When I Started Doing Housework For The Cool Beauty In My Class, She Began Asking Me About The Dinner Menu Every Day. - Chapter 15: A Secret Between the Two of Us.

A Secret Between the Two of Us.

The Next Day.

Upon arriving at school, I greeted my classmates while heading toward my seat by the window in the last row.

Even though it was still morning, the sun was already shining brightly, giving me the feeling it was going to be another hot day.

When I opened the window, a lukewarm breeze came in, causing the curtains to flutter.
It didn’t feel particularly refreshing, but I supposed it was better than nothing.

“Ah, good morning, Shirayanagi-kun.”

“Fujisaki, morning.”

Fujisaki, who had arrived at school slightly later than me, greeted me.
Though her face appeared calm, she looked a little sleepy. She covered her mouth with her hand, as if stifling a yawn.

“You look tired. Did you stay up late last night?”

“No, I’m just not a morning person. But I had a proper breakfast today, so I’m feeling pretty good.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, I had rice balls and salad. They were delicious.”

“Sorry it was just leftovers… and don’t say it so loudly.”

“Don’t worry, no one heard me. Besides, Shirayanagi-kun, your voice is louder than mine.”

Fujisaki said this while raising her index finger to her lips, a gesture to remind me to keep quiet.
Although we hadn’t specifically agreed to keep our “contract” a secret, it was probably best not to make it too public.

Well, not that I had anything to hide. Even if it were discovered, I could always pass it off as part of a part-time job.
Honestly, if rumors spread about me being associated with someone as beautiful as Fujisaki, I’d consider it an honor.
However, if it caused her any trouble, that wouldn’t sit well with me.

“What about you, Fujisaki? Do you want to keep our ‘contract’ a secret?”

“For me… I don’t particularly mind. But if it bothers you, I’ll try not to mention it.”

“Nah, I don’t really care. Even if people find out, they’ll just realize you’re hopeless at housework and start calling you ‘Hopeless-saki.’”

“Hopeless-saki?! What’s that supposed to mean? And stop saying it so loudly—it might actually get out!”

It seemed that for Fujisaki, having our secret relationship exposed was less of a concern than being branded “Hopeless-saki.”
That said, the very reason I ended up cooking for her was tied to that, so it was probably best to keep things under wraps for now.

“Well then, to make sure no one finds out about ‘Hopeless-saki,’ let’s keep this just between the two of us for a while.”

“Got it! But you said it again—Hopeless-saki!”

Ah, now she’s pouting.

She’s full of energy this morning.

***

After school, I headed to the supermarket with Fujisaki in tow once again.

Our goal today was the time-sale soy sauce and pork belly.
I also remembered that eggplants were fairly cheap, so I thought of adding bell peppers and cabbage to make a stir-fry inspired by Hoisin Pork.

What else…
I considered making a few extra portions of several dishes. That way, there would be leftovers for breakfast the next morning—a trick I’d recently figured out.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t really asked Fujisaki about her stance on breakfast.

“By the way, what have you been doing for breakfast until now?”

“Most days, I just had jelly. I’m really useless in the morning—can’t move at all. Before I know it, time flies by, and I’m rushing to get to school.”

“Oh, right. You mentioned being bad with mornings.”

“Yeah. But today, breakfast was ready, and knowing it was something delicious gave me the motivation to get up and try.”

“So, your appetite beat out your morning grogginess?”

“…I really don’t like how that’s phrased, but you’re probably right…”

She wavered between looking like her usual self and pouting, which I secretly called her “Pout-saki” mode.
Still, it was nice to know she appreciated even leftovers that much.

“But, you know, freshly made food really is the best. Oh, not that the morning leftovers weren’t good!”

“It’s fine; no need to panic. I get it.”

“Okay. Like when you first came over to help with the housework—it reminded me how wonderful warm meals are… Yes, that’s what I thought.”

“Glad to hear it.”

If my cooking helped her rethink her eating habits, that was more than enough for me.
In any case, I needed to make tonight’s dinner as enjoyable as possible.

“So, for breakfast, can I assume you’ll eat if there’s something prepared?”

“Yeah, I will… but wait, are you planning to make breakfast too?”

“I was thinking of making extra portions for dinner and leaving some for breakfast. That way, it’s ready in the morning. Would that work for you? Or do you think you’d get tired of eating the same thing for dinner and breakfast?”

“Fufun, if I were the type to get tired of that, I’d have long since given up on jelly drinks and calorie bars.”

Oh, here comes Confident-saki.

Not exactly something to puff out your chest about, but… fair enough.
Considering Fujisaki’s patience with surviving on jelly drinks as her staple diet for so long, a few repetitive meals probably wouldn’t faze her.
She even likes having omelets back-to-back.

“Alright, I’ll start prepping breakfast along with dinner.”

“Yay! I’m so excited for breakfast tomorrow!”

“Hey, don’t get ahead of yourself. Look forward to tonight’s dinner first. Tomorrow’s breakfast is just a bonus.”

“Oh, right! So, what’s for dinner tonight?”

“Stir-fried meat and vegetables. But if we can’t score the time-sale meat, it’ll just be stir-fried vegetables. So, you better put in the effort, alright?”

“What!? Why are we walking so slowly? If we don’t hurry, the time sale will end!”

“It hasn’t even started yet. Hey, wait… your hand…”

Apparently, the idea of having meatless stir-fry was unacceptable to Fujisaki, as she suddenly panicked and started running toward the supermarket.
In her haste, she grabbed my hand and began pulling me along.

Not that there was any need to rush; we still had plenty of time. But it seemed she wasn’t listening.

…Her hand was so small and warm.