Chapter 8
After the Confession
“Did you actually confess properly?”
As Ami and I were doing homework in the living room, Chamomile came back.
“I got rejected… I wanna go home…”
Ami covered her face with both hands. Her ears were red.
“There, there… let’s finish our homework first, okay?”
“You always treat me like a little kid when you say that…”
I patted Ami on the head.
She had left a lot of her summer homework unfinished, so it looked like it was going to take her a while to get through it all.
“Wanna stay and have lunch here? It’s curry, if that’s fine.”
“Actually… I had curry at home yesterday…”
I poured a pouch of prepackaged curry over some rice after warming it up in hot water.
You can microwave them these days, but I don’t really like using the microwave.
“So it’s instant curry, huh~”
“If you’re gonna complain, you don’t have to eat.”
Maybe next time I’ll buy some regular curry roux.
Chop some potatoes, onions, and carrots, throw in some meat…
Now that there’s one more person here, I should probably cook a bit more.
I poured barley tea for everyone.
“You still go through rice like crazy. Want me to bring some from home?”
“Nah, that’d be too much. Don’t worry about it.”
It’s best to only accept that kind of thing once in a while.
Even if we’re close, I’d feel bad taking rice from her family.
The price of rice has gone up lately—it’s gotten ridiculous.
I usually compare prices online and at the supermarket, then buy the cheaper one.
“There’s not enough curry. Guess I’ll have natto with rice.”
I pulled a pack of natto from the fridge and mixed it into my rice.
Chamomile watched the sticky beans with a curious expression.
Chamomile Lumfé’s Perspective
A strange relationship.
Ami is an ordinary girl.
She and Yuuya have apparently been together since they were little.
I heard that’s called “childhood friends.”
I’m a little jealous.
As an elf, I’ve lived among humans whose lives are so brief—they die long before we do.
Even if you fall in love with one, you can’t stay together forever.
I wonder… would it be selfish to wish for a child with someone I love?
“I got rejected… I wanna go home…”
So Ami really did confess.
Love doesn’t always go the way you want—it’s frustratingly tender.
It’ll probably be hard for her to move on, but… I hope she finds someone good soon.
Yuuya treated me to something called curry.
It was my first time eating it—spicy and strange, but interesting.
Ami said she had it at home yesterday.
So it’s a common household meal, perhaps?
Then I ate the white grains they call “rice.”
Soft and slightly sweet.
Such a curious texture.
Yuuya, being a man, doesn’t seem to have enough food to fill him up.
There’s plenty of rice, but the curry ran out.
He started eating those sticky beans over rice instead.
Those beans have such a peculiar smell.
Fascinating.
Ami Nakajima’s Perspective
Even after I confessed, Yuuya was just the same as always.
When I hid my face out of embarrassment, he patted my head.
Yeah… I already knew.
To him, I’m just like a little sister.
But he’s so kind, I guess I started to misunderstand.
I thought… maybe he liked me back.
But it wasn’t that kind of “like.”
This relationship will probably stay the same.
At least until… I get married, maybe?
Yuuya was eating curry.
When there wasn’t enough, he started mixing natto into his rice.
Guess he ran out of the instant packs.
Maybe I’ll go buy some more curry pouches later.
If it’s rice, he’d probably refuse out of politeness—but curry should be fine.
Yuuya’s eyes were soft as he looked at Chamomile.
She was staring at the natto like it was some mysterious creature.
He doesn’t seem to realize how he feels yet.
And Chamomile-san was watching Yuuya in return.
There’s no way I could ever compete with her.
She’s beautiful, gentle… and so thoughtful.
