Perks of the job

After Hayashi got out of the bath, for some reason, we found ourselves sitting across from each other in the living room.

I was cross-legged.

And Hayashi… for some reason, she was sitting formally on her knees. On top of that, she looked down, fidgeting as if she had something to feel guilty about.

“…Yamamoto-san, about what we discussed earlier.”

Hayashi using polite speech. That’s rare.

“What’s up?”

“Would it be alright if I… made our meals a bit bland for a while?”

“…That’s fine by me.”

“Thank you very much.”

Hayashi gave a small bow.

“So, how many kilos did you gain?”

I asked out of curiosity, but after saying it, I felt a bit proud of my usual lack of tact.

“…Well, that’s not important, right?”

“It’s totally important. I’m curious how long we’ll be stuck with bland meals.”

“…”

Hayashi looked down, then held up one finger.

“…Huh.”

If it was just one kilo, she wouldn’t have let out that kind of scream.

Which means…

“That’s… quite a bit, huh.”

“I used to have a body that didn’t gain weight…”

Hayashi was on the verge of tears.

“Why? What did I do wrong? How did I end up gaining weight…?”

“Maybe because you barely exercise, eat three full meals, and snack on top of that?”

“But I never gained weight doing that before!”

“Hmph.”

I snorted at Hayashi’s flimsy excuse.

“W-What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hayashi, there’s no such thing as a person who doesn’t gain weight no matter what they eat.”

“B-But… I really didn’t gain weight before.”

“There are two possibilities. Either you were exercising a lot back then, burning more calories than you consumed, or you actually weren’t eating that much.”

“The latter’s definitely not true.”

“Is that so?”

I continued with a smug look.

“Like, maybe you skipped breakfast because you felt off in the morning, or you skipped dinner because you were full from snacking. Didn’t that happen a lot?”

“…W-Well, maybe.”

Seems like she’s starting to realize something.

“Most likely, you weren’t actually eating that much back then. So now, with no exercise and eating as much as you do, your weight’s gone up.”

“…N-No way.”

“I told you before, but… despite how I look, I used to hit the gym hard for a while. I looked up all sorts of info online to build muscle mass and tried a bunch of things. In the process, I learned a thing or two about losing weight.”

“R-Really!?”

“Yeah, I even got picky about meal plans, balancing protein, fats, and carbs. I made all sorts of demands. And you know what Shiho said to me?”

“What?”

“She said, ‘Gross.’”

“…I can’t exactly argue with that.”

The living room fell into silence.

…Well, I mean, I wasn’t even cooking myself back then, and I was making all sorts of selfish requests. I get why Hayashi and Shiho felt that way now.

“Anyway, if you want to diet, I can teach you a thing or two.”

Trying to change the subject, I said that.

“But… hearing you say you gained weight, do you really need to lose it? Your current weight seems pretty standar—guh!”

A weird noise slipped out of my mouth.

Why?

“Yamamoto-sensei! Please help me!”

Because Hayashi, who’d been sitting in front of me, was now half-crying and begging for salvation.

Pushed down, I slammed the back of my head against the hardwood floor.

But the pain in my head wasn’t a big deal.

More than that… my cheeks were burning hot.

“H-Hayashi! Get off me!”

Because when she pushed me down… something soft pressed against my stomach.

“Okay! Okay, I get it!”

Damn it!

Hayashi, that was way too forceful!

To think she’d strong-arm me into helping with her diet like this…

Doesn’t she have any heart?

“…Thank you.”

“F-Fine. Helping with a diet’s no big deal.”

But, well… I don’t really think she needs to lose weight.

Sure, she’s gained a bit, but like I said earlier, Hayashi’s weight is around the average for an adult woman… no, honestly, she’s still on the slim side.

“…Don’t stare at me like that.”

Hayashi called me out.

“Sorry.”

“…Was it really that much?”

“Hm?”

“Did I… really gain that much weight?”

“Well, you did gain some.”

But I don’t think she needs to lose it.

“…Got it.”

…After a moment’s thought, I realized I’d phrased it wrong.

“I’m definitely going to lose it.”

I should’ve emphasized that I don’t think she needs to.

“And I’ll get back to my model-like figure…!”

“…Oh, boy.”

I held my head in my hands.

From our months of living together, I’d learned the hard way that once Hayashi got like this, she wouldn’t listen to a word I said.

The second volume of this work goes on sale in two weeks.

Despite it being so close, the author hasn’t done any proper promotion.

It’s enough to make you worry if they’re taking life seriously.

Got it?

I’m threatening you all right now.

The only ones who can save this socially inept author are you, the readers!

So, please, I beg you to buy Volume 2!