Episode 269: A Moment of Inattention

「Then, that is all for the general explanation. Does anyone have any questions?」

The general explanation regarding tools, such as how to use a knife and tips for using a frying pan, was over. I’m sure there’s a lot more to it, but unfortunately, we don’t have time for such detailed talk, and besides, there’s only so much we can do in such a short period.

For now, as long as everyone can make their assigned dish, that’s enough. So, setting aside logic and technique, we just need to learn exactly as Sara-san instructs. That is the sole focus of this cooking class.

As I casually checked the surroundings, I noticed that not only the girls, but even the guys were listening to the explanation with a rare level of seriousness. As far as I can remember, I’ve never seen the guys listen so intently during a regular class.

You could say it’s because it’s Sara-san’s lesson, but seriously, these guys are way too blatant.

Moreover, if I looked closely, their eyes seemed to be darting back and forth between Sara-san’s hands and her face. Looking at them like that, I almost wanted to demand to know if they were actually being serious.

If the cooking class ends and they actually try it only to say they couldn’t do it at all, I’ll make every single one of them prostrate themselves in front of Sara-san.

In the end, no specific questions came up, but the girls seemed strangely restless, as if they had something they wanted to ask. If it was about cooking, they could just ask openly, so are they trying to ask something unnecessary again?

「Since there don’t seem to be any particular questions, please split into your groups and return to your tabl…」

「Yes! I have a question!」

Like a primary schooler raising their hand for a teacher, a girl raised her right hand high to signal herself. Her expression was blatantly smirking, giving me nothing but a bad feeling…

「Yes, go ahead?」

Sara-san didn’t seem to mind much and just prompted her to speak.

Even in a casual exchange like this, I can clearly see that her sociability has improved beyond comparison to how she used to be.

But because of that, the people around her feel she’s easier to talk to, so the girls might be trying to get involved with her whenever they get the chance.

However, that only applies to the girls. If a guy tried the same thing, well, I don’t even have to think about what would happen.

「Does Satsukawa-senpai like cats?」

「Eh? Yes, I certainly do like cats… but why do you ask?」

Once again, a question unrelated to cooking came out, and Sara-san wore a look of utter surprise. We’re short on time, so why bring up something unnecessary again…

「Well, your apron is cute, and your cat hair clip is really cute too!」

「Oh, I thought so too! That apron is so cute, right!?」

Ah, here we go again.

The girls started chanting「Cute, cute!」over and over, and the commotion gradually started to grow. I understand the desire to get close to Satsukawa-senpai since you rarely get to interact with her, but the conversation won’t move forward if this happens every single time.

「Fufu… thank you. This apron is my treasure, you see.」

That said, the favorite apron being praised made Sara-san seem not all that bothered. She wore a happy smile.

Ever since the day I gave it to her as a gift, Sara-san has always used it for housework. She has other aprons, but she absolutely refuses to use them, and her rotation is so heavy she’ll wash it at night just to use it again in the morning.

I’m happy she likes it that much, but using just one apron all the time seems like it could be inconvenient…

Oh, I see. I should just give her a new apron as a gift.

Now that I’ve decided, we should go on a date right aw… wait, that’s not what we’re talking about right now.

「Oh, really?」

「Calling an apron a treasure… wait!?」

「C-Could it be that Takanashi-kun gave it to…」

Well, given the flow of the conversation, it’s only natural they’d guess that.

The girls’ eyes clearly drifted toward me, and the guys’ indescribable glares followed right along.

「Yes. This apron was the very first gift I received from Kazunari-san. Besides, that day was the anniversary of our very first date, so to me, this apron is a treasure filled with a lifetime of memories.」

Holding the hem of the apron, Sara-san smiled happily. Since she turned this way, her eyes met mine perfectly as I was watching her. As our gazes locked as if we were staring only at each other, Sara-san looked a bit embarrassed… embarrassed…

C-Cute… that’s cheating, Sara-san…

「Ehehehe… I can feel it: the overwhelming aura of a rom-com.」

「Takanashi-kun’s got moves, though.」

「The apron is a high-point move.」

「Right. Not going for an easy accessory and picking something she’d actually use means he really thought about Satsukawa-senpai.」

「Is Takanashi-kun actually a player?」

Aaaagh, the embarrassment is unbearable!

What kind of humiliation play is this?

I can’t tell if they’re praising me or teasing me, but everyone is smirking at me and it’s beyond awkward.

「Hey, Takanashi-kun! Was that apron like, an appeal to Satsukawa-senpai!?」

「Huh?」

And finally, the target of the talk shifted to me.

Even if they call it an appeal, I just bought it purely as a thank-you gift, and I didn’t have any other motives… I didn’t… right?

「Oh, come on, playing dumb now?」

「It was that, right? Wearing this apron while making my miso soup or something!?」

「Hah!? No, wait…」

「KYAAAAAA!!!!!」

「Wait, wait, that’s basically a proposal, isn’t it!?」

「Takanashi-kun, that’s heavy, way too heavy for now!?」

These people aren’t even listening to me.

The girls were busy inflating their own made-up stories, completely ignoring me as they kept the conversation moving.

Come to think of it, when they misunderstood my relationship with Hanako-san, they did the exact same thing, making up stories and causing a scene.

「A date with Satsukawa-senpai… a proposal…」

「Ughhhh!! Why is it nothing but talk like that lately!!??」

「Aaaah, stop it… the reality, the reality is too harsh…」

What a coincidence, I was just thinking the same thing… wait, no.

Leaving it like this seems bad, but cutting in seems bad too. Either way, I can tell they’re just going to add more unnecessary made-up stories.

But I really need to stop them soon or the cooking class is going to be delayed even more…

「Hmm… so you were making moves on Wife since back then?」

And now even Hanako-san, sitting next to me, was starting in on it. She muttered that with a look of displeasure, giving me a somewhat cute side-eye.

Wait a second, don’t tell me even Hanako-san is being dragged into these made-up stories…

「No, you’re overthinking it…」

「Everyone, please do not trouble Kazunari-san! We are moving on now.」

Noticing my distress, Sara-san suddenly tightened up the atmosphere with a stern voice.

「「「 Yes, ma’am! 」」」

The girls replied to her voice with the enthusiasm of elementary schoolers.

Seriously, what is wrong with them…

Until the cooking class started, I thought I only had to worry about the guys. But now the girls seem dangerous in a different way.

I’m afraid they’re going to sniff out things they shouldn’t if I let my guard down…

Once the explanation from Sara-san was all finished, the classmates split into their pre-assigned groups and moved to each table.

From here, each group would start cooking a different menu item, and our group was in charge of omurice.

In a gimmick… I mean, a concept cafe like a Maid & Butler Cafe, omurice is a classic of classics, basically the flagship menu item.

That’s why our group had more people assigned to it than others, and I was included in the mix.

As everyone knows, I’ll be busy with the student council on the day of the festival, so I can’t be part of the actual workforce. But that’s exactly why I wanted to be involved in the important parts of the preparation. I decided to join this menu item with that in mind, and naturally(?), Hanako-san requested to be in the same group as me.

As for Hanako-san, she doesn’t actually have to be stuck at the student council based on the assignments for that day.

I wonder what she’s planning to do?

「Hey, Hanako-san. What are you doing on the actual day?」

「If Kazunari isn’t participating here, I’m not either.」

Well, to be blunt, that was a response so expected it was almost too expected. However, I couldn’t help but think it might be a waste to throw away the chance to participate in the stall when she actually had the time…

「Hanako-san, you technically have the time to be here…」

「Yeah. But even so, I want to be with Kazunari… and with everyone else.」

「I see.」

Right…

I realized I’d asked a tactless question. If Hanako-san is fine with it, then I’ll stop saying anything more. Sara-san and I had decided on that from the start anyway, so Hanako-san could just join us.

Yuji, Nishikawa-san, and the others would be joining up too, so it actually sounded fun to just have a completely independent festival with our own group.

「Fufu… Kazunari, are you happy?」

「Hmm? Why?」

「Because you just gave a really happy smile.」

Crap, I thought it looked fun in my head, but I guess it showed on my face.

Hanako-san giggled happily, grabbing my left hand and starting to swing it back and forth. Seeing Hanako-san with such a happy smile was rare, so I found myself feeling happy just watching her.

「Are you happy because you’re with Big sister?」

「I just thought the school festival sounded like it would be fun.」

「Hmph, Kazunari is so dishonest. But that’s cute too.」

「No… look.」

It’s embarrassing, so I wish she’d stop saying things like that as a sneak attack.

But it really is rare to see Hanako-san this giddy. I guess it shows how much she’s looking forward to spending the festival with us.

「…Ehehehe, things over here are looking quite friendly too…」

「…Mmm, how fragrant… I can smell it from here.」

「…But it’s a shame Hanasaki-san isn’t participating.」

「…Yeah. But she looks so happy, it would be bad to get in her way.」

「…I was so looking forward to Hanasaki-san in a maid outfit…」

「…My dream of a tsundere loli maid…」

「…It’s Takanashi again…」

Crap. I went and scattered unnecessary bait myself…

「Yes, anyway, please be careful of that. As long as you follow that point, the rest is fine even if it’s a bit vague.」

Just as I was trying to pull myself together, I heard Sara-san’s voice from behind my back.

Right, I shouldn’t be thinking about stupid stuff while Sara-san is working so seriously.

I switched my focus back from my loose state of mind and called out to the others as well.

「Sorry for the idle talk. Let’s get started.」

「Oh, right!」

「Alright, let’s get to cutting these veggies.」

「Which one first?」

「Should we just split up the work for now?」

It seemed everyone had heard Sara-san’s voice, and they responded readily to my words. They immediately dropped the chatter and reached for the potatoes, carrots, and onions prepared on the table, moving them to their cutting boards.

Then, while confirming the points Sara-san had explained with each other, they picked up their knives and slowly began to work.

Alright, I’d better start too.

Be careful with the grip… hand placement like this… knife grip like that…

Recalling the sight of Sara-san from earlier, I confirmed each movement in my head. Slowly, carefully, so I wouldn’t panic, and a bit timidly(?)… no, it can’t be helped. I’ve only ever used a knife a little bit in home ec, after all.

And as I tried to slowly cut the potato in front of me…

Wait? This is hard, I can’t cut through it.

In fact, the knife isn’t even moving properly.

That’s weird… let’s think about Sara-san’s talk again…

「Kazunari, you can’t just push down with the knife. For vegetables, you have to push like this…」

Thud!

As Hanako-san explained to me while moving her knife, the carrot under her hand was sliced clean with a satisfying sound.

「Whoa.」

Right, Sara-san certainly was cutting like that.

「You’re good at this, Hanako-san.」

「Hmph… this much is easy for a Big sister. You try too, Kazunari.」

「I-I will…」

Feeling a sense of warmth at Hanako-san’s smug appeal, I steeled myself for another try and placed the knife against the potato.

Applying force as if pushing the knife forward…

Thud!

「Oh, it cut!」

The potato that was so hard to cut before was sliced easily this time without much effort. Can one change in technique really make this much of a difference?

「You are quite skilled, Kazunari-san.」

!?

Hearing a voice from the side, I realized Sara-san had come over.

Don’t tell me she heard that sound I just let out…

「S-Sara-san, that just now was…」

「Fufu… you are so cute, Kazunari-san♪ I shall give you lots of pets later, so please keep up the good work.」

Ah, this is the pattern where she heard everything and even noticed that I was embarrassed. Well, her reading me isn’t exactly news, so it’s not surprising.

More importantly, pets… even though I asked her not to give me special treatment… although the truth is I’m happy about it.

「…Puff, puff, puff… Satsukawa-senpai is being so sweet… gahk」

「…Wow… what was that… Satsukawa-senpai is like a different person…」

「…Ehehehe, Satsukawa-senpai… what a feast for the eyes.」

「Alright! I cut it perfectly!!」

「S-Satsukawa-senpai!! Look, if I do it like you taught us, I can cut this fast!!」

「You’re too soft!! Satsukawa-senpai, look at mine!!」

Ah, I knew it would end up like this…

These idiots are way too predictable. And since they got ahead of themselves and talked to Sara-san, of course…

「I told you to do it slowly. If you cannot even listen to instructions properly, then go do whatever you like at that other table.」

「Ah…」

「Um…」

「S-Satsukawa-senpai…」

「And you two over there, if you keep acting on your own, leave the room!」

「Hieee!?」

「W-We’re sorry!!!!」

Aaannd, there it is.

The current Sara-san didn’t have even a shadow of the gentle smile she usually shows me.

But what she’s saying is perfectly logical. It’s their own fault for not taking it seriously when they were the ones who asked for help.

They deserve to be scolded, and they wouldn’t have any right to complain even if they were kicked out.

Fortunately, there are other members handling the same menu item anyway, so if those guys were removed, it wouldn’t really…

「S-So scary.」

「I guess Satsukawa-senpai hasn’t changed after all.」

「I mean, the difference between her and Takanashi-kun is just too much…」

「No, no, that just means Takanashi-kun is just that special to her.」

「Whew, that was close, glad I didn’t say anything…」

「Damn it, the difference in treatment compared to Takanashi is so bad it makes me want to cry…」

「Good boy pets… S-Satsukawa-senpai said that…」

「Uwaaaaah, why only Takanashi!!」

「Haa, those guys are idiots.」

「Nothing new there. There’s no medicine for idiots who don’t realize they wouldn’t even be spoken to if it weren’t for Takanashi.」

「…Kawamura is harsh as ever.」

It’s just as Kawamura said: if they thought Sara-san had become easier for men to approach, they were dead wrong.

That said, the result was that the loose atmosphere tightened up all at once. This should reduce the number of idiots with weird ideas. I can focus on my work now too.

Also… since she had to deal with that unpleasantness, I want to make it up to her when we get home… and no, it’s definitely not because I want to be pampered.

As expected, that incident served as a turning point, and everyone finally started working properly. The guys who got scolded managed to avoid being kicked out, but they were under silent pressure from everyone else (especially the girls) for ruining the mood. Talk about a bed of thorns.

However, setting that aside…

「S-Satsukawa-senpai, what should I do here!?」

「Satsukawa-senpai, I want you to look at this!!」

The way the guys were using her serious attitude against her by calling her over for things that didn’t seem important was really starting to bother me.

But since they seemed to be doing the work properly, I might get called out if I made a fuss easily…

Thud…Thud…

「…Kazunari… won’t…」

I know this is just jealousy. I’m sure Sara-san is treating it strictly as a job, but then that means this is just my own selfishness…

Thud…Thud…

「Kazunari, it’s dangerous if you don’t focus…」

Hmm?

Did Hanako-san just say something?

「Hanako-san, did you just say something… ow!?」

I felt a sharp pain in my fingertip and checked my hand immediately.

…I did it. I’m bleeding.

Sara-san told me to focus, and this is what I get for thinking about other things. I forgot to curl my fingertips… but it doesn’t hurt that much, so it’s not really a big…

「Kazunari!? Wife!!!!」

「Kazunari-san!?」

But I’m the only one who thinks that; to anyone watching, well… yeah.

Hanako-san called for Sara-san in a panic, and seeing my state, Sara-san rushed back over, looking shocked.

I guess I’d better apologize to Sara-san…