Cacha…
“Kuro! We’re home!”
“I’m coming in…”
*Meow!!*
After arriving home, Kuro, who had noticed our return, came to greet us from the brightly lit living room.
“Ippei, this is Kuro.”
“Wow… so cute!! Hi, Kuro-chan! Nice to meet you; I’m Ippei.”
*Meow…? Meeow!*
Kuro responded to Ippei’s introduction with a beaming smile and a cute meow. Then, as Ippei gently patted Kuro’s head, Kuro even showed a delighted expression. I couldn’t help but be surprised by the sight.
Kuro is usually quite shy and has a strong sense of wariness, often turning away from strangers and keeping a distance, even over time.
However, Kuro doesn’t show any of those signs towards Ippei. Whether Kuro understands that Ippei is someone special to me, remembers Ippei from all the times I talked about him, or if Kuro is simply charmed by Ippei… Only Kuro knows the true feelings behind it.
Still, it seems like my beloved family member, Kuro, has accepted Ippei, and that brings me a great deal of happiness.
“Kuro, I’m glad you got petted!”
*Meow~♪*
“Kuro-chan, be nice, okay?”
*Meow-meow~!*
“Now, Ippei, let’s go inside.”
“Yes, I’m coming in, okay?”
After safely completing the greetings with Kuro and considering the heavy bags, I decided to lead Ippei into the living room.
“Wow… it’s stylish and beautiful…”
“I-Is that so…?”
“Yes, and it smells really nice too…”
The room Ippei praised as stylish matched the wooden flooring, with a desk, TV stand, a two-seater sofa, stylish lighting, and a large houseplant Ryo had given me. And there’s a cat tower I bought specifically for Kuro. In the back room, there’s a bed where Kuro sleeps.
I had a strong desire for a room like this when I was living alone, and Ryo helped me bring this vision to life.
And even though not many people come over, I’m not a fan of having a messy room. This might be a typical characteristic of type A personalities.
“Ippei, did you like it?”
“Yes, of course!”
“Haha! That’s good then.”
I couldn’t express how happy I was that you liked this space. I felt truly grateful, accepting Kuro and now accepting this space that’s just for me. I hope this space can be for you as much as it is for me, but maybe that’s asking for too much.
“Yuta-san, can I use the kitchen right away?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Ktjcx sbe! Qts vbc’a sbe kjrt sbeg tjcvr jcv tjnf j yffg ktlif sbe kjla?”
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“T-Teaj-rjc…?”
“Vbggs… ifa wf pera… vb atlr obg j wbwfca…”
An unusual scene in our usual space. Having you, whom I love dearly, in this space, where your scent and warmth mix with mine. And for the first time, we have a space just for the two of us, untouched by anyone else.
In this space, I want to have you all to myself. I want to hold you tightly and feel your warmth for as long as I can.
“It’s okay; I’m happy too…”
“Thank you; I really love you.”
As I held onto you from behind, Ippei gently placed his hand over mine. His touch was always so gentle and small… yet his hands felt so large and warm to me.
*Meow, meow!!!!*
“Oh! K-Kuro!!”
“Haha! Kuro-chan, are you jealous by any chance?”
Perhaps jealous of our embrace, Kuro leaped between us and started batting at us with both paws.
“Haha! Yuta-san, I’ll start cooking, okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll take care of that. I’ll feed Kuro.”
“Got it. I’ll go to the kitchen then.”
“Feel free to use it as you like…”
“…Look forward to it, okay?”
Once again, I fell for it… I really can’t compete with your cunningness. After exchanging a surprise kiss with me, you smiled sweetly and said, “look forward to it,” then headed to the kitchen. Each time you do something like this, your presence grows larger in my mind.
Cunning… yet refreshing and sweet.
Tomorrow, I won’t forget that face of yours… I don’t know why I would forget, but your presence is becoming larger, so I won’t forget. I don’t want to forget.
I touched my lips with my hand, lost in the afterglow of the kiss from Ippei, my face turning bright red as I thought about all of this.
***
“Yuta-san, here you go. Please go ahead?”
“Yeah, but are you sure?”
“It’s fine! You’re tired from driving, so go ahead and crack one open.”
As Ippei started cooking, he handed me an ice-cold beer from the fridge. Our kitchen, set up as an island kitchen, allowed me to overlook the living room.
It’s honestly a bit extravagant to live alone. But for me, who’s particular about having everything just right in a clean and well-designed space, this kitchen seems to fit perfectly.
But now, looking at it, I truly feel it was the right choice. Because I can sit on a chair and watch Ippei cook across from me.
***
“Kuuu! Delicious!”
“Haha! Yuta-san, you’re really honest, aren’t you?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“When something tastes good or when something good happens, it shows on your face. That’s why.”
Ippei commented as I swallowed the ice-cold beer. I felt a bit embarrassed that my emotions were so apparent on my face, but being called honest by you, I couldn’t really complain… idiot.
While I felt embarrassed, Ippei skillfully continued to prepare dinner in front of me.
“Ugh!! I-Ippei…!”
“Haha! Now you’re making a face of dislike?”
“B-because… you used… tomatoes!!”
What is the reason for my unpleasant expression? Right, it’s because Ippei started preparing tomatoes, which I absolutely hate.
“There’s a reason I chose large tomatoes, you know?”
“Ugh… I can’t stand them, whether they’re big or small…”
“You think so? It’ll definitely taste good, don’t worry!”
Ippei scooped out the gooey seeds from the halved tomatoes into a pot, leaving the remaining flesh to be sliced into large rings.
Just looking at it makes me sick… I absolutely can’t eat it…
Despite Ippei putting in so much effort to make it for me, I can’t help but think that I won’t be able to eat it, stuck in my fixed mindset of hating tomatoes.
“To be honest, I wasn’t good with tomatoes either.”
You, who admitted to not being good with tomatoes, skillfully arranged the sliced tomatoes on aluminum foil, then topped them with gooey cheese, olive oil, powdered basil, and a bit of honey with graceful movements.
“But I once had this at a certain hotel, and I realized that tomatoes can actually be delicious.”
“So, Ippei didn’t like tomatoes either…”
“No, not really. That’s why I wanted you to say it’s delicious.”
In the midst of each other’s dislikes, just the fact that you want to change something we’re both not fond of with your own hands makes it surely delicious. It’s already decided.
“…I’m looking forward to the finished product… maybe.”
“Haha! It’s not finished yet! Now, let’s continue. If you’re free, please play with Kuro?”
“Hell no, I’m not free. Watching you like this, how could I be? …Y-Yuta-san…”
Even though you’re putting so much effort into making dinner for me, and even during the breaks, you continue to talk to me with a smile, there’s no way I could be free. In fact, I wish this time could last even longer…
***
Afterwards…
Ippei finished prepping various ingredients with graceful knife work and began sautéing large shrimp and other ingredients in a pot alongside the one with the gooey tomato mixture.
“I wonder what we’re making?”
“Haha! It’s a dish that pairs well with white wine.”
“Hmm, I wonder what it could be…”
In the pot with the tomatoes, bacon and onions were added, followed by water and consomme, and it started to simmer. Then, adjustments were made with ketchup, honey, and basil.
“Oh… Minestrone, huh?”
“Correct! With this, you can enjoy the gooey tomato part too, right?”
“Oh, it’s okay since it’s being cooked!”
Grilled or stewed, it can be eaten. With a clear understanding of that, the first dish, minestrone, was completed. The aroma of bacon, onions, and basil, along with the gentle acidity of the tomatoes, gently stimulated my nose.
“Now, onto the next, since it’s the main course!”
What could the second dish be? Into the sauteed onions remaining in the pot, flour and milk were added according to Ippei’s proportions. Then, the previously sauteed shrimp were added to the finished sauce.
“Could it be!?”
“Yes! It’s gratin!”
“No way! I love gratin!”
“Wow! That’s great! I’m actually really good at making gratin!”
I’ve heard that making gratin from scratch is incredibly difficult and laborious, but Ippei effortlessly whipped up a gratin.
Does he have talents like this as well? I’ll keep to myself the envy I feel towards Ippei, who is skilled at cooking.
“All that’s left is to bake it!”
“Huh, already?! That was fast!”
“Hehe! You’re hungry, right? Since I’m also starving, let’s have dinner soon!”
After neatly arranging the finished gratin in a heatproof dish and generously sprinkling cheese and olive oil on top, Ippei put it into the oven.
While waiting for it to finish, a brief moment arose, and during that time, Ippei’s words once again grabbed hold of my heart.
“It’s nerve-wracking to cook for someone you like, isn’t it?”
“Huh…? What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve never cooked homemade meals for my girlfriend before.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes… Whenever I come home from work, dinner is always ready. So, actually, this is the first time I’ve ever cooked for someone I like…”
As he gazes at the toaster to check the browning of the gratin, I wonder what expression he’s wearing as he speaks those words. He probably doesn’t realize how much his words have affected me, making it hard for me to stay still or keep standing.
“Y-Yuta…!?”
I once again gently embrace him from behind, approaching him as he looks at the oven, just like before.
“Ippei, thank you.”
“Y-Yeah…”
“I’m happy… genuinely happy… Thank you so much.”
“I-I just… I-I only… want… to make Y-Yuta happy, so…”
When he turns around, his face is as red as the tomatoes he dislikes. Even though I may not like tomatoes, the unexpected kiss I gave him at that moment was as sweet and tangy as a tomato, emitting a refreshing scent.
I wonder how long this forbidden love, filled with such sweetness and tartness, will continue. Hoping it would last forever, I kissed him, storing those feelings away in a corner of my heart as we continued to spend sweet moments together.
