The Top Idol Next Door Can't Help But Crave My Guilty Pleasure Meals-Volume 1 SS - Its Nothing

SS 1 – It’s Nothing

It was late April, just past 7:30 in the evening.

Right after I left the photo studio, my smartphone at the bottom of my bag vibrated.

A call?

Maybe it’s my manager, but I just confirmed tomorrow’s schedule a moment ago.

My eyes widened when I saw the name on the LCD screen.

【Mamori Suzufumi】

He’s a second-year high school student who became my neighbor this spring at the ‘Orikita Residence’ where I live.

He’s good at cooking, meddlesome, absurdly kind-hearted, and even sacrificed himself to protect me.

As I stared at his name, I could feel my heartbeat getting faster.

I placed my hand on my chest, took a few deep breaths, and pressed the call button with determination.

“Hello, Suzufumi? What’s up?”

I try to sound casual and natural as if it’s a trivial matter.

“…Yuzuki, I’m sorry.”

The first thing Suzufumi does is apologize to me.

“I have a serious favor to ask. Please listen to me.”

His voice from the other end of the phone sounded earnest and heavy.

“…What is it, being so formal all of a sudden?”

I’ve never heard Suzufumi’s voice this gloomy.

This probably means it’s not going to be a pleasant topic.

Could it be that he’s moving again?

No, that can’t be right. After all, he just recently started living at ‘Orikita Residence.’

Or maybe the izakaya run by his parents is struggling and about to close?

To avoid that, they might need a large sum of money, and he might be thinking of borrowing it from me, an idol.

But then again, I’ve left the management of my income to my parents, and I’ve been told that lending or borrowing money, even with close friends, is off-limits.

Financial troubles are common in the entertainment industry, and I often hear about bad situations.

But, the thought of being separated from Suzufumi is——

“…tell me, I’ll at least listen to you.”

I braced myself and urged him to continue.

“Thank you. Actually——”

No matter what the request is, I want to be on Suzufumi’s side. Just like he once protected me.

I swallowed nervously, preparing for what he was about to say.

“I want you to buy some eggs on your way back from work.”

“…yeah?”

It took me a few seconds to properly understand this three-letter word: egg (たまご), egg (タマゴ), egg (卵).

“You know, there’s that supermarket I often go to, right? The closest one to our apartment. They’re having a super cheap sale on eggs today. But it’s limited to one pack per person. My parents aren’t coming home as usual, so I was wondering if you could pick them up for me. Sorry, I know it’s a bit much to ask when you’re tired after work.”

All the tension drained from my body.

After bracing myself for what I might be asked, it turned out to be just an errand.

“You could have just sent a message for something like that.”

“The supermarket closes at nine. I was worried that if you had other plans or didn’t notice the message in time, you might find it hard to refuse me.”

There’s no need to think so deeply about it. I wonder how far he’ll go to be considerate.

“I’ll make you a delicious meal with the eggs you buy for me.”

“Do you think I’ll just agree that easily?”

Our relationship isn’t just that of ordinary neighbors.

I am trying to charm Suzufumi into a submissive fan, and Suzufumi aims to win me over with food.

In the midst of a serious battle, giving salt to the enemy is out of the question.

(TN: Giving salt = giving aid.)

“Please! Eggs have gotten so expensive lately, I want to stock up at times like this!”

…Well, it’s true that I’ve been relying on Suzufumi quite a bit. And it’s not like I have to eat what he makes.

“…Alright, fine. I was just about to head home, so I’ll buy them for you.”

I agreed with a sigh, and Suzufumi let out a cry of joy from the other end of the phone.

To be that happy over a pack of eggs, how exaggerated.

Well, I don’t dislike that homely side of him, though.

★★★

The supermarket, just before closing time, had a unique atmosphere.

There were salarymen in suits hunting for half-priced bento boxes and small boys who seemed to be returning from cram school.

The visitors were quite different from the daytime.

The song ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ playing over the speakers adds a nostalgic touch.

I rarely visit supermarkets. Even when I do, it’s usually just to buy drinks or daily necessities.

Until I met Suzufumi, I mostly got my daily meals from convenience stores or through online shopping.

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This is probably my first time venturing into the fresh food section—it felt somewhat like an adventure.

There are so many different types of meat.

Wow, this shrimp is still alive.

Why is salmon red even though it’s a whitefish?

I wander around the store and finally reach the egg section in the corner.

There are many packages on display, with various colors and sizes.

I compared the image on the flyer sent from Suzufumi with the shelf.

Without this photo, I would have been lost on which one to buy.

There it is, that’s the one.

A pack of ten, LL size, one hundred yen. Limited to one item per person.

Honestly, I don’t know if this is expensive or cheap. But since he went through the trouble of calling me, it must be a good deal.

Alright, mission accomplished, let’s head back quickly.

I wonder if Suzufumi will be happy.

As I head towards the register, something suddenly catches my eye.

“…This is…”

After a moment of hesitation, I picked up the item.

★★★

Ding- dong-

The sound of hurried footsteps approached from behind the door.

He must have been eagerly waiting.

“Yuzuki, welcome back.”

Suzufumi wore a soft smile that seemed to convey relief as he greeted me.

Seeing it made my heart skip a beat, so I inadvertently averted my gaze.

“…I’m home. Here, this is for you.”

I handed over the plastic bag filled with it’s contents, still facing away.

“That’s a big help. Eggs actually have a longer shelf life than you’d think,so having a couple of packs in stock is good… Hmm, there’s something else in here besides the eggs…?”

Suzufumi seemed to have noticed.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, I started fanning my face with a hand fan.

What emerged from the bag was a bottle with a reddish-brown color.

“…you bought soy sauce?”

The smile had vanished from his face. Was he put off?

I hurriedly began to explain myself.

“No, it’s not what you think. I was about to check out when I saw another flash sale. Remember, you mentioned it yesterday, ‘It looks like we’re about to run out of soy sauce.’ I thought you might have already bought some more, but you can never have too much soy sauce. I bought it on my own, so you don’t need to pay me back, and if you don’t want it…”

“Yuzuki.”

He called my name, and I flinched.

Maybe it was none of my business after all. I was lured in by the flash sale, but I couldn’t really tell if that price was actually a bargain.

I cautiously looked up at Suzufumi.

“Thank you, Yuzuki.”

His gaze was filled with boundless compassion.

A gentle smile, as if the gospel itself had taken a form.

“…It’s nothing. No big deal.”

As I fiddled with my bangs, Suzufumi let out a soft chuckle.

“Alright. I’ll use these eggs and soy sauce to prepare a delicious dinner for you.”

“N-no! I keep telling you I won’t eat it!”

“Okay, okay. Anyway, see you later then.”

The door closes with a click.

I exhale lightly and place my hand on my chest. The pounding in my heart shows no sign of calming down.

I thought—I would gladly run errands like this from now on just for that smile.

“Well, I definitely won’t fall for someone just because of their cooking!”

——And yet, I found myself enjoying Suzufumi’s special Japanese-style Tianjin rice a few minutes later.