Even in the morning, it was the middle of a summer vacation where a fierce heat assaulted them. As usual, Haruto was in his best friend’s fully air-conditioned room, occupying the owner’s desk, where he was studying with a reference book spread open. “Hey, Haru. If you do nothing but study, you’ll become an idiot, you know?” Tomoya, whose desk and chair had been commandeered by Haruto, said this while sitting on the bed practicing his guitar. “You’re one to talk. If you do nothing but practice guitar, you’ll get worse at it.” As Haruto retorted without taking his eyes off the reference book, Tomoya laughed, “What stupid thing are you saying?” “I’m practicing to get better, there’s no way I’ll get worse, right?” To Tomoya, who said this as if it were a perfectly sound argument, Haruto stopped the pen he was moving and turned an exasperated expression toward his best friend. “…Tomoya, why don’t you try studying a little too? About the laws of nature.” “I firmly refuse! There’s no way I’m studying. I’m busy mastering the guitar.” After stating this clearly, Tomoya began to strum his guitar noisily. Haruto, shrugging at his best friend’s remark, resumed his studies. From then on, they concentrated on their own things without interfering with each other, but after a while, Tomoya stopped practicing his guitar and called out to Haruto. “Hey, Haru? By the way, how’s the housekeeping part-time job?” “Even if you ask me how it is, I can only say it’s normal.” “Has nothing happened with Tōjō-san since then? Was it just that one time?” “…”

At Tomoya’s question, Haruto couldn’t help but stop his studies. Tomoya, keenly noticing this change in his demeanor, grinned. “Hey, hey! No way, no way? You’ve been going to Tōjō-san’s house since then?” “…It’s work. I’m only going to Tōjō-san’s house purely as a housekeeping job.” At Haruto’s mumbled words, Tomoya’s excitement shot up as if it were his own affair. “Seriously!? You’re really going to Tōjō-san’s place!?” “It’s not that I’m ‘going,’ but… well, I’ve signed a regular contract with them.” “Huh? Isn’t that amazing? That means the Tōjō family likes you, right?” “They just liked the quality of my work.” In contrast to his excited best friend, Haruto replied with utter calmness. “No, but still, isn’t that amazing? This is your chance to get closer and closer to Tōjō-san! And if things go well, you might even end up dating, right?” “That’s not happening. Absolutely not.” Haruto completely denied Tomoya’s words. “How can you be so sure? If you keep meeting her over and over, you’ll probably get along, won’t you?” “Well, we might get along a little, but it won’t go any further than that.” If he kept going there as a housekeeping staff member, he might become closer with Ayaka than before summer vacation. They would probably reach a point where they’d exchange light greetings when they saw each other in the morning. However, the expectation of becoming closer than that, and perhaps even becoming her boyfriend, did not well up inside Haruto. “Besides, there’s no way Tōjō-san, who’s rejected every single guy who’s confessed to her, would fall for me.” “You think so? You’re good at cooking, Haru, so you might unexpectedly capture her heart through her stomach and make her fall for you, you know?” “If Tōjō-san fell for someone that easily, it’d be weird if she didn’t already have a boyfriend from all the guys before, right?” Saying so, Haruto once again faced the desk and resumed his studies. “Besides, even if, hypothetically, something good started between me and Tōjō-san, dating her is out of the question.” “Why not?”

To Tomoya, who tilted his head in genuine confusion, Haruto answered while looking at his reference book. “Why, you ask? It’s that Tōjō-san, you know? The school’s idol, you know? If we were dating, just try to imagine us walking to school holding hands in the morning. I’d get beaten to a pulp by every guy in school and never be seen again.” Haruto’s face soured as he recalled the jealous stares directed at him when he went shopping at the supermarket with Ayaka and Ryōta. “You do karate, so just beat them all up. That’s what karate’s for, right?” “You’re wrong. I do karate to train my etiquette and spirit. Violence is unforgivable, no matter what.” “You’re so rigid.” “That’s normal, isn’t it?” Haruto replied curtly while writing in his notebook. “So, even if Tōjō-san shows interest in you, you won’t do anything, Haru?” “Because I want to lead a peaceful high school life. A student’s main duty is to study.” “Coward.” “Say what you want.” As if to end the conversation, Haruto began to focus on his studies. Seeing his best friend like this, Tomoya muttered, “What a waste,” and started practicing his guitar again. Haruto, who had been facing his desk until just before noon, looked at the wall clock and then stretched widely. “Allright. I’m heading home soon.” “Oh? Is it noon already?” Tomoya also stopped practicing his guitar and looked up at the clock. “Thanks for letting me use the desk.” “Sure, the usage fee is ten million.” “I see. Then my cleaning your room is one hundred million per session.” Haruto said casually while packing up his study materials. “Alright. Please feel free to use the desk anytime.” “Heh, thanks.” Haruto gave a small laugh and raised a hand to Tomoya, who was bowing obsequiously. “You have your part-time job after this, Haru?” “Yeah, from three o’clock, after I do some shopping for my house.”

“At Tōjō-san’s place?” “Yeah.” Answering Tomoya’s question curtly, Haruto stuffed his reference books and other things into his bag. “I’m so jealous, man.” “I’m going there for work, you know. I don’t get to interact with Tōjō-san as much as you think.” “But you get to see Tōjō-san’s face, right?” “See, huh…” With an exasperated look, Haruto was about to leave his friend’s room. Tomoya followed after him. “Hm? Are you going out too?” “Yeah, I’m meeting up with my bandmates for a joint practice at the studio today.” Tomoya replied, patting the guitar case slung over his shoulder. “I see, good luck with practice.” “You too, do your best to make Tōjō-san like you.” “That’s not where I should be putting my effort.” “No, I’m saying you should try a little.” To his best friend’s words, spoken with a wry smile, Haruto replied while scratching his head with one hand. “Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it. See ya.” Giving a half-hearted reply, Haruto parted ways with Tomoya. ※※※ After parting with Tomoya, Haruto headed to the supermarket before his part-time job. He needed to buy more miso, as he’d noticed they were running low when he and his grandmother were making breakfast that morning. “Come to think of it, we’re almost out of natto, so I should probably buy some.” As Haruto walked, recalling the contents of their refrigerator, the relentless summer sun continued to beat down on him. By the time he reached the supermarket, he was drenched in sweat. He grabbed a shopping basket at the entrance and stepped inside, where he was enveloped in refreshingly cool air, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Hm? It’s surprisingly crowded.” Haruto had the impression that supermarkets were less crowded after lunchtime, but perhaps because it was summer vacation, there were a surprising number of people. As Haruto made his way through the store to buy his target, miso, an advertisement suddenly caught his eye. “Oh? They’re having a time sale. That’s why it’s so crowded.” It was likely the supermarket’s strategy to increase customer traffic during off-peak hours by holding a time sale. “Let’s see, is there anything good?” Haruto approached the advertisement to check. It seemed the biggest feature of this time sale was meat. “Sliced beef trimmings for one 128 yen per hundred grams… hmm… it’s cheap, but not cheap enough to jump at.” Haruto didn’t find the advertised item very appealing. Perhaps because his appetite had diminished from walking in the intense heat just moments ago, the meat itself didn’t seem attractive. “Anything else… ooh, seasonings are on sale too. I should have checked our stock of seasonings at home… huh? Hngh!?” Mid-sentence, Haruto’s eyes flew open as he stared intently at one spot on the advertisement. “A bottle of sesame oil for 78 yen… you’ve got to be kidding me.” Cheap. Too cheap. In Haruto’s mind, sesame oil was classified as a luxury item. Even the cheap store-brand products cost between 200 and 300 yen. If you were to buy a well-known, famous brand, a 500 yen coin would vanish in an instant. But this sesame oil was incredibly versatile. The fragrant aroma of sesame oil had the power to forcibly revive one’s appetite even during the summer when it tended to wane, and just a quick drizzle over stir-fried vegetables or fried rice would make them several times more delicious. If you added garlic to that, it would not be an exaggeration to call it invincible. On a humid, tropical night, drizzling it over cold tofu topped with kimchi was also exquisite. “I have to buy this!!” Haruto rushed to the aisle where the sesame oil was. Panting, Haruto stood before the sesame oil displayed on the shelf. Reflected in his eyes was a large number written on yellow paper. It was, without a doubt, 78. “What… what in the world is going on?”

Haruto couldn’t help but be flustered by the astounding price. “For sesame oil to be this cheap… hah! This must be another world! Is this that ‘reincarnated in another world’ thing I’ve heard about!?” Muttering something so ridiculous, Haruto reached for the displayed product, but stopped short when he noticed something. His gaze was fixed on a certain sentence written below the price on the ad. “One item per customer… damn it, you again!” Haruto glared at the sentence with a hateful look, like a hero facing a demon king. This “One item per customer” rule is the enemy of all housewives. To defeat this formidable foe, the housewives of the world summon their friends and relatives to face it. Haruto also quickly pulled his smartphone from his pocket and, tapping at an extraordinary speed, attempted to summon reinforcements. A carefree ringtone echoed from the phone pressed to his ear, a stark contrast to Haruto’s own feelings. Right now, his rivals were probably engrossed in the main feature item, the sliced beef trimmings. He wanted to secure this sesame oil by any means necessary in the meantime. Somehow suppressing his impatience, Haruto waited for the other party to answer the call. A few seconds later, it finally connected, and his best friend’s carefree voice reached his ear. “Yo~, what’s up? Forget something?” “Can you come to the supermarket right now!?” “Whoa, you sound intense. Is it that thing again?” “That’s right! I absolutely can’t miss today’s!!” Haruto had summoned Tomoya countless times before to overcome the formidable enemy that was “One item per customer.” In other words, he was not just a best friend, but a comrade in arms. But now, an unfavorable reply came back from that very comrade. “Ah… sorry, I’m already at the studio, and our practice session is about to start…” “…I see, right. No, sorry for bothering you. Don’t mind me and do your best at practice.” “Oh, uh. I’m… uh… sorry.” His voice must have sounded incredibly dejected, as Tomoya apologized with sincere regret. “No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault. See ya.”

Haruto tapped his phone screen to end the call, then attempted to summon his next ally. He placed a call to another person from his chat app’s history. After a few seconds, a voice came through the phone. “What is it, Haruto?” “Kazu-senpai! Are you free right now!?” “What’s wrong? You sound pretty frantic.” The person Haruto relied on after Tomoya was his reliable big-brother figure from the same dojo, a year his senior: Ishigura Kazuaki. “I’m at the supermarket right now, and there’s a special sale item that’s one per customer, so I was hoping you could help me out.” “I see. Hmm, does it have to be right now?” “…Yeah. I think it’ll probably sell out soon if I don’t hurry.” From Ishigura’s reaction, Haruto felt that this might not work out. “I see… Sorry, but I’m baking a cake right now. I can’t get my hands free. My bad.” “Oh, is that so… then it can’t be helped.” “Sorry about that.” “No, no.” Haruto ended the call with Ishigura and, clinging to a sliver of hope, placed a call to one more person. The call with this person connected almost instantly, before the ringing tone could even sound. “Haru-senpai, how many children do you want?” “Sorry, Shizuku. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The expressionless voice of his kohai came through the phone. A fellow dojo member with Ishigura and a kohai one year below him at the same high school. Haruto felt as if his strength had drained away at Dōjima Shizuku’s incomprehensible statement. “Isn’t this a call about our future family planning, Haru-senpai and me?” “Sorry, but I don’t think I have any plans to make a call like that, now or ever.” “Gabeen.” Haruto replied calmly to Shizuku’s words, and she responded with a rather old-fashioned reaction. However, the monotonous way she said it without any emotion was strangely funny, and Haruto couldn’t help but let out a “Pfft” of laughter. “’Gabeen’? What era is that from?”

“I’m a modern high school girl, you know? More importantly, what did you need, Haru-senpai? If it’s not about family planning, is it to discuss our honeymoon destination? I think Santorini would be nice.” “Where’s that? It’s not about that, I need your help with a supermarket sale.” It felt like the sun would set if he kept indulging Shizuku’s jokes, so Haruto concisely stated his business. “Hoho, I see. So I’m just a convenient woman you call only when you need me, is that it, Haru-senpai?” “…If you help me, I plan to give you a suitable reward.” “A kiss, right?” “I’ll give you a more proper reward.” “S-something even more amazing… Senpai, you’re so naughty.” Haruto let out a tired sigh, “Haaah,” at Shizuku’s jokes that twisted the content of their conversation at every turn. “So, will you help me?” “Of course. Is what I’d like to say, but… I’m sorry, Senpai. My mom actually told me to pull weeds, and I’ve skipped it four times in a row, so she finally blew up at me…” Shizuku’s voice was unusually dejected as she told him, “Haru-senpai, I am filled with regret.” “I-I see. Make sure you listen to what your mother says, okay?” “Yes…” “See you then. Good luck with the weeding.” “Haru-senpai… I love… you-ish.” “Yeah, yeah.” After hanging up with Shizuku, who was joking to the very end, Haruto let out a big sigh. Having failed to get help from all his reinforcements, Haruto bit down on the frustration of his defeat against “One item per customer.” “Haaah, well, I can at least buy one bottle, so I’ll just have to be satisfied with that.” Haruto picked up a single bottle of sesame oil from the shelf and dropped it listlessly into his shopping basket. “…I’ll just buy the miso and go home.” Haruto started walking with a dejected gait. A voice called out to him from behind. “Ōtsuki-kun?”

At that voice, Haruto turned around, and he remembered. There’s something that almost always appears in stories about being reincarnated in another world. That is, a goddess. A goddess who grants the hero powerful abilities and sometimes saves him from a pinch. And now, a goddess had appeared before Haruto’s eyes. Before Haruto, who had challenged the demon king known as “One item per customer” but was defeated, his strength exhausted. A goddess who would give him the strength to stand up again. “Ah! Tōjō-san! You are a goddess!!” “Fuehh!?”

A strange sound escaped Ayaka in response to Haruto’s mysteriously high tension and words. ※※※ Tōjō Ayaka When I went to the supermarket near my house after my mom asked me to go shopping, I happened to run into Ōtsuki-kun. Seeing Ōtsuki-kun outside of his housekeeping service job, my heart pounded and I instinctively hid behind a product shelf. Wh-what should I do… Should I call out to him? He’s come to our house three times now, so I think… we’ve probably become close enough to exchange casual greetings when we meet by chance, right? But what if… what if Ōtsuki-kun doesn’t think of me that way at all yet, and thinks something like, “Who’s this? What a pushy girl.” Ugh… I wouldn’t like that. But, Ōtsuki-kun isn’t that kind of person, right? He’s kind, so he’d surely smile and greet me back. I cautiously peeked my head out from behind the shelf to check on Ōtsuki-kun. For a while now, he’s been staring intently at the products on display with a difficult expression. Maybe, just maybe, Ōtsuki-kun would notice me first and call out to me. I had that thought, but seeing him like that, it seemed unlikely. …So Ōtsuki-kun can make a face like that. The Ōtsuki-kun who comes to our house for the housekeeping service always has a calm expression. But right now, he’s staring at one spot with a stern gaze. Somehow, getting to see a side of Ōtsuki-kun I didn’t know… makes me a little happy. As I was thinking that and secretly watching him from behind the shelf, he suddenly pulled out his phone and started contacting someone with incredible speed. After calling about three different people in a row, he ended the calls looking extremely dejected and picked up a product. Is that… sesame oil? Why would he pick up sesame oil with such a sad expression?

While I was wondering, Ōtsuki-kun started trudging away, his back radiating sorrow. What happened? Why does he look so sad? Is it because of the sesame oil? Questions popped into my head one after another. I’m so curious. “Ōtsuki-kun?” I was so curious that before I knew it, I had come out from behind the product shelf where I was hiding and had unconsciously called out to him. Ah! What should I do! I called out to him! I’m not mentally prepared yet… While panicking, I tried to think of various potential greetings so I could have a natural conversation with Ōtsuki-kun. “It’s nice weather today, isn’t it?”… that’s not quite right. “Hello, Ōtsukikun.”… is that too plain? “What are you doing in a place like this?”… he’s at a supermarket, so of course he’s shopping. Then how about… “Meeting you in a place like this, it feels like fate!”… That’s definitely wrong!! What’s gotten into me!? As I was lost in a whirlwind of confused thoughts, Ōtsuki-kun said something that confused me even more. “Ah! Tōjō-san! You are a goddess!!” “Fueeh!?” I let out a weird sound! Wait, huh? A goddess? Me? His? I don’t get it. What’s a goddess? Is it the person standing in a seashell in old paintings, or the one leading the masses with a flag at the front? “Tōjō-san! There’s something I need to ask you!” “Y-Yes.” Ōtsuki-kun is looking at me with such a serious gaze. What should I do, when you look at me like that my heart starts beating faster and faster… Hah!! Wait a minute! Is this… could this be a confession!? Wait, wait, wait! Here? In the supermarket’s condiment aisle? A confession while holding sesame oil!? Wh-what should I do… It’s so unconventional my thoughts won’t come together. B-b-b-but, if he does confess, I’ll turn him down for now. Yes, I’ll turn him down. And then, I’ll ask him if we can start as friends. “Tōjō-san! Please help me buy sesame oil!!” “Ah, yes! The pleasure is all mine!!”

I’m such an idiot!! I had just decided to turn him down once!! …Wait, huh? Sesame oil? What does that mean? “Really!? Wow, thank you so much. That’s a huge help.” “Ah, yes. You’re welcome?” Huh? Huuuh? What? What’s going on? Help him buy sesame oil? Is this like a married couple’s first joint task? A surprise sesame oil proposal? As I reached the peak of my confusion, Ōtsuki-kun, with a delighted face, pointed to a line on the advertisement attached to the sesame oil shelf and said: “This sesame oil is limited to one per customer, and I tried asking my friends to come buy a second bottle, but no one could make it, so I was about to give up and settle for just one.” “Oh! So that’s what it was! …Right. One item per customer… yeah, that’s right. I should just buy your share for you, right?” “Yes, I’ll pay you back later.” “Okay, I get it. I’ll buy this then.” With that, I picked up the on-sale sesame oil and put it in my basket. …………..So embarrassing!! I was completely misunderstanding things!! What sesame oil proposal!! There’s no way that would happen!! I’m such an idiot! An idiot! An idiot!! Ah… I feel like sesame oil is going to become a trauma for me. I have a feeling it’s going to show up as a nightmare in my dreams tonight. My face must be flushed bright red all the way to my ears with shame right now. If possible, I don’t want Ōtsuki-kun to see my face like this. I averted my face so Ōtsuki-kun couldn’t see my expression. “Wow, to be able to buy sesame oil for 78 yen, how many more times will I have an experience like this in my life? The next time I can buy it at this price might be in eighty years.” “78 yen for sesame oil is that cheap, huh.” So a sesame oil sale has the same frequency as a comet’s cycle. …Really? TL/N: Ayaka is referencing Halley’s Comet, which has a cycle of approximately 76 years. Pretending to look at the sesame oil on the shelf, I talked with Ōtsuki-kun while keeping my face turned away from him. “This price is a miracle. It’s guaranteed to win this year’s Good-ofSesame-Oil Award.” “Good-of-Sesame… hehe, what’s that, it makes no sense.” At his joke, I couldn’t hold it in and let out a laugh. So Ōtsuki-kun makes jokes like this too.

Thinking that, I got curious about what kind of expression he was making and stole a sideways glance at him. Right now, Ōtsuki-kun has a huge, beaming smile, an explosion of happiness on his face. For some reason, it overlapped with the image of Ryōta rejoicing innocently. Cute… Seeing the usually mature Ōtsuki-kun’s innocent smile, I couldn’t help but let my own expression soften. …But wait, calling a male classmate cute is rude, isn’t it? Ōtsuki-kun would probably be uncomfortable if a girl his age thought he was “cute.” I pushed down the feeling that had welled up inside me. “By the way, what did you come here to buy, Tōjō-san?” “Eh? Ah, my mom asked me to buy some wasabi.” “Just wasabi?” “Yeah.” “In that case, if you had told me when I came over for the housekeeping service, I would have come to buy it.” Ōtsuki-kun said that, but I shook my head. “My dad said he wants you to focus on making dinner today.” “…? Does that mean you have a request for tonight’s dinner?” “Yeah, actually, my dad went fishing today, and he wants you to clean the fish he caught.” My dad sometimes brings home fish from his fishing hobby. But apparently, he always used to give them to his other fishing buddies, saying it was too much trouble to clean them at home. This time, though, he’s all fired up because Ōtsuki-kun is here, and it seems he’s bringing home all the fish he caught. “Can you clean fish, Ōtsuki-kun?” My dad got so excited he forgot to check, but if by some chance Ōtsukikun can’t clean fish, it’s going to be a major disaster. Well, I’m sure Ōtsuki-kun would be fine, but some people can’t even touch fish. Ōtsuki-kun might be that type. Ōtsuki-kun flustered by a fish flopping around on the cutting board… yeah, that’s cute. I’d kind of like to see that. “Let’s see. It depends on the type of fish, but I believe I know the basic preparation methods, so I think it’ll probably be fine. By the way, have you heard what kind of fish he caught?” “Ah, yeah. Hold on, it should be in my chat with my dad.”

Realizing I’d been grinning at my own fantasy, I hastily straightened my expression, operated my phone, and opened the chat screen with my dad. “Um, let’s see, he caught yellowtail and sea bream, and also… how do you read this?” I tilted my head at the unfamiliar kanji. Fish and spring… hmm, have I seen it before, or not? As I was struggling to read the kanji, Ōtsuki-kun called out to me from next to me. “Could I see the screen for a moment?” “Sure.” When I nodded, Ōtsuki-kun came right next to me, craned his neck a little, and peeked at my phone. “Ah, this is sawara.” “Wow, ‘fish’ and ‘spring’ is read as sawara.” “In the spring, this fish comes close to the shore to spawn, so they’re seen more often. That’s why people in the old days started calling sawara the ‘fish that heralds spring,’ and the kanji became ‘sawara’ (鰆).” “I see. ‘The fish that heralds spring’ sounds lovely.” In my mind, an image of a fancy, stylized fish swimming elegantly in a sea of fluttering cherry blossoms appeared. “But this fish has incredibly sharp teeth and chews through fishing tackle right away, so fishermen call it the ‘Sawara-cutter,’ though,” Ōtsuki-kun said with a laugh. Hearing his words, my image of the sawara transformed from a cute little fish into a ferocious, piranha-like monster fish. “Is sawara maybe a scary fish?” “Well, it is a large carnivorous fish. But it tastes exceptionally delicious. Sashimi is great, of course, but Saikyō-yaki is also fantastic. It’s a softfleshed fish, so it has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a rich flavor, you’ll definitely get hooked.” TL/N: “Saikyō-yaki” is a traditional Japanese dish where fish is marinated in Saikyō miso (a sweet, mild miso) and then grilled. “Wow, you know a lot, Ōtsuki-kun.” As I said that, I turned my face toward Ōtsuki-kun beside me. And then, I hurriedly returned my gaze to my phone screen. S-so close! Ōtsuki-kun’s face is right next to me!! Because we were both looking at the same phone screen, our faces were extremely close. Wh-wh-what should I do…

But if I panic and move away here, it might make him think I’m conscious of him… I wonder if Ōtsuki-kun doesn’t think anything of this distance? Right now, Ōtsuki-kun and I are so close our shoulders are about to touch. We’ve completely entered each other’s personal space. This time, I slowly turned my eyes toward Ōtsuki-kun, trying not to let him notice I was looking. Ah, Ōtsuki-kun’s eyelashes are pretty long. I wonder what it is, when I look at Ōtsuki-kun’s face, I feel a strange sensation, like I’m being drawn in… “By the way, do you have a gas burner at your house, Tōjō-san?” “!? Ah, huh? A gas burner? I-I wonder? I don’t think we have one.” Th-that scared me! Just as I was gazing at Ōtsuki-kun’s profile, he suddenly turned toward me and spoke, and I thought my heart was going to stop. “Do you need a gas torch to prepare fish?” He didn’t notice I was staring at his profile, did he? I asked Ōtsuki-kun, feeling a little anxious. “Seared sawara is exquisite.” “O-oh, I see.” Looks like I’m okay. He doesn’t seem to have noticed I was stealing glances at his profile. “The home center is right next to this supermarket, so I’ll go buy a gas burner there.” “Ah, that. Can I come with you?” Crap! I just reflexively said I wanted to go with him. “To the home center?” “Yeah, I’ve never really been to a store like that…” That’s what I said, but my true feelings were different. I wanted to be with Ōtsuki-kun a little longer. I found myself wanting to know more about the him that wasn’t on the job. To feel this way, does that mean I really… like Ōtsuki-kun? No, wait! I think it’s too early to draw a conclusion. Maybe I just want to be good friends with Ōtsuki-kun, or maybe I’m just getting carried away because he’s the first guy I can interact with normally. It’s true that when I think back on my interactions with Ōtsuki-kun so far, there have been moments that made my heart pound, but there still hasn’t been anything that makes me sure I’ve fallen in love… hmm?

Come to think of it, a little while ago, when I mistakenly thought Ōtsukikun was about to confess, when he said, “Please help me buy sesame oil,” I answered, “Yes, the pleasure is all mine,” didn’t I? …Does this mean that if Ōtsuki-kun had really been confessing at that moment, I would have accepted? Huh? That’s what this means, right? Huh? What should I do? Huh!? What should I do!? I really do… about Ōtsuki-kun… I don’t know! I don’t know anymore!! I don’t understand my own feelings!! My heart is a complete mess like a typhoon, yet Ōtsuki-kun mercilessly smiles at me. “Well then, shall we go to the home center together?” “Y-yes. The pleasure is all mine.” With my feelings still a mess, I couldn’t look at Ōtsuki-kun’s face and replied in a small voice while looking down. ※※※ Thanks to Ayaka, Haruto succeeded in getting two bottles of sesame oil. After buying the miso and natto that were their original objective, and the wasabi that Ayaka was shopping for, the two of them paid and bagged their purchased items. “Here, Ōtsuki-kun, the sesame oil.” “Thank you. You were a real help.” Haruto bowed his head as he took the sesame oil from Ayaka, then put the received bottles into his eco-bag. “Ōtsuki-kun, that eco-bag… it’s really cute.” “Eh? Ah… actually, this is one my grandmother usually uses.” Haruto said, looking a little embarrassed. “Oh, I see. That makes sense, it’s a little too cute for you to be using, Ōtsuki-kun.” Saying so, Ayaka looked at Haruto’s eco-bag once more. The eco-bag he was holding was made of a pale pink fabric with a very cute bear embroidery on it. For a high school boy to carry, it was a bit childish, or perhaps too girly; in any case, it was a design that looked out of place for Haruto to be carrying. “Well, I think it’s a little too cute of a design even for my grandmother to carry. She really likes this kind of thing, though.” Ayaka smiled at Haruto, who spoke with a hint of a wry smile.

“I think it’s nice, you know? Your grandma is cute, Ōtsuki-kun.” “Ahaha, thank you.” When they both finished bagging, they headed to the home center adjacent to the supermarket to buy a gas torch. “Wow, home centers have a lot more different things than I thought.” At the home center, which she said she’d hardly ever been to, Ayaka looked around curiously, her head swiveling back and forth. “I had the image they sold things for gardening and DIY, but they sell home appliances and groceries, too.” “Today’s home centers have a great selection. They have kitchenware, and you can even get your kitchen renovated if you want.” “Is that so? Ah! It’s the pet corner.” Spotting a puppy in a glass cage in the distance, Ayaka started to trot towards it. But she stopped right away and turned back to Haruto with a slightly bashful expression. “We came to buy a gas torch, didn’t we?” “Yes, well… shall we take a little look?” “Is that okay?” “Yes, it’s fine.” “Yay!” Ayaka happily ran up to the puppy. Seeing her retreating figure, Haruto gave a wry smile. “Something like that, there’s no way I can refuse…” Haruto muttered in a low voice that those around him couldn’t hear. He took his phone out of his pocket just enough to check the time. He didn’t have a ton of time before his part-time job, but there was still enough for a small detour. From behind Ayaka, who was crouching in front of the cage and staring at the puppy, Haruto observed the same puppy. “So cute~ Ah! It’s coming this way!” “That’s a Pomeranian puppy.” Haruto said, looking at the puppy’s information posted on the cage. “Its body is so fluffy and tiny and cute!” Ayaka brought her face so close to the glass her nose nearly touched it, her eyes sparkling. Seeing her like this, Haruto also smiled naturally, then casually checked the puppy’s price. After counting the number of zeroes, he slowly averted his gaze. “Ōtsuki-kun! Look, look! Its paw pads are so cute~! Fwaaah!”

The Pomeranian puppy was putting its front paws on the glass of the cage, then spinning around in place, and then putting its front paws on the glass again, repeating the action. At the puppy’s adorable antics, Ayaka seemed to have become completely smitten, letting out a voice as if overcome with emotion. It was true that the Pomeranian puppy was small, its body fluffy, with a cuteness like a furball bouncing around. However, in Haruto’s eyes, the girl in front of him couldn’t help but look far cuter than any puppy. “Tōjō-san, you like dogs, don’t you?” “Yeah! It’d be stranger to find someone who dislikes something this cute.” Ayaka replied, continuing to gaze, without tiring, at the puppy that had been repeating the same action for a while. Haruto also found himself unable to look away from her. The offensive power of the combination of a beautiful girl and a small animal was a critical hit for a high school boy—no, for all men in the world. “It seems like it would be fun to go to a petting zoo or something with you, Tōjō-san.” ‘If I watched Ayaka interacting with animals all day, it would be such a feast for the eyes that my vision might become as good as the Maasai people’s.’ As Haruto was thinking such things, Ayaka, who had been plastered to the glass until now, suddenly looked away from the puppy and up at him. “I want to go to a petting zoo too!” “…Eh?” “……Ah, no, um…” Haruto let out a sound of confusion at Ayaka’s words. Seeing his reaction, Ayaka’s expression became startled, and her face quickly turned red. Seeing her like that, Haruto also recalled his own words, and a wave of awkwardness washed over him. The way he had said it earlier could, depending on how you took it, sound like he was asking her on a zoo date. Haruto had absolutely no intention of that, but he had unintentionally invited her on a date. Moreover, and this was also unexpected, she had accepted. As Haruto searched for words, desperately trying to calm his frantic heart and wondering what to do about this situation, Ayaka hesitantly opened her mouth. “Y-You see. The zoo… Ryōta likes it… Yes! Ryōta likes it! Um… but my parents are busy with work and can’t really take him. But for me to take

Ryōta by myself is, um, worrying… or rather, I think Ryōta would be happy… if you were there too, Ōtsuki-kun…” Ayaka said in a very excuse-like way, her gaze darting around. But Haruto also hurriedly jumped on the convenient excuse of ‘Ryōta’. “Ah, ah! You’re right. Ryōta-kun does seem like he’d like the zoo.” “Y-Yes, that’s right. So, um…” Ayaka trailed off mid-sentence and fell silent. After a slightly awkward pause, Haruto slowly opened his mouth. “Then… shall we go sometime? To the zoo… with Ryōta-kun, the three of us.” “Y-Yeah! With Ryōta… the three of us.” Looking embarrassed, happy, and just a little bit disappointed. Unable to look directly at Ayaka’s indescribably complex and captivating expression, Haruto averted his gaze from her. “Um, r-right. We need to buy the gas torch.” “Y-Yeah, that’s right. We need to buy the gas torch.” Ayaka nodded repeatedly at Haruto’s tacked-on-sounding words. After that, the two of them remained silent the entire time until they bought the gas torch and left the home center. Their eyes met a few times along the way, but each time, they both blushed and looked away. After leaving the home center grounds, before heading on their separate ways home, the two faced each other once more, and then looked away. “Um, well then. I’m going home for a bit, so I’ll be over at your house later.” “Y-Yeah.” “And… about the zoo trip.” “Ah! Yes!” Ayaka reacted excessively to Haruto’s word, ‘zoo’. “Let’s discuss it… you know, the schedule and things, at a later date?” “Right… yeah. Yes, let’s do that.” “Well then… for now, goodbye, see you later.” “Yeah, goodbye. See you later.” After exchanging words, Haruto and Ayaka turned their backs to each other and started walking toward their respective homes. After walking for a while, Haruto hesitated for a moment, then looked back. As he did, his gaze met Ayaka’s, who had turned around at the same time. “—!?”

Startled, Haruto gave a slight nod. In return, she gave a small, shy wave. Haruto felt his face flush and quickly turned forward. “…That was unfair.” Haruto started walking, desperately trying to suppress the grin that was threatening to spread across his face. “…Did I just make a promise for a date with Tōjō-san?” Haruto muttered to himself. But then, he shook his head from side to side, denying the thought. “But Ryōta-kun will be with us, so it’s a little different from a date, I guess.” Haruto chided his own feelings, thinking, ‘If I get the wrong idea, it’ll be a disaster,’ as he recalled his conversations with her up to now. Ayaka’s face lighting up at the puppy. Ayaka saying she wanted to go to the zoo with anticipation. Ayaka looking shyly embarrassed when their eyes met. Every single one of them had been reflected as incredibly captivating in Haruto’s eyes. “There’s a limit to how cute someone can be…” Before he met her through his housekeeping part-time job, in Haruto’s mind, the girl named Tōjō Ayaka was someone who was always surrounded by girls and showed absolutely no interest in boys. That a girl he had thought of in that way was now smiling and getting embarrassed in front of him. And, even if her little brother was coming along, they had even promised to go to the zoo. “From now on, am I going to be okay at my part-time job…” Until now, for Haruto, the girl Tōjō Ayaka had been nothing more than the ‘School Idol’. But now that he had actually interacted with her, he had learned that she was a surprisingly normal girl with a very cute side. In his mind, Tomoya’s words from that morning resurfaced. “’So, Haru, even if Tōjō-san showed interest in you, you wouldn’t do anything?’” Haruto went to the Tōjō residence strictly for work. He couldn’t bring any ulterior motives into it. Even though he thought that in his head, Ayaka’s smile was stirring up his mind. “I’m going to… be conscious of her, aren’t I?” While aware that his heart was wavering due to the gap between the Tōjō Ayaka as the ‘School Idol’ at school and the ‘normal’ Tōjō Ayaka he interacted with at his housekeeping job, Haruto deliberately tried not to think too deeply about it.

“For now, today, I’ll just focus on filleting the fish.” Haruto headed home, thinking about how he would prepare the fish that Ayaka’s father, Shūichi, had caught. ※※※ Once back home and ready, Haruto visited the Tōjō residence, a place he was slowly getting used to. In front of the entrance of the still magnificent mansion, Haruto pressed the intercom button. An answer came back immediately. “Yes, yes. Ōtsuki-kun?” “Yes, it’s Ōtsuki. I’m here for the housekeeping service.” “I’ve been waiting for you! Ryōta, Onii-chan is here! Go open the door for him! Oh, Ōtsuki-kun, Ryōta is unlocking the door now, so please wait a moment.” “Yes, thank you.” Just as Haruto finished saying his thanks, the front door was flung open with great force. “Onii-chan!” “Hey, Ryōta-kun. Hello.” “Hello! Onii-chan, hurry! The fish are amazing!” Ryōta, his excitement through the roof, said in an agitated voice. He took Haruto’s hand and pulled him forcefully into the living room. “Welcome, Ōtsuki-kun.” Upon entering the living room, the first person to greet Haruto was Tōjō’s mother, Ikue, who stood up from the sofa and smiled at him. “Excuse me for intruding.” “Hey! Ōtsuki-kun! I’m so glad you could make it!” Next, Tōjō’s father, Shūichi, welcomed Haruto. At his feet was a rather large cooler box. Haruto looked at the large cooler box and spoke. “I heard from Tōjō-sa… Ayaka-san. Shūichi-san caught a yellowtail, a sea bream and a sawara.” When Haruto said that, Shūichi, with an expression that seemed to say, “I’m so glad you asked!”, began to speak excitedly. “That’s right! I have a client who’s into fishing from a charter boat. I often go out with him, and boy, today was a lucky day! When this yellowtail hit, I thought I was snagged on the bottom at first! No matter how hard I reeled, it wouldn’t budge! When I finally got it to within twenty meters, it started

fighting again, and the drag was screaming. It was a real life-or-death struggle! It took me fifteen minutes, no, maybe thirty minutes to land this yellowtail—” “Dear? If you talk too long, the freshness of these wonderful fish will be lost, you know?” With his eyes gleaming, Shūichi passionately recounted the story of catching the yellowtail to Haruto. However, he was interrupted midway by Ikue. “Hmm, you’re right. These are wonderfully fresh fish. We need Ōtsukikun to prepare them quickly.” “Yes, leave it to me.” Haruto nodded with a slight wry smile at Shūichi, who seemed a bit reluctant. “Still, these are all impressively sized fish. This sea bream is just the perfect size for the best flavor, isn’t it?” As Haruto peered into the cooler box at Shūichi’s feet, Shūichi immediately began to speak. “That sea bream, too! At first, the reel felt light, and I thought the line went slack! I thought, ‘What’s this?’ and set the hook quickly! It was hooked beautifully, and it fought hard, but I managed to land it without—” “Dear?” “Ah, well… um. Ōtsuki-kun, could you please handle the cooking?” Interrupted by Ikue again, Shūichi looked slightly dejected. “Well then, shall we take this cooler box to the kitchen?” Haruto felt a little sympathy for Shūichi, who was itching to talk about the excitement of his catch, but decided to prioritize the freshness of the fish and reached for the cooler box handle. However, the unexpected weight made Haruto grimace. “I’ll take the other side.” “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s a great help.” The yellowtail was just under seventy centimeters, and the sawara was around sixty centimeters. The sea bream was also about forty to fifty centimeters, and with the added ice, the cooler box wasn’t impossible for one person to carry, but it wasn’t light enough to be casually lifted. Haruto and Shūichi carried the cooler box to the kitchen together. “Thank you. That was a big help. I’m ready to start preparing them now, but do you have any requests for the dishes?” Just as Haruto asked that, the living room door opened, and Ayaka came in.

“Oh, Ōtsuki-kun. You’re here. Um… welcome.” “Ah, yes. Well… excuse me for intruding.” The two, with the recent incident at the home center still fresh in their minds, exchanged a slightly awkward greeting. Ikue keenly noticed this change in their demeanor and looked at her daughter with amusement. “Wh-what?” The daughter, feeling her mother’s gaze, asked with a slight agitation. “Ōtsuki-kun is about to make us a meal filled with love. What would you like, Ayaka?” “L-love? H-how would I know something like that?” Ayaka frowned at her mother’s words and replied. In contrast, Ikue, looking highly amused, turned to Haruto. “Of course I know! Right, Ōtsuki-kun? The reason your cooking is so delicious is because, in addition to being a skilled cook, you put a lot of love into it, right?” “Eh, ah, yes. Well… I put my heart and soul into making it.” “See! Ōtsuki-kun is cooking with all his heart for Ayaka, you know?” “No, um… not just for Ayaka-san, but for everyone, with all my heart…” “Oh my! Ōtsuki-kun, you’re so kind.” “No…” Haruto, recognizing that Ikue was the most formidable person in the Tōjō family, managed a wry smile. “Hey, hey, Onii-chan. I want to eat sashimi.” As Haruto was being toyed with by Ikue’s words, which were hard to judge as either a joke or serious, Ryōta made a request. Seeing this as a chance to escape from Ikue, Haruto crouched down to meet Ryōta’s eyes and answered. “Got it. For now, I’ll make sashimi from all three types of fish.” “Yay!” Ryōta rejoiced innocently at Haruto’s words. Shūichi also nodded and said. “Fresh fish is best eaten as sashimi. After all, we’re Japanese.” “Understood. Then, for tonight’s dinner, let’s have an assortment of yellowtail, sea bream, and sawara sashimi. Is that alright with you, Ikue-san and Ayaka-san?” “Yes, of course!” “I want to eat sashimi too.”

With everyone in the Tōjō family in agreement, Haruto immediately began cooking. Just then, Shūichi came into the kitchen holding a plastic bag in one hand. “By the way, Ōtsuki-kun. I was planning on having you make sashimi anyway, so I bought some tools and vegetables that might be useful.” “Oh, is that so? May I see what’s inside?” Haruto took the plastic bag from Shūichi and checked its contents. Inside were a fish scaler, a julienne peeler convenient for making daikon radish threads, and vegetables for garnish like carrots, daikon radish, cucumbers, and perilla leaves. “Thank you very much, Shūichi-san. With all this, the sashimi platter will look much more colorful.” When Haruto thanked him, Ikue smiled as if to tease Shūichi a little. “This man, he buys all these things, but he forgets to buy the most important thing, the wasabi.” “Ahahaha, well… my apologies.” At Ikue’s words, Shūichi scratched the back of his head with one hand, looking embarrassed. Haruto felt a little relieved to finally understand why Ayaka had gone all the way to the supermarket just to buy wasabi. “Alright, I’ll start preparing them now.” Haruto first took the yellowtail by the tail, placed it on the cutting board, and began to scale it while lightly rinsing it with water. Once all the scales were removed, he cut off the head, removed the gills, opened the belly, took out the internal organs, and then filleted the body into three pieces. Seeing the yellowtail filleted in the blink of an eye, Shūichi voiced his admiration. “You’re really skillful. It’s satisfying to watch.” “Thank you. I haven’t had many chances to handle such a magnificent fish, so I was a bit worried if I could do it properly, but thanks to this, it’s very easy to prepare.” Saying so, Haruto slightly lifted the deba knife he was holding. He was using the Tōjō family’s deba knife, but it had a name engraved near the base of the blade, giving it a very high-class feel. Its sharpness was outstanding, allowing him to handle the large and bony yellowtail without any trouble. For the time being, Haruto filleted all the fish into three pieces, then proceeded to remove the pin bones and belly bones to make them easier to eat.

“That’s amazing. Maybe I should learn how to fillet fish from you, Ōtsukikun.” Ikue said as she sat at the dining table, peering into the kitchen. “If you don’t mind me, I’d be happy to teach you.” Haruto replied while skinning the filleted fish. “Oh, really? Then maybe you can teach me sometime? How about you, Ayaka? It’ll be useful when you want to serve fish to your future husband, you know?” “Eh? No, I…” Seeing Ayaka’s hesitation, Ikue gave a knowing “ufufufu” smile. “You don’t want to? Oh, but if you marry someone like Ōtsuki-kun, it won’t be a problem, will it?” “Hey! Mom! What are you saying in front of Ōtsuki-kun!?” At her mother’s outrageous comment, Ayaka’s face instantly turned red. In response to her daughter’s reaction, Ikue said calmly. “Oh, I just said someone like Ōtsuki-kun, you know?” “…I hate you, Mom.” At Ikue’s teasing, Ayaka pouted and sulked. However, Ikue cheerfully spoke to Haruto. “Ōtsuki-kun. I’m sorry my daughter misunderstood. Ayaka can be a bit naive, but please continue to get along with her.” “Ahaha, the pleasure is all mine.” Haruto, while filleting the fish into blocks and noticing Ayaka protesting to her mother with a ‘I’m in a bad mood’ aura, just laughed and gave a noncommittal reply. For now, there was no sign that the daughter’s protest was reaching the mother. At that moment, Shūichi, with his hand on his chin and a serious expression, opened his mouth. “I see, if Ayaka marries Ōtsuki-kun, he becomes my son-in-law. So, he would be my son… Hmm, it’s a possibility. But then again, to give my cute daughter away in marriage… ” Muttering to himself, Shūichi got lost in his own world of anguish. At her father’s shocking mumble, Ayaka’s protest to her mother was completely blown away, and she whipped her head towards Shūichi. “Hey, Dad!? Stop having weird fantasies on your own!!” Unlike Ikue’s teasing and jokes, Shūichi’s comment seemed quite serious, and Ayaka looked very flustered. She hurriedly tried to pull her thoughtful

father back from the sea of his thoughts. But then, an even more troublesome entity, pure and innocent, attacked. “Onii-chan, are you going to marry Onee-chan?” “Wha-!? Huh? No, that’s not…” “Hey, Ryōta!! Ōtsuki-kun is holding a knife right now, so don’t say things that will distract him! It’s dangerous!!” Ayaka took her brother’s hand, who had been watching Haruto’s decorative cutting next to him, and pulled him away. “But if Onee-chan and Onii-chan get married, Onii-chan will be my real big brother, right?” Ryōta looked at Haruto with a thrilled expression, as if imagining what it would be like if Haruto became his real brother, and Ayaka couldn’t help but look away. “W-we’re not getting married!! We’re still in high school!” “Oh my, so you’ll get married after you graduate from high school?” “Enough! Mom, be quiet!!” From then on, a debate about getting married or not erupted in the Tōjō household. Haruto, sensing that getting involved in this chaotic conversation would be like stirring up a hornet’s nest, decided to focus on preparing the fish in front of him and ride out the storm. And so, after finishing all the preparations, Haruto picked up the large platter of sashimi. “Umm, the sashimi is ready…” Haruto hesitantly carried the platter of sashimi to the dining table. While he was concentrating on cooking, the Tōjō household had become quite chaotic. Shūichi was deep in thought with a serious face, while Ryōta was innocently questioning his sister about marriage. Ayaka was denying it with a red face. And Ikue was watching the whole situation with amusement, occasionally chiming in. Haruto hesitantly called out to the Tōjō family. “Um… I also made yellowtail bone soup, so please have some with your meal.” ※※※ Tōjō Ayaka

When I got back to my room, I dived straight onto my bed. “Aah, I’m so tired…” Limp on the bed, I let out a huge sigh. “It was Ōtsuki-kun’s cooking, too, but I didn’t have any time to savor it at all…” He made a beautiful platter of sashimi from the fish Dad caught, but Dad, Mom, and Ryōta were so out of control that I didn’t have a chance to enjoy the meal. He even used the gas torch we bought at the home center to make seared sawara, but I couldn’t taste it at all. “Right, my promise to go to the zoo with Ōtsuki-kun… what should I do?” The promise we made at the home center. I was actually planning to talk to Ōtsuki-kun about it today while he was here for the housekeeping service, but things got way out of hand. I was so busy trying to stop my family from running wild that before I knew it, his contract time was up, and he ended up going home before we could talk properly. “But, if I had brought up going to the zoo together then, my family would have gone even more out of control, wouldn’t they…” Mom would probably be teasing me with a huge grin on her face. But that’s still okay. Well, it’s not okay, but it’s okay. Ryōta would be really happy too, but that’s also no problem. The biggest problem is Dad. Dad has completely taken a liking to Ōtsuki-kun. Mom likes him too, but Dad seems to be seriously thinking about making Ōtsuki-kun his son-inlaw. Just now during dinner, he was enthusiastically inviting Ōtsuki-kun to go fishing with him next time. “Aah! Geez! I’m still in high school!!” I bury my face in my pillow and scream. It’s still way too early to be thinking about marriage or sons-in-law! Well, sure, having a kind person who can handle housework perfectly like Ōtsuki-kun as a husband might be ideal, but… “Wait, that’s not it, me!” I shake my head vigorously to reset my thoughts. My family’s opinion of Ōtsuki-kun just keeps getting higher and higher, and it feels like the walls are closing in on me. But that’s not the only problem.

In fact, the more serious one might be this one. Before summer vacation started. I’ve already forgotten his name, but when that one senpai called me over the school broadcast and proposed to me. At that time, I was just plain embarrassed. I wanted to escape that place as fast as I could. I couldn’t even imagine marriage, and I even thought that senpai wasn’t in his right mind, getting engaged while still in high school. But… if it were Ōtsuki-kun… When Dad called Ōtsuki-kun his potential son-in-law, and Ryōta asked me, “Are you getting married?”, I imagined it for a moment. I could form an image. A life living with Ōtsuki-kun, under the same roof. Yes, the most serious problem isn’t my family’s wildness, but my own feelings. Mom teasing me about Ōtsuki-kun, Ryōta wanting Ōtsuki-kun to be his real big brother, Dad taking a genuine liking to Ōtsuki-kun… none of it…… is unpleasant. Somewhere in my heart, I feel happy seeing Ōtsuki-kun being accepted by my family. “…I’ll talk to Saki.” I pick up my smartphone and open the chat screen with my best friend. It’s just a little past ten at night now, so Saki should definitely be awake. I press the call button and gaze at the name Aizawa Saki displayed on the screen. The call connected within just a few seconds. “Meow?” “Saki, uhm… I have something I want to talk to you about…” “Oh? What’s up, what’s up? Love troubles?” I felt my heart beat a little faster at Saki’s joking words. “…………Maybe.” “…Huh? Eh? No way!? Huh!? For real!?” Along with Saki’s extremely flustered voice, a loud CLATTER-CRASH! sound came from the other side of the phone. “Eh? Hey, Saki? Are you okay?” “How could I be okay!! What’s this all about! Ayaka asking for love advice!” “Calm down, okay? Let’s just calm down for a second?” “I can’t calm down! I can’t calm down at all!! Could it be, that? The Kaitō- senpai thing? You were actually still worrying about it after all this time?”

Even though it’s nighttime, Saki’s voice is slightly high-pitched with excitement. And what’s this about Kaitō-senpai? Who’s Kaitō-senpai? Hmm… oh, maybe she means the senpai from the school broadcast before summer vacation? “No, that’s not related at all.” “Is that so? Then who? Who is it that’s managed to capture Ayaka’s heart!?” “Well, it hasn’t been captured yet, but…” That’s right, I shouldn’t have fallen in love yet… probably. “You know… you said it before, Saki, right?” “Hmm? Me? Did I say something?” “You did, you know… about me and him being a good match or something.” I’m too embarrassed to say his name, fidgeting and blushing all by myself. “Hmm? A good match… Ah, you mean Ōtsuki-kun?” My heart thumped at his name coming from the phone. “…………Yeah.” “Whoa! Seriously!? …Huh? Wait a minute? …But it’s summer vacation right now, isn’t it? How did things end up like that with Ōtsuki-kun?” “Well, that’s… a lot of things happened.” “Eh? I’m curious! I’m super curious about those ‘lot of things’!!” As Saki latched on with incredible interest, I explained my encounter with Ōtsuki-kun. Instantly, Saki’s excited voice echoed through my room, so loud it seemed like it would cause the phone’s speaker to crackle. “What is that, that’s the best!! A real-life romance manga! Does a coincidence like that even happen!? No, it doesn’t! That’s gotta be fate!! And Ōtsuki-kun’s stats are way too high! That’s hilarious!” “Ōtsuki-kun’s cooking is really delicious.” “Oh-ho, what’s this? Are you already gushing about him?” “N-No, that’s not it! I want your advice, Saki!” “Advice? On how to confess?” At my best friend’s words, my face must have turned red all the way to my ears. The reason my body feels so hot surely has nothing to do with just getting out of the bath. “No, before confessing or anything, what’s going on with my feelings… uhm, about Ōtsuki-kun, whether I… like… him or not, I just can’t tell by myself anymore… and that’s why I want to ask for your advice.” “………………”

After I said that, Saki fell silent. There was no response at all. Eh? Did she fall asleep? The silence continued for so long that I seriously thought so, before Saki finally started talking. I’m glad she wasn’t asleep. “Well, I guess that makes sense. You’ve been avoiding guys all this time, Ayaka. You couldn’t fall in love even if you wanted to. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t understand those kinds of feelings.” Saki said, as if she’d come to an understanding on her own. Is it just my imagination, or do I feel like I’m being pitied immensely? I ask with a sense of frustration. “What do you mean? What are ‘those kinds of feelings’?” “You see, it’d be a waste to talk about that over the phone. Wanna meet up tomorrow?” “Eh? It’d be a waste? I can totally meet tomorrow, but… eh? You’re not going to tell me now?” I feel like Saki is stringing me along. “I’ll give you plenty of time for advice tomorrow. So, tomorrow at eleven at our usual cafe, sound good?” “Y-Yeah. That’s fine, but… hey, tell me now? What is it that I don’t understand?” “Now, now, see you tomorrow then.” “Eh, hey, Saki? …She hung up.” I stared at the phone, which had returned to the chat screen, and debated whether to call my best friend back. But knowing Saki, she’d probably just beat around the bush and dodge the question. Considering the personality of my best friend, whom I’ve known since we were little, I gave up and placed my phone on the bedside table. “What is it… that I don’t understand?” Staring up at the ceiling of my room, I continued to ponder what my best friend had said to me over and over. ※※※ Unable to bear the morning sun streaming through the curtains, I scowled and turned my head to the side. “Ugh… I’m so sleepy…” I check the current time on the smartphone by my pillow. “Seven o’clock… I have to get up…”

Last night, after my call with Saki, I was thinking about all sorts of things and my mind became wide awake. It was already starting to get light out by the time I fell asleep, so I barely got any sleep at all. But I have plans to meet Saki today, so I need to get up and start getting ready to go out. When I forced my upper body out of bed, a huge yawn escaped me, as if my body was protesting. The bed was pulling my body back with such an incredible force, it was as if it were a magnet. With sheer willpower, I peeled myself away from it, left my room, and headed for the sink. After washing my face with cold water, I felt my sleepiness recede just a little. I wiped my face with the towel hanging next to the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. “My eyes are puffy from lack of sleep… I don’t want Ōtsuki-kun to see my face like this…” After muttering that absentmindedly with my sleep-deprived, slowfunctioning brain, I belatedly realized what I’d said and blushed. Averting my gaze from the mirror reflecting my reddened face, I headed to the living room on the first floor. “Oh? Good morning, Ayaka. You’re up early today.” “Good morning, Mom.” Mom was already in the living room, preparing breakfast in the kitchen. “I have plans to meet Saki today, so I have to leave the house by ten.” “Oh, with Saki-chan? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Saki-chan recently.” “That’s because her house is far away now.” Before Saki moved, she used to visit our house frequently, so of course Mom knows her. “Please say hello to Saki-chan for me.” “Yeah, I will.” I replied to Mom while sitting down at the dining table. “Are you heading to work soon, Mom?” Mom was already dressed sharply in a suit, in full work mode. By the way, it seems Dad has already gone to work. “That’s right. I have work early today. Could you take Ryōta to his kindergarten before you meet with Saki-chan?” “Sure, I can do that.” Ryōta’s kindergarten is also on summer vacation right now, but when both our parents have to go to work early in the morning like this, they use

the daycare service if it’s available. “Are you going to eat breakfast now?” “Mmm, I think so.” “Alright. I’ll have it out right away, so just wait a moment.” About ten minutes after Mom said that, breakfast was served on the table. I was a little surprised when I saw the breakfast laid out before me. “Huh? This is quite a luxurious breakfast today. It’s like a breakfast at a traditional Japanese restaurant.” “Right? Ōtsuki-kun prepared this for us yesterday. Since I had to go to work early this morning, it’s a real lifesaver.” Mom said cheerfully to a surprised me. Huh? When did Ōtsuki-kun had time to prepare all this? I didn’t notice at all. As I stared at the breakfast in a daze, Mom explained each dish to me. “This is sea bream rice. And over here is sawara grilled with Saikyō miso and simmered yellowtail. Then, there’s a mashed tofu salad with spinach and carrots, and this is a clear soup with sea bream.” “Amazing…” What is this breakfast? Huh? Is this a restaurant? My sleepiness has completely vanished. Unable to hide my surprise, I said “Itadakimasu,” and reached for the breakfast with my chopsticks. “…It’s delicious.” The sea bream rice was made with a rich dashi stock, and the aroma of soy sauce and ginger wafted through my nose, while the subtle sweetness of the sea bream spread over my tongue. The sawara grilled with Saikyō miso also had a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the slightly sweet and savory seasoning combined exquisitely with the umami of the fish’s fat, making me smile without even realizing it. What should I do? My hand, bringing food to my mouth with my chopsticks, won’t stop. “Hehe, Ayaka, you look so happy.” “Well, that’s because it’s so delicious.” “You’re right. We should be grateful to Ōtsuki-kun.” Hearing Mom’s words, I instinctively braced myself. But she didn’t tease me like she did yesterday. She was looking at me with a very gentle gaze. What is this? I feel a little awkward. “Ayaka.” “…What is it?”

“You know, youth… it’s just a fleeting moment in your life, something that passes by in an instant, but it’s also the most fun, most painful, most worrisome, most joyful, and most precious time of your life. So, you must live ‘now’ to the fullest. The things you’re feeling now will surely become your precious treasures one day.” “…………Yeah.” Mom is so unfair. She usually teases me with a smirk, but sometimes, she becomes a ‘Mother’ like this. When she does that, the ‘Daughter’ in me can’t help but feel happy. “This clear soup is delicious, isn’t it?” “It is, isn’t it? It’s incredibly delicious.” Together with Mama, I enjoyed the gentle-tasting meal that Ōtsuki-kun had made. ※※※ After taking Ryōta to daycare, I head to the cafe where I’m meeting Saki. A cafe with a calm atmosphere, quietly nestled in a serene residential area off the main street. When I open the door, the pleasant sound of a bell chimes. “Welcome.” The master, who was wiping a glass at the counter, brings a glass of cold water to me after I take a seat. “Are you ready to order?” “Yes, an iced café au lait, please.” “Certainly.” The master bows politely and returns to the counter. A calm interior and a gentlemanly, polite master. Perhaps because it’s off the main street, there are few customers; besides me, there are only two other people. Hmm, Saki isn’t here yet. In the comfortable silence, jazzy background music plays softly. Since this is my favorite cafe, I’d like to wait for Saki in a relaxed mood, but today of all days, I just can’t feel that way. I repeatedly glance at the wall clock inside, fidgeting while I wait for my best friend. My head is filled with what she said last night. I need to hear what she has to say soon.

…Gosh! Time isn’t moving at all! When I looked at the clock a moment ago it was ten-forty, but now that I look again it’s still ten-forty-one? Is that clock broken? I check the time on my own smartphone. Ten-forty-one… oh, forty-two. Ugh, for one minute to feel this long… I wish Saki would get here soon. After that, I spend what feels like the longest few minutes of my life. And then, finally, my best friend appears at the cafe’s entrance. “Ah, hey Ayaka. Did I keep you waiting?” “I waited like crazy. I waited for over ten minutes.” “Okay, okay, then that’s within the acceptable range~” Saki casually brushes off my complaint and sits in the seat across from me. The current time is ten-fifty. Since she’s here ten minutes before our meeting time, I can’t complain any more strongly. Unable to wait, I ask Saki. “Hey, Saki. About what we talked about yesterday, I–” “Whoa, whoa! Hold your horses, my little lost lamb. First, let me order, please.” “Oh, right. Sorry.” “Let’s see, what did you order, Ayaka?” “An iced café au lait.” “Then I’ll have the same thing~” Just then, the master came to take her order with perfect timing. After ordering an iced café au lait, Saki takes a sip of the cold water she was given. Ugh~! I want to hear what she has to say so badly~! Is Saki doing this on purpose to make me antsy? After drinking the water and saying something like “Phwee~ I’m alive again,” Saki’s eyes meet mine, and she covers her mouth with her hand, holding back a “Fufu” laugh. “Hey now, Ayaka. What’s with that face?” “Because… you’re teasing me, Saki.” When you do that, it’s only natural for my cheeks to puff out and my lips to pout. “You’re so cute~, alright! In that case, the great Saki-san will hear your troubles right away!” “What did you mean yesterday by ‘that kind of feeling’? What is it that I don’t understand?”

I immediately throw out the question that’s been spinning in my head since last night. In response, Saki laughs, looking very amused. I’m agonizing over this so seriously… honestly… “Ahahaha! Right to the point, huh. I bet you didn’t get any sleep last night, did you, Ayaka?” “Of course I didn’t! It’s only natural to be curious after you ended the call like that!” “Sorry, sorry. But you want to talk about important things in person, right?” “Well… I guess that’s true, but…” I reluctantly nod at Saki’s words. “Well then, onto the main topic.” Her expression turning a little more serious than before, Saki looks me in the eye and speaks. Wh-what should I do? I’ve been wanting to ask this whole time, but now that the moment’s here, I kind of want to cover my ears, or maybe run away… “First, just to confirm, Ōtsuki-kun started visiting your house as a housekeeping agent.” “Yeah.” “And, he’s been well-liked by Ryōta, Ikue-mama, and Shūichi-san.” “Yeah.” “And, recently, you’ve become interested in this Ōtsuki-kun.” “U-uhm… yeah…” Having it put into words like this is so embarrassing. My face is probably turning red again. “And so, you’re interested in Ōtsuki-kun, but you want to know if that’s a romantic feeling, or perhaps something else entirely.” “Love… well, I guess… so.” Love… right. If I’ve fallen for Ōtsuki-kun, then that means… I’m in love, doesn’t it? What do I do? My heart’s beating faster and my chest feels a little tight… Watching me like this, Saki asks in a slow tone. “Ayaka, what do you think about your own feelings?” “That’s what I don’t know, which is why I’m talking to you about it, Saki…” “I see, that makes sense. Hmm, well then…”

Saki looks up for a moment as if in thought, then looks at me with a slightly mischievous expression. “Hey… how about you introduce me to Ōtsuki-kun?” The moment I heard Saki’s words, my heart was thrown into turmoil. “Huh!? … Wh-why?” Huh? No way? Why? How come? Saki, do you… like Ōtsuki-kun too? “I-It’s a joke, right? It has to be, right? Hey, Saki?” “Nope, nope, I’m serious. So, next time Ōtsuki-kun comes to your house, Ayaka, is it okay if I come over to hang out too?” “…No.” The word came out before I could even think. When I imagined Saki happily chatting with Ōtsuki-kun, a pain I’ve never experienced before welled up tightly in my chest. This feeling… I’ve never felt anything like it before… But Ōtsuki-kun during his housekeeping job is an Ōtsuki-kun that only I know, and having someone else find out about that, even my best friend Saki… I really hate the idea. “I can’t?” Saki asks relentlessly. “Yeah… no… you can’t.” Saki’s cute, after all. Unlike me, she gets along well with boys, and she’s a good, interesting conversationalist. If she became friends with Ōtsuki-kun, he would definitely be drawn to her. And then… and then, Ōtsuki-kun would be… “’Stolen away.’” “Huh!?” My eyes flew open at the words Saki uttered. “Just now, you thought that, didn’t you, Ayaka? That Ōtsuki-kun would be stolen away by me.” “N-no… that’s not… well, yeah… I guess I… might have…” Saki shows a satisfied expression at my response. “You felt really awful, didn’t you?” “Ugh… I did…” “And why is that?” Saki questions me, just like a teacher asking a student a question.

Why? Why did I feel so awful? Was it… because I didn’t want Ōtsuki-kun and Saki to get along? Because I didn’t want anyone else to know the Ōtsuki-kun that only I know? In other words, I want to… monopolize Ōtsuki-kun? Why is that? Why do I want to have Ōtsuki-kun all to myself? That’s… the reason for that is… in other words, it means I really… about Ōtsuki-kun… “Because… I like him…” I said it… I finally said it out loud. My feelings for Ōtsuki-kun. Hearing my answer, Saki gives me a gentle smile. “Well done. You get a gold star.” “…I… like Ōtsuki-kun? Is this what it feels like to be in love?” “Well, yeah.” I place my hand on my chest. My heart is beating a little faster than usual, and I look down. “You don’t seem very convinced, do you? Ayaka, what are you unhappy about?” “Me… What do I like about Ōtsuki-kun? Since when have I liked him? That’s… I don’t know.” My contact with Ōtsuki-kun only started a few days ago, after summer vacation began. He’s only come for housekeeping four times. In such a short period, why did I fall for Ōtsuki-kun? “I don’t know the moment I fell in love. In a normal romance, you’re supposed to know that moment, right?” I started becoming conscious of Ōtsuki-kun after he hugged me when I almost fell off the unicycle, but now that I think about it, I feel like I was interested in him even before that… “…Ayaka, when you say ‘normal,’ what standard are you using for ‘normal’?” “Huh? That’s, of course, romance manga and romance novels, right?” The moment I said that, Saki looked up at the sky, saying, “Oh boy.” “Listen, Ayaka, okay? Your standard isn’t normal. In fact, it’s the complete opposite of normal.” “Huh? That’s not true! Because no matter which romance manga I read, the moment the heroine falls in love is crystal clear, isn’t it? Some manga even use a full two-page spread to express it!” “Stop talking about real-life romance based on manga standards!! It’s embarrassing!!”

Saki, who stopped me with an embarrassed look, now gave me a gaze as if looking at someone pitiful. “You see? Manga have readers, right? They have to entertain those readers, so they deliberately make it easy to understand. Got it?” “But, but! Not just manga, romance novels too—” “That’s fiction too!! All fantasy! If I had to say, it’s the author’s delusion! It’s not possible in reality!” “Ehh!? Th-that can’t be…” My romantic values were shattered by Saki’s words. Then, does that mean the “love” I’ve been dreaming of all this time was all an illusion…? While I was severely shocked, Saki let out a huge sigh, “Haaah~.” “Manga and novels are probably based on real experiences, so I won’t completely deny them, but. I still think real-life romance is a completely different thing, you know?” “…Is that so? Then, in reality, you don’t know the moment you fall in love?” “Well, there are probably times you do know, but I think in most cases, you realize you’ve already fallen for them.” “You realize you’ve fallen for them…” That’s exactly me right now. “B-but, okay? Even in real-life romance, your heart skips a beat when you make eye contact with someone you like, right?” “Well, yeah, that’s true.” “Then I… there might still be a possibility that I haven’t fallen in love yet.” Since the unicycle incident, I’ve been intentionally trying to make eye contact with Ōtsuki-kun as a way to confirm my feelings. When our eyes met while shopping at the supermarket, it’s true my heart did skip a beat a little… just a bit… somewhat, but at that time, it might have been more like I was just startled and flustered because our eyes met so suddenly… And after that, when I stood next to him in the kitchen, my heart wasn’t pounding that much… I think. When I told Saki about that, she let out another big sigh. “You know? Like I said earlier, fictional works can’t be your standard for judgment, okay? And also, you say your heart didn’t pound that much when you made eye contact with Ōtsuki-kun, but…” Saki paused for a moment, then confronted me with a shocking fact.

“You were already flustered before you even made eye contact with Ōtsuki-kun, weren’t you?” “—!?” My eyes widened in astonishment. Th-that’s true… now that she mentions it, that might be the case… Saki gave a wry smile as I froze with my mouth agape. “If you were already super flustered by Ōtsuki-kun from the start, and then your heart skipped another beat when your eyes met, your heart wouldn’t be able to take it. Heart attack from a love seizure, off to the afterlife with you.” “A love seizure sending me to the afterlife…” Actually, at that time, I might have been in mortal danger… “Th-then… does that mean I had already fallen for Ōtsuki-kun at that time?” Unable to hide my agitation, I asked Saki, who was sitting across from me, my voice trembling slightly. “Wouldn’t that be the case?” As my best friend answered as if it were obvious, I took a small sip of water to try and calm myself down. “But… I hardly know anything about Ōtsuki-kun, so why did I fall for him?” We had absolutely no interaction at school before, and then as soon as he came to my house for housekeeping, I suddenly fell for him. Can something like that really happen? “Isn’t it because you don’t know him that you fell for him?” “Huh? What do you mean?” “Because you don’t know him, you want to know more. And then, you discover a new side to him, and you like him even more. Then, you want to know even more and more. Isn’t that what love is like?” Discovering an unknown side and liking him even more… Saki’s words made me suddenly recall yesterday’s events. It’s true, when I bumped into Ōtsuki-kun at the supermarket, I felt incredibly drawn to his innocent smile. I was very attracted to the side of Ōtsuki-kun that wasn’t just his housekeeping persona. “So that’s what love is like, huh…” “Oh? Does something already come to mind?” “Y-yeah…” “Fufufu~ Nice~ So youthful~”

As Saki teased me with a smirk, I couldn’t bear it and averted my gaze. “Thank you for waiting. Here is your iced café au lait.” Just then, the manager brought over what we ordered. I immediately started drinking the iced café au lait with a straw. The slightly bitter and cold iced café au lait seemed to cool down my flushed, hot body a little and calm me. With a slightly calmer head, I tried to organize my conversation with Saki so far. First, I… like Ōtsuki-kun. This is a fact I can no longer look away from. I feel like I have to face these feelings properly. But there’s something about it that leaves me a little dissatisfied. It’s the catalyst for falling in love with Ōtsuki-kun. Saki says I shouldn’t rely on manga or novels, but I still can’t easily give up on my ideals. If asked whether the unicycle incident was the trigger, I feel it’s a bit dubious. And from talking with Saki, it seems like I had already started liking Ōtsuki-kun even before that… My ideal catalysts for falling in love would be things like someone offering me an umbrella when I’m caught in a sudden rain, or someone gallantly coming to my rescue when I’m being hassled by delinquents, or the boy I’m interested in turning out to be a childhood friend I used to like… though I don’t have any male childhood friends, so that one’s impossible. But still, I think it’s natural for a girl to yearn for those kinds of situations. Because… I’m a girl. “Saki, you had a boyfriend before, right?” “Yeah.” “What was the catalyst? What was it like?” “Hmm, the catalyst, huh… What was it again? I think…” “You think?” I stared intently at Saki, waiting for her answer. “Just ’cause?” “J-just ’cause…” Saki gave a wry smile as I was a little disheartened at not getting the answer I expected. “Reality is like that, you know? You think, ‘Oh, they’re kind of nice,’ and before you know it, you find yourself following them with your eyes, and then you realize you’re thinking about them all the time, and then you fall for them. Something like that. I don’t really know what the specific trigger was.”

“I see… so that’s how it is.” But that’s right, reality is different from manga and novels. Not everyone experiences a dramatic and romantic love story. As I tried to convince myself of that, Saki said with a slightly exasperated look. “You know? Ayaka, you’re so hung up on the catalyst for liking Ōtsukikun, right? But you already have one, don’t you?” “Huh?” I already have a catalyst? Was there something? A catalyst for me to fall in love with Ōtsuki-kun? “Huh? Oh… honestly. Ayaka, you can be a bit of an airhead sometimes, can’t you? Well, that’s what’s cute about you, or rather, what makes me unable to leave you alone.” “A-airhead, isn’t that mean!?” I’m not that much of an airhead! Or so I’d like to think. Mom and other friends sometimes tell me I’m “naturally ditzy,” but an airhead… I’m not! “You are an airhead. Because, you know, you have this amazing catalyst with Ōtsuki-kun, and you’ve forgotten about it.” “There’s no particular catalyst like that, is there?” “There is. ‘I requested a housekeeping service, and a hidden high-spec guy from my class showed up.’ That kind of miraculous catalyst.” A shock ran through me. “Just looking at the words, that’s practically a rom-com title itself, isn’t it?” Th-that’s true! Even if books with titles like that were lined up on my bookshelf in my room, it wouldn’t feel out of place at all. “Have you finally realized, Ayaka-san? Or do you need an even more intense catalyst than this?” “N-no… it’s very much… enough.” Ah, I can’t make any more excuses… I am completely in love with Ōtsuki-kun. “I… I’ve fallen in love, haven’t I?” “You’ve finally accepted it, huh?” “Because… there’s nothing left to make excuses about.” Maybe I was interested in Ōtsuki-kun from the very beginning. It might have been love at first sight. I, who had been told by so many boys that it was love at first sight for them, and had turned down their confessions every time.

I, who thought I couldn’t understand something like love at first sight. “Hey, Saki. What should I do from now on?” This is my first love. First love. I don’t know what to do, or how to do anything. “Sh-should I… confess?” If I imagine that moment, my heart feels like it’s going to leap out of my mouth from nervousness. I feel like I’m going to go into cardiac arrest from a love attack. I wonder if the boys who confessed to me before were this nervous too? If so, maybe I should feel a little bad for turning them down so quickly without giving it much thought. And just as I was thinking about confessing to Ōtsuki-kun, Saki put a stop to it. “Don’t be hasty, Ayaka. It’s not time to confess yet.” “Eh? I can’t…?” Now that I’ve realized my feelings for Ōtsuki-kun, isn’t confessing the only option? To me, who was convinced of this, Saki gave her advice in a chiding manner. “A confession is the provisional goal. First, you have to take it step by step to get there.” “Steps? What kind?” “For now, to close the distance between you more than it is now, you invite him on a date.” A date, with Ōtsuki-kun… That means going to an amusement park together, going shopping at a mall, or going to the beach. …Am I going to show Ōtsuki-kun my swimsuit figure? What should I do, it’s so embarrassing just imagining it! But, I’d like to see Ōtsuki-kun in a swimsuit too… “Heyyy, Ayaka. Your sloppy smile is showing all over your face~” “Hau!… Th-this is, well…” “What, what~? Could it be you were imagining something dirty?” “Th-there’s no way!!” I deny Saki’s words with all my might. It’s not like that, I was just thinking I wanted to go to the beach with Ōtsuki-kun, there was nothing improper about it, because if you go to the

beach, of course you wear a swimsuit, and it’s unavoidable if it enters your line of sight… “Hrmmm? I see~” “Wh-what? I really wasn’t thinking about anything weird.” Saki keeps looking at me with suspicious eyes. I have to change the subject somehow. “Th-that reminds me. About the date, I actually promised to go to the zoo with Ōtsuki-kun.” When I said that, Saki showed a surprised expression, slightly lifting herself from her seat with a jolt. “Eh!? What!? You’ve already slyly managed to arrange a date?” “Um… to be precise, rather than a date, it’s nominally to chaperone Ryōta, or well… something like that…” “I see, so Ryōta’s going with you…” Saki places a hand on her chin as if deep in thought about something. “In that case, the hurdle is lower, but there’s a chance Ōtsuki-kun won’t recognize it as a date. Have you decided when you’re going to the zoo?” “No, not yet. We said we’d discuss the schedule later.” “I see, I see… then, you can probably use discussing that schedule as a pretext…” Saki gets lost in her own thoughts again. Unlike me, Saki has experienced romance several times before. It seems best to stay quiet and wait for my senpai’s instructions. After waiting quietly and patiently for a few dozen seconds, Saki, having collected her thoughts, takes out a piece of paper that looks like a coupon from her bag and looks at me. “From me, your best friend, to you, Ayaka, I shall bestow upon you a secret love tool.” “A secret love tool?” What Saki gave me were two ticket-like things. What are these? Movie discount coupons? “Use these to invite Ōtsuki-kun to the movies.” “Eh? A-a movie date, just like that?” “What do you mean ‘just like that’? You already have the promise to go to the zoo, right?” “Y-yeah.” “Then, while you’re at it discussing the schedule, you should just invite him by saying, ‘Why don’t we see a movie together?’”

“Eh, ehhh…” Isn’t that a pretty high hurdle? I wonder if I can really invite him… To me, who was hesitating a little, Saki says in a warning tone. “Ayaka. You’re still at the starting line of love, you know? No, perhaps you aren’t even standing there yet.” “Eh? I-is that so?” “That’s right. Love is a competition. A very, very harsh competition. So harsh that you might even regret ever taking part in it.” “Somehow… that’s scary.” “It is. But, once you fall for someone, you can’t do anything about it yourself anymore. Before you know it, you’re automatically following the person you like with your eyes, just a single word exchanged in the morning makes your whole day shine, and on days you can’t meet them, you think about them constantly. It’s impossible to stop it with your own will. It just happens on its own.” Saki’s words resonate heavily within me. What about me? I like Ōtsuki-kun, but maybe… I’m not that far gone yet? But, I wonder if I’ll get there eventually? Saki did say I’m not even at the starting line yet… Love is scary… but, just a little, no, actually quite a lot… I might be feeling excited too. “I’ll try inviting him to the movies.” I say, staring at the discount coupons I got from Saki. “Yeah, do your best.” After those short words, Saki gives me a broad grin. “Hey, you’ll… let me consult you again, right?” “Of course! To be honest, I’m super happy that I get to have this kind of love talk with you, Ayaka.” My expression softens at my best friend’s reassuring reply. “You know Ayaka, well, for various reasons you were avoiding boys, right? But now that someone you’re interested in, someone you can think ‘I like him’ about, has appeared, I’m truly glad from the bottom of my heart.” “…Yeah. Thank you.” As I thought, Saki is an irreplaceable best friend to me. I’m so glad I have a friend like Saki. “I’ll do my best!” “Uh-huh, go for it!! I’ll cheer you on with all my might!” As I declare this with fighting spirit, Saki responds with a huge smile. “So, so, what parts of Ōtsuki-kun do you like, Ayaka?”

“W-well, you see—” After that, forgetting the time, I bloomed in my first-ever love talk with my best friend. ※※※ On the way home from the cafe. While walking on the path leading home, I suddenly looked up at the sky. I tried to superimpose my own feelings onto the summer sky, which was cloudless and stretched out endlessly blue. I… have fallen in love! Ever since I realized it, it felt as if the world had completely changed. Everything that entered my sight seemed to sparkle, and my heart felt as if it were filled with vibrant colors, so much so that my life up until now felt faded in comparison. This pounding in my chest, these welling emotions, they feel like they’re stretching out endlessly, just like the summer sky spreading above me. I look at the two discount coupons I’m holding carefully. The secret love tool Saki gave me. First, I’ll use this to invite Ōtsuki-kun on a date! Summer vacation has only just begun. With a sense of elation I’ve never felt before, and an equal amount of anxiety in my chest, I start walking with a spring in my step. “Love is amazing!!”