When I Started a Food Delivery Part-Time Job, I Ended up Being Invited to the Home of a Gloomy, Clumsy Beautiful Girl - Chapter 16: Grocery Shopping

Chapter 16: Grocery Shopping

Dinner after the sweets showdown.

When we ordered through UberMeats, the delivery person who showed up was none other than Nina Nikawa, the senior I’d helped with a bike issue a while back.

Her large chest barely concealed, she flashed a friendly smile.

“Hey, it’s Aizawa-kun!”

“Been a while, senpai. How’s the bike holding up?”

“It’s great! I took it to a shop and got it fixed properly after that!”

“Glad to hear it.”

A flat tire in the middle of a delivery—a worst-case scenario.

But by lending her my bike, she’d been able to keep working.

“By the way, you live in a fancy place like this!? And with a huge order!”

“Haha… it’s not my place, just some complicated circumstances…”

As I explained—

“Aizawa, what’s taking so long?”

“Hurry up and bring it already!”

Two beautiful girls peeked out from the living room, urging me on.

“Ooh, Aizawa-kun, you’re killing it~”

“Please, don’t get the wrong idea!”

“Hmm… oh, right! I still owe you for last time, so I’ll treat you to a meal sometime! Golden Week starts tomorrow, right? I’ll hit you up when the timing’s good!”

“Whoa, you don’t have to—I mean—”

Before I could finish, Nina-senpai placed the order items at the entrance, waved her hand, and chirped, “Gotta finish some deliveries, so see ya!” before leaving brightly.

“…She’s kinda pushy.”

Sighing lightly, I carried the food to the living room, only to be met with Yukishiro-san and Shido-san’s damp, accusing stares.

“Aizawa, who was that?”

“You really have no standards, do you!?”

“No, no, it’s a misunderstanding! I just met her by chance a while back… She’s an UberMeats delivery person, a senior at our school. Her name’s Nina Nikawa.”

Facing their sour moods, I hurriedly explained.

“…Her boobs were big.”

“You scum!”

“Wait, wait! You’re focusing on that!? Sure, they’re big, but—”

“Boobs, huh.”

“You pervert scum!”

“Enough already! Let’s just eat!”

Unable to endure being the only one blamed, I forced the meal to start.

But even then, Yukishiro-san kept muttering “boobs, boobs,” and Shido-san kept repeating “pervert!”—making the dinner awkwardly tense until the end.

◇◇◇

The next day, Golden Week began.

I kept up my UberMeats job as usual. Holidays mean more earning time, so I could work efficiently.

But an even bigger change was afoot—Yukishiro-san’s diet overhaul.

Originally, I was only supposed to cook dinner three days a week.

But I started wanting her to see real results, and now I was thinking about cooking every day if possible.

It was just the first day.

Yet, my desire to support Yukishiro-san was growing stronger.

…Not because she’s cute. Yeah, definitely not.

And today, an unexpected event awaited.

Yukishiro-san decided to come along for grocery shopping.

Since she’s covering the costs, it made sense, but I was fine paying upfront.

Still, when she insisted on joining, we set a meeting spot and headed to the supermarket together.

“Aizawa, did you wait long?”

“Nah, just got here.”

After finishing my UberMeats shift, I’d gone home, showered off the sweat, and headed out.

We met near the supermarket, and when I saw Yukishiro-san, I caught my breath.

A black turtleneck paired with blue jeans.

A black cap pulled low and white sneakers—a simple outfit.

Yet her model-like appearance elevated it, turning casual clothes into a refined style.

When the base is that good, even ordinary clothes look special…

I felt a mix of awe and admiration.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

And so, we walked toward the supermarket.

“What’s for dinner?”

Yukishiro-san asked as I pushed the shopping cart.

“Something classic—hamburgers, maybe. You can make them without meat.”

“Hamburgers!”

Her eyes instantly sparkled.

…Lately, I’ve noticed she reacts the same way to any dish I mention.

“Of course, that’s not all. I want you to eat plenty of vegetables to lose weight healthily. Meat’s fine too, in moderation.”

“Huh… I can eat meat?”

Most people would question that.

But I know she trains daily.

Muscles need protein to grow. By eating meat for protein, her body can improve from the inside, making her training more effective.

“Yeah. Mostly lean cuts like chicken breast, though. I don’t want your efforts to go to waste.”

“Aizawa, you know so much about stuff I don’t.”

“Haha, I’m clueless about plenty too. I haven’t heard about your training routine yet. Wanna tell me about it?”

“I’ll show you my training room later.”

“Thanks.”

Meat, vegetables, seasonings… we piled them into the cart.

Her kitchen had all the tools but no seasonings, so we had to buy everything we needed.

“The cart’s stuffed.”

Both the top and bottom baskets were bursting with ingredients.

Yukishiro-san’s a big eater, but even accounting for breakfast and meal prep, this might not be enough.

“…This feels like we’re a married couple.”

“!?”

Her sudden words made my heart leap.

Feeling my face heat up, I glanced at her—she didn’t seem embarrassed, just spoke plainly.

“Haha… does it look that way?”

Looking around, I saw families and couples shopping together.

To others, we might seem like that too.

But thinking about the deeper meaning behind her words, my heart ached a little.

She carries loneliness from not spending time with her mom. I don’t know much about her dad, but he’s probably not around.

Maybe that’s why Yukishiro-san longs so strongly for a sense of family.

“So, right now… we’re playing house, huh?”

“…That’s a bit of a leap.”

Normally, you’d start with boyfriend-girlfriend.

Her innocent remark had me completely thrown.

—

And then.

“…No way.”

Near the end of our shopping, as we headed to the checkout, a familiar voice reached my ears.

I looked up instinctively—

“Renji…?”

There was my only friend, Renji Aoshima, pushing a shopping cart with his little sister.