CH 1

“Welcome!”

During this early summer season, convenience stores are a temporary oasis.

“Here you go, your change”

I was working hard as a cashier at a convenience store.

“Thank you very much!”

My voice echoed through the store.

“Um, Matsuo-san.”

I turned around and saw a petite, slender, bobbed-haired girl coming towards me.

“Ando-san, what’s wrong?”

“What else would you like me to fry?”

“Let me think… Maybe add some sausage? And maybe an American hotdog too?”

“Got it.”

She smiled and nodded.

“Ando-san, like I said before, we’re the same age so let’s drop the honorifics, okay?”

“Not happening, Matsuo-san, you are my senior.”

“Haha, Ando-san, you are so serious. Compared to you, …”

“Tsugutsugu~! How do you do this~?”

A typical JK gal said to me.

“Koshiba, you still don’t know how to operate the cash register?”

“Ah, that’s cruel! That’s power harassment!”

“No, it’s a love whip. Here, I’ll teach you one more time, so write it down.”

“Faa~”

Koshiba replied with a yawn.

“U-Um, Koshiba-san.”

“Hm? Hiyorin, what’s wrong?”

“Hey, Koshiba. Don’t call her by a nickname. Call her Ando-san or Hiyori-san.”

“Isn’t it fine, right, Hiyorin?”

“Y-yes, Why do you call Matsuo-san, Tsugutsugu?”

“Because my name is Hidetsugu, so I’m Tsugu.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I mean, the name sounds like an unsuccessful warlord, right?”

“There are too many points to pick on. What do you mean by an unsuccessful warlord? Is he an idol or something?”

“Buhahah! Tsugutsugu, you are so funny!”

“Manager! Please cut Koshiba’s hourly wage!”

“Noo~~, Tsugutsugu no baka~!”

“Hah, what a noisy woman”

I let out a sigh.

“Well then, Matsuo-san. I’ll be frying.”

“Yeah, thanks, Ando-san.”

“Yes.”

She smiled and walked into the fryer room.

“You really should learn from Ando-san.”

“What’s with you, Tsugu? You like Hiyorin?”

“Huh? I mean, I do think Ando-san is cute. She’s a classmate of mine from college, and we work together part-time.”

“Hmmm~?”

“What’s with those eyes?”

“But Hiyorin… No, it’s nothing.”

“Look, don’t waste your time talking, at least learn the cash register quickly.”

“Wah~n, you power-harassing demon, Tsugutsugu!”

“I’m begging you, please be quiet.”

I pressed my forehead.

*****

“Well then, Tsugtsugu, Hiyorin, Later~!”

Unexpectedly, Koshiba mounted her bicycle and dashed off.

“Hmmm, you have quite a good trunk strength”

“Matsuo-san?

Ando-san, who was standing next to me, tilted her head.

“No, it’s nothing. Shall we go home then?”

“Yes.”

We started walking side by side.

She and I were in the same year of college and in the same department. However, we never had a conversation during our first year of college. I had at least known who she was for a while. She came to the convenience store where I worked about a month ago.

“Hmm, it’s been bothering me for a while.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Ando-san…”

“W-What is it?”

“You’re so thin. Are you eating properly?

At first I thought she was slender and cute. But as the days went by, I felt like she was getting thinner and thinner. ….

“Y-yes, I’m eating well.”

“Really? What are you eating?”

“Uh, let’s see… … bean sprouts.”

“Is that a side dish?

“No, it’s the .. main course.”

“Sprouts as main course?”

“Yes. ….”

“I mean, yeah, bean sprouts are wonderful. But to have it as a main course, isn’t that quite light?”

I said, and Ando-san turned her face downcast.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I was judging you.”

“No, It’s fine.”

“I’m just worried about you, Ando-san. … Sorry, I’m being nosey.”

I scratched my cheeks.

“I don’t think you are being nosey, I think you are very caring.”

“Eh?”

“I think that’s why Koshiba-san is so attached to you.”

“Attached to me? I feel she’s just trying to get on my nerves.”

“I don’t think so. I can tell.”

“Y-yeah?”

I got embarrassed.

“Hey, Ando-san. If you would like….”

*****

I unlocked the front door.

“Come in, come in.”

“S-sorry to bother you.”

Ando-san, shrinking her small body even more, stepped inside the door.

“Sorry for inviting you to a room where a man lives alone. Doesn’t it stink?”

“No, it’s alright. It’s rather refreshing.”

“Haha, thank you.”

I smiled.

“Well, I guess I’d better get ready for dinner.”

“A-are you sure you don’t mind? If you want, I can give you some money…”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who invited you.”

“T-thank you.”

She bowed.

“You’re welcome…is what I would like to say, but I think I might be in a bit of trouble.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I was worried about you, so I invited you over on the spur of the moment… but I’ve only ever cooked dishes for guys that are pretty simple, so I was wondering if I could make dishes that I could serve to a girl…”

“Umm, Matsuo-san. May I look in your refrigerator?”

“Hm? Sure”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Ando-san hesitantly opened the fridge and looked inside.

“Hmmmm, I see. …:”

Then, a few moments later.

“Matsuo-san, if you don’t mind, I’ll cook dinner.”

“Huh?”

“Um, would that be a nuisance?”

“Absolutely not, but Ando-san, can you cook?”

“Only a little.”

“Then, I’ll take you up on it.”

“Yes, Matsuo-san, please take it easy.”

“No, I’ll help you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Ando-san smiled.

“All right, then, please.”

“Yes.”

I sat down at the living room table and turned on the TV. In the meantime, I heard a tapping sound coming from the kitchen. I knew just from that that this girl could cook properly.

Thanks to that, I was able to watch TV programs with a carefree mind.

So …

“Here you go.”

It really felt like it was done in no time.

Then, Ando-san brought the food. I looked at one of the dishes on the table and gawked.

“This isn’t … fried rice, is it?’

“Yes, it’s pilaf.”

She replied with a smile.

“If you use soy sauce, it’s fried rice, but if you use consommé, it’s pilaf.”

“I see.”

“I also added curry powder so that Matsuo-san, a male, would feel satisfied with the food.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. It has a little curry-like color in it.”

“Yes, this is a curry pilaf. And a simple salad and soup to go with it.”

“A-amazing….If it were me, this pilaf would be more like a messy fried rice, and that one bowl would be the end of it.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

“No, this looks delicious. Can I start eating some right away?”

“Yes, please.”

“Well, Thanks for the food.”

I picked up the spoon, took a bite of the curry pilaf.

“…Delicious”

The words spilled out of my mouth naturally.

“R-really?”

“Yes, this is very delicious. I have no complaints about the seasoning, the way the ingredients are sauteed, or how the rice is … crispy.”

“I-I’m so happy.”

“Ah, you know, rather than me, Ando-san, you should eat as well.”

“Yes, Thanks for the food.”

Andou-san ate the curry pilaf she made.

“How is it?”

While I was staring, Ando-san was chewing slowly.

However,

“… Eh?”

Suddenly, tears spilled from her eyes.

“Ah, … sorry.”

This triggered her to wipe her eyes, but she couldn’t stop crying.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to hold back.”

“What?”

“You can cry as much as you want. I’m going to go to the bathroom.”

“N-No, don’t…I want you by my side.”

The moment she looked at me with teary eyes, I was startled.

For a while after that, I watched her eating curry pilaf with tears spilling down her face.

*****

“Thank you for dinner today.”

Ando-san said, bowing politely.

“Oh, no. I’d rather thank you for the food. It was really very, very good.”

“T-Thank you.”

She smiled, though her eyes were still wet with tears.

“Then, See you later.”

“Ando-san, it’s late. I’ll take you home.”

“N-No, You don’t have to.”

“No, but I’m worried about you.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Ando-san hurriedly refused, so I had no choice but to give in.

“Then, take care. If anything happens, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Yes, thank you so much.”

“Be careful on your way home.”

“I’ll be fine. I ate a delicious meal with you, Matsuo-san, so I’m in high spirits.”

“Haha, I see.”

And then Andou-san smiled again and left.

“….But, well.”

It looked somewhat cleaner than before she came.

It’s just the kitchen area where she did the cooking, though.

She’s very meticulous, like the way she arranges the dishes for washing and draining.

“She has a lot of girl power….housewife power,… or maybe she has a lot of wife power?”

I was thinking that a man who can take her as his wife in the future is a lucky man.

“Guess I’ll take a bath.”

I headed for the bathroom while humming a tune.