[SWHJ] Vol 1 | Chapter 7

The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky aflame with fiery reds. In the distance, hues of deep purple emerged, heralding the arrival of night.

During this time of twilight, Haruto walked alone through a quiet residential area.

"Tojo-san's hands were so soft..."

The lingering warmth of her touch made Haruto's lips curl into a natural smile.

While watching the movie, and even as he walked Ayaka home, she had held his left hand the entire time. Haruto raised his left hand before his eyes.

As the memory of holding hands in a lover’s clasp came back to him, a mix of joy and embarrassment rose within him, turning his face red.

"If Tojo-san were my girlfriend... that’d be amazing..."

With beauty that turned heads and a stunning figure, having such a girl as a girlfriend would surely be a source of unmatched pride.

However, Haruto didn’t hold particularly special feelings toward Ayaka’s appearance. Of course, there was no denying that she was incredibly attractive, but what Haruto found most captivating about Ayaka was the unique atmosphere she exuded.

The soft, feminine demeanor he’d discovered through their interactions during housework, and the girlish side she revealed—so unlike her usual school self—created a gap that Haruto found increasingly intriguing.

"But well, dating her isn’t going to happen... is it?"

Spending the entire day with Ayaka gave Haruto confidence that she had a good impression of him. But whether those feelings were romantic or not, he honestly couldn’t say.

Even though their time together had been short, Haruto had started to suspect that Ayaka might be a bit of an airhead.

Her warm feelings toward him were likely those of a friend, not someone she recognized as a romantic interest. Yet, confessing due to a misunderstanding between love and affection could lead to rejection—and that could ruin everything.

"If that happened, my part-time job at her place would turn into hell..."

Imagining such a scenario sent a chill down Haruto’s spine, despite it being midsummer.

"What does Tojo-san think of me...?"

Just as Haruto muttered this quietly to himself, the phone in his pocket buzzed.  
Thinking it might be Ayaka, he hastily took it out and checked the caller ID, only to have his excitement dashed when he saw the name Tomoya Akagi.

With a slightly exasperated motion, Haruto tapped the screen to connect the call.

"You’re kidding me, Tomoya."

"Hah?! Straight to insults? Man, you must love me!"

Tomoya’s nonsensical reply only made Haruto sigh.

"What do you want, calling me out of nowhere?"

"Not much, but I’ve got something I just have to tell you."

"Something you have to tell me?"

Hearing Tomoya’s unusually serious tone over the phone made Haruto furrow his brows.

"What’s this thing you have to tell me?"

"Well, you see... at my place tonight..."

As Tomoya spoke slowly, Haruto began to worry about what might have happened at his friend’s home.

"We’re having... sukiyaki for dinner!"

The sudden shift from serious to cheerful in Tomoya’s tone nearly made Haruto slam his phone to the ground.

"You jerk! Give me back my concern!"

Barely holding back from smashing his phone, Haruto instead vented his anger by yelling into it.

"And guess what?! We’re using A5-grade beef!"

"Shut up!"

Tomoya’s ridiculous dinner boast made Haruto shout back with a fierce retort.

"Yeah, my mom won it at the department store. Top-grade Japanese black wagyu! I couldn’t resist bragging to you."

"Good for you. Bye."

"Wait, wait, wait! Don’t be so cold! At least act jealous!"

"What kind of request is that...?"

Haruto sighed in exasperation.

"You’re jealous, aren’t you? A5-grade beef, man! Isn’t it awesome?"

"Yeah, sure. It’s great. Really awesome."

Haruto’s completely monotone response didn’t faze Tomoya, who continued cheerfully.

"Right? Right? You’re jealous, huh?"

As Tomoya kept up his teasing, Haruto finally snapped.

"Yeah, life’s unfair. Guess that’s my punishment for going to the movies with Tojo-san."

"Oh, totally! That sounds like bad luck—wait, what? You went to the movies with Tojo-san?! What the heck is that?! Explain everything!"

"You’ve got wagyu waiting for you. Don’t waste your time on this call. Later."

"W-wait! Hold up! You went on a date?!"

"Well, yeah."

"Are you two dating?!"

"Nope."

"Why the heck not?!"

Tomoya’s half-yelled response made Haruto pull the phone away from his ear slightly.

"You went on a date with Tojo-san! Why didn’t you confess? What a waste!"

"Waste? You..."

"Any normal guy would confess after that! She’s the idol of our school, man!"

Tomoya’s excitement made Haruto chuckle dryly.

"Yeah, the school idol who never says yes, no matter who confesses. If I tried after just one date, it’d be a guaranteed rejection."

"Then keep asking her out! You’re already working part-time at her place. This is your chance!"

"I’m not doing this job for that reason. Work is work."

Haruto’s straightforward reply earned a sigh from Tomoya.

"Wait. Did you ask her out, or did she invite you?"

"She invited me."

Hearing this, Tomoya fell silent for a moment before speaking in a serious tone.

"You know, there’s a chance she likes you."

"…That’s not possible."

Tomoya’s words echoed the tiny hope buried in Haruto’s heart, making it beat faster.

"Think about it. If she does like you, not confessing might actually be rude."

"You just want me to confess, don’t you?"

"Well, yeah."

Haruto sighed deeply at Tomoya’s casual reply.

"Just shut up and eat your sukiyaki."

"Oh, I will! Let me know if anything happens with Tojo-san!"

"Not telling you anything."

Ending the call with a parting jab, Haruto walked through the dimming residential streets.  
Looking again at his left hand, he recalled Tomoya’s words, which swirled in his mind.

"You know, there’s a chance she likes you."

The memory of Ayaka’s happy expression as she walked beside him replayed vividly.  
Feeling his lips curve upward involuntarily, Haruto forced them back down with his fingers.

"Guess I might dream about Tojo-san tonight..."

As the words slipped out, Haruto turned an even deeper shade of red.

※

The night I went to watch a movie with Ootsuki-kun.

Before going to sleep, I lay on my bed and opened my phone.

── Today, I went to see a movie with Ootsuki-kun!!

I quickly sent this report as a message to Saki, my best friend and love mentor. I also attached a stamp of a brave bear saluting sharply.

Shortly after, a call from Saki came in.

When I tapped the screen to connect, her lively voice greeted me immediately.

"Congrats! How was your date with Ootsuki-kun?"

"Um... I think it went well."

We even held hands, so I think that counts as a success, right?

"Oh! You did it!"

"Yeah, thank you!"

"So? Did today's date bring you closer to Ootsuki-kun?"

"I think so… we got to the point where we held hands."

"Huh!? Wait, what? Hands? Huh? HUH!?"

Saki suddenly seemed struck by a disease that prevented her from saying more than one syllable at a time.

"Wait, hold on! You held hands with Ootsuki-kun during your date?"

"Yeah, even while we were watching the movie."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is this? Wait, so... are you guys already dating now?"

Saki's confused tone confused me as well.

"Huh? No, not yet. You told me not to confess yet."

"O-oh... I see... you're not dating yet, huh..."

Her perplexed response made me a little uneasy.

"Was it bad to hold hands on the first date?"

Having no romantic experience at all, dating is a complete mystery to me. Saki even told me not to use manga or novels as a reference.

"Not bad, per se... but let's just say your sense of distance might be a bit... broken?"

"Broken sense of distance..."

So, holding hands right away on the first date was strange? What if Ootsuki-kun thinks I’m weird?

"S-Saki... did I mess up?"

"Well... maybe? First, tell me how it happened— how did you get to the point of holding hands?"

I explained everything to Saki, from the persistent guy who hit on me to how we ended up holding hands and even interlaced fingers by the end of the movie.

"Hmm, I see, I see..."

"So... what do you think?"

Saki was deep in thought, and her silence only made me more anxious.

"Ayaka, my dear... you really went all-in, huh?"

"Did I... go too far?"

"Yeah, a bit. This isn't a manga. Going straight to interlacing fingers is like screaming, 'Let's just start dating already!'"

"Wait, do you think we could actually start dating?"

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of going on more dates with Ootsuki-kun, holding hands like today, and visiting all kinds of places together.

"Ootsuki-kun didn’t react badly when you held hands, right? So if you confessed, there’s a good chance he’d say yes."

"Then... then I’ll confess tomorrow— "

"Wait!!"

Saki’s sharp voice stopped me in my tracks.

"There’s a good chance it’ll work, but it’s not 100%. Are you okay with that?"

"Well, but... if there’s a high chance—"

"If you’re rejected, that’s the end of your first love, you know?"

Saki’s words hit me like a weight in my chest.

The end of my love.

That would mean no more dates with Ootsuki-kun, no growing closer, no deepening our bond. And no more holding hands with him like today...

Just imagining such a future made tears well up in my eyes.

"I don’t want that... I don’t want that at all."

"Right? Then you’d want to raise your chances even more, wouldn’t you?"

"Yeah, but... how?"

All I could think of was honestly expressing my feelings to him.

"Ayaka, love isn’t just about pushing forward. Sometimes, it’s important to pull back a little too."

"Pull back?"

Does she mean holding back my feelings for Ootsuki-kun?

"Today’s date probably made Ootsuki-kun conscious of you."

"R-really?"

"Of course! You held hands after declaring you were his girlfriend, right?"

"That was just because that guy hitting on me was so persistent..."

Recalling that moment made me feel so embarrassed I wanted to curl up.

While I squirmed in embarrassment, Saki continued, sounding convinced.

"But you still held hands after the movie, right? And interlaced fingers too. That’s basically you saying, I love you!"

"Wh-what!? I love him!? Well, maybe I do, but... love..."

Hearing it put into words made me so embarrassed. I admit I like him, but... love? That’s still a bit... hehe.

"Seriously, after jumping straight to interlacing fingers on your first date, you're blushing over something like this?"

"B-but I can’t help it..."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Ootsuki-kun must’ve started thinking, Maybe Ayaka likes me? after today’s date."

Saki sighed in exasperation and continued speaking matter-of-factly.

Ugh… My love mentor is totally ruthless...

"But, he wouldn’t have been completely sure of your feelings. After all, your excuse was to fend off that guy hitting on you."

"Uh-huh… And what does pulling back have to do with this?"

"It has everything to do with it. When someone isn’t sure, they can’t stop thinking about it—Does she like me? No, maybe not… That uncertainty gets under their skin. If you pull back a little, they start wondering even more—Wait, was it just my imagination?"

"Isn’t that counterproductive? What if Ootsuki-kun loses interest in me?"

Also, now that I’ve realized I like him, acting distant would be pure torture.

"Well, if you overdo it, it could backfire, like you said. But if you get it just right, Ootsuki-kun won’t be able to stop thinking about you. You’ll stay on his mind all the time."

"On his mind... all the time..."

"Exactly! Eventually, his thoughts will be completely filled with Ayaka!"

"His thoughts… filled with me… filled with me..."

"And before he knows it, Ootsuki-kun will fall head over heels for you!"

"Ootsuki-kun... falling for me... f-for me… ughhh..."

What should I do? Just imagining him confessing to me makes my body squirm on its own!

"So, here’s the plan: keep showing your interest in Ootsuki-kun, but occasionally pull back. Keep him on his toes, constantly stirring up his emotions! Got it?"

"Got it! That’ll make him fall for me, right?"

"Well, it’s not guaranteed, but it’ll definitely help."

I wonder if Ootsuki-kun is already thinking about me right now... If he is, that’d make me so happy.

"I’ll do my best! I’ll push and pull to shake up Ootsuki-kun’s heart!"

"Good. Though honestly, you’re so head over heels for him right now that your ‘pulling back’ might still come across as pushing forward—but that could work too."

"Wait! Head over heels? I’m a woman, not a man, you know!"

"...Fair point. Anyway, if anything comes up, feel free to consult me again."

"Okay, thank you!"

"You’re welcome. Good night."

"Good night!"

After exchanging goodnight wishes, I ended the call with Saki.

Not just pushing, but pulling too, huh… Love is so complicated. But...

If this works and my feelings reach him, I’ll be able to go on dates with Ootsuki-kun again, holding hands just like today.

Next time, we’d be real lovers.

I’d love to visit all kinds of places together—go shopping, take a trip to the beach, or watch another movie. And of course, we’d hold hands then too.

Ootsuki-kun’s hand… it was so big and warm...

Lying on my bed, I recalled the feeling of his hand.

A hand that gently enveloped mine.

The hand of someone I like, someone I long for.

Just holding it made my heart race, yet it brought a sense of comfort and happiness. Through that connection, joy spread through my entire body.

As sleep began to overtake me, I clutched my right hand—his hand from earlier—close to my chest, wrapping it with my left hand. Doing so made me feel like I might see him in my dreams...

Today might’ve been the happiest day of my life. But if I could be with him as his girlfriend, that happiness would surely surpass today’s so easily.

Dreaming of such a future, I slowly closed my eyes, holding my right hand as a talisman, entrusting the continuation of this happy day to my dreams.

──If I could meet you in my dreams…

Afterword

Thank you for reading! I’m Shiomoto Shiohon, the author.

Suddenly, I’d like to share a little anecdote about hiyashi oden (chilled oden), which also made an appearance in this story.

It was a certain Saturday in December when the cold seeped right down to the bone.  
As usual, I saw my wife off to work, did the dishes after breakfast, started the laundry, vacuumed, and cleaned the bathroom— just my typical weekend routine.

Around midday, I stepped outside to bring in the laundry, only to be greeted by a crisp, chilly breeze. At that moment, I was struck by an overwhelming craving: I want oden!  
And so, dinner for that night was decided. I immediately went to the nearby supermarket, bought oden ingredients and broth, and set about simmering the pot, eagerly awaiting my wife’s return.

That evening, as we watched a variety show together, we enjoyed our oden. While chatting about the day’s events and work, I asked, “How’s the oden? Tasty?” Without even looking away from the TV, my wife replied, “Yeah, it’s good.”

That response flipped a switch inside me.

I wanted to make the ultimate oden— the kind that would make my wife forget about the TV, her eyes wide in astonishment, completely captivated by the dish.

Thus began my journey of oden mastery.

I became obsessed with every detail: the katsuobushi and kelp used for the broth, the precise method of extracting flavor, the selection of ingredients, and the perfect simmering technique. What used to be a quick Saturday evening dish turned into a meticulous, days-long process. I started prepping on Friday nights, and the oden wouldn’t be ready until Sunday dinner.

Did you know that flavors soak in better as oden cools than when it’s actively simmering? I learned this through my quest for perfection.

After countless trials and errors, by March— when the cold began to ease— I finally achieved a masterpiece I could be proud of. The moment my wife took a bite of daikon and exclaimed, “Wow, this is amazing!” with a look of surprise, I knew I had succeeded. I threw up a triumphant fist pump and gave her the smuggest grin of my life.

A few weeks later, on a Friday evening after another week of work, I happily began preparing oden again. As I stood in the kitchen, humming to myself, my wife walked in and said with a perplexed look, “Huh? Oden on a warm day like this?”

It was April by then— spring was in full bloom, with cherry blossoms dancing in the breeze. Oden was officially out of season.

Clutching the stockpot meant for oden, I stared at her in utter despair.

“It’s not oden season anymore?”

“Well… no. Why don’t you make it again when it gets cold?” she said kindly yet crushingly.

Why?! Why can’t oden be enjoyed unless it’s cold outside? Even though I had perfected the ultimate oden, I couldn’t let it go. So I searched online for “summer oden.”

That’s when I discovered hiyashi oden (chilled oden).

Everyone, I encourage you to set aside the stereotype that oden is only for cold winters and give hiyashi oden a try. The sensation of sipping chilled broth on a sweltering day, when you’re drenched in sweat and parched, is absolutely sublime. Highly recommended!

That said, after all my talk about “the ultimate oden,” my favorite will always be convenience store oden. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a piece of daikon, hot and steaming, in the middle of a snowy winter, blowing on it to cool it down. Long live yuzu kosho.

Author  
Shiomoto (Shiohon)  
Haruto Otsuki, a high-spec guy who excels academically and has maxed out his household skills. Ayaka Tojo, a girl who, despite her stunning looks, struggles with her fear of boys but dreams of romance. I hope readers will enjoy the love story between these two.

Illustrator  
Aki no Eru (Aki no Eru)  
The story’s protagonist, Haruto, practices karate, and I was delighted to find an unexpected connection, as I also practiced Kyokushin karate in the past.  
I’d love to train at the Dojima Dojo someday!

TL Corner: 

That's a wrap! I've started working on Volume 2 and will begin releasing it next week. One of the admins at Aphrodite Scans mentioned they'll be creating an EPUB for Volume 1, so make sure to join the server (LINK) to download it.

Hiyashi Oden  

Hiyashi oden is a chilled version of the Japanese hot pot dish oden that's eaten in the summer. Oden is typically made with various ingredients cooked in a broth of dashi, soy sauce, sake, and mirin.