Chapter 44: Shameful

When Suzuki Yuu opened his eyes, a familiar scene appeared before him.

He sat up wearily, his mind still processing what had happened yesterday.

Once the memories finished loading, his face flushed bright red.

Oh no, was it because Chisa got too close to him, and in the heat of the moment he got so excited that he passed out from heatstroke?

How embarrassing is that?!

He couldn’t help but give himself a slap.

Even if he couldn’t control himself perfectly, even if he fell for her charms and gave in, that would be better than fainting so suddenly like that, right?

Shameful, too shameful!

How is this any different from a clueless virgin who’s never experienced anything?

Oh, he really hasn’t experienced anything.

Well, that’s that, then.

He looked down at himself, and felt even more speechless.

He was wearing his own T-shirt and athletic shorts, but the T-shirt was clearly on backwards, the tag scratching at his throat.

There was something cool stuck to his forehead. He reached up, peeled it off, and saw it was a children’s fever patch, printed with a cartoon penguin wearing a little blue hat.

Just one look and he knew who was responsible. This young lady still had no idea how to take care of people.

Suzuki Yuu could only smile wryly, his gloomy mood lightening a little.

At that moment, he heard some noise coming from nearby.

He opened the door and walked out to take a look, only to find Shiina Chisa fussing over something in a space that looked like a kitchen.

She was tormenting the pot in her hands.

Inside, an indescribable lump of blackness was sending wisps of smoke into the air.

The room was filled with a pungent burnt smell, mixed with an oddly sweet, overcooked aroma.

The counter was a disaster zone: broken eggshells scattered everywhere, spilled milk pooling on one side, a few lonely leaves of vegetables lying in puddles.

“That’s strange… The recipe clearly said to cook until both sides are golden…”

Looking at the charred mass in the pan, Shiina Chisa seemed unconvinced and flipped it over.

Seeing this, Suzuki Yuu’s lips twitched.

Don’t tell me this is meant for me?

As if resigning herself, Shiina Chisa sighed, scooped up the blackened thing with the spatula, and tossed it behind her in a graceful arc—landing perfectly in the trash can right beside Suzuki Yuu.

There were more than a dozen similar objects inside the trash.

He immediately felt a pang of heartache.

Please, don’t waste food…

To stop her from ruining any more ingredients, Suzuki Yuu stepped forward and halted her hand just as she was about to crack another egg.

“I’ll do it.”

He gently held her hand, his tone soft.

“Eh, Yuu, you’re awake?”

“Yeah, thanks for your hard work.”

Suzuki Yuu didn’t say much more, just took the cooking utensils from her hands.

He quickly cleaned up the counter. From the fridge, he took fresh eggs and milk, his movements smooth and practiced.

Cracking eggs, whisking, adding a pinch of seasoning, heating the pan, melting the butter—the golden egg mixture sizzled as it hit the pan, its rich aroma instantly sweeping away the burnt smell from before.

Shiina Chisa stared blankly, her eyes following Suzuki Yuu’s every move.

“How long have you been doing this?” she suddenly asked out of curiosity.

“Cooking? I’m not sure myself. I just naturally picked it up while working at the café.”

As Suzuki Yuu spoke, he sprinkled cheese evenly over the half-set egg, then deftly folded it with the spatula. In the pan, a golden omelette took shape.

As he worked, he glanced up and noticed it was already daytime outside the window.

“Eh, did I sleep through the night?”

“Yeah, it was already late when you got back. Now… it might be almost time for the assembly.”

“It’s fine, there’s still time for breakfast. You… you didn’t stay up all night taking care of me, did you?”

Suzuki Yuu asked hesitantly, turning in surprise to the girl standing behind him.

“Sorry, I’m not really good at taking care of people.”

Shiina Chisa’s tone was flat, but Suzuki Yuu could tell she was feeling down.

“You did great. At the very least, I slept soundly.”

He offered a simple comfort, then handed her the omelette.

“Eat it while it’s hot. Go take a nap afterward.”

“No, I want to go to the assembly.”

“But…”

“Today’s activity allows us to form teams. I want to be with you.”

Her concise words made Suzuki Yuu freeze for a moment, then he finally said softly:

“Alright, but don’t push yourself.”

“Okay.”

Soon, they finished getting ready and headed together to the assembly point.

Shiina Chisa had changed back into her casual clothes—a simple white dress, her hair loosely tied at the back.

Her delicate little face was etched with fatigue. Even so, she stayed close to Suzuki Yuu’s side, trying to look energetic.

Naturally, this drew some whispers from the informed first-year students. Their words might become the next round of rumors.

Suzuki Yuu was already used to this.

For today’s activity, they would be learning pottery.

Suzuki Yuu made swift progress. After listening attentively for a while, he was able to craft a simple piece with ease.

However, Shiina Chisa was having a very hard time.

Maybe because she hadn’t slept well last night, her hands weren’t listening to her, and she seemed half-asleep. The lump of clay before her had already collapsed several times and was a mess.

Seeing her like this, Suzuki Yuu shook his head. He stopped his own wheel and naturally walked behind her.

“Let me help you.”

He leaned down, his voice steady and barely above a whisper.

Before she could react, his warm, strong hands covered hers. Shiina Chisa stiffened instantly, her mind snapping awake.

“Like this, follow the movement of the clay. It’ll come together quickly.”

Suzuki Yuu didn’t notice her reaction. He just patiently guided her through the process.

In the end, it was his fault she was so tired—helping out was the least he could do.

“…It’s done.” When a small bowl finally took shape, Suzuki Yuu slowly let go and spoke quietly.

Shiina Chisa didn’t move right away. She stared at the little bowl, looking dazed.

It seemed… she was even a bit entranced.

“I want to keep this forever,” she suddenly said.

“Uh… it’s just a regular bowl. There’s not much value in keeping it, is there?”

“No, at least for me, it’s different.”

“Alright then.”

Suzuki Yuu didn’t really understand her thoughts, but he respected her choice.

He quickly returned to his seat, completely ignoring the sudden attention from the people around them.

Let them misunderstand—it wouldn’t be the first time.

But at that moment, Suzuki Yuu saw the last thing he wanted to see.

Tanaka, who was working logistics outside, had passed by at some point. The bucket he’d been holding was now on the ground, his mouth hanging open.

Crap…

Seeing this, Suzuki Yuu cursed inwardly.

At the same time, the earlier whispers around them suddenly grew louder.

Soon, what had started as a small conversation quickly spread.

A lot of people were already discussing whether Suzuki Yuu was some kind of scumbag…

Seeing this, Suzuki Yuu could only sigh.

Thankfully, before things got out of hand, the teacher stepped in and quieted everyone down.

Just then, he glanced over at Chisa, only to find her looking at the little, not-so-elegant bowl in her hands as if it were the greatest treasure in the world.