It Seems Like a Girl I Don’t Know Is Doing Housework at My Place. But She’s Cute, So I’m Watching Her.

“… I’ve lost.”

With those words, Chiaki covered her face with her hands. Her tone was filled with despair, and through the gaps in her arms, I could see the expression of absolute defeat on her face.

“And that’s the first thing you say after taking a bite, huh…”

Just to clarify, this reaction is in response to the meal I made. Should I be offended or demand an explanation for this strange comment?

“But, but…! Haruto-kun, your udon is *so* good! You made it so effortlessly, and yet it’s way better than my best cooking! There’s no way I can win you over through your stomach with this!”

“Could you not get so loud while eating? You’re going to be spraying spit everywhere.”

“…Sorry.”

Her face turned red, and she quieted down after my warning. I guess mentioning spit embarrassed her. For someone who lacks common sense in so many ways, she still has weirdly reasonable moments of embarrassment.

By the way, she casually mentioned trying to “win my stomach.” Is that seriously part of her plan? When she says things like this, it’s clear she’s trying to win me over in some way. So why, then, did she mess up so spectacularly from the start?

“Still, was it really that good? It’s just a quick, lazy meal I whipped up.”

“It was delicious. I don’t think I could ever beat you at cooking, even if I tried my hardest…”

“You’re overpraising me.”

As much as she’s raving about it, all I made was a quick udon dish paired with store-bought pickles. I also added a side of butter-soy-sauce rice.

The udon was particularly simple. I threw some bonito flakes into a bowl, microwaved them, added soy sauce, sesame oil, and other seasonings to make a sauce, boiled the noodles, mixed everything together, and topped it with an egg, sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and seaweed. Done.

Honestly, it’s a simple meal. Sure, I’ve made it plenty of times and I’m confident in the taste, but still, there’s a limit to how much you should hype it up.

“But when you make something this delicious so quickly…”

“Well, that’s what makes it a proper staff meal.”

Quick to make, quick to eat. It’s the perfect way to refuel during work. That’s what staff meals are for.

By the way, the total cooking time for the udon was just over five minutes. I don’t need to measure anything for the sauce, so the boiling time for the noodles pretty much dictates the whole process.

“If you memorize the recipe and ingredients once, you could easily make this too, Chiaki-san.”

“Maybe, but that’s not the point. You and I are on completely different levels when it comes to efficiency. I could see it just by watching your back while you cooked.”

“Well, yeah. I get paid to cook, even if it’s just a part-time job.”

Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m an all-rounder at *Marinesnow*, handling both the kitchen and the floor. My work hours may be short, but I’ve been at it for a while now, so I’m a pretty seasoned part-timer.

The manager has even tried to recruit me full-time after I graduate, so I guess my skills are recognized to a certain extent.

“I feel like I’ve lost some of my ‘feminine charm’… But it’s delicious.”

“Please don’t complain while slurping down the udon. And by the way, guys don’t really care about ‘feminine charm’ when it comes to cooking.”

It’s hard to know how to react when she’s looking so down yet still praising the food. Should I just bask in the compliment for my cooking, or should I point out how she’s contradicting herself with that sad face? Well, whatever. As long as she’s enjoying the food, that’s all that matters.

Anyway, there’s something else that’s been on my mind. I munch on some pickles, treating them like a palate cleanser, and ask Chiaki a question.

“What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

“Are you inviting me on a date!?”

“We’re not even having a proper conversation at this point…”

That doesn’t answer the question. I’m not against answering a question with another question, but at least try to stay on topic.

“I’m asking how long you plan to stay here today.”

“Well, if you let me, I could even stay the night?”

“You’re not staying the night. Just tell me your actual plans.”

“Haruto, you’re so cold…”

This isn’t about being cold or not. Letting her stay over is out of the question, obviously.

If I let her stay even once, she’ll probably start treating this place like her own and slowly encroach on my space. Knowing Chiaki, that’s definitely what she’d do.

“Well, I have band practice today, so I’ll have to leave by 4 PM at the latest.”

“You’ve got a pretty solid plan for today, then. And you still thought about staying over?”

“Yeah, I figured after practice, I could just come back here.”

“No, you cannot.”

For some reason, Chiaki seems to think of this place as her second home. Maybe having a spare key made her start to see it that way?

“Speaking of the key… I just remembered, about the key.”

“The key?”

“Yeah, the spare key you have to my place.”

“…Do I have to give it back?”

“Well, no… Actually, never mind. Keep it.”

“Really!?”

“…Yeah. You can have it.”

I almost reflexively asked her to return it, but thinking about it, I don’t really need her to.

After all, if she gives it back, she’d only be able to come when I’m home, which means the number of times she comes over to clean would decrease. There’s no point in that.

Back when she wasn’t “officially allowed” to be here, I might have asked for it back, but now that everything’s out in the open, I guess it’s fine as is.

“Hehe, I’ll treasure it!”

“Is it really that important to you?”

“Of course! It’s the key to your house, and it’s the first present you’ve ever given me!”

*Present*, huh? (I don’t remember handing it to her though.) It’s all about perspective, I guess. For me, it’s just a tool I gave her because it was necessary for the job.

“By the way, now that I think of it, where did you find that key? I’m pretty sure I lost it.”

“It was sticking out of the front door. Haruto-kun, that’s really dangerous, you know. You should be more careful.”

“…Got it.”

That’s such a stupid way to lose something, I can’t even laugh. It wasn’t like I dropped it or misplaced it—I left it in the door. Was I really that much of an idiot?

Seriously though, it could’ve been a real problem. Thank god it was Chiaki who grabbed it. If it had been some random burglar, they would’ve had free access to my place. Then again, Chiaki’s technically a criminal, too, and she definitely had free access…

“…Okay, I’m done thinking about it. So you’re leaving by 4 PM, right? Got it.”

“Yep! So let’s finish up the chores quickly, then we can relax together, Haruto-kun.”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“…No, after the chores, you’re supposed to leave.”

“Why!?”

Why do you think!? You’re neither a guest nor a friend, as I’ve already made clear.