Kato Megumi didn't complain about the pain anymore. It had to be said that the special medicinal wine from the Kasuga no family was truly effective.
Her slightly sore wrist, after a burning sensation, felt cool and the pain vanished.
However, Megumi couldn't tell if the coolness on her wrist was from the medicinal wine or the heat radiating from Kasuga no Tou's slightly rough hands.
She buried her head in her chest. Despite displaying such bold and masterful acting earlier, she now became incredibly shy.
Kasuga no Tou suddenly wondered if his brain had gone haywire. How dare he invite a girl to his home so boldly?
And speaking of which, Kato-san seemed even bolder! She actually dared to come to a boy's house, especially when no one else was home. How could she be so lacking in the dignified poise expected of a beautiful girl?
Furthermore, rubbing a beautiful girl's wrist wasn't exactly a perk for him. While there was a fleeting moment when he thought about finding a wife like Kato Megumi, Kasuga no Tou's greatest strength was his self-awareness.
A beautiful girl of her caliber, why would she look at a penniless, powerless poor boy like him? Don't blame others for being realistic. Reality is that if you don't have money, you can't even afford a bride price.
Money may not be everything in life, but if you don't have it, life definitely revolves around money.
Because you desperately try to stretch every penny, your mind constantly preoccupied with finances, isn't that what it means for life to be all about money?
So, although Kasuga no Tou didn't oppose dating, firstly, he needed to find someone of similar social standing. And secondly, without a solid financial foundation, he wouldn't do anything that might hold a girl back.
However, looking at Kato Megumi's current blushing expression, Kasuga no Tou felt his principles slipping away...
So-called bottom lines, aren't they just things that retreat when others touch them? In this regard, Kasuga no Tou felt he might be about to lose his bottom line.
Before the atmosphere became irrecoverable, Kasuga no Tou quickly shifted his attention.
"Kato-san, how about staying for dinner tonight?"
The moment he finished the sentence, he wanted to slap himself. If Megumi stayed, the atmosphere would definitely become even more awkward, right?
Moreover, making such a sudden invitation felt disrespectful. Even though he and Megumi had been friends for a year, they shouldn't be at the point where he could invite her for dinner at his place, right?
What was going on? Why did he feel like those inexperienced virgins who couldn't keep their composure?
Oh, right, he was a virgin. Never mind then.
But to his surprise, after a moment of contemplation, Kato Megumi accepted Kasuga no Tou's invitation.
"No problem. I've been wanting to try Kasuga-san's cooking for a while. I'll be intruding then." She lowered her head, avoiding Kasuga no Tou's gaze, and walked straight past him, settling onto the sofa in the living room.
Kasuga no Tou remained speechless throughout.
Things were subtly slipping out of his control.
...
Kasuga no Tou's cooking was indeed excellent. He could fill his sister's belly to the brim, so he must have some skill. Though Kato Megumi was talented in housework and her cooking skills were basically maxed out, it had to be said that Japanese cuisine, compared to that of a certain country, was not even in the same league.
It was only comparable to a single specific cuisine type.
Due to the presence of a guest, Kasuga no Tou, with a heavy heart, took the ribs he had bought yesterday from the refrigerator.
Originally, he planned to treat himself with them over the weekend. He had anticipated another weekend of instant noodles in Kashima Yuu's apartment. So, if he could save some money, he could indulge himself occasionally.
But now, he couldn't care less. Not only was he entertaining his friend, a rare beauty, but the mere fact of having guests over for the first time in his home was enough to motivate the boy to offer the highest level of hospitality.
It was actually quite funny. This was the first time anyone had been a guest in his home since his parents passed away.
Those relatives who wanted to grab his inheritance didn't count as guests. Or rather, they didn't even count as people.
Kasuga no Tou himself had a very limited social circle. In his year and a half of high school, he only had Kato Megumi as a friend. Usually at school, he tried to be as transparent as possible. Many people had been in the same class for a year without knowing there was a person like Kasuga no Tou in the class.
As for Kyousuke's friends, they were mostly at school. The private Otome Saki Girls' Academy was over a hundred kilometers away from the Kasuga family home, so Kyousuke's friends wouldn't be idle enough to travel so far just for a meal.
So, no matter how you counted it, Kato Megumi was the first guest at the Kasuga household.
Seeing Kasuga no Tou take the ribs and vegetables from the refrigerator, Kato Megumi instinctively wanted to lend a hand. She couldn't help it. As the girl who always handled household chores, she was unaccustomed to being idle and felt a little uncomfortable suddenly being free.
But she was quickly sent out of the kitchen by Kasuga no Tou. The reason, of course, was the injury on her wrist.
After pouring a full half-pot of oil, Kasuga no Tou tossed the blanched ribs into the hot oil. This was his favorite way to eat them in his previous life. The ribs were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a rich texture.
However, when Kato Megumi saw the boy's actions, she couldn't help but frown.
Girls generally fear greasy food. For them, gaining weight is the biggest enemy.
But for Kato Megumi, this was the first time she would try Kasuga no Tou's cooking. Although everyone would collaborate during cooking class, that didn't count as the boy's individual achievement.
Maybe Kato-san would have been happier if there hadn't been any meddling classmates in their group.
Though she was distracted for a moment, the girl quickly regained her focus.
What should I do later? I want to try Kasuga-san's cooking, but I don't want to gain weight...
Kato Megumi fell into a dilemma.
Kasuga no Tou was oblivious to this. Even though he had poured half a pot of oil, it was only for frying the ribs. When the meat on both sides of the ribs slightly shrunk, revealing the bones, he used a strainer to scoop out all the ribs.
After pouring the oil from the pan into a large bowl, the boy poured the ribs back into the pan and added the sauce he had prepared earlier.
The aroma of vinegar filled the kitchen, wafting into Kato Megumi's nose. The girl couldn't help but swallow her saliva, stimulated by the scent.
This scent... how many bowls of rice should I eat later?
If I eat too much, will Kasuga-san think I'm a glutton?
Women are so fickle.
Kato-san's concerns transformed into something else in a blink of an eye.