Amid the intense heat of summer vacation, even in the morning, Haruto was, as usual, studying in his friend's air-conditioned room. He had taken over his friend's desk, spreading out his study materials.
“Hey, Haru, if you keep studying like that, you'll turn into an idiot, you know?” said Tomoya, who had lost his desk and chair to Haruto and was sitting on the bed, practicing his guitar.
“Look who's talking. If you keep practicing guitar all the time, you’ll just get worse,” Haruto shot back without lifting his eyes from his textbook. Tomoya laughed, dismissing Haruto's words as nonsense.
“I'm practicing to get better, so there’s no way I’d get worse, right?” Tomoya retorted, sounding perfectly reasonable. Haruto paused his pen and turned to his friend with an exasperated look.
“...Tomoya, why don't you try studying a bit? Maybe you could learn about the laws of nature.”
“I refuse! There's no way I’m wasting time on studying. I'm busy mastering the guitar,” Tomoya declared firmly and strummed his guitar energetically. Haruto shrugged at his friend's insistence and resumed his studies.
The two of them focused on their respective activities without bothering each other, until after a while, Tomoya broke the silence, pausing his guitar practice to speak to Haruto.
“Hey, Haru? How's that housekeeping job going?”
“Well, I don’t know what to say... it’s just normal, I guess.”
“Anything happen with Tojo-san since then? Or was it just a one-time thing?”
“.........”
Tomoya's question made Haruto pause his studies. Noticing the subtle change in Haruto's demeanor, Tomoya grinned mischievously.
“Hey, hey! No way, no way! Have you been going over to Tojo-san’s place since then?”
“...It's just work. I'm only going there as part of my housekeeping duties,” Haruto muttered, but Tomoya's excitement only grew.
“Seriously!? You’ve really been going to Tojo-san’s house!?”
“Well, it’s more like... we’ve set up a regular contract, so yeah.”
“Wait, isn’t that amazing? That means they like you, right? The people in the Tojo household, I mean.”
“They just like the quality of my work, that’s all,” Haruto replied coolly, unfazed by his friend’s enthusiasm.
“Still, isn’t that awesome? Now you can get closer to Tojo-san, right? And if things go well, maybe you two could even start dating!”
“That’s not happening. Absolutely not.”
Haruto firmly rejected Tomoya’s suggestion.
“Why are you so sure? If you keep meeting her, you might get closer, right?”
“Well, I guess we might get a bit friendlier, but that’s about it.”
As someone who regularly visited their house for housekeeping work, Haruto might become friendlier with Ayaka than he was before summer vacation. They might exchange casual greetings when they met in the mornings. However, Haruto had no illusions that it would lead to anything more, let alone a romantic relationship.
“No way Tojo-san, who’s turned down every confession from guys so far, would fall for me.”
“Really? But you're good at cooking, so maybe you could win her over through her stomach,” Tomoya suggested.
“If she was the type to fall for someone that easily, someone else would’ve already become her boyfriend by now.”
With that, Haruto turned back to his studies.
“Besides, even if, by some miracle, things went well with Tojo-san, dating her would be impossible.”
“Why not?” Tomoya tilted his head, genuinely confused. Haruto continued to stare at his textbook as he answered.
“What do you mean ‘why not’? That’s Tojo-san, the school idol. Imagine if we were dating and walked to school holding hands in the morning. I’d be mobbed by every guy out there.”
Recalling the jealous stares he received when he went shopping with Ayaka and Ryota, Haruto couldn’t help but grimace.
“Hey, you practice karate, right? Just beat them all up. That’s what karate is for, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not. I practice karate to learn manners and discipline, to strengthen my spirit. Violence is never justified, no matter the reason.”
“You’re such a stickler.”
“That's just normal,” Haruto replied shortly, jotting down notes as he spoke.
“So, Haru, if Tojo-san started to like you, you wouldn’t do anything about it?”
“I just want a peaceful high school life. A student’s primary duty is to study.”
“Coward.”
“Yeah, yeah, keep talking,” Haruto replied, dismissing the conversation and refocusing on his studies. Watching his friend, Tomoya muttered, “What a waste,” before resuming his guitar practice.
Haruto, who had been sitting at the desk until nearly noon, stretched widely after glancing at the wall clock.
“Alright. Time for me to head home.”
“Oh? It’s already noon?” Tomoya paused his guitar practice and looked up at the clock.
“Thanks for letting me use your desk.”
“Sure thing, that’ll be ten million yen.”
“In that case, the cost for me cleaning your room is a hundred million per session,” Haruto retorted casually while packing up his study materials.
“Okay then. Feel free to use my desk anytime you like.”
“Heh, thanks.”
Tomoya bowed theatrically, and Haruto gave a small chuckle, raising a hand in farewell.
“Do you have work after this, Haru?”
“Yeah, I need to pick up some groceries first, then I start at three.”
“Tojo-san’s place?”
“Yeah.”
Haruto responded curtly as he stuffed his textbooks into his bag.
“Man, I’m so jealous.”
“I’m just going there for work. It’s not like I’m interacting with Tojo-san as much as you’re imagining.”
“But you still get to see her face, don’t you?”
“‘See her face’...?” Haruto shook his head in exasperation and began to head out of the room. Tomoya followed him.
“Hm? You’re heading out too?”
“Yeah, I’m meeting up with my bandmates for a practice session at the studio today,” Tomoya answered, tapping on the guitar case slung over his shoulder.
“I see, good luck with your practice.”
“You too, try to win over Tojo-san,” Tomoya teased.
“That’s not something I need to work hard on.”
“No, seriously, put in a little effort,” Tomoya insisted with a wry smile. Haruto scratched his head with one hand and replied.
“Yeah, yeah, I got it, I got it. See you later.”
With that, Haruto gave a nonchalant response and parted ways with Tomoya.
※
After parting ways with Tomoya, Haruto headed to the supermarket before his part-time job. That morning, while making breakfast with his grandmother, he had noticed they were running low on miso, so he needed to restock.
"Now that I think about it, natto's almost out too. I should get some of that."
As Haruto walked, he recalled the contents of the fridge while the relentless summer sun beat down on him. By the time he reached the supermarket, he was already sweating profusely.
Entering the store with a shopping basket in hand, he was immediately enveloped by the cool, refreshing air inside and sighed in relief.
“Hm? There’s more people than usual…”
Haruto had always thought that supermarkets would be quieter after lunchtime, but perhaps because it was summer vacation, there were more shoppers than he expected. As he moved through the aisles to buy the miso, an advertisement caught his eye.
“Oh? A time sale? No wonder there are so many people.”
It seemed the store was trying to boost traffic by holding a time sale at a time when it would normally be quieter.
“Let’s see if there’s anything good…”
Haruto stepped closer to the ad to take a look. It appeared the main feature of the sale was meat.
"Beef short ribs, 128 yen per 100 grams… Hmm… it’s cheap, but not cheap enough for me to jump at it."
Haruto didn’t feel particularly drawn to the advertised meat. Perhaps it was because he had just walked under the scorching sun, but he wasn’t very hungry.
“Anything else… Oh, the condiments are on sale too. I should’ve checked how much we have left at home… Huh? Huhh?!”
Suddenly, Haruto’s eyes widened, and he stared at a particular part of the ad.
“Sesame oil… 78 yen for one?!”
That price was unbelievably low.
In Haruto’s mind, sesame oil was considered a luxury item. Even the supermarket's own brand of cheap oil was usually priced between 200 and 300 yen. If he bought a famous brand, it would easily cost around 500 yen. But this 78 yen price was a steal.
Sesame oil had many uses. Its fragrant aroma could revive his appetite even in the summer heat, and a simple drizzle on stir-fried vegetables or fried rice could make them much tastier. Adding garlic would make it even better. On muggy tropical nights, a cold tofu dish topped with kimchi and sesame oil was a perfect treat.
“This is a must-buy!!”
Haruto hurried toward the sesame oil section, nearly out of breath. When he finally arrived, he stood in front of the display, staring at the large, bold number written on the yellow paper—78.
“What… what is going on in this world?”
Staring at the shocking price, Haruto couldn't contain his surprise.
“Sesame oil this cheap… Wait! This is a different world! Could this be what they mean by isekai reincarnation?!”
Muttering something ridiculous, Haruto reached for a bottle, but then stopped suddenly, noticing something beneath the price.
“Limit one per person… Damn it, not again!”
He glared at the note as if it were an enemy, almost as if confronting an evil sorcerer. This “limit one per person” rule was the arch-nemesis of all housewives. To defeat it, they often enlisted friends and family to help.
Quickly, Haruto pulled out his smartphone and started tapping it furiously, trying to summon reinforcements. The phone’s ringtone was leisurely and calm, completely at odds with Haruto’s urgent thoughts.
His rivals—the housewives—were likely distracted by the advertised beef and wouldn’t be a threat. He had to secure the sesame oil while they were distracted.
Trying to calm his anxious feelings, Haruto waited for the call to connect. A few seconds later, he finally heard his friend’s casual voice.
"Yo, what's up? Did you forget something?"
"Can you come to the supermarket right now?!"
"Whoa, you sound intense. Is it the usual thing?"
"Yes! This one’s not something I can let slip by!!"
Haruto had often called on Tomoya to help him overcome the dreaded "limit one per person" restriction. Tomoya wasn’t just a friend; he was a battle companion. But this time, his response wasn’t what Haruto had hoped.
"Ah… sorry, I’ve already made it to the studio and practice is about to start…"
"…I see. Yeah, I understand. I’m sorry to bother you. Don't worry about me—just focus on your practice."
"Ah, yeah, sorry about that..."
Tomoya sounded genuinely apologetic, as if he felt bad for not being able to help.
"It’s fine, Tomoya. You’re not at fault. See you later."
With that, Haruto ended the call and immediately began trying to reach someone else for help.
He opened his messaging app and selected another contact. After a few seconds, he finally heard another voice through the phone.
"What's up, Haruto?"
"Kaz-Senpai! Are you free right now?!"
Kazaki Ishigura, a dependable senior who was a year older than Haruto and also attended the same dojo, was the next person Haruto turned to for help.
"What's going on? You seem pretty frantic."
Haruto explained his situation. "I'm at the supermarket right now, and there's a sale, but it's a 'one per person' limit, so I need your help."
"I see. Hmm, does it have to be right now?"
"Well... yeah. If I don’t get there quickly, it might sell out."
From Kazaki's response, Haruto felt a bit of unease.
"Ah... sorry, I’m actually baking a cake right now, and I can’t leave. My hands are tied. Sorry about that."
"I see... that's okay."
"Sorry about that."
"No worries."
Haruto ended the call with Kazaki and, with a sliver of hope, called someone else. This time, the call connected almost immediately.
"Haruto-senpai, how many kids do you want?"
Haruto blinked in confusion. "Sorry, Shizuku, I don’t understand what you mean."
The voice that came through was the monotonous tone of his younger junior, Shizuku Dojima, a fellow dojo member and a high school underclassman. Haruto felt as if the life had drained from him as he listened to Shizuku’s nonsensical statement.
"Aren’t you calling about our future family plans, Senpai?"
"I’m afraid I’m not planning on having that conversation anytime soon."
"Ugh, really?"
Shizuku responded in an exaggerated manner, but Haruto calmly replied, feeling strangely amused by her flat delivery.
"‘Ugh, really?’—where did that come from?"
"I’m still a current high school girl, Senpai. But, if it’s not about family plans, maybe it’s about our honeymoon destination? I think Santorini would be nice."
"Where the heck is that? No, it’s not about that. I need help with a supermarket sale."
Haruto quickly got to the point, not wanting to waste any more time.
"Hmm, so I’m just your ‘convenient girl’ who you call only when you need something?"
"…If you help me, I’ll make sure to reward you properly."
"A kiss, right?"
"No, I’ll give you a proper reward."
"Something more than just a kiss… something more exciting? Is this the ‘perverted senpai’ side of you?"
Haruto sighed deeply, frustrated with the direction the conversation was going.
"So, will you help or not?"
"Of course, I’d like to say yes, but… sorry, Senpai. Actually, my mom asked me to pull weeds, and after skipping it four times in a row, she finally got mad…"
Shizuku’s voice had a rare tone of dejection. "Sorry, Haruto-senpai, I can’t help you."
"I see. Make sure you listen to your mom and get to work."
"Yeah…"
"Good luck with the weeding."
"Haruto-senpai... I love you... Muah."
"Yeah, yeah."
After hanging up with Shizuku, who continued joking around, Haruto let out a long sigh. He had failed to get help from any of his potential allies, and the defeat stung as he bit down on his frustration over the "one per person" rule.
"Well, I can still buy one, I guess. I’ll just have to settle for that."
Haruto picked up a single bottle of sesame oil and dropped it into his basket with a resigned gesture.
"Let’s just get the miso and go home."
As he trudged toward the miso aisle, a voice called out from behind him.
"Otsuki-kun?"
Haruto turned around and immediately remembered something important. In every isekai reincarnation story, there was usually one thing that always appeared: a goddess.
A goddess who granted powerful abilities to the hero and sometimes saved them from a pinch. Now, standing before Haruto, was such a goddess. A goddess who would give him the strength to rise again after his defeat against the "one per person" monster.
"Ah! Tojo-san! You’re a goddess!!"
"Eh?!?"
Haruto's overly excited tone and words caused Ayaka to let out a strange sound.
※
When I went to the supermarket near my house to run an errand for my mom, I happened to spot Otsuki-kun. Seeing him outside of his usual housekeeping role made my heart race, and I instinctively hid behind the shelves.
What should I do...? Should I speak to him? We've seen each other a few times at my house, so we’re on friendly terms, right? But... what if he thinks I’m being too familiar and thinks, "Who is this? Why is she being so forward?"
Ugh... I really don’t want that to happen.
But Otsuki-kun isn't like that, right? He’s kind, so he’ll probably smile and greet me back.
I cautiously peeked out from behind the shelves and watched him. He was staring at the items on the shelves with a serious expression on his face. Maybe he would notice me and say something first? But from the looks of it, that didn't seem likely.
...So, Otsuki-kun makes that kind of expression too.
When he comes over to my house for housekeeping, he always has a calm expression. But now, he was frowning and concentrating hard on something. It was a side of him I didn't know, and I felt strangely pleased to discover this new aspect of him.
While I was thinking this, Otsuki-kun suddenly took out his phone and started making calls in a hurry. After talking to three people in quick succession, he looked extremely disappointed, ended the call, and picked up a bottle.
Was that... sesame oil? Why does he look so sad picking up sesame oil?
As I pondered this, Otsuki-kun began walking away with a downcast expression, and I couldn't help but feel worried. What happened? Why does he look so sad? Is it because of the sesame oil?
A lot of questions started to pop up in my mind. I was really curious.
"Otsuki-kun?"
Without realizing it, I stepped out from behind the shelves and called out to him.
Ahh! What do I do? I spoke to him! I wasn’t prepared for this...
I started panicking, trying to think of something natural to say. "Nice weather today" felt off. "Hello, Otsuki-kun" was too ordinary. "What are you doing here?" was too obvious... And then I thought, "What a coincidence to meet here!" But... that definitely felt wrong! What’s wrong with me!?
While I was in a whirlwind of thoughts, Otsuki-kun said something that completely confused me.
"Ah! Tojo-san! You are a goddess!!"
"Huh?!"
I made a strange sound without meaning to! Wait, what? A goddess? Me? Is he serious? I don’t get it. What does he mean by that? Am I supposed to be like a goddess from an old painting, standing in a shell or leading people with a flag?
"Tojo-san! I have a favor to ask you!"
"Y-Yes?"
Otsuki-kun was looking at me very seriously. What should I do? His gaze was making my heart race faster!
Wait a second... Could this be...? Is he about to confess to me? Here? In the seasoning aisle at the supermarket? Holding sesame oil?
What should I do? This is way too unexpected for me to think clearly.
But wait, if he does confess, I should probably reject him at first. Yeah, I’ll do that. And then, I'll ask if we can just be friends.
"Tojo-san! Please help me buy this sesame oil!!"
"Ah, yes! Of course, I’d be happy to help!"
What am I doing?! I was planning to reject him, and yet I agreed without thinking!! Wait... what? Sesame oil? What does that even mean?
"Really? Ah, thank you so much! You’re really helping me out!"
"Ah, no problem?"
Huh? What? What’s going on? Is this about buying sesame oil? Is this our first task as a couple? A sesame oil proposal?!
In the midst of my confusion, Otsuki-kun happily pointed to an advertisement on the sesame oil shelf and explained.
"This sesame oil is limited to one per person, and I tried to ask a friend to help me buy two, but no one could make it, so I was about to give up and buy just one."
"Ah! I see! ...Yeah, it’s one per person... I get it now. I’ll buy the other one for you!"
"Thank you, I'll pay you back later!"
"Got it. I’ll buy this then."
I said that and picked up the discounted sesame oil, placing it in my basket.
...I’m so embarrassed!!
I totally misunderstood the situation! A sesame oil proposal? What am I thinking!? That’s not a thing! I’m such an idiot! Idiot! Idiot!!
Ugh... I feel like sesame oil is going to haunt me. I have a feeling it’ll show up as a nightmare tonight.
I’m sure my face is red all the way up to my ears from embarrassment. I really hope Otsuki-kun doesn’t see my face like this.
I turned my face away from him, trying to hide my expression.
"Wow, to think sesame oil is only 78 yen. I wonder how many times in my life I’ll get to experience this. The next time it’s this cheap might be 80 years from now."
"78 yen for sesame oil? That’s really cheap."
Discounted sesame oil must be as rare as a comet’s cycle... is that true?
I kept pretending to look at the sesame oil on the shelf while turning my face away from Otsuki-kun to speak.
"This price is like a miracle. This sesame oil is a shoo-in for the ‘Best Sesame Oil’ award this year."
"Best Sesame Oil... hehe, what does that even mean?"
I couldn’t help but laugh at his joke. Even Otsuki-kun makes jokes like that.
As I was thinking that, I got curious about what kind of expression he was making, so I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.
Otsuki-kun’s face was filled with a huge, happy grin. It reminded me of the innocent joy I see on Ryota’s face sometimes.
He’s so cute...
Normally, Otsuki-kun looks so mature, but his innocent smile made my own expression soften.
...Wait, did I just think he’s cute? I can’t think that about a classmate, especially a guy. He’d probably find it uncomfortable if I said he was cute.
I pushed those feelings down.
"By the way, Tojo-san, what did you come to buy?"
"Huh? Oh, I was asked to buy wasabi."
"Just wasabi?"
"Yeah."
"Well, if you’d mentioned it when I was at your place for housekeeping, I could’ve bought it for you."
He said that, but I shook my head.
"Dad said he wants you to focus on making dinner tonight."
"...? Does that mean there’s something special you want for dinner?"
"Yeah, actually, Dad went fishing today, and he wants you to fillet the fish he caught."
Dad sometimes goes fishing as a hobby and catches fish, but he usually doesn’t want to bother with cleaning them, so he gives them to his fishing friends. But this time, since you’re here, he’s excited to bring them home and wants you to fillet them all.
"Can you fillet fish, Otsuki-kun?"
Dad got so excited he forgot to ask, but if Otsuki-kun doesn’t know how to fillet fish, it could be a disaster.
Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine, but some people aren’t comfortable with fish... maybe Otsuki-kun is one of those people.
Imagining him panicking as a fish flops around on the cutting board... yeah, that would be cute. I kind of want to see that.
"Well, it depends on the type of fish, but I’m confident I know the basic techniques, so it should be fine. By the way, do you know what kind of fish your dad caught?"
"Oh, yeah. Let me check. I think it’s in my chat with Dad."
Realizing I had been grinning from daydreaming, I quickly wiped the expression off my face and pulled out my phone to open the chat with Dad.
"Okay, it was yellowtail and snapper, and... what’s this one?"
I tilted my head, looking at an unfamiliar kanji. "Fish" plus "spring"... Hmm, I think I’ve seen this somewhere before, but not quite.
As I struggled to read the kanji, Otsuki-kun leaned in and spoke.
"Can I take a look at your screen?"
"Sure."
I nodded, and Otsuki-kun came close and peered at my phone.
"Oh, this one is called ‘Sawara.’"
"Really? ‘Sawara’ is written with those characters for 'fish' and 'spring'?"
"Yeah. This fish comes close to the shore in the spring to spawn, so people started calling it the fish that announces spring, and that's why it’s written with that kanji."
"That’s interesting. A fish that announces spring... that’s kind of poetic."
In my mind, I imagined a cute, chibi version of the fish swimming gracefully in a sea with cherry blossoms swirling around.
"But this fish has really sharp teeth and often bites through fishing lines, so fishermen call it the ‘Sawara Cutter.’"
Otsuki-kun laughed, saying, "Hahaha."
Hearing his words, my image of the "Sawara" fish quickly shifted from a cute, gentle fish to something more like a ferocious piranha.
"Is the Sawara fish scary?" I asked.
"Well, it’s a large, carnivorous fish. But its taste is absolutely delicious. It’s great as sashimi, of course, but also grilled with miso—it’s amazing. The meat is soft, so it melts in your mouth with a rich umami flavor. You’ll probably become addicted to it."
"Wow, Otsuki-kun, you really know a lot."
I said that, turning to face him, but then quickly turned my gaze back to the phone screen.
C-close! His face is right next to mine!
Because we were both looking at the same phone screen, our faces were almost touching.
W-what should I do...?
But if I suddenly pulled away now, he might think I’m being self-conscious... I wonder if Otsuki-kun doesn’t mind this close distance?
Right now, we were so close that our shoulders were nearly touching. We had completely invaded each other’s personal space.
I slowly glanced at Otsuki-kun again, trying not to let him notice.
Wow, Otsuki-kun’s eyelashes are pretty long. What’s this feeling... it’s like I’m being pulled in by his face... it’s a strange sensation...
"By the way, does your house have a gas burner?"
"Huh?! Oh, um... A gas burner? I don’t think we have one, probably."
I was so startled! Otsuki-kun suddenly turned toward me while I was looking at his profile and spoke, and my heart almost stopped.
"Do you need a gas burner to fillet the fish?"
Wait... he didn’t notice I was staring at his profile, did he?
I nervously asked him back.
"Sawara is excellent when grilled with a flame," he said.
"Ah, I see..."
Looks like I’m in the clear. It seems Otsuki-kun didn’t notice I was sneaking glances at his profile.
"Actually, there’s a home improvement store next to this supermarket, so I’ll go buy a gas burner there."
"Oh, can I come with you?"
Oops! I blurted that out without thinking.
"To the home improvement store?"
"Yeah, I don’t really go to places like that much..."
I said that, but my true feelings were different.
I just wanted to stay a little longer with Otsuki-kun. I wanted to get to know him better when he wasn’t working.
If I’m thinking like this, does it mean I like Otsuki-kun...?
No, wait! It’s too soon to make any conclusions. Maybe I just want to be friends with him, or maybe I’m just excited because he’s the first guy I’ve been able to interact with normally.
Looking back at all my interactions with Otsuki-kun, there have been moments that made my heart race, but I can’t say for sure that I’ve fallen in love with him... Wait.
Now that I think about it, when I misheard him earlier and thought he was confessing, I did say "Yes, please" when he asked me to help buy sesame oil... Wait, if he really was confessing back then, then I accepted his confession, didn’t I?
Huh? Is that what happened? What should I do? Oh my goodness!
I... I don’t know what I feel for Otsuki-kun! My feelings are so confused, I can’t figure anything out!
Even though my heart is in turmoil, Otsuki-kun smiles at me without hesitation.
"Well then, shall we go to the home improvement store together?"
"Y-yes, please."
Still unable to sort out my feelings, I couldn’t look him in the eye. I lowered my gaze and answered quietly.
※
Thanks to Ayaka, Haruto successfully managed to get two bottles of sesame oil. After buying the miso, natto, and wasabi that Ayaka needed, the two of them completed the checkout and packed their items into bags.
"Here you go, Otsuki-kun, the sesame oil," Ayaka said.
"Thank you so much. You've really saved me," Haruto replied as he bowed slightly while placing the sesame oil into his eco-bag.
"Otsuki-kun, that eco-bag... it's so cute," Ayaka remarked.
"Huh? Oh... actually, this is my grandmother's bag. She uses it regularly," Haruto said, a little embarrassed.
"Oh, I see. Yeah, I guess it's a bit too cute for you to use," Ayaka said, glancing at the eco-bag again.
The bag was a soft pink color, with a cute bear embroidery on it. It looked a little too juvenile for a high school boy like Haruto to carry, almost too feminine. It definitely felt out of place for him to be holding it.
"Well, I do think it's a bit too cute even for my grandmother, but she really likes stuff like this," Haruto added with a slight chuckle.
"I think it's fine. Your grandmother is cute, Otsuki-kun," Ayaka said with a smile.
"Ahaha, thank you."
After finishing packing, the two of them headed to the home improvement store next to the supermarket to buy the gas burner.
"Wow, there’s a lot more stuff here than I expected," Ayaka said, looking around curiously at the home improvement store she hadn’t visited much before.
"I always thought these stores just sold gardening tools and DIY stuff, but they have appliances and food here too," Ayaka observed.
"Yeah, modern home improvement stores have a great selection. They even have kitchenware, and you can even remodel your kitchen here if you want," Haruto explained.
"Really? Oh! A pet section!" Ayaka suddenly exclaimed.
She spotted a puppy in a glass cage and immediately ran toward it, but then quickly stopped and turned back to Haruto with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"We came here to buy the gas burner, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, well... how about we look around for a bit?" Haruto suggested.
"Is that okay?" Ayaka asked eagerly.
"Yeah, it’s fine," Haruto replied with a smile.
"Yay!" Ayaka cheered and ran over to the puppy, her excitement clear. Haruto chuckled as he watched her.
"How can I refuse when she’s like that..." he muttered quietly, unable to help but smile.
He pulled out his phone to check the time. There wasn’t a lot of time left before his shift, but he still had a little bit of leeway.
He crouched down behind Ayaka, who was looking at the puppy, and began observing the same puppy from the other side.
"So cute! Oh! It’s coming over here!" Ayaka exclaimed as the puppy came closer to the glass.
"This is a Pomeranian puppy," Haruto said, reading the information on the cage.
"This one’s body is so fluffy and small, it’s so cute!" Ayaka said, her face practically pressing against the glass as she watched the puppy with sparkling eyes.
Haruto couldn’t help but smile as he watched her. The combination of a beautiful girl and a small animal was just too much for any high school boy—or really, any guy in general.
"I bet you’d have a great time at a petting zoo, Ayaka," Haruto said, half-joking.
He imagined watching Ayaka interact with animals all day, and thought it would be the perfect way to spend time with her. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Ayaka pulled her gaze away from the puppy and looked up at him.
"Let's go to a petting zoo too!" Ayaka said excitedly.
"…Huh?" Haruto responded, confused.
Ayaka immediately looked startled, and her face turned bright red. Haruto realized, with some embarrassment, that his comment could have easily been interpreted as an invitation for a date to the zoo. He hadn’t meant it that way at all, but it had unintentionally come out that way.
And to his surprise, Ayaka seemed to have accepted it.
Haruto, desperately trying to calm his racing heart, was searching for words in the midst of this awkward situation when it was Ayaka who hesitantly spoke first.
"Well, you know... Ryota really likes the zoo... Yeah! He loves it! But, uh, my parents are really busy with work, so they haven't been able to take him. And, well, I can't really take him alone... it's a bit scary, I guess... But if you came along, Ryota would... be really happy... I think."
Ayaka spoke in a way that made her discomfort evident, her eyes shifting nervously. Haruto quickly seized the opportunity and responded.
"Ah, yes! Ryota would definitely love the zoo!"
"Yeah, that's right... So..."
Ayaka trailed off, her words getting stuck. After a brief, awkward silence, Haruto spoke up again.
"How about... we go to the zoo sometime? With Ryota... the three of us?"
"Y-yeah! With Ryota... the three of us," Ayaka said, her expression a mix of embarrassment, happiness, and a hint of something else—something difficult to describe. Haruto couldn't bring himself to look directly at her and quickly looked away.
"Right... we should... buy the gas burner."
"Right, right! We need to get the gas burner!"
Ayaka nodded enthusiastically at Haruto’s forced remark, and the two of them spent the rest of the time in silence. Occasionally, their eyes met, and each time they blushed and quickly looked away.
Once they left the home center and were about to part ways, they exchanged one last glance.
"Well, I’ll head home first, but I’ll come over later," Haruto said.
"Uh, yeah," Ayaka replied.
"And... about the zoo..."
"Ah! Yeah!"
Ayaka’s reaction to Haruto’s mention of the zoo was a little too strong, and Haruto almost chuckled.
"Let’s discuss the date later... the details and all."
"Yeah... let’s do that," Ayaka agreed.
"Alright... see you later then."
"Yeah, see you later."
They parted ways and started walking toward their respective homes. After a while, Haruto hesitated, then looked back. To his surprise, Ayaka had turned around too, and their eyes met.
"──!?!" Haruto flinched, but quickly gave a small bow in return. Ayaka shyly waved her hand, and Haruto felt his face flush as he hurriedly turned back around.
"...That was unfair," he muttered to himself as he tried to suppress a grin, walking away.
"...Did I just make a date with Ayaka?"
He asked himself this question, but quickly shook it off.
"But Ryota will be with us, so it’s not really a date, right?"
He dismissed the thought, reminding himself that he needed to focus on his job. "I can’t let any misunderstandings cause a disaster."
But as he recalled their earlier conversations—the way Ayaka’s face lit up when she saw the puppy, her excitement when talking about the zoo, and the way she blushed when their eyes met—Haruto couldn’t help but find everything about her captivating.
"She's so cute..." he thought, and a faint smile spread across his face.
Before meeting Ayaka through his part-time job, Haruto had only seen her as the "idol of the school," a girl who was admired from afar by everyone. But now, he was beginning to see a more ordinary, endearing side of her.
His friend Tomoya’s words from earlier that day echoed in his mind.
"So, Haru, if Ayaka starts showing interest in you, are you just going to do nothing about it?"
Haruto knew that his visits to Ayaka’s house were for work purposes. He couldn’t allow any inappropriate thoughts to interfere. But despite trying to keep his emotions in check, Ayaka’s smile kept invading his mind.
"It’s hard not to think about her," Haruto thought, feeling his resolve start to waver. But he quickly decided not to dwell on it too much.
"For now, I just need to focus on gutting those fish," he told himself, shifting his attention back to the task at hand as he headed home.
Visuals
Santorini is a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from its mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago formed by the Santorini caldera. It is the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km2 (28 sq mi) and a 2021 census population of 15,480.
Sawara fish, also known as Spanish mackerel is a popular seafood in East Asia, particularly in Japan, China, and Korea. In Japan, it is especially valued for its delicate flavor and is often enjoyed as sashimi or grilled. Sawara is a seasonal fish, most commonly found in spring, which is why it is sometimes referred to as "spring fish" in Japanese cuisine.
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