CH 7

“Next Nemoto~come and get your test~”

Furubayashi, the classics teacher, was returning test papers with wrinkled hands.

Looking at everyone’s reaction, it seemed that this time’s classics test was difficult, saying “It was no good” and “I couldn’t do it at all”.

“Next, Hayasaka!”

After Nemoto, my name was called and I went to get the test, feeling a little nervous inside.

“Even though you missed classes, you studied hard.”

“Eh, U-uh”

When I looked at the test paper, the total in the upper right hand corner said 86 points.

I couldn’t help but look twice. The score had gone up from a red mark of 14 last time to 86 this time.

Then, as I sat down in my seat, I noticed Kaede looking at me.

Kaede noticed that my test was good, smiled, and gave me a small peace sign so that the guys in the class wouldn’t notice.

“Oi, Ren, what’s your score this time?” Takuto asked,

“Eighty-six points.”

“Ha!? You’re lying…?”

“It’s True.”

When I showed it to him as if I was bragging, he scowled at me and said I was a traitor.

“How did your score go up so much? Don’t tell me it’s … rigged?”

“It’s not that. Well, if I had to say, I’d say I had a good tutor. …”

When I said this, Takuto looked somewhat displeased, saying, “I think I’ll go to cram school, too.”

Takuto was not bad at studies, but he usually got an average score, which, according to him, was not a satisfactory score.

“What kind of reward will I receive?”

“What? You get something?”

“No, nothing.”

I tried to deceive Takuto, who was suspicious of me, so that he would not notice.

◇◇◇◇◇

Around 9:00 p.m. at the end of my part-time job, it was completely dark and the streetlights and house lights looked beautiful.

(I kind of feel like I’m all alone when I do this.)

I unlocked the front door.

“Welcome home”

And then the Angel welcomed me at the front door.

Her atmosphere was different from school, probably because she was wearing the hoodie I had lent her.

“I don’t think I need to ask this, but how did you do on your classics test?”

“Thanks to you, I scored over 80.”

“Fufu, it’s because of your hard work, Hayasaka-kun.”

She placed her hand over her mouth and giggled.

“Then I have to give you a reward.”

“Ah, what is it?”

“Just a minute, please!”

I had to wait at the entrance for a little while, and I couldn’t wait to get into the house.

“Okay” – I entered the living room at the same time as Kaede’s voice.

There was a big cake on the table.

“Did you buy this?”

“No! I made it.”

“You…made it…”

“It’s Strawberry cake, is that okay with you?”

“I rather like it”, I replied, and sat down in the living room.

“Then, let’s eat.”

Kaede cut the cake into six equal pieces. “I’ll put the leftover cake in the fridge” and put a piece of plastic wrap on the plate and put it in the fridge.

“How is it…?”

A beautifully shaped cake with fluffy whipped cream and a red princess on top.

Just looking at it, I was convinced it was delicious.

“Yeah, it’s good.”

“Thank goodness.”

Maybe she was anxious, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Here, ahhh”

“What? What are you doing?”

“Ahh? Open your mouth please.”

“No, I can eat by myself, so don’t treat me like a child.”

Thinking I was being treated like a child, I turned away, my mouth pouting.

Kaede was smiling when she saw this.

(You’re definitely treating me like a child, aren’t you? …)

Thinking about it, I took a bite of the cake and ate it. After finishing eating, I washed the dishes.

I thought Kaede was tired, so I let her rest at least for today.

“Thanks, it was delicious.”

“Not at all, it was worth making because it made me happy.”

“’Besides, it was a reward, so don’t worry about it,” she added.

“Ah, do you still want a reward?”

“No, I don’t.”

“I can at least give you a lap pillow right now, you know?”

I told her I was really okay and refrained from her lap pillow.

The feeling alone was enough. I was also happy to have the cake made.

“Then I think I’ll take a bath.”

Saying that, I took off my jacket.

“HII…”

I heard a voice that sounded a little frightened. Kaede had a dark look on her face and I quickly put on my clothes.

(I see, it’s hard to see a man’s body…)

Her Dad forced her to do a job where she had to get her body dirty, but she ran away before anything happened, I reflected on my lack of consideration for her.

So I decided to go to the bathroom and change.

“Sorry…”

“I am not mad at you, that was my fault.”

I felt a little awkward and went to the bathroom to escape.