Shaker
In the morning, I woke up and started my daily cleaning routine.
Today’s cleaning was the balcony. Due to the heavy rain yesterday and the arrival of autumn, leaves from the trees across the way had begun to fall onto the balcony.
I swept the reddening leaves with a broom, collected them with a dustpan, and put them into a garbage bag.
Cleaning leaves, something unique to this season, was surprisingly refreshing and enjoyable.
“Morning!”
Hayashi woke up a while after I finished cleaning.
As usual, Hayashi was weak in the mornings. Even now, it was hard to tell whether her eyes were open or closed, her face drowsy and half-asleep.
“I’ll make breakfast.”
“Don’t hurt yourself in that state, okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
Hayashi let out a yawn.
“I’m used to pain.”
“I’m telling you not to get hurt.”
Why is she talking like getting hurt is a given?
I returned to the living room and folded the futon that was still spread out, tucking it away in the corner of the room.
A little while later, I heard the sound of eggs frying from the kitchen.
We had decided last night what today’s breakfast menu would be.
Rice. Miso soup. Tamagoyaki.
Until recently, we would’ve added sausages, but considering the diet, we switched to dried shirasu.
“Your diet is kinda far from the recent trends, huh?”
“Hm?”
“You know, low-carb diets are all the rage lately. I see a lot of girls saying it’s tough to cut back on rice.”
“My take is that you should limit fats more than carbs. Fats directly turn into body fat, you know.”
“Oh, really?”
“Also, you should actively take in protein. Protein turns into muscle. More muscle mass leads to a higher basal metabolism.”
“Huh.”
Hayashi, only half-listening, turned off the stove.
I stood up to help carry the food.
“Let’s eat.”
“Thanks for the meal.”
We put our hands together and started eating breakfast.
Quietly, slowly… this elegant breakfast time had become a solid part of our daily routine.
“Thanks for the food.”
“That was delicious. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Exchanging simple words, Hayashi stood up with a small grunt.
“Gonna make some protein.”
“I’ll help.”
“It’s not like it’s some complicated process.”
“Then I’ll just sit here.”
“Sure.”
We started taking protein just three days ago.
I was the one who suggested it.
Three days ago, I went on and on to Hayashi about the importance of protein for dieting, and though it was a bit pricey, I convinced her to buy protein as a shared item. Of course, we split the cost.
Making protein is super simple.
You fill a dedicated shaker with water, then add the right amount of protein powder. You have to be careful not to put the powder in first, or it’ll clump up.
After adding the powder, you put the lid on and shake the shaker.
That’s it.
The sound of two shakers being shaken echoed from the kitchen.
“Here.”
Hayashi, already drinking her protein while walking, handed me the other shaker, its lid still closed.
“Sit down and drink it. That’s so unrefined.”
“You know, I used to care about stuff like that before I came here.”
Gulping down her protein, Hayashi paused for a moment.
“But somehow, this place has corrupted me.”
“If I weren’t the one shaping this space, I could’ve laughed it off.”
Since I’m the one shaping this space, what’s about to start is a war.
Or maybe just a fight.
…No, more like Hayashi’s one-sided slaughter of me.
I silently reached for the shaker’s lid to drink the protein.
“Hm?”
That’s when I noticed.
“Hayashi, you mixed up the shakers again.”
I pointed it out.
When we bought the shakers, we made sure to get ones with different lid colors to tell them apart.
Mine’s black.
Hayashi’s is pink.
But right now, Hayashi handed me the shaker with the pink lid.
“Oh, sorry. My bad.”
Hayashi, who had finished her protein, said.
“Seriously, that’s three days in a row now.”
“Sorry, sorry. It wasn’t on purpose. Forgive me?”
“…I’m not mad or anything.”
Hayashi’s carefree attitude was, honestly, a little irritating.
Oh well.
I opened the shaker’s lid and drank the protein.
“Indirect kiss, huh?”
Hayashi muttered with a smirk.
Muttered… but she said it loud enough for me to hear on purpose, clearly teasing me.
…I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it.
But I was trying my best not to let it get to me.
The protein nearly got stuck in my throat, but spitting it out here would play right into Hayashi’s hands.
…That’s the one thing I absolutely want to avoid!
I want nothing more than to not let this woman have her way!
With steely resolve, I downed the protein.
“It’s not an indirect kiss. We washed them, didn’t we?”
…I won.
Certain of my victory, I spoke calmly.
“…Tch.”
…Huh?
Did I just hear a tongue click…?
The release day of Volume 2 has finally arrived!
Thanks to all of you. Truly, thank you so much.
I hope Volume 2 gets read by lots of people too…
