After I finished my training, my whole body was sore. Not even powerful genetics could save me from that. I drank a large amount of water and got ready to leave the gym.
In a few hours, Miu would be leaving school, and I needed to get ready to welcome her.
As I walked out of the gym, I read a few messages I had received from Asuna. The music video had been delivered exactly twenty minutes earlier, and the company would review it before releasing it.
Right after reading that message, I received another one from Aoi Hoshino.
[Hey, I just got a message from my agency! The music video is finished and has already been delivered! All the important people at the company are going to watch it together. Don't you want to come?]
This music video was more important than I had expected.
[What day?]
[Today.]
After reading her reply, I answered immediately.
[Today is impossible. I'm expecting an important guest at my house. Besides, I worked on both the music video and the song, so I already know the quality is extremely high.]
[Urgh!! But I wanted you to come with me. What a shame. :(]
[Sorry.]
[It's okay, you don't have to apologize. But to make it up to me, you'll have to treat me to dinner sometime.]
[I'll think about it.]
After that, I sent a message to Daiki and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
Only then did I realize someone had been following me.
It was Eiri.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Nothing. I'm leaving now too."
"I see. Are you waiting for your driver as well?"
"Yes, that's right. Hmm... who were you talking to just now? It seemed important."
"It was work-related," I replied coldly.
"I see..."
We remained silent for a while.
Then, out of nowhere, Eiri asked,
"Would you like to go out to dinner with me again? I know a really good yakiniku restaurant!"
Hearing her question, I let out a sigh.
"I don't mind. What day?"
"How about next week?" Eiri asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Works for me. Make the reservation and let me know afterward."
"Okay!"
Eiri then walked over to a nearby black car and got in.
She hadn't been waiting for her driver at all.
He had been waiting for her.
She had simply lied so she could talk to me.
I'd completely forgotten what model of car she drove.
I smiled bitterly as I watched the car disappear into the distance.
A few minutes later, Daiki finally arrived.
As soon as I got into the car, I said,
"Daiki, stop by a supermarket on the way home. I want to buy a few things to cook with."
Daiki's eyes widened.
"You? Cooking?"
"Yeah."
"All right. I didn't know you could cook."
After a while, we arrived at a fairly small supermarket.
It was surprisingly empty.
I went inside without wearing any kind of disguise, and nobody bothered me, probably because everyone shopping there was older.
I bought the ingredients I needed, and just as I was paying, someone finally recognized me.
It was a beautiful young woman who had just entered the supermarket.
She simply asked for a photo with me and didn't bother me after that.
Fans like that are the best.
####
As soon as I got home carrying several shopping bags, my mother looked surprised.
"What's all this?"
"I invited a friend over today. I'm going to cook something."
"What did you say? You invited a friend over?" my mother practically shouted. "This is the first time you've ever invited someone over!! Who is this friend? A boy? A girl? Is it a classmate, or someone you met on a film set?"
"It's a girl. You already know her."
"Miu? The girl with glasses?" My mother broke into a wide grin.
"..."
"So it really is her! Hahaha! You're completely in love with her, aren't you, Kyo?"
"Don't say unnecessary things. I'm not in love with her."
"Really? You invited her over and you're even cooking for her. I've never seen you cook anything before. You've never even cooked for me."
My mother puffed out her cheeks like a child.
"You're going to eat too, of course. I'm making pasta with cheese sauce."
"Urgh... Should I really be eating something like that while I'm pregnant?"
"Well, I think it'll be fine. I'm making a fairly healthy recipe I found online."
Well, there was no way pasta with cheese sauce could actually be healthy, but it was healthier than the usual version.
The recipe used much less salt, fat, and so on.
"All right! I'm looking forward to it! Do you need any help?"
"No. You should get some rest. I'm going to take a shower before I start cooking. I smell pretty bad after sweating so much."
Now that I thought about it, I wondered if that fan who hugged me for the photo had noticed the smell coming from my body.
She probably had.
'Sorry about that.'
I went up to my room and took a shower.
Afterward, I changed into something lighter and more casual: a pair of short shorts and an oversized black T-shirt.
Then I started organizing the ingredients.
*This will be my first time using the kitchen. It's really huge.*
On top of that, everything was brand new.
The cookware, the pots and pans, the stove, the refrigerator—everything was from a famous high-end brand.
Just then, my mother walked into the kitchen.
"Do you mind if I watch?"
She sat on one of the stools behind the kitchen counter to observe.
"I don't mind, but is this really that interesting?"
"Of course it is. I've never seen you make anything besides sandwiches. I have to stay here in case you mess something up."
"I don't make mistakes, and you know that very well," I said with a smile.
Then I began cooking with a serious expression.
I had only read the recipe once, yet it was already engraved in my memory.
My hands moved skillfully as I followed each step with remarkable ease.
'This is easy.'
####
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