Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 271: A Lifetime of Care.

A Lifetime of Care.

The earlier commotion still hadn’t fully died down, but we were running out of time, so the cooking class resumed under Sara-senpai’s calm direction.

I would’ve preferred to wait until everyone settled completely, but the idiot who caused the whole mess in the first place has no right to complain.

And so, with Sara-senpai taking charge once more, my classmates returned to their stations.

The air remained strangely buoyant, though—of course it did. That lightness had started with my own stupidity, and the moment I remembered that, a quiet pang of guilt settled in my chest.

“… …”

“…Dude, what even were we doing just now…?”

“Don’t say it…”

“Aaaah, Sara-senpai just…”

“Sigh… the illusion’s shattered. I might not recover for a while.”

The boys were clearly still reeling from the earlier spectacle. If I’m being honest, that might actually have turned out for the best.

Yet everything—every last detail—had unfolded exactly the way Hanako-san and Kawamura predicted.

Thinking about it left a complicated, slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

Still, if the guys finally understood because of it… all this… then I can at least be quietly happy about that.

“…Man, what a sight.”

“Yeah. When it’s shoved in your face that hard, even an idiot couldn’t stay clueless.”

“…I’m low-key traumatized, though.”

Even so, I’m the one who turned the cooking class into this weird sideshow. I can’t exactly celebrate the situation with open arms.

I decided to stop overthinking and just focus on cooking like everyone else.

Just as I reached for the half-peeled potato I’d abandoned earlier, a slender hand suddenly slid over mine from the side. Gentle pressure guided my hand back down.

…Huh?

“Kazunari-san, you mustn’t touch the food today.”

“Eh? But I’ve barely done anything yet…”

I know Sara-senpai isn’t teasing me—she never would.

There has to be a reason. Still, the cultural festival is coming up, and I already feel useless to the class. I wanted to contribute at least this much.

“Just so we’re clear,” she continued in her usual composed tone, “now that you’ve injured your fingertip, there’s a risk of food poisoning. Moreover… Kazunari-san doesn’t need to learn how to cook in the first place.”

Food poisoning!?

I… hadn’t even considered that.

If that’s the reason, I can’t possibly force my way in. That would only trouble Sara-senpai and everyone else.

This is bad…

“Kazunari already contributed plenty just by arranging this whole cooking session. If anyone complains, they’ll have to deal with me.”

Hanako-san’s backup was sweet—really sweet—and I’m grateful she said it.

But I suspect she only spoke up so I wouldn’t feel bad about being sidelined, and that makes it hard to accept with a completely happy heart.

It’s my own clumsiness that brought us here. I’ve got no one to blame but myself.

“Um, Sara-senpai!! Why doesn’t Takanashi-kun need to learn how to cook!?”

“I get that he helped set this up, but these days even guys can—”

For some reason the girls around us suddenly leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Sara-senpai answered without a trace of hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Because I already prepare all of Kazunari-san’s meals and take care of everything else in his daily life.”

“…Eh?”

“…Hah?”

The girls froze, mouths half-open.

No matter how mature Sara-senpai seems, she’s still a high school girl by age. Anyone would think this goes far beyond what a normal high school girl would say—or do.

To classmates who only know her from a distance, it must sound outright unbelievable.

But for me, someone who actually receives that care every single day, it’s simply… normal.

“Everything…?” one girl managed.

“Yes.”

“So you do all the housework?”

“It isn’t limited to housework. Anything I can possibly do for Kazunari-san… I do all of it.”

“EHH!?”

“Why would you go that far!?”

When asked “why,” Sara-senpai tilted her head slightly, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“Because this is how I love him.”

“““LOOOVE!?!?!?!?”””

In an instant, every gaze in the room snapped toward me—scorching curiosity from the girls, pitch-black envy from the boys.

Sara-senpai has always been direct about her feelings…

“Love…”

“S-so that means… um…”

“Sara-senpai is… in love with Takanashi-kun…”

“Sh-she loves him…”

“Yes,” Sara-senpai said, looking straight into my eyes with the gentlest, happiest smile imaginable. “I love Kazunari-san. That’s why I want to make him happy with everything I have.”

“““!!!!!!!!!!!”””

She shows me—shows everyone—how she feels about me, no matter where we are.

And those feelings are completely mutual. I love her just as much. I want to make her just as happy.

“Uwooo… they’re communicating with their eyes…”

“I can’t even tease them after seeing that…”

“No, at this point we can only root for them!!”

“Seconded!!”

The girls’ excitement veered into completely uncharted territory. Their energy felt… off the charts.

But if it means the girls are on our side, maybe that’s not a bad thing…?

“Come on, Takanashi-kun! Your girlfriend just said she loves you!”

“A real man answers when a girl confesses like that!”

“So how do you feel about Sara-senpai, hmm～?”

“Mfufufufu… this is fun—cough—I mean, we’re cheering for you!!”

…On second thought, this is absolutely a bad thing.

“Everyone, please don’t pressure him like—”

“It’s not pressure at all!!”

The moment Sara-senpai said the word “pressure,” something inside me snapped.

She’d gone this far in front of everyone, and here I was staying silent. That’s just pathetic.

I still have the Miss Contest ahead. If I can’t even declare my feelings here, what right do I have to stand on that stage?

This isn’t because the girls egged me on.

This is my own will.

“…He’s going for it!?”

“Now we’ll see if Takanashi shows us a man… no, a real man’s answer!”

“…My heart’s racing.”

“…Kazunari-san?”

“I love you too, Sara. Exactly the same. I think about making you happy every single day—I swear I’ll make you happy. I might not be able to do much right now, but in the future… someday… I’ll definitely make you happy in my own way!”

I know I’m the one leaning on her kindness right now.

I know our relationship only works because she allows it.

But when someone loves me this much, I have to return that love somehow—even if I still don’t know exactly how.

At the very least, when she shows her feelings so openly, I have to accept them and return them just as openly.

That’s one of the few things I can do for her right now.

Sara-senpai listened in silence, then broke into a smile so radiant it almost hurt to look at.

“I’m truly happy to hear that, Kazunari-san. But you’re wrong about one thing. You said there’s little you can do for me? The reason I feel happy every single day is because you accept me… because you love me.”

“But that’s still not enough for me. It’s selfish, I know, but—”

“Fufu… very well. Then I’ll work even harder to make you happy, too.”

She already spoils me beyond reason. If she does any more, I’ll never be able to repay her even if I spend my entire life trying.

“…This isn’t a high school conversation anymore…”

“…Thank you for the meal!!”

“…I never knew Sara-senpai was this sweet…”

“No, she’s only sweet to Takanashi.”

“To every other guy she’s pure spice.”

“…Hey… how long do we have to watch this…?”

“…It’s starting to hurt…”

“So basically Sara-senpai is head-over-heels for him!?”

“…Unfair…”

“…Please, just start the cooking already…”

“Dear, I get how you feel, but going overboard isn’t good. What if Kazunari turns into a man who can’t do a single chore?”

Hanako-san, who’d been watching quietly until now, finally cut in with a wry smile.

That… actually hits a sore spot. Ever since Sara started handling everything at home, I’ve stopped doing housework completely. I used to do a little, at least…

If I keep relying on her like this, I really will become useless. The thought scares me a bit.

“There’s no problem at all,” Sara-senpai replied instantly, utterly unshaken. “If Kazunari-san leaves all the housework and care-taking to me, I would want nothing more.”

She never wavers. Not about anything.

But the conversation was spiraling into absurdity.

Yes, my daily life has become completely dependent on her—that part is true.

But I have no intention of proudly declaring I’ll dump everything on her forever and become a hopeless human being.

“Kazunari will be fine,” Sara-senpai continued, turning to Hanako-san with a soft smile. “You know that too, don’t you?”

“Well… yeah.”

Phew. Good.

For a moment I thought they both saw me as a lost cause.

“Ah, Kazunari-san.” Sara suddenly looked up at me, eyes sparkling. “Even if the worst happens and you truly become helpless… there’s no problem at all. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life♪”

It sounded like a joke, but knowing Sara-senpai, it absolutely wasn’t.

Which means I really, really cannot allow myself to become that useless.

“Um, Sara? Even I can at least—”

“For life!?”

“Uwaa… that’s way too heavy…”

“My boyfriend just dumped me last week and here they are talking about forever…”

“But that’s how it is, right? Talking about a lifetime together at our age is…”

“Please don’t misunderstand,” Sara-senpai said calmly. “We are fiancés, not merely boyfriend and girlfriend. We are already moving forward with our future in mind—of course marriage is part of that future. So speaking of a lifetime together is not an exaggeration in the slightest.”

She’s right. We’re lovers and engaged to be married.

That’s why talk of the future comes naturally—and I even chose my career path with marriage in mind.

We’re fully aware we’re far removed from a “normal” high school couple.

I don’t expect our classmates to swallow it easily.

But for me… spending my life with Sara is exactly what I want.

“Ah…”

“So that’s it… Sara-senpai and Takanashi-kun are…”

“Right, they’re getting married. So they’re not thinking like us at all.”

“…I suddenly feel like I’m talking to adults.”

Honestly, when the topic first came up, I thought it was heavy too.

So I don’t blame the girls for feeling the same way.

I’ve long since stopped feeling any weight at all. Now it feels completely natural—like it’s the only possible future.

“Either way, Kazunari will be fine. If my future wife is ever in trouble, big sis will be there. Looking after my little brother is my job. I’m studying housework too, so no worries.”

“Hanako-san… I have absolutely no intention of handing Kazunari-san’s care over to another woman.”

“There might be times you need help. When that happens, just leave it to me.”

Wait a second. Didn’t you both just agree I’d be fine!?

Why are you suddenly planning around the assumption I’ll be helpless!?

“Please don’t say the same things my mother does, Hanako-san. She’s always insisting I leave everything to her if anything comes up…”

Mayumi-san… really says that to Sara?

I can perfectly picture her gleefully swooping in the moment she spots an opening. She’s just as much of a caretaker as her daughter—maybe even more so.

“…Wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law all completely devoted to Takanashi-kun!”

“…Something about that phrasing is off, but I totally get it…”

“…This is insane…”

“…Damn it, Sara-senpai alone was unfair enough, but Hanako-san and that gorgeous mom too…!”

“…Damn damn damn damn!”

“…I feel sad remembering how excited I was this morning…”

“…Just let us go home already…”

“In any case,” Sara-senpai declared with finality, “taking care of Kazunari-san and our home is the duty of his future wife—me. I will not yield that role to anyone. Discussion closed. Now, let’s continue the cooking lesson.”

Perhaps because even Mayumi-san’s name had come up, Sara-senpai looked mildly fed up and forcibly ended the conversation.

Well, it had been about to turn into an official certification of my uselessness, so maybe letting it’s better to let it drop…

……………

………

…

“Uwoah, insane!?”

“How is it that perfect!?”

“She’s a pro…”

“As expected of Sara-senpai…”

“Uooooh, looks so good…”

“Ahh, I wanna eat it… I could die happy after one bite…”

“That’s… Sara-senpai’s handmade omelette rice…”

“Why does it look like it’s glowing…?”

“We’ll never get to eat it anyway, so at least burn the image into our memories…”

In the end, Sara-senpai went around to every table, giving precise instructions while somehow still acting as the perfect teacher.

I could only watch from the sidelines, but everyone gradually got into it; the random chatter died down, and they started taking the lesson seriously.

Before we knew it, every group had finished something resembling a dish. Sara-senpai checked them all… then suddenly started making omelette rice right beside me.

Which brings us to the present.

“Here you are, Kazunari-san. The omelette rice is ready. How is it?”

“I’m… speechless. It’s incredible. I’m genuinely moved.”

“Fufu. Hearing that from you makes all my practice worthwhile.”

She says it’s just the result of Mayumi-san’s rigorous training, but I can easily imagine how much effort went into reaching this level.

Actually, this was my first time watching Sara cook from start to finish (she’s very much a “men stay out of the kitchen” type in real life), so seeing ingredients flow together so smoothly left me in honest awe.

“Now then, everyone, please taste your own dishes. Feel free to share with the people around you as well.”

“““Yeees!!”””

At Sara-senpai’s command, my classmates responded like excited elementary schoolers and hurried back to their seats, immediately starting to sample each other’s creations with cheerful chatter.

“…Mmm, delicious!”

“…I never managed anything this good at home…”

“As expected of Sara-senpai… she even has skills like this…”

“Maybe the rumor that she can do anything is true…”

But in the end… I didn’t get to cook at all…

“Kazunari-san, say ‘ahh’.”

Chomp

Munch munch…

Haa… so delicious… so delicious I took the bite on pure reflex!?

“…He didn’t even hesitate!?”

“That was an insanely natural ‘ahh’…”

“No way that’s not practiced…”

“Uooooh…”

“How much longer are you two gonna flirt!? Seriously, give us a break!”

“The class is over, right!? Let us go home…”

“I want to punch my morning self for being so excited…”

“How is it, Kazunari-san?”

“Delicious—no, beyond delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

Sara-senpai smiled happily at my honest reaction.

Right. She made this for me.

If I keep sulking over my own mistake, I’ll only make her feel bad.

Switch gears, me.

“Kazunari-san… I’m sorry. This is my fault…”

“Sara, please don’t say that. Getting hurt and missing the class—that was all because of me.”

See? Too slow. Idiot.

Because she’s so kind, she ended up blaming herself for me not being able to participate.

But none of this is her fault. If anything, I’m the one who should apologise.

“Yes… I understand. Then at least allow me to make it up to you?”

“Make it up?”

I don’t know what she means, but if it’s something Sara wants to do for me, there’s no universe in which I’d refuse. And if it helps ease her mind, I’ll happily accept.

“Yes. You injured yourself, after all…”

For some reason her expression looked like a mixture of worry and… delight? Wait, no way—

“So please leave everything to me♪ Nursing an injured husband is an important duty of a wife, after all.”

“You’re not his wife ye—”

“True, right now it’s only practice. Which is exactly why I must actively gain experience with unexpected situations—so I won’t be flustered after we’re married.”

Hanako-san’s retort was effortlessly parried with (seemingly) flawless logic.

Sara-senpai looked extremely eager, and whether it was an excuse or not, the option of refusing her had already vanished.

“…‘Husband’!? ‘Wife’!?”

“Hey… something’s been bugging me for a while…”

“…Yeah?”

“…Sara-senpai takes care of absolutely everything for Takanashi-kun, right? Where does she do that?”

“…At home, obviously… wait.”

“And when she says she’ll nurse him… where exactly is she going to do that?”

“…Takanashi-kun’s… house?”

“…I heard Takanashi-kun lives alone, though…”

“““…………EHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!???”””

Twice in the past, when I was injured, Sara gave me absurdly thorough care.

It was intense, but that was before we were engaged.

This is just a tiny cut, so surely she won’t go that far (banning me from holding chopsticks, for instance)… but her mindset is definitely different now than it was back then.

In other words… I should probably brace myself.

Especially… for bath time!

“Anyway, I’ll be feeding you the entire omelette rice. Here, say ‘ahh’.”

Chomp…

Munch munch…

Well, for now… this is fine.

If I’m happy and Sara is happy, that’s all that matters.

If I get to see her smile like this, nothing in the world could be better.

“It’s delicious.”

“Fufu… it’s full of my love, after all.”

“Haha, yeah. I can really taste it.”

“Really, Kazunari-san♪ Here, ahh—”

“““ENOUGH ALREADYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”””

And so, the cooking class—which had been wrapped in screams and pandemonium from start to finish—closed on one final, resounding chorus of male despair.

Just to be clear, none of this was on purpose. I wasn’t trying to rub it in or land a finishing blow.

Everything happened purely out of sincere feelings and completely natural developments.

In other words… it was all unavoidable. Yeah. Totally unavoidable.