Encounter
It is a study session with the four of us today. It would be the usual if it were just this, but there is an event different from usual afterwards.
It was past 17:50 when I finished solving a question and checked the clock. I have time to do roughly one more question, but……I guess I will get moving slightly earlier.
“I am thinking of making dinner since it is almost time; will you be able to eat?”
“Of course! I went and cut back on lunch for Kazunari’s cooking after all!”
“I’m hungry”
“I am fine too”
I head to the kitchen since every single one of them is able to eat. That’s right, it is the hand-wrapped sushi party today. It is slightly different from my handmade cooking that Renya is hoping, but it will probably be fine if it tastes good.
“Need help?”
“No, since most of the preparations are already done. Could I ask you to do just the plates and stuff?”
“Nn, leave it to me”
Most of the hand-wrapped sushi’s ingredients are already inside the fridge. This morning, I woke up earlier than usual and made them beforehand. All that is short is the seafood that will arrive later, and the simmered beef.
The simmered beef, I decided to make, thinking we must not run out of ingredients even by the off chance. I made more just in case, but we can eat it again on another day if there are leftovers.
〈Ding-Dong〉
I was making it speedily, but the interphone rang over here. It is likely Kinuta-san, who came to deliver. It is best for me to answer it, but there is unfortunately no way I can leave this spot since the stove is on……there is no other choice huh.
“Yae, I think it is likely the delivery of the fish and stuff I previously ordered beforehand. So please receive it in my stead!”
“Got it. Where’s the money?”
“It is fine since I paid ahead!”
I raised my voice and asked so that Yae, who was in the living room, could hear. Yae is no child either after all, so she will probably not do anything rude even if she sees Kinuta-san’s appearance.
“Kazunari-kun, where should I leave the fish?”
“Ah, in the living room please. Rather, it is Shizue-san today huh”
I, who was sure that Kinuta-san would come, was surprised by the voice I heard. I wonder if something happened?
“There’s nothing to worry about. There was simply another job that came in, so I came instead”
“Is that so. Sorry, having you go out of the way to bring it all the way inside for me”
“It’s okay. There’s no way I can make a cute girl carry it, right?”
As suave as always huh. I somehow have a feeling Renya heard those words just now and flinched. He is a man who is not doing anything after all. He loses face when he has that said of him. Shizue-san does not have such intentions though.
“Now then, the delivery is done as well after all, so I shall excuse myself”
“Sorry, I could not even properly greet you”
“Don’t worry about it. You just have to patronise the store from here on out as well, alright. Not just Kazunari-kun, Renya-kun and Mutsumi-san, and then Yae-chan. I hope all of you have fun”
It looks like Shizue-san said that and left. I actually planned to finish making the simmered beef before it arrived, but I failed.
“Where are the other ingredients?”
“Ah, inside the fridge”
“I’ll bring them over”
“Ah, thank you for taking them out in my stead”
“……sure”
As I reflected on that alone, Yae took the other ingredients and went off. It’s just that I wonder if something happened for her to have a somewhat disgruntled-sounding voice.
My hands didn’t stop even as I found it strange, and the simmered beef was completed. I ate just a little to taste test, but I am satisfied with how it came out delicious.
“Did we give our names to that person?”
“Didn’t she probably just hear it from Oohata-kun?”
“I see. It sure was strange why she knew our names huhー”
The topic is on the Shizue-san just now when I bring the simmered beef to the living room. They are going to be curious since Shizue-san is indeed gorgeous huh.
By the way, I am not going to tell Renya and others, but I only said Yae’s name. In other words, Shizue-san knew Renya and other’s faces and names. I am impressed by the same old resourcefulness by myself.
“Kazu-kun”
“What is the matter?”
“Shizue-san is a pretty person huh”
“Yeah. Though dressed as a man, Shizue-san is as beautiful as an actress huh”
“Does Kazu-kun frequent that store because Shizue-san is around?”
There was a mysterious compelling force in the Yae who asked me while looking fixedly over here. I wonder if, by any chance, she thought that I was using Kinuta-san’s store because I am interested in Shizue-san. If that is really the case, she probably plans to bring it up with her parents and my mother.
“Th-, that is not it. I have no such feelings towards Shizue-san. It is simply because the store there is convenient”
“Really?”
“Yes. In the first place, Shizue-san has a wife……it is complicated if I put it that way, but Shizue-san is married”
“I-, is that so……”
Perhaps she is convinced, the sense of pressure released from Yae disappeared. Instead, looking at how her cheeks are turning just a little red although her expression is unchanged, it seems she got embarrassed for misunderstanding huh. Let’s talk about it when we return home next time.
“No matter how you look at it, this is an 『although your adultery was seen and you were interrogated, you successfully brushed it off-scene』 huh”
“Pufuu……he-, hey, don’t say weird things all of a sudden”
Renya is spouting nonsense, but there are too many things to retort that I am lost for words instead. In any case, I shall make him a special wasabi-filled hand-wrapped sushi afterwards.
