I'll Take Nanase-san, Who Is Small And Adorable, Away From Her Cheating And Clueless Ex And Make Her Happy. - Chapter 291: Hiyori-san, Me, and the Joy of Devotion.

Hiyori-san, Me, and the Joy of Devotion.

“Here you go, your lunch. Let me know what you think later, okay?”

“Wow…! Thank you so much! I feel so bad… you’re doing everything for me…!!”

After we finished our morning walk and arrived at school, just before homeroom started, I handed Hiyori-san her lunchbox.

I’d studied a lot about dieting to prepare it, but since it was my first time making diet-friendly meals, I felt a bit anxious.

Watching us from nearby, Kumakawa-san and Hachimura-san whispered to each other before speaking up.

“Hey, isn’t this usually the other way around? Like, the girlfriend makes a handmade lunch for her boyfriend.”

“Well, the reverse is fine too, but still…”

“Uhhuu…! I do worry about that a little, but there are reasons for this…”

“L-Let’s set that aside for now! Could you check if there’s anything you can’t eat!?”

I didn’t think there was anything Hiyori-san couldn’t eat, but it was better to change the topic to cheer her up.

Watching nervously, I waited as she opened the lunchbox to check its contents.

“Wow! It’s chicken soboro! And there’s konjac too!”

“Yeah. I read that chicken is low in calories, so it’s perfect for dieting. For the sides, I chose things with a good chew to give a feeling of fullness, so I added konjac.”

Today’s menu was chicken soboro over rice, with okra and julienned carrots as sides, plus simmered twisted konjac cooked sweet and savory.

I wasn’t confident about making diet meals, but visually at least, it looked delicious.

“Wow, this is amazing…!! You even thought about the colors – it’s perfect!”

“Wait, Hiyori-san, so you’ve started dieting? I think it’s a good idea. You always ate too much anyway.”

“…But Yuusuke-kun, you woke up early to make all this for me, didn’t you? I’m so grateful… but I feel so bad…!!”

“Don’t worry about it. I wanted to do it.”

That really was how I felt, so I hoped she wouldn’t feel burdened. Besides, even my mom had said, “I’ll join Hiyori-chan on her diet too!” looking motivated, so it felt like this created a good opportunity.

Even if I wasn’t making Hiyori-san’s portion, I’d be making lunchboxes for myself and my brothers anyway… I explained this, and Kumakawa-san nodded in approval before saying,

“Wow~! This is something, huh! Ogami-kun, you’re definitely going to make a great husband someday~!”

“Or rather, a great dad, don’t you think? He looks after his wife, loves his kids, and he can cook too – what more could you want?”

“That’s… you’re praising me too much. There are so many things you can’t know until you actually become a husband or a father. I still have a long way to go.”

Their compliments were nice, but honestly, I still had a lot to learn.

I could do these things because of my family’s support, and it’s not like I can handle everything on my own.

As I said that humbly, Hiyori-san spoke up to counter my words.

“But still, you’re doing all these things for me. I don’t think that would change even after getting married. I’d want to do things for you too… I think it’s the same for both of us, right?”

“Well, yeah… I think I could be a good boyfriend and a good husband.”

“Uhuu…! These two… they’re just casually talking like they’re definitely going to get married someday…!!”

“Maybe I should start calling them brother-in-law and sister-in-law from now on…?”

“Reika, hold it right there. You’re not even dating Ogami-kun’s little brother yet, so saying stuff like that just makes you sound unhinged.”

Where did her self-proclaimed “cool, stylish, big-breasted older sister” persona go?

Well, I thought that side of Hachimura-san was charming too, so I didn’t bother to point it out.

And so, with my help on the dietary front as well, Hiyori-san’s diet continued to progress steadily.