27 - Tojo Ayaka's Thoughts③

RAW

As I walk side by side with Otsuki on the road to the supermarket, I let go of my attachment to the limited edition ice cream.

Apple pie flavor, available only this summer.

It's a hot topic on social media, and after a lot of trouble I finally managed to get my hands on this supreme ice cream after going to nearby convenience stores and supermarkets.

I had kept it carefully stored deep in the freezer as a special treat for summer vacation...

But!Thanks to the ice cream, Otsuki and I were able to spend some time together, so I have to look at it positively!

For the sake of the ice cream that was sacrificed!

"Now that I think of it, the ice cream that Ikue was holding earlier has been getting a lot of attention lately, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Do you know it, Otsuki?"

"Yeah, I happened to see it being sold at a convenience store the other day so I bought it and tried it, and it was really delicious."

"...Huh? Have you ever tried that ice cream, Otsuki?"

"Yes, huh? You haven't tried it yet, Ayaka?"

Oh, you traitor, Otsuki!

I was in the blazing heat of midsummer, going from convenience stores and supermarkets all over town until I finally managed to buy it...

"I haven't tried it yet... I wanted to..."

"Haha... Then, next time I see it, I'll save it for you, Tojo."

Otsuki must have looked really depressed because he said it with concern.

I guess it feels good to have Otsuki being so kind to me...?

Maybe I should try to be a little more depressed?

"I've been looking forward to that ice cream for a long time...I've been looking forward to eating it so much that I even dream about it..."

"Um...the convenience store near my house seems to be a hidden gem, and they might still have it, so I'll check it out next time."

"But when I looked online, it said it's already sold out everywhere..."

"Then, how about we go on an ice cream hunting trip together next time?"

Otsuki-kun suggested with a wry smile and jokingly, and I couldn't help but stop pretending to be depressed and break into a big smile.

"Really?!"

"Yes, I want to eat that ice cream again too."

Yay!

I've got plans to go on another date with Otsuki-kun!

I feel bad for Otsuki-kun because I pretended to be depressed on purpose and lied a little...

But this is also a game of love!

I have to work hard to make this love come true!

"I wonder if they still have it?"

"Look all over town, and if you can't find it, go to the next town. I'm sure you'll find it if you look all day."

"Yeah, you're right. If you look all day, you'll definitely find it! All day..."

I want to spend the whole day with Otsuki.

What should I do? I want to eat ice cream, but I can't find it and I want to keep looking for it with Otsuki.

Ugh...love is a constant agony.

I'm once again keenly aware of how difficult love is.

But I never thought that a limited edition ice cream would be the catalyst for me to make a date with Otsuki.

Maybe the limited edition ice cream was my lucky item today.

I should have checked my morning horoscope.

"Thank you, Otsuki."

"No, no, I want Tojo-san to experience the deliciousness of that ice cream too."

Otsuki says this with a soft smile.

Ah, he's so kind.

Just seeing his smile makes my heart warm.

"I have to thank Otsuki. There's tomorrow after all."

I've been taking advantage of his kindness, so I want to give him something in return.

"Is there anything you want me to do, or anything you want?"

"You don't have to worry about it that much."

"I'll worry about it, so just tell me anything. For your sake, I'll... do anything."

Otsuki usually has a mature air about him, and would never call me selfish, but what if he asked me to do all sorts of things?

What would I do, just imagining it is so cute!

If he said something like that, I'd do everything he said. I'd do everything for him!

"Well, um... I can't think of anything in particular right now, so I'll think about it for a bit."

"I see... yeah. Don't be shy, okay?"

"Okay, I understand."

Otsuki nods with a smile.

I see... so there's nothing in particular you want me to do...

I have so many.

Things I want Otsuki to do.

Things I want to do with Otsuki.

Even now, I want to walk hand in hand with Otsuki like we did the other day...

I casually cast a glance at his left hand.

Come to think of it, when I looked up love tactics online, it said that light body contact is effective.

It seems that if you pick up the hem of someone's clothes and lightly tug on them, it makes men feel attracted to you.

Right, all right!

I'll lightly pinch Otsuki's sleeve too and make him feel attracted to me.

With determination, I reach out for Otsuki's left sleeve.

And just when I think I can reach it, Otsuki's left arm suddenly reaches out and gently embraces my left shoulder.

"Huh?!"

Huh? What's that?! What happened?!

My heart pounded at the sudden event.

Suddenly, a light truck passed by us at a fairly high speed, while we were confused and unable to grasp the situation.

It was then that I finally realized.

Otsuki had switched positions to protect me from the truck.

"Oh, thank you."

"No, I'm sorry I didn't notice either."

After saying that, Otsuki nonchalantly guides me so that he is on the side of the road.

I-I feel like I'm being protected and my heart is beating fast... I walked quietly next to him, looking down so Otsuki wouldn't see my probably red face.

I was thinking of tweaking his sleeve, but if I did that now, my heart wouldn't be able to take it...

Trying to calm my heart that was pounding wildly inside my chest, I took repeated deep breaths so Otsuki wouldn't notice.

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In the end, we arrived at the supermarket without being able to tweak Otsuki's sleeve.

"For now, the side dishes we'll put in our lunchboxes are tamagoyaki, fried chicken, and a cup gratin, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Otsuki says, picking up a basket at the entrance to confirm.

"Next, we need some color."

"That's right... Oh? A pack of cherry tomatoes is 98 yen! How about some for your lunchbox?"

Otsuki turns to me, holding a container full of small, but colorful, delicious-looking cherry tomatoes that look good for the price.

I thought the same thing when I bought sesame oil before, but Otsuki's eyes sparkle innocently when he sees something cheap.

His expression is so cute, and it's a stark contrast to his usual mature demeanor, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, that's a good buy. Oh, and how about making coleslaw with the vegetables from your lunch box?"

"That sounds good. Then I have to buy some cabbage... Oh, it's 198 yen today... I could have bought it for 78 yen yesterday..."

Otsuki looks very frustrated when he sees the price tag on the cabbage section.

"Oh, there's no other way. Let's just put up with this price."

"Yeah... I guess."

Does Otsuki's personality change a little when he goes shopping at the supermarket?

He has a look on his face that I don't usually see, so I can't help but stare at him.

"Ah! Tojo-san. A pack of 10 shiso leaves is on sale now! Let's buy some."

"That's true. But how should I use shiso leaves?"

In my mind, shiso leaves are used as a condiment for somen noodles.

How should I use them to make a side dish for my lunch box?

With that in mind, I asked Otsuki-kun, and he suggested some dishes.

"Well... I think chicken ham wrapped in shiso leaves, or rice balls wrapped with miso, or pork belly wrapped with pickled plum and grilled would be delicious."

"All of those sound delicious!"

"Then, shall I make a little at a time and put them in lunch boxes?"

"Yes!"

It's strange how when Otsuki-kun talks about cooking, everything sounds delicious.

"100g of Mochibuta belly meat, 198 yen... Hmm, that's expensive... No, but considering that it's Mochibuta, it's cheap... Hmm, domestic pork is a luxury item... Hmm."

Otsuki-kun looked serious in the meat section.

He looked like a total househusband, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"When we shop at the supermarket together like this, it feels like we're living together."

I said jokingly, and Otsuki, who had been looking at the meat with a serious look on his face, suddenly looked up and looked at me.

"If I lived with Tojo, I'd try really hard to cook every day."

"R-Really? But that would be a problem. Your cooking is so good, I'd eat too much and get fat."

"But I'm happy, because the weight you will gain is because you've enjoyed my cooking."

Oh, what a devil!

Otsuki is a kind devil!!

If he had such a serious look on his face just a moment ago, and then suddenly smiled and said something sweet like that, it would make my heart flutter!

If... if I lived with Otsuki, I'm sure I'd reach my highest weight of my life in a week.

"Besides, Tojo-san's cuteness isn't diminished by your body shape."

"......!!"

Oh, Otsuki! Otsuki is scary!!

What?! Did you just say I'm cute, Otsuki?

Why? What's wrong?

Maybe you got excited seeing all the cheap stuff at the supermarket?

Hearing what Otsuki said, I froze up, and he looked taken aback before awkwardly looking away.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away."

"Uh, no. Not at all..."

An awkward silence flowed for a while.

What should I do? I need to bring up a topic to change the atmosphere!

As I was thinking about this, Otsuki started speaking first.

"By the way, they were selling wakame stems earlier. Shall we go and take a look?"

"Ah... uh, yeah. That's right...."

Ugh, I wish he'd forgotten about the wakame stems...

With complicated feelings, I continued shopping with Otsuki.

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Ayaka's feelings towards Haruto: Otsuki is a kind devil!!