CH 23

After the ball game, Asahi was invited to dinner by Chiaki and Hinami.

Apparently, they were planning to hold a consolation party for the losers.

However, since he already had a prior engagement for dinner, Asahi decided to politely decline.

If that other side was a consolation party for the losers, then should we call this one a celebration for the winners?

“It smells so good…”

In the small dining table which was enough for a person living alone, there were two omurice lined up on the table.

And when I turned my gaze forward, I saw Fuyuka staring at her favorite food with a spoon in her hand.

“What’s wrong? Eat quickly or it’ll get cold.”

“…Can I really?”

“That’s a little late for that. I’m the one who suggested it anyway.”

Really, when I thought about it calmly after some time, I wondered what the heck was I suggesting.

And I didn’t expect Fuyuka to be on board.

Furthermore, even though I had her fired up, her unstoppable performance in the latter half of the final match was also completely unexpected.

“…Itadakimasu.” [Thank you for the food.]

“Mhm, please enjoy this special premium omelet made especially for you, MVP.”

“Please don’t call me that…”

When she was on the podium, she had a dignified expression on her face, and now she was embarrassed to be called the MVP, not befitting that of the “Ice Lady”.

The final score of the final game was forty-five to forty-four.

With Fuyuka’s flawless performance, their team managed to come back and won the game.

Two people were guarding Fuyuka halfway through, but that didn’t stop her momentum in the slightest, and Chiaki, who was cheering for Hinami, couldn’t help but laugh.

The match ended with Fuyuka receiving the undisputed MVP award for her overwhelming strength in winning the game from a disadvantageous position.

‘I felt like I had done something a little bad to Aiba.’

It was hard to watch Hinami’s disappointment, as she had been so excited about giving the brooch to me, and I felt guilty because I was the one who had encouraged Fuyuka.

On the other hand, I was glad it didn’t turn out to be troublesome, however, I feel bad for Hinami because she was doing it for me.

Deciding that next time he invited her to his house, he would do whatever she requested, Asahi looked at Fuyuka, who had finally taken a bite of her omurice.

“…It’s delicious…It’s so delicious…”

“I’m glad you like it. It was worth putting more effort than usual.”

Whether it was an optical illusion or just my imagination, the large eyes at the center of Fuyuka’s beautiful face were glittering so brightly that they reminded me of amber.

Although she didn’t speak much as usual, her expression seemed to relax a bit during the meal, and Fuyuka looked really delighted as she brought the omurice into her mouth one after another.

Her appearance was far from her usual cool beauty, revealing a cute and lovely look appropriate of her age, just like the smile on her face this morning.

‘I wonder if she’s softening a little bit…’

I had yet to hear any rumors of the “Ice Lady” smiling or laughing or anything of the sort.

I’m pretty sure there hadn’t even been a rumor that she was talking to someone else normally.

In the first place, it was strange that something as trivial as a smile or a conversation with someone could become a rumor.

However, it was certainly possible for the “Ice Lady” who actively rejected others and had closed her heart off.

“You’re eating well. Want another helping?”

“…Do I look like such a glutton?”

“No, it’s nothing like that but…”

I assumed that she might be hungry after a hard game, but Fuyuka seemed to have taken it in a different way and turned her head away.

It made me a little nervous to think that I was the only one who could see these little things such as conversations like this and expressions that you won’t normally never get to see.

The fact that we were having dinner together like this was something that I would never have thought of from the “Ice Lady”.

Besides, there was no compelling reason that might bypass the distance between us, such as an injured hand that needed rest, or too much meddling due to worry.

She won the ball game, so I was going to treat her to a home-cooked meal as a reward.

It was on the basis of such a joking proposal that this space now stands.

“…What are you daydreaming about for a while now? If you don’t eat soon, It will get cold.”

“Oh? Yeah… I was just thinking about something…”

“It must have been something big that you have forgotten about your meal…”

There was no way he could ask her if it was okay to think that the distance between them had shortened, so Asahi cut the conversation short and reached for the omurice that was still untouched.

The eggs cost 200 yen each, the chicken was a higher grade than usual, and the ingredients used for seasoning, such as milk and butter, were also carefully selected.

Even though it was a premium by Asahi’s standards, it was still definitely a dish that one could be proud of.

As soon as I took a spoon full of omelet and put it in my mouth, the mild sweetness from the omurice immediately spread.

The ketchup rice filled with ingredients seems to be much tastier because of the expensive ingredients used, and the fluffiness of the omelette surrounding the rice and the melting sensation after biting into it made me want to give myself a pat in the back.

“It’s so damn good.”

“Isn’t it? If you don’t eat it while it’s hot, it would be such a waste.”

Fuyuka, who sounded as if she had made it herself, had already eaten almost half of it.

The pace of which she was eating was much faster than usual, and so Asahi raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

He didn’t laugh at her eating pace.

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of having dinner together with Fuyuka.

However, this scene that had been going on for a week would finally come to an end today.

This fact made the sweetness of the omurice that filled his mouth a little less sweet, and this time a bitter smile appeared on Asahi’s face.