I got home, put away the groceries, tied on my apron, and was just about to start cooking when the doorbell rang.
—No way…
When I opened the door, a girl appeared before me, dressed in simple casual clothes, her long blonde hair flowing to her waist, her demeanor gentle.
—No way. Is dinner ready?
Seeing Natsukawa Kanade in an apron, Shiina Mahiru covered her mouth with one hand, sounding slightly disappointed.
As a proud member of the Go-Home Club, she had rushed to finish cooking and came to visit him right after. And yet, she still missed the chance?
—On the contrary, I haven't even started yet.
Natsukawa Kanade held out his hands, the kitchen utensils he was holding catching the glow of the sunset.
—Have you eaten?
Seeing the lunchbox in the angel's hand, Kanade realized his DIY dinner plan was about to fail again.
—Not yet…
Shiina Mahiru shook her head, her gaze drifting, unable to meet Kanade's eyes.
It wasn't that she was making excuses to avoid eating after dinner—she just felt her behavior might make Kanade look at her strangely.
Would he hate her? Blame her?
—At the very least, you should eat before bringing food over, right?
Even if he said that, he wasn't rejecting the invitation.
—Oh no, if this keeps up, the cooking skills I finally got back will go to waste again.
He crouched down, pulled out the angel's special bear slippers, and placed them in front of her.
—Dinner's ready, right? Can we eat together?
—Of course!
Shiina Mahiru nodded quickly. More accurately, she had been waiting for Kanade to say that for a long time.
—Then I'll go get the dishes…
Wait! About that… I-I can do it myself!
Shiina Mahiru quickly blocked Kanade's path.
She handed him the lunchbox, then closed the door and stepped out.
—No, you can't come in here!
Kanade shrugged. Truly angelic—so protective of her space.
He hadn't been thinking about a girl's vanity table or anything. He just wanted to help. Otherwise, he'd look like a freeloader.
He returned to the dining table and sat down, quietly waiting for the angel to serve him.
Soon after, Shiina Mahiru arrived with several dishes, including a pot of soup. Her steps were unsteady, which startled Kanade, who rushed to help.
—Isn't this too much? Even if I add it all, I can't finish it.
Kanade was a little worried.
Fried tempura, hamburg steaks, cucumbers with lettuce and cherry tomatoes, and most of all, a huge pot of soup… This was just for the two of them? One more pair of chopsticks and it'd be a feast.
—Because, because these are last week's ingredients. If I don't use them quickly in summer, they'll spoil…
Her voice trailed off, and a blush crept onto the angel's pretty face.
She really wasn't good at lying, and explaining it like that was terribly embarrassing.
Kanade looked at the fresh, vibrant dishes on the table and was speechless.
If the ingredients were from last week, the food wouldn't look this fresh, right? Besides, he knew the angel brought him dinner every day—he knew exactly what she cooked.
After a long silence, he looked at Shiina Mahiru and said:
—Shiina, can I ask you a favor?
—W-What is it?
Kanade's serious expression made Shiina a little nervous.
—If possible, could you make my meals every day?
The answer, of course, was yes. She already did it daily, so he might as well say it clearly. That way, she could take the initiative.
—Sure, it's just dinner, and I won't let it go to waste. I'm willing to pay for all the ingredients.
Whether in the past or now, he owed the angel too much and had taken it all for granted. He even wanted more… Luckily, he'd come to his senses in time.
He planned to be a more conscientious person from now on.
—Eh? No, at least let me pay half…
—Then I'll never accept your food again.
Kanade's tone was firm.
Shiina's money didn't fall from the sky, right? He felt guilty always letting her pay for the food.
—…
—Not to mention, you're the one who cooked everything. I'm just a loser who took advantage of you.
—No…!
And it'd be even better if you could just reject me. Instead of wasting your time taking care of a social outcast like me, Shiina, you should focus on yourself…
—No, that's not…
Her voice was barely audible.
—What?
—Kanade is not a loser!
The angel suddenly stood up and looked at him seriously.
Useless, pathetic—why do you say things like that? Do you think it's something to be proud of? You're always like this, talking to yourself, never thinking about how others feel…
You act all noble, yet you say such self-deprecating things… You worked so hard to become student council president, so why do you keep denying your own worth?
The Kanade I know was dumb at first, but he was serious and tried to improve. He's definitely not like this anymore. I hate seeing you like this!
—…
—I'm leaving.
The angel turned around, her face expressionless, ready to go.
—Didn't you think I was a loser back then?
Kanade sighed, not understanding why she got so angry all of a sudden.
He was just evaluating himself, wasn't he?
—No, that's different…
Shiina Mahiru replied.
—At first I just, just…
Just wanted to use words to warn you not to get close to her.
She had said that, shortly after they met, using it as a way to protect herself. After all, hadn't he said nothing back then? He just kept approaching her in his own way…
I didn't remember until now…
Could it be… it really was because of her?
…
......
.........
Shiina Mahiru's face suddenly went pale, her delicate body trembling slightly, her mouth open wide, but no words came out.
—Hmm?
Kanade frowned slightly. Something seemed wrong with Shiina Mahiru.
—What's wrong, Shiina?
There was no response to his concern, and her condition grew more and more abnormal. Kanade rushed over and grabbed her shoulders.
—Are you okay? What's wrong?
—fine…
—No, wait, I'm calling 119…
Kanade turned to leave, but a slender hand gripped him tightly.
—No…
—What?
—I'm sorry…
—Why…?
Kanade was stunned.
He stared at the angel, tears in her eyes, and saw her lower her proud head and apologize to him again and again.
—I'm sorry, Kanade, I'm sorry…
—…
He didn't know why Shiina suddenly wanted to apologize, and he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Seeing her so fragile, all he could do was offer warmth through the touch of his hand.
He wanted to reach out, to hold the crying angel in his arms and comfort her gently, but he never had the courage.
In the end, he could only stand there, confused, listening to her sobs grow more and more uncontrollable…