The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
Saturday.
I woke up a little earlier than usual.
I’d studied longer than usual last night. With so many events this week—like seeing Kanade again—I’d really built up some fatigue.
I didn’t get much sleep.
But even so, I woke up earlier than usual.
“…It’s the day of the date, isn’t it?”
After school yesterday, I made plans to go on a date with Kanade.
Well, strictly speaking, I hadn’t intended to make plans with Kanade… but before I knew it, it was decided we were going on a date.
The turn of events was so sudden that for a while, my brain refused to process it… but once it came back online, a whirlwind of emotions began to swirl inside me.
Still, the strongest feeling that began to take root was… I absolutely cannot mess this up.
“I’d better fix my bedhead before I go.”
Today, above all else, I’ll spend the day without making any blunders so Kanade doesn’t get fed up with me.
With that in mind, I decided to pay even more attention to my appearance than usual.
I left my room, intending to go to the dressing room on the first floor to fix my bedhead.
I can’t let Kanade see me looking this scruffy.
“Oh, good morning, A-kun.”
……I just said I couldn’t let her see me like this!
“Good morning. …Um, Kanade, why are you here?”
Kanade was already in the living room, munching on what looked like breakfast bread, as if it were perfectly natural for her to be here.
“Hmm? Come to think of it, I realized we hadn’t actually decided on a meeting place or time.”
Now that she mentioned it, after our date yesterday—partly because Kanade had left a little earlier—we hadn’t decided on a meeting place or time, let alone… where we were even going.
“Couldn’t we have just texted each other to figure it out?”
“Hehe. I figured, since we’re at it, I might as well just come over to your place.”
“……”
“……”
“……I see.”
“Hehe. Right?”
It was true—it was faster to meet at each other’s homes than to go out of our way to meet at a place neither of us had been to before.
That Kanade is a genius at saving time, man.
“Oh, and I did ask Auntie for permission right before she left, you know?”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. She told me she left your breakfast on the table, so I should eat that for breakfast.”
“Oh, that bread. That was supposed to be my breakfast.”
……My mom is still cold toward me as always.
“Huh…? So… does that mean I’m skipping breakfast?”
“Hehe.”
Kanade must have finished her bread, because she stood up.
“Akkun. Actually, I already had a proper breakfast at home today.”
“Huh?”
She already ate, but she ate my breakfast…?
“But I took advantage of your aunt’s kindness and ate the bread even though I have a small stomach.”
“You ate it?”
“Yeah. Thanks to that, my stomach hurts a little…”
“It hurts…?”
It’s pretty pathetic, and I think she’s saying something hard to understand…
Kanade, how can you look so smug…?
“……You shouldn’t have forced yourself to eat it.”
Honestly, I can’t think of anything else to say.
“Hehe. I had a reason I had to force myself to eat it.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.”
Kanade stood up and headed to the kitchen.
……No way!
“I’ll make your breakfast, A-kun.”
Looking at Kanade’s shy smile, I completely understood her intentions.
That Kanade… she’s planning to serve me a proper hot meal—not the bread my mom prepared—just so I’ll be ready to go out with her…!
So, Kanade, in order to prevent food waste, you made me eat that bread even though I was already full…!
Damn it.
That Kanade…!
“Hehe. Just wait a sec, okay?”
If I was already full, couldn’t she have just made breakfast for me after making me eat the bread!?
“I’ll make your breakfast right away, A-kun.”
Guys have bigger stomachs than girls, so if she’d done that, Kanade wouldn’t have had to suffer either, right!?
“A-kun, just wait on the sofa.”
Well, whatever…
“I wonder what I should make for breakfast…”
After all, I get to eat the food Kanade prepared for me.
I sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV.
Just as I started watching the morning talk show, I heard the sound of Kanade opening the refrigerator door.
…And then, the sounds from Kanade’s side stopped.
No sound of her taking out ingredients, no sound of cooking… I couldn’t hear a thing.
“……Kanade?”
I tore my attention away from the TV and turned my gaze toward the kitchen.
Kanade stood there, the refrigerator door still open, completely motionless.
“Is something wrong?”
I stood up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen.
“……Ahaha.”
Kanade gave a dry laugh.
“Akkun. …Is it okay if we have breakfast at a nearby café?”
“Huh?”
For a moment, I was confused and didn’t understand what she meant… but when I looked inside the fridge, it all clicked.
“The fridge is completely empty, isn’t it?”
“…It’s completely empty.”
Apparently, Mom had left for work after using up all the food.
“Waaah. Akkun, I’m sooo sorry.”
Kanade started getting flustered, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Hahaha. It’s okay. It’s fine, really. It’s no big deal.”
For a while, I ended up desperately trying to comfort Kanade…
Maiasa
Well, the best girls shop take empty fridges into calculation and shop on the way to their beau’s home.
shop and take*