The Charm of the Popular Beautiful Succubus in Class Doesn't Work on Me ~ For Some Reason, This Beauty Keeps Trying to Hold My Hand ~ - 25

Chapter 25: I’ll Make Rice Porridge

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“Michihito-kun!”

“He-Hey…”

As soon as I entered the classroom, Sarashina rushed over to me. She never acted like this before. I was so surprised by her action that I ended up giving her a curt response. Kokubun’s words lingered in my mind. 

“I think Sarashina already ‘likes’ you.”

The impact of his words was now hitting me like a delayed body blow. The more I tried not to think about it, the more those thoughts refused to leave my mind. My effort was backfiring on me. I talked to Sarashina in an excited tone to avoid letting her know how awkward I was feeling.

“Man, yesterday was a total mess, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“Were you able to get home okay after that?”

“Yeah…”

Huh? Sarashina… She doesn’t look like her usual self. Normally, she’d retort back with something like, “Stop treating me like a kid!” But now…?

“What’s wrong? Could it be… You’re feeling unwell?”

“Isn’t that you, Michihito-kun?! You’re the one who should be feeling unwell!”

Sarashina snapped back almost immediately the moment she heard my words. She raised her voice without any regard for the people around us. I was taken aback, this was so unlike her usual behavior. 

“Wa-Wait… Calm down. Everyone is staring at us.”

Panicked, I tried to calm her down. Looking around the classroom, I noticed a few classmates were watching us curiously, seemingly having caught on to Sarashina’s unusual behavior. When I shifted my attention back to her so I could calm her down, I saw she looked like she was about to burst into tears. Her lips were tightly pressed together, her shoulders trembling slightly. 

“Don’t think you can fool me when you look that pale…”

“Huh…?”

“I’m not that stupid or oblivious, okay? I wish you would’ve just told me if you’re feeling unwell.”

“Ah, no, this is…”

“Sorry. It’s all my fault…”

Her voice was trembling, as if it might fade away at any given moment. 

Ah, I knew it. I couldn’t hide the fact that I wasn’t feeling well. I had suspected as much. The chills had been getting worse and my fever was rising too. And sure enough, Sarashina was the type to blame herself for something like this. I had predicted that much, but yeah… Forcing myself to come to school had clearly backfired  on me. 

Come on, hang in there a little longer, my body. Don’t make a girl wear that kind of expression on her face. 

“No, this isn’t your fault at all, Sarashina. It was something I decided to do on my own volition.”

“But still…”

“Cheer up, will you? Seeing you like this is only making me feel down too.”

“Then…”

“Hm?”

“Is there anything I can do for you? If it’s something I can do, I will do it. I will do anything. I want to at least make up for it somehow.”

I was caught off guard by Sarashina’s sudden suggestion. Even if she said “anything” out of the blue like this, there was no way I would take advantage of her when she looked like this. And yet, she was looking up at me with pleading eyes, looking desperate to do something. Well, Sarashina was the type who wouldn’t back down once she had said something after all. 

Alright. I guess I can play along and crack a joke or two to dispel this heavy mood.

“When it comes to colds, of course….”

“Of course…?”

“Of course you need the infamous ‘rice porridge event’!”

“Rice porridge….?”

Indeed. The “rice porridge event” was the classic trope in light novels and the like, where a girl took care of a sick boy and served him homemade porridge. Just the fact that a girl was nursing you back to health was enough to make otaku boys across the country shed tears of joy, but added a lovingly prepared porridge in the equation? It was a dream come true for otaku boys! Top it all off with the infamous “Let me feed you. Say ah~,” and it was guaranteed to leave you writhing in delight. Yeah. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was the ultimate fantasy for guys. 

However, Sarashina didn’t seem to get it. She tilted her head to the side, looking confused and thoroughly unconvinced. Well yeah, I guessed this reaction as much. Sure, the “rice porridge event” might be a staple in light novels and anime, but if you asked me whether this kind of event could actually happen in real life, the answer would be a resounding “NO.”

First off, it was highly unlikely for a girl to go to a boy’s house so casually like that. On top of that, making a homemade porridge meant the girl would need to use the kitchen in the boy’s home. In light novels, the protagonist often lived alone, but in reality, it was incredibly rare for a high schooler to live by themselves. At least, I had never met anyone like that. In other words, the “rice porridge event” was nothing more than an otaku’s wistful fantasy. 

Even someone with a high sense of responsibility like Sarashina would laugh it off with a “There’s no way I can do that!” when I proposed something as ridiculous as this. 

“…I will do it. I will make you rice porridge.”

“What?”

“If it will make you happy, Michihito-kun… Then I will do it. I will make you rice porridge.”

“Huh? Huh??? Wait, hold on, Sarashina.”

Sarashina’s unexpected answer left me completely flustered. 

“I may not look the part, but I’m really good at cooking. I think I can make delicious rice porridge. I just need to add green onions and ginger to warm you up and maybe add egg to make it nutritious… Or maybe I could add a little miso as a secret ingredient… (muttering)…”

Sarashina muttered to herself with a serious expression on her face as she started listing off ingredients for the porridge. She looked like she was ready to dash off to the supermarket to buy everything she needed at any second now. 

Wait… Did I make a mistake here…?

“No, I mean, sorry… I was just joking.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, my mom is home, so…”

“Huh???”

Sarashina seemed to immediately grasp the situation. The worried expression she had been directing at me vanishes in an instant, replaced by a look of sheer anger, as though her right hand might come flying at me any moment. Her shoulders were trembling as she glared daggers at me. Her ears were so red it seemed like she might burst into flames.

“Ummm… So… Should we take this opportunity to discuss why so many light novel protagonists live alone?”

“You….”

My desperate attempt to salvage myself ended in vain. Sarashina’s voice, older than ice itself, echoed through the classroom.

“Y-Yes! What is it…?”

“Returning my benevolence with a difficult to understand joke… I’m sure you’re prepared to face the consequences, right?”

“No, wait! Sarashina, I’m still sick!”

“If you’re sick, then get out of here right now!”

She pointed sharply toward the  hallway with unwavering authority.

“Y-Yes, as you command!”

And just like that, I was forcibly sent home even before the first period began.

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