When My Younger Brother Stole My Girlfriend, I Began Living Together with My Beautiful Childhood Friend Almost As If We Were Married - Chapter 8

Episode 8: It’s Okay to Rely on Me

In the end, after that, I fell asleep again and the next time I woke up, it was already past nine in the morning.

I overslept quite a bit, but today is busy.

We have to rearrange the furniture and appliances in the rooms. I also need to go to the city office and university for address changes and moving my resident registration.

There’s a lot to do, and I already feel tired just thinking about it.

But I can’t put it off, so I think I’ll just get it done quickly.

Suppressing a yawn, I descended downstairs… and there was a nice smell.

As I descended to the first floor and peeked into the kitchen, I could see Reina bustling about.

Reina noticed me too and gestured with a spatula.

“Good morning. Breakfast will be ready soon, so please have a seat and wait.”

“Ah, okay.”

I obediently took my seat as instructed.

From the toaster came a pleasant ding, and the delicious smell of toast filled the air. Sausages or fried eggs were sizzling, perhaps.

While looking forward to Reina’s homemade breakfast, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about this morning’s debacle.

Clutching onto Reina, crying like a mess. Dragging out what’s already over.

The fear of disappointment still lingers, and unpleasant thoughts persist.

“You look troubled.”

Reina’s words made me raise my head, and something hot was put into my mouth.

As I bit into it, juicy meat burst out, raising the temperature inside my mouth.

This is… a chicken nugget. The kind they sell in frozen food.

It’s delicious, but… putting something hot into your mouth suddenly might cause burns, so it’s dangerous.

“Breakfast’s ready. Here, let’s eat.”

A plate with toast topped with a fried egg was placed in front of me.

“Are you a soy sauce or a Worcestershire sauce person, Hayato?”

“I think I prefer soy sauce.”

“Me too. Here’s soy sauce for you.”

She handed me a small bottle of soy sauce, considering the toast.

I sprinkled a little on my toast and handed it back to her. Reina also added a bit of soy sauce and placed the bottle at the edge of the table.

With our hands together, we said “Itadakimasu” and took a bite of the toast.

The salty taste of soy sauce on the crispy bread was delicious.

We washed it down with milk and took another bite of toast.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah, very.”

“That’s great!”

Reina smiled as she took a bite of her toast.

For a while, we ate breakfast in silence, then Reina drank some milk and spoke up.

“I was happy, you know.”

“Huh?”

“This morning. I felt happy that you relied on me. Showing me your weak side means you trust me.”

“That’s…”

“You can rely on me as much as you want. Don’t hold back.”
That’s unfair.

Reina’s kind words once again touched my heart.

Trying not to let her notice that tears were welling up, I took another bite of toast.

I chewed slowly, savoring the stronger salty flavor compared to before.

“Thank you, Reina.”

“You’re welcome.”

I felt enveloped in a soft sensation.

Before I knew it, my body was nestled in Reina’s chest, and she was stroking my head repeatedly.

“Of course, but not for free.”

“Oh. By the way, how much?”

“I’ll rely on you as much as you rely on me. Let’s be lovey-dovey with each other, okay?”

That’s a pretty happy exchange.

“Got it.” I replied, gently rubbing Reina’s back.

“…Ah.”

Suddenly, Reina made a strange noise, causing me to release her hand in surprise.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Crumb.”

“Huh?”

Reina gently placed her hand on my head, and indeed, there were crumbs from the toast stuck there.

She must have touched the toast and then stroked my head. It’s natural for crumbs to stick.

If she’s going to mention that, I’ve probably done similar things.

“Sorry! I wasn’t paying attention…”

“I’m sorry too. I touched yout pajamas with my hands covered in crumbs.”

Reina checked her back, probably feeling a rough sensation.

She burst out laughing intermittently.

“We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?”

“We’re perfectly matched.”

“We should wash the pajamas. I’ll wash yours too after we finish eating, so put them in the washing machine.”

“Thanks.”

After saying thank you, Reina returned to her seat.

I also took another bite of toast.

As I nibbled on the center of the fried egg, the gooey yolk flowed out, changing the color of the toast.