CH 9

I stood in the kitchen and opened the white refrigerator door.

I didn’t cook much, but I made sure I had all the ingredients I needed.

I took out an onion and ham, and chopped each of them.

At the same time, I started making a simple consommé soup.

Just then, Mikoto came out of the bath.

She appeared while wiping her hair with a towel.

Her beautiful silver hair looked shinier than usual because her hair was wet.

I think it was because she had been in the bath for quite a long time, but her cheeks were uplifted and her skin had a blush on it.

I couldn’t help but be struck by the image of Mikoto-san’s bare skin that I had seen earlier.

However, what spoiled Mikoto-san’s attractive appearance was my jersey.

When Mikoto-san put on my navy blue jersey, it was still too tight and looked quite strange.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Mikoto-san said sharply.

She is probably being cautious.

Sleeping in the house of a man she doesn’t know well is a dangerous act in itself for Mikoto.

It is natural for her to be cautious.

And she was seen naked, too.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“You saw…, right?”

“Well, yes.”

Mikoto-san’s cheeks turned red and she looked away.

The gesture was a little bit cute.

I repeated my words.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I was worried because Mikoto-san was screaming…”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s … my fault that I screamed because of an insect.”

Surprisingly, Mikoto-san did not seem to be angry.

I was relieved, and then I asked her in a reserved tone.

“That jersey, is it a size small enough?”

“Do you have any smaller ones?”

“Unfortunately, not at all.”

“If that’s the case, there’s no point in asking me.”

She was right.

The frightened look she had earlier was gone and she looked a little calmer.

I’m relieved.

“But still, that was quite a long bath.”

“I think it’s normal for a girl to take a bath like this.”

I wonder if that’s the way it is.

My father and I would have finished the bath in an instant, but it was true that Amane-nee-san always stayed in the bathroom for quite a long time.

“Now that you’re all warmed up, I’d like to ask you a question. Do you have any food allergies? Also, do you dislike egg dishes or tomatoes?”

Mikoto-san nodded her head.

She looked like she didn’t know what she wanted to say.

However, she answered the question honestly.

There was nothing in particular that she could not eat due to illness, and she said she did not dislike eggs and tomatoes.

I nodded.

“Okay, got it. I’ll make Omurice for two.”

“Omurice? Why?”

“Because it seemed like something I could make with what I had on hand, and the first thing that popped into my head was Omurice. Let me know if you want something else.”

This was because it would be popular with all people and also because it was a hot dish.

But Mikoto-san shook her head.

“I’m not asking why you chose the menu, I’m asking why you’re cooking for two.”

“Because Mikoto-san is going to eat it, too.”

“I never said anything about eating.”

“You said you were hungry earlier. I think you should eat. It’s no trouble for me to cook for one or two people anyway.”

“But I…”

“Mikoto-san, sit down and wait.”

Without waiting for Mikoto’s next words, I opened the freezer and took out frozen rice.

I put the two small portions of frozen rice wrapped in plastic wrap in the microwave and began to heat them up.

Mikoto-san was going to spend the rest of the night without eating or drinking, and I was very uncomfortable eating alone in front of a hungry Mikoto-san.

If that is the case, it is easier to cook for both of us.

I start frying the ingredients in a frying pan first.

I could have used ketchup alone, but I added butter and cooking sake to give it a little more of a luxurious taste.

The rice is warmed in the pan, seasonings are added, and the ham and rice is ready to serve.

I put it on two lined plates.

Next was the omelet.

It is a little difficult to get the omelet to be half-boiled.

I carefully heated it over high heat and stirred it.

Finally, it came out beautifully, so I put it on the ham and rice and it was ready to serve.

I placed a plate of Omurice in front of Mikoto-san, along with the soup that accompanied it, and I joined her at the table.

Mikoto-san looked at me with a puzzled look on her face.

“Can I eat this?”

“Of course. That’s what I made it for.”

Hesitantly, Mikoto-san used a spoon to break up the omelet and brought it to her mouth along with the ham and rice.

At that moment, Mikoto-san’s expression relaxed.

She probably thought it was delicious.

Well, it is a dish with a low risk of failure, but if it still suits her palate, it makes me a little happy.

As expected of the young lady of the Tomi mansion, even the way she ate the omelet rice was very elegant, but Mikoto-san ate it in that way in no time at all.

I smiled at her.

“It seems you are satisfied with your meal.”

“I didn’t say it was good.”

“Oh, it wasn’t good?”

“It was … delicious, but…”

Mikoto-san said with a complicated expression on her face.

She doesn’t seem like the type of person who would be flattered, and judging from the mood she was in while eating, I think it’s true that she thought it was delicious.

However, that did not clear up Mikoto-san’s expression.

After a moment of hesitation, Mikoto-san began to speak in a quiet voice.

“Akihara-kun, you’re so strange, aren’t you?”

“Is that so?”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t be so kind to someone like that.”

“Did I treat Mikoto-san kindly?”

“I think you did. When I was cold, you lent me a blanket, made me a hot drink, and prepared hot water for my bath. You even cooked dinner for me even though I didn’t ask for it. If this isn’t kindness, what is?”

“I think it’s perfectly normal.”

“I’ve never had anything like this in any of the houses I’ve lived in.”

“Is that so?”

According to the way Mikoto-san said it, she had lived in several houses, not only in the Tomi house.

Normally speaking, a young lady from the wealthy Tomi family wouldn’t need to do that.

What on earth is Mikoto-san?

“Thanks for the food. Thank you, Akihara-kun.”

Mikoto-san said in a quiet voice that sounded like she was about to disappear.

I had assumed that she was expressing her gratitude in a straightforward manner, but her next words betrayed my expectations.

“But this is the last time I will thank Akihara-kun for his kindness. This is the last time I’m going to say thank you.”