When I Started Doing Housework For The Cool Beauty In My Class, She Began Asking Me About The Dinner Menu Every Day. - Chapter 14: Tomorrow, And The Day After Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, And The Day After Tomorrow.

“That was delicious~! Thank you for the meal!”

“It was nothing. You ate well.”

“Uwaa… Don’t look at me too much, it’s embarrassing!”

“The fact that you eat so happily is the best reward for me, so don’t take that joy away.”

“Uwuww… You’re so naughty, Shirayanagi-kun, such a pervert, you little hidden pervert!”

Hey, what’s that about? I wasn’t staring at anything weird. It’s fine to watch her eating happily, right? Just admiring her enjoying the food, and I get called a pervert? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?

Well, I guess some people are embarrassed to be watched while eating, but sorry, I’m not giving that up. I want to see Fujisaki munching away… Wait, am I a pervert? No, this is still okay. Yeah, it’s fine.

“…Oh, it’s already this late. I should clean up and head home.”

I glance at the clock and realize it’s already past 7 PM. Meals eaten alone are usually quick, but when eating with someone, there’s conversation, and time flies by. It’s all because I got distracted by watching Fujisaki munching… or should I say ‘Pout-saki.’

Damn, Pout-saki. Keep eating deliciously.

Anyway, enough about that and the blame game… I have to wash the used cooking utensils and dishes before I can leave. If I stay out too late, Fujisaki will lose her personal time, and it wouldn’t be good for a guy like me to overstay at a girl’s house. I came to Fujisaki’s place for dinner, so after I head home, I’ll need to take a bath, prep for tomorrow’s classes, and work on my homework.

“Oh, I’ll wash the dishes if you want?”

“Huh? What did you say? Dish destruction?”

“I said, I’ll wash the dishes! What do you mean by destruction?!”

Ah, it seems I didn’t mishear. But… Fujisaki washing dishes doesn’t sound promising. I can already hear the sound of plates smashing… Just imagining it is enough to make me cringe.

“Eh, but… can you do it?”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Let me ask you… do you think you can do it? Actually, I trust you more to not be able to do it.”

“Uwaa… I can’t argue with that.”

The half-destroyed kitchen. The dishes that have been thoroughly wrecked.

I can only foresee a disaster, in a completely different direction from when we first tried the housework arrangement.

Considering the time and the prospect of cleaning up extensively, along with taking care of Fujisaki’s injuries… I realize I can’t leave it to her alone.

“Here, you’ll hurt yourself, so stay still.”

“No, I want to help at least a little!”

“…You’re really insistent, huh?”

“Yes, really!”

Well, to be honest, I think it’d be faster if I just did it alone… but, setting aside whether she’s able to do it, this is a good opportunity for Fujisaki to get involved in housework by her own will.

It’d be easy to refuse her and send her home… but it’d be a waste to crush her motivation when she’s finally willing to help.

The key to any household chore is just starting it. If she’s starting to develop that mindset, it’s important to respect that and encourage her.

“Alright. I’ll let you help. But, I don’t want you to get hurt, so listen to me, okay?”

“Can washing dishes really cause injury?”

“It depends on the situation. For now, don’t touch the knives.”

“…Okay.”

So, with that, Fujisaki will help with the dishes… but I’m nervous.

If it were just because there’s a beautiful girl standing next to me, and I was consciously aware of the teamwork… that would’ve been nice. But since anything could happen, my heart is racing, keeping a close eye on every move Fujisaki makes.

I’ve never been this nervous about washing dishes before.

“Okay, I’ll wash the dishes with soap and hand them to you after cleaning off the grime. You just need to wipe them dry and stack them neatly without overcrowding the dish rack.”

“Got it.”

So, I assigned Fujisaki the task of wiping the dishes.

I debated whether I should have her wash them instead, but I still don’t know if I made the right choice with this division of labor.

Washing is slippery, especially with soap. If she drops a dish, it could crash into the others piled in the sink, risking breaking.

On the other hand, wiping also carries the risk of slipping, and if that happens, they could end up on the floor—leading to possible injury.

It was a tough decision, but I thought wiping was a little easier, so I gave her that task… whether it’ll end well or not, I don’t know. Good luck? I don’t know about that either.

“The wet dishes are surprisingly slippery, so take your time and don’t rush, okay?”

“…Aren’t you being a bit too overprotective?”

“If I were really overprotective, I’d tie you to a chair and not let you anywhere near the kitchen.”

“I’m fine, really.”

Where does that confidence come from, Doya-zaki?

Seriously, just take it slow. The dishes can always be replaced if worst comes to worst, but your safety comes first.

With that anxious thought in mind, I handed the washed dishes over to Fujisaki.

Well, as she confidently boasted, she was wiping them slowly but carefully, so I gave her a passing grade. Honestly, as long as she doesn’t hurt herself, I’d give her a perfect score.

“By the way, thanks for coming shopping with me today. It was really helpful because we could buy more with the sale prices when there were two of us. Can I ask you again next time?”

“Yeah, whenever I have time.”

“If you have plans, don’t feel like you have to force it.”

“Yeah, thanks. Do you check the supermarket sales every day, Shirayanagi-kun?”

“Yeah, I try to. It’s better to save where I can.”

I get living expenses from my parents, and that includes not only food costs but also things like social expenses.

I love making and eating delicious food, but if I spend too much on food, my overall living expenses will get tight, so I always keep an eye out for discounts, time sales, and special offers.

However, there’s usually a limit on how many of each item you can buy per person, so I’ve often felt frustrated when I want to buy more of something just because it’s cheap. But thanks to Fujisaki coming with me today, shopping was a lot more enjoyable.

When there’s something worth buying again, I’d definitely ask for her help.

While talking about random things, I handed the washed dishes over to Fujisaki — and then, the last one.

“Here, that’s the last one.”

“Okay… all done! See, I did it properly, right?”

With the dishes finally done, I felt relieved.

I honestly didn’t expect it to go so smoothly… Looks like I underestimated Fujisaki.

Now she’s being all smug about it, but… I should just praise her.

“Thanks, you did a great job.”

“Heh, you should praise me more~”

“Alright, alright, you really helped out. If you feel like it, feel free to help again sometime.”

“Leave it to me!”

With that, she puffed out her chest, looking proud.

Now that the anxiety is over, I started thinking of her as a girl, and as much as I can appreciate her, please don’t emphasize it so much…

***

“Well then, sorry for staying so late. I’ve made the leftover chicken rice into onigiri, and I put the leftover salad in the fridge, so you can have it for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

“Alright, I’ll see you at school.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

After being seen off by Fujisaki, I stepped outside, and it was already dark.

Again… huh.

Thinking about how tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, will probably be just like this… I’m really looking forward to it.

Now, what should I make for tomorrow’s dinner?