Chapter 15

"Welcome back, big brother!"

As soon as he stepped through the door, Mina came to greet him at the entrance, as if she had been waiting for her master to return. She looked up at him with sparkling eyes, and for some reason, she was wearing an apron. The moment he saw her, he had a bad feeling.

"Do you want to eat dinner? Or take a bath?"

"…I got a bit wet, so I think I'll take a bath. It's probably too early for dinner, isn't it?"

"Oh, Yukikun, you're drenched! Where's your umbrella? Didn't you bring one?"

Unfortunately, it had started raining heavily right after he parted ways with Eri, and he ended up getting quite wet.

His shoes were soaked and uncomfortable, and his shirt was sticking to him, making him feel cold. He just wanted to take a bath first.

"I lent it to someone."

"What… Could it be that you… are being bullied, Yukikun?"

"No, no."

"Yukikun, you can't hide things from me! You have to tell me the truth!"

"That's why I lent it."

Mina looked genuinely worried, but arguing with her while dripping wet was pointless. If he went upstairs, he would get the floor wet, so he started taking off his shirt right there.

"Kyaa!"

"What's with the 'kyaa'? Get out of the way, you're in the way."

Mina covered her eyes with her hands, but the gaps between her fingers were wide open, showing no intention of hiding. Despite her embarrassed posture, she turned around dramatically, but the sight that greeted him made him almost burst out laughing.

He hadn't noticed before because of the apron, but from behind, she was only wearing her underwear. It turned out Mina was wearing the apron directly over her underwear. She claimed it gave her a sense of freedom, and unless Yuki stopped her, she would usually walk around the house in her underwear.

"What kind of outfit is that? Put some clothes on."

"Yet here you are, taking off your clothes, Yukikun."

Ignoring Mina's complaints, he decided to clean up the floor later and went straight to the bathroom. He quickly stripped off his clothes and got in, surprised to find the bathtub already filled with warm water. It seemed Mina had prepared it for him.

While rinsing off under the shower, the bathroom door opened slightly, and Mina peeked in.

"Big brother, do you want me to wash your back?"

"No, it's fine… What's with this sudden change today?"

"I told you, I'm trying to do more housework."

"This isn't housework."

As they talked, Mina's gaze dropped. Yuki slammed the door, shutting her out.

(Really, what is she thinking…)

His little sister's interest in his body was a bit concerning.

Sure, he was the closest male to her, but couldn't she be a bit more subtle?

…It would be better if she didn't do it at all.

After getting out of the bath and heading to the living room, Mina immediately came over.

She led him to the table and pulled out a chair, saying, "Please."

He sat down, and on the table was a large plate of what looked like omurice, exuding an unusual presence. Next to it was a bowl of miso soup, steaming hot.

"This is… a mix of Japanese and Western cuisine, I guess."

"I made dinner for you, Yukikun! Please eat it while it's still hot."

Mina spread her hands wide, excited.

She must have made it in a hurry, but it was still a bit early for dinner.

"Wow, you made this, Mina?"

"Sure did. The eggs are fluffy, right?"

Mina snorted, but the eggs were more of a mess than fluffy. The rice wasn't properly covered. He tried a spoonful and found the rice had uneven coloring and the ketchup was mixed in inconsistently. Some parts were even burnt.

"…It seems this is only my portion. What about you, Mina?"

"I bought a bento."

Mina pointed to the end of the table, where a bento from a nearby supermarket was placed in a bag.

"Since you said you ate a bento for lunch, I decided to compete. What kind of bento did you eat? Was it homemade?"

"Sort of… from the person sitting next to me?"

"What's that?"

Mina looked puzzled, but Yuki felt the same way.

"Never mind. Let's eat, then."

Mina urged him to eat quickly, so he brought a spoonful to his mouth.

The omurice tasted like omurice, but the seasoning was uneven, and the rice was a bit hard.

But with Mina looking at him expectantly, there was nothing else to say.

"…Yeah, it's good."

"Yay!!"

Mina raised her arms and jumped a little, and Yuki couldn't help but smile.

However, if he admitted it was good, he would be in trouble later, and it wouldn't be good for Mina either.

He hesitated to point out the flaws in detail, so he decided to make her taste it herself.

"Did you taste it? Try it yourself."

"No, that's fine. I won't be able to eat my bento."

She declined easily.

But Yuki wasn't going to let it go.

"Here, I'll feed you."

"Okay!"

She opened her mouth obediently.

He filled a spoon with rice and put it in her mouth.

As Mina chewed, he asked,

"How is it?"

"Pretty good, I guess."

"Then one more bite."

"No, that's enough."

She seemed to realize it wasn't good, but he pretended not to notice.

It was clear she hadn't tasted it at all. She had just made it without checking.

"How about the miso soup?"

He cautiously took a sip.

It seemed to have tofu and onions.

(This is…)

The flavor was weak. It looked like she had just dissolved miso in water.

It was undeniably miso soup, but he appreciated that she had tried to make it from scratch instead of using instant.

Regardless of the taste, Mina had tried her best. It wouldn't be right to dismiss her efforts.

Maybe they could make it together next time.

As he thought about this, Mina said,

"I'm getting hungry. I think I'll eat my bento now."

She took the bento out of the bag.

A quick glance showed a tray with rice topped with nori, fried food, and a slice of salmon. The simmered dish was spilling out of its compartment, and the side dishes were sparse and unappealing. The overall color was dull, and a 30% off sticker was visible on the lid.

Compared to the beautiful bento Eri had made for him at lunch, the difference was stark.

"Here's my bento, my bento~"

Mina looked happy as she put the bento in the microwave to warm it up.

Watching her, Yuki suddenly remembered the beautiful bento Eri had made, feeling a mix of guilt and an indescribable emotion.

(Bento…)

Just then, his phone in his pocket vibrated.

It was unusual, so he checked it and saw a message notification from Eri.