Sunday was sunny, a perfect day for going out.
Chisato was quite busy today, with a full schedule.
He took out his phone and checked his schedule.
[Sunday, morning: Tutor Kazusa in her studies; afternoon: She tutors me in piano.]
[Evening: Utaha has scheduled a meeting; the specifics are still unknown.]
Having taken a leave from his part-time job at the starlit café, Chisato didn't feel any urgency.
As a high school student, his weekends were either spent with beautiful girls or on his way to meet them.
This lifestyle left Chisato feeling both guilty and fulfilled.
With the current severe gender imbalance, he felt a bit guilty for occupying so many positions alone, as if he was infringing on the rights of his male peers.
But it was alright, he thought. If he could have more experiences with them in the future, it could be seen as giving back positively to society.
After breakfast, Chisato set out and arrived at Kazusa's house around nine.
He had previously noted how Kazusa's leg injury had made him reflect on the opulence of her home.
Rich people's houses were indeed on another level; just looking at such a villa made ordinary people feel a sense of class disparity.
But Chisato's mindset had changed since then, so he didn't feel the same sense of futility. He rang the doorbell directly.
After ten seconds, he rang the doorbell again. A cold but slightly elder-sisterly voice came from inside.
"Who is it?"
"Hello, it's the tutor."
"...You really came."
Kazusa's voice conveyed a sense of resignation.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Click."
The door automatically opened.
Chisato walked through the yard. Kazusa had already opened the door and was waiting at the entrance.
She was dressed simply today: a long-sleeve white shirt paired with fitted black pants.
Simple and neat outfits test a person's physique and temperament; otherwise, they risk being seen as dowdy.
However, for Kazusa, these weren't issues.
With her model-like tall figure, striking face, and the elegant aura honed from years of piano practice, she could naturally pull off such an extremely simple style.
"Good morning, Touma."
"Not good, I was sleeping soundly until you woke me up."
"So, you haven't gotten ready yet?"
"...Are you here just to annoy me this early in the morning?"
"Of course not. Oh, right, here."
Chisato handed her a bag.
"What's this...?"
"Some snacks from the convenience store—Pocky sticks, chocolate, pudding, and so on."
"Studying is mentally exhausting. If you get tired later, have some and take a break."
"...Thanks."
"Today you're surprisingly straightforward."
"Mind your own business!"
Kazusa placed a pair of slippers in front of Chisato from the shoe cabinet and then walked into the house.
Chisato changed into the slippers, closed the door behind him, and walked towards where she had gone.
Upon pushing open the partially closed door, he found a living room with transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, offering excellent views, ventilation, and lighting, and a well-maintained courtyard.
Kazusa was sitting on the sofa, already tearing open a chocolate wrapper and eating.
Chisato walked over.
"Aren't you supposed to have gotten ready?"
Kazusa gave him a pretty look, clearly uninterested in answering. Her attire suggested she wasn't just getting up.
"This is for when you feel tired during studying. What will you do now if you eat it?"
"Well, there's plenty left. Besides, you can't study on an empty stomach."
"You haven't had breakfast?"
"Yeah."
Kazusa had been looking forward to meeting Chisato at home on this Sunday, so she had given her daily caretaker a day off, hoping to create a private space for the two of them.
Usually, she didn't handle cooking at all, and with her mother's ingrained belief in protecting her hands, she never considered cooking as an option.
She had woken up at seven in the morning, struggled with her outfit in front of the wardrobe, and eagerly waited in the living room, watching a pointless comedy show while waiting for Chisato.
If Chisato had been any later, she would have likely ordered takeout.
"Alright, stop eating the snacks; they're not a substitute for a proper meal."
Chisato took the bag of snacks away from Kazusa.
"Do you have any ingredients at home?"
"What are you planning to do?"
"Just to make sure you eat enough quickly, and then I'll officially start teaching you."
"...I'm not really sure. There should be some."
He's going to cook for me~
Kazusa suppressed her joy and, with a blank expression, popped the remaining chocolate into her mouth, leading Chisato to the kitchen and opening the fridge.
"Here's some food. It's thoughtfully wrapped in plastic wrap. Just take it out and heat it in the microwave; it should be ready to eat."
Chisato took out a stack of prepared dishes and showed them to Kazusa.
A note was stuck to the plastic wrap—
"Microwave for three minutes. The utensils are on the table; you don't need to worry about them. I'll clean up tomorrow."
Aunt Obara, it's really okay! You don't have to be so considerate!
Kazusa sighed inwardly.
"I don't want to eat this."
Driven by her thoughts, she crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.
"You're such a picky eater. So, what do you want to eat?"
Chisato put the food in her hand into the refrigerator.
"Anything is fine, I just don't feel like eating leftovers."
"It looks good though... but fine. There's plenty of food in your fridge, let me see what I can make... There's leftover rice, green beans, eggs, shrimp... How about fried rice? Oh right, you don't like leftovers."
"It's okay, the rice from yesterday doesn't matter."
Kazusa emphasized again.
"So, fried rice is okay?"
Feeling a bit guilty under Chisato's gaze, Kazusa looked away.
"Yeah, I don't dislike fried rice."
"Got it. Wait in the living room, it'll be ready soon."
"Oh."
Although they agreed, Kazusa didn't go back to the living room. Instead, they took a few steps and sat on the high stool outside the kitchen.
From the open kitchen counter, she faced Chisato and took out her phone.
Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but her mind had drifted far away.
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