The morning after the twin JCs had spent the night.
I finished changing and headed into the living room to find…… a delicious-looking breakfast laid out on the table. “Oh, Akarin, good morning~♡” “Akari……”
It was my younger twin sister, Akari, wearing a sweatshirt and an apron.
French toast with minestrone soup. Salad, ham and eggs, and so on……
It was quite a lavish spread to be having this early in the morning.
“Dude, what are you doing here……?” “Hm? I made it.” “No way……”
Come to think of it, Akari had always been really good at baking and cooking.
She used to make them often and bring them over to cram school…… or more accurately, she brought them for me.
“If I don’t do it, Akarin, there’s literally nothing in the fridge~. Thanks to that, I had to go to My Basket with an empty basket~” “Wait, r-right……?”
“Right? Hey there, Mrs.…… Ah…… you didn’t cook, did you……”
Akari’s expression shifted as if she’d figured something out.
My wife, Misae, hadn’t exactly been a skilled cook to begin with.
Even so, she did used to cook when they first got married. Lately, though, she hasn’t made a single meal.
“Seriously, that old hag is the absolute worst. She doesn’t even bother cooking for her husband, and she’s cheating on him. Total nightmare. As a wife… actually, as a human being, she’s completely done for.” Akari sticks her tongue out playfully.
I was glad she sympathized with me, but… wait a minute?
“Hey, how do you know that Misae is cheating?”
“Hmm… well, I sort of figured it out. Ahaha! Anyway, look, eat your food!”
Although Akari’s comment stuck with me, she didn’t seem like she was going to elaborate, so I decided just to let it go.
…The breakfast was absolutely delicious.
The French toast had this… rich… texture, as the butter and milk flavors spread out.
Paired with the salted ham and eggs, the sweetness became even more pronounced.
“Here you go, Akarin’s coffee. On ice, no sugar, extra milk, right?”
Akari placed the coffee cup on the table.
”…You really know your stuff, don’t you.”
At the cram school, I was in the habit of buying coffee and drinking it.
Akari had remembered that detail.
“Of course, you remember everything about someone you like.”
…But Misae never managed to remember.
Even when I asked for it, she’d just sloppily hand me some hot instant coffee.
“I told her over and over again that I prefer cold coffee in the morning…” If it’s someone you like, you remember their preferences.
So maybe… Misae didn’t remember my taste because she didn’t actually like me?
“Karinyan. You shouldn’t be making such a gloomy face.”
Akari, sitting directly across from me, reached out and cupped my cheeks in her hands.
With her thumbs, she hooked up the corners of my mouth, pulling them into a smile.
“It’s not like you need to suffer because of that idiot girl. It’s a hundred percent their fault; you haven’t done a single thing wrong. Let’s just forget about it, okay? Someone like her… right?”
…Akari gave me that same warm smile from that morning.
What a beautiful smile. Just looking at it makes the haze in my heart clear up. ”…Right. It’s not my fault.”
“Exactly! That stupid wife is the one who’s wrong! Let’s forget her and move on to your next romance! How about someone like me? It’s a great deal, you know?” “You’re too optimistic.” I boop Akari on the forehead.
She seemed to be joking as well, chuckling softly in response. …What is it.
I’m usually the type to hold onto things for a long time, but right now, my heart feels a little lighter.
“Are you still sleeping? Damn it! With low blood pressure like that! I’m going to go wake you up!”
“Ahh, wait. I have to head out for work, so give me the keys.”
I pulled the spare key from my key case and tossed it to Akari.
“Huh? Today… is Saturday? Work is…”
”…My editor doesn’t care about weekends.” “OH… that’s a black company (exploitative workplace)…”
“It’s not just me; working on Saturdays and Sundays is completely normal in our workplace.”
“That’s so weird. If Akarin-san is an office worker, it’s strange you don’t get weekends off. Quit that place!”
“No… …I guess that’s how it is.”
Honestly, the idea of heading to work now makes my stomach churn.
The reason is simple: Kisogawa, my wife’s lover, works there with me.
I know it’s not really professional to mix personal feelings into work, but he’s someone I don’t want to see in the flesh.
…Maybe I should request a transfer to another department, or just look for a new job altogether. “Oh—Akari.” “Huh…?” mew ♡
Before I realized it, Akari’s face was right up in my personal space.
It hit me a beat too late: she had just kissed my cheek.
“It’s a little spell to boost your energy. Go get ‘em! ♡”
Akari’s face was flushed crimson all the way down to the nape of her neck.
She was still smiling, but it seemed like the shame caught up with her, because she ducked back into the kitchen. ”………”
Did she make herself this flustered just to cheer me up?
…Just like always, for someone with such a flashy appearance, she’s surprisingly thoughtful.
“I’ll be going now. I’ll head home early, so… hold on for me until then.” “Yay! Have a good one!”
I changed my shoes and made to leave through the genkan. “See… yooo…”
My sister… Nanae emerged from the bedroom with a deeply sleep-deprived face. “Takka-bye… phaahhh…” …Take care, I guess.
It had been a while since anyone said that to me. “Yeah, gotta go.”
My steps are usually heavy when heading off to work.
But today, I exited the entrance smoothly, and descended the stairs in a light, steady rhythm.
This was something that had never happened since I got married. “It’s all thanks to those guys…”