know?”

I was eating lunch with Kouta that day. Recently, I’d been eating with Shuuya-kun more often than with Kouta.

“Yeah, but… Your bento’s kinda plain lately…”

“Listen, I’m not trying to act superior or anything, but making these is a lot of work, you know? Why don’t you try making one every day, Kouta?”

“Alright, alright… I’ll eat it…”

Lately, these kinds of exchanges with Kouta had become more frequent. By the way, Kouta’s bentos had been mostly frozen stuff, but I’d been making more homemade ones for Shuuya-kun. Still….

“Oi, Kyouko! Let’s head home!”

“Oh, yeah. I’m coming.”

I was still spending time with Kouta.

【Please look after Kouta, okay?】

I know. I owe them a lot, after all. I’ll make sure to take care of Kouta properly.

Lately, Kouta’s physical affection had increased. On the train, he’d hold my waist, saying it was dangerous if I were out of his sight.  During our walk to school, he’d suddenly grab my hand and start running, saying we’d be late.

Maybe he was panicking since I had been a bit distant. Maybe he was worried I might start to drift apart from him. What a ridiculous overreaction. At the very least, I didn’t have any plan on going anywhere until I repaid him for everything he and his family had done for me.

Sometimes, whether by accident or on purpose—probably on purpose— he’d lightly touch my butt or chest. Being touched by Kouta didn’t make me uncomfortable but it didn’t excite me either. In short, I felt nothing. I simply just accepted it.

And then, that day…

“So, um… We’ve been together for a long time, right? And, uh, I was thinking…How about we start dating?”

…This was probably a confession, wasn’t it? I didn’t have any romantic feelings for Kouta, but.

【Please look after Kouta, okay?】

I simply. Just. Accepted it.

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