When I Started Doing Housework For The Cool Beauty In My Class, She Began Asking Me About The Dinner Menu Every Day.

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Spoiling Her With Food.

After School.

On the way home, I planned to stop by the supermarket, so I wanted to decide on a rough menu beforehand.

Having made simple omurice several times in a row, I thought it was time to try something a little more elaborate. But what would be good?

(Demi-glace… No, cream sauce sounds tempting too.)

Alright, I’ll go with a mushroom cream sauce today.

The repeated requests for omurice were unexpected, but even within the realm of omurice, there are plenty of variations. By getting creative with the sauce, Fujisaki should be able to enjoy it without getting bored… though it seems like the image of me as the “omurice person” is already solidifying.

When it comes to omurice—or rather, egg-based dishes—I’m fairly confident in my skills, but I didn’t expect it to be this well-received.

Well, if Fujisaki enjoys it, that’s all that matters.

Since Fujisaki’s requests usually determine the menu, I end up eating the same thing. Eggs are nutrient-dense, so it works out well for me too.

As for the sides… a simple salad and soup should do.

There aren’t any specific requests for today’s menu, aside from the “apology omurice” for turning Fujisaki into “Pout-saki” (a little joke, perhaps). So, I have the freedom to decide the rest.

Even on its own, omurice is quite filling, but since I’m the one overseeing the table, I feel a personal responsibility to ensure Fujisaki gets proper nutrition.

To be fair, Fujisaki eats more than I expected—or rather, watching her enjoy her food so enthusiastically makes me want to prepare even more for them.

…Could this be a case of me spoiling her?

“Alright, this should do it.”

“What’s ‘this’ you’re talking about?”

“Whoa—Fujisaki?! Since when have you been there…?”

After deciding on the general menu, I thought I’d finalize it while checking the ingredients at the supermarket.

Just as I stood up to leave after school, Fujisaki startled me by speaking up.

Wait, how long had she been there?

“I’ve been here for a while. Shirayanagi-kun, I even called out to you, but you didn’t notice… What were you so deeply focused on?”

“Sorry, I didn’t notice at all. I was thinking about what to cook along with omurice for tonight, and I guess I got a little too absorbed.”

“I see. If you’ve put that much thought into it, my expectations are growing!”

“Well, it’s part of the deal, after all. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re satisfied.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Hearing that is definitely motivating.

I’ll do my best to meet those expectations.

“…Wait, you said you called out to me earlier? Did you need something?”

“Um, well… I was waiting for you to walk home together.”

“Huh?”

“I was waiting… so we could walk back together.”

Huh?

Could it be— is she planning to walk home with me?

“You didn’t have to wait, you know. You could’ve just gone ahead. I’ll swing by your place when it’s time.”

While the arrangement does involve me visiting Fujisaki’s house after school every day, we never agreed that I’d go there directly from school. Sometimes I might head home first or stop by the store, so it’s not like I always make a straight shot to Fujisaki’s place.

“…Mmph.”

Oh no, it’s Pout-saki mode.

I didn’t say anything that should’ve upset her, but… could it be—

“Did you want to walk home with me?”

“…It’s not like I said that. I just thought, since we’re headed to the same place anyway, we could walk together.”

“I see. So you wanted to walk home with me and waited for me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Riiight.”

“…I’m going home.”

And now Pout-saki is sulking.

Since I found it amusing and teased her a little, she grabbed her bag and left the classroom.

A few seconds later, a shadow peeked through the still-open door…

When our eyes met, she ducked back. Then peeked out again… and ducked back in.

It’s entertaining to watch, but from an outsider’s perspective, Fujisaki’s antics might come across as downright suspicious.

I should probably step in.

“Hey, let’s go. How long are you planning to keep that up?”

“…Okay.”

“I’m stopping by the store. Want to come? They’ve got eggs on sale, and I could use some help.”

“…I’ll come.”

And so, I picked up Fujisaki and we set off.

By adding Fujisaki—who looked at me as if they desperately wanted to join—to my “party,” it seemed like the walk home wouldn’t be boring after all.

Walking home with Fujisaki. Then shopping.

As we walked side by side in our school uniforms, I couldn’t help but wonder how others saw us.

Fujisaki probably didn’t care about things like that. If she did, she wouldn’t have waited for me to walk home together, nor would she have joined me on this shopping trip.

Some girls might be pretty mindful of such situations. At our age, just being seen with someone of the opposite sex can lead to teasing. Some even go out of their way to avoid weird rumors by keeping their guard up and acting cautiously.

By that standard… Fujisaki’s guard is practically nonexistent.

After all, she lets a guy into her house after school. On paper, that sounds… well, suggestive.

But this privilege is exclusively mine.

(When I think about it, isn’t this situation a bit too good to be true for me?)

It all started with my summer gig helping out with her household chores. Then, thanks to a seat shuffle, I ended up sitting next to her. Those interactions have significantly raised my “resolution” of Fujisaki Kanon, the beautiful girl by my side.

Her short wolf-cut hair, with a faint purple tint, suits her perfectly. The braided section on her left side, revealing just one ear, strikes a balance between cool and cute.

And her face…

Slightly downturned eyes with sharp, striking features. A defined nose bridge.

When she’s not smiling, her face has a cool, composed air. But when she does smile, her downturned eyes soften her expression, making her look irresistibly adorable.

She’s probably around 160 cm tall.

Slender and graceful, with just the right proportions in all the right places.

It’s no wonder she’s secretly popular. Honestly, the “secretly” part feels more surprising. She should have a crowd of admirers by now.

And yet, here she is, walking beside me as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

I reminded myself how lucky I was to be in this position.

“Fujisaki, are you shy around people at school?”

“…To some extent. I wish I could talk with a smile more often, but I get nervous and stiffen up. I need to work on that.”

“Eh…?”

“W-What…?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

It’s true that Fujisaki usually has a calm and cool demeanor. But for someone who’s so self-critical, doesn’t she smile at me naturally—soft and relaxed?

In fact, she’s quite expressive. Whether it’s her pout-saki face or other moments, her face feels… lively. Almost too lively, though I wouldn’t say it out loud.

Despite her stunning looks, there’s also a slightly “disappointing” side to her personality. But maybe that’s something she only shows me.

“…What? You’ve been staring too much.”

“…You’re fine just the way you are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m saying you don’t have to force yourself. Just be natural.”

“That makes no sense.”

“…Forget it. Don’t worry about it.”

“Now I am worried. Spit it out, you idiot!”

To me, it all connects perfectly, but Fujisaki doesn’t seem to follow. Her expression is almost like a big question mark floating above her head.

Before I could end the topic, she started playfully hitting me, demanding to know more.

This too—a rare side of Fujisaki—is something she probably doesn’t show anyone else.

“Come on, instead of using violence against me, go secure the eggs from the time sale. We need your headcount for the haul.”