Underneath The Bandages, You Are Prettier Than Anyone - CH 14.1

Where in the world did that heavy rain go?

The daily reports of power outages and swollen rivers in various parts of the country seemed to be a lie now, and in one day, everything went back to normal, and it was just another sunny day.

Suddenly, I received a message from Akina.

“Hey, are you enjoying your summer vacation?”

“Yo Akina. Yeah, I’m having fun over here, but how are you?”

“Just chilling at home every day.”

“Gotcha. Oh, have you finished your assignments yet?”

“Yeah, didn’t have much else to do tbh.”

“Damn.”

“So, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“Rikka wants to have a BBQ this week, so I thought I’d invite you. It’s in the evening, so maybe we’ll get home late.”

“A BBQ huh, sounds like fun.”

“Takanashi also wants to talk to Shirahato-san again, so please let her know I’d love her presence, too.”

“Okay, I’d love to go. I’ll ask Yuki myself then.”

“Also, on that day, I’ll have some things I want to show you.”

“What do you wanna show me?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Got it. Then I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’ll give you the details when I get Shirahato’s approval. Thanks btw.”

“Okay. I’ll call when I hear from Yuki.”

After confirming she read my message, I called out to Yuki, who was cooking in the kitchen.

“Hey, Yuki. I just got a message from Akina saying that Rikka is having a barbecue. She said she’d love both you and me to come.”

“Oh, they’re having a BBQ? I’d love to go, sounds like a load of fun!”

“Okay, I’ll ask for the date, time, and other details now that I know you’ll go too.”

Yuki wore an apron, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. I’ve gotten used to seeing her in this outfit, but it’s always nice to look at. Whenever she moves, her long hair sways like a tail, which is adorable, and the nape of her neck was also very attractive.

Just as I admired her, Yuki turned around and approached me with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

“Hey, Haru-kun, do you wanna have a taste of this?”

“Mmm… Yeah, it’s delicious. What are you making today?”

“Today’s dinner is meat and potatoes.”

“Oh, that’s great! Can’t wait to eat it!”

“Hehe~ I’ll do my best.”

I can’t help but smile as I watch Yuki happily walk back into the kitchen, her slippers clacking as she does so. The kitchen smells so good that it stimulates my appetite and makes my stomach growl.

To be honest, I’m happy to be able to eat her cooking every day while we’re on summer vacation. Going home to my parents’ house and eating my mother’s homemade cooking is not so bad, but Yuki’s cooking is always to my liking. I now constantly crave her food.

When I went to the kitchen to see if there was anything I could do to help, I found Yuki checking to see if the meat and potatoes were cooked to the right consistency.

“Is there anything I can help you with, or something like that?”

“Thanks. Could you lend me a hand in moving the food?”

“Of course.”

While I carried the dishes, Yuki hummed a tune as she cooked. I tried helping as much as I could without getting in the way, and in no time at all, the meals were neatly lined up on the table.

We both thanked for our meals and picked up our chopsticks. Soon, we were happily chatting and eating together.

“This summer vacation is full of sooo many fun things! Not only am I able to spend time with you every day, but we also went to a summer festival together, and we’ll have a barbecue with friends, and also a trip to the beach,” Yuki told me gleefully.

“Yeah. Though, a barbecue, huh… I wonder how they’ll do it. Akina didn’t give any details about the place, but she said it will be held in the evening.”

“If it does happen in the evening, I’d love to watch the stars, just like we did back in elementary. I still remember when we’d gaze at all those twinkling stars together.”

“I remember that, too. That night sky was so beautiful… Also, the meat is good.”

“Fufu~ Don’t eat too much meat, Haru-kun. I recall you were so full of it one day, you lay on the ground. Your mother was fuming with you because of it, too.”

“T–That’s because I was too excited about my first barbecue…! Besides, I’m in high school now, so I’ll be fine!”

“Oh really? Maybe you haven’t changed at all, I mean, you still have rice grains stuck on your cheeks.”

“Ah…”

She laughed mischievously and took off some grains from my cheek. It’s annoying that even actions as casual as this made me flustered.

Though, just talking with her casually is soothing to the heart, really cathartic.

We kept happily talking over the hearty meal.