A Very Popular Idol Classmate Has Taken a Liking to Me, A Person Who Doesn't Want to Work for My Whole Life
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.Daininki Idol na Classmate ni Natsukareta, Isshou Hatarakitakunai Ore
Src: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2496gr/133/
Act 4 - The Past of The Shidou Family
36-2
"Welcome." (Rintaro)
Saying that, I open the front door.
Standing in front of me are Rei and the girls in their casual clothes, along with Yukio.
I have already been told they would be arriving together, so I've expected, but they really did all meet up before coming.
"Yahoo, Rintaro!" (Kanon)
"Thanks for inviting us, Rintaro-kun." (Mia)
"I came with an empty stomach." (Rei)
"Alright, come on in already." (Rintaro)
I welcome the three girls in, all acting like their usual selves, then make eye contact with Yukio, who is behind them.
"Hey, is it really okay for me to come? Honestly, I kind of feel out of place..." (Yukio)
"If you're gonna say that, then I’m out of place too. I invited you today because you're someone I owe a lot to, so have fun, alright?" (Rintaro)
"Hmm... but Rintaro, you are actually the son of a big company, huh..." (Yukio)
This guy. Already starting to tease me.
He probably thinks it’s okay to mess with me now that he knows I’ve made peace with my past.
Well, he’s not wrong.
Actually, I’m grateful he can joke with me like that now.
I really want to feel like things are “back to normal.”
"Quit babbling and come in already. If you don’t, your share will end up in the trash." (Rintaro)
"That’s not good. If it means I get to have your cooking, I’ll go just about anywhere." (Yukio)
"Yeah, yeah, much appreciated." (Rintaro)
"I was trying to compliment you, you know." (Yukio)
Laughing out loud, I invite Yukio inside too.
Back in the living room, I find Rei and the girls looking around the place with curiosity in their eyes.
"Hmm... so this is the house where Rintaro-kun spent his childhood. It's really nice." (Mia)
"It kind of looks like Rei’s place, doesn’t it? Do all rich people just love this kind of house or something?" (Kanon)
To be honest, I can’t help but agree with Kanon’s comment.
Yeah, rich folks do love their huge houses.
Sorry, that’s a stereotype that grew in me.
"It smells amazing in here. Is the food ready already?" (Rei)
"Yeah, the main course’s mostly done. Just a few small things and the dessert that’s chilling in the fridge." (Rintaro)
"I can’t wait. I came hungry." (Rei)
"You said that already when you came in." (Rintaro)
Rei’s still as greedy as usual.
Well, for me, that’s actually the best thing I could ask for.
"Rintaro, is there anything we can help with? If there’s downtime, we’ll just end up sitting around, and I’d rather help out if we can." (Yukio)
"That’d be a big help. Mind setting out the plates and dishes? I got so into cooking, I totally forgot about them all." (Rintaro)
"Okay, got it!" (Yukio)
After I let him know where the plates and dishes are, not only Yukio, but the girls also started helping out.
While they do that, I go to check on how the cooking is coming along.
(...Alright, looks like everything's just about ready.)
I open the lid of the pressure cooker and take in the aroma of the spare ribs.
Yeah, they come out great.
Just the smell alone is enough to make your mouth water.
The fricassée is fully cooked too, with the rich scent of the white sauce filling the air.
I take a small taste of both to make sure every detail is on point.
"Hah, nice one, me. You nailed it." (Rintaro)
The taste is perfect.
With this, I can serve it to them proudly.
I plate the spare ribs on a big dish, and the fricassée into individual ones, then bring them over to the table where the four are waiting.
"Here ya go, today’s main dishes!" (Rintaro)
As I place the food on the table, all four of their eyes light up instantly.
"Whoa! Spare ribs! Mmm, they smell amazing!" (Kanon)
Seeing Kanon get visibly hyped like that makes me smile too.
After all, cooking for someone else is way more fun than cooking just for yourself.
Especially when it’s to make these guys happy—cooking becomes something deeply meaningful in my life.
Looking into their eyes, I'm reminded of that once again.
"This is amazing... Didn’t it take forever to make?" (Mia)
"Not really, since I had a pressure cooker in my hand. And that white one didn’t need to simmer for that long either." (Rintaro)
"Heh~, so even Shidou Rintaro’s got his time-saving techniques down. Impressive." (Mia)
"Praise me all you want, but you’re only getting food out of it." (Rintaro)
"Exactly. That’s why I’m praising." (Mia)
Mia still gets that smooth tongue, as always.
I return to the kitchen to prep the side dish I plan to serve alongside the mains.
I call it the cocktail salad.
I cut up tomatoes, avocados, boiled eggs, and cheese into small pieces and arrange them in little cups, topping them with dressing.
It's a super simple process, but it looks fantastic.
With a little squeeze of lemon juice, it becomes the perfect refreshing side to balance out the heavier dishes.
"Alright, that’s all the food done. The spare ribs should fill you up pretty well, but if it’s not enough, just say so. I don’t have any rice, but I do have baguettes." (Rintaro)
I place the cocktail salads in front of everyone, and one in front of my own seat too.
Then I sit down and meet eyes with each of them.
"Alright then... let’s dig in."
""""Let's dig in""""
All five of us put our hands together in thanks and begin eating.
I decide to hold off for a moment and observe the others to see how they react.
Rei and Kanon are the first to reach for the spare ribs.
They bring the meat to their mouths almost simultaneously, and open their eyes wide at nearly the same moment.
"So tender!" (Rei)
"It's so tender...!" (Kanon)
Even their reactions come out nearly in sync.
"What is this...? It’s like the meat is melting in my mouth!" (Kanon)
"Amazing, it’s like I'm slurping!" (Rei)
The pressure cooker has made the spare ribs fall-off-the-bone――――no, at this point they are practically melting. No knife is needed, a fork alone is enough to cut through them with ease.
With each bite, the meat instantly dissolves in the mouth, and the soy sauce-based stew envelopes it in a rich umami that slowly spreads across the tongue.
This is exactly the ideal spare rib I have envisioned.
"Oopsie, I think I’ll start with this one instead." (Mia)
"I’ll do the same." (Yukio)
Seeing the two reach for the spare ribs, Mia and Yukio choose the fricassée instead.
The moment they brought the chicken to their mouths, they also open their eyes wide—just like Rein and Kanon in the spare ribs group.
"So delicious...!" (Mia)
"Yeah...! The white sauce coats it perfectly. It’s amazing!" (Yukio)
Looks like this dish is a hit too.
At least for the main dishes, both can be considered a success.
Even if I think I did everything perfectly, if the people eating it don’t like it, it means nothing.
Now I can finally dig in with peace of mind.
"…Still, things were resolved faster than I expected this time." (Kanon)
Kanon suddenly says as everyone continues eating.
"So, what ended up happening with Tenguuji-san, your childhood friend?" (Kanon)
"Well, I guess we decided to just stay good friends. She’s had her share of trouble because of her family, and now that she’s given up, there’s no reason for us to be at odds anymore." (Rintaro)
"Hmm... So there was no rekindling of old flames?" (Kanon)
"Yeah, there was no." (Rintaro)
In the end, I was forced to confront my true feelings, and whatever lingering affection I had for Tenguuji had long since faded into the past.
That part, at least, hasn’t changed, even now.
"By the way, you made up with your father too, right? That’s great." (Kanon)
"Made up, huh… Well, you had a big part in that too. Thanks, Kanon." (Rintaro)
"Wha—Don’t say it so directly like that, you’re embarrassing me!" (Kanon)
Kanon turns her face away, cheeks slightly red.
Seeing her act like that, Rei and Mia shoot me suspicious looks.
Ah, come to think of it, I never told them what we talked about at Kanon’s place.
Not like I needed to explain it all in detail, anyway.
"I doubt I’ll be in regular contact with my old man going forward. Neither of us is really the type for that." (Rintaro)
Saying that aloud reminds me of what Sofia-san had said to me when I was leaving.
She said that I resemble my old man. Maybe she didn’t mean our faces, but our personalities.
――――Still, I really can’t bring myself to agree with that.
"What’s your father like, Rintaro-kun?" (Mia)
"Huh? Hmm… If I had to describe him in one word, he’s a workaholic. He’s not a particularly interesting person either." (Rintaro)
"Even so, I’d like to meet him sometime. I should properly introduce myself." (Mia)
"Introduce yourself?" (Rintaro)
Mia is smiling brightly at me.
It's creepy. Far too creepy.
"I’d like to introduce myself, too. Rintaro’s always been a great help, and I want to thank your father properly." (Rei)
"Ah, you don’t have to... but if it’s really that important, I’ll try getting in touch. Though with how busy he is, I doubt we’ll be able to match schedules." (Rintaro)
Same goes for Rei.
A busy CEO and a busy idol.
There’s no way our calendars are ever going to line up.
"True, we’re only going to get busier from here on out… Oh, I’ll try this one next… What was it called again?" (Kanon)
"Fricassée." (Rintaro)
"Right, fricassée it is." (Kanon)
With that nonchalant remark, Kanon reaches for the chicken fricassée.
She puts a piece in her mouth, chews for a while, then looks genuinely shocked.
"Huh?! Even though it was simmered in sauce, the skin is still crispy!" (Kanon)
"Hmm? Ah, that’s because I seared the skin side first. That way, it cut down on the oiliness and added a nice roasted flavor too." (Rintaro)
"Heh~... As always, you’ve thought of everything." (Kanon)
"Well yeah. I’ve been relearning cooking from scratch recently. Since I'm at it, I want to master it even more." (Rintaro)
After tasting Rei’s mother's, Lilia-san’s cooking, my motivation had skyrocketed.
Just a bit of alcohol could completely change the outcome. That kind of depth hit me hard――――I still have a long way to go, and it frustrates me.
Someday, I want to be able to serve my future wife the best food imaginable.
So from now on, I’ll go beyond just following recipes, I want to explore all kinds of creative ideas.
"Yup... If you get any better at cooking, Rintaro-kun, we’ll never be able to leave you. You’ll take responsibility when that happens, won't you?" (Mia)
"Haha, sure. I’ll take care of all of you then." (Rintaro)
"...Eh?" (Mia)
If they want my cooking, I’ll fulfill them.
These girls were there for me at a turning point in my life.
I’ll spend the rest of my life repaying that debt.
Though realistically, I know they’ll eventually go their own ways.
Someday they’ll have spouses, and they won’t be able to just drop by for my cooking all the time――――
"...Are you, serious about that?" (Kanon)
"Huh?" (Rintaro)
Contrary to my own thoughts, Kanon and the girls stare at me with unexpectedly serious eyes.
Wait a second, did I say something weird...?
~"(This is a Translation Content of pemudatunawisata[dot]my[dot]id. so, read only on there, kay~)"~
[End of Chapter]
Cya~!
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