The Top Idol Next Door Can't Help But Crave My Guilty Pleasure Meals-Chapter 2Volume .1 - Ugh...
ROUND 2 – “Ugh…” 1
Friday nights are when students and salarymen alike spend their evenings in various ways, marking the peak moment of fun in the week.
For example, my classmate and friend Hozumi was excitedly talking about his plans during today’s lunch break, “Tonight’s a date at the aquarium with my girlfriend! For dinner, we’re hitting up a fancy sushi restaurant that doesn’t have a conveyor belt! Can’t wait to savor the course meal!”
While it’s great that his relationship is going well, I can’t help but question the order of things.
His girlfriend happens to be a Japanese history teacher at our school, Tokyo Metropolitan Orikita High School.
Surprisingly pure, Hozumi’s approach to love has him charging headfirst into this forbidden romance.
It’s been about two months since they started dating over spring break, and he was determined that today would be the day for their first kiss.
While silently cheering him on, I ring the doorbell of room 810.
After a brief pause, the door opens to reveal my next-door neighbor and active idol, Sasaki Yuzuki.
“…Suzufumi, it’s been since yesterday.”
Yuzuki looks somewhat awkward.
“It’s the same today…”
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
“Okay… Shall we go in for now?”
“Well then, excuse me for intruding…”
An awkward air hangs between us as we head to the living room.
It’s not that we had a fight, nor was there any trouble, but the atmosphere was uncomfortable somehow.
On the low table, various dishes are already laid out.
Rye bread, vermicelli salad, boiled broccoli, mushroom and egg-drop soup, and a small portion of mixed nuts.
It’s an incredibly elegant menu, something you’d expect to see on the social media of an active model.
It’s clear who prepared this without having to think about it.
The leader of the idol group 【Spotlights】 and Yuzuki’s ‘older sister’ figure in Tokyo.
──From now on, I will be Yuzuki’s caretaker!
That declaration wasn’t just for show. For the past three days, Emoto-san has been consistently preparing meals for Yuzuki.
If the calorie-rich dishes I make are “immoral meals”, then Emoto-san’s healthy dishes could be called “moral meals”.
I take a seat on a cushion near the table.
Inside the Okamochi I brought is a cup of oolong tea, an original blend I had specially mixed at a specialty store.
I didn’t want to admit defeat by showing up empty-handed, so I at least brought a drink.
When I timidly offer it, Yuzuki gratefully accepts it with a ‘thank you.’
Afterward, Yuzuki quietly clasps her hands together and says ‘itadakimasu’ before methodically eating the side dishes laid out on the table.
“Has Emoto-san always been like this?”
After swallowing a piece of broccoli, Yuzuki ponders with a “hmm.”
“This is the first time she’s prepared meals for me, but she’s been looking out for me since before my debut. Ruru-san is the first person I consult whenever I have personal issues.”
From Yuzuki’s tone, I can sense her deep trust in Emoto-san.
“You know, I moved to Tokyo for my idol activities, right? My dad lived with me at the time, but my mom stayed in our hometown, and honestly, it was pretty lonely at first. But Ruru-san would take me out shopping or to the movies on her days off, and spending time together gradually made me feel less lonely.”
Having someone who cared for her must have been incredibly reassuring for Yuzuki, who was new to the city, the job, and idol activities.
“After practice, it became a routine for the two of us to go to a cafe near the studio. I’d have lemon tea, and Ruru-san would have black hot coffee. The staff even got to know us well.”
As Yuzuki talks about her experiences with Emoto-san, her eyes reflect not those of a junior but of a younger sister.
“Now, I have to at least try to improve my eating habits since Ruru-san went through the trouble of preparing food! I need to be mindful of low sugar and low fat, and make sure to eat three proper meals a day!”
Yuzuki continues to eat methodically, showing no sign of stopping.
“…Is this really okay with you, Yuzuki?”
Frustrated by the situation where I can’t feed her my meals, I blurt out without thinking.
“What do you mean?”
“With these moral meals that minimize both volume and calories, you can’t possibly be satisfied now, can you?”
Sure, the vermicelli salad and soup are delicious, but Yuzuki’s favorite foods are hearty dishes like pork bowls and okonomiyaki.
Emoto-san’s cooking is overwhelmingly lacking in ‘immorality’.
Upon hearing my words, Yuzuki’s lips slightly curled into a smile.
“Are you saying that because you’re actually just lonely, Suzufumi? Because you can’t cook for me?”
She saw right through me immediately.
But I wouldn’t be having such a hard time if it were so easy to admit.
“…It’s not like that.”
“Come on, you’re suddenly acting all shy. Didn’t I hit the nail on the head?”
Yuzuki, with a triumphant look, conspicuously nibbled on Emoto-san’s homemade food.
“Then what about you? Don’t you miss my cooking?”
“O-of course not! I’m totally fine?”
Maintaining her tough attitude, Yuzuki took a sip of oolong tea after finishing her meal.
Her expression seemed somewhat forced, and eventually, it cracked, revealing a hint of loneliness.
“…But, it’s just a little… boring to have meals without you, Suzufumi.”
She pouted slightly and gripped the glass tightly.
“Hey, tomorrow, how about we──”
Her words are cut off by the ringtone of a smartphone. Yuzuki’s phone was flashing at the corner of the table.
The LCD screen displayed a familiar name.
Yuzuki glanced at me before pressing the call button and bringing the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
『Yuzuki, good work today. Did you have dinner properly?』
Emoto-san’s cheerful and clear voice reached even me.
“Yes, I just finished eating. Thank you for the meal!”
『No problem, anything for my cute little sister. By the way, Yuzuki, you’re free until the evening tomorrow, right?』
“Ah? Yeah.”
『Great. I sent a link in the chat, can you check it?』
Yuzuki removed the phone from her ear and tapped the center of the LCD screen.
As I watched, Yuzuki looked up and beckoned me over with a little wave.
I peered over to the smartphone, and the display showed information about a wildlife park (zoo).
『You’ve been working on big projects lately and must be tired, right? Sleep and rest are important, but so is mental care. Why not get healed by some cute animals for a change?』
According to the wildlife park’s homepage, they have not only terrestrial creatures but also marine life that you’d usually only see in large aquariums.
They also seem to have a petting area.
『Yuzuki, you missed out on the zoo location shoot for the drama because it overlapped, didn’t you? It’s far and crowded, so it’s difficult to go there privately, but this place is easy to get to from your apartment, so how about it?』
“Did you remember that? That was months ago.”
『Of course, you looked so eager to go back then. How could I forget?』
“Hehe, I see.”
Yuzuki’s face beamed as she spoke on the phone.
She blushed and scratched her cheek, her voice growing softer.
『So, does the plan sound good? Of course, if you have other things to do, you can prioritize those.』
“I want to go! I’ll definitely go!”
It was rare to see Yuzuki so excited.
Somehow, she seemed younger than usual, more spoiled.
Suddenly, my eyes met with Yuzuki’s.
“Um, if it’s okay, Suzufumi too…”
For a moment, there’s a hopeful look in her eyes, but it quickly fades to a lonely expression.
“…No, never mind.”
I’m just an ordinary high school boy.
I don’t have the knowledge to analyze people’s true feelings like a mentalist, nor do I have the communication skills to read fans’ minds like an idol.
Even so, it was easy to guess what Yuzuki was hoping for from me.
“Emoto-san, it’s Mamori.”
I brought my face close to Yuzuki’s smartphone.
『…Why are you together with Yuzuki as if it’s natural?”
Emoto-san’s voice tone suddenly drops.
Of course, she’d be displeased to find her beloved ‘little sister’ with a boy.
『As I said the other day, I will take care of Yuzuki, so please don’t worry about us. I won’t allow you to breathe the same air as Yuzuki in the same room anymore!』
Without trying to hide her overflowing sense of rivalry, Emoto-san bared her fangs at me.
What I was about to say might bother Yuzuki.
At the very least, Emoto-san would oppose it. But I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while watching the two of them on the phone.
I took a deep breath, steeled my resolve, and made my request.
“Can I come with you to the wildlife park?”
☆ ☆ ☆
