When he returned to Sakurasou…
Akira Fujimiya saw the lights on the first floor, as he remembered that Shizuka-sensei had moved in.
He hesitated for a moment, then prepared to go upstairs.
Suddenly—
"The ingredients are already bought. Where are you going?" a voice called from behind him.
"I want to put down my schoolbag first," Akira replied, turning to see Hiratsuka Shizuka.
She was carrying two large bags—one filled with food, the other with canned beer.
"I bought a barbecue grill so we can barbecue at home. The yard is spacious, so there shouldn't be a problem, right, Mr. Landlord?" Shizuka said with a smile.
"You bought too many ingredients. Also… I don't drink alcohol," Akira reminded her.
"Another friend of mine is coming. She's my former student, and she often invites me out for drinks," Shizuka explained.
Akira paused, guessing who her friend might be, but didn't say anything aloud.
"Hurry up and put your things down, then come help me prepare the ingredients," Shizuka said bluntly.
"All right, just a moment," Akira said, heading upstairs.
A few minutes later, he put down his bag, changed clothes, and went downstairs.
Arriving at Shizuka's room, he slipped on a pair of slippers and stepped into the living room.
The living room had been decorated and was fully furnished with a variety of furniture.
"Stop daydreaming and come here," Shizuka called from the kitchen, still busy preparing.
Akira walked over to help and froze when he saw the skewers of meat.
"How is it? Does it taste like home? When I was in college, I met a friend from there. She loved food and taught me to cook all sorts of local dishes. That's also why I didn't find a boyfriend back then—if I ever meet her again, I'll treat her well," Shizuka said, continuing her work without missing a beat.
Akira said nothing, quietly threading the meat onto skewers. He missed the snack street from that world—the smell of various foods, the bustling crowds.
Time passed slowly, and the preparations were finally complete.
Shizuka moved the barbecue grill outside, just as the doorbell rang.
Akira glanced at Shizuka, who had returned to her room, then walked over and opened the door, to find the surprise Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Akira Fujimiya?" Yukinoshita Haruno stood there, surprised.
"Good evening," Akira said with a quiet sigh.
"I thought you might want to see me?" Haruno teased with a smile.
"Please, come in," Akira replied, stepping aside.
"You live here too?" Haruno asked as she walked into the yard.
"This is my home," Akira said.
"So that's how it is… Fujimiyakun's family must be well-off to own an apartment here. What do your parents do?" Haruno asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"I… don't know," Akira replied.
"You don't know?"
Before the conversation could continue, Shizuka interjected.
"Haruno, what gift did you bring me?"
"Shizuka-sensei, congratulations on moving in here. I brought the most expensive wine from my bar," Haruno said, producing a wooden box.
"You know I don't like red wine… did you do this on purpose?" Shizuka said, sounding slightly exasperated.
"You may not like it, but Uncle Hiratsuka will probably appreciate it very much," Haruno smiled.
"Are you trying to trick me into going home again? Every time I go back, I face my old man urging me to marry. At my last place, the landlord got bribed and gave my address for a blind date. I came home once and saw the person sitting in my house! If Uncle Tamura hadn't been there, I'd have sent him to the hospital," Shizuka said, distressed and frustrated.
"Shizuka-sensei, you're at the age to get married. Your father only wants the best for you. And I think your blind dates are excellent—why resist? Do you like someone, or maybe you don't like men? If that's the case, I can perfectly play the role of your boyfriend," Haruno smiled teasingly.
Shizuka looked speechless, sighed, and said nothing more.
"Okay, I won't say anything more. Uncle Hiratsuka asked me to ask you to come home when you have time. I promised him I'd help you find a reliable boyfriend. You probably won't have any blind dates for a while," Haruno said with a smile.
"Thank you, Haruno. You truly are a good student to think of me," Shizuka breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's because Shizuka is special, so I care about you so much. If it were someone else, I wouldn't say anything," Haruno said with a gentle smile.
"Thanks, Haruno," Shizuka said.
Seeing her trusting gaze, Haruno let out a soft sigh.
Then she glanced at Akira.
"Shizuka father is a high-ranking official in the Police Department. If you take good care of Shizuka, it'll be good for you."
"I'm not planning to get into any trouble," Akira replied calmly.
Haruno smile, as she continued, "Shizuka, is the beer ready? I'll stay at your place tonight, and we'll have a proper drink."
Haruno said nothing more and simply smiled at Shizuka.
This smile—free of any pretension—felt genuine. Perhaps Haruno only smiled like this when facing a true friend. Akira thought.
"Fujimiya-kun, bring out the ingredients and beer," Shizuka instructed.
Akira walked into the room silently and brought out the food and beer.
Tables and chairs were already set in the yard, and the two women occupied them without hesitation.
Akira placed the beer on the table and started grilling.
"Mr. Landlord, thank you for your help," Shizuka said, teasingly while watching his skilled movements, and sat down comfortably.
"Wait a moment," Akira said, eyeing the barbecue.
He didn't really know how to grill meat, but he recalled the street food stalls from that world—the smells, the sizzling skewers, the skillful people who cooked them.
Isn't memory enhancement too convenient? he thought, lightly shaking his head.
With that feeling, Akira felt like an experienced employee at a barbecue restaurant.
The two women were unrestrained, drinking beer and eating skewers one after another.
After grilling a few plates and gradually mastering the technique, Akira finally started eating.
After finishing a plate, he glanced at a can of beer.
"Fujimiya-kun, children can't drink alcohol. Don't stare at my beer," Haruno said, blushing as she pointed at him.
Akira sighed, momentarily wishing he could return to that world where he was not a kid.
.....
The yard was quiet.
Akira held a glass of juice, staring at the moon as he drank.
In this world, he was too young to drink alcohol—even beer.
Though he didn't like beer, he missed the taste a little.
Thinking about it, he realized some dishes contained beer or wine—did that count as drinking if a high school student ate them?
Thud!
An empty beer can fell to the ground.
Akira looked back at the two drunken women.
It should be fine to leave them like this, right?
But as the only sober one, leaving them waiting for morning didn't seem right…
"sigh..." Akira sighed again, walking to Shizuka, preparing to wake her.
"Hiratsuka-sensei? Hiratsuka-sensei?"
"Miss Yukinoshita? Miss Yukinoshita?"
The two women acted as if they hadn't heard him.
"If you cause me trouble after you wake up, I won't be able to do anything about it. I hope you have some conscience," Akira said, helping Shizuka to her room.
A few minutes later, he placed Shizuka in her bedroom, then returned to Yukinoshita Haruno, softly speaking:
"Honestly, I don't hate you. I know you care about your sister. And your sister needs someone who can break down her inner walls. I wanted to be that person, but I can't—or maybe I don't understand her well enough.
I know she needs friends, and I'll help her find them so she can have more companionship.
As for other things… I can't guarantee anything. I might change her, but I don't want to."
After expressing his thoughts, Akira helped Haruno to her feet and walked her to Shizuka's room.
He guided her to the sofa, then turned to clean up the yard and bring dishes inside.
Once everything was cleaned, Akira glanced at Haruno one last time and turned off the lights before leaving.
When the door closed, Haruno opened her eyes on the sofa.
She pulled her phone out and ended the recording.
"What an interesting boy," she murmured, smiling.
At the same time, on the second floor, Akira glanced at Shizuka's room.
"Good night, Shizuka-sensei," he said softly, as he walked away.
The next morning, on the way to school, Akira walked alone.
Passing a convenience store, he went in and bought a lunch box and a drink.
After returning to his room the previous night, he had spent a long time studying Yukino's notes.
Her handwriting was beautiful, and the notes were neat and thorough, helping him understand the content quickly.
At this pace, he could memorise all the current notes within few days.
...
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