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Chapter 167: I want to touch Sendai-san more — 167

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

Exams are coming up, but I can’t put any effort into studying.

I am just sitting at my desk and all I can think about is Sendai-san, who doesn’t come home from her part-time job.

I look at my watch and see that it is long past the time that I would have eaten dinner.

I leave my room and go to the common space.

I decide to make a stew, even though I’m not that hungry, and get out my knife and cutting board. I prepare the carrots, potatoes, and onions and peel them.

Last year, I would have opted for a retort rather than go to the trouble of making my own stew, but not currently. Now that I live with Sendai-san, I’m willing to cook simple meals, and I’d rather be cooking than thinking about something else.

With stew, all I have to do is cut and saute the ingredients and add the roux.

I don’t have to think about the seasoning, so the chances of making something that doesn’t taste good are low.

On a cutting board, I cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

I am used to being alone, but being alone is boring, and on days when she have a part-time job, it’s boring until after Sendai-san comes home. It’s not interesting because she often talk about students I’ve never seen.

Generally, she’s always here, but sometimes I’m out of tune on the days she’s not. Sendai-san doesn’t come home early, and I am in danger of cutting my fingers doing a simple task like chopping vegetables.

I stop cutting potatoes.

If I had cut my finger instead of the potato as it is.

If I cut my finger so deeply that it would stop bleeding.

——What would Sendai-san do?

I sigh one more time.

There is no way that Sendai-san would quit her part-time job just because of a scratch on my finger. I know that it is none of my business where Sendai-san is or what she is doing, but since Maika came to visit us, I have been wanting to interfere with Sendai-san more than ever.

「I should have stuck with the retort.」

I cook because I don’t want to think about unnecessary things, but all I think about is unnecessary things. But I can’t switch to a retort now, so I cut up the rest of the vegetables and chicken and stir-fry them.

Add water and simmer while vaguely removing the lye.

Turn off the heat, divide the roux, turn on the heat again and stir to prevent burning.

Just as I added the milk, Sendai-san returned.

「I’m back.」

As I return「welcome back」to her? while standing in front of the pot, Sendai-san comes up to me, sniffing like a dog with her nose.

「Smells good coming from Miyagi.」

「It’s from the pot, not me.」

「You’re making stew?」

Sendai-san stands next to me.

It’s close enough to kiss, and I involuntarily look at her face.

In these situations, it was Sendai-san who kisses me. But it should be okay for me to do it, and now I can kiss her just a little closer.

Which one to do first, or when to do it this way, and so on.

I don’t remember setting such rules, so she can kiss me for no reason from me.

「Miyagi?」

When Sendai-san calls my name, my gaze shifts from her face to the stew.

Without thinking about it, if I kissed her without a reason, she might say something, and I don’t want to kiss her without a reason. I just somehow thought it was that kind of distance, and I don’t really need to kiss her.

It’s just that I’ve been a little crazy since Maika came to visit.

「You don’t have to get this close to smell the stew cooking.」

I push Sendai-san’s stomach.

「I was wondering if there was one for me too.」

Sendai-san says from about two steps away.

「I don’t make stew for just one person.」

「I see. Is it ready to go?」

A cheerful voice replies,「It does.」

「I’ll leave this here for you.」

Sendai-san shows me her bag and goes to her room.

I turn off the fire, take out two plates, serve rice and pour stew over it. Sendai-san soon returns and brings the stew and spoons to the table.

「Itadakimasu.」

My voice and Sendai-san’s overlap as we take a bite of the stew.

Although I use the same ingredients and roux, it is not as tasty as the one Sendai-san makes. If it fits in my stomach, it’s the same as any other food, but if I’m going to eat it, I’d rather it taste good.

「Miyagi, you’ve become good at cooking. It’s delicious.」

Sendai-san’s voice echoes.

「…Thank you.」

In the meantime, I thank her.

But Sendai-san says whatever she eats is delicious.

She would say it was delicious even if it wasn’t, and I am sure she would eat everything, even if it was a failure. I don’t dislike that about Sendai-san, but I would like to hear the truth.

I don’t say that she should speak her mind at any time, but there are things that I don’t want to be misled about.

——For example, the day Maika arrived.

I heard what they were talking about together, but there is something else I am wondering about.

Sendai-san did not give an answer to the question Maika had asked her that day if she liked someone. Because it was the only one she didn’t answer, it’s stuck in my head. It’s not something I would normally talk about with Sendai-san, so I haven’t had a chance to hear her answer since then.

It is not something to pursue, but it is unfair that only Sendai-san didn’t answer. Even I answered, so she should answer now. But the fact that she didn’t answer makes me think she might like someone else.

「Sendai-san.」

I don’t care who she likes, but I don’t want any more things that should take precedence over me, like a part-time job. However, I understand that if Sendai-san thinks she needs it even if I don’t want it, there is nothing I can do about it. But if there is such a person, I would at least like to know what kind of person it was.

「What is it?」

Sendai-san swallows her stew and looks at me.

Talking about who she like is something everyone does, even with Maika, and even with Ami. It should be such a simple story that can be told with anyone, but the words stay stuck in my throat as if I am talking about a terribly difficult subject.

「The stew, you should make it next time, Sendai-san.」

Different words come out of my mouth than what I was thinking.

「Okay.」

Sendai-san says in a light voice.

It’s not that I have to ask it now.

It’s just a funny thing because Maika talked about things we don’t normally talk about.

I sighed softly so that Sendai-san could not hear me.