Sweet Cohabitation Romcom With My Senior Girlfriend and Alcohol Starts At Twenty - Volume 1 Chapter 7.7

Love Calls

Video calling.

It’s an intimate time where you can talk while seeing the other person’s expressions.

It’s a blissful moment where, even though you’re physically apart, you can feel as if your lover is right there with you.

But the same goes for the other person. Any small fluctuation in your heart can be revealed through your facial expressions.

Looking away, getting a little flustered, or falling silent when faced with the truth.

Even though it’s a happy time, it doesn’t mean you can escape from the usual daily life.

However, even with video calls where a slight change in expression can give you away, it doesn’t mean your innermost feelings are conveyed.

That is, if Kureha Senpai hadn’t called me, I might have called her in just a little while… at least that’s something I can be thankful for with video calling.

Otherwise, she would probably notice my restless demeanor not just from my face, but from my hands, my body language, or even from the tone of my voice.

My lover, Kureha Senpai, is that kind of person.

But it’s not just teasing that makes it difficult.

“Did you eat properly?”

“I did.”

“It wasn’t just cup noodles, was it?”

“I had a proper hamburger. Oh, and I cooked it myself.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Before we lived together, she would worry about my sloppy eating habits and check on my dinner like this.

It’s another aspect that makes me fall for her all over again.

With her bright red hair fluttering softly, Senpai flashes a charming smile.

Ever since I started living with Senpai, my eating habits have completely changed, and now I feel uneasy if I don’t have a proper meal.

As a human being, it’s normal to have proper meals, but before living together, I prioritized pondering over Kureha Senpai much more than eating.

Even now, it’s not like I don’t spend time brooding. However, I’ve improved my lifestyle so as not to sadden Senpai.

Suddenly, I felt a bit of unease.

It was the redness in her cheeks. Clearly, it reminded me of how she looks when she’s had alcohol, and I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of worry.

To dispel that anxiety, I decided to ask casually.

“By the way, have you eaten, Kureha Senpai? I’m worried you might be drinking too much and not eating…”

“Mwahaha… no need to worry! Today, it’s just this one can!! I’ll be eating soon too!”

Along with Senpai’s words, what appeared on the screen was Senpai’s favorite peach liquor.

My anxiety grew, but a part of me still wanted to believe everything was okay.

Suppressing those feelings, I tried to offer some supportive words.

“You say it’s just one can, but it’s a tall one, isn’t it? Well, if it’s really just that one…”

“There’s no way that’s true. As her boyfriend, what exactly do you think you know about Senpai?”

My best friend interjected with a sharp tone before I could continue.

“…Yes?”

“Look at this disaster!!!”

Before I could reply, Yuu must have snatched the smartphone from Kureha Senpai because the screen shook violently.

In the meantime, I could hear my girlfriend and best friend causing a ruckus on the other end of the call.

“Eh, wait… what are you doing, Yuu-chan!!?”

“Resign yourself! This is your punishment for all the teasing you’ve done to me!!”

“It’s your fault for being so cute, Yuu-chan!”

I couldn’t tell if they were on good terms or not as they bickered without seeming too angry.

Amidst this, I was shown a sight that made me stunned.

“…Senpai, isn’t this a bit too much?”

“I-it can’t be helped. I didn’t know how much Yuu-chan would drink…”

“Yet you had such a smug look on your face when you pulled it out of your bag.”

“Yuu-chan… shh!!”

“Senpai…”

The scene presented to me over the screen was a row of tall cans, clearly more than what two people would normally drink, and Kureha Senpai had brought them all by herself.

The excitement I felt when Senpai first called me had now vanished, replaced by a sense of obligation.

“Shall we keep the call going until we start eating? That’s okay, right?”

“…Yes.”

Could it be that Senpai’s eating habits are lax when I’m not around?

Frustration towards others builds up unnoticed and must be vented before it explodes. This varies from person to person, in both capacity and triggers.

But inevitably, frustration accumulates towards others, including towards a significant other, as I realized today.

“Now, Senpai. Show me how you cook. Let’s see the cool side of Senpai when she’s had a drink.”

“Ugh… you’re hitting where it hurts… I thought I could just get by with drinks and snacks…”

“After all the effort to regulate your diet, you’re going to let yourself go? What happened to the Senpai from this morning?”

“Ah, you have to eat properly in the morning, right!?”

“I think you have to eat properly at night too.”

“Ugh…”

Still, it’s satisfying to be able to vent my usual frustrations by teasing my girlfriend in return.

Teasing Senpai over the video call, I get to see her become a little downcast, flustered, or surprised when I hit the mark—expressions of Senpai I don’t usually get to see.

If there’s one complaint, it’s that I can’t record this scene. Since it’s a video call, this moment is fleeting, visible only now.

That’s the only dissatisfaction.

If possible, I’d like to tease Senpai face-to-face, but that’s probably a wish that won’t come true.

That’s why I thought we should make the most of this moment. But then…

“Hey, haven’t you forgotten about me? Well, I guess it’s fine. You can flirt with each other like you always do. But, Senpai, remember that this is my room and Takashi, I also haven’t eaten yet.”

My best friend, who had just shown me her bare face barged in while clearly irritated.

“Ah, okay…”

“I’m sorry…”

Neither Kureha Senpai nor I could find any fault with Yuu’s words.

Instead, we were suddenly overwhelmed with guilt and apologized in unison to the silver-haired beauty.