Volume 1 - CH 5

“I’m sorry for everything”

I sat down on the bed, and thanked Arisa for cleaning my room. I can only watch and express my gratitude, I would have gotten in her way with these crutches even if I wanted to help. I am very sorry for that.

On the other hand, Arisa looked as if nothing happened.

“For now, I have only tidy up the trash. So I will come back later to clean up.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

“I just don’t like ending things halfway.”

Arisa replies to me in tsundere attitude. Then after looking around at the dressing room she just cleaned. She asks me.

“Takasegawa-san, what are you going to do about bath? What did the doctor say?”

“They told me not to enter bath for two to three days, so until yesterday I just wiping myself.”

Yesterday was the third day, so from today, I can enter the bathroom (although I can’t soak in bathtub yet). Even for me, for three days, it was mentally difficult to just wipe my body, so today I will definitely take a bath.

“How are you going to enter?”

“Well, I can’t enter bathroom with the crutches, so I will just use my one leg to enter.”

I just have to sit down to take a bath, so I can use my one leg to reach the bathroom. Now that trash are gone, it will be a lot easier to move around.

But…

“That sounds a little dangerous. The Tiles in bathroom are slippery.”

“You’re overreacting……and my legs are already quite healed. If I do my best I can even walk without crutches…”

“If you act carelessly like that, you’re going to fall again. I’ll help you.”

Helping, which would mean taking me to the bathroom. I am very happy about that feeling but…

“How?…I can’t wash my body while wearing clothes.”

“I know…I’m thinking a bit now. Well, do you have a swimsuit or a jersey?”

First, I will wear swimsuit underneath with jersey on top. In that state, I will sit on a chair in bathroom, with Arisa supporting me. After that, Arisa will go out and hang the jersey on the towel bar. After washing my body, I will put on the jersey and get out of the bathroom with the help of Arisa.

That is Arisa’s strategy.

“No, you don’t have to do that much…I didn’t get engaged with you because I wanted you to owe me a favor. It’s okay, you don’t have to go that far. …You don’t like that, do you?”

It’s a little embarrassing to let a girl help me take a bath, and I am grateful for the help. But Arisa wouldn’t want to touch a man for a long time she doesn’t even like, even if…it’s not direct skin-to-skin contact.

It’s true that I helped her, but I didn’t help her because I wanted something in return. It will feel like I am making her work for me in exchange for gratitude, and I feel bad about it.

However, Arisa shook her head side by side.

“It’s okay.”

“No, but…”

“It would be more annoying if Takasegawa-san fell down again and made another injury or made it even worse. I can’t ignore it mentally. Do you understand?”

When I think about it, If I look at it from Arisa’s perspective. Certainly, after Arisa went back, if she heard that I injured myself…she will probably blame herself for not helping me.

“All right, but I will definitely pay you back next time.”

After that, I went to dressing room to change into swimsuit and jersey. Then, with the help of Arisa I went into the bathroom.

“When you are done bathing, please hit the door. I’ll be waiting.”

“Oh, I understand.”

I washed my hair and body while sitting. Taking a shower for the first time after three days feels good…I thanked Arisa inwardly.

After washing my body safely, I wipe my body with the bath towel hung on the towel bar. Then I put on a jersey.

(Even if I don’t get a help from Arisa, I can get out by myself if I wanted to.)

While standing on a one leg, I looked at the boundary between the bathroom and the dressing room. If I just open the door and jump powerfully, I can jump over it. It’s not that difficult.

(…But, I’m still worried.)

However, my foothold is a slippery bathroom. And if my jump fails, there is no doubt I will fall grandly.

“Yukishiro, I’m done.”

I hit the glass door while saying so. Then, Arisa opened the door nervously and stepped into the bathroom after making sure I was properly dressed in a jersey.

“I will be supporting you, so jump with pyon!” (TN: Here Arisa says pyon (ぴょん) which means to say jump in a cute way.)

“Okay”

I jumped over the step with all the strength on one leg, thinking that I shouldn’t make any cute expression.

Then I sat down in the dressing room.

“Thanks”

“You’re welcome. Please call me when you have changed your clothes.”

“Oh, okay.”

After I changed my clothes, I called out to Arisa. With her support I got up and received the crutches from her.

I opened the door of the dressing room, and went out to the living room. Then I sat down on the bed.

“Hmm…It’s a hassle just to take a bath.”

“Don’t remove your crutches just because it’s a hassle. Do what your doctor told you to do for at least a week…”

“I know”

If I hadn’t been told by Arisa, I would have abandoned it long ago. Now that I have been told, I can’t do it.

“By the way, can I take a look at refrigerator?”

“Sure, but…there is nothing in it.”

“Thank you. It saved me a lot of time to look at.”

After saying that, Arisa opens the fridge. And let out a sigh.

“There’s really nothing in it. …What are you going to do with your meals?”

“There are cup ramen and ready-made curry. Well, if you can get me a convenience store bento, that will be great.”

“Is that what you usually do?”

“I try to eat as many vegetables I can, but…”

“Sigh…”

Arisa sighed and thought for a while. She looked struggling with something for few dozen seconds or so, and then she suddenly walked up to the front door.

“I will go and buy something. Please wait here for a bit.”

Apparently, it seems like she is going to buy me a convenience store bento. As I can’t move around much, I’m really grateful that she is going to buy me a bento.

“Sorry”

“It can’t be helped. Cooking will be difficult with that foot … Well, it doesn’t seem to make a big difference.”

She says with a hint of sarcasm.

It’s true that I can’t cook, whether I have injury or not, so there’s no point in arguing.

While I was reading newspaper and waiting for Arisa, she bought a lot of something. It was the raw ingredients, including rice. While thinking, it can’t be, I asked.

“Hey, Yukishiro. You, no matter how you look they don’t look like a convenience store bentos.”

“It’s natural. If you live such a unhealthy life, things that can be cured will not be cured. I will use the kitchen. Please wait for about 30 to 40 minutes.”

Arisa unilaterally said so, rolled her sleeves and began to wash the rice. The ingredients that have been already bought cannot be wasted so I could only wait for food to be ready.

After a while, a very nice fragrance tickled my nose.

“I could only make simple things.”

“…simple things?”

White rice.

Root vegetable miso soup.

Grilled pork ginger.

Boiled Spinach.

Salad.

A soup and three vegetables, it was well prepared.

“This is simple…?”

“The pork is just grilled, the spinach is just boiled, and the salad is just shredded!”

“Doesn’t that fall into the …… rather cumbersome category?”

“I usually cook daily. And I’ve never missed a four-course dinner, so I’m skimping on this one. So don’t worry about it.”

I sip on the miso soup after saying “Itadaimasu”.

The flavor of bonito and miso spreads in my mouth.

“It’s delicious …… The most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten!”

When I let out my honest opinion.

Somehow, Arisa froze with her jade-colored eyes wide open.

“Yukishiro, are you okay?”

“Oh no, I’m sorry. It was the first time I was praised for my cooking. …… Is it that delicious?”

“It’s already … well, it’s hard to explain when asked how delicious it is … but I think it’s much more delicious than a bad restaurant. Or rather, this is made from dried bonito, right? It’s amazing. …… I’m sorry to make you go through the trouble. Thank you very much”

“Is that so. …… Well, it’s unpleasant to be told that it tastes bad when I was the one who made it, so let’s accept it obediently.”

It was only for a moment that Airisa showed signs of agitation. But she immediately returned to her usual cool expression and held her luggage in her hands.

“Well, I’ve finished feeding you today, so I’m going home now.”

“Eh, feed…”

Before I can complain her about the horrible word, Airisa speaks to me in a flat voice and briefly says only the necessary information.

“Please keep the washcloths in water. I’ll wash them tomorrow. And I have left some spinach and miso soup. By the way, I also have left some rice balls. Everything is in the refrigerator. Please eat it in the morning. I’ll check on you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay”

I had no choice but to only node when she that said with a nonchalant attitude.

“See you tomorrow”, I said while seeing off Arisa who looked like she was trying to escape.

“Maybe she’s a shy person?”

I was a little bit surprised to learn about the unexpected side of Arisa Yukishiro.

Current dere degree: 7% (I received a compliment for my food)

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