CH 71

Act 3 - The School Festival

18-5 

Leaving aside a retort of "we are not rascals", the four of us are working together to carry the ingredients to the cooking area outside the cottage.

The meats, including sausages and other such items, are not cheap, but are all well-processed products. Grilling them over a charcoal fire must be delicious.

"Rintaro, grill me a lot of meat." (Rei)

"Hold on, hold on. We haven't even started the fire yet." (Rintaro)

I suppress Rei's urging and prepare charcoals and an igniter.

The actuality is that I've never done the work of lighting a charcoal fire outside like this, so I've been secretly longing to do this.

With my heart racing, and following the fire-starting manual in the cottage, I start to light the fire. It is my first time doing this, so I struggle with it for a while. When I finally succeeded in lighting a decent charcoal fire, I feel a sense of accomplishment run through my entire body.

"What do you mean?" (Mia)

"It's not that I don't get the feeling you like me. It's just that I don't think it's the only reason." (Rintaro)

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It's hard to put into words, but it felt like "there's a reason why she had to do it".

"If you don't want to tell me the reason, I won't ask you. But I don't feel comfortable...... being used for something without being told." (Rintaro)

"......Yeah, you're right. I'm ...... sorry about that." (Mia)

Mia then apologizes honestly.

I accept it and wait for her next words.

"Last time, I told you that my dream is to have a career abroad, right?" (Mia)

"You did." (Rintaro)

"Just recently, I feel like I'm starting to get a foothold in that dream." (Mia)

Mia takes a sip and continues.

If you pile on two or three promises, you will inevitably feel it as a burden in an unpleasant way.

The reason for requesting a reset here is for a kind of self-preservation.

"......Okay, I get it. I'm fine with that. If it gets you some cooperation." (Mia)

"Then we have a deal." (Rintaro)

We shake hands as a sign of agreement.

However.

"A well-known director with international connections is holding auditions for his new film. If I pass the audition, then――――" (Mia)

"You'll have a foothold to go international, right? That sounds like a great opportunity." (Rintaro)

"Yes, but...... the problem is that the film I'm auditioning for is a romance one." (Mia)

Aah......, hmm?

"What's the problem with that? Isn't any work as difficult as any other?" (Rintaro)

"Yes, that is. But I ...... have never felt what is called love in my entire life." (Mia)

She narrows her eyes somewhat sadly.

Leaving aside a retort of "we are not rascals", the four of us are working together to carry the ingredients to the cooking area outside the cottage.

The meats, including sausages and other such items, are not cheap, but are all well-processed products. Grilling them over a charcoal fire must be delicious.

"Rintaro, grill me a lot of meat." (Rei)

uploaded on: pemuda tuna wisata - by: bujangga

"Hold on, hold on. We haven't even started the fire yet." (Rintaro)

I suppress Rei's urging and prepare charcoals and an igniter.

The actuality is that I've never done the work of lighting a charcoal fire outside like this, so I've been secretly longing to do this.

With my heart racing, and following the fire-starting manual in the cottage, I start to light the fire. It is my first time doing this, so I struggle with it for a while. When I finally succeeded in lighting a decent charcoal fire, I feel a sense of accomplishment run through my entire body.

"How can I put this....... perhaps it's because I've lived my whole life trying to be like my mom, I haven't really been able to see much of the people around me. This is so embarrassing to say but I still can't even remember the names of my classmates." (Mia)

"That's...... You have a job to do, so you can't help it, can you?" (Rintaro)

"I don't like to use that as an excuse. Maybe some people will be offended by it. Well, anyway. I don't know much about love. So when I got the script for the audition, I didn't know how to act." (Mia)

I feel somehow embarrassed to be listening to it.

Romance, it is indeed difficult――――I suppose.

I intended to listen calmly, but if you ask me if I myself am familiar with romance, I'll answer no.

If you pile on two or three promises, you will inevitably feel it as a burden in an unpleasant way.

The reason for requesting a reset here is for a kind of self-preservation.

"......Okay, I get it. I'm fine with that. If it gets you some cooperation." (Mia)

"Then we have a deal." (Rintaro)

We shake hands as a sign of agreement.

However.

"So, you know.  If I don't know, then I thought, why don't I just try having a boyfriend?" (Mia)

"...... Then, it didn't have to be me, did it?" (Rintaro)

"No, let me be clear about this. I confessed to you because it's you. You are the one I trust the most." (Mia)

I make eye contact with Mia.

Looking into her eyes, there is no hint that she is lying or deceiving.

I think I can trust her on this part.

"Rintaro-kun. I know I'm being brazen, but allow me to ask you this." (Mia)

"...... What is it?" (Rintaro)

"Can you pretend to be my boyfriend?" (Mia)

I tilt my head, not understanding the intent of that question.

"I want you to help me experience what something lover-like is, even if it is only for the time Rei is not coming back. Of course, you don't have to do the things you don't want to." (Mia)

She can't ask anyone else for that――――.

I put on a stern expression in front of Mia, who tell me this with a serious expression on her face.

It's not that I'm offended by this request by any means.

I just don't know what to do.

(But......)

Mia's in serious trouble.

It's so much so that she's become terribly distraught.

Thinking back, when was the last time I went to the cinema?

I think the last time was a few years ago when I accompanied Yukio to a B-movie he wanted to see.

Uh, now I'm getting a little excited before the date.

"Okay. I'll go out with you." (Rintaro)

"Thank you. So tomorrow, can we meet up in front of the station?" (Mia)

"Are we going to start with a rendezvous......" (Rintaro)

"Naturally. The thrill of coming to our rendezvous. We have to start with that." (Mia)

I've already had enough of waiting under the scorching sun.

――――No, I should probably head to the station very early here.

I'll head there about an hour early, go into a coffee shop, and wait while cooling off.

If I have that much time, the sweat must have gone away, and I won't have to walk next to her sweating.

"――――I have a condition." (Rintaro)

"What?" (Mia)

"The promise to cook for you for a week. I'll cooperate with you if you can pretend this promise never happened." (Rintaro)

"Is that the only what you want?" (Mia)

"It's not that easy to cook every day, do you know it? Well, cooking may be one of the things lovers do, and I'm not saying I'll never cook for you." (Rintaro)

If you pile on two or three promises, you will inevitably feel it as a burden in an unpleasant way.

The reason for requesting a reset here is for a kind of self-preservation.

"......Okay, I get it. I'm fine with that. If it gets you some cooperation." (Mia)

"Then we have a deal." (Rintaro)

We shake hands as a sign of agreement.

However.

"Seriously, I wonder what it is about...... something lover-like?" (Rintaro)

"......I wonder what." (Mia)

"You gave Rei some weird advice in the first place, didn't you? Perhaps you're lying about not knowing anything about relationships." (Rintaro)

"I can understand why you are suspicious of me, but that's all stuff I got from fiction. And I know it's different from real life." (Mia)

――――Well, I thought it was a strange knowledge.

"For now, why don't we go out together tomorrow?" (Mia)

"......Aah, you mean going on a date?" (Rintaro)

"I'm a little embarrassed when you put it that way, but yes, I mean it. Right now, a popular romantic movie is just in cinemas, so I thought we could go watch it and learn a little something." (Mia)

"Heh...... a romanic movie, huh?" (Rintaro)

Thinking back, when was the last time I went to the cinema?

I think the last time was a few years ago when I accompanied Yukio to a B-movie he wanted to see.

Uh, now I'm getting a little excited before the date.

"Okay. I'll go out with you." (Rintaro)

"Thank you. So tomorrow, can we meet up in front of the station?" (Mia)

"Are we going to start with a rendezvous......" (Rintaro)

"Naturally. The thrill of coming to our rendezvous. We have to start with that." (Mia)

I've already had enough of waiting under the scorching sun.

――――No, I should probably head to the station very early here.

I'll head there about an hour early, go into a coffee shop, and wait while cooling off.

If I have that much time, the sweat must have gone away, and I won't have to walk next to her sweating.

"How about tomorrow at ten o'clock in front of the station?" (Mia)

"That sounds good, doesn't it? We can have lunch by the time the movie is over." (Rintaro)

"I agree. Then......." (Mia)

At that moment, I hear the sound of a stomach growling loudly.

My gaze is naturally drawn to Mia's stomach.

She instantly blushes and turns her face away to hide her embarrassment.

"S-sorry...... I was planning to have the dinner you made today, so I didn't prepare anything else to eat......." (Mia)

After saying so herself, Mia suddenly starts to panic.

"A-ah! But, since you agreed to pretend to be my boyfriend, you don't have to worry about your promise to cook for me. I'll order a delivery service later." (Mia)

"...... Haha, don't worry about it." (Rintaro)

I get up and take out an apron from my luggage.

I have gone to the trouble of preparing the utensils. So it will be a waste to go home without using them.

"I told you, it's not like I won't do it. I'll serve it in no time, so just wait there." (Rintaro)

"Y-yes......" (Mia)

Leaving Mia stunned, I head for the kitchen.

Fortunately, the kitchen has the same shape, so it's easy to get used to.

When it comes to dishes that can be made quickly and easily――――yup, pasta is the way to go.

"......I mean, if you had asked me to play the role of your boyfriend from the beginning, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. I've given it some serious thought, you know?" (Rintaro)

"Er, well...... It appears that I'm not that good of a person either. When I see "something that people want", I end up wanting it for no reason at all." (Mia)

I don't know what the h*ll she's talking about.

I dismiss it as a random joke and start to prepare the dinner.