53 Nothing but Worries: Hinase Riri’s Side
“Ah, I didn’t offer you anything to drink.”
Suzuna looked up as if startled when we resumed studying.
“Oh, don’t worry about it.”
“It’s no trouble at all. You want something to drink, right?”
“Is that okay?”
“Well, all I have is instant tea or coffee…”
Oh… Suzuna is preparing a drink for me.
What a rare sight.
This alone makes it worth braving the trip to Suzuna’s house.
“Then tea, please.”
“Okay.”
Suzuna went downstairs.
A short while later, she returned, holding two mugs in her hands.
A simple black and white design.
Unpretentious, but very Suzuna-like.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
She placed the mugs on the empty space on the table.
Tea made by Suzuna… this is a precious treasure.
“What’s wrong?”
Suzuna asked, probably finding my reaction strange.
“No, it’s just… I’m touched that you made it for me, Suzuna.”
“It’s just instant tea.”
Suzuna frowned.
“That’s not the point. …Thank you.”
I took a sip of the tea.
A gentle sweetness and a hint of bitterness spread through my mouth.
When I put down the mug, Suzuna continued to stare at me.
“What? You’re making me blush.”
“I was just thinking it probably doesn’t taste that good since it’s not… authentic like yours, Riri-chan.”
I tried to be playful, but she replied in a serious tone.
She was worried about that?
“No, it’s delicious.”
“That’s not true, it’s instant tea.”
Tut, tut, tut.
Suzuna doesn’t understand…
Taste isn’t determined by the ingredients alone.
“It’s delicious because you made it, Suzuna.”
Suzuna, the queen of laziness, made tea for me.
That alone makes it taste better than anything I could get at a cafe.
“…Oh.”
But Suzuna’s reply was curt.
She looked down at her textbook and resumed studying.
I thought I said something nice, but did it not resonate with her?
Suzuna’s feelings are difficult to understand.
◇◇◇
Evening arrived quickly.
As the room gradually darkened, I had a thought.
“…Aren’t you hungry?”
If Suzuna lived with her parents, I would have suggested going home around this time.
But Suzuna lives alone.
I wondered… if she’d like to have dinner together…
“I might be.”
Suzuna looked up and replied readily.
“What do you usually do for dinner?”
“I live alone, so I just eat whatever.”
“…Whatever?”
I’m curious about what that entails.
“Instant ramen, convenience store bentos, and stuff like that.”
That was the answer I was most worried about.
“Do you ever cook?”
“I can manage the process up to pouring hot water.”
“That’s just instant ramen.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
And that’s all she said.
“Eh, won’t you be malnourished if you only eat that?”
“Malnourished…?”
Why is that a question?
“Okay, I’ll make you dinner.”
“Eh, that’s too much trouble. You’re always giving me your bento. I’d feel bad if you did more for me.”
“No, I’m more worried about your health, Suzuna. Eating like that at your age… it’s definitely not good, especially for your beauty.”
Maybe the reason Suzuna is so thin is because she’s not getting proper nutrition.
“If you do that much, you’ll become my mom.”
Those words resonated with me.
“…Being Suzuna’s mom… doesn’t sound so bad.”
“No, it’s bad.”
Suzuna looked exasperated.
I feel like I lose my mind a little when it comes to Suzuna.
“Well, that aside, I’m seriously making dinner, okay?”
“Ehhh… are you sure?”
“I am. Do you have any ingredients?”
I’ll probably have to go shopping, but I want to know what she has.
“…Do I… have any…?”
“…Well, I thought you might have something.”
“You can check.”
The refrigerator was almost empty.
The cupboard, on the other hand, was overflowing with instant ramen.
“It really is all instant ramen.”
“I told you, didn’t I?”
There’s no need to look so smug.
“…Yeah, yeah, I know. So, do you have anything you want to eat?”
“Since you’re making it, Riri-chan, anything you want is fine.”
“No, I’m making it for you, Suzuna, so I’ll make whatever you want.”
“Ehhh…”
Suzuna groaned and thought about it.
She’s been saying “Ehhh” a lot since we started talking about dinner.
“Pasta, I guess?”
“Ehhh…”
Now it was my turn to say “Ehhh.”
Anyone can make pasta, as long as you don’t aim for restaurant quality…
“Eh, is that not okay?”
“No, it’s fine, but… I thought it would be… more substantial than just noodles…”
I wonder if Suzuna likes noodles.
“Noodles are delicious.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
Suzuna seems to be quite indifferent to food.
She doesn’t seem to care about health or beauty through diet.
I’m worried, I’m worried about Suzuna in many ways.
“But I understand. I’ll make it if that’s what you want, Suzuna.”
“…If it’s too much trouble, I have instant pasta.”
Please, don’t joke about that.
“No, I’ll make it.”
I decided to quickly go to the nearby supermarket to buy ingredients.
◇◇◇
“…Do you need any help?”
When I returned home after shopping and started cooking in the kitchen, Suzuna wandered over.
“Ah, then can you shred this cabbage?”
A salad is essential; she’ll definitely be malnourished if she only eats pasta.
I handed Suzuna half a head of cabbage.
“Leave it to me.”
…I glanced at Suzuna’s hands.
“Alright.”
—Swish
Suzuna raised the knife, aiming for the cabbage.
“Um, Suzuna, maybe you shouldn’t.”
“Eh, why?”
I know from the volleyball incident that Suzuna is incredibly clumsy.
This is probably the same.
Because I couldn’t stop shivering.
Her fingers holding the cabbage were straight.
She’s going to cut her fingers off like that.
“Suzuna, have you ever used a knife before?”
“I think so?”
…I remembered. The bento Suzuna made for Shindo Kokona looked disastrous.
I definitely shouldn’t let her do this.
“I’m boiling the pasta, so can you stir that?”
“Okay.”
That was close…
◇◇◇
I made meat sauce pasta, a cabbage, lettuce, and cucumber salad, rolled cabbage, and vegetable soup.
Yeah, this should cover all the nutritional bases.
“Wow, amazing…”
Suzuna gasped, looking at the dishes on the table.
I’m a little happy.
“Bon appétit.”
“Thanks, let’s eat.”
Suzuna twirled the pasta with a fork and spoon.
The pasta smoothly entered her mouth.
She also ate the salad, rolled cabbage, and vegetable soup.
“…Riri-chan.”
Suzuna placed her fork and spoon on the table and spoke in a formal tone.
“You’ll make a good wife.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s delicious.”
Ah, that’s what she meant.
Hearing that, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Anyone who doesn’t like this has a terrible palate.”
“Ahaha, that’s good to hear.”
I’m happy that Suzuna likes it.
The thought of Suzuna eating what I made, it becoming a part of her, made me feel a little excited.
Am I really a pervert?
“What are you going to do?”
“Um, what do you mean?”
Suzuna looked at me with a slightly accusatory look.
Do people usually give you that look after saying it’s delicious?
“I can’t eat instant ramen anymore after this.”
It was a complaint disguised as the highest praise.
54 It Can’t Be Helped
“Hey, Suzuna, help me study.”
It’s May, and the midterms are a week away.
Perhaps because this is a preparatory school, the atmosphere in the class is gradually becoming clouded with pre-test anxiety.
Shindo Minato, sitting at the desk in front of me, suddenly said that.
“No way.”
“Cold!”
Actually, this triggers a choice-based event.
If you choose the childhood friend, Amatsuki Suzuna, it’s a relaxed study session.
If you choose the gal, Hinase Riri, it’s lively and fun.
If you choose the student council president, Kanaori Reika, it’s strict but with occasional moments of kindness.
If you choose the senpai, Futaba Yuu, you benefit from her mature guidance.
If you choose the younger sister, Shindo Kokona, it’s filled with doting affection.
*Kokona-chan has already studied the second-year curriculum in advance to tutor her brother. A love fueled by dedication.
Each heroine tutors Shindo-kun in her own unique style.
So it’s fine; even if I don’t teach him, there are others who will.
“Isn’t there anyone else who can help you?”
I checked if Shindo-kun had any other heroine candidates in mind.
“I asked Kokona, and she just brushed me off, saying, ‘Study by yourself.’”
He replied, winking.
So he skipped the Kokona-chan event too.
“Well, she’s right. And that wink was creepy, so don’t do it again.”
“It’s a wink!”
“Apologize to the wink.”
“Who am I supposed to apologize to?!”
“Humanity.”
“Isn’t that a bit broad?!”
Seriously…
I just want some peace and quiet.
Why is he so energetic and argumentative in the morning?
“Isn’t there anyone else who can help you?”
“Eh… not really.”
Since he asked his little sister before asking his childhood friend, he probably doesn’t have many options.
Shindo-kun has a bright personality, but he doesn’t have any close friends.
Without the heroines, he’s often alone.
He’s not exactly a loner, so he doesn’t stand out much, but still.
“That’s a problem.”
That means he won’t trigger any flags with the other heroines.
At this rate, the only ending left is the bad ending where only the childhood friend, Amatsuki Suzuna, remains.
“That’s why everything would be solved if you just let Suzuna teach you.”
But that would increase my affection value with him, so it’s no good.
“How about failing and repeating the year?”
“Are you a demon? Why are you saying such ridiculous things with such excitement?”
I wonder if there’s a way to trigger an ending that’s not in the original story by making him do something unprecedented.
…Well, relying on that is too much of a gamble.
Then I have no choice but to trigger flags with the other heroines myself.
I’ll increase his options, like a true harem protagonist.
“Okay, let’s have a study session after school today.”
“Eh, seriously? You’ll teach me?”
“Yeah, but can I invite other people?”
“Sure, but will they be helpful?”
Why is he talking down to me when he’s the one asking for help?
“They’re much more capable than I am.”
“Okay, then it’s fine!”
Perhaps because I told him not to wink, he gave me a thumbs-up with a grin, showing his white teeth.
That’s also irritating.
“Don’t point at people.”
“It’s a thumbs-up!”
◇◇◇
During lunch break, after finishing lunch with Riri-chan, I went out into the hallway.
First, I needed to secure a place to study.
—Knock, knock
“Come in.”
I knocked on the door, and a clear voice responded.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, it’s Amatsuki-san. What is it?”
I visited the student council room.
Kanaori Reika was sitting at her sturdy desk.
There was a stack of papers on her desk, suggesting she was busy.
“Sorry to interrupt your work, is this a bad time?”
“It’s fine. Listening to students’ concerns is also part of the student council’s duties, so there’s no need to worry.”
Such a textbook-perfect response.
With the sunlight streaming in from the window behind her, she looked divine…
“Um, the midterms are coming up soon, aren’t they? I was wondering… if you could help me study…”
“Certainly.”
Kanaori-san readily agreed.
“Really? I thought you’d be busy with student council work…”
“I would never turn away a student who wants to study.”
A goddess…
She’s such a good person.
“Then, could I use this room after school…?”
Kanaori-san thought for a moment.
“I don’t have any student council work today, and the other officers are also absent, so it should be fine.”
“And there are other students who are struggling with their studies, so is it okay if I bring them along?”
“Oh, it’s not just you, Amatsuki-san…?”
Kanaori-san muttered, sounding slightly surprised, and then—
“That’s fine. I’ll be happy to help if I can.”
These are the words of the top student in our year.
If you can’t help, then no one can.
“Thank you very much.”
I bowed and left the student council room.
◇◇◇
Next, I went to the first floor.
I cautiously peeked into the first-year classrooms.
“There she is…”
Luckily, I spotted Shindo Kokona-chan in her classroom.
But…
It’s hard to enter the world of unfamiliar underclassmen, so I stood by the door, hoping she would notice me.
Then another girl tapped Kokona-chan on the shoulder and pointed at me.
Kokona-chan’s mouth dropped open in surprise, and she immediately came over.
“Ah, Amatsuki Suzuna… what are you doing in front of the first-year classrooms?”
“I have something to ask you, Kokona-chan.”
“Then you should have just called out to me. The other girls told me, ‘There’s a creepy senpai staring at Kokona.’”
“Oh, I see…”
So I stood out in a bad way.
“So, what do you want?”
“Um, I was thinking, how about a study session after school?”
“…Why would you invite Kokona? I’m a year younger than you.”
“I know that you’ve already covered the second-year curriculum, Kokona-chan.”
“H-How do you know that?!”
Because I’ve played the game.
“Shindo-kun asked me to help him study, so let’s do it together.”
“Eh, Onii-chan will be there too…? I thought it would be better for him to study by himself, so I left him alone.”
“I understand, but wouldn’t it be okay to study together as a group? It won’t be one-sided.”
“…Maybe.”
“Yeah, then after school, in the student council room.”
I managed to make plans with her.
Since it’s conspicuous for an upperclassman to be in a lowerclassman’s classroom, I left immediately.
“…The student council room?”
Kokona-chan said something, but it was drowned out by the noise in the hallway.
◇◇◇
“…Th-This is tiring.”
Next, I went to the rooftop.
Going back and forth like this was exhausting.
I finally made it and opened the door, letting in the outside air.
There, gazing up at the clear blue sky, was the back of a girl.
“Futaba-senpai.”
“Oh, it’s Suzuna-chan. What’s up?”
Futaba-senpai, as relaxed as ever, responded casually.
“Let’s study together after school.”
“Whoa, that’s sudden.”
“As a senpai, you’ve already covered the second-year material, right? And you’re studying for university entrance exams too, aren’t you?”
“…I am, to some extent, but I’m not sure if I’m good enough to teach anyone.”
“It’s fine, please.”
“Hmm, I can’t refuse if Suzuna-chan asks.”
Futaba-senpai readily agreed.
“Then after school, in the student council room. There will be a classmate and a kouhai there too.”
“Eh, it’s like that…?”
Relieved, I left the rooftop.
◇◇◇
I returned to the classroom and was about to walk to my seat when—
“Ah, Suzuna? Are you free after school today?”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Riri-chan was next to me.
“If you are, could you help me study again?”
“…Um, well…”
How do I explain this situation to Riri-chan…?
I could see my future being scolded, and my back started to sweat.
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