I Bought a Girl - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The way of eating stew

Ruri-chan vigorously shook her head left and right out of fear.
This occurs after Hiroshi suddenly appeared in the house during the time when she was doing her homework on the table. He then got close and appealed to her passionately.
However, his appeal completely backfired and made her became completely afraid of him instead.
Hiroshi then stubbornly started chasing after her when she ran away. In the end, it ended up with the situation where Ruri-chan was hiding behind my back.

[Why is she so attached to Mashachika?]
[Because we are living together]
[Then, can I also live here together with Ruri-chan?]
[No way]
[Cheh–]

Leaving aside the pouting Hiroshi, Ruri-chan started flipping through her textbook. I unconsciously muttered [How nostalgic].
For the time being, I also settle down along with Ruri-chan and slowly calm her as she was clinging onto me. I separate from her after a while, told her to [Do your homework] and left her sitting next to Hiroshi.
Since Hiroshi is a proper adult, he would not dislike Ruri-chan over such a trivial matter. He silently watched over Ruri-chan doing her homework.
After confirming this situation, I began making tonight dinner.
Tonight dinner is stew.
The method of making it is easy and the ingredient is also cheap.
That’s right. As you can see, even though I became a millionaire, I do not want to cook something extravagance out of the blue.
I still have to pay for Ruri-chan’s school expenses as well as the cost that goes along with her upbringing in the future, so it is unnecessarily to spend on luxury things now.
Or rather, how do you even cook a luxurious dish? Stew is the most cost effective dish to make.
By the time I was almost finished with my cooking, Ruri-chan had already completed her homework and was watching television with Hiroshi.

[It’s done]
[Ohh! I was waiting for it! But, I just eaten stew yesterday]
[You should have told me beforehand. I could make curry if that is the case]
[But I also eaten curry the day before]
[You ate stew the day after eating curry?]
[Curry is the staple food for all Japanese]
[I could relate to that –]
[Isn’t that right?] (T.L Oh so Hiroshi is speaking in Kansai dialect!)

After putting the pot of stew on the table, I placed some spoons along with it.

[Haaa?]
[Hmm? What’s wrong?]

Looking at the stew that was placed in front of him, Hiroshi leaked out a strange voice.

[Why did you put the rice into the stew?]
[Eh? Because we always do that?]
[That is not a stew anymore, but a stewed rice]
[Even if you said it so convincingly…]
[This stew that you made is surely delicious. However, I belong to the faction that do not add rice into their stew]
[Sorry but this is how we do things in my house. Right~?]

I asked Ruri-chan and she nodded in agreement.

[Are you serious? Maa~, I accept that different people have different ways of doing things. I will forgive you]
[I do not need your forgiveness]
[Hahaha. Well then, Itadakimasu]
[Yes, let’s eat]
[Itadakimasu] (Ruri)
[Uwooo! This is the first time I heard Ruri-chan speaking!]
[Please be quiet when you are eating]
[I am sorry –]

Hiroshi reacted excessively and made a huge commotion after he heard Ruri-chan said [Itadakimasu], became quiet and started eating his stew after I warned him.
Hiroshi loud voice is the mainly reason why Ruri-chan is scared of him but it seems that she is slowly growing accustomed to it.
I did something bad to Ruri-chan by bring Hiroshi home out of the blue. I need to apologise to her later.

After finishing the stew, we walked to the entrance to send Hiroshi home.

[See you]
[Bye]
[I’m sorry that I came so suddenly, Ruri-chan]

Ruri-chan shook her head vigorously.

[She really is a good child]
[She is my pride and joy]
[Hahahaha. Raise her properly]
[I will raise her properly even without you saying]
[Let’s meet again some other time]
[I will contact you again]
[I will look forward to it. Bye bye, Ruri-chan]
[Be careful on your way back -]
[You don’t have to worry – ]

Hiroshi lightly waved his hand and disappear from our sight after walking over a corner.

[I’m sorry that Hiroshi suddenly came to our house today. You must be surprised]
[I am alright desu]
[Hiroshi is not a bad person, although his tension might be too high]

As I laughed with a [Ahaha], I saw Ruri-chan also laughing a little.
It appears that her resistance towards stranger has decreased slightly.
I felt happy as her caretaker after witnessing her growth.

[Let’s take our time and eat with Hiroshi again]
[Yes]