When I Started Doing Housework For The Cool Beauty In My Class, She Began Asking Me About The Dinner Menu Every Day. - Chapter 4: Specially Made Dark Matter.

Specially Made Dark Matter.

The shopping was successfully completed, and we returned to the Fujisaki household.

I rinsed the rice, set it in the rice cooker, and decided to take a break while it cooked. I sat down on the sofa in the now-clean living room.

“It was so hot outside~. The air conditioning feels so good~.”

“Summer vacation is almost over, but it still feels like summer, doesn’t it?”

The air-conditioned room was very comfortable, and I could totally understand why she would want to relax.

However… You are still in front of a guy, so isn’t it a bit much to be fanning yourself like that?

Just because I saw the underwear on the floor during cleaning doesn’t mean you should be flashing what you’re wearing now. It’s a little too careless.

But… this is actually the first time I’ve properly talked to Fujisaki, and she’s totally different from the impression I had at school.

Well, considering I was suddenly shown her messy room, I can’t really compare it to her usual school persona… but still, the image I had of Fujisaki at school was that of a very cool, mysterious person, and that vibe secretly made her popular among the guys.

To think that this Fujisaki, who seemed to handle everything effortlessly, actually had such a major flaw—if you only knew the school Fujisaki, you’d never guess it.

Also, she’s surprisingly chatty. Her tone is very casual, and the conversation flows easily. At school, she was actually kind of quiet, and her mysterious vibe was only amplified by that, so seeing her so talkative is a huge contrast.

“You’re surprisingly talkative, Fujisaki. I thought you’d be more… of a quiet type.”

“Huh, really? Well, I guess… I’m actually pretty shy, so maybe I seem quieter at school.”

“Shy? I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

“No, really. Actually, it feels like it’s been a while since I’ve talked this much with someone.”

“Are you shy around me?”

“Hmm, I think I am… But I guess I showed so many embarrassing things, it sort of broke through my limits?”

Well, that makes sense.

Having a messy room like that seen by a classmate is probably quite humiliating, and I’ve already seen her underwear.

She must have already embarrassed herself so much that there’s no more shame left, and she’s just accepted it.

“You’re amazing, Shirayanagi-kun. You cleaned up so quickly… I could never do that.”

“If you clean up little by little before things get too messy, it doesn’t take much effort.”

“That’s what my mom always tells me too.”

“Well, I guess that’s what you’d expect.”

The result of procrastination and ignoring the mess as it piled up has led to that disaster.

This is my first time doing this housework task, but Fujisaki said that whenever it got messy, her mother would come and help. So, Fujisaki’s mom has probably gone through this chaotic scene many times before.

Fujisaki is making a bitter expression, so she must have been told off about it a lot. Her reaction suggests that she does take her mother’s advice to heart, but whether she can actually put it into action is a whole different story.

“But since it’s finally clean, why not take this chance to gradually change things a bit?”

Don’t leave things on the floor. Don’t let trash pile up—throw it away right away. Don’t just throw clothes around—put them in the laundry.

Instead of trying to improve cleaning skills, Fujisaki’s real challenge is maintaining a clean environment with simple, consistent efforts. It’s better to not create a messy room in the first place.

“Yeah, you’re right. Alright, let’s aim to break the longest record for having a clean floor!”

“…By the way, how long was the longest?”

“…About two weeks?”

That’s a really short record…

I’m glad we cleaned up, but please, don’t turn this room back into a mess, alright?

***

As I was giving Fujisaki advice on cleaning and tidying up, the rice was ready, and it was about time for my stomach to start growling.

“Alright, I’ll make the omurice, so Shirayanagi-kun, you just relax.”

With that, Fujisaki put on an apron and headed to the kitchen.

A beautiful girl in an apron. A classmate’s homemade meal.

Expectations are high, but… the cooking process is, to put it mildly, quite nerve-wracking to watch from the sidelines.

“Umm… is this right…? Whoa, ah… kyaa?!”

The voice—or rather, the scream—coming from the kitchen is certainly not something you’d expect while cooking.

No way… Fujisaki confidently declared that she was going to make it with all her skills, right? There’s no way something like this could happen.

I tried to reassure myself and waited for a good few minutes.

“Sorry, I might have messed up a little…”

“…A little?”

“Yeah, just a little.”

What came out… what is this?

Is this dark matter?

It’s a black mass that barely resembles omurice, and she’s casually calling it a “little mistake.” I’m impressed by her mental fortitude.

If I had to name it on the spot, I’d call it “charred scrambled eggs on top of chicken rice” or something like that…

Honestly, the appearance is awful. I almost feel like there’s a toxic, purple aura rising from it.

“Well, the appearance might be bad, but I followed the recipe, so I think the taste should be okay… I hope.”

But, according to Fujisaki, it’s just a “little” mistake, so maybe the only problem is the appearance, and the taste could be delicious.

And, after all, it’s a girl’s homemade cooking. It’d feel wrong to refuse to eat it without trying… so, here goes, time for the taste test!

“Well then, I’ll dig in.”

“Umm… how is it?”

I scooped some with a spoon and brought it to my mouth.

Well, well… the bitter taste of the charred scrambled eggs, the sharp taste of the uncooked onions, the bitterness of the bell peppers, and the strong acidity of the chicken rice drenched in too much ketchup—these flavors clashed in my mouth.

It was hard to chew… but I slowly processed each flavor bombarding my tongue and somehow managed to swallow it with sheer willpower.

“…Yeah, you’re right. It’s definitely a little messed up, but… thanks for making it for me.”

“Are you okay? You’re not forcing yourself, are you?”

Well… I am forcing myself a little, but Fujisaki put in her best effort despite her lack of skill.

And… even if it’s a failure, it’s still homemade by a girl. Tearing it down as disgusting goes against my principles.

“Uwaaa~!… I thought if I followed the recipe, I could make it even though it was my first time.”

“You must’ve gone wrong somewhere.”

If I had to be blunt, it feels like she messed up everything except the ingredients.
The heat, the cooking time, the order of adding ingredients to the pan, the amount of seasoning—everything about Fujisaki’s custom dark matter screams mistakes.

Honestly, I should’ve expected this.
I got too excited about the idea of a homemade meal from a girl and completely forgot to question whether Fujisaki could actually cook. That was my oversight.

It’s not just cleaning—Fujisaki struggles with all household chores.
On second thought, the fact that she didn’t injure herself is already a small blessing.

That aside… we’ll need to redo dinner.
It looks like Fujisaki didn’t prepare a portion for herself either, probably because she put all her effort into making this.

“Fujisaki, there’s still some ingredients left, right?”

“Uh, yeah… there are some left.”

“Wait here. I’ll take care of it.”

“…Are you sure?”

If I leave her like this, she’ll probably sulk in a corner of the room, nibbling on a CalorieMate bar.
I didn’t expect to end up doing housework at Fujisaki’s place, but this has become a special summer memory for me.
An event with a girl—something any guy would dream of.

It’d be a shame to let it end on such a sour note.
Let the bad taste be limited to the dark matter she created… I’ll make Fujisaki an omurice myself.