I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 44: A Meal with My Childhood Friend.

A Meal with My Childhood Friend.

I took a sip of water, moistening my dry lips. A sheen of sweat threatened to form from the tension building in my empty stomach, but I did my best not to let it show on my face.

The reason I was so tense was simple—this would be the first time Tsubame would be eating food I had cooked since she regained her sense of taste.

On Saturday, her meals had all been prepared by her mother. On Sunday, we ate out for lunch and dinner, and her breakfast had been a sandwich made by her mom.

Monday—today—for lunch, she and I both had packed meals. I made mine in the office’s kitchenette earlier in the day, while hers was prepared by her mother.

And now, tonight… it was my turn.

For dinner, I made Bolognese and a side of corn potage.

After she politely said “Itadakimasu,” Tsubame quietly stared at the corn potage. Then, she scooped some with her spoon.

She gently blew on the still-steaming soup before bringing it to her lips.

“How is it?”

She swallowed with a small gulp, looked at me—and smiled softly.

“It’s a strange feeling. It smells sweet, but it doesn’t taste sweet at all. I used to say this was sweet, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. I was honestly surprised when you said that.”

“It must’ve sounded ridiculous. …It feels strange, but I think I like this version too.”

“Thank you. Next time, I’ll try making a sweeter one for you.”

Seeing Tsubame smile like that brought an unconscious smile to my own face. This meal had been my way of trying to redeem myself for past mistakes—but next time, I’d like to make a corn potage more in line with her preferences.

“I’d also like you to try the Bolognese. I’m confident about it, but I’d really appreciate your honest opinion. Taste can be so subjective, after all.”

“Okay, I will.”

Tsubame nodded again and then took a bite of the Bolognese.

The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened slightly.

“Oh—I really like this.”

“R-Really?!”

“Yes. It’s really good. Just my kind of flavor.”

“I-I’m glad to hear that.”

Deep down, I’d been hopeful—but actually hearing her say it made me indescribably happy.

Really… I’m so glad.

Our little exchange was being quietly observed by our mothers. When my mother saw the relief on my face, she started grinning.

“Good for you, Shigure. All that time spent fussing in the kitchen really paid off, didn’t it? ‘Tsubame-chan probably prefers this kind of seasoning’ or ‘it’s hard to get the balance right’—I heard it all.”

“M-Mom…”

“He worked so hard, I had to say something. You’ve always said, ever since you were little, that you wanted Tsubame-chan to one day taste a meal you made yourself.”

The tension I had felt earlier vanished, replaced by the heat rising to my cheeks. My father, sitting beside her, smiled, and I nervously glanced at the girl beside me.

Tsubame’s deep, night-sky eyes were looking right at me.

I instinctively turned my gaze away—but she gently took my hand, stopping me.

“Shigure-kun.”

“…Y-Yeah?”

“It’s really delicious. Honestly.”

“I… I’m glad to hear that.”

“I’d love it if you could cook like this for me every day.”

“O-Oh… but your mom makes great food too, so…”

“I know. But if I’m allowed to be a little greedy, I’d like to alternate between both.”

A single misstep and that could’ve sounded like… a proposal. I was completely at a loss for words.

Our moms were watching us with knowing smiles, but I decided to ignore that for now.

“…If that’s what you want, Tsubame.”

“Yes. I’ll talk to Mom about it. Both of your meals are so delicious.”

Just hearing that made me happy beyond words. But no matter how glad I felt, the heat in my cheeks wasn’t going away.

I cleared my throat once and urged her to keep eating before it got cold.

I kept watching her eat… and Tsubame even went back for seconds. Not just the Bolognese—but the corn potage too.

Of course, she voiced her appreciation now and then, but even if she hadn’t, I could see it in the way she ate—in her pace, in her expressions. That alone was enough to warm my heart.

As we continued dinner, my mother suddenly perked up, as if remembering something.

“By the way, Shigure, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“Oh, right—I haven’t mentioned it yet.”

Her question jogged my memory. I should explain this properly.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be accompanying Tsubame to work. It’s not an overnight thing, apparently. After that…”

“I’ll be taking time off school for work. I don’t want to impose on Shigure-kun too much, so… but if possible, I’d love for you to stay over once in a while.”

Tsubame took over and explained. This year’s Golden Week is kind of broken up—some days off, then a gap, then more holidays. I could afford to take those in-between days off since I’m not behind in my studies, but Tsubame had said she’d prefer I didn’t.

I’d already stayed over last weekend, so it shouldn’t be a problem… and judging by my mother’s expression, she seemed fine with it too.

“I see! Of course, that’s perfectly fine! Your father and I can even treat you both to our cooking.”

“That’s the idea. …Oh, and about the long weekend coming up—I’ll probably be accompanying Tsubame again. We might even have to stay at a hotel, but I’ll talk to you before then.”

“Understood.”

With any luck, Tsubame might get a day off during the holiday stretch. If that happens, we might be able to meet up with Shirao and Setchan again.

I’d check back in once those plans firm up.

“Still… Tsubame-chan really is amazing. I went to a bookstore the other day and there she was—cover after cover, lined up on the shelves. A bunch of my friends are fans too. Of course, I’m a huge fan myself. Having her here like this—it feels like a dream.”

“Same at my workplace,” Dad chimed in. “One of the new hires last year was a die-hard fan. At this point, I think everyone knows her name.”

“Thank you very much. Outside of school, I rarely get to hear that kind of feedback directly, so it makes me really happy.”

That was news to me. I knew she was popular at school, but to be that well-known… Tsubame really is something else.

“All the same, if anything ever gets difficult, you can talk to us. If it feels awkward to bring something up with your mom, you’re welcome to come to us. It might be weird to think of me as your mom, but… maybe like a stepmom—”

“Dear, don’t overwhelm her,” Dad interrupted gently.

Sensing where the conversation might be headed, I stepped in. Tsubame looked briefly puzzled, but then smiled softly.

Looking at her now… her expression really had softened. That made me glad.

“Oh, and by the way, Tsubame-chan—you’re welcome to invite your mom over in the evenings too. I imagine it might be lonely eating alone.”

“Thank you. I’ll talk to her about it… though, she’s a little shy, so I’m not sure.”

“Of course, there’s no pressure. But I’d love to get to know her more—maybe as a fellow ‘mom-friend,’ so to speak.”

Tsubame nodded quietly and returned to her meal.

She finished everything—including seconds—and watching her eat so happily made me truly glad I had cooked tonight.