Volume 2 - CH 5

‘I’m so sorry.”

After breakfast.

After breakfast, Yuzuru was alone with Arisa in the guest room where she had been assigned and bowed his head with his knees folded.

“I’m sorry that we had to force you to cook.”

“Oh, no, Yuzuru-san. You’re overreacting. Please stop.”

A neat face suddenly appeared nearby.

Arisa looked at Yuzuru’s face.

Yuzuru involuntarily looked up as if he was jolting.

“I don’t mind at all.”

“No, but ……”

” I would be happy to cook for you because this is the least I can do to repay you.”

Arisa smiled.

You can tell from her expression that she is not angry.

“…… I appreciate you saying that. I also apologize for the light-hearted way I blew the whistle on your cooking.”

In general, mothers are annoyed when their sons tell them that their wives are better cooks than they are.

It was an act that added fuel to the fire of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law problem.

Even if it was the mother who asked the son, he should not have answered so rashly.

In addition to that, Yuzuru and Arisa have no intention of getting married, so there will be no mother-in-law problem.

In addition, Yuzuru believed that Sayuri was a person who would not be offended by such things.

That was the background of the story. ……

But even without that, it would have been better not to say anything unnecessary.

“That’s right ……. When I found out that Yuzuru-san had been talking about my cooking, I felt a little embarrassed.”

Arisa’s skin flushed slightly and she scratched her cheek as she said it.

Then she looked up at Yuzuru and started to squirm.

“But I was happy. I realized that you really …… felt that way about it.”

“I think I’ve been telling you for a long time that your food is delicious.”

“Not many people would tell you that something you made for them tastes bad, right?”

–In general, it is bad manners to complain about the food that someone has prepared for you.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with critiquing the food you eat at a restaurant afterward…….

Arisa has been cooking for Yuzuru for free.

Common sense would dictate that the answer would be “delicious”.

“Of course, I knew that Yuzuru-san wasn’t saying this out of flattery. You were eating a lot of second helpings. So, …… it means that you considered my cooking to be so delicious that you wanted to brag about it to your family. Yes, I was happy to know that again.”

Then Arisa let out a small sigh.

“Can I complain a little?”

“Let it out as you feel like it.”

Yuzuru nodded his head in agreement.

Arisa thanked him in a fading voice and then let out her thoughts.

“I don’t know if my family can be called a …… family, but those people have never said a word about how delicious the food is.”

Her eyes clouded over.

She turned her face down and confessed in a pained voice.

“I don’t really ……. I don’t really like to cook. I was forced to do it. No, It’s not fair to say that. I’ve never been told to cook directly. But it’s natural for me to cook at home. That’s why I can’t say no.”

She then smiled self-mockingly.

It was very painful to watch her smile as she trembled her shoulders slightly.

“I didn’t want anyone to get mad at me. That’s why I became good at cooking. It’s all about that. I didn’t want to do it voluntarily or anything like that. …… I was just scared. It’s not something I’m proud of.”

Then Arisa took a deep breath.

Then she looked at Yuzuru with moist eyes and smiled.

Her smile was slightly strained as if she was trying to force herself to be cheerful.

“So, I was very happy when Yuzuru-san praised me. Even if it was just flattery. Afterward, when I found out that Yuzuru-san really thought it was delicious, I was so happy that I actually wanted to jump up and down. It was my first time …….”

A drop of tears flowed down from the corner of Arisa’s eyes.

Arisa said, still smiling.

“I wanted to cook for you, that’s how I felt. I came every week because I wanted you to eat my food. For the first time, I was happy to be a good cook. That’s why…….”

“Arisa.”

Yuzuru called out her name in a small voice.

Then he hugged her, who looked a little surprised.

He pressed her face against his chest.

Arisa left him to do as he pleased.

He gently stroked her hair.

“You worked hard.”

“…… Yes.”

For a while, Arisa moistened Yuzuru’s chest.

The sobs were heard for a few minutes at a time.

Soon she looked up and wiped the drops from the corners of her eyes with her fingers.

“It’s no good. …… When I’m with Yuzuru-san, I start to cry.”

“Does that mean it’s my fault?”

Yuzuru asked jokingly, and Arisa chuckled before answering.

“Yes, you’re right. Yuzuru-san is a bad person. …… I feel like being spoiled.”

Maybe it was because she let out her depression.

Arisa’s expression was more radiant than before.

“Totally, it’s Yuzuru-san’s fault that the conversation got lost in the shuffle.”

“Oops, sorry. …… So, what was that?”

When Yuzuru asked that, ……

Arisa started clamoring.

“Well, …..Therefore, cooking for Yuzuru-san is, well, fun. As long as I can get you to say it’s delicious, I’ll make as many …… dishes as you want.”

After she said that, Arisa’s face turned red.

She realized that she had made a somewhat risky statement.

She waved her hand in panic and denied it.

” Ah, you see, that was!　It’s not like I’m going to be cooking miso soup for you every day from now on!”

“Ah, ……, you don’t have to tell me that, I know.”

(TN: Making miso soup every day for someone is basically a marriage proposal for Japanese)

Yuzuru felt his own face getting hotter.

He didn’t think that Arisa had proposed to him, but when she was so blatantly embarrassed, he became embarrassed too.

“If I had to use an analogy, I would say that it’s like feeding a cat. A cat that eats well is cute, you know what I mean?”

“That’s a terrible thing to say.”

I’m a stray cat?

Yuzuru shouted in protest.

However, looking at it objectively, it may look like a cat that was being fed.

Or rather, it’s exactly like that.

Surprisingly, the analogy was spot on.

Yuzuru thought to himself and felt a little miserable.

“And anyway, I don’t mind cooking for Yuzuru-san. And I’m not reluctant to cook for your family. Do you understand me?”

“Nya!”

“Please stop messing around.”

He was scolded by Arisa and cowered his shoulders.