The Correct Japanese Terms of Homestay Seems to Be Marriage - Chapter 23

Safely Home

“Phew… That was long.”

Having walked a considerable distance while being exposed to the public gaze with the nearly 20KG KameUsa-kun on his back, and after riding on a fairly crowded train, Keitaro has finally just made it back home.

“I’ll open it now, here we go.”

As Keitaro took a moment to catch his breath in front of the entrance, Sophia took out the keys from her pocket and inserted them into the keyhole.

With a click, the lock was released, and the door slowly opened.

“I’m home.”

“I’m home. …I’m home…”

Entering the house and exchanging the usual homecoming greetings as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Sophia, after a brief pause, inexplicably repeated herself.

During that moment, Sophia was staring intently at Keitaro. He somewhat understood what she was trying to say. He got the nuance.

That’s why Keitaro shook his head.

“As you can see, my hands are full, so it’s physically impossible right now.”

“N-no, it’s not like… I wanted you to hug me or anything…”

It was exactly as Keitaro had thought. Without him saying anything specific, Sophia inadvertently confessed.

It seemed she was seeking a hug as a homecoming greeting, but with Keitaro currently shouldering a nearly two-meter-tall giant figure, it was fundamentally impossible.

“Well, I understand. Greetings are important. It’s like a routine, and it feels odd not to do it.”

“…Muu… That’s not it…”

After hastily kicking off her shoes with a flippant movement of her feet, Keitaro stepped into the corridor.

Naturally, or perhaps expectedly, he hadn’t noticed in the slightest that Sophia was puffing her cheeks out behind him.

“Now, if I can just get this guy to your room, I’ll finally be free…”

Walking down the hallway to the stairs, the goal was just a bit further.

“Are you sure you’re okay with the stairs?”

“I’m fine. But don’t stand behind me. Go ahead.”

“Why? Wouldn’t it be easier for you if I supported you from behind?”

“If I happen to lose my balance, it would be terrible. If something happened to you, I’d be the most troubled.”

“Keitaro…”

Sophia was almost moved to throw herself into Keitaro’s arms by his words, which shook the heart of a maiden without him realizing. However, she remembered at the last moment that Keitaro was carrying a huge plush toy on his back and restrained herself.

With occasional glances back, Sophia started to climb the stairs, followed by Keitaro.

“Alright… ugh…”

For Keitaro, who had supported the plush toy through the entire journey of escaping the crowded streets, boarding a train, and finally making it home, the stairs were a formidable enemy.

Even with innate talent or superior physical capabilities, if not utilized for years, they would inevitably deteriorate due to rust from inactivity. For the exercise-deprived Keitaro, each step he took was accompanied by a grimace of agony.

“Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine, fine. It’s so easy it’s actually tough.”

Responding to Sophia’s anxious look, Keitaro mustered all the bravado he could.

Somehow, through sheer willpower and a man’s pride, he managed to conquer the stairs. Believing that if he stopped now he wouldn’t be able to walk anymore, he gathered the last of his strength and hurried towards Sophia’s room, where he dumped KameUsa-kun onto the bed. “Dumped” might be more accurate than “placed.”

“…. Phew, I guess I’m a bit… tired…”

“You did great, Keitaro. You were really, really cool.”

Sophia clapped her hands and praised Keitaro.

“Good, you can now enjoy a peaceful sleep from today. That’s great, Sophia.”

After stretching, Keitaro stretched his arms wide towards Sophia.

“And so, here.”

“…?”

Sophia looked puzzled.

“No, i mean, huh see, welcome back.”

“Ah, I’m back…!”

As if being sprung forward, she dashed into Keitaro’s arms.

While slightly losing his balance from the impact, Keitaro managed to withstand the attack and hugged Sophia tightly.

“There, there…”

Golden hair with two ribbons swayed to the left and right.

Keitaro placed his palm on it and, with a touch as delicate as if handling something precious, gently stroked Sophia’s head.

In the midst of it, he felt a brush against his chest and realized Sophia was looking up at him, her clear blue eyes capturing Keitaro.

“Keitaro, what would you like for dinner tonight?”

Suddenly, she asked about the dinner menu.

Anything made by Sophia was bound to be delicious, but he remembered hearing somewhere that saying “anything is fine” was the wrong answer. Since yesterday’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast (lunch) were Japanese-style, he decided to go with Western this time.

A food item that nearly everyone on the planet would love came to mind, and he voiced his choice.

“Then… I want hamburger steak.”

“Okay, understood. Leave it to me. I’ll make it with all my love.”

“Just thinking about it makes me hungry.”

Sophia’s handmade hamburger steak.

It’s definitely delicious. Just the thought made Keitaro’s stomach rumble.

“Fufu, I can make anything, so please tell me anything. I can handle Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine.”

“You could easily become a three-star chef.”

If she could produce any dish with that level of quality, she would certainly have the skill to be a head chef at any high-end restaurant.

Sophia, an incredibly talented cook.

“No, impossible. I don’t want to cook for anyone but Keitaro.”

With a cool expression, Sophia rejected the title of chef. It seems it’s not a refusal to newcomers, but rather, she refuses anyone but Keitaro.

“That’s nice to hear… But hogging Sophia’s cooking all to myself feels too luxurious.”

“Then, you’re okay with me cooking for someone else?”

Hearing that, Keitaro imagined it.

The sight of Sophia serving food to someone else.

Instantly, an indescribable negative emotion bubbled up from the depths of his heart. To put it bluntly, he hated the idea. It made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

“That would be extremely irritating.”

Keitaro honestly shared his feelings.

Sophia nodded in his arms.

“I feel the same. Cooking for someone other than Keitaro is irritating. It’s a hassle. I’ll consider it for fifty thousand yen”

“That’s too crude for that amount. It should start at five hundred thousand yen”

“Isn’t that too expensive?”

“For that quality, it’s a reasonable price. Honestly, I’d even pay if I had to.”

In fact, five hundred thousand would be a bargain. If someone else could take the chance to eat Sophia’s cooking for merely five hundred thousand, Keitaro would go into debt to offer a higher price. No, he would pay.

“I’ve received enough thanks from you… In fact, I’ve gotten change…”

“Is that so? Well, then, that’s good.”

Following that, they fell into silence, spending many minutes just like that.

Thinking they should part… yet as long as Sophia didn’t say to let go, Keitaro thought it might be okay to stay like this for a bit longer, which made finding the right moment to separate even harder.

Eventually, Sophia said, somewhat regretfully, “The hamburger needs to rest for a while, so it’s about time…” Thanks to that, Keitaro was able to let go.

Had he requested a different dish, they might have continued for a while longer.

Grateful for his choice yet also feeling a complex mix of regret, Keitaro was left with mixed feelings.