"Knock knock knock..."
"Gulu gulu gulu..."
The constant noises in the kitchen signaled that Chisato was preparing lunch in an orderly manner.
In the living room, Kazusa sat at the table, maintaining the same posture as before, not moving at all.
Everything felt so natural, as if they had returned to the weekend of the previous week.
However, the reality was that their relationship had broken the calm due to one party's self-destruction and had developed in a completely unpredictable direction.
If I start a family in the future, will it be as warm and natural as it is now?
Kazusa found themselves lost in such thoughts.
Because of their positioning, she could clearly see Chisato's movements, while he couldn't observe her side.
The young man's tall and slender figure provided her with excellent visual enjoyment, causing her heart to flutter.
When Kazusa heard Chisato say that he fell in love with her at first sight, she wanted to say that she felt the same way.
But due to her lack of courage and difficult personality, she couldn't express such words, so she could only listen passively and silently.
She replayed what he had just said in her mind.
Compared to the fleeting thoughts in her own heart, Chisato obviously had much more on his mind.
He wasn't just focused on the present; he was also actively looking forward to the future.
He mentioned wanting to stay by her side in the future, and he was genuinely working hard for that.
Kazusa looked down at the test papers on the table, her lips pursed tightly, yet she couldn't help but smile like an aunt.
He's actually thought about our future together.
Uh-huh!
He can say such shy words in such a normal tone, without any expression—what a shameless guy!
But…
I feel really happy.
The news of his past closeness to many girls faded into insignificance at that moment.
"Oh…"
It had been a long time since Kazusa had felt so happy; she couldn't help but murmur.
Quickly, she covered her mouth and glanced toward the kitchen, feeling guilty.
Chisato had his back to her, and due to the distance, he didn't seem to hear her soft voice.
Kazusa sighed in relief, her great joy followed by a sense of helpless distress.
She had received an unexpected answer, but a brand new question loomed before her.
He had already expressed his feelings. According to the usual practice, she should also express her thoughts next.
But the "routine" that I know isn't based on experience; I've gathered it from various films and romance comics during the two years I neglected to practice the piano.
In other words, she had no practical experience—only theoretical knowledge that she didn't even know was correct. It felt like a completely new blank slate.
Kazusa was in deep distress. It had been half an hour since Chisato walked into the kitchen.
If he finished cooking lunch and she remained dull and silent, would he be disappointed?
Would he feel embarrassed, perhaps even decide not to be around her in the future?
It would be nice if my mom were here.
Kazusa thought of her mother, who had once been a role model in her youth. The famous pianist not only possessed exceptional skills but also never lacked admirers.
If it were her, what advice would she give me now?
Kazusa laughed at herself and shook her head slightly.
Now that things have happened, what's the use of thinking about the heartless mother who abandoned me? It won't help the current situation at all.
In the end, she still had to rely on herself.
However, could someone like her—who came from a broken family, had a bad temper, and was difficult to get along with—really accept the affection he poured out so calmly?
After contemplating this, Kazusa suddenly fell into a low mood, feeling uneasy again.
It was at that moment that Chisato's lunch was ready.
He prepared a simple Japanese meal: the main course was potato stew and tempura fried shrimp, accompanied by a lettuce salad and daikon miso soup.
He took off his apron, served their meals, and then invited Kazusa to the table. The two faced each other and picked up their chopsticks simultaneously.
Chisato whispered, "Let's eat." Kazusa only moved her lips slightly but made no sound.
The time left for her was too short, and there were too many things to consider. S
he hadn't sorted out her thoughts yet and didn't know how to face Chisato, who had such feelings for her.
So, she could only lower her head silently, using silence as a way to buy herself some thinking time.
Just procrastinating like this wasn't the answer; she had to say something.
She needed to say something that could ease the current atmosphere and make Suzumiya feel better.
"Today... today's meal is delicious."
With all her strength, Kazusa managed to say these words.
It came out extremely dry, without any warmth.
Chisato put a piece of potato into his mouth and replied simply, "As long as you like it."
Considering Kazusa's eating preferences, he had specially made all the dishes sweet today, and it seemed to be effective.
"As for what I said before, just listen, Touma. I don't need you to respond. I just wanted to say those words of my own volition, so you don't have to worry too much."
Chisato's original intention wasn't this.
He had hoped to take this opportunity for self-confession to see a more obvious reaction from Kazusa, not just the favorability prompts that kept appearing in his perspective.
However, based on the fact that she had only held back such an unrelated sentence for so long, Chisato realized that Kazusa's character might be much clumsier than he had thought.
So, he abandoned his original plan and decided it wouldn't hurt to give her more time to think.
But this thoughtfulness conveyed an entirely opposite signal to Kazusa.
Is he angry because I'm being silent?
Next, would he leave her behind like her mother did?
I definitely don't want that kind of thing to happen again…
"Zhila—"
Kazusa suddenly stood up, gripping the table, causing her chair to screech against the tiled floor.
"Suzumiya, actually, I—"
"Ah, I haven't been back for a long time; I really missed you~"
A slightly mischievous and frivolous voice came from the entrance hall on the other side of the corridor, interrupting Kazusa's words.
Both of them looked toward the corridor in surprise.
"Kazusa, Mom is back, ah—"
A beautiful woman with shoulder-length hair appeared in the living room.
When she saw the two at the dining table, her generous smile suddenly froze, and she quickly covered her mouth in disbelief.
"Am I disturbing you?"
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