The Story of Becoming a Drinking Friend When I Saved the Cutest Senpai in University - Vol 1 Chapter 10

Tennouji’s POV

I was woken up by the chirping of birds as I crawled out of bed and rubbed my sleepy eyes.

It’s past 7 in the morning. Itomori-kun still reveals his innocent sleeping face in his dream.

“…Ah. Oh no, I have a hangover…”

My head throbbed with pain.

When I went to the kitchen to drink water, the floor had been cleaned neatly before I knew it. He must have woken up in the middle of the night and done it.

“Huh, was this here until yesterday?”

On the counter, there was instant clam miso soup and a sports drink.

There was a note saying, “If you wake up with a hangover, please drink this,” written in his handwriting.

It seems he even went to the convenience store again to buy these for me… Seriously, how kind Itomori-kun.

I put my hands together in thanks for him while he was still asleep and decided to have both.

I drank up the sports drink while waiting for the water to boil and took the miso soup to the sofa.

I looked at the calm sea like a lie yesterday, I poured hot miso soup into my lazy body.

“Haa~~~…”

I couldn’t help sighing at the soothing taste.

I felt a bit embarrassed as if I were being told by my mother, who wasn’t supposed to be here, “That’s improper.”

“Huh? Did I not clean this room?”

I just noticed that empty bottles of sake and mischievous snacks were missing from the table.

Itomori-kun even cleaned this place.

“…There was no need to go that far. I have someone to clean this up.”

Since he is a guest, he would rather not do anything.

My heart fluttered when I imagined him working hard alone in the empty living room in the middle of the night.

He acted in such a way simply because he was kind and polite, but this was my mother’s property.

‘I don’t have a mother either, so I kind of understand what it’s like to want to smile for her.’

I suddenly remembered his words.

I don’t know if it’s death or separation.

But somehow, intuitively, I thought it was the former. There was an indescribable weight and a sort of suffering in his voice at that time.

‘So, please smile until the moment you go home. It’ll make your mom happy, and, well, it’ll make me happy too.’

The words were followed by Itomori-kun’s smile at that time.

The mere thought of it sent a fever to the tip of her ear.

I stood up, fanning my face with my palm, and opened the window.

No matter how much I look beyond the horizon in the sea breeze, I can’t get his face out of my head.

“Well, this is bad… This is definitely bad…”

My heart raced. Flames burned in my chest.

I am not so naive that I don’t understand what this is.

“…I, I’m seriously falling for Itomori-kun.”

From the first time I met him, I thought he was a wonderful man.

He was willing to help me, accept me as I was, and always take care of me. He doesn’t sexually look at me, he’s extremely friendly, and I feel happy and relieved when I am with him.

The most decisive thing was what happened last night.

The back of him diving into the rain and wind while caring about me and my mother… That’s just unfair. After seeing that, it’s impossible to just think of him as a good friend.

“Good morning, senpai.”

When I suddenly heard his voice from behind and turned around, there stood Itomori-kun.

Just as I was thinking of him, the heat of burning my cheeks burned even more.

“Did you notice the sports drink and miso soup? How’s your hangover?”

As he spoke, he smiled, as usual, friendly as ever.

Just that.

Just that, and yet…

“…What is this, it’s way too much.”

Huh? Huh? Huh?

What is this? Did Itomori-kun look this good?

…My heart is racing so much that my head is about to boil.

“What did you just say?”

It’s not just a change from like to love.

Just that small change made me feel so happy seeing his face and hearing his voice that I almost melted and had to turn back to the sea to hide my expression.