Chapter 3

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Series list: A Love That Lurks at the Dining Table

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“Alright, twenty-minute break!”

“Good work and thank you.”

I bowed to the shooting staff and moved out of their way. We were in a public library where it was doubtful if the air conditioning was even on.

As soon as I sat down in the chair provided for me, the makeup staff rushed over to straighten my hair that was messed up from the shooting. A woman who looked a little older than me combed my hair with a clear expression, but when I glanced at her, she started blushing. The same reaction as the majority of humans.

Looking out the window, I could see the sunlight baking the asphalt. I hated summer. It’s hot, uncomfortable and the humidity was high. Winter was better.

They changed the shooting position as I was resting so the lighting faced me and reflected my face in the window.

Apparently my mother and father both had faces that many agreed was beautiful. My relatives said they were more beautiful than everyone else in their elementary school, middle school, high school, and university.

The both of them created me and since I was young, I was smothered with love and given anything I asked for.

The same was true for my older sister and her husband that took me in. But they locked me away and trapped me in a storage room where I never got to see sunlight. The police found me later. One of my single uncles felt bad for me and took me in, so I decided to live a new life.

I lived normally, but that changed in my last year of elementary school. My adopted father married. But the person who was categorized as my new “mother” tried to treat me more like a man than a son.

In the end, my adopted father found out and she failed.

“Hey, can’t I ask Hino-kun for his ID?”

“No way! You can’t.”

“Eeeh!? Don’t you want to know his ID?”

“I do but won’t Senpai get angry with us?”

I held back a sigh at the whispering behind me.

After asking me, the police took my adopted mother to the hospital and eventually to a facility. I thought it was obvious. In the end, she came to recognize everything, whether it was living or inanimate, as “me”.

It seemed like the person known as my adopted father was just a genuinely good person. Instead of completely throwing me out to avoid his wive’s madness, he bought me a condo and gave me my parent’s inheritance. Finally, he gave me his phone number, said we would only meet when absolutely necessary, and left.

To be honest, I didn’t think much about him, my adopted mother, or all the people who went crazy because of me.

Living like this was convenient, but I didn’t think to convey that. I didn’t even think about the favors others did for me because they happened all the time.

I was just staring at creatures that sought to be acknowledged by me.

I started as a child model from before elementary, and just continued with the flow until now. I was just a bystander in my own life.

Today was no different. I got up to pretend to use the restroom to avoid giving them my contact information.

There was still more than ten minutes until the shoot resumed so couldn’t I move around? While being careful not to move too far away from the shooting location, I arrived at the cookbook section.

“Cuisine, huh…”

I wasn’t interested in food even a little bit. I found it annoying to even eat. It didn’t matter whether it was delicious or not. That’s why I drank supplements and only ate when I needed to for work.

Far from having specific food preferences, I just didn’t like food. So it’s troubling when I get asked those questions during magazine interviews. Usually I asked the reporter what their favorite foods were and just agreed with them or my colleagues would answer that I liked meat for me. That’s how uninterested I was.

I thought it was crazy to spend so much time making something just to taste it for a moment.

Turning around, I saw a female colleague looking around for me. What a pain in the ass. When I stepped into the book aisle to hide myself, I almost ran into someone enthusiastically reading a book. But they didn’t drop their book or even notice me. They just kept fervently reading their book… a home cooking book.

…Is it the kind of book someone would read so intensely?

She looked like she was enjoying a story. Although I read fantasy stories before and wondered what was so fun about them. But there are different people who find different things fun in society. There were also a few like me. This person was apparently in a minority of people who liked reading cookbooks.

I casually looked at her face to see her eyes and lips curved in an arc, reflecting a truly happy feeling. Black hair shook around her collarbone every time she turned a page and she let out innocent noises of surprise occasionally.

Happy. Gentle. Delicate.

I shouldn’t have been able to understand the beauty of flowers, but the person in front of me resembled the most brilliant one.

That moment was the first time I wanted to see someone more.

◆

I exhaled in front of a cream-colored house with a red roof. Gripping my cool toolbox, I pressed the doorbell on the front door. Colorful flower pots were lined up near the door with edible herbs swaying in the wind. I felt like it didn’t really match the nameplate reading “Igarashi”.

“Hello!”

“Excuse me. I am here for the water service inspection.”

“Please wait just a second. Mom, someone from the water company is here!”

The voice from the intercom made my heart beat violently. I shifted my feet to loosen them up. Today the couple in this house was going on an airplane to go overseas. I thought it was a good opportunity when I heard that near a window on the first floor. It was my chance to get to know their daughter – Mizuka – from the inside of her house instead of just the outside.

“S-sorry for the wait. Right now Mom and Dad are a little busy… Um, what did you need to inspect…?”

The door opened, revealing the figure of the one I’ve been longing for for so long. I lowered my hat, resisting the urge to hug her and bring her home with me. She stared at me in confusion, her half-up black hair swaying.

“The sink, water basin, toilet and bathtub. If there are other places with water that you would like me to look at, I can do those too.”

“Okay, here are some slippers for you.”

It seemed like her parents were busy getting ready to go overseas. I could see the sweat on Mizuka’s forehead when she urged me to come inside. The work clothes and hat I was wearing resembled the water company, but I was worried since the colors were a bit different. She didn’t seem to notice.

“Oh, thank you for your service.”

“Sorry for the disorder.”

As I passed the living room through a corridor, I could see her parents packing their carry-on bags. They were probably busy with work until yesterday and didn’t have to time to pack until this morning. Her parents were always busy with work. From what she said before, I guessed that she learned how to cook for those two.

“Um, our kitchen is in the back of the dining room…”

There were seats for four people at the dining room table. There were three people sitting there before this morning, but after today, it will just be Mizuka alone for the next three years. She’s going to be living alone because her parents got transferred after she passed her high school exam. There was no one she could rely on since her grandparents lived three stations away and her cousin was busy raising her own kids.

Poor Mizuka.

I pitied her, but I had to take advantage of this opportunity.

“You can help your parents if you need to.” I said to Mizuka, who was next to me while I was pretending to check the second floor bathroom.

“Eh?”

“It seemed like they were preparing for a trip of some sort… I can let you know when I’ve finished the inspection.”

“T-thank you very much. Please excuse me.”

I was glad to see Mizuka, but I couldn’t work if she was next to me the whole time. But she took my words as kindness, bowed, and went to her parents.

I took out a contraption from my toolbox and attached it to the bottom of the kitchen counter. There were people in the living room, so that room will have to wait for next time. I silenced my footsteps and installed them in the rooms, and my work was finished rather easily. The video and sound recording was perfect. I entered Mizuka’s room last and checked to make sure there was nothing strange.

Her parents probably liked warm wood-like furniture. Her room had the same feeling of the living room. But I was happy to see a trace of her from the cooking magazines on her bookshelf. Next to that was a new uniform. I touched the emblem on the chest with deep emotion.

“We’re going to the same high school.”

I think I went crazy from the day I found Mizuka in the library.

After investigating her identity through illegal means, I found out what high school she wanted to attend, her qualifications, and entered the same school myself. I wanted to go to high school together that much.

Was it okay for me to hug her uniform? But it would be a waste to wrinkle something that was ironed with such care. I left her room and went down the stairs with a slight feeling of regret to see that Mizuka had just left the living room.

“I have finished inspecting the upstairs sink.”

“Thank you very much. Um, the next sink is over here. It’s a slightly hard to understand location…” She said and led me down the hall, facing the wall at the end. It was a sliding door that revealed a bathroom. I could see how it would be hard to tell it was a bathroom at a glance. It was probably the work of her parents, who were interior designers.

I didn’t even think of adding more taps in the bathroom. Real-time video was already being sent to my cell phone and computer through the garden window connected to the bathroom, and there were plenty in the hallway.

“We’re heading out, Mizuka!”

It seemed like it was time for her parent’s departure.

“Feel free to go. I’ll call you if there’s something wrong.”

“Excuse me then…!”

I could hear Mizuka jog to the front door. Seeing an opportunity, I snuck into the living room in order to install the equipment I couldn’t before.

The walls were lined with souvenirs from her parents that often traveled abroad. All of them were charms for the health and happiness of daughters and children, and the photos between them told the history of how much care they raised her with.

But no matter how well they raised her, I still thought it was bad for them to go overseas and leave her all by herself.

There was already someone like me inside the house, after all.

Mizuka entered the living room, apologizing for what happened before. The one who should apologize was me, though. Even this situation right now was being recorded and sent to me.

“Um, a-are you thirsty?”

“Huh?”

Before I could answer, Mizuka was in the kitchen, taking out a pot of barley tea from the refrigerator. I could hear the cool, melodic sound of ice. Finally, she held out a glass of barley tea she poured. While grabbing the glass from her, our hands touched. “Oh, sorry!” She apologized, but kept her hand on the cup since it was glass. I also apologized while staring down at her.

“Well then, thank you for the drink.”

Mizuka laughed, as if in agreement.

◇

I left Mizuka’s house in the evening after finishing my work. I checked my phone while walking down the dimly lit residential district, and it vibrated. I got a work message from my manager.

Recently, there was a poster photoshoot and an interview for the drama that will air in the fall. There was an image attached with the front page of the magazine that will be available next week. I almost laughed at the huge difference between that picture of me wearing pink for the fashion magazine aimed at high school girls and the current me wearing work clothes and a hat.

“I wonder if Mizuka will buy this…”

To the side of the image of me wearing brand-name clothes that will release in the summer, there were large, bubble letters saying “Spring Self-Improvement Dishes! Easy to Make World Cuisine!” It seems like a famous cuisine researcher compiled together a bunch of overseas recipes that would be simple even for beginners. Mizuka didn’t buy fashion magazines or have much interest in clothing, but she did often stare at cookbooks.

I could see her buying it and looking at the feature images. It made my heart flutter. Because she loved cooking a lot and was the type to run to the cookbook section in the library between studying for exams. But the entrance ceremony came first. Hiding my smile under my hat, I walked down the dark road.

◆◆◆

The day of the entrance ceremony was the best day for an encounter, with heavenly weather shining down and late-blooming cherry blossom petals dancing in the wind.

But even though I confirmed her leaving her house from the surveillance camera in the entranceway, I couldn’t find her here. I wanted to try making contact with her by pretending to ask for directions. New students rushed into the school gates and cherry blossom trees lined the road. I felt irritated as I noticed a female student staring at me.

The look of attraction was something they just couldn’t hide. She likely thought she was being clever and that I wouldn’t notice, but I did. And I knew very well the difference between actually caring about me and just wanting to sneak a photograph in. While I was fretting over the clock and regretting not putting a wiretap in Mizuka’s uniform, “Um, Yousuke-kun, right?” a voice called out next to me.

“U-um, I’m aiming to be a model, just like you, Yousuke-kun… My name is Sasaki Yuri. Um, we’re attending the same high school… right?”

I turned to see a delicate female student next to me. She had a new uniform so she must have been a first year too. She seemed happy with my short response of, “That’s right,” but my heart felt cold. I didn’t need to look someone in the eye to tell if they were seriously dreaming of being a model or if they were just lying to get into the industry. It was all about body shape and posture.

For the first part, you didn’t necessarily need to be slim to be a model, you just needed to have a figure that complimented the clothes you wore. Then, if you didn’t correct your posture in your everyday life, there’s no way you would be able to endure the long hours of a photoshoot. I could tell this Sasaki student in front of me was lying because her center of gravity was messy. Cunning people like that were good at pushing others away and dragging them down.

I knew I was in the same class as Mizuka already. The class roster was listed on a bulletin at the front of school, but because of my influence, I was able to see it before any of the other students. If memory served me right, this girl was in our same class. Two seats to the right of Mizuka.

“Um, aren’t you going in? Would you like…”

“Sorry, I’m waiting for a call from work. Bye.”

Sasaki brought her hands together in exaggeration and said, “Okay, see you later then,” before heading to the school gate. I never want to see you again. I wish I could say that. I took out my phone, pretend to check it with a resigned feeling, when I heard Mizuka’s voice. She was on the sidewalk across the intersection by the traffic lights.

“I’m sorry, Mizuka-chan. I had to help Maki-kun wash his uniform…”

“No worries. More like, I’m sorry all I could do was hold our bags.”

Henya. Mizuka’s adorable laugh sounded like a sound effect. The one apologizing next to her was Sonomura Meina. They seemed rather close despite it being before the entrance ceremony, but they probably met along the way to school. Once I noticed the lethargic-looking man – Maki – who was standing next to the relieved Sonomura Meina looking at me, I quickly lowered my gaze.

I casually brought my phone to my ear and pretended to make a call. Just using earbuds was fine, but holding my phone up makes it easier for others to recognize I’m on the phone. I natually followed behind Mizuka and listened in.

“I’m glad the weather is so nice for the entrance ceremony.”

“Yes. I thought the cherry blossom trees were going to be bare since the wind was so strong the other day, but I’m glad they’re still blooming~.”

What was this elementary school-like conversation? But I was happy just to hear Mizuka. I would be even more happy if she was talking to me, though.

But I couldn’t just listen to her conversation. Something like today could happen again so I should put a wiretap and GPS device on her bag. Thankfully it was crowded because of the entrance ceremony and everyone was walking close to each other, so it wouldn’t be strange for me to get close to Mizuka and my body would hide me touching her bag from everyone else. I looked for an opportunity and attached a chip to the back of her bag. Perfect. The moment I felt relieved, Maki turned around.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where are we right now…? How much longer do I need to walk until we get to school…”

“We can already see school, Maki-kun…”

Sonomura Meina responded to Maki with concern. Mizuka was cute when she was confused. But, that timing when Maki turned around just then… Just what was that? Although I was uneasy, I walked with joy in the knowledge that I could attend the same school as Mizuka.

◆◆◆

To give a summary of this past week, Mizuka and I had settled into our high school life, but I had neither her contact information, nor her trust and at this rate, there’s a real danger that we might graduate without ever getting close.

The number of students in high school was doubled compared to middle school and many eyes were turned to me during break times. If I called out to Mizuka like this, it’s easy to see that she would become prey to jealousy like I’ve seen before.

I’ve seen people break many times in front of me. There was someone who tried to commit suicide because they were in love with me so badly it hurt, or another person who was bullied just for picking up my eraser that fell next to them. I never cared before, but Mizuka was different. I couldn’t carelessly get close to her. I would have to look for an opportunity to get close to her when she was alone. But I just didn’t have a reason. Even if I had a good reason, I would need to talk to her in a public place.

So I went to the cafeteria because I wanted her to look at me at least, but all she was interested in was the meal set menu. She wasn’t interested in me at all. Our seats were different and we weren’t even in the same group in class. Even when I didn’t have work, all I could do was silently follow after her.

Mizuka bought my magazine yesterday. But she cleanly cut out the page with the cooking special and handed the magazine over to someone else. Mizuka visited the greengrocer two times a week and the owner’s daughter was my fan. I was worried when I saw them talking that it would happen and I was right.

The strong hope I had before that she would definitely become mine was now shallow. It would be faster if I abducted her on a day we had off school. Today at lunch, Mizuka was interested in the Chinese food they had, but for some reason she turned to look at me and all the girls surrounding me. Even though she was talking to Sonomura Meina about melon bread, today was different.

Agonizingly, I turned the tap in the hallway. I was washing the sugar from my melon bread off from my hands when suddenly a teacher walked past me from behind. He was carrying a bundle of notes and when I saw the numbers from my class, I hurried to follow.

“Sir!”

“…Oh, what is it, Hino?”

“Please let me help. I’m always causing trouble for you and the school…” I said apologetically, but the middle-aged teacher just raised an eyebrow.

“This is just my job…” He didn’t seem to be budging. But then he said, “Well, since you’re offering, I’m relying on you,” and handed me the bundle of notes and print outs.

“Where should I bring this?”

“A desk in the staff room near the end of the annex…Oh.”

The teacher reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He put a key on top of the bundle of notes.

“This is a key for one of the empty classrooms. Feel free to use it for lunch, when you’re late or when you need to kill time before work.”

“Wha…”

“All that chattering in the cafeteria probably makes it hard to eat. So, well, you would probably have to buy a bento now. Well, I’m not gonna tell anyone but I thought I would at least give you something to help you out.”

There certainly was mayhem when I went to the cafeteria. It was just because I was there. Besides, of the students that were using the cafeteria, only half of them would be eating lunch, and even though they were allowed to bring their own food, it would be a problem for management if they let me go unchecked. After all, it’s pretty selfish to crowd up the passageways. When I warned those students about it before they said stupid things like, “Hino-kun is so cool when he’s serious” and “Yousuke chastised me!” and didn’t show any signs of changing.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t really need to apologize. They’re all high school students, they can take responsibility for their own actions.”

The teacher sighed and left. I bowed and began walking down the hallway. The sound coming from the wiretap I had attached to Mizuka’s blazer before in the classroom sounded almost the same as my surroundings. We must be close. At this rate, I’ll meet Mizuka. Since she’s nice, she’ll definitely help me. Maybe I should drop the prints. I smiled while quickening my pace.

I couldn’t go to the cafeteria anymore. But now I had the key for an empty classroom. This was my chance. If I couldn’t use the cafeteria, then Mizuka shouldn’t either. If I planned this well, then I could make it so we spent our lunch time together in the empty classroom.

Today was cooking class. So I’ll get impressed with eating what Mizuka made and then ask her to make bentos for me…?

Yesterday, Mizuka heard about the drama I’ll be in. I’ll say that I’m too busy with work to make myself food. She loved to cook, but the burden could be too much to her, so I should narrow her options. That’s when I realized.

Secret photography. I could say that I couldn’t use the store because of a bad experience with that. I just thought it was unpleasant, but I’ll act scared. I’ll give her money as a reward and make her realize it’s a part-time job, so she’ll become accustomed to making my bento.

I just had to support her so it’s not a burden. That way I’ll be able to justify my actions because of guilt from always making her cooking for me.

Why didn’t I think of this sooner? If I thought this up sooner, I wouldn’t have wasted a whole week. After clenching my teeth, I hurried to relax my expression. I will see Mizuka soon. First I’ll drop the prints. Then she can recognize my existence again.

Even Mizuka said that it was important to do prep work ahead of time.

So I waited for her behind the corner, holding back my impatience.

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