"You're here, have a seat."
As soon as Hayato entered the living room, he heard Aiya Yayoi calling to him from the kitchen: "I thought you wouldn't come today, since it's a holiday."
As she spoke, Hayato heard water being poured into the hot oil, making a crackling sound.
Only when the sound subsided a little did Hayato speak:
"Why can't I come on a holiday?"
Yayoi had told him before that he was always welcome to come over for a meal. Anyway, eating for two was eating, and eating for three was eating; at most, it was just an extra pair of chopsticks.
So Hayato had been coming more frequently recently.
But freeloading was secondary. Hayato thought, the main reason was that he was more concerned about Aiwu Guang's grades.
As for the food, ah, Yayoi insisted on keeping him to eat.
"For a popular boy like you, isn't your weekend schedule packed from morning till night?" Yayoi said.
Hayato was about to speak.
Aiya Hiroshi, who had been studying inside, probably heard the conversation outside; he pushed the door open and was delighted to see Hayato:
"Yayoi-nee, I told you, Kobayashi isn't that kind of person. Stop saying things like that to trick me."
"What things?" Hayato asked.
He casually found a chair and sat at the dining table. Aiya Hiroshi showed a bitter smile:
Yayoi-nee insisted you went on a date today, so she gave me a good scolding."
"Is there some inevitable cause-and-effect relationship there?" Hayato asked.
"'Even Senior Kobayashi went on a date, and you're still holed up at home, without even a girlfriend. Can't you learn from him?!'—" Aiya Hiroshi imitated her perfectly. He shrugged, "That's what Yayoi-nee said."
"Got it," Hayato said.
He was now at the "someone else's child" level.
"Hehe, but it looks like Yayoi-nee guessed wrong," Aiya Hiroshi said, becoming smug.
He hadn't liked Hayato much before because he was handsome and had good grades. Compared to that guy, Aiya Hiroshi felt like he had no redeeming qualities.
But during the battle with blonde with earrings, Hayato's "heroic entrance" completely stunned Aiya Hiroshi.
Afterward, when he thought back on it, he became quite close with Hayato.
As for the previous "handsome" and "good grades" flaws, they all turned into advantages, and two more had to be added: "respectable" and "strong."
The respectability was discovered from blonde with earrings's trembling performance.
As for "strong," that information was provided to him by the junior named Kase Masafumi.
"Senior Kobayashi—is! The best!!" He said, his face beet red.
Aiya Hiroshi somewhat understood Kase Masafumi's thoughts and lamented that he wished his parents had given him an extra leg.
Yayoi came out carrying a tray; today's main dish was braised fish.
Under the fragrant sauce, the well-cooked fish appeared dark red.
After Yayoi set the plate down, she leaned her head close to Hayato, her dainty nose sniffing, flaring her nostrils, and taking two deep breaths.
Hayato instinctively leaned back, and Aiya Hiroshi was equally surprised:
"Yayoi-nee… what are you doing?"
Such an action was a bit perverted! But Yayoi just gave a big, cheerful smile: "You actually went out, didn't you? You just came back. I smell it, the scent of perfume—hmm, quite mature. You didn't go on a date with an older woman from society, did you?"
Saying that, Yayoi frowned: "Be careful not to get tricked."
"No," Hayato said, somewhat surprised, wondering why she was acting like a dog with a keen sense of smell.
"Hmm?" Yayoi looked puzzled: "Do high school girls spray such sexy perfume now… It seems she's definitely trying to seduce you… Wait."
Saying that, Yayoi suddenly pulled Hayato's head closer, her nose almost touching his head.
In other words, Hayato's head was almost buried in Yayoi's mature bosom.
"…"
Aiya Hiroshi looked at his sister-in-law strangely, then averted his gaze, offering no comment.
He even pretended not to see it.
Just as Hayato was about to ask what she was doing, Yayoi released him, then patted his shoulder, smiling mysteriously: "Two again?"
Hayato: …
She could smell that?
"Although the other one's scent is lighter and she didn't spray perfume, there's still a unique girlish body scent. Ho, for that scent to rub off on you means you had close contact, right?"
Yayoi was like a Grandma who loved gossip—and a youthful, mini version of a Grandma, naturally nudging Hayato's arm with her elbow.
More than that, it was practically negative distance.
But he didn't say that out loud; it would be too much for Aiwu Guang to hear.
However, this scent must have come from carrying Nanao Akane.
Because he was often in contact with her, Hayato was no longer sensitive to this scent.
Yayoi had no intention of prying further. She just gave two mischievous laughs, then warned Aiya Hiroshi: "Learn well from your Senior Kobayashi, and talk to more girls at school. Don't waste your high school years on games and anime!"
"Yes—" Aiya Hiroshi agreed, pouring water for Hayato.
Watching his sister-in-law return to the kitchen to handle the dishes, Aiya Hiroshi leaned in and whispered, "Senior Kobayashi, is Yayoi-nee really too old for you?"
"Pfft—"
Even with Hayato's self-control, hearing that, he sprayed Aiya Hiroshi's face.
Water.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
Aiya Hiroshi, who had been sprayed, wasn't angry. He took a tissue to wipe his face and even handed two to Hayato.
"You—" Hayato looked at Aiya Hiroshi strangely.
According to the original plot, Aiya Hiroshi should have fallen for his sister-in-law, but now his attitude was almost as if he felt sorry that Hayato hadn't taken a liking to Yayoi.
"Huh?" Aiya Hiroshi.
Hayato organized his thoughts, intending to subtly probe. He said:
"Let's just chat."
"Chat about what?" Aiya Hiroshi asked, not resistant at all, but rather quite interested.
"Hmm, what kind of girls you like, and so on," Hayato continued, following Yayoi's lead: "Are there any at our school? If so, I'll have Anshi get their contact information for you."
"No," Aiya Hiroshi smiled reservedly, not looking like he was lying: "I'm not interested in any of the girls at our school."
Hayato nodded, it seemed the story was still following its original trajectory.
"I'm interested in girls outside of school," Aiya Hiroshi added.
"Oh? Who?" Hayato asked: "Speak freely, don't hold back. If you have love, you should pursue it. The age and status gap don't matter."
Aiya Hiroshi listened, as if enlightened, or as if a fog had cleared and his mind opened:
"A-actually, I have a crush on a girl from that school about two kilometers east of our school…"
Hayato thought about the map, then slammed his palm on the table and stood up:
"Holy crap! Isn't that an elementary school!?"
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