When I returned to my room, I immediately dived onto my bed.
"Aah... I'm exhausted..."
I let out a deep sigh as I lay sprawled on my bed, feeling completely drained.
"Ootsuki-kun’s cooking was such a treat, but I couldn’t even savor the taste..."
He had made a beautiful sashimi platter with the fish my dad had caught, but with my dad, mom, and Ryouta going wild, I couldn’t enjoy it at all. He even used the blowtorch we bought at the home center to make seared mackerel, but I could barely enjoy it.
"Then there's the promise to go to the zoo with Ootsuki-kun... What should I do?"
We had made such a promise at the home center. I had actually planned to talk to him about it today while he was here for housekeeping, but things got so chaotic that I couldn’t. I was too busy trying to keep my family under control, and before I knew it, Ootsuki-kun time was up, and he left without us having a proper conversation.
"But if I had brought up the zoo, my family would have gone even more berserk..."
Mom would have teased me with a big grin on her face. Although, that’s somewhat manageable. Or rather, not really, but sort of. I guess? [TN: Make up your mind lmao.]
And I’m pretty sure Ryouta would have been thrilled, which I think is fine.
The biggest problem is Dad.
Dad has totally taken a liking to Ootsuki-kun. Mom likes him too, but Dad is already thinking about making Ootsuki-kun his son-in-law. Just during dinner, he was eagerly inviting him to go fishing with him next time.
"Ugh! Geez! I’m still in high school, you know!?"
I buried my face and screamed into my pillow.
It’s way too early for me to be thinking about marriage and in-laws!
Sure, a husband like Ootsuki-kun, who’s perfect at cooking and cleaning and is incredibly kind, would be ideal, but…
"No, no, no! What am I thinking?!"
I shook my head vigorously, trying to reset my thoughts.
My family's admiration for Ootsuki-kun is growing, and it feels like they’re closing in around me.
But that’s not the only issue.
In fact, the real problem might be a ‘me’ thing.
Before summer vacation started, I had been called over the school’s PA system and proposed to by some senpai whose name I don't even remember now. Back then, I was just embarrassed and wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. The idea of marriage or engagement while still in high school seemed utterly ridiculous. That senpai was probably out of his mind.
But… what if it was Ootsuki-kun...
When Dad talked about Ootsuki-kun becoming his son-in-law, and Ryouta asked if we were getting married, I found myself imagining it. I could picture it.
Living under the same roof with Ootsuki-kun.
Yes, the most serious issue isn’t my family's antics; it’s ‘my own’ feelings.
Mom’s teasing about Ootsuki-kun, Ryouta wanting him to be his real big brother, Dad’s genuine liking for Ootsuki-kun—none of it bothers me.
In fact, a part of me feels happy seeing Ootsuki-kun being accepted by my family.
"...I should talk to Saki."
I pulled out my phone and opened to chat with my best friend. It was just after 10 PM, so she was probably still awake.
I tapped the call button and stared at the screen displaying her name, "Aizawa Saki." The call connected within seconds.
[Meow?]
"Saki, um... I need to talk to you about something..."
[Oho? What is it? What is it? A love problem?]
Her playful question made my heart race a little.
"...Maybe."
[Eh!? No way! Eh!? For real!?]
Along with her extremely agitated voice, I heard a loud clatter from her end, as if she had dropped something in shock.
"Eh? Wait, Saki? You okay?"
[Of course not! What do you mean by that!? I can’t believe Ayaka, of all people, would ask me for some love advice!]
"Calm down, okay? Take a deep breath."
[There’s no way I can calm down! Is it about that Kaitou-senpai from before? Were you still thinking about him all this time?]
Despite it being nighttime, her voice was high-pitched with excitement. And who is this Kaitou-senpai? Hmm… ah, the one who called me over the PA system before summer vacation?
"No, it’s not about him at all."
[That so? Then who? Just who in the world stole Ayaka's heart!?]
"No… it’s not that I’ve fallen for him yet..."
Yes, I wasn’t sure if I was in love just yet... I think.
"You see… Saki… remember what you said before?"
[Hm? Me? What did I say?]
"You know… that… about him being a good match for me..."
I couldn't bring myself to say his name and fidgeted, feeling my cheeks heat up.
[Hmm? Good match… Ah, you mean Ootsuki-kun?]
My heart skipped a beat at Saki’s words through the phone.
"...Yeah."
[Whoa! For real!? …Wait, stop right there. But it’s summer vacation, right? How did you get so involved with Ootsuki-kun?]
"Well, a lot happened..."
[Eh? I’m curious! Tell me everything right now!]
As Saki's curiosity intensified, I started to explain how I met Ootsuki-kun. Her excited voice practically burst through my phone’s speaker, filling my room with her energy.
[What’s with that? Isn’t that like the best! It's like a real-life romance manga! Do things like that really happen? No, they don't! It’s destiny! And isn’t Ootsuki-kun too high-spec? That’s like so epic!]
"Ootsuki-kun’s cooking is really delicious, you know?"
[Oho, what’s this? Are you trying to boast about your love life now?]
"N-no! I actually want to ask you for advice, Saki!"
[Advice? About how to confess?]
With her teasing remark, I felt my face flush all the way to my ears. My body felt incredibly warm, and it had nothing to do with just having taken a bath.
"No, before talking about confessing... I have to know about my feelings, you see... I don’t even know if I like Ootsuki-kun... I can’t figure out my own feelings, so I wanted to talk to you about it."
[............]
Saki went silent after I said that. She didn’t respond at all. Wait, did she fall asleep?
Just when I seriously started to worry, Saki finally spoke up.
Phew, she wasn’t asleep.
[Yeah, that makes sense. You’ve always kept your distance from guys. You can’t even get into romance even if you wanted to. It’s natural not to understand these feelings if you’ve never experienced them.]
She sounded as if she had come to a realization on her own. Did I just get a huge dose of sympathy? Feeling a bit frustrated, I pressed her further.
"What do you mean? What feelings?"
[Well, talking about this over the phone seems like a waste. How about we meet tomorrow?]
"Eh, a waste? Hmm, sure I’m free tomorrow anyways. But, eh? Why not just tell me now?"
I felt like she was dragging this out on purpose.
[I’ll give you all the time you need to talk about everything tomorrow. How about 11 AM at our usual café?]
"S-sure, that works... But, hey… can’t you tell me now? What am I not understanding?"
[Now, now, see you tomorrow!]
"Wai—! Wha—? Saki? ...She hung up."
I stared at the phone screen, contemplating whether to call her back.
But knowing Saki, she’d probably just dodge my questions again.
Thinking about my friend’s personality, whom I’ve known for a long time, I gave up and connected my phone on the charger by my bedside.
"Just what… am I not getting?"
Staring at my bedroom ceiling, I kept pondering over what Saki had said.
―…―…―…―…―…―…―…―…―…―
The morning sunlight streaming through the curtains made me squint and turn to the side.
"Ugh... so sleepy..."
I checked the time on my phone by my pillow.
"7 AM... I have to get up..."
Last night, after my call with Saki, I couldn’t stop thinking and ended up barely sleeping. I didn’t fall asleep until the sky started to lighten, so I’d hardly rested at all. But I had plans to meet Saki today, so I needed to get up and start getting ready.
Forcing myself to sit up, I yawned massively, feeling my body protest. The bed seemed to pull me back with a magnetic force. But with sheer resolve, I stood up and headed to the bathroom.
After splashing my face with cold water, it helped a bit with my drowsiness.
Wiping my face with the towel hanging next to the sink, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.
"My eyes are all puffy from lack of sleep... I don’t want Ootsuki-kun to see me like this..."
I muttered absently, then blushed when I realized what I had said. Avoiding my reflection, I headed downstairs to the living room.
"Ara? Good morning, Ayaka. You’re up early today."
"Morning, Mom."
Mom was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
"I’m meeting Saki today, so I need to leave around nine."
"Ara, with Saki-chan? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her in a while."
"Yeah, she moved farther away."
Saki used to come over often before she moved, so of course, Mom knew her well.
"Give Saki-chan my regards, okay?"
"Sure, will do."
I nodded, sitting down at the dining table.
"Are you heading to work soon, mom?"
Mom was already dressed sharply in her suit, ready for work. Dad had apparently left for work already.
"Yes, I have an early meeting today. Could you take Ryouta to the kindergarten before you go out?"
"Yeah, no problem."
Ryouta’s kindergarten was also on its summer break, so when both our parents had to leave early, we used their daycare service.
"Do you want breakfast now?"
"Hmm, I guess I’ll eat."
"Alright, I’ll have it ready in a moment."
About ten minutes later, Mom placed breakfast on the table. I was a bit surprised with what was in front of me.
"Eh? Today’s breakfast looks fancy! It’s like a traditional restaurant’s breakfast."
"Right? Ootsuki-kun prepared this yesterday. Since I had to leave early, it’s such a great help."
Mom beamed, clearly pleased with Ootsuki-kun's cooking.
When did Ootsuki-kun manage to prepare all this? I hadn’t noticed at all.
As I stared blankly at my breakfast, Mom started describing each dish.
"This is sea bream rice. This one is seared mackerel, simmered yellowtail, spinach and carrot with tofu dressing, and sea bream broth."
"Wow..."
What kind of breakfast is this? Eh? Am I at a ryokan? My sleepiness vanished in an instant.
Unable to hide my amazement, I clasped my hands and paid a "thank you for the food" before I began eating.
"This is... delicious."
The sea bream rice was perfectly flavored with dashi, soy sauce, and ginger, and the sweetness of the fish subtly spread across my tongue. The seared mackerel had a texture that could easily melt in my mouth, coupled with a sweet-salty glaze that complemented the fish’s richness, it made me smile involuntarily. I couldn’t stop bringing bite after bite to my mouth.
"Fufu. You look so happy, Ayaka."
"It’s just… cause it’s really good."
"Yes, all thanks to Ootsuki-kun, right?”
Hearing Mom’s words, I instinctively stiffened up. But unlike yesterday, she didn’t tease me. Instead, she looked at me with a gentle expression, which made me feel a bit shy.
"Ayaka."
"...Yeah?"
"Youth is fleeting in the grand scheme of life, lasting only a brief moment. But it's the most joyful, painful, confusing, and exhilarating time you'll ever experience. That's why you should live fully in the present. What you feel now will become a precious part of your life’s treasures one day.”
"…Yeah."
Those words are unfair, mom.
Although she usually teases me with a stupid grin on her face, sometimes she’d suddenly turn into this wise 'mother' figure. And when she does that, it makes me, her ‘daughter’ happy too.
"This broth... is so good."
"Right? It’s so delicious."
Together, Mom and I enjoyed the gentle flavors of the breakfast Ootsuki-kun had prepared.
———————————————————————
Ayaka’s Impression of Haruto: I don’t know what I feel... but I want to know.
