Pretend Lovers 2
After washing my hands, I quickly changed into my worn room clothes.
“Kaguya, use this apron.”
“Thank you. Don’t you need one, Yuu-kun?”
“The spare one is in the wash. It’s hard to stay clean when frying since the oil splatters, but it’s fine as long as this is washed properly later.”
“Wow, you’ve got the air of a veteran househusband.”
“I’ve got a decent number of years of experience, after all.”
I’ve been helping with household chores since I was in elentary school.
“You’re such a filial son.”
“You could follow in my footsteps.”
“Yuu-kun, you’re so diligent. I didn’t expect a guy around my age to be so good at housework.”
“…It’s not like I started doing it because I liked it.”
I took out the chicken at and other ingredients we bought earlier and started the prep work.
“First, we’ll marinate the at to season it.”
The marinating ti varies according to taste, but I want it to soak in thoroughly today.
“Kaguya, grate the garlic and ginger.”
“Leave it to !”
We both stood in the kitchen.
I gave the instructions, and Kaguya helped out.
We used to make dinner together like this back when I was at ho.
My parents were busy with their jobs, and I took the initiative to cook dinner when I had ti.
Kaguya, who had seen doing this, eventually started helping out too.
“It kind of feels nostalgic.”
“At first, you were so clumsy that I couldn’t let you handle a knife.”
“But I’ve improved a bit since I started doing it with your mother, right?”
As she said, Kaguya’s skills had improved significantly now.
“I guess so.”
“Hehe, praise more. Co on.”
I miss the old days when Kaguya was standing next to in the kitchen.
I only lived under the sa roof with this girl for about a year.
Before I knew it, I had been living alone for a longer period of ti.
When a seventh-grade girl becos a ninth-grader, they beco an adult even if they don’t want to be.
“How did your midterm exams go?”
“They haven’t been returned yet.”
“How do you feel you did?”
“So-so, I guess. How about you, Yuu-kun?”
“Pretty good, except for Japanese history.”
“Struggling with Japanese history?”
“No, I’m aiming for a perfect score.”
“Since when did you like Japanese history that much?”
“I’ve started to like it recently.”
“Hmm, teach next ti.”
“That stuff is mostly morization. You just need to put in the effort yourself.”
“I’m not good at morizing. With all the similar sounding nas like which Shogun did what, and sothing about the Fujiwara, they’re too similar and confusing.”
“The trick is to grasp the nas in combination with the flow of events. You can make fewer mistakes if you can match their faces or images and rember what each person did.”
“I can’t because I’m not interested. You’re good at it, Yuu-kun, so you teach .”
There’s so truth in that.
If it weren’t for the existence of Tenjō Sensei, I wouldn’t be so interested in studying it either.
“Maybe so other ti.”
“Can I count on you for the final exams?”
“You’d co over anyway, even if I said no, right?”
“You know so well!”
We’d probably have these casual conversations every day if we were real siblings. Right now, I can spend my days peacefully.
I wouldn’t have to worry so much if only we could maintain this comfortable distance.
Having lived alone, I never realized how much easier it is not to have to be considerate of others.
But Kaguya easily disrupts that peace.
“Hey. Is the reason you’re buying so much because you’re also making als for Rei-chan?”
Kaguya suddenly hits the nail on the head.
“…Only on weekdays. She’s busy, so I’m a bit worried about her eating habits and such.”
“You two must be close.”
“She’s my neighbor, after all.”
“Are you being ‘neighborly’ with Rei-chan because you’re lonely living alone?”
“There’s an ulterior motive too because she’s beautiful.”
“Yuu-kun, you’re the worst!”
Kaguya laughed at as she said this.
“Most guys are just trying to look cool and act tough.”
“Yuu-kun too?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm. Is she coming over today too?”
“If Kaguya doesn’t mind.”
“I want to eat with Rei-chan too.”
Since she was confident about it, Kaguya was entrusted with preparing the miso soup.
anwhile, I sent a ssage to Tenjō-san from my room.
The reply ca quickly.
【Yuunagi: Good work today. Kaguya is at my place. Tenjō-san, If you don’t mind, would you like to join us for dinner?】
【Reiyu: I don’t mind, but is it really okay if I co over?】
【Yuunagi: The one intruding is Kaguya.】
【Reiyu: You don’t have to say it like that.】
【Yuunagi: It’s also Kaguya’s wish, so please co over if it’s not too much trouble.】
【Reiyu: Got it. I’ll co over as Tōmi Rei.】
【Yuunagi: By the way, tonight’s main dish is chicken karaage.】
【Reiyu: We’ll call it even for yesterday’s matter with that! No more questions beyond this! Looking forward to dinner!】
With this brief exchange, my gloominess cleared up all at once.
Being able to return to normal like this seed to prove just how special Tenjō Reiyu was to .
Still, without becoming too complacent, I resolved to stay on my toes moving forward.
***
Tenjō-san, or rather Tōmi Rei, finally ca ho, and the three of us had dinner.
I had made a mountain of karaage, but we all ate them quickly and finished it off cleanly.
“I thought for sure there would be leftovers, but we ate it all.”
“Yuunagi-kun’s karaage was good.”
“I’m so full it hurts. Yuu-kun, another glass of barley tea, please.”
We basked in the happy feeling of fullness while lazily watching a variety show on TV.
Friday nights always felt particularly relaxing.
Before we knew it, it was nine o’clock at night, and a movie released last year was playing on TV.
“I didn’t get to see this in the theater. Is it okay if we keep it on this channel?”
“I haven’t seen it either, so it’s fine with .”
“This was really interesting,”
Kaguya said, apparently having already watched it.
“Then you don’t need to watch it again, Kaguya.”
“Why not? I want to see it again after such a long ti.”
“It’s getting late, so you should be heading back soon. I’ll drive you to the station.”
As I was about to stand up——
“——I’m staying over tonight.”
Kaguya declared as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
” “What?!?!” “
Mine and Tenjō-san’s voices overlapped in surprise.
“Hold on, you’re planning to stay the night?”
“Isn’t it fine? I’ve already told stepmother that I’d be staying and brought a change of clothes.”
She was well-prepared and had laid the groundwork.
“Where are you planning to sleep?”
“Of course in Yuu-kun’s bed! We’re siblings, so it shouldn’t be a problem to sleep together.”
My self-assured stepsister seed almost like a criminal confident in her own justification.
Next to , my neighbor was at a loss for words.
Kaguya’s selfish reasoning had stepped on a landmine for .
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