I Was Reincarnated as a Mob, and After I Kept Listening to the Losing Childhood-Friend Heroine’s Complaints, I Somehow Maxed Out Her Affection Rating - 30

Chapter 30: Hamburg Steak and Lightning

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“Hachoooo…!!”

I let out a sneeze on the sofa without holding back. It was cold. I had come home completely soaked, and since Kaede went to take a shower first, I only wiped myself off lightly with a towel and waited.

Five minutes later/….

“Thanks for waiting.”

“How is it? Isn’t that jersey too big on you?”

“It’s a little big, but… Well, I can manage.”

So much for “managing,” since the sleeves had completely swallowed her hands. Every time she walked, the fabric swayed softly, giving off this dangerously cute vibe.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I mean… The size mismatch is pretty serious.”

“Baggy stuff is cute, okay? And anyway, even my underwear got drenched. That rain on the way back was way too strong!”

“…Ah, right.”

Kaede had already gone to the kitchen and turned toward me while heating a frying pan.

“Yuuta-kun, go take your shower too.”

“Then I’ll take you up on that.”

I slung a bath towel over my shoulder and headed toward the bathroom. I was just about to put my wet clothes into the washing machine when…

“…Huh?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an adorable pink matching set of underwear.

“…This is Kaede’s, right? Wait, then what did she do about changing…?”

What was she wearing under the jersey? 

No, no way—no, no, no—

That line of thinking was dangerous, so I shook my head.

Forget it. I am pure. Wholesome.

With that, I went to toss my own clothes into the machine and froze.

“…Actually… I should wash Kaede’s stuff first.”

Mixing them felt wrong somehow. I couldn’t explain it, but a tiny piece of my sanity whispered, “Keep them separate.” As I started the washing machine, I muttered to myself.

“…Feels like I’m being weirdly considerate…”

Thinking that, I undressed and headed to the bathroom. When I came back to the living room after my shower, I stopped in my tracks. On the table sat simmered hamburg steak, salad, and soup—steam rising from each like a perfect restaurant lineup.

“O-oh… As always, it looks like something from a restaurant.”

“Yes yes, sit, sit.”

Kaede pushed my back with slightly more closeness than usual. Even in that jersey, she somehow carried herself confidently. Her post-bath hair was fluffy and soft-looking—unfairly so. Just as I sat down, she started walking out of the room, then suddenly froze.

“…Ah.”

She was staring at the washing machine, still rumbling away. Kaede stiffened.

“…Did you…See?”

Her cheeks were redder than after her bath, and her eyes looked up at me like a startled small animal. I tilted my head without thinking.

“See what?”

“…!”

She held her breath and then relaxed all at once and pressed a hand to her chest.

“N-nothing! Okay, dinner time!”

Her relief was obvious, but she worked hard to pretend “it was nothing.” I decided not to poke at it. My sanity would not survive. Once I sat down, Kaede picked up a spoon and stared at me intently.

“Hurry and try it! The flavor!”

“Uh… Okay. Thanks for the meal.”

One bite. Yep, delicious as ever. The simmering was just right. Her food was honestly better than many specialty places.

“It’s as delicious as ever.”

At that, Kaede’s ears turned bright red.

“…Th-thank you…”

Her voice was a tone lower than usual, strangely shy. Normally she’d be more like “Right? I know, right?” Kaede picked up her plate, matching her movements to my reactions, and slowly took a bite.

“Hey, hey, today’s one… I simmered it a little longer…”

“Ahh, that’s why the flavor’s deeper.”

“R-really? …Hehe.”

She smiled, but something about her was different. Different, but not in a bad way. While I took another bite, I glanced at her. She fiddled with her chopsticks, sneaking glances at me. She seemed softer than usual. Like she was being more honest. I didn’t know why, but today she felt just a little closer.

I lifted another bite of hamburger toward my mouth—

—DOOOON!!

A crack of thunder shook the windows so hard they rattled, and the whole house jolted.

“Whoa!? That was close!”

I looked toward the window. The outside was white with lightning, rain slamming down like it was trying to break something. When I turned back, Kaede was gone.

“…Huh? Kaede?”

“…Hi… Uuu…”

A faint voice came from under the table.

“H-hey… Are you okay?”

I peeked under to find Kaede hugging herself, trembling deep in the back under the table. Even the ends of her hair were shaking. Ah—right. She’d always been bad with thunder since she was little.

“You okay?”

“No no no no no no…”

Her whisper was barely louder than a mosquito.

“O-okay, I’ll close the curtains. If you can’t see outside, maybe—”

The moment I stood—

—BAAARIIIIN!!

A second strike. Even closer. My heart jumped and at the same moment…

“Kyaaaaah!!”

“W-wait—”

Kaede launched herself out from under the table and dove straight into my chest. She wrapped her arms around me, pressed her head against me, and shook with everything she had.

“No no no no NOOOO!!!”

“H-hey, hey, hey—what am I supposed to do here—!?”

My brain lagged completely. Zero distance. She was clinging to me. Her hair was damp, and she smelled faintly like shampoo…

Oi, oi, oi??? The one who can’t handle this is ME, you know!?

“—!!”

Kaede suddenly froze. She looked at my chest, understood the situation, and her face flushed scarlet.

“S-sorry!!”

She sprang away like a startled rabbit and dashed back to her seat. She sat abruptly and took a bite of hamburger, pretending nothing had happened. In fact, she was pretending extremely poorly….

“…Uh, hey.”

“Y-yes!? Wh-what!?”

“Well, you were shaking like crazy… If it’s too much, then…”

“I-it’s not too much!”

“Which mouth said that!?”

“～～!!”

She covered her face with both hands, red to her ears, squirming. Her spoon clinked against the plate, betraying her panic. Still, she forced herself to act normal and ate bite by bite.

“Um, so… Is the hamburger still warm? Not cold yet?”

She was obviously trying to change the subject. That effort was honestly kind of cute.

“Yeah. It’s good.”

“…R-really…? Good…”

Her voice was softer than before, almost sweet. Her voice was more dangerous to my heart than the thunder. Thunder continued to rumble outside. But after that zero-distance incident… My heartbeat was louder.

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