The Top Idol Next Door Can't Help But Crave My Guilty Pleasure Meals-Chapter 3Volume 1 .1 - Which part? Hey, which part?

ROUND 3 – Which part? Hey, which part? 1

One day, the head of our family collapsed at the entrance of the house without any apparent sign before and was taken to the hospital.

The cause was overwork and malnutrition.

At first, I was very confused.

Each day as I returned from school, I found Dad always staring blankly at the TV.

Mom worked full-time, so there was no worry about income, but the problem was meals.

Since we started having dinner together, we have been sharing the pre-made foods that we bought at the store.

There was not a trace of conversation between us.

In such a state, I couldn’t imagine he’d recover from that state of poor health.

That’s why I scoured online videos and started cooking by imitating what I saw.

The first thing I tried was a fried egg. I sacrificed four eggs before I could cook one properly.

I also tried making curry. Although I followed the instructions on the box, the roux was somehow watery and the vegetables were undercooked for some reason.

Dad said nothing and continued to eat my failed dishes.

Day after day—day after day—every day.

Before long, the final day of his leave of absence arrived.

At the very least, I wanted to improve his eating environment and create a little joy in Dad’s life.

I served him my wholehearted specialty dish.

This was a menu I had practiced many times, using ingredients I bought with my own pocket money, which was separate from our daily meals.

That day, just like always, Dad silently took a bite of my cooking.

Then, to my surprise——he adjusted his chopsticks, leaned forward, and began to eat it quickly.

Eventually, Dad let out a few words after swallowing the last bite of the food.

“…That was delicious.”

——It had been several years since I last heard Dad’s voice with warmth in it.

There was a bowl of pork rice on the table with not a single grain of rice left.

Right after returning to work, Dad quit his job.

Furthermore, he started to be frequently absent from home.

Some time had passed——one evening, just when I thought it seemed unusual for the three of us to be gathered at the dinner table, Dad made a surprising announcement.

“I’m going to take over a friend’s izakaya.”

It seemed that he had been training at the shop and acquiring qualifications related to the food and beverage industry while he was away from home.

Later, I asked Dad why a man who didn’t know the first thing about cooking was interested in the food and beverage business.

“I thought to myself while eating your homemade cooking, Suzufumi. I want to make someone happy with my own cooking too.”

Dad said so and smiled while ruffling my hair.

I know food is a sure path to making people happy.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

That’s why I can’t just leave her alone.

☆☆☆

On the last day of spring break, the sound of the doorbell woke me from my sleep.

“I’m coming.”

Rubbing my eyes while still in my pajamas, I head toward the entrance.

It must be a delivery person.

Occasionally, Dad sends a huge amount of food along with a note saying, ‘Try this out, I recommend it!’.

Sometimes it’s branded meat, sometimes organic vegetables, sometimes limited edition sweets.

I’m grateful for the sentiment. The problem is the amount that arrives is far too much for one person to finish it by himself.

It’s a struggle to finish everything when it’s packed in a volume that seems enough for at least ten people.

I slip on my sandals and open the door.

“——Good morning, Suzufumi.”

Standing before me was the resident of room 810, Sasaki Yuzuki.

“It’s already eight o’clock. Were you still sleeping?”

My neighbor looks at me with the eyes of a teacher cautioning a student who has dozed off during class.

“…Good morning, Yuzuki.”

I see, so it’s not enough to have a wake-up voice, you’ve come to wake me up in person.

Dressed in a shirt and shorts, her long legs are dazzling.

“I have been awake for a while now.”

“Your reply sounds like an automatic translation.” (返事が自動翻訳みたいになってる)

Well, it’s true that I would have long since gotten up and finished breakfast by now if it were a weekday, but spring break isn’t over yet, so this is what happens.

“Already off to work? You’re quite popular, aren’t you?”

“Actually, I’m running late today. Here, take this.”

Yuzuki held out a book to me.

On the cover was a beautiful girl lying face down on a bed and looking straight at the camera.

“It’s my first photo book, which was released today. I’m giving it to you, Suzufumi.”

The Yuzuki on the cover had a feminine expression and was gazing at me.

It made me feel as if I was actually sharing the bed with her, so my heart skipped a beat.

Any trace of sleepiness had long since vanished.

“It’s already going for a reprint at the pre-order stage, so I’m sure you won’t be able to find it in bookstores right now.”

The obi on the cover reads, ‘Shopping, dinner, beach…The unwavering 【Spotlights】 center. A close-up on Arisu Yuzuki’s vacation!’

“Ah, it’s about time for me to go. Bye!”

After pressing the photo book against my chest, Yuzuki brings her lips close to my ear.

“…Have lots of fun, okay?”

Feeling a tickle in my ears, I instinctively stepped back.

Yuzuki flashes me a mischievous smile, then waves her hand flutteringly and heads towards the elevator.

I stood by the entrance while still holding my ear as I saw Yuzuki off.

Lots of fun… you’re talking about spring break, right?

The pounding in my chest didn’t seem like it would subside unless I kept telling myself something like that.

☆☆☆