The Correct Japanese Terms of Homestay Seems to Be Marriage - Chapter 28

Now then, what to do?

Keitaro, having finished getting dressed, descended the stairs to enter the living room.

There, the first thing that caught Keitaro’s eye was a sight of mouth-wateringly delicious dishes, lined up neatly on the dining table.

From there, a very pleasant aroma wafted through the air, greatly stimulating his appetite even early in the morning, naturally quickening his pace.

Quickly taking his seat,

“Itadakimasu.”

With that, as Keitaro fervently offered his gratitude to both Sofia and the ingredients, the daily ritual of mealtime began once again today.

“Here, say ‘aah.'”

“Aahm, mmm…”

Sofia, sitting next to him, brought the food to his mouth, and Keitaro opened his mouth to eat it.

This series of actions had become more and more refined over the past few days, and now there was absolutely no waste to be seen.

“How is it?”

Tilting her head cutely, Sofia asked Keitaro for his opinion on the taste.

The first dish Keitaro was fed was tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette).

Keitaro prefers his tamagoyaki sweet rather than salty.

He couldn’t recall ever mentioning this to Sofia, yet for some reason, the tamagoyaki she prepared matched his preference perfectly.

With every bite, the sweetness spread throughout his mouth, not once feeling either insufficient or excessive—no negative thoughts such as it being too much came to mind, rendering any nitpicking impossible due to its perfection.

To put it frankly,

“Delicious. It’s the best in the world today too.”

It was too delicious. Incredibly so.

“Ehehe, I’m glad. Please go ahead and eat up.”

Hearing his feedback, Sofia’s face blossomed into a relieved smile, and she once again brought her chopsticks, now picking up another delicacy, close to Keitaro’s mouth.

Keitaro opened his mouth again, smoothly accepting the offering.

(…Being fed by Sofia has become so natural now. This past week, I haven’t used chopsticks myself at all. It’s delicious but problematic. If this becomes a habit, I might unconsciously end up waiting to be fed like a baby bird even while eating at the school cafeteria…)

Just a week ago, he couldn’t have imagined this current situation. His lifestyle had drastically changed.

Even something as embarrassing as being fed with “aah” had become deeply ingrained in him.

(Today is just the first day, so it ends in the morning, but from tomorrow, school really starts. Sigh… More than waking up early or attending classes, it’s the thought of lunch that’s depressing…)

The school cafeteria had already been added to the list of concerns for his upcoming school life.

It wasn’t just that he had gotten used to being fed, but having experienced Sofia’s cooking, that made a significant difference.

Whether he could be satisfied with the taste of the school cafeteria’s food was a big question.

“There’s also seconds, you know.”

“…”

Maybe I should do the eating myself.

Even if Sofia is eager to do it, that doesn’t mean I should just passively accept it. No, that’s not right.

Among the myriad of creatures, humans are supposed to be the only ones capable of restraint. Just accepting kindness without question makes one no different from an animal.

“Keitaro?”

Sofia looked at him curiously as he pondered with a serious expression.

“… Well, it’s fine.”

“…?”

In the end, Keitaro decided to continue this style of dining.

After all, it avoids unnecessary energy expenditure, so it’s not a bad thing. It’s more about energy efficiency than effectiveness. No hidden meanings.

Keitaro convinced himself of this, finding comfort in a thought process that was all too convenient for him.

(But more importantly, it’s time to go to school, to school. Hey, what should I do? Wearing a uniform stands out, and so does my height. Is there a chance that the negatives cancel each other out, making me less noticeable? No, that’s definitely not happening…)

Facing a problem that needs immediate resolution, Keitaro began to worry once again. This matter requires urgent attention.

(Maybe quitting the uniform is the best solution. It can’t be helped… It hurts to say, but let’s take back what I said before.)

After considering various strategies, wearing a uniform was fundamentally a bad choice. The basic principle should be the flexibility of casual clothes.

No matter what, the best course of action seems to be changing clothes twice.

While mentally apologizing, Keitaro was about to speak,

“Hey, So”

Just as he pronounced the first syllable,

“Keitaro, you look really, really cool in your uniform…! It suits you!”

Sofia, with a sparkling smile, interrupted him before he could finish.

“…Really?”

“Yes! Absolutely!”

Taken aback by her unexpected words, Keitaro asked back, and Sofia quickly nodded with enthusiasm.

(I can’t… Sofia’s happy smile is something I can’t ruin. Damn, what should I do…?)

Seeing such a face, all plans were doomed. What should he do now?

Is the god suggesting he should proudly walk with Sofia, showing off? Ridiculous.

(That’s right. Let’s come up with some kind of setting.)

Instead, Keitaro thought to change the premise, coming up with a natural excuse for walking to school with Sofia that could be easily explained to others.

Racking his brain desperately,

(What if a foreign exchange student moved into the neighborhood and said she didn’t know the way to school, so as a part of helping someone, we decided to go to school together…? Yeah, that happens all the time. It’s super common. And at school, we’ll try to avoid interacting as much as possible… If I explain it that way, it should be fine.)

That was indeed a common occurrence. In the worlds of anime and light novels, that is.

Meaning, it’s not fine at all.

Keitaro was utterly confused. He felt like attacking himself without understanding why.

“Keitaro, say ‘aah.'”

“Nh… gu.”

Each time food was offered, he opened his mouth, taking in the energy necessary for thinking, while continuously mulling over his thoughts.

(Let’s be optimistic. Being negative only leads to negative results, as is the way of the world. Positive thinking, positive thinking. The world is kinder than we think… Probably, maybe.)

Cutting off negative thoughts and switching to positive thinking was almost an act of escapism.

(That’s right, it’s fine. What’s the big deal about going to school with Sofia? Think of it as being her bodyguard. Because, honestly, she needs one. Sofia is way cuter than any idol on the news right now. There’s no way I’d let her walk alone.)

Glancing at the TV, currently showing a popular idol, Keitaro compared her to Sofia sitting beside him, thinking such thoughts.

Nodding to himself as he concocted a grand justification, he was suddenly tugged on the sleeve.

Wondering what it was, Keitaro shifted his attention,

“…Is that the type of person you like…?”

Sofia asked timidly, her voice quivering as if she was about to disappear, her expression filled with uncertainty and her beautiful blue eyes trembling.

“Nah, not at all.”

Keitaro firmly shook his head.

“Huff… That’s a relief…”

Hearing that, Sofia sighed in relief, visibly relaxed, and took a deep breath.

“Keitaro, you looked troubled… I thought you were comparing us…”

“Ah… my bad, you’re right. I was thinking Sofia could easily become an idol or something.”

“No, no way…!”

“Yes, way.”

Gazing intently at Sofia, who could easily eclipse even top idols with her beauty, Keitaro bluntly stated his opinion, leaving no room for argument.

If Sofia can’t become one, then who can? It’s almost believable that she could be the cutest girl in the world.

Lately, whenever he sees actresses or idols on TV or online, a spontaneous thought that “Sofia is cuter” would pop up in the back of his mind.

“Anyway, have confidence. You’re cute, possibly the cutest in the world.”

“That’s too much praise… but I’m happy…”

As soon as Keitaro voiced his praise for Sofia, she hugged his right arm tightly, her cheeks flushed, and her smile radiated happiness.

“My new uniform’s going to get all wrinkled.”

“Ehe, ehehe… I don’t really care about that…”

Despite his indirect hint for Sofia to let go, she turned a deaf ear and clung even tighter.

If Sofia were to hug him like this at school, he would be instantly declared an enemy by all the male students.

Keeping a distance at school, as he initially thought, was indeed the right decision. Even if they claimed to be family, such a sight would definitely not be accepted.

“Keitaro… you’re way cooler than those guys. The coolest in the world…”

Glancing at the TV, now showing a popular male idol group, Sofia whispered softly to Keitaro.

Hearing that, Keitaro looked at the TV and then nonchalantly replied,

“That’s definitely not true.”

“That’s the only truth!!!”