In the afternoon.
The two of them woke up once again.
Ichinose made a simple lunch and placed the sliced watermelon on the low table.
Gazing at the watermelon completely cut into triangular pieces and tasting the egg rolls in his mouth, Hachiman couldn't help but feel a curve rise at the corner of his mouth.
"How is it?"
Ichinose sat on the floor in a "duck sit" fashion, her hands supporting her fragrant cheeks as she asked with a look of anticipation.
"Um, how should I put it, it's quite good."
Hachiman said with some embarrassment: "Ichinose, are you very good at cooking?"
This person's cooking level was simply amazing.
She could make just some eggs, bean sprouts, and potatoes taste this good; her cooking level was much higher than Komachi's.
"Yes."
A smile appeared at the corners of Ichinose's mouth: "Because I'm from a single-parent family and have a younger sister, I've always been the one cooking at home."
"Oh, oh..."
Hachiman felt he had asked for nothing.
He had heard Ichinose say it last time; this should have been an easily inferred conclusion.
"And."
Ichinose's face turned red as she said: "It feels a bit strange if you keep calling me Ichinose. Could you... call me by my name, or call me by my nickname Honami."
"Oh, oh."
Hachiman felt a sense of inexplicable shame.
But now that it has come to this, it indeed seemed a bit wrong to still call her by her surname. He stammered:
"Honami..."
"Yes! Then let's eat quickly."
Only then did Ichinose pick up her chopsticks, lift a small ball of rice into her mouth, and then said:
"After we finish eating, Hikki, you rest on the balcony for a while. I'll clean the room and then wash the bedsheets as well."
"..."
Hachiman looked back.
There was a large pool of scarlet water stains on the bedsheet, and the room was still filled with the scent of their fierce battle.
"This..."
Hachiman said with some embarrassment: "How can I let you do this, and your body hasn't recovered yet. Better let me do it."
"No!"
Ichinose puffed out her pretty face and said with some resentment: "This is my duty, so I can't let you have it."
It seemed.
Because of the single-parent family background.
Ichinose really wanted to manage their relationship well. Housework was a woman's battleground and absolutely could not be yielded.
"Duty?"
Hachiman said in confusion: "No, this is my bedroom. No matter how you think about it, I should be the one to tidy it up."
"But..."
Ichinose pursed her lips and pleaded a bit:
"I want to marry Hikki ,Your bedroom is my bedroom, so it should be cleaned by me. Is that not okay?"
"Mar... mar... marry?"
Hachiman suddenly started to stammer.
Although he also wanted to manage this relationship well, Ichinose was surely thinking too far ahead.
"Yes, marry!"
Ichinose nodded her head forcefully.
Although she could sacrifice herself for the sake of the class and might indeed be a bit loose, at least she wanted to be with Hachiman forever.
"O... okay."
Hachiman lowered his head to eat with a flushed face, and only then did Ichinose show a smile.
Soon.
Ichinose finished this meal that was either breakfast or lunch, and her small hands cushioned her chin as she stared at Hachiman with a smile.
Although boys have a larger appetite and Hachiman ate a bit slowly.
But being stared at like this by Ichinose, Hachiman still felt embarrassed and couldn't help but speed up his eating.
"No need to be in such a hurry."
Ichinose smiled as she picked up a piece of watermelon and brought it to Hachiman's mouth: "Eat a piece of watermelon first."
"Oh."
Hachiman looked at the girl before him out of the corner of his eye and took a bite of the watermelon.
So that's how it is.
Is this the feeling of being fed?
Speaking of which.
Why is Ichinose smiling so happily?
Is there a need to be this happy?
It's over.
This wife is just too good.
He feels that being with Ichinose, he might be spoiled into becoming a useless person.
...
After finishing the meal.
Hachiman walked out of the room and rested while leaning on the balcony.
Inside the room, Ichinose was cleaning with a mop, occasionally covering her skirt, and a flash of happy pain crossed her pretty face.
Gazing at the scene before him.
Hachiman really couldn't stand it anymore and walked into the bedroom in a bit of a flurry.
"Better let me do it. Ichino... Honami, you go and rest for a bit, or do it tomorrow."
"No, didn't we agree that housework should be left to me?"
Ichinose Honami said with some resentment: "How could you forget as soon as we finished speaking, Hikki."
"No..."
Hachiman said a bit awkwardly: "Because my dream is to be a househusband, as expected, this kind of thing should still be done by me."
"This..."
Ichinose was suddenly stunned. She scratched her long hair and said without thinking:
"Then let's do it together. Later on, I'll be working outside, and then Hikki will take care of the family. If there's time, then the two of us can share the burden together."
"No, no, no."
Hachiman said hurriedly: "This is not fair. You're giving too much. You should go to work to earn money, and I'll be responsible for everything else. Only then is it fair."
As he spoke.
Hachiman felt something was a bit wrong.
Working is not a good thing; the work of a corporate slave is very hard. How could such hard work be pushed onto Ichinose?
It still seemed unfair.
"Wait, wait, wait."
Hachiman hurriedly changed his words: "As expected, I should be the one to go to work and earn money, and you'll be responsible for the family. Although I don't have much ability, fortunately, the welfare in Sakurajima is not bad, and at least three meals a day should be guaranteed."
Saying this.
It was difficult.
He could only guarantee three meals a day; perhaps he was a bit too useless. Ichinose might truly feel wronged following him.
Unfortunately.
This was the extent of his ability.
Hikigaya didn't dare to promise too much.
That was just how he was.
On the surface, he always found various excuses and claimed to have no information, but at the critical moment, he was the most reliable.
Looking at the somewhat awkward Hikigaya, Ichinose couldn't help but laugh.
"In that case, shouldn't I be responsible for the housework?"
"This..."
Hikigaya was stunned. How did they circle back to this? He looked at the girl before him, who was so good it felt unrealistic, and felt a bit troubled.
"Your body hasn't recovered yet. I'll do it today."
"Hmm..."
Ichinose pursed her lips and thought for a moment before nodding. "Then just this once. From now on, all housework must be left to me!"
"Don't be so absolute. We'll have to see the situation when the time comes."
Hikigaya frowned.
At the very least, during her period, he should be the one doing it.
"Pfft."
Ichinose covered her mouth and let out a laugh.
Even though he usually looked for ways to slack off, now he was competing to share the burden with her. It really was great to be dating Hikigaya.
"What's so funny..."
Hikigaya was confused.
"Nothing, nothing."
Ichinose waved her hands and smiled. "We'll talk about it when the time comes, then."
Anyway.
She would absolutely not yield!
After finishing the cleaning.
The two sat on the edge of the bed.
Ichinose rested her small head on Hikigaya's shoulder, interlocking her fingers with his palm before saying:
"Actually, Hikigaya-kun, you don't need to think so deeply. When the time comes, I'll go out to work as well. If there are two of us, we'll always find a way."
"Working is a terrifying thing!"
Hikigaya muttered.
To be honest.
He wanted to retreat, but he couldn't push such a painful thing as work onto Ichinose alone.
"It's okay."
Ichinose rubbed against Hikigaya's shoulder dismissively. "Although I've thought about living a better life, if there's no other way, just having a little something to eat is fine."
She came from a single-parent family herself.
Her living conditions hadn't been great to begin with, so she didn't have many demands, as long as they could maintain this home.
In the future, it would be enough happiness just to not let their children become part of a single-parent home!
"I see."
"Then that's no problem."
"I can survive on just a few breadcrumbs."
Hikigaya nodded.
Breadcrumbs were a bit too tragic; he had to at least let Ichinose eat actual bread every day.
Ichinose gave him a beautiful eye-roll.
This guy only talked like that, but in the end, he would definitely work desperately hard for his family.
She understood Hikigaya too well.
"One more time?"
"Eh? Haven't you not recovered yet?"
"But I still want to... is that not okay?"
"How could it be?"
Looking at Ichinose's eyes which were beginning to well up, Hikigaya felt his heart thumping.
Seriously.
Why hadn't he noticed before?
Ichinose was simply too cute.
How could he possibly endure this?