Chapter 254: Boyfriend is a Crab, Can Walk Sideways
The next morning, Sakurai Saki used exactly the line he had promised while sitting at the dining table.
"Ai-chan, I want to drink the miso soup you make, for a lifetime."
Sakurai: ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅
Hayasaka: ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)
"But this morning you haven't even drunk miso soup yet~." Hayasaka Ai rested her right cheek on her hand, watching him with a smile.
"Wanting to drink it for a lifetime, the important part isn't the miso soup, but the lifetime." Sakurai Saki used his chopsticks to nudge a piece of grilled salmon, breaking it into a small bite. Cooked just right, when placed in his mouth he could feel the slightly crisp and fragrant outside layer.
"Can you love only me, love me for a lifetime? I can love only you for a lifetime."
"I'll try." Sakurai 'scumbag' Saki didn't dare give a firm promise.
Hearing that, Hayasaka Ai didn't say anything more, she only shifted the subject: "There's something I want to tell you. A few days ago, the Hayasaka family split off from the Shinomiya house. Though we're still working for the Shinomiya family, at least nominally we're no longer a part of them."
"That's good."
"It's all thanks to you. My mother told me that."
"What did she say?" Sakurai Saki picked up a piece of pickled radish. On a Japanese-style breakfast table, pickles were indispensable.
Only, without miso soup, it somehow felt like something was missing.
"My mother said you're really amazing, that you can walk sideways in Japan."
"What kind of wording is that, it sounds like she's comparing me to a crab." As soon as Sakurai Saki finished speaking, he raised his hands imitating crab pincers, making a few movements, causing Hayasaka Ai to burst out laughing.
"What's so funny about that?"
Ever since leaving the Shinomiya house, Ai-chan had become much more open.
Sakurai Saki was very happy to see this change in her.
Hayasaka Ai had borne too much pressure before, things a girl her age shouldn't have to endure.
"Having a crab as a boyfriend, I think it's pretty nice."
"You saying that doesn't make me happy at all."
Just as Sakurai Saki finished speaking, he noticed Hayasaka Ai had stood up.
"What is it?" he asked.
"The miso soup is done cooking." Hayasaka Ai, right after saying that, realized Sakurai Saki's expression was very amusing.
"I thought you didn't make it."
"How could that be."
Of course she had made miso soup, she just wanted to see his reaction.
(Note: I have diabetes, UWU~.)
ꉂ (≧ヮ≦)
...
Preparing for the cultural festival was really troublesome.
One week before the cultural festival began.
Today, Sakurai Saki was in charge of inflating balloons. This prop was used in many places, including in their class's café — Class 2A — where it was also needed.
The number was large and annoying, and even with the help of a hand pump, inflating each balloon still took quite a bit of effort.
"Shirogane, why are you here too?" Entering the designated location, Sakurai Saki asked.
"Our class is doing balloon art this year, like tying balloons together to make all kinds of shapes to sell. You've probably seen it at amusement parks before." Just as Shirogane Miyuki finished speaking, a loud "Pop!" burst out from his hands.
"I've never done this before, so I'm not very good at it yet." Shirogane Miyuki explained.
"Shirogane, if all your skills are part-time-job-related, I really should carve a wooden statue of you and put it in my house to worship." Sakurai Saki teased.
This 'part-time king' title was becoming heavier and heavier, and along with it, the dark circles under Shirogane's eyes grew more obvious.
"Come teach me quickly." Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around yet, Shirogane hurriedly begged for help.
"…Why don't you try asking Chika if she'll teach you?"
"I already did." Shirogane Miyuki sighed, "She said, 'If I have to teach Miyuki-kun any more I'll die, sorry, ehe~.' Then she ran off."
Chika: ('ω' ⊃ )⊃三二一 sayonabye~
In his head, Sakurai Saki pictured Chika's expression, and nearly laughed out loud, but thinking it might be a little rude, he only let out a half-smile.
Seeing him trying hard not to laugh, Shirogane Miyuki sighed, "You might as well laugh out loud. That way I'd actually feel a bit better."
"Sorry, sorry. Mainly because the last few times, we all suffered quite a lot, PTSD levels already."
"Forget it, I'll just try myself. Secretary Fujiwara gave me quite a lot of balloons last year, said the quality wasn't good, perfect for me to practice with."
After saying that, the atmosphere suddenly went silent. Apart from the occasional "pop" coming from Shirogane Miyuki's hands, it was very quiet.
"That's right, Sakurai, do you want to go check out the junior high this Saturday? The cultural festival of the junior high is happening this week, a few days earlier than ours."
"Sure, what about the company? Just you and me?" Sakurai Saki asked.
On Saturdays he was usually free.
"If you want to invite someone else too, that's fine." Shirogane Miyuki was actually invited by his younger sister. Recently, since Shirogane Papa was busy making youtube content, the relationship between Shirogane Miyuki and Shirogane Kei had unexpectedly improved a lot. Indeed, the best way to resolve conflicts was to create a common enemy.
That was truly a hatred redirection maneuver.
"Forget it, I…"
"Arere~ what are you two talking about?" All of a sudden, a mysterious alien creature with a black ribbon on its head, UMA · Fujiwara, appeared.
Chika: ･°˖✧٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-✧˖°.
"The cultural festival of the junior high."
"So it's that, huh, Moeha already told me about it." Fujiwara Chika gave a sly smile, staring at Shirogane Miyuki's hands.
Her gaze was like a needle, instantly piercing and bursting the balloon in Shirogane's hands.
Shirogane Miyuki didn't care, he silently continued his work.
With each of his movements.
Another balloon burst, then a second, a third, more and more balloons popped.
Fujiwara Chika's expression shifted from sly laughter to pity… like the affection of a mother toward her foolish son.
"Hi, the child's father…" Fujiwara Chika sat down next to Sakurai Saki.
Sakurai: ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?
"?" Sakurai Saki suddenly found himself one generation above Shirogane Miyuki, feeling a bit awkward, his balloon-pumping motion paused for a few seconds.
"Aren't you going to teach our son?" Chika asked.
"Secretary Fujiwara, don't project your excessive motherly affection onto me, okay?" Shirogane Miyuki retorted sarcastically.
In his hands, the last balloon was finally twisted into several loops, forming the shape of a flower.
"Done!" Shirogane Miyuki said excitedly.
Sakurai Saki and Fujiwara Chika clapped in unison, perfectly in sync.
"Congratulations, Miyuki-kun."
"Congratulations, Miyuki-kun."
Shirogane Miyuki had the feeling these two were playing some game he didn't understand.
(Note: Meme Evangelion, I think so.)
"Anyway, this Saturday let's go to the junior high's cultural festival to learn something. Our own cultural festival is coming soon, let's see if there's anything we should adjust."
"Kei-chan's class seems to be running a takoyaki stall." Fujiwara Chika revealed the information she had just gotten.
"..." Shirogane Miyuki didn't know anything about it either.
But thinking about how his sister often went over to Fujiwara's house, he didn't find it strange.
After finishing this topic, Fujiwara Chika switched the subject to Sakurai Saki's class activities.
"For this cultural festival, Saki-kun's class is opening a café, right?"
"Umu, and we have to cosplay too. The girls will wear maid outfits, the boys will wear butler outfits."
At first it was just supposed to be a maid café, but the girls in class disagreed, saying there had to be gender equality. In the end, it turned out like this: half and half, no one could escape serving.
"Saki-kun, you'll be wearing it too, right?"
"For now I'm scheduled for a two-hour shift."
With the strong demands of the girls in class, Sakurai Saki had no chance to object.
"If you happen to drop by then, let me know in advance, I can give you a little extra discount."
"Umu umu, I'll definitely come~."
In truth, the discount didn't matter. Chika simply wanted to see him in a butler outfit.