After cleaning the windows, Haruto spent an hour cleaning various areas of the Toujou residence, including the floors and the restroom.
"Ikue-san, the cleaning is done. Do you have any more requests?"
"Nope! The cleaning is very perfect! Thank you for your hard work."
Haruto informed Ikue that the cleaning was completed. Ikue, who had been working with her pc in the living room, seemed satisfied with the result.
"I've never been able to work so efficiently from home before! Usually, I'm so busy with cleaning and laundry that I can't concentrate properly. I'm really thankful for this~"
"I'm glad I could be of help. So, what would you like for tonight's dinner menu?
Upon Haruto's question, Ikue propped her chin on her hand and pondered.
"Hmm, let's see... I'm in the mood for something refreshing because of the heat. But, I'd appreciate it if it had some volume."
As she spoke, Ikue glanced at Ryouta, who was dozing on the living room sofa. Though he had been helping Haruto with the cleaning for a while, he seemed to have tired himself out and had started dozing off towards the end. So, Haruto carried him to the sofa and let him sleep.
"Ryouta has a growing child's hearty appetite, after all."
"Right? Personally, I'd be fine with having something like somen noodles, but Ryouta..."
True, somen noodles would be refreshing for a hot summer day, but they might not satisfy a growing child's appetite. Plus, it can be a bit challenging to ensure a well-balanced diet with just somen noodles. After thinking for a moment, Haruto made a suggestion.
"In that case, how about lemon cream pasta? The tanginess of the lemon should make it refreshing."
"Oh, that sounds good!"
"And for soup, we could have cold potage, and for salad, Caprese."
"It sounds like it will be a stylish and wonderful dinner! Oh, by the way, we need ingredients for dinner. Can I ask you to do the shopping?"
"Yes, that's not a problem."
Grocery shopping was also within the scope of the housekeeping service Haruto provided. As he nodded, Ikue handed him an envelope of money.
"Will this be enough?"
With her question, Ikue handed Haruto an envelope containing three 10,000 yen bills.
(I see... So this is what they mean by being rich.)
Receiving the money with a little pat, Haruto felt an odd sense of satisfaction at the amount.
"The amount should be more than enough. Do you have any specific preferences for the supermarket or ingredients?"
Some people have strong preferences for certain stores or sources of ingredients. However, Ikue lightly waved her hand as she spoke.
"Not really. Do you know where the supermarket is?"
"Yes, I'm familiar with it. I'll head out for the shopping then."
Just as Haruto was about to leave the living room, Ryouta, who had been napping on the sofa, sat up.
"...Huh? Where are you going, Onii-chan?"
"I'm going grocery shopping for dinner."
"...Grocery shopping?"
"Yeah, that's right."
As soon as Haruto responded, Ryouta's drowsy eyes snapped open.
"I want to go too!"
As soon as Haruto replied, Ryouta jumped off the sofa and rushed over to him.
"You can't, Ryouta. Ootsuki-kun is not going out to play, okay?"
"Eeeh~! But I want to go grocery shopping too!"
Seeing Ryouta throwing a tantrum, Ikue's expression showed a bit of concern. It felt a bit unfair to make Haruto do the shopping and take care of Ryouta at the same time. With that in mind, she shook her head in response to Ryouta's request.
"No means no. Ootsuki-kun is working, and Ryouta, you'll stay home and wait for him, okay?"
Upon hearing his mother's persuasion, Ryouta tightened his grip on Haruto's hand and looked down.
"Even though I helped Onii-chan clean earlier..."
Apparently, Ryouta really wanted to accompany Haruto for the shopping, as his eyes welled up with tears ever so slightly.
"Oh dear, this is troubling. Even though you're usually so well-behaved... You must really like Ootsuki-kun, huh?"
"Um, I don't mind taking Ryouta along."
Haruto offered to take Ryouta along for the shopping. However, perhaps feeling guilty for making Haruto take care of both the shopping and Ryouta, Ikue seemed to ponder for a moment and then suddenly looked as if she had thought of an idea.
"In that case, how about having Ayaka go shopping with you?"
Ikue suggested, and then headed from the living room towards the hallway stairs.
"Ayakaa! Could you come here for a moment~?"
Ikue's voice resonated through the house. Toujou, who had left the living room after her mother's teasing, had been holed up in her room since then.
"Ayaka!"
Hearing her mother call her again, Toujou opened her room's door with a clatter.
"...What is it?"
She seemed slightly displeased. Seeing her daughter acting like that, Ikue explained with a smile.
"Ryouta wants to go grocery shopping with Ootsuki-kun, and he won't listen to me. So, Ayaka, could you go shopping with them and keep an eye on Ryouta?"
"Eeh..."
Toujou gave her mother a skeptical look.
"I don't have any ulterior motives, you know? You see, having Ootsuki-kun do the shopping and take care of Ryouta at the same time is a bit much. So, how about you help out and keep an eye on Ryouta during the shopping?"
"That's true, but..."
"See? So please, keep an eye on Ryouta while you go shopping together, okay?"
"...Fine."
Toujou nodded, and Ikue beamed with a full smile.
"Ryouta, your Onee-chan will go with you, so I'll allow you to go shopping."
"Yayyy!!"
Ryouta raised both hands in joy and dashed towards his sister, who had come down the stairs.
"Thank you, Onee-chan! I love you, Onee-chan!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. You're going shopping, right? Hurry up and get ready."
Though Toujou replied to her younger brother's words in a somewhat nonchalant manner, there was a slight grin on her lips, as if she wasn't entirely indifferent.
"Ootsuki-kun, sorry, I need to get ready too. Can you wait a little longer?"
"Sure, I don't mind at all."
Saying so, Toujou retreated to her room for a moment, changed into an outfit suitable for going out, and returned. Ryouta had also changed his clothes and was already fidgeting by the entrance in his outdoor shoes.
"Onee-chan, you're slow! Hurry up, hurry up!"
"Calm down, Ryouta."
The little brother was urging his older sister, and the older sister was scolding her little brother. Watching the interaction between the Toujou siblings with an amused smile, Haruto also changed into his outdoor shoes and placed his hand on the front door.
"Well then, we're off."
"We're going now."
"Off we gooooo!"
As the three of them exchanged their goodbye messages in their own ways, Ikue, who had come to see them off at the entrance, waved with a smile.
"Okay, have a great time. Be careful on the road."
Haruto and the others passed through the gate of the Toujou residence and headed to the supermarket. Ryouta was so thrilled to have been allowed to come shopping that he seemed a bit restless from the moment they stepped outside. Worried that he might suddenly rush out into the road, Haruto called Ryouta.
"Ryouta-kun, should we hold hands and walk to the supermarket?"
"Okay!"
Ryouta obediently agreed, and he came over to Haruto, holding his hand.
"Sorry about this, Ootsuki-kun. Making you go along Ryouta's whims and all."
"Oh, no problem at all. It's perfectly fine."
Haruto responded with a gentle smile. Occasionally, he would lift his arm and sway Ryouta a bit, making the journey to the supermarket a playful one.
"You're really kind, Ootsuki-kun."
"Huh? Do you think so?"
Now carrying Ryouta piggyback-style, Haruto gave a vague response to Toujou's words.
"Yeah, you are. After all, you take such good care of Ryouta."
"Well, that might be because I'm an only child."
As Ryouta gleefully enjoyed a piggyback ride from Haruto, the latter smiled and responded to Toujou's gentle gaze directed towards them.
"When I'm with Ryouta-kun, it somehow feels like I've truly gained a little brother, and it makes me a bit happy. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume things about Toujou-san's brother like that."
"No, don't worry about it. It's totally fine. Ryouta seems really happy too."
"What are Onee-chan and Onii-chan talking about?"
Ryouta, who was riding on Haruto's back, looked down at them with a curious expression.
"We're talking about how Ryouta and Ootsuki-kun seem like siblings. We're almost at the supermarket, so get down from Ootsuki-kun soon."
"Okay."
Prompted by his sister, Ryouta obediently got off Haruto's back.
"Hey, hey, Onii-chan. Can you give me a piggyback ride again?"
"Yeah, sure. If we end up coming shopping again sometime, I'll give you one."
"Yay!"
With an excited grin at Haruto's response, Ryouta's enthusiasm was contagious, bringing smiles to Haruto and Toujou as well.
Before long, the group arrived at the supermarket and got all the groceries they needed. At that moment, Haruto was once again reminded of Toujou Ayaka's school idol status. He really felt the stares from passing customers and the people around them when they were in the middle of shopping.
Even though most of the looks were aimed at Toujou, not directly at Haruto, he still found himself feeling a bit self-conscious about it. It made him wonder how Toujou, who was directly receiving those gazes, was handling it.
Concerned, Haruto checked on her. However, it seemed Toujou had grown accustomed to the attention or wasn't letting it get to her.
After successfully finishing their shopping and leaving the supermarket, Haruto felt a little drained by the attention he had garnered. While most of the stares were directed at Toujou, there were also a few envious or even resentful glances aimed his way.
"Toujou-san, um… it must be quite challenging in crowded places…"
Haruto couldn't help but express his sympathy to Toujou.
"Eh? Ah yeah, well... I guess so. I've been getting used to it a bit lately, but I wouldn't say it's pleasant, you know?"
Toujou appeared a bit flustered initially, but she soon understood what Haruto meant and responded with a wry smile.
"Sometimes, though not often, uh… how do I say this… There are moments when I sense intense gazes, and during those times, it can get a bit scary."
"I guess being overly cute has its challenges too."
"—"
Haruto's murmur made Toujou come to a sudden halt. Her cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Am I, like, cute...?"
"Huh? Well... I mean, I think most people generally find you cute..."
"R-really...?"
Toujou looked a bit shy as she glanced downward, and her reaction seemed to rub off on Haruto, who felt a bit bashful as well.
"Otherwise, why would all the guys at school be trying to confess to you?"
"...How about you, Ootsuki-kun, do you think I'm, um, c-cute too?"
"Onee-chan! Onii-chan! Why did you stop?"
Not noticing their pause, Ryouta had walked a few steps ahead before realizing and dashing back to them.
"Onee-chan? Your face is red, you know?"
"I-it's just because it's hot! Let's get back home quickly!"
Toujou quickly turned away from her curious little brother trying to peek at her and walked hurriedly back home.
"Hm? Toujou-san, earlier you were about to say something, weren't you?"
As Haruto caught up with Toujou, who had already started walking quickly, he tried to ask about what she had wanted to say earlier.
"I-it's nothing! I didn't say anything!"
"Huh? But just earlier..."
"I didn't say anything!"
Afterward, Toujou remained adamant that she hadn't said anything, and Haruto never did find out what she had been about to say.
