How Could You Like Another Girl When You Already Have A Cute Fiancée Like Me? - Chapter 4

Translator: AJ1703

Editor: Xen

 

Chapter 4: Sugar Prepared by a Liar

 

　Even though it’s Sunday, Kouta’s morning comes early as he spends all his time working.

　He had a shift at a coffee shop from noon, so he could only do the housework in the morning.

“All right, that’s pretty much it.”

　After running the washing machine, cleaning the bathroom, and vacuuming from the kitchen to the front door, Kouta wiped his forehead. Then he glanced at the Japanese-style room.

　The fusuma sliding doors were closed, so he could not see inside.

“Chris, are you awake?”

　Kouta shouted into the fusuma sliding doors.

　…There was no reply.

　He decided to have Chris clean the Japanese-style room. Kouta gently opens the fusuma sliding door to place the vacuum cleaner inside.

　A double bed was sitting in the center of the room. Underneath it, there was something scattered on the tatami. As he approached it, he saw,

“Isn’t that my album?”

　It was undoubtedly Kouta’s album from kindergarten, which Chris must have found when she opened the closet. It was so typical of her that she had seen it and left it out.

　Kouta squatted down and picked up the album.

　His memory of kindergarten was fuzzy. The only thing he could remember back then was playing ramen shop every day─

“Good morning, Kouta.”

“Whoa!”

　Kouta shouted as he was suddenly called out.

　Chris, in her pajamas, leaned over from the bed and looked at him. She hadn’t tied her hair up and looked a little more mature than usual.

“You’re so startled, Kouta. What were you doing in my bedroom?”

“I wasn’t doing anything! I just came to drop off the vacuum cleaner.”

　Her eyes fell on the album.

“Oh, Kouta was looking at that too?”

“Don’t you feel bad about looking at other people’s albums without their permission?”

“Kouta’s eyes and mood haven’t changed since then, haven’t they? Thanks to that, I could recognize you even if I hadn’t seen you in ten years.”

　Chris took the album and started to flip through the pages happily.

　Hmm? Kouta tilted his head.

“Ten years…?”

“You don’t remember, do you? Ten years ago, when my dad walked into the Gouzanji Ramen Shop, I was five years old and I was there with him.”

“What?”

“When he started talking about business, I was bored, so he sent me out of the store to play out front. Kouta was playing ramen shop there.”

“Ehhh~!!!?”

“Kouta invited me over and I played along. During that time, our engagement was set.”

“So we met ten years ago… I don’t remember any of that…”

“I think I would have forgotten if my dad hadn’t come out of the ramen shop and told me right away that Kouta would be my fiancé.”

“Ahhh, our parents are so lax!”

　Kouta put his hand on his forehead. He respected Tetsuji’s passion for ramen, but he was generally lazy about everything else.

　Chris narrowed her eyes as if she was nostalgic for those days.

“Kouta was in charge of making ramen, right?”

“Well, more like the owner. I remember that game very well.”

　Playing ramen shop is a kind of make-believe game that Kouta came up with. Each person has a role to play. The minimum number of players required is three.

　The owner makes the ramen.

　The customer who eats the food.

　And the person who supports the owner─.

“Ah!”

　Kouta couldn’t help but exclaim.

(I remembered. In the ramen shop game, there was a “bride” who supported the owner!)

　Just as Kouta had always played the role of the shopkeeper, the role of the bride was always played by the same girl.

　He can’t remember the girl’s face or name now.

　However, he does remember that she was a beautiful girl with long hair.

　Whenever they played ramen shop, she always prepared a bowl of ramen for them.

“Fuun~, Kouta, are you remembering your first love?”

“Huh!?”

　Chris smirked.

“Kouta is so easy to understand. So, tell me about your first love.”

“I-It wasn’t my first love… I just played with this girl in kindergarten…”

If you just played with her, why don’t you tell us about it?

　Kouta was at a loss for words.

　Chris smiled triumphantly.

“Kouta, you think you can hide things from the Christina Westwood of the World? What was she like? How did you fall in love? What places and things do you remember about her?”

“Ahhhh, fine, I’ll tell you!”

　There was no escaping Chris’s pursuit, and Kouta was determined.

“At first, I was making ramen noodles for fun with her. I’d make rice noodles out of ivy and stuff, and she’d make a bowl out of clay and stuff.

　It was so much fun that Kouta said one day,

“I asked her to make ramen with me all the time…”

　It was like a kindergartener’s confession.

“It made me smile. So, what happened?”

“Well, we played ramen shop together until I graduated from kindergarten. I always played the role of the owner, and she supported me.”

　…That story is not accurate.

　He can’t tell Chris this because she might make fun of him, but he did get a response to his confession.

『Then, Kou-kun, let’s get married!』

　That was her answer.

　Kouta nodded his head, and the girl became his “bride” in his game of ramen shop.

　When he went to elementary school, the girl disappeared. Before he knew it, she faded from Kouta’s memory.

　It was too faint of a memory to be called love.

　Kouta wouldn’t have remembered the girl if she hadn’t talked about the game.

“Okay, Kouta, let’s play it right now.”

“Eh!? Right now?”

“Kouta will be the owner and I’ll be the support.”

“Oh, and then?”

“We’ll make breakfast!”

“Okay, okay.”

　They decided to make fried rice, a staple of ramen shops.

　When he told Chris that he had a part-time job from noon, he ordered something that would also be good for lunch, so fried rice it was.

　Kouta opened the refrigerator and found a plastic package he didn’t remember.

“This is… wagyu beef, huh…!?”

　It was a steak with a beautiful sash, which Kouta’s family could never afford.

　How could such a luxury item be in their refrigerator? He was shocked.

“Oh, that. The butcher gave it to me when I went to the shopping street.”

　Chris said as if it was nothing.

“Gave you!? Wagyu beef!?”

“The butcher said he was a fan of mine. I gave him my autograph and he gave it to me.”

“Oh, man, what a celebrity.”

“You should put that in my fried rice.”

“Isn’t that a waste of wagyu beef…?”

“It’s not enough for a steak.”

　Since Chris said so, Kouta decided to make steak fried rice, even though it was a luxury.

　As he was getting out the other ingredients for the fried rice,

“So, Kouta, what do you want me to do?”

　Chris was standing in the kitchen, full of enthusiasm. Her hair was already in twin tails. She was even wearing a brand new apron.

“Okay, first chop the onions.”

“Got it.”

　Kouta handed the onions to Chris and took the pan. To start with, he diced the wagyu beef and fried it in the pan.

“Kouta, my eyes hurt, I can’t cut the onions…”

　He heard a cry.

　Chris was spilling tears, and Kouta hurriedly turned off the stove.

“Oh, the onions were a little hard to handle…”

　If you looked, you would see that Chris was cutting the onions into thick slices. She probably doesn’t know how to mince, and her use of the knife is questionable.

“Ah, the eggs, do the eggs instead. Crack some eggs into a bowl, please.”

　Yeah… Chris wiped her tears with and took the bowl.

　Kouta took over the task of chopping the onions. The kitchen echoed with the sound of thumping.

　There was a dissonant sound.

　Kouta stopped moving.

　He looked to the side and saw Chris with eggs all over her hands.

“……”

“Koutaaa~, I can’t crack the eggs properly…”

“…Chris, you know what?”

　Kouta took the almost empty bowl.

“Have you ever cooked before?”

“I’m Christina Westwood of the World. I don’t cook, I only eat.”

“I was an idiot to ask.”

　Kouta gave up trying to get Chris to cook.

“Forget the eggs, just get me a plate of fried rice.”

　He could do that.

　Kouta resumed chopping the onions. He cracked a few eggs and beat them quickly.

As he cracked a few eggs and beat them quickly, he heard a cry of “Kyaaa~!” followed by a cracking sound! The sounds were overlapping

　Kouta turned around.

“Koutaaa~, I broke a plateeee~…”

　Chris panicked as she tried to come towards Kouta.

“Stop, don’t move.”

　Kouta pushed her with both hands and held her back.

　Kouta began to clean up around Chris, who was now standing on a stance. It would be dangerous if there were any fragments of the plate left, or if Chris stepped on it and hurt herself.

“Kouta, what can I do…?”

　Gripping the hem of her apron, Chris was trembling. She wanted to do her best to be supportive.

“Chris, there is a right place for the right person in the world.”

“What?”

“Change of roles. You’ll be the guest now.”

　*Don, a platter is placed on the dining table.

　In front of the hot steak fried rice, Chris shouted, “Wow!” in amusement.

“The rice, the eggs, they’re shining…!”

　Chris’s reaction was wonderful as a customer.

　Kouta, the owner of the restaurant, urged.

“Here you go, eat up.”

“Itadakimasu~!”

　Chris took the spoon cheerfully.

　The room was filled with the smell of sesame oil from earlier. Chris scooped up the crispy fried rice and popped it into her mouth.

　Instantly, her eyes lit up with joy.

　She chewed and chewed and chewed, and smiled like a flower in full bloom.

(Ah…)

“It’s so delicious, Kouta!”

“O-Ohh… it has wagyu in it, after all.”

　Chris shook his head at Kouta, who looked away in embarrassment.

“It’s not only that, but Kouta’s cooking is really good! The perfect amount of salt, the fluffy eggs. The aroma of the sauces, the sweetness of the onions, and the delicious flavor of the melting beef are all packed into the rice… This is the best…”

“I made some Chinese soup, do you want some?”

“Of course I’m going to have some. Bring it here quickly.”

　Kouta prepared the soup for the two of them and sat down, while Chris took a sip of the soup and her face lit up again.

(Yes, I used to play that game just to see this face…)

　You can’t serve real food by just playing around. That’s why the “ramen” in those days was all about flower petals, leaves, and presentation.

　It was Kouta’s pleasure to see how surprised and happy the customers were.

　He wanted to make someone else happy with what he made. That desire has not changed.

“Don’t you want to eat Kouta?”

　Chris looked at Kouta and tilted her head.

　She smiled wickedly, as if she had thought of something. She scooped up some fried rice with a spoon and offered it to Kouta.

“Here you go, aahn~♡!”

“Oi…”

“I’m just kidding.”

　Chris spun the spoon back to herself and popped the fried rice into her mouth. She squinted her eyes, “Yumm~, oishii~!” [TLN: oishi = delicious.]

“You can get to know your girlfriend better by doing this.”

“Another hurdle to overcome…”

“It’s not as hard as proposing to your girlfriend. …Yeah. Let’s do this for our next strategy.”

　*Gokun, Chris said as she swallowed the food in her mouth.

“You’re going to make her happy by making her a beautiful and tasty bento!”

“Oh, so I’m going to put my skills to good use?”

“That’s right. Tomorrow during lunch time, Kouta will eat lunch with your girlfriend. So Kouta will share his side dish with her. She will be impressed by your cooking and the two of you will become closer.”

“Lunch with Hisame…”

　Kouta recalled how she spent her lunch break and his expression turned sullen.

“I know what’s bothering Kouta. Tojo-san is always alone in her seat, eating her lunch that she brought with her. It seems that she just wants to finish her meal and read.”

“You know a lot, don’t you?”

　He was honestly surprised to see that Chris always went to the cafeteria at lunchtime, surrounded by other students. She was supposedly unaware of what was going on in the classroom.

“I’m an ally, I know everything about Kouta, about your girlfriend, everything.”

“I’m scared to death that you’re not exaggerating in the slightest.”

　The other day they had a home-date, he knew that Chris was scary. On the other hand, he also realized that if he went along with her plan, he would be in good hands.

“Wouldn’t it be offensive to interrupt Hisame’s lunch break…?”

“Mou~, Kouta, she’s your girlfriend! You’re not interrupting her!”

“Do you think Hisame will eat lunch with me when we’re keeping our relationship a secret?”

“Of course you’re not eating in the classroom. How about the backyard… where you two can be alone?”

“That’s not a place where we can be alone.”

　In Kouta’s memory, the backyard was a nice place with flower beds and a nice atmosphere. He thought it would be a popular lunch spot if the weather was nice.

“It would be. No one is coming to the backyard tomorrow. If Christina Westwood of the World says so, it’s definitely true!”

“What the heck’s up with that… Well, if you insist, I’ll take the backyard place.”

“Kouta has to arrange a lunchtime appointment with her during the school day tomorrow. That way, she won’t see us together on campus.”

“Okay. I’ll just have to make a nice lunch!”

　Hisame is going to eat it. He can’t make her eat anything half-hearted or incomplete.

“I’ve got to think of a menu once I’ve decided on that. There’s still half of the wagyu beef left, right? I’ll make a Chinese-style bento, since that’s my specialty─”

　Kouta opened the refrigerator and began to think seriously.

“…You made my fried rice quickly and easily.”

　Kouta turned around.

　Chris stuffed her cheeks with fried rice.

“It’s okay, everything you cook is delicious. Even if it’s bean sprouts.”

“…Are you still upset that we only serve bean sprouts for dinner?”

“Ah, no.”

　Chris shook her head in exasperation.

“You can cook whatever you want, Kouta. I’ll make sure that Kouta’s plan is a huge success tomorrow.”

“Staging?”

　”Yes,” Chris smiled confidently.

“I’ll give you the best performance. I’ll make sure it goes off without a hitch.”

　It was the fourth period of the following Monday.

　Kouta was struggling against the oncoming sleepiness.

(I’m so sleepy… I can’t get anything into my head…)

　There were many disorderly lines drawn in his notebook. Kouta was swaying in his seat, unable to copy the notes on the board.

　Next to him, Chris was gracefully slumped over her desk. She was boldly snoozing in her sleep.

　There’s a reason why they’re like this.

　Last night, when Kouta came home from his part-time job, he started to make a lunch box for today, but he was so particular about it that it took him almost five hours.

　First of all, it took him three hours to make his most prized creation, the chashu pork that he serves at Gouzanji Ramen Shop. In addition, it took another two hours to make sweet-and-sour pork, green pepper jelly, chicken cheeks, bean paste soup, shrimp chili, eight-pot dish, and kohlrabi in a claypot.

　Thanks to this, Kouta had hardly slept at all.

　Chris, who was accompanying him, did the same.

　The bell rang for the end of class.

　At that moment, Chris woke up with a jolt. She started to operate her phone at high speed.

(I was so sleepy I thought I was going to die… Class is finally over…)

　Strangely enough, when class is over, the sleepiness goes away. This is especially true if you have an important event coming up.

　Kouta glanced at Hisame, who was seated near the window.

　On their way to school together in the morning, Kouta had asked her out to lunch and she had said yes. Hisame seemed to be fine with it.

(Will this make Hisame smile if I share my lunch with her…?)

　It reminded him of Chris’s happy expression when she ate his fried rice yesterday. Kouta was so embarrassed when he saw her like that.

　On the other hand, Hisame is a girl who never laughs.

　Her words and actions make it hard to tell if she is happy to be with Kouta or not. But since she has become his girlfriend, she must have held a good impression of him. Kouta believes that this is the case.

“Chris-chan, you just updated your Twitter!”

　A meek girl who always follows Chris shouted out, and Chris stuck out her tongue.

“Ehehe~, I got caught?”

“Isn’t it a terrorist attack to post this picture now!?”

“I just thought I was hungry, I guess.”

“‘I guess,’ my @ss! We’re so hungry now!”

　The classroom echoed with the girls’ cackling voices. Classmates who heard the conversation between the two girls pulled out their phones one after another.

　Kouta was also curious about what Chris had uploaded, so she pulled out her phone.

(This is…!)

“That’s chashu! Looks delicious…”

“I’ve seen sweet-and-sour pork and green peppercorn jiaozi meatloaf and I want to eat it.”

“There’s a hemp bean curd rice bowl in the store, right? I’ll have that for lunch.”

　Chris’s social networking site was full of Chinese dishes that Kouta had made. Kouta was starting to get an appetite too.

Kouta’s appetite was whetted. 

“Chris-chan, would you like to have some fried rice noodles at the school cafeteria?”

“Sounds good. Anyone who wants Chinese food, let’s go together.”

　A group of men and women who were in a good mood gathered around Chris. The cafeteria-bound group was about to leave the classroom.

“!?”

　As they walked past each other, Chris secretly winked at Kouta. As if she was encouraging him to go for it.

(This is her ‘staging’!)

　Kouta marveled at the realization.

　The classroom was now in the midst of an unprecedented Chinese food boom.

　In fact, most of the students were leaving the classroom with Chris. The students who had already bought or brought their own lunches looked distressed.

　He looked over at Hisame, who was staring down at her phone.

(This must have put Hisame in the mood for Chinese food. So I’m going to serve her a Chinese lunch. What a perfect plan, Chris!)

　Thanking his ally, Kouta left the classroom with his lunch in high spirits.

　It was a pleasant sunny autumn day.

　Under the pale blue sky, pink cosmos were swaying in the flower bed in the backyard. In the back, there was a planting with a placard that read “Biology Club Only.”

　He looked around, but there was no one there. It was as if all the students had disappeared from the school. From time to time, a commotion echoes from the corridor, which tells us that it is Kouta’s illusion.

　Kouta and Hisame were sitting side by side at the edge of the flower bed. They had both brought their own lunches.

“It’s a strange thing, isn’t it?”

　Hisame said as she opened her lunch bag.

“Strange thing?”

“I didn’t expect to see almost no one here.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. I wonder what’s going on today…”

(What psychic powers did Chris use again…?)

　He couldn’t imagine how she could have created this situation, but all Kouta could do was carry out the mission.

　He served the lunch he had spent five hours making.

“I made too many dishes last night, and I’d like Hisame to have some, if you don’t mind.”

　The two-tiered bento box was filled with a variety of Chinese dishes, and Hisame must be experiencing a Chinese boom thanks to Chris’ direction.

　Hisame looked at Kouta’s lunch box and muttered.

“…Chinese, right?”

“Yes.”

“Just now, Westwood-san posted a picture of Chinese food on social media.”

　The long, slit eyes were fixed on Kouta.

“Was that something Kouta-kun made?”

　A sharp look pierced Kouta’s eyes.

As Kouta’s mind went blank, he saw a placard on a planting just beyond Hisame’s head.

“『That’s right』…?”

　He thought he might have lost his mind.

The placard should have read “Biology Club Only”. As Kouta blinked, the text on the placard changed again.

“『Chris was happy, so I thought Hisame would be happy too.』”

(Hey, doesn’t this sound like I’m offering leftovers? Chris─!)

　He understood the logic behind the placard. Chris was lurking in that planting. The placard was covered with a sketchbook in which Chris had written the appropriate lines for him. No, that’s a lie. It’s not appropriate at all!

“Ah, no, that’s not it, Hisame! This lunch isn’t leftovers or anything, it’s…!”

　Kouta hurriedly argued, a cold chill was hanging around Hisame. Kouta was in a panic.

“Well then, I’ll eat it.”

“…Eh?”

“Westwood-san ate it happily, didn’t she?”

“Eh, ah, yeah…”

“Then, I’ll have some, too.”

(Chris is the standard…? If Chris, a millionaire, enjoyed it, it can’t be bad…?)

　Anyway, he was relieved that his five hours hadn’t been wasted.

　Hisame was staring at Kouta’s lunch box. Trying to decide which one to eat.

“You can eat whatever you want. I’ve made a lot.”

　Kouta ate a piece of chashu (pork chop suey) he had made himself. A dish he was very proud of, and tried to show off its deliciousness to Hisame─

“Ngh!?”

　He immediately took a cup of tea. He swallowed the chashu in his mouth.

(What’s this…? The chashu is so sweet!)

　He couldn’t believe it. The pork chashu he had made himself was somehow very sweet. It looked as if it had been cooked with a lot of sugar thrown in.

(How did this happen? I was too sleepy to taste it when it was done, but I can’t believe I made such a mistake…)

　Hisame was still staring at her lunch box, worrying about it.

　Kouta took advantage of this time to put chopsticks on some of the other side dishes.

(No way! The sweet-and-sour pork, the green peppercorn, the jiaogulan, the chicken cheeks, the bean curd, the shrimp chili, the eight treasures, the claypot, the pork chop, all of it is so sweet, what’s going on!?)

　He was about to panic.

　Abort the mission, he thought. The operation must be aborted right now. He can’t let Hisame eat this sugar-soaked delicacy.

　When Kouta was about to say to Hisame, “I’m sorry. I’ll let you taste the lunch another time.” A placard caught his eye.

『It’s okay, that sweet side dish. Let her eat it.』

　Ha? Kouta’s mouth dropped open.

(How the hell does Chris know what her lunch tastes like…? Did she just taste it?)

　If that’s the case, why don’t you tell me in advance? He thought.

　The paper on the placard was replaced with a flap.

『I’m the one who put sugar in Kouta’s food.』

　Wait. Wait, wait, wait!

　Kouta held back from shouting. He glared at the placard.

(What have you done…!? Are you trying to ruin this plan!?)

『Calm down, Kouta.』

(How can I be calm about this!?)

『What I’m about to tell you is a fact that only a few people know, Tojo-san has a slightly unique constitution.』

　Kouta’s expression and the placard made the conversation possible. Kouta was in such dire predicament that he had no time to be surprised by the abnormality.

(That is…?)

『She’s a rare genius, with a very high-spec brain.』

(Everyone knows that!)

『A brain of that caliber needs more sugar than most people. She’s been consuming sweets since she was a child, and as a result, she only finds sweets to be tasty.』

　That’s ridiculous, he thought.

　I looked at Hisame’s lunch. Meatballs, stir-fried bacon and spinach, sausage, and boiled vegetables. None of it was supposed to be sweet.

『She brings her own lunch every day. She never eats in the cafeteria or at the store. That’s because regular food doesn’t contain enough sugar and doesn’t taste good.』

(Wait a minute! I don’t use the school cafeteria either. Bringing a lunch box doesn’t mean you only eat sweets!)

『She likes sweets anyway. If it’s not sweet, it’s not good for her. Kouta sees through that and serves her the food she likes. That’s the essence of this strategy.』

“I’m in a pickle, what would you recommend Kouta-kun?”

　Kouta shivered at the sound of Hisame’s voice.

“What’s the matter, Kouta-kun, you look so pale.”

　Should he go forward or retreat?

　Kouta was wavering.

(If what Chris said is true─ no, but how could Hisame have a poor sense of taste? Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday…!? Then I would have made it sweeter myself!)

『Sweetness doesn’t suit her taste if it’s half-hearted or incomplete. I had no choice but to throw in a lot of sugar.』

“Kouta-kun…?”

　Hisame was staring at him.

“Ah…” Kouta said, his voice leaking nonsense. His reasoning screams. He seriously wants to get rid of that bad lunch. But behind Hisame’s face, he could see the words.

『Trust me, Kouta.』

　Believe.

　Believe in Chris─ it’s like a religion. Even the head of a sardine comes from faith. If he believes in Chris, will he be saved? If he believes in Chris, not in his own reason, not in Hisame’s taste, but in Chris’s strategy, will everything work out for the best─?

　The thread of thought broke in Kouta’s head with a poof.

　Kouta’s brain wasn’t good enough to keep thinking about a problem he couldn’t understand.

　He picked up a piece of chashu pork with his chopsticks. He held it out to Hisame.

“Here, ahhn~.”

　He was completely desperate. If he hadn’t been so desperate, he wouldn’t have served the sweet chashu in the first place. His bento was a mess, and Hisame might have a taste disorder, so it was impossible not to become desperate.

　Hisame turned bright red.

　She hesitated furiously. She looked at the chashu, then at Kouta’s face, and finally, as if in acceptance, she lowered her eyes.

“…A-Ahn.”

　The long eyelashes are beautiful. Kouta’s heart was full of joy as she opened her mouth honestly and shyly.

　He had no regrets in his life.

　A piece of pork was thrown into Hisame’s mouth.

　Kouta just sat and waited for the moment when his life would end. At least the god he believed in would take care of him. The old walls of the school building remind him of the impermanence of all things.

“…Kouta-kun.”

　I heard the voice of the judge.

“What a beautiful and tasty piece of pork!”

(Unbelievable─!!!?)

“I’m amazed. This is the first time I’ve ever eaten such delicious chashu.”

　Hisame sighed in admiration.

　Kouta was shocked as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

“So this is the taste of Kouta-kun’s home?”

“Eh? Y-Yeah…”

“Can I taste the others?”

“Of course. If you like it so much, you can have all of it…?”

　It was too sweet, and Kouta didn’t feel like eating it at all.

　Hisame said, “Thank you,” and began to pluck Kouta’s lunch. From the way she reacts, all the side dishes seem to be delicious.

　Impossible, he thought. (Second time)

“You know what, Hisame?”

　Kouta looked at her lunch box to confirm the truth.

“If you don’t mind, can I have a taste of Hisame’s lunch?”

“Sure.”

　Hisame hesitated as she presented her lunch to Kouta.

“…Which one do you want?”

“Eh. Well then, I’ll have the sausage.”

　It was a side dish that could never be sweet.

　Hisame picked it up with her chopsticks. Then she turned her head away.

“…A…A…A…Ahn…”

　She turned her head to the side and said, “Ahn”. Her dexterity and teasing filled Kouta’s heart with joy.

　He took a bite of the sausage. As he started to chew it, he started to chuckle.

Hisame tilted her head at Kouta, who chuckled dryly, “Ahaha…”

“What’s the matter?”

“Hisame, do you think your bento tastes good…?”

“Eh? Didn’t it suit your taste?”

　Hisame also ate a sausage.

“Mogumogu… It’s a wonderfully tasty sausage as always…?” [TLN: Mogu = munch]

　The placard was waving behind Hisame’s head.

『See? It’s good that you believed in me.』

　It’s hard to believe, but the sausage was as sweet as a Yōkan. [TLN: Yōkan = jellied dessert made from red bean paste, agar, and sugar. Taken from jisho btw.]

　　　◆◆◆

(Oh, Kouta’s completely asleep.)

　From the planting behind the placard, Chris peeked at the flower bed.

　After finishing his meal, Kouta was sleeping on Hisame’s lap. It was Chris who gave the order. He is a very serious person, and would not voluntarily ask for a lap pillow.

　He seems to have slept soundly even though he was on Hisame’s lap after working almost all night to make lunch. There was no conversation between them for a while.

(I should probably get out of here, too. Hozuki has made sure that the chime for the start of fifth period won’t ring.)

　She looked at her phone and saw that there were only five minutes left until the end of lunch break.

　The chime didn’t go off, so the two people in the backyard didn’t know that fifth period had started. On top of that, there was a false rumor going around the school that there was a wasp nest in the backyard and they should stay away from it because it was dangerous.

　It was Chris’s plan to prolong their sweet time together.

(I’m going to take my notes for the fifth period and show them to Kouta later. It was the perfect support I could give for an ally. Kouta will thank me again.)

　Chris was all smiles, but there was movement in the flowerbed.

　Hisame was scurrying around, looking for someone. Acknowledging that no one was around, Hisame looked down at Kouta’s sleeping face. She gently patted his head.

“!!!?”

(What’s that? What’s that? Ha!? You can’t tell him how you feel, but you can do that to a sleeping Kouta?)

　Hisame was running her fingers through Kouta’s hair, basking in the sunshine of the beautiful afternoon. Her cheeks were dyed just like a maiden in love, and her mouth was agape with happiness.

　Chris can tell what’s in someone’s heart by looking at their expression. Right now, Hisame was in a frenzy. She was soaking in the joy of seeing his vulnerable sleeping face up close and being able to touch him.

　Chris bit her lip.

　Something hot, bitter, and black erupted from deep inside her chest.

　Chris had never stroked a sleeping Kouta before. Of course, Hisame is his lover and Chris is his ally, and while Hisame can touch Kouta, Chris has no right to do so. She knows this in her rational mind. However, people are not creatures inhabited only by reason─.

　The next thing she knew, Chris was on her feet.

　The plant shook with a rustle, and Hisame looked at her quickly.

(Oh no, I was planning to have them spend a sweet time alone together.)

　So what? You’re going to let Hisame do whatever she wants for an hour?

　─You’ve got to be kidding, she thought.

　It was her own plan, but Chris was starting to feel like she needed to ruin their sweet time together.

“Westwood-san…? Why were you there…?”

　Hisame whispered, caring for the sleeping Kouta.

　Chris brushed the leaves from her twintails.

“…I’m trying out for the biology club.”

　”Oh, I see,” said Hisame, who did not seem to doubt Chris’s statement.

“I wasn’t expecting Westwood-san to be interested in biology.”

“Surprising? I’m interested in living creatures. Especially people.”

　Chris stood in front of Hisame, Kouta was still sleeping soundly, and she wondered if Hisame’s thighs were that comfortable.

“I thought you were wondering what we were up to.”

　The dialogue was in English. If Kouta heard her, he wouldn’t be able to understand her.

　Chris shook her shoulders.

“So this is where the girl talk comes in.”

“You knew what his lunch was today, and you posted a picture of it on social media.”

“Yes, I did. He asked me what he should do to get his girlfriend to eat his lunch.”

“I got the point. This note is yours, isn’t it?”

　Hisame pulled out a piece of paper from her chest pocket.

　It says, “←Watch TV with her” in cute round letters. It’s the note that Chris put on the sliding door fusuma during the home-date.

“Oh, that. You took it. No wonder I couldn’t find it.”

“Why would you write a note like this…?”

“He said he didn’t know what to do on a date at home, so I gave him some advice.”

　”Is that so?” said Hisame, turning over and staring at Kouta’s sleeping face.

“He’s been asking you for advice a lot, right?”

　As a lover, it’s lonely.

　Why wouldn’t he consult with her directly? Why is it that the person he is asking for advice from is, of all people, the beautiful girl he lives with?

　Chris chuckled inwardly.

　Yes, it’s not just the ‘sweet time’ that advances a relationship between two lovers.

“You have to capture his heart quickly. You can’t let a third party like me intervene.”

　Hisame looked up at Chris’ words.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t think you’re the only one who likes him, do you?”

　Hisame’s eyes changed color.

　Chris laughed when she said that. She could also see the white cold air rising from Hisame’s body.

　She laughed from the bottom of her stomach. The sweet atmosphere that existed earlier had been swept away. All that surrounded her now was a sharpened sense of urgency and deadly hostility.

“I won’t give him to you.”

“Well said. I wonder how he feels about that?”

“…!”

“I’m always the one he goes to for advice. Which proves that he trusts me more than anyone else.”

　Hisame’s face twisted in frustration. Her hand was placed on Kouta’s head. It stroked Chris’s nerves in reverse. Don’t touch him. This is the only time you can indulge in that position.

　Chris turned to face Hisame. She whispered with a wicked smile.

“─If you’re not careful, I might steal Kouta from you.”

　Hisame’s expression froze.

　She laughed like a very evil villain and left the scene with a dashing smile on her face.

(I know it’s not what you planned, but it’ll make your girlfriend more aggressive.)

　The closer Kouta and Hisame get to each other, the faster their relationship will grow. It was just as Chris had planned.

　Kouta who was about to wake up from his nap after sensing a bizarre atmosphere─

“It’s even worse to sleep soundly in the middle of the operation!” retorted Chris.

　To his heart’s chagrin, Chris ran as quickly as she could down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translator’s Afterword: Sorry it took quite awhile, I was busy during the past few days. And yeah, a late merry christmas/holidays to those who celebrated. As we approach the new year, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to finish most of the new light novels I picked up this month in just January alone. Or else, I’m screwed for February that’s about to come. Second volume of another series that I’m working on and another one that I kept being nagged at to translate is coming by that time. My schedule is so jam packed that I’m at a loss. An incident involving my mother and sister also occurred for the past two weeks. I told this in kurasu no gyaru v2 which I updated during Christmas. Please give that series a read too.

Or rather, I hope everyone will have a better year coming up. Cheers for 2022! Let’s hope luck is on our side~

Another thing, I forgot to comment on this chapter, yeah the war is on! And it made me hungry while translating this KEKW