[Warning 15+]
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 65'Cause, You Know, I'm Just Pretty Jealous...
"Catch ya later."
"Yeah, I'll look into those spots."
Since Hayato had to get dinner ready, they cut the talk short and headed out of the family restaurant.
Even with the sun dipping low, a summer evening in the city just doesn't cool down easily.
The sweat that started pouring the second Hayato stepped outside wasn't going anywhere, and his school uniform was sticking to his skin as he made his way home.
Before they split, Mori Iori had dropped a few recommendations for cool places to hang out.
Some of the names sounded familiar from the internet or TV, but since Hayato didn't actually know anything about them, they didn't really click. Hayato must've looked like a total weirdo to the people around him, scowling intensely while picking out groceries.
(I wonder if Haruki or Himeko would know about these places?)
Just thinking that made Hayato burst into a grin, and his grocery bags practically danced as he walked.
It looked like Hayato was way more hyped about going out than he was willing to admit to himself.
"I'm home."
"Oh—welcome back, Hayato!"
"...Haruki? Eh, what's with the outfit?"
The second Hayato stepped through the door, he was greeted by Haruki, who for some reason was decked out in an apron.
It was a classic pastel-colored one with a print of a dancing cat right on the chest.
"I just bought it! Well? Does it look good on me?"
"I mean, yeah... ...sure does."
"Ehehe."
If you asked Hayato if it suited Haruki, "Yeah" was pretty much the only possible answer.
Setting aside her actual personality, Haruki looks totally sweet and innocent, so that apron over her school uniform really played up her "perfect housewife" vibes.
Being greeted by a girl looking like that is the kind of stuff every boy in class probably dreams about. Even though it caught him off guard, even Hayato felt his heart skip a beat for a second.
Haruki was in a surprisingly high-energy mood.
Whether it was because of the new apron or whatever Haruki talked about with the girls after school, Hayato couldn't really tell.
Or maybe, Haruki was just forcing herself to act all hyped up.
But unlike back at school, seeing Haruki back to her usual self made Hayato relax without even realizing it.
Noticing his gaze, Haruki gripped the hem of her apron, looking a bit shy. But man, her eyes were dead serious.
"So, I've been thinking lately that I've been leaning on you way too much, Hayato."
"Really? I mean, it's just dinner, right? Plus, you're paying for the groceries, though."
"That alone is plenty, but there's a bunch of other stuff too."
"Eh... ...if you say so. I don't really get it, though."
"Well, I figured you'd say that."
Haruki let out a dry laugh, looking a bit troubled.
The truth was, Hayato didn't feel like he was "taking care" of Haruki at all. To him, it just felt like he was dealing with two versions of Himeko at the same time.
"Anyway, I've made up my mind. I'm gonna start with what I can actually do. So, please let me help out with cooking and chores from now on. I'm counting on you!"
"Whoa, hold on, Haruki!"
With that, Haruki gave Hayato a deep, polite bow.
It was a super formal and respectful request. In his entire life, Hayato had never had anyone bow to him like that. And to top it off, it was coming from Haruki, someone he was totally comfortable with.
Panic set in way before the surprise did, leaving Hayato completely floored and not knowing how to react.
"Is that a... ...no...?"
As Haruki looked up and saw Hayato's reaction, her voice trailed off, sounding all anxious and mopey.
Hayato let out a long sigh, scratching his head while subtly looking away from Haruki.
—Haruki is seriously all over the place today.
Hayato thought that to himself, but he had no clue how to handle it.
"Look, it's not that. I was just surprised... ...And, eh, cooking is kind of a hobby for me anyway, so you don't really need to worry about it."
"Yikes, but it's gonna bug me if I don't do something."
"Even if you say that..."
"Besides, I am a girl, you know. I figured it'd be better if I actually knew how to cook and do chores—"
"A girl?"
"Whoa, what's with that reaction?!"
"Haha, my bad. I just can't really picture it."
"Eh?! How can you say that to a total beauty like me?!"
"You really just called yourself a 'beauty'?"
"Yeah, and honestly, saying it just now actually gave me the creeps!"
"Haha."
"Aha."
But as they kept talking, the convo somehow drifted back into that classic Hayato and Haruki banter.
They both ended up laughing, and the vibe between them actually felt pretty chill for a change.
On the other hand, Hayato could tell that Haruki was being dead serious about her request.
Even while they were joking around, Haruki was still gripping the hem of her apron tight.
"I mean, it just pisses me off being the one getting taken care of all the time, y'know...?"
"...Oh."
And just like that, Haruki's true feelings slipped out.
Those words were just so Haruki.
Haruki had this half-pouting look on her face, her lips sticking out a bit.
A look of realization started to wash over Hayato's face.
Suddenly, Hayato tried to put himself in Haruki's shoes.
(I get it. Haruki hates the idea of things being so one-sided.)
Since they were kids, they'd done everything together. Side by side, as equals.
Thinking back on it, their current dynamic was pretty lopsided, and Hayato felt like he finally understood why Haruki was acting like this today.
"Yeah, you're right. Mind giving me a hand?"
"Oh... ...definitely!"
With that, Hayato reached out.
Haruki let go of her apron and took Hayato's hand.
"Big Bro, how long are you gonna stay in the hallway? I mean, what are you two even doing? Is it something funny? And where's dinner already?"
Himeko popped her head in, looking pretty annoyed that Hayato hadn't made it to the living room yet.
Himeko must've heard them laughing and came over, looking all pouty like she'd been left out of a Secret Club.
"Haha, it's nothing, kiddo."
"Hey! Big Bro! Stop rubbing my head, you're messing up my hair! Don't try to play it off!"
"Ahaha, Hime-chan. It's just that we were talking about how 'erotic' the school-uniform-plus-apron combo is, so Hayato's having a hard time explaining it to you."
"...Big Bro?"
"Whoa, Haruki?! Wait, Himeko, it's not like that!"
Himeko gave Hayato a massive side-eye as he started to panic.
Haruki just watched the two of them, her eyes narrowing with a soft smile, as if she were looking at something incredibly precious.
Author's Notes:
Everything should settle down once the long holiday this month is over...
Meow
／l、
(゜、 。｀フ
」 "ヽ
()ιし(~)～
Translator's Notes:
Ninja Cross Translation is officially 4 years old today! Thank you for your continued support!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
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Read in other languages:
• Indonesian / Bahasa Indonesia
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"Catch ya later."
"Yeah, I'll look into those spots."
Since Hayato had to get dinner ready, they cut the talk short and headed out of the family restaurant.
Even with the sun dipping low, a summer evening in the city just doesn't cool down easily.
The sweat that started pouring the second Hayato stepped outside wasn't going anywhere, and his school uniform was sticking to his skin as he made his way home.
Before they split, Mori Iori had dropped a few recommendations for cool places to hang out.
Some of the names sounded familiar from the internet or TV, but since Hayato didn't actually know anything about them, they didn't really click. Hayato must've looked like a total weirdo to the people around him, scowling intensely while picking out groceries.
(I wonder if Haruki or Himeko would know about these places?)
Just thinking that made Hayato burst into a grin, and his grocery bags practically danced as he walked.
It looked like Hayato was way more hyped about going out than he was willing to admit to himself.
"I'm home."
"Oh—welcome back, Hayato!"
"...Haruki? Eh, what's with the outfit?"
The second Hayato stepped through the door, he was greeted by Haruki, who for some reason was decked out in an apron.
It was a classic pastel-colored one with a print of a dancing cat right on the chest.
"I just bought it! Well? Does it look good on me?"
"I mean, yeah... ...sure does."
"Ehehe."
If you asked Hayato if it suited Haruki, "Yeah" was pretty much the only possible answer.
Setting aside her actual personality, Haruki looks totally sweet and innocent, so that apron over her school uniform really played up her "perfect housewife" vibes.
Being greeted by a girl looking like that is the kind of stuff every boy in class probably dreams about. Even though it caught him off guard, even Hayato felt his heart skip a beat for a second.
Haruki was in a surprisingly high-energy mood.
Whether it was because of the new apron or whatever Haruki talked about with the girls after school, Hayato couldn't really tell.
Or maybe, Haruki was just forcing herself to act all hyped up.
But unlike back at school, seeing Haruki back to her usual self made Hayato relax without even realizing it.
Noticing his gaze, Haruki gripped the hem of her apron, looking a bit shy. But man, her eyes were dead serious.
"So, I've been thinking lately that I've been leaning on you way too much, Hayato."
"Really? I mean, it's just dinner, right? Plus, you're paying for the groceries, though."
"That alone is plenty, but there's a bunch of other stuff too."
"Eh... ...if you say so. I don't really get it, though."
"Well, I figured you'd say that."
Haruki let out a dry laugh, looking a bit troubled.
The truth was, Hayato didn't feel like he was "taking care" of Haruki at all. To him, it just felt like he was dealing with two versions of Himeko at the same time.
"Anyway, I've made up my mind. I'm gonna start with what I can actually do. So, please let me help out with cooking and chores from now on. I'm counting on you!"
"Whoa, hold on, Haruki!"
With that, Haruki gave Hayato a deep, polite bow.
It was a super formal and respectful request. In his entire life, Hayato had never had anyone bow to him like that. And to top it off, it was coming from Haruki, someone he was totally comfortable with.
Panic set in way before the surprise did, leaving Hayato completely floored and not knowing how to react.
"Is that a... ...no...?"
As Haruki looked up and saw Hayato's reaction, her voice trailed off, sounding all anxious and mopey.
Hayato let out a long sigh, scratching his head while subtly looking away from Haruki.
—Haruki is seriously all over the place today.
Hayato thought that to himself, but he had no clue how to handle it.
"Look, it's not that. I was just surprised... ...And, eh, cooking is kind of a hobby for me anyway, so you don't really need to worry about it."
"Yikes, but it's gonna bug me if I don't do something."
"Even if you say that..."
"Besides, I am a girl, you know. I figured it'd be better if I actually knew how to cook and do chores—"
"A girl?"
"Whoa, what's with that reaction?!"
"Haha, my bad. I just can't really picture it."
"Eh?! How can you say that to a total beauty like me?!"
"You really just called yourself a 'beauty'?"
"Yeah, and honestly, saying it just now actually gave me the creeps!"
"Haha."
"Aha."
But as they kept talking, the convo somehow drifted back into that classic Hayato and Haruki banter.
They both ended up laughing, and the vibe between them actually felt pretty chill for a change.
On the other hand, Hayato could tell that Haruki was being dead serious about her request.
Even while they were joking around, Haruki was still gripping the hem of her apron tight.
"I mean, it just pisses me off being the one getting taken care of all the time, y'know...?"
"...Oh."
And just like that, Haruki's true feelings slipped out.
Those words were just so Haruki.
Haruki had this half-pouting look on her face, her lips sticking out a bit.
A look of realization started to wash over Hayato's face.
Suddenly, Hayato tried to put himself in Haruki's shoes.
(I get it. Haruki hates the idea of things being so one-sided.)
Since they were kids, they'd done everything together. Side by side, as equals.
Thinking back on it, their current dynamic was pretty lopsided, and Hayato felt like he finally understood why Haruki was acting like this today.
"Yeah, you're right. Mind giving me a hand?"
"Oh... ...definitely!"
With that, Hayato reached out.
Haruki let go of her apron and took Hayato's hand.
"Big Bro, how long are you gonna stay in the hallway? I mean, what are you two even doing? Is it something funny? And where's dinner already?"
Himeko popped her head in, looking pretty annoyed that Hayato hadn't made it to the living room yet.
Himeko must've heard them laughing and came over, looking all pouty like she'd been left out of a Secret Club.
"Haha, it's nothing, kiddo."
"Hey! Big Bro! Stop rubbing my head, you're messing up my hair! Don't try to play it off!"
"Ahaha, Hime-chan. It's just that we were talking about how 'erotic' the school-uniform-plus-apron combo is, so Hayato's having a hard time explaining it to you."
"...Big Bro?"
"Whoa, Haruki?! Wait, Himeko, it's not like that!"
Himeko gave Hayato a massive side-eye as he started to panic.
Haruki just watched the two of them, her eyes narrowing with a soft smile, as if she were looking at something incredibly precious.
Author's Notes:
Everything should settle down once the long holiday this month is over...
Meow
／l、
(゜、 。｀フ
」 "ヽ
()ιし(~)～
Translator's Notes:
Ninja Cross Translation is officially 4 years old today! Thank you for your continued support!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages:
• Indonesian / Bahasa Indonesia
←Previous Table of Contents Next→