Saturday.
I woke up a little earlier than usual.
I was studying for longer than usual last night. This week has been full of events, like my reunion with Kanade, and the fatigue had started to pile up.
I didn't get much sleep.
Nevertheless, I still woke up earlier than usual.
"...It's the day of the date, huh?"
Yesterday after school, I promised to go on a date with Kanade.
No, from my perspective, I didn't intend to make a promise for a date... but before I knew it, it was decided that we were going on one.
Because things progressed so quickly, my brain refused to understand it for a while... but once it restarted, various emotions began to swirl.
However, the strongest feeling starting to sprout was... I must not make any blunders.
"I'll fix my bedhead properly before I go."
Today, I'll spend the day making sure I don't do anything to disappoint Kanade or make any clumsy mistakes.
With that thought in mind, I decided to pay more attention to my appearance than usual.
I left my room to go to the dressing room on the first floor to fix my hair, which was full of bedhead.
I can't let Kanade see me looking so disheveled.
"Ah, good morning, Ak-kun."
...I just said I couldn't let her see me!
"Good morning. ...Um, Kanade, why are you at my house?"
Kanade was in the living room munching on some bread—likely breakfast—as if it were perfectly natural for her to be there.
"Hmm? I thought about it, and we hadn't decided on a meeting place or time."
Now that she mentioned it, after we made the date promise yesterday, Kanade went home ahead of me, so we hadn't decided on a meeting place or time... or even where we were going.
"Couldn't we have just contacted each other on our phones to decide?"
"Hehe. I thought it would be better to just come to your house since I had the chance."
"..."
"..."
"...I see."
"Hehe. Right?"
Indeed, it's much faster to meet at the other person's house rather than going through the trouble of meeting at a place neither of us has been to before.
This Kanade, she's a genius at saving time, honestly.
"Ah, I properly got permission from your mom right before she left, okay?"
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. She said she left your portion of breakfast on the table, so I should eat that for my breakfast."
"Ah, that bread. It was originally my breakfast."
...My mother is cold to me, as always.
"Eh... Does that mean I'm going without breakfast?"
"Hehe."
Kanade stood up, having finished eating the bread.
"Ak-kun. Actually, I already properly ate breakfast at home today."
"Eh?"
You already ate, but you ate my breakfast too...?
"But I accepted your mother's kindness and, even though my stomach is small, I ate the bread."
"You ate it?"
"Yes. Thanks to that, my stomach hurts a little..."
"It hurts...?"
I think she's saying something rather pathetic and difficult to understand...
Kanade, why are you showing me such a proud face...?
"...You shouldn't have forced yourself to eat it."
Honestly, I couldn't think of any other reaction.
"Hehe. There was a reason why I had to force myself."
"There was?"
"Yeah."
Kanade stood up and went to the kitchen.
...No way!
"I'll make breakfast for you, Ak-kun."
Seeing Kanade's bashful smile, I completely understood her intention.
Kanade, for my sake since we're going out together, intended to serve me a proper warm meal instead of the plain bread my mother prepared...!
That's why Kanade ate the bread even though she was full, just to avoid wasting food...!
Damn.
This Kanade...!
"Hehe. Wait just a bit, okay?"
Wait, if you were full, couldn't you have just let me eat the bread and then made breakfast!?
"I'll make your breakfast right away."
Men have bigger stomachs than women, so wouldn't that have kept Kanade from suffering!?
"Ak-kun, wait on the sofa, okay?"
Well, whatever...
"What should I make for breakfast?"
In any case, I'll get to eat the food Kanade serves me.
I sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.
As I started watching a variety show, I heard the sound of Kanade opening the refrigerator door.
...After that, the sounds from Kanade stopped.
No sound of taking out ingredients, no sound of cooking... nothing could be heard.
"...Kanade?"
I took my attention off the TV and looked toward the kitchen.
Kanade was standing perfectly still with the refrigerator open.
"Is something wrong?"
I got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen.
"...Ahaha."
Kanade had a dry smile on her face.
"Ak-kun. ...Would it be okay to have breakfast at a nearby cafe?"
"Eh?"
For a moment, I was confused, not understanding what she meant... but looking inside the refrigerator, I understood everything.
"It's completely empty, the inside of this fridge."
"...It's completely empty."
Apparently, my mother went to work after using up all the ingredients.
"Fueee. Ak-kun, sowwy..."
Kanade started to panic with teary eyes.
"Ahaha. It's okay. It's fine, really, don't worry about it."
For a while, I ended up having to desperately comfort Kanade...
What a dork.