When I Started a Volunteer Nursing Service, All the Beautiful Girls in My Class Suddenly Became Gloomy - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Let’s Make Hamburger Steak

“…Sorry for intruding.”

This is my second time coming to Ichinose’s house.

The simple interior is the same as before, along with the rooms that don’t feel lived in.

There’s only the bare minimum furniture, and the TV is small too.

The only thing on the table is one paperback book that looks like she’s in the middle of reading it.

It’s the same as last time.

But today for some reason the room feels a little softer.

“…Amamiya?”

“Oh, uh, nothing.”

I adjust the supermarket bags in my hands to cover up that I was spacing out.

“I’ll use the kitchen.”

“…Yeah.”

Ichinose gives a small nod and tucks her wet bangs behind her ear with her finger.

That move looks oddly grown-up, so I look away without thinking.

I head to the kitchen and open the fridge.

It’s simple inside, just like I thought.

There’s some drinks, jelly, and a few convenience store rice balls she probably bought randomly.

“…Do you eat properly?”

“I do.”

“You definitely don’t eat properly, do you?”

“…You caught me.”

A small voice comes from behind.

When I turn around, Ichinose is watching me from the kitchen entrance.

“But today I’ll eat properly.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

“…Because you’re the one making it, Amamiya.”

The way she says it is so natural.

For a second I don’t know what to say back.

It’s like…

She really trusts me.

“…When you put it that way it makes me nervous.”

“Hehe.”

Ichinose laughs softly.

Then she peeks into the supermarket bags I brought.

“…You’re really putting cheese in.”

“Since we bought it and all.”

“I’m looking forward to it…”

Her voice when she says that sounds bouncy like a kid’s.

I take out the ground beef and put it in the bowl.

When I start chopping the onion, I feel her staring hard from behind.

“…What?”

“I’m just watching.”

“I can tell, but…”

Ichinose leans against the kitchen entrance and quietly watches my hands.

At school she doesn’t show much emotion, but right now she looks like she’s in a pretty good mood.

“Is it that unusual?”

“…I don’t see this kind of thing very often.”

“Cooking?”

“Yeah.”

Her answer is small.

But Ichinose keeps watching everything — me frying the onions, mixing in the breadcrumbs, all of it.

“It’s dangerous so please don’t get too close, okay?”

“…Okaaay.”

Her reply is honest.

But a few seconds later she’s somehow standing right next to me.

“You’re too close.”

“…I can’t see.”

“You really have a kid reason like that?”

“I do.”

She says it with a straight face so it’s hard to argue.

Plus she’s really close.

When she stands so near our shoulders almost touch, I get weirdly aware of it.

“…Amamiya.”

“Yeah?”

“The onion.”

“Huh?”

“Your eyes are red.”

“Oh… it just stings a little.”

“Hehe.”

Ichinose laughs softly.

Then she starts staring hard at the hamburger mix I’m kneading.

“…I want to try too.”

“Huh?”

“This.”

She points at the bowl as she says it.

“That’s fine but… your hands will get dirty?”

“…It’s okay.”

When I shift over a bit, Ichinose stands in front of the bowl.

Her thin fingers touch the mix carefully.

“…It’s soft.”

“You have to mix it well or it will fall apart when you cook it.”

“…Mm.”

Ichinose makes a serious face and starts kneading the mix slowly.

The sight feels fresh somehow.

I end up smiling a little.

“…What?”

“No, just thinking you’re pretty good at it.”

“…Amamiya.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you treating me like a kid?”

“I’m not.”

“…Really?”

Ichinose looks at me with a slightly unhappy face.

That expression is so cute I look back at the bowl to hide it.

*Juu…*

The sound comes from the frying pan.

When I line up the shaped patties, a nice savory smell spreads through the kitchen.

“…Smells good.”

Ichinose mutters softly.

She looked serious while kneading earlier, but now she seems a little restless.

“Not yet. We have to cook them all the way through.”

“…I want to eat soon.”

“You really are like a kid.”

“…Because I’m hungry.”

Her voice sounds a little pouty.

I didn’t think she was the type to react like that, so it feels fresh.

When I flip the hamburger steaks, Ichinose watches closely.

“…Amazing.”

“It’s normal.”

“…You’re good at it.”

The small words slip out from Ichinose.

She says it so honestly that it makes me embarrassed instead.

“When you watch me like that it’s hard to work.”

“…I want to watch.”

“Don’t say it with such a straight face.”

“Hehe.”

She laughs again.

Lately Ichinose laughs a lot.

At school she’s almost always expressionless, but at home her feelings seem softer.

It’s strange.

“What do you want for the sauce?”

“…I trust you.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

When I start mixing ketchup and sauce, Ichinose peeks in from right beside me.

She’s close.

Actually too close.

Our shoulders almost touch sometimes, and every time it makes me feel unsettled.

“…Amamiya.”

“Yeah?”

“The apron looks good on you.”

“Where did that come from?”

“…Just felt like it.”

She says that and looks away a little.

Her ears are faintly red.

I bet even she doesn’t know why she said that.

The air feels ticklish, so I clear my throat to cover it.

“…It’s almost done.”

“…Yeah.”

Ichinose nods small.

Her voice sounds happy somehow.

Before long, the long-awaited hamburger steaks are finished.

――――――――――――――――――――――

↓↓↓

“Uuuh…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Onion got in my eye…”

“Here, hold still.”

“Huh?”

“…Got it.”

“…………”