Love Advice From A Childhood Friend

Sprouting Buds.
(Part 2)

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“Ehh, dinner?”

There were no club activities today, and as we were walking home together in the early evening when it was still light, Hinagata asked me what I usually did.

“Well, just….”

Some days my mom makes it, some days I just make it for me.
Today was one of those days.
I was just thinking about eating a cup of noodles or something.

My father died in an accident.
Afterwards, my mother, who was a nurse, changed her job from the clinic with relatively short working hours to a general hospital working night shifts.
She said that night shifts were more profitable. 

“I’ll make dinner.”

“You will?”

YES, She enthusiastically nodded her head.

“It’s nice of you to make dinner for me.
But first, I have to apologize to your mom.”

“Apologize? Why?”

“For letting you stay out overnight without her permission.”

“No, no, no.
It’s okay.
You don’t have to apologize!”

“It’s just common courtesy.
That’s what I’m trying to do.”

“It’s fine!”

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Nope Nope, she shook her head, but I couldn’t back out of this, and I was ready to head home.

But it saved me the trouble.

A car slowly drove by us, and as the window rolled down, I heard a relaxed voice.

“Oh, my~.
Welcome back, Ryunosuke-kun.”

“Hello.
I’m home.”

“Oh, mom….”

When Hinagata’s expression clouded over with a look of dismay, I turned my head away.

I was given a ride home and got into the Hinagata family’s car that was parked beside us.

I sat down in the back seat of the mini-car and next to me was an eco-bag full of groceries.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said, “She seems to have caused you some trouble.”

“No, I’m sorry too.”

 I slightly bowed my head.

Before I could say anything else, she continued.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed at Ryunosuke-kun’s house.
How long has it been?”

I could see Hingata’s mom in the rear view mirror was smiling broadly. Fufufu~

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“My house…..”

I could see Hinagata in the passenger seat  tensing up.

I guess she somehow managed to cover up the incident and it ended up being my house.
That’s why she wanted to prevent me from meeting her aunt.

I know how you feel, Hinagata.
I totally do.

You can’t tell your parents that you stayed at a love hotel.

But you know….

Even if you are staying at my house, why didn’t you just walk home? It’s only a few blocks away.

“I didn’t do anything.”

Fufufu~ Aunt giggled and when she looked at Hinagata, she seemed to still be nervous.

“It’s okay, you can do whatever you want.”

It’s okay?

“M-Mom!”

Hinagata lighty hit her mom.

“I’m not going to do that… yet.”

….yet?

“Oh, my! I see you have plans.”

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“~~!”

Hinata was trembling with shame.
It seems that even when it comes to sensitive topics.

“–To-today, I’ve decided to cook dinner for Ryunosuke.”

Hinagata quickly changed the subject.
You can tell that she’s upset because her voice is slurred.

“Oh, really? Well, I have to go shopping.
What are you going to make?”

“….Se-secret.”

Ohh my, Is that so? Her mom seemed to be enjoying herself.

After dropping Hinagata off at her house, I was dropped off at my own house and I placed my bag on the doorstep.
My mom, who was working night shift yesterday and today, had some errands to run during the day and went straight to work, so she wasn’t here today.

As soon as Hinagata arrived on her bicycle, I got on my bicycle, and we headed to the supermarket to do some shopping.

“What are you making for me?”

“Secret.”

I took one of the shopping baskets stacked at the entrance and went into the store.

I’m even more curious when it’s secret.

Hinagata grabbed a carrot and put it in the basket.

“Curry?”

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“N-Nope…”

Curry, it is.

As I walked around the store, my shopping cart was filled with ingredients that looked like it.

Hinagata stopped in front of a certain shelf and glanced at me.

“Ahh-….
I think the curry is medium spiced……”

I gently put a box of store-bought curry sauce in my shopping cart.
It was medium spicy sauce.

You can’t say that this isn’t curry for dinner.

“At home, Suzuka still doesn’t like spicy food, so she goes for a mild one.”

I also started as a sweet tooth kind of guy.
Really, since when did I convert to be a medium spicy one. 

“Ryunosuke….
I think you already became one while in the fourth grade of middle school.” 

Is that so? I tilted my head to the side as I said that.

Don’t you remember it quite well?

Well, since you were trying to live like an adult.

“No, I wasn’t.
Maybe.”

“When you were in middle school, you started to drink black coffee, and well you are still doing it, it seems.”

What do you mean by, ‘you are still doing it, it seems.’