Can I Still Be Your Heroine Even Though I'm Your Teacher?-Chapter 3Volume 2 .2 - Pretend Lovers

Pretend Lovers 2

After washing my hands, I quickly changed into my worn room clothes.

“Kaguya, use this apron.”

“Thank you. Don’t you need one, Yuu-kun?”

“The spare one is in the wash. It’s hard to stay clean when frying since the oil splatters, but it’s fine as long as this is washed properly later.”

“Wow, you’ve got the air of a veteran househusband.”

“I’ve got a decent number of years of experience, after all.”

I’ve been helping with household chores since I was in elementary school.

“You’re such a filial son.”

“You could follow in my footsteps.”

“Yuu-kun, you’re so diligent. I didn’t expect a guy around my age to be so good at housework.”

“…It’s not like I started doing it because I liked it.”

I took out the chicken meat and other ingredients we bought earlier and started the prep work.

“First, we’ll marinate the meat to season it.”

The marinating time varies according to taste, but I want it to soak in thoroughly today.

“Kaguya, grate the garlic and ginger.”

“Leave it to me!”

We both stood in the kitchen.

I gave the instructions, and Kaguya helped out.

We used to make dinner together like this back when I was at home.

My parents were busy with their jobs, and I took the initiative to cook dinner when I had time.

Kaguya, who had seen me doing this, eventually started helping out too.

“It kind of feels nostalgic.”

“At first, you were so clumsy that I couldn’t let you handle a knife.”

“But I’ve improved a bit since I started doing it with your mother, right?”

As she said, Kaguya’s skills had improved significantly now.

“I guess so.”

“Hehe, praise me more. Come on.”

I miss the old days when Kaguya was standing next to me in the kitchen.

I only lived under the same roof with this girl for about a year.

Before I knew it, I had been living alone for a longer period of time.

When a seventh-grade girl becomes a ninth-grader, they become an adult even if they don’t want to be.

“How did your midterm exams go?”

“They haven’t been returned yet.”

“How do you feel you did?”

“So-so, I guess. How about you, Yuu-kun?”

“Pretty good, except for Japanese history.”

“Struggling with Japanese history?”

“No, I’m aiming for a perfect score.”

“Since when did you like Japanese history that much?”

“I’ve started to like it recently.”

“Hmm, teach me next time.”

“That stuff is mostly memorization. You just need to put in the effort yourself.”

“I’m not good at memorizing. With all the similar sounding names like which Shogun did what, and something about the Fujiwara, they’re too similar and confusing.”

“The trick is to grasp the names in combination with the flow of events. You can make fewer mistakes if you can match their faces or images and remember what each person did.”

“I can’t because I’m not interested. You’re good at it, Yuu-kun, so you teach me.”

There’s some truth in that.

If it weren’t for the existence of Tenjō Sensei, I wouldn’t be so interested in studying it either.

“Maybe some other time.”

“Can I count on you for the final exams?”

“You’d come over anyway, even if I said no, right?”

“You know me so well!”

We’d probably have these casual conversations every day if we were real siblings. Right now, I can spend my days peacefully.

I wouldn’t have to worry so much if only we could maintain this comfortable distance.

Having lived alone, I never realized how much easier it is not to have to be considerate of others.

But Kaguya easily disrupts that peace.

“Hey. Is the reason you’re buying so much because you’re also making meals for Rei-chan?”

Kaguya suddenly hits the nail on the head.

“…Only on weekdays. She’s busy, so I’m a bit worried about her eating habits and such.”

“You two must be close.”

“She’s my neighbor, after all.”

“Are you being ‘neighborly’ with Rei-chan because you’re lonely living alone?”

“There’s an ulterior motive too because she’s beautiful.”

“Yuu-kun, you’re the worst!”

Kaguya laughed at me as she said this.

“Most guys are just trying to look cool and act tough.”

“Yuu-kun too?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm. Is she coming over today too?”

“If Kaguya doesn’t mind.”

“I want to eat with Rei-chan too.”

Since she was confident about it, Kaguya was entrusted with preparing the miso soup.

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Meanwhile, I sent a message to Tenjō-san from my room.

The reply came quickly.

【Yuunagi: Good work today. Kaguya is at my place. Tenjō-san, If you don’t mind, would you like to join us for dinner?】

【Reiyu: I don’t mind, but is it really okay if I come over?】

【Yuunagi: The one intruding is Kaguya.】

【Reiyu: You don’t have to say it like that.】

【Yuunagi: It’s also Kaguya’s wish, so please come over if it’s not too much trouble.】

【Reiyu: Got it. I’ll come over as Tōmi Rei.】

【Yuunagi: By the way, tonight’s main dish is chicken karaage.】

【Reiyu: We’ll call it even for yesterday’s matter with that! No more questions beyond this! Looking forward to dinner!】

With this brief exchange, my gloominess cleared up all at once.

Being able to return to normal like this seemed to prove just how special Tenjō Reiyu was to me.

Still, without becoming too complacent, I resolved to stay on my toes moving forward.

***

Tenjō-san, or rather Tōmi Rei, finally came home, and the three of us had dinner.

I had made a mountain of karaage, but we all ate them quickly and finished it off cleanly.

“I thought for sure there would be leftovers, but we ate it all.”

“Yuunagi-kun’s karaage was good.”

“I’m so full it hurts. Yuu-kun, another glass of barley tea, please.”

We basked in the happy feeling of fullness while lazily watching a variety show on TV.

Friday nights always felt particularly relaxing.

Before we knew it, it was nine o’clock at night, and a movie released last year was playing on TV.

“I didn’t get to see this in the theater. Is it okay if we keep it on this channel?”

“I haven’t seen it either, so it’s fine with me.”

“This was really interesting,”

Kaguya said, apparently having already watched it.

“Then you don’t need to watch it again, Kaguya.”

“Why not? I want to see it again after such a long time.”

“It’s getting late, so you should be heading back soon. I’ll drive you to the station.”

As I was about to stand up——

“——I’m staying over tonight.”

Kaguya declared as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

” “What?!?!” “

Mine and Tenjō-san’s voices overlapped in surprise.

“Hold on, you’re planning to stay the night?”

“Isn’t it fine? I’ve already told stepmother that I’d be staying and brought a change of clothes.”

She was well-prepared and had laid the groundwork.

“Where are you planning to sleep?”

“Of course in Yuu-kun’s bed! We’re siblings, so it shouldn’t be a problem to sleep together.”

My self-assured stepsister seemed almost like a criminal confident in her own justification.

Next to me, my neighbor was at a loss for words.

Kaguya’s selfish reasoning had stepped on a landmine for me.