The Issue of Why I'm Frequently Mentioned in Conversations Among S-Class Beauties ~Please Stop Fabricating Things I Have No Memory Of~ (Dropped) - Chapter 19: Dinner with S-Class Beauty ②

Chapter 19: Dinner with S-Class Beauty ②

As Haruya began to eat Yuna’s cooking, his chopsticks never stopped moving. The flavors of the juicy pork and sweet and savory sauce of the ginger pork spread throughout his mouth as he took a bite. Haruya realized that Yuna’s homemade ginger pork was far superior to the frozen foods he’s been eating.

The seasoning was a little strong, but Yuna probably intentionally seasoned it that way to enhance the compatibility with the rice.

“How is it?” Yuna asked with a slightly anxious look as she watched Haruya devouring the food silently.

“It’s delicious…” Haruya replied with an unremarkable comment.

“Thank you,” Yuna said, her lips curling up slightly. Seeing Haruya continue to eat without stopping, it was evident that she had won over his taste buds. It was reassuring and happy for Yuna to hear him say “delicious” out loud.

As Haruya picked at the white rice with his chopsticks, Yuna, who had been observing his reactions, finally started eating her own meal in earnest. Haruya picked up his soup bowl and took a sip of the hot miso soup, savoring the subtle flavors of miso and the unique dashi broth that spread in his mouth. Just like the ginger pork, it was a taste that made him smack his lips involuntarily.

(It’s delicious. I didn’t know homemade cooking could be this good!)

Having mostly eaten instant and frozen foods in the past, Haruya was especially moved by the warmth and homely taste of Yuna’s cooking. He realized that he had been wrapped in a sense of happiness while being inwardly impressed with the deliciousness of the food. 

He then noticed that Yuna was looking at him with a blank expression on her face.

“…I’m glad you seem to have liked it.”

“It was so good, I couldn’t stop eating.”

“I can tell by looking. You looked so happy while eating.” 

Yuna, as usual, remained cool and composed, but there was a subtle glimpse of happiness hidden within her seemingly expressionless face. While it was unclear if her cooking was imbued with “love,” she was genuinely pleased to see Haruya enjoying it so much.

Yuna had a soft smile on her lips. When Haruya acknowledged her in this way, he seemed to suddenly realize the mistake he had made.

Unbeknownst to Yuna, Haruya had been thinking something like this internally.

(Wait, wait, wait. I’ve been so absorbed in food that I haven’t been able to give my appreciation to her enough. I didn’t say much about how good the food tasted, and I was mostly silent during the meal… I was making her feel uneasy more than anything, wasn’t I?)

As he looked at the relieved expression on Yuna’s face, Haruya inwardly berated himself. In short, he had not been considerate or thoughtful enough. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he quickly tried to make amends with his words.

“However, I never expected the food to be this delicious.”

“Well, if you reflect on that, you can start cooking for yourself from now on.”

Yuna continued to express her opinion, saying that it was because Haruya usually consumed instant and frozen meals that he felt that way. However, Haruya’s response was different.

Even if Haruya were to cook for himself, it would be difficult for him to create dishes that could impress his taste buds as much as Yuna’s d. Yuna’s expertise in home-cooked meals, accumulated through experience in seasoning, flavor extraction, and ingredient utilization, made a difference.

It was precisely because Yuna’s home-cooked meal was meticulously calculated that Haruya was so impressed. There was no mistake in that, so Haruya promptly denied her words.

“No, even if I were to make it, it wouldn’t be as delicious as this. After all, I was moved by this dish,” Haruya said, slightly delayed, noticing Yuna’s blue eyes suddenly avoiding his gaze.

“…”

Haruya couldn’t help but wonder if he had made her angry with his response.

(…I guess I need to express my gratitude to her more fully.)

Haruya tried to expose his inner feelings that he had been hiding, as Yuna, who was twirling her black hair with her finger expressionlessly, refused to meet his gaze. Some things can only be conveyed when spoken aloud. Surely, her strange behavior was also partly his fault.

Despite feeling embarrassed, Haruya decided to express the following to Yuna, who seemed unsettled and unable to maintain her composure:

How happy he was to be able to connect with someone who also loved shoujo manga so much. How excited he was at the cafe and how his spirits had actually risen. How he was deeply moved by her delicious homemade cooking.

And above all, how happy he was to have “met” her.

When Haruya conveyed these feelings to Yuna with satisfaction, she looked down and became even more agitated.

“Oh no… did I upset her again?”

He blurted out the words because he couldn’t see Yuna’s expression. He had wanted to avoid being disliked by her, now that he had finally found a fellow fan of shoujo manga.

Yuna, who widened her blue eyes in surprise at Haruya’s words, behaved shyly.

“I… I may not be very friendly, but I’m not unhappy or angry or anything.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And also…”

“And also?”

There was a moment of silence. Yuna clenched her lips with a determined expression, her cheeks slightly tinged with red.

“I… I understand your feelings perfectly, and I… I feel the same way too.”

Yuna’s face had a faint blush, and her ears were dyed bright red. Seeing Yuna acting strangely restless, Haruya didn’t know what to say and fell silent.

In the face of Haruya’s continued silence, Yuna spoke up with an undeniable pressure. “I won’t say this again,” she said.