The 28th Day of the Wind month. On that day, I was in despair.
I had expected that this day might come, but it seems that today really is the day.
Yes, it happened while I was eating dinner at Lilia-san’s mansion.
Putting the fork down on the plate I was about to eat, I quietly shook my head.
[……Kaito-senpai? What’s the matter?]
[A- Ahhh, no, it’s just that I don’t have any appetite……]
[Are you alright, Kaito-san? You look kind of pale……]
[Ah, no, I’m fine.]
Hina-chan and Aoi-chan, who were sitting near me, called out to me with concern, but I couldn’t hide the discomfort that was crawling through my body as I tried my best to reply with a smile.
It seems that she has felt my discomfort, as Lilia-san hurriedly rushed over to me. This was my biggest miscalculation though.
[Kaito-san!? Are you alright!? Are you not feeling well……]
[Ah, no……]
[I was being careless. No matter how much the blessings keep us from getting sick, your body could still weaken from something like fatigue…… Luna!? Get a doctor right away!]
[Eh? Ah, you’re mistaken!?]
Arehh? This is bad, I felt like the situation had turned serious. No, no, you’re worrying too much, Lilia-san……. Isn’t it a bit too much even though I just said that I don’t have any appetite!?
Or rather, w- what should I do…… This flow of conversation…… How the heck did this happen?
[My Lady, unfortunately, finding one at this time of day is difficult, and I don’t think Miyama-sama’s situation isn’t that serious…… Why don’t we just let him take a night’s rest for the time being and look at his situation again tomorrow?]
[T- That’s right! I- I think that’s a good idea too.]
Just for this day, I want to give Lunamaria-san my thumbs up. That’s a great follow up…… With this, Lilia-san would also……
[That’s no good! If we do that, what will you do if Kaito-san “dies”!?]
[I’m not going to die, you know?! Eh? Do I really look that bad!?]
It seems that it wasn’t effective to the worrywart Lilia-san, as she wasn’t easily convinced, and for some unknown reason, me, the person who Lilia-san is supposed to be worried about, is soothing her along with Lunamaria-san.
Thereupon, somehow, we somehow managed to convince Lilia-san that I will be getting one good night’s rest…… and if I didn’t feel better, it was decided that we would call for a doctor tomorrow.
Laid down on the bed in my room with a wet towel on my forehead, I began thinking.
How did I get into this mess? I- I can’t say it, I can’t tell them now that I’m “not really sick or anything like that”……
No, in the first place, did I ever tell them that I was feeling sick!? Just because I said that I don’t have any appetite, you’re treating me like a sick person!? Seriously, how the heck did this happen……
As I was thinking about this, the door to the room that had been quiet was vigorously opened.
[Kaito-kun!? A- Are you alright!? I heard you were sick, so I rushed over!]
[……Where did you even hear that from……]
[From Shalltear…… Ahh, that’s right! I brought you some fruits! Can you eat?]
[Eh? T- Than—– wait, that’s a lot! What’s with that amount!?]
Kuro bursts into the room, looking very flustered, and reaching into her black coat…… She pulls out a large amount of fruit enough to fill half the room.
Then, turning her back to the pile of fruits, Kuro comes closer to me, who is lying on the bed, with a look of concern on her face.]
[Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? Should I change your towel?]
[Ahh, no, I’m really okay……]
[R- Really? That’s good……]
Hearing me say that I’m fine, Kuro patted her chest in relief. She then prepared a small chair and sat down beside the bed.
[However, for you to suddenly get sick…… I guess you were really accumulating quite the fatigue huh? You need to get some rest.]
[……Ah, no, you see…… K- Kuro……]
[Unnn?]
[A- Actually…… I’m not really sick……]
[…..Eh?]
I was already at the end of my conscience. The fact that the other party is Kuro may have had an influence on it, as I couldn’t hide it any longer and slowly began to explain the real situation.
[……E- Errr…… To sum everything up…… Kaito-kun doesn’t want to eat “a food you disliked”, so you said that you don’t have any appetite, and because of that, everyone misunderstood?]
[……Yes…… That’s right.]
I’m so embarrassed right now that I want to disappear…… Yes, in the end, the cause for all this ruckus is just because of this.
In fact…… I think it’s pathetic since I feel like a young child, but I hate “bell peppers”.
Unnn, I’m just really weak with them. Maybe it’s because I have strong memories of hating it as a child, but I can’t help but reject that.
I was originally apprehensive about it. In this world, there are ingredients with different names than the ones in my world, such as ripple fruit.
So, I had been on the lookout, wondering if there might be bell peppers in this world somewhere, but I hadn’t encountered them even after quite a few days of living in this world, so I somehow let down my guard.
Then, unbeknownst to me, there was a bell pepper in today’s dinner that I brought in my mouth…… and recognized them by the taste I hated spreading in my mouth.
Thinking about it now, I could have just honestly told them that I really hated that food, but in front of my two junior girls and my own girlfriend, I was too embarrassed to mention that I didn’t like bell peppers, and my puny pride got in the way.
……My bad, Aoi-chan, Hina-chan…… I was looking pale simply because I hated the taste of bell peppers.
……I’m sorry, Lilia-san…… I said that I didn’t have any appetite, but I actually just didn’t want to eat bell peppers.
[H- Hmmm. Lilia-chan being hasty in making decisions may be a problem but…… Kaito-kun, you also need to apologize for worrying about her.]
[……Unnn.]
[Well, I’m really glad you’re okay, Kaito-kun.]
[……Kuro.]
Kuro looked dumbfounded when she heard me, but it quickly changed to a gentle smile.
Immediately after that, Kuro’s coat rippled and transformed into something like a cooking table, and she also had an apron over her clothing.
[If you hadn’t eaten dinner properly, you must be hungry, right? Hold on a second. I can’t make anything too fancy, but I’ll make you something.]
[Uuuuu, thanks, Kuro.]
[Fufu, I’m Kaito-kun’s girlfriend after all.]
After saying that and giving me a big smile, Kuro took out some meat and eggs, and started cooking.
I didn’t see any point in lying down on the bed anymore either, so I got up and decided to watch Kuro cook.
The way Kuro cooks seems like she’s accustomed to it…… She at least looks more deftly than I did, and soon, the room begins to be engulfed in a fragrant, delicious scent.
Mmmm, but I’m sure it’s partly because she’s wearing an apron, but she looks really homely…… Seeing Kuro like this is somehow good too……
After a while, it looks like the meal is complete, and Kuro places an omelet with small dice of meat in front of me.
The half-boiled omelet is accented by the savory grilled meat and looks very tasty.
[Now, eat up.]
[Thank you for the meal.]
I was quite hungry, having barely touched my dinner, so I quickly put my hands together and brought the omelet to my mouth.
The soft egg envelops the meat exquisitely, and every time I bite into it, the juicy, overflowing meat spreads a happy savoriness in my mouth.
[Tasty……]
[Really? That’s great~~]
The eggs enhance the flavor of the meat, while acting in harmony with the eggs, the meat enhances its gentle flavors.
This is really good. I especially like the meat, I wonder what meat this is? The chewiness feels like beef, but it was completely different from it…… Anyway, there was some deepness in it, and yet, it has a mild and clean aftertaste.
Stimulated by the captivating taste of this meat, I asked Kuro.
[Kuro? This really delicious meat, what kind of meat is this?]
[Unnn? Ahhh, that’s the meat of a “Giant Mantis”.]
[Bfuuuhh!?]
[Kaito-kun!?]
Eh? Wait a moment? What did she just say? Giant Mantis? ……When she mentioned Mantis…… Did she mean that insect with two scythes?
The moment I grasped the meaning of Kuro’s words, a great amount of sweat began to flow down my body.
N- No more, I don’t want the meat of this world anymore…… I thought I’ve become accustomed to this world, but I think it will take some time for me to become used to this world’s food culture.
[Did you eat too vigorously? You have to eat slowly, okay……]
[U- Unnn……]
W- What should I do…… The moment I realized it was the meat of a mantis, it felt like the tablewares became incredibly heavy.
H- However, Kuro went out of her way to cook this for me…… I- I can’t leave anything behind. I- I guess I have no choice but to eat it huh?
D*mn it, if this was going to happen, I should have finished the whole thing first before I asked……
As I was thinking about that and trying to prepare myself, Kuro suddenly clapped her hands, as if she had an idea.
[That’s right! I forgot…… I heard from Shalltear about a way of eating that Kaito-kun would like!]
[……Eh?]
[W- Well, it’s a bit embarrassing but……]
Information from Alice? The heck is that? I somehow feel like this has happened before…… That’s right. It was when I was with Isis-san!
Eh? Does that mean she would do that? She would feed me, saying Ahhn with the spoon held in her hand? W- Well, if it’s just that……
Anticipating what’s about to happen, I handed Kuro the plate…… and for some reason, Kuro cuts off a bit of the omelet, and “puts it into her mouth”…… Eh? Why?
Then, she quickly approached me, who stiffened at her unexpected actions, and briskly reached out her hands…… And brought my face close……
[Hnnn……]
[Mgnnhh!?]
Kuro’s lips met mine, and immediately afterwards, along with the sensation of my mouth being pushed open, I felt the omelet pushed into my mouth along with Kuro’s tongue.
C- C- C- Could this be m- mouth-to-mouth feeding…… T- This is no good, I feel like my mind is melting…… I feel like the meat within my mouth tastes very sweet.
[……E- Errr…… What do you think? Is it delicious?]
[Eh? A- Ahhh, u- unnn.]
I should apologize to Kuro…… the taste didn’t come into my mind at all! Or rather, Alice!? Of all the methods there are, why the heck did she tell her about this……
[That’s great~~ There’s still “lots” over here! My mouth is a bit small, so it might take us a while…… But I’ll properly feed you “all of it”!]
[…………………]
Kuro looks a bit embarrassed as she said that with a bright smile on her cute cheeks, but the words she said felt like a death sentence in my ears.
Heaven and hell have come together at the same time!? W- What the heck should I do here…… I can’t do anything at all.
The door is blocked by that pile of fruits, and Kuro is ready to feed me all the rest of the omelet into my mouth…… Ahh, this is no good. I can’t escape.
Dear Mom, Dad———- A petty amount of vanity has led to an unexpected situation. I’ll tell Lilia-san and the others the truth tomorrow and apologize…… but for now, what I need to do first——— is to overcome this hellish heaven.
<Afterword>
Kaito: [ I hate bell peppers. ]
Serious-senpai: [No, rather than saying that it is your (Kaito) hell, isn’t this more of a hell for me!?]