Chapter 640 - "Wavering Emotions"

In the living room of this house that Ive become so familiar with, I was leisurely reading a magazine while waiting for dinner to be ready. Well, my heart wanted to help Mom and Alyssa but Im not really good at cooking, so if I partic.i.p.ate, it will be a burden on Alyssa, who also has to support Mom, who isnt that great of a cook either.

So, I was going to help out with was.h.i.+ng the dishes after the cooking was completed, but for the time being, Im just killing time.

[Akari-san, stop trying to measure by sight, please properly measure it. Also, its too early to add the miso. Wait another 5 minutes. If you add it now, it would blur out the flavor.]

[Ugghhh, I- Ill do my best. As for the parts I lack, Ill cover it with my love!]

[Love certainly was said to be the secret of cooking but unfortunately, love isnt some magic spice that can cover everything. Yes, now please quickly move your hands.]

[A- Alyssa-chan youre quite strict.]

From time to time, a stern rebuke is heard from the kitchen. In addition, the person being scolded has been a housewife for more than 20 years.

Well, thanks to Alyssa, I can really just wait in peace today, so Im really grateful that shes here. Ill thank her again some other time.

As I was thinking about this, I heard the faint sound of the front door opening. Putting the magazine in my hand on the sofa, I headed for the door.

[Welcome back, Dad. Youre home early today.]

[Im back, Kaito. Yeah, I got off early today.]

This kind-looking man with slightly gray hair and gla.s.ses is my father Miyama Kazuya. My father is a company employee at a medium-sized trading company, and he is currently the section chief.

He works overtime often, so its rare that he comes home at this time.

[Dinner isnt ready yet, but were having croquettes today.]

[Fried food huh Would we be alright?]

As expected of blood-related father and son our reactions were exactly the same. After smiling at his anxious expression, I spoke, rea.s.suring him.

[Alyssa is here today, so its alright.]

[Ohh! Alyssa-chan is here today huh, then I can be relieved!]

[Mom will get mad at you again if she hears you saying that, you know?]

[Whoa there, dont tell your mother.]

Dad is as kind as he looks, and hes really a good, reliable person but he doesnt think about what hes saying sometimes, and he often gets Mom mad for his careless mistakes.

I wonder why though, I honestly feel like I was that way sometimes too I guess the son would really be like his father huh?

Dad, Mom, and Alyssa sat around the table and ate dinner together.

[Unnn! As expected of Alyssa-chan. Its so delicious.]

[Ahaha, thank you.]

I completely agree. Hmmm, Alyssas cooking really is delicious. The outer crust of the croquette was crispy, the inside was well-made, and the sauce on it was excellent.

[Did you make the sauce yourself?]

[Yes, I used a fruit today to make it a little fruity.]

[I see.]

It has a nice balance of subtle sweetness and sourness. Well, seriously, as expected of Alyssa.

As we were talking about this, Dad, who was eating the food that Alyssa had made while praising it, suddenly stopped his chopsticks and with a serious expression on his face for some reason, he spoke.

[By the way When will Alyssa-chan become Kaitos bride?]

[ [ Bfuu!? ] ]

Hearing the explosive words we never expected to hear, Alyssa and I choked up.

[Kehemm D- Dad!? What are you suddenly saying!?]

[Listen, Kaito. This is not only advice as your father, but also your elder.]

When I asked him back, aware that my face was blus.h.i.+ng red, he began talking in a serious and pa.s.sionate tone.

[Think about it. She may be too close to you to notice it, Kaito, but there arent many girls as good as Alyssa-chan. Shes a good cook, and undoubtedly a beauty. In addition, she is smart, athletic, cheerful, and fun to hang out with. On top of that, shes kind and gallant, always there when you needed her, Kaito. And most of all, shes a great cook! Its like a miracle in itself that youre so close to such a wonderful girl.]

[..]

Leaving aside the fact that he said that she was a good cook twice, hearing him mention this things, I cant really find anything to refute him with.

With Alyssas personality, she really is fun to hang out with, and all her specs are so high that it seems like a joke. And as Dad said, she is kind enough to stand by my side when the occasion calls for it, or to gently care for me when Im in trouble.

[Moreover, the fact that she occasionally comes to cook means that Alyssa-chan also thinks well of you, Kaito.]

[Dad.]

[I would be happy if Alyssa-chan becomes your wife. Youll also be able to eat delicious meals every day]

[Behind you.]

[Eh?]

He was enthusiastically talking about these things, but theres something Dad didnt notice. Around the time he mentioned Alyssa being a good cook twice, a small shadow moved behind him with her eyes fixated on him

[Husbaaaaaaaand?]

[ ! ? W- W- W- Wait! Its a misunderstanding! Im not complaining about your cooking! I know its a lot of work to do all the ch.o.r.es every day, and I truly appreciate it! It makes me love you even more!]

[..]

[I- Its just that, well, there are some things, ummm certain things that people arent suited for, thats why I somewhat regret not learning cooking more Ah, no, thats]

For the sake of Moms honor, I would like to say that her cooking isnt bad at all. Its not at the level where you would faint in agony just from eating it, like those things I sometimes see in manga.

Unnn, it isnt bad but it isnt really at the level where one can praise it as delicious. In terms of quality, its a few steps below those bento sold in convenience stores.

By the way, it can be said that shes better than me and Dad, who are almost amateurs. Its just that Alyssas cooking skills are too great when compared to hers, so its definitely not that shes a bad cook or anything like that.

I could tell that she was really concerned about my and Dads health, and that she put a lot of her feelings and love into her cooking.

However, unnn, it just didnt taste good. Well, how should I say this Dads making careless mistakes just as usual.

[Hey, can you come with me? We have something we need to talk about.]

[Ahh, no, that is]

[Youre going to talk with me, right?]

[Yes.]

Just like that, Dad was taken away by Mom and disappeared into the back room. To be honest, this is a rather common scene.

Incidentally, after Mom gets Dad after hes done something like this again They come back flirting more than usual, so I guess its okay to just leave them alone. Its as if their earlier banter was just so that they could flirt.

While thinking about this, I naturally turned my attention to Alyssa who was sitting next to me and Alyssa was looking down, blus.h.i.+ng red up to her ears.

[Ummm, Alyssa. Im sorry, Dad said something strange.]

[N- No, I didnt really mind it! R- R- R- Rather than that W- What do you think? Is the food d- delicious?]

[Eh? Y- Yes Its very delicious.]

[In that case thats great.]

An indescribable silence fell between us. Its not that it feels uncomfortable, but it makes me feel strangely itchy, or rather, it kind of makes me feel unusually fidgety.

W- Whats this? I normally should be able to talk to Alyssa with ease, but I feel strangely embarra.s.sed and hard for me to talk to her.

[Ummm Alyssa?]

[W- What is it?]

[Errr, ummm, how should I say this Thank you for everything.]

[.Its not like you have to thank me I do it because I like it]

Ahh, geez! I feel like fire would burst out of my face! I was embarra.s.sed just by this mere exchange.

However Unnn. This feeling really doesnt feel uncomfortable.

Serious-senpai : [Oi, wheres the seriousness that was only there briefly in the previous chapter? The seriousness completely disappeared! Theyre just flirting with each other!]

? ? ? : [Now, now, it looks like well return to the battle outside after another chapter so]

Serious-sepai : [Oi, just do that ordeal Just do that d*mned ordeaaaaaal!!!]