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Chapter 171: The Two Must Find Happiness Together!
🕑 Added 2025-03-03 07:54:29 +0000 UTCThere's a saying: "One hears the voice before seeing the person."
The moment Minami Shouji stepped out of the backstage break room, he immediately understood the meaning behind it.
"Minami-kun!"
"Minami, Chef."
Two voices.
One was as bright and passionate as the scorching sun, impossible to ignore.
The other was calm and steady, like the gentle flow of a clear stream, bringing a sense of quiet peace.
"Chisato, Inoue-san."
Minami nodded, smiling as he greeted them, while casually glancing behind them.
Aside from the two, none of the other members of Riko-Riko were present.
Minami asked, "Is it just the two of you today?"
"The manager, Kurumi, and Mizuki-san are busy at the café. They won't be able to come see you today, Minami, Chef."
Inoue Takina lifted her fair-skinned face, her words naturally carrying a respectful tone as she explained to Minami.
It was the weekend—Riko-Riko's busiest time.
Although Mizuki and the others wanted to come, they simply couldn't leave the café unattended.
"Minami, Chef..."
Hearing Inoue Takina's serious tone, Minami found it amusing.
Takina was still as rigid as ever.
But considering how long they had known each other, her insistence on using honorifics was starting to feel unnatural.
So, he took the initiative and said,
"Takina, we're the same age, and I never officially accepted Riko-Riko's invitation to be their chef. You don't need to be so formal when talking to me."
"That won't do."
Takina's fair, well-defined face remained serious. "Minami, Chef is still Minami, Chef."
Even though she couldn't verify whether the memories in her mind were real or false,
Takina's respect for Minami was completely genuine.
Not only did he save Chisato's life, curing her congenital heart disease,
He also helped Riko-Riko secure funding from the Tokyo Red Cross,
And would even stop by from time to time, using his exceptional cooking skills to attract customers.
Thanks to Minami's help, Riko-Riko was in a much better position than before.
They no longer had to stretch their funds to the limit,
Nor live in constant anxiety over their café and orphanage's financial state.
Takina had always been a traditional girl,
And she had always wanted to repay Minami's kindness.
Kindness, coupled with the fragmented memories in her mind—
Memories of a happy life spent with Minami and Chisato.
That was why, when Chisato casually declared that she was Minami's girlfriend,
Takina didn't refute it.
She simply accepted it.
And so, at the very least, she wanted to show him proper respect.
She continued addressing him as "Minami, Chef"—
Which made Minami shake his head with a chuckle.
"I really can't get used to being called 'Minami, Chef' all the time."
Minami thought for a moment, then made a suggestion.
"How about this? I'll call you 'Takina,' and you can call me 'Minami-kun' or just 'Minami,' like Chisato does. You can pick whichever feels more natural to you."
"Eh...?"
Takina furrowed her elegant brows slightly, looking troubled. "I don't think I can do that."
Addressing someone directly by their given name felt too informal.
"Other than Kurumi and Mizuki-san, who I've known since childhood, I don't address anyone like that..."
She hesitated, her silky black hair falling gently around her face.
Hearing this, Minami smirked teasingly and reached out, taking her hand in his.
"So, I'm not considered one of your companions?"
His voice was steady and warm, his gaze clear.
"B-But... Minami, Chef..."
Feeling the warmth of his palm, Takina's usually cold and composed expression instantly melted into a soft, flustered pink.
"Minami-kun, or just Minami."
Minami repeated with a gentle smile.
"B-But..."
"Minami-kun, or Minami."
"Ugh..."
Takina lowered her gaze, finally murmuring in a barely audible voice:
"Minami-kun..."
For some reason, just standing in front of Minami made her feel like all her usual strength and composure had been stripped away.
She felt powerless—as if all the energy in her body had been drained.
Yet, she didn't try to pull her hand away from his.
But what she didn't expect was that Minami wasn't done yet.
Still smiling, he raised a single finger.
"Say it again."
"Huh...? Minami-kun."
"Again."
"M-Minami-kun..."
With people passing by in the corridor, Takina felt embarrassed and instinctively tried to pull her hand back.
But Minami didn't let go.
"Once more—"
After teasing Inoue Takina back and forth over a dozen times, making her face flush completely red, Minami Shouji finally let go, satisfied.
For some reason—
Looking at a serious and well-behaved girl like Takina always gave him an inexplicable urge to mess with her a little.
"Hey—Minami-kun, don't just flirt with Takina! Look! There's also a bright and cheerful beauty standing right here!"
"...Putting aside whether it's appropriate for a 'cheerful beauty' to call herself that... Chisato-san, do you even realize what you're saying?"
Minami glanced at Nishikagi Chisato, who was squinting with a mischievous grin.
"What do you mean by 'flirt'?"
All he did was get Takina to change the way she addressed him—how was that flirting in any way?
"Ara, ara~ This customer sure is something. You've been teasing the girls at our shop all morning, you know?"
"..." Minami Shouji.
Yep.
This was definitely Chisato.
A girl who could shamelessly say things that would make most girls stutter in embarrassment.
Oh well.
Minami shook his head, deciding not to take her teasing too seriously.
Instead, his gaze shifted to the cloth bag she was holding.
"What's that?"
Curious, Minami asked.
"This?"
Chisato lifted the bag proudly, let out a playful "hmph hmph" through her nose, then explained:
"This is a special homemade breakfast bento that Takina and I prepared just for Minami-kun~!
After all, knowing your personality, you probably haven't had the time to eat yet, have you?"
She spoke while untying the bag, revealing a sturdy, single-layered bento box.
With a triumphant look, she pulled the lid off.
Inside was an assortment of classic bento dishes—
Hamburger steak, fried chicken, mini sausages, vegetable salad, cherry tomatoes—
A colorful variety, all neatly arranged and visually appealing.
"So? How is it?"
Chisato flipped her hair confidently, flashing a brilliant smile.
"Takina and I woke up early just to make this—and based on the time…
Minami-kun, you should be hungry by now, right?"
...I should be hungry now?
Hearing Chisato's words, Minami instinctively placed a hand on his stomach.
He had just eaten—
Two sushi rolls, a rice ball and a half, ten takoyaki, a bowl and a half of yakisoba, and a hot dog and a half—
All courtesy of Shinjo-san.
Hungry?
Minami's expression stiffened.
Just looking at the overly generous portions of Chisato and Takina's bento was already making him feel full.
But the real problem was—
There was no way he could refuse.
The effort and care they had put into this bento was obvious.
The rich variety of dishes, the precise arrangement—
Even from just a glance, he could tell how much time and effort went into making it.
[2.1 Points: Well-seasoned, visually appealing fried chicken]
[1.9 Points: Slightly excessive dressing, but overall a solid vegetable salad]
Considering that Chisato used to only be capable of making 1.1-point omelet rice...
For her to improve this much in such a short time—
Minami subtly glanced at the hands Chisato had been hiding behind her back.
On her once smooth, unblemished hands—
Were several cute, cartoon-themed band-aids.
"..."
Minami sighed.
So that's how it was.
He rubbed his stomach, weighing his current stomach capacity, then let out a deep sigh.
He really shouldn't have eaten so much earlier.
He should've saved some room.
"Shouji-kun, what's wrong? Why the sigh?"
Chisato tilted her head.
"I'm sighing because I'm overjoyed."
Minami replied casually, taking the chopsticks from Chisato's hands before digging in.
His pace was noticeably faster than usual—
Gone was his usual calm and composed dining manner.
Within just one or two minutes, half the bento was already gone.
"Wow, as expected of a guy—"
Watching Minami devour the food, both Chisato and Takina looked surprised.
"You're eating so fast."
"..." Minami Shouji.
If he didn't eat fast enough—
That damn fullness would catch up to him, making even the most delicious food hard to swallow.
Within just five to six minutes, he had somehow forced himself to finish the entire bento.
"That's amazing... So this is a guy's appetite? He actually finished the whole thing in just five and a half minutes?"
Chisato gawked at the now completely empty lunchbox.
She genuinely hadn't expected him to clear the entire meal so quickly.
Not a single crumb remained.
However, compared to her shock—
Takina, standing beside her, simply looked concerned.
"Shouji-kun… were you really that hungry?"
"...It was fine."
Minami remained seated on the bench, struggling to get up.
No choice—
He was stuffed.
After already eating so much earlier, adding an entire bento on top of that—
Minami found himself absentmindedly rubbing his stomach through his shirt, his expression a mix of satisfaction and regret (more of the latter).
Still—
Considering how much thought and effort Chisato and Takina had put into it…
There was no way he could show any signs of discomfort.
As Minami braced himself, he smiled and offered a compliment.
"It's actually pretty good. What really surprised me was how quickly both of your cooking skills improved, Takina, Chisato… Hmm, but just one serving might not be enough after all."
In reality, Minami was already stuffed.
But telling a harmless lie here shouldn't cause any problems.
At least, that's what he thought—until he heard Chisato's triumphant chuckle.
"Just as I predicted!"
"Predicted?"
"Yep!"
Chisato grinned as if she had seen right through him.
"Actually—ta-da! Surprise! This lunchbox may look like a single-layer bento, but it's actually a double-layered one! There's a hidden compartment underneath!"
Without hesitation, she unclipped the wooden bento box, revealing an identical second layer beneath.
"I knew it! A teenage boy wouldn't be satisfied with just one serving, so I prepared a two-layered bento in advance!"
Placing both hands on her hips, Chisato tilted her head back at an almost ridiculous angle—practically towering over Mount Everest with pride.
"Come on, Minami! Praise me!"
"..."
Minami glanced at the additional bento, then back at Chisato, who was beaming with pride.
A surprise, huh?
Yeah… This was definitely a surprise.
Instinctively, he placed a hand on his stomach.
For a brief moment, he had the urge to strangle his past self from a few minutes ago.
Using the excuse that "I'll save this for lunch later," Minami somehow managed to escape the nightmare of eating three breakfasts in one sitting.
But to be honest…
With how full he felt right now, there was no guarantee he'd even be hungry by the afternoon.
Shaking his head in exasperation, he turned toward the empty seats beside him.
Chisato and Takina had gone to the restroom.
Which meant he had a short window to let his stomach settle.
Perfect.
Thinking that, Minami closed his eyes and decided to rest for a moment.
Meanwhile, in the Shuka High girls' restroom, Takina hesitated as she watched Chisato washing her hands.
Then, gathering her courage, she spoke up.
"Ch-Chisato… I'm sorry."
"Huh? What are you apologizing for all of a sudden?"
Chisato tilted her head curiously.
"...Even though you're the one who cares about Minami the most… Earlier, I…"
Takina trailed off as the memory of Minami holding her hand flashed through her mind.
She suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
She had always known just how much Chisato loved Minami.
But their interaction just now…
It felt like she had shut Chisato out.
"Hah? What are you even talking about, Takina?"
Crossing her arms, Chisato gave her an incredulous look.
"Why would I ever be mad about something like that?"
"Huh…?"
Takina blinked in surprise.
"Listen—"
Without hesitation, Chisato reached out and clasped Takina's hands in hers, smiling playfully.
"Getting jealous over something like this? Not happening! And didn't I tell you before, Takina?"
"What?"
"True happiness is when the two of us attain it together!"
Their fingers intertwined as their eyes met.
Chisato's crimson irises burned like autumn leaves in the wind—passionate, unwavering.
Takina's violet gaze was calm, serene—like wisteria flowers swaying in a quiet breeze.
"I want to be with you, with Minami, forever and ever. We're one and the same. No one can separate us."
Her words were something no outsider would ever understand.
But the radiant, infectious smile on her face left no room for doubt.
Jealousy?
That wasn't even a question.
If anything—
She was happy.
Because in this happy ending of hers…
She never once considered leaving Takina behind.
