I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!

Chapter 76: The Niihama Familys Dining Table

When the time had already passed evening, the four of us were having dinner together.

My mom was supposed to be working, but she said, I really wanted to have dinner with Haruka-san, so I tried my best and came out of her room with a triumphant look.

Oh, sorry, Haruka-san! I ended up making you help even though youre a guest!

No, its alright! I just helped because of my own selfishness Besides, I had a lot of fun!

You Your smile is lovely, and youre such a good girl. Im in awe

With a sound effect like pek added to her radiant smile, my mom expressed her admiration. Yes, that smile of Shijouin-san, where her inner purity seemed to shine through, felt the most dazzling to adults whose innocence had faded.

Hehe, Im glad to hear that from you, Niihama-kuns mother.

M-Mom! Yes! That sounds really nice!

While its just her usual way of addressing her mother, Shijouin-san calling her mom seemed to give my mom a high-class pleasure. Perhaps, fundamentally, its the same sensation as being called Master or Big Brother by a beautiful girl.

But still dishes like simmered fish and side dishes seem very commoner-like, but are you okay with it, Haruka-chan? Does it suit your taste?

Kanako seemed worried as she spoke, and well, I can understand her concern. The menu ended up being like something youd see at my grandmas house.

Oh, yes, Im really enjoying it. Actually, we have a lot of regular Japanese cuisine like this at home too.

Oh, really? I thought the Presidents house would be eating French cuisine every day.

Hey, come on, isnt that image of a wealthy family a bit outdated? Well, its true that it would be more appropriate for the Shijouin familys grand dining table, but still.

Ahaha, French cuisine is delicious, of course, but when you eat it every day, you start to crave rice and miso soup. Especially since my father often has business meals with those kinds of dishes and is getting tired of them, so we have a lot of ordinary side dishes like boiled vegetables and simmered dishes at home.

Oh, I see! Rice and miso soup are the best, after all!

Yes, they are! Im Japanese, after all!

Shijouin-san and my sister burst into laughter, and warm excitement filled the dining table. It felt very comforting, and there was only a calm joy present.

(Ahh Its nice like this)

Normally, its just the three of us at the Niihama familys dining table, but having Shijouin-san here makes the atmosphere so much brighter.

I savor that warmth along with the dishes we cooked together.

Even though the ingredients in this miso soup are no different from what I usually make, it tastes much better when I think that someone I like made it for me.

If I were told that its a creepy delusion, I wouldnt have a comeback, but I cant help but daydream. The idea of Shijouin-san making miso soup for me every day.

If that dream were to come true, I would undoubtedly be the happiest person in the world.

Come on, Haruka-chan, eat some more! Here, say aah.

Oh my Th-Thank you!

My sister, who is completely in high spirits, offers me a bacon-wrapped asparagus with her chopsticks, and Shijouin-san, slightly embarrassed, accepts it with her mouth.

That sister of mine has really taken a liking to Shijouin-san

Nom Hehe It feels a bit strange, but its fun as if Im being fed by my little sister. Um, can I do the same?

Of course! I welcome the aah from a beautiful sister like you!

Is that so? Th-Then excuse me aah

Shijouin-san, seemingly delighted to be called a sister due to being an only child, returns the favor with an aah to Kanako.

In response, my sister exclaims, Mmm, delicious! It tastes different when Im being fed by a beautiful sister! with an impression that resembles an old man from a host club.

Oh, by the way

At that moment, Kanakos voice suddenly carries something devious.

Huh? Why is she opening her mouth and staring at me from the corner of her eye?

Listen, Haruka-chan! It seems that its my brothers dream to be fed by a girl!

Wha? W-What are you saying? When did I ever!

Huh? My brother said that in middle school, remember? While watching romantic comedy anime, he used to say things like Id be willing to die if a girl fed me'

Eh?! Oh, well, come to think of it!

Certainly, when I was in middle school (which is about 15 years ago for me now), I was into various romantic comedy manga and gal games due to being in my adolescence, and I used to enthusiastically mutter things like I want to kiss a pure-looking girlfriend and make both of us blush or I want a good wife-like girlfriend to make me an obento and feed me, saying aah while immersed in delusions

Huh? Is such a simple thing really that exciting for you, Niihama-kun?

Yeah, yeah, for my brother, its a dream thats almost tear-inducing!

Shijouin-san reacted intensely to my sisters nonsense.

And seeing that, Kanako had an evil grin on her face.

This girl! The exchange of aah earlier was a setup for this!

Sure, its something she wanted to do herself, but by doing it once with Shijouin-san, she reduces the resistance for the next aah and smoothly creates a natural flow in the conversation

And now, this conversation is going in a bad direction! If Shijouin-san were an ordinary girl, it would be one thing, but if she were to hear such things!

I see, as a girl, I dont quite understand, but for boys, its something that really moves them, huh! In that case, since were gathered around the dining table, I humbly request to take on that role!

Look, it turned out like this, ahhh!

Mufufu! Seeing Shijouin-san filled with enthusiasm, I became extremely flustered.

Shijouin-san is very grateful for the small things I did during the semester, like acting as her tutor for a test and planning an event for her during the cultural festival.

Even though I was invited to the Shijouin familys house once before and they treated me to a feast as a gesture of gratitude, she still believes its not enough and constantly looks for opportunities to repay me.

If I were to have a conversation like this with such a sincere and innocent girl like Shijouin-san, it was expected that she would enthusiastically volunteer for that role.

But I said it in the heat of the moment. As Niihama-kun, you would prefer to have a cute girl do it, right? I wouldnt be satisfied.

What?

In response to the way the girl, blessed with captivating beauty, spoke, my mom and Kanako couldnt help but let out voices like, What is this beautiful girl saying? And as for me, I tended to overreact to such words lacking in self-confidence.

What are you saying?! Theres no way I would be unsatisfied! If Shijouin-san does it, I would be overflowing with tears of gratitude!

Eh? Th-thank you

Shijouin-san blushed, and I also turned red in response to my own statement.

But it cant be helped. If Shijouin-san were to say something like I dont have any charm, it would inevitably invalidate my existence.

By the way, at this point, Kanakos excitement was skyrocketing with a feeling that things were going just as she had planned, going, Fuuoooh! My mom, on the other hand, was pressing her lips and trembling, clearly struggling to contain her laughter at the unexpected turn the conversation had taken.

Well, if thats not a problem, then lets get started Here you go, ahh~

Shijouin-san, without any shyness in her actions, picked up a piece of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks and gently extended her left hand towards me.

She seemed to lack the recognition that this act was associated with romance, wearing an innocent smile similar to how a mother would feed her child.

She was anticipating my joy with a pure and innocent expression on her face.

However, the impact was overwhelming.

Every guy dreams of having their favorite girl feed them like this, and now it was happening to me in such an unreal situation. The excitement was overwhelming, to the point where my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest.

(B-But its so embarrassing! This would have been great if it were just the two of us, but with my nosy mom and sister watching, what kind of punishment game is this?!)

However, it was out of the question to refuse and make Shijouin-san sad.

With determination, I opened my mouth wide, making sure not to touch Shijouin-sans chopsticks, and took a bite of the tamagoyaki.

It was sweet.

The taste was even sweeter than when I tried it in the kitchen earlier.

At the same time, a mixture of embarrassment and happiness surged up from the depths of my being, overwhelming my emotions and overflowing in my chest.

Th-Thank you I feel so overwhelmed

Thats good to hear! If such a simple thing can make Niihama-kun happy, Ill do it as many times as you want, so feel free to ask anytime!

Seeing me with a bright red face, struggling to process my emotions, Shijouin-san said happily. It was probably because she was glad to be able to do something in return for me, even if it was just a little.

Puh Haha Hahahaha! Well, that worked out nicely, Shinichiro

Mmm~! That was quite a show! Oh, big brother, you can fully express your gratitude to Kanako-chan for this fine play!

My mom, well, she seemed to be enjoying my flustered state, but it annoyed me to no end!

However, in the end, despite everything, the aah~ from Shijouin-san was incredibly delightful, making it difficult to blame her.

And then

Well, thats how dinner time passed.

Even afterwards, being at the dining table with Shijouin-san made me nervous several times, but overall, my mom, Kanako, and Shijouin-san were in high spirits, and the dinner turned out to be quite lively for an impromptu gathering.

And so, that time eventually came to an end, as the night settled in with the sound of rain.

(TLN) Chapters like this are what makes me love this series. Its simple, but classic.