And as I recalled all the bentos Sasaki-san had given me, I muttered.
「Tamagoyaki, miso-marinated salmon, eggplant in broth, simmered carrots and taro… I’ve eaten so many side dishes made by Sasaki-san, and they were all beautifully presented and incredibly delicious.」
「I-Is that so? W-Well, hearing you say that makes me really happy for making those bentos.」
「Yeah. And you know… at first, Sasaki-san said, “It’s just making one more portion, so don’t worry about it”, right?」
「Eh? W-Well, I did say that.」
「Yeah, right. But today I realized that’s not really true. Because none of the bentos Sasaki-san made for me could have been easy to make.」
「Eh…?」
「Because Sasaki-san’s bentos were always incredibly delicious, but not only that, the colors in the bento were always so vibrant. I looked forward to seeing such a colorful bento every day. And that’s surely because… Sasaki-san wanted to make me happy and thought hard about the colors in the bento every day, right?」
「Eh? Ah… t-that is, um…」
As I said that to Sasaki-san, it seemed I hit the mark, and she immediately looked down, embarrassed.
「B-Because, um… Yamada always eats with such a happy face. So I kind of felt happy about that too, and I wanted to see Yamada looking happy even more… that’s why I started to care more and more about the appearance of the bento…」
「Sasaki-san…」
Sasaki-san said that to me while her face turned red.
── The desire to make something delicious for someone, to make them happy, that’s what makes the food taste so much better.
And at that moment, I remembered those words Sakurai-san had said to me a while ago.
As I thought, the bentos Sasaki-san made for me were filled with so much kindness and were truly wonderful.
「Yeah, really thank you. Today, when I made a bento for the first time in my life, I finally realized Sasaki-san’s kindness. And when I realized those kind feelings… I couldn’t hold back my feelings for Sasaki-san anymore, and before I knew it, I confessed.」
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「I-I see… yeah… I see…」
「So, thank you so much as always, Sasaki-san. Sasaki-san’s bentos are always wonderful, with so much kindness in them. So let me say it again… I like you, Sasaki-san, who is so kind. So from now on… I want to be with Sasaki-san not as friends, but as lovers.」
「……」
And so, I conveyed my feelings to Sasaki-san once again with a serious expression.
And after a brief moment of silence… Sasaki-san, still blushing, started to speak to me.
「…I-I have a lot of club activities on weekends, and there are matches and tournaments coming up… and when I become a third-year, entrance exams will start… s-so, even if we do start dating… we might not be able to go on many dates, you know? I-Is that… okay with you?」
「Yeah, that’s not a problem at all. For me, just being able to spend fun times with Sasaki-san at school every day is more than enough. So once again… I want you to go out with me.」
「Y-Yes… then, um… if you’re okay with me… please take care of me.」
Sasaki-san said that to me, looking quite nervous. And so, I ended up dating Sasaki-san.
But at that moment, Sasaki-san’s face turned so red that it looked like steam was coming out of her.
「U-Umm… are you fine?」
「Eh!? Ah, eh, u-um… o-of course I’m fine!」
When I asked that, Sasaki-san shook her head vigorously from side to side. Somehow, even that gesture looked very cute to me.
「Haha, I see, I see. Well, if Sasaki-san says so, then that’s good. Then, please take care of me from now on, Sasaki-san. Ah, or should I call you Saki-san from now on?」
「Ah, y-yeah. Right. Then… please take care of me too… umm, Kazuki…」
「Yeah. Same here.」
Sasaki-san said that while looking very embarrassed but showing a shy smile.