ODL – Chapter  59 – Rinjou Shizuka Wants to Stay Over

“Then────” (Shizuka)

“………” (Souma)

I waited for the words that followed from Shizuka, who had buried her face in the blanket. I imagined all sorts of tasks: carrying bags, running errands, being a servant────I wondered what kind of impossible task she might assign me. I felt like I had just understood the feelings of the five noblemen who proposed to Princess Kaguya¹.

“………Ka……Ka……Ka-um……” (Shizuka)

“Ka……?” (Souma)

A voice that was difficult to determine whether it was words or a groan could be heard from behind the blanket.

……Ka… what could it be? Maybe killing mosquitoes (ka no kujo)……shopping (kaimono)……or even eating barbecue (karubi). Anyways, it doesn’t seem too difficult.

“Haah………… Haah…………” (Shizuka)

“…………?” (Souma)

Shizuka took a deep breath inside the blanket. She seemed to have already recovered from her fever, so her condition probably isn’t that bad, but I was still a bit worried.

“Shizuka, are you okay?” (Souma)

“…………I have to say it, I have to………… What’s the point if I can’t muster the courage here…………!” (Shizuka)

“Huh?” (Souma)

When I leaned closer to the suspicious-looking lump under the blanket, I could hear Shizuka mumbling something rapidly. For now, I was relieved that she seemed energetic, but I wondered if her fever had somehow affected her state of mind. 

“…………Fuuu………… Souma-kun.” (Shizuka)

“What is it?” (Souma)

“…………I’ll say it.” (Shizuka)

“Sure.” (Souma)

Why the sudden formality? There’s no way this is a confession or something right? Well, that’s probably impossible. Even though she was recovering from an illness, her brain couldn’t be that messed up.

I waited for Shizuka’s words. For a brief moment, silence filled the room. And for some reason, my heart thumped loudly.

“Um, well………… I want you to go out with me!” (Shizuka)

◆

“Hmm. Sure, but when? And where?” (Souma)

“Fue…………?” (Shizuka)

“It’s for shopping, right? If it’s on a day off, I can go with you, so just let me know once you’ve figured out the schedule.” (Souma)

“Eh…………?” (Shizuka)

In response to my words, Shizuka displayed a surprised reaction. She lifted her face from the blanket and looked at me with a sad expression. What’s with those puppy-like eyes?

“Is something wrong?” (Souma)

“N-no………… um………… nothing’s wrong…………” (Shizuka)

“I see. By the way, Shizuka, are you hungry? I got enough ingredients for dinner just in case, so if you’re going to eat, I’ll prepare it for you.” (Souma)

Since Shizuka’s condition had improved, there was no need for me to stay here any longer. I stood up from the chair and stretched.

“…………I’ll eat.” (Shizuka)

“Alright. Let’s head over to my place. Can you walk?” (Souma)

“I think I’ll be okay……” (Shizuka)

However, since she was still recovering, there was a chance she might feel unsteady. With that in mind, I held Shizuka’s hand and walked her back to my house. Her forehead didn’t feel warm when I touched it, and her steps were steady, so she seemed to be genuinely fine.

I seated Shizuka at the table and started preparing dinner. But since the menu was somen, it didn’t take much time to make. I mixed the somen with tomatoes and tuna, then garnished it with chopped shiso leaves. This way, even Shizuka, who was still recovering, could enjoy it without any trouble.

“Here you go, it’s somen so I think I’ll be pretty easy to eat.” (Souma)

“Wow, it looks delicious! Itadakimasu!” (Shizuka)

Shizuka, who had been a bit down just a moment ago, instantly perked up when she saw the food. Maybe she was feeling down because she was hungry. It was cute to see how her hunger could affect her attitude. A women who enjoys her food is attractive in its own right huh?

Shizuka slurped up the somen at an astonishing speed and finished it in no time. Her eating speed was not in line with someone who had just recovered from an illness.

“Thank you for the meal!” (Shizuka)

“You’re welcome.” (Souma)

“This was incredibly good! I’d like to have it again sometime!” (Shizuka)

“Oh, really? That’s not a problem since it’s easy to make.” (Souma)

I cleared the empty dishes and moved on to washing them. It would feel odd to leave them for tomorrow, so I decided to quickly take care of them.

“…………?” (Souma)

While washing the dishes, I glanced at the living room and noticed that for some reason, Shizuka was still here (staring at me) instead of going back to her own place. What is she up to? She should probably go back and take a shower or something.

After finishing the dishes and taking off my apron, I returned to the living room, and Shizuka was still there, wearing her usual cheerful smile and looking at me.

“Shizuka, aren’t you going home?” (Souma)

“Nope. I’m not going home.” (Shizuka)

“Huh…………?” (Souma)

Well, it’s still just after 9 PM, so it’s fine, but I tilted my head in confusion, not understanding her intentions.

“Don’t you need to take a shower? I think you might be sweating.” (Souma)

“Oh, right. Then, Souma-kun, can I use your shower?” (Shizuka)

“…………Why?” (Souma)

Use your own shower.

…Could it be that there’s mold in her bathroom!?

“Shizuka, you…!?” (Souma)

“Huh? It’s not that! My bathroom is clean! Soma-kun cleaned it for me not too long ago!” (Shizuka)

“Right, I forgot about that…” (Souma)

By the way, cleaning Shizuka’s bathroom was more mentally draining than doing laundry. You can probably guess why. It’s quite vivid, you know? Now that I think about it, it’s strange for me to make a fuss about this after seeing her half-naked huh?

“…………Then why?” (Souma)

“Well………… you see. I want to check out the shampoo and stuff you use, Souma-kun.” (Shizuka)

“So you just want to see the bathroom?” (Souma)

“Of course not! I’ll be using it! I’ll go bring my change of clothes, so just make yourself comfortable, Souma-kun!” (Shizuka)

With those words, Shizuka dashed out of the house. She’ll probably be back soon, but I couldn’t help but tilt my head and wonder.

“…………Why do I have to be told to ‘make myself comfortable’ in my own house…?” (Souma)

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1. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a 2013 Japanese animated historical fantasy film that is an adaptation of The Tales of the Bamboo Cutter. There were 5 nobleman who were pursing Princess Kaguya and compared her to mythical treasures. Kaguya told them that she would marry the one who could bring said treasure. In the end, they all failed one way or another.