Underneath The Bandages, You Are Prettier Than Anyone - CH 14.4

“Eat as much as you can~!”

Rikka smiled broadly at the humongous slab of meat plopped on the table. It was prepared by her family, and it was stupidly delicious. The more you chewed, the more it overflowed with its juicy, fatty, and somehow sweet interior.

The four of us sat around a table, enjoying this amazing BBQ underneath the stars. Akina and Yuki took the lead, both grilling the meat. They handled the tongs masterfully, donning the meat to perfection.

As we ate, however, the atmosphere began to change.

“Look, Haru-kun. The meat is ready, so ahhn~”

Yuki placed the recently grilled meat on the netted plate, sprinkled a bit of salt on it, and brought it up to my lips with her chopsticks. She waited for me to open my mouth, and she wouldn’t budge until I did so.

Without resisting, I let her feed me. She had a perfect grasp of what I liked, yet she still sprinkled just a tad more salt than my preference. To my surprise, it only served to enhance the meat’s flavor.

“Haru, this one’s also ready. You should eat it with the sauce, so here, ahhn~”

Following Yuki, Akina dipped the sauce into the meat that was cooked just right, grabbed it with her chopsticks, and brought it to my lips. The high-quality meat and that secret sauce melted together, creating a dreamy harmony spreading across my mouth.

T–This ain’t the time for a food report!

This was just your run-of-the-mill barbecue, but both these girls started feeding me the meat. A strange sight, for sure.

Meanwhile, Rikka just smiled, watching this scene unfold. That tickled me in a bad way, and I couldn’t help but look away.

“Ahaha! You guys look sooo close, just like two birds feeding their little chick.”

“Birds feeding their chick, huh… I mean, sure, it might look like that, but…”

“We just want Haru-kun to eat some Grade A meat, that’s all.”

“Mhm, mhm! It’s a special occasion, so I just want him to have this perfect meat you brought us, Rikka, and let him eat it in the best way possible.”

As the gritty scent of charcoal and meat wafts through the air, both of them reach for their chopsticks to feed me again.

“Here’s some kalbi. There you go, *ahhn~!”

“Now take some harami. Here.”

“A–Ahhn…”

Two girls so gorgeous ten out of ten people would turn their heads just to see them were here, feeding me. What a luxurious situation… Actually, if any of my male classmates happen to see this, they’ll probably burn with jealousy.

Eventually, I was stuffed with the best meat money could buy, and the barbecue was reaching its end. I asked them what was next.

“Hey, what are your plans after the BBQ?”

“Shirahato-san told me she wanted to stargaze.”

“Yup! I thought it’d be a great opportunity to enjoy the stars with everyone, especially in a place as nice as this.”

The word “stargaze” brought a twinkle to Rikka’s eyes.

“Like I told you guys in the message, I’m pumped to go stargazing with you! I even bought a telescope! Actually, there’s nothing in our way, so it’s perfect for watching the stars!”

“I hope we can do many other things, not just stargazing.”

“Hmm, what else, I wonder~ Ah! My bathroom is huuuge, so I’d love to take a bath with you, Yukicchi!”

“Ah, you want to take a bath with me?”

“Yep, yep! There’s no opportunity like this one, so please do me a favor~! Pretty please!”

“If it’s just Rikka and you, she might do something dangerous. I’ll go with you, Shirahato-san.”

“A–Akinacchi! Don’t worry, I won’t do anything weird~!”

“No way. Even if you didn’t say it, you want to do something lewd with her. It’s written all over your face.”

“Tch! You found out~!”

Their laughter echoed under the night sky, and that happy sight made me smile too.

Yuki’s having so much fun now, and that reminds me of that past… She really couldn’t make friends with all those bandages wrapped on her face.

The fact she has a few now really warms my heart.

“Well then, Haru-kun. Let’s go stargaze together!”

“Yup, Haru, let’s look at many stars together!”

Both their smiles were like twinkling stars. Holding Yuki’s pretty hands, we walked under the endlessly dotted sky, so full of stars.

Yuki, Akina, Rikka, and I.

And this joyful night continued on for a while.