Hojou Kyousuke checked his phone for the best time to plant fruit trees.
It seemed that now wasn't ideal, but he didn't really care.
The climate in Itomori's mountainous region was different from other places.
The person who had given him the sapling hadn't warned him otherwise, so it should be fine.
After clearing a small patch of land, he dug a hole and planted the apple tree.
Apples from the Hida Mountains, where Itomori was located, were famous.
Hopefully, by next year, he'd be able to enjoy some fresh apples.
"Are you sure it's okay to plant it like this?" Yotsuba asked skeptically, watching as her sister watered the young tree.
Kyousuke already knew that the small vegetable patch behind the Miyamizu house was mainly managed by Yotsuba, while Mitsuha merely helped out occasionally.
Hearing Yotsuba's doubt made him a little nervous.
But then he reminded himself, he had the asian soul of a farmer!
There was no way he would fail at something as simple as planting an apple tree.
"Of course! Next year might be a stretch, but the year after? Absolutely. You'll be able to eat apples straight off the tree, as fresh as it gets!" Kyousuke declared confidently.
Though Yotsuba still looked doubtful, she decided to drop the subject and went back to pulling weeds.
Unlike Kyousuke, who was only half-experienced, Yotsuba was much more experienced.
By the time he finished planting the tree, she had already cleared another patch of land of the same size.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Yukino Yukari placed the last dish on the table before stepping outside to check on them.
From her vantage point, she saw Mitsuha, her long ponytail swaying as she worked the hardened soil with a hoe, wearing black sportswear.
Next to her, Yotsuba, in black shorts and a T-shirt, wore white gloves as she plucked weeds.
Beads of sweat had already begun to form on her small face.
'Was it really okay to make a goddess do farm work?'
The thought crossed Yukari's mind, but then another followed, perhaps this particular goddess presided over agriculture?
Watching Mitsuha's sweat-slicked yet contented face, Yukari found her own thoughts spinning in different directions.
"Mitsuha, Yotsuba, it's time for lunch," she finally called after observing them for a minute.
"Finally! I'm starving," Yotsuba exclaimed, immediately dropping what she was doing.
"Let's go wash up and eat," Kyousuke said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his gloved hand, smiling at Yotsuba.
After a quick wash, the three of them entered the house, where Yukari had tidied up everything to perfection.
"So clean…" Kyousuke sighed in satisfaction, appreciating the spotless room.
He could never get used to the mess he often encountered whenever he switched bodies with Mitsuha.
Out of respect, he always had to fight the urge to clean up after her.
"It's way cleaner than my sister's room," Yotsuba added.
"That's not me!" Kyousuke protested immediately. He could take the blame for a lot of things, but not this.
"Hehe, I know," Yukari chuckled, covering her mouth. She understood exactly what he meant, the real Mitsuha was the messy one.
"Not you?" Yotsuba blinked in confusion.
As they sat down at the dining table, they were greeted by a sumptuous meal:
Perfectly golden tempura, pan-seared fish of an unknown variety, stir-fried chicken with assorted vegetables, a fresh salad, and a hearty bowl of pork and vegetable soup.
What stood out, however, was that Yukari's plate only had a small bowl of rice—no other food.
"Yukino-sensei, why didn't you prepare anything for yourself? Did you give us all your share?" Yotsuba asked, chopsticks poised to dig into the food.
"No, I have my own reasons for not eating much," Yukari replied with a gentle smile.
"Really? I can share with you," Yotsuba offered sincerely.
"Thank you, Yotsuba, but there's extra in the kitchen. If you want more, I'll get you some," Yukari reassured her.
Yotsuba's innocent kindness, like a warm spring breeze drifting through the house, made Yukari's mood even better.
"Alright, but make sure you eat too!" Yotsuba finally dug into her long-awaited pan-seared fish.
"So good!" she exclaimed, eyes turning into little sparkling dots of joy as she chewed.
The fish was deboned, allowing her to eat it without worry.
"The ingredients were gifts from the townspeople," Yukari explained. "They wanted to thank me for coming here to teach. Their generosity is hard to refuse."
She took a bite of rice but barely chewed before swallowing and then quickly drank a large sip of water.
"Yukino-sensei, are you really okay?" Kyousuke asked, watching the scene unfold.
He recalled how Yukari had offered him chocolate several times before.
He knew that, for some, chocolate was a convenient way to replenish energy when they didn't have time for a proper meal.
Seeing her now, eating only rice, he wondered if she might be suffering from an eating disorder.
"Mmm, I'm fine," Yukari said with a soft hum.
Physically, she felt drained, but emotionally, she was happy just being here, watching him eat the food she had prepared.
Kyousuke took a bite of the shrimp tempura.
It was perfectly cooked, not something a novice who measured salt with a digital scale could pull off. She really had a good grasp of cooking.
"Sensei, have a bite too."
Picking up a piece of asparagus tempura with a spare pair of chopsticks, Kyousuke held it out toward her.
Yukari hesitated, startled.
Seeing the perfectly golden batter encasing the fresh green asparagus, she quickly lifted her bowl, as if afraid he would place it inside.
"Uh, I'll pass," she murmured, her hesitant tone making her refusal sound even weaker, almost inviting insistence.
Kyousuke didn't withdraw his chopsticks, but he also didn't force the food into her mouth. He simply held it there.
"Big sis, stop forcing Yukino-sensei if she doesn't want to eat," Yotsuba chimed in.
Alright, no need to rush. If something was wrong, he would find out in due time.
Just as Kyousuke was about to retract his chopsticks—
"Ahn~"
Suddenly, Yukari leaned forward and bit into the entire piece of asparagus tempura, her face tinged with a shy blush.
Feeling the slight pressure of her lips and teeth against his chopsticks, Kyousuke blinked in surprise, realizing what had just happened.
He watched as she slowly chewed, her embarrassed face making the moment feel strangely intimate.
At that moment, he knew—something about Yukari was definitely off.
"Sensei, if it's too much, don't force yourself. Spit it out if you need to."
Seeing Yukari struggling to chew, Kyousuke spoke up quickly.
"No…"
As she chewed, a burst of asparagus's fresh, plant-like aroma mixed with the crispy batter flooded her mouth.
The frequency of her chewing increased, her movements becoming more deliberate and forceful.
Was her sense of taste… coming back?
Food had long since lost its flavor for her, turning into something dry and repulsive like chewing on wood.
But now, suddenly, it was allowing her to experience its true taste again?
Even though the asparagus in her mouth had been thoroughly chewed into mush, she still hesitated to swallow.
It had been so long since she could truly taste something, she wanted to savor it for just a little longer.
"Do you want more?"
Seeing the way her expression shifted—from confusion to realization to pure enjoyment—Kyousuke lifted his plate and offered.
"I… I'll go get a bowl from the kitchen!"
Overcome by sudden joy, Yukari's fingers tightened around her chopsticks, the tips trembling slightly.
She clearly wanted to reach out and grab another piece of tempura from his plate, but her shyness wouldn't allow her to.
Setting down her utensils, she stood up from the tatami mat, gave Yotsuba a small bow as an apology for leaving, then quickly made her way out of the room.
She slid open the door, stepped onto the wooden engawa, slipped on her shoes, and hurried toward the kitchen.
"Sis, what's up with Yukino-sensei?"
Yotsuba had already finished her fish. The sauce had been incredibly delicious, and now she was seriously considering asking for seconds.
"Maybe she was just surprised by how good her own cooking turned out?" Kyousuke said offhandedly, though he wasn't entirely sure himself.
"Wait… does that mean we were just her test subjects?!"
Yotsuba's small face filled with shock. She had always respected adults who took children seriously, was that all just a lie?
"Hahaha, no, that's not it. Yotsuba, are you thinking about getting more fish?"
Saying this, Kyousuke picked up his untouched portion and placed it in front of her.
"But what about you, Sis? If I eat it, what will you do?"
"I'll just ask sensei for another serving."
"Okay, but why don't you act more formally around Yukino-sensei? That's so rude!"
"Hahaha, because we're good friends. I mean, do regular students go over to their teachers' houses?"
"Yeah, actually! In our class, Hakoto's mom is our language teacher, and we visit their house all the time for meals. And Shuko's sister is our music teacher—we always go to her place too…"
Yotsuba counted on her fingers as she listed off more and more examples.
"Alright, alright, I get it. But anyway, Yukino-sensei and I are friends, so I can just act normally around her. You do the same with Sayaka, don't you?"
Kyousuke had momentarily forgotten that this was a small town with fewer than ten thousand people.
Here, teachers and students were often also relatives, neighbors, or family friends.
"Then, since I'm here as a guest too, does that mean I can be friends with Yukino-sensei? Can I just call her Yukino? No, wait—her first name is Yukari, so should I call her that instead?"
Yotsuba, ever the sharp thinker, followed her logic precisely.
"You'd have to ask sensei about that. Alright, I'm heading to the kitchen. Do you want anything else?"
"Yes! Another piece of grilled fish and more tempura!"
"Haha, careful or you'll overeat."
With a smile, Kyousuke ruffled the little girl's hair before picking up the empty plates and heading to the kitchen.
The house followed traditional Japanese architecture, with an engawa, an extended wooden veranda—running along the outside.
The overhanging eaves provided shade in the summer and warmth in the winter, making the house naturally comfortable year-round.
It also served a functional purpose, preventing rain from being blown inside. Sitting on the sun-warmed engawa, Kyousuke felt incredibly at ease.
Maybe someday, when he had the money, he could buy a traditional house like this in Tokyo?
Not long ago, he had been dreaming of owning a Western-style mansion like Eriri's family home. But now, this kind of residence seemed far more appealing.
Arriving at the kitchen, what he saw left him momentarily stunned.
He had expected to find Yukari sneaking extra bites of food after all, she had taken quite a while to return.
That was why he had decided to come check on her under the pretense of getting more food.
"Sensei? What's wrong?"
On the floor lay a half-eaten asparagus tempura, barely chewed.
Yukari herself was crouched down, covering her mouth, dry heaving. Tears, not just saliva were dripping onto the floor.
Something wasn't right.
Squatting beside her, Kyousuke hesitantly reached out and gently patted her back.
Only then did he see it clearly—this woman, who had been so overjoyed just moments ago while eating, was now crying.
"I still can't taste it…"
Her voice trembled as she choked back sobs.
The pain of briefly regaining something precious, only to lose it again, was unbearable.
The tears wouldn't stop.
When she had excitedly rushed into the kitchen, she had grabbed a piece of eggplant tempura and eagerly bitten into it.
No flavor. Nothing at all.
With her sense of taste gone, the eggplant's once-tender texture became slimy and nauseating.
She had gagged and spat it out before she even realized what was happening.
"I was wondering earlier… At first, I thought you might have an eating disorder. But it turns out you actually lost your sense of taste? Yet, back in the other room, you seemed to really enjoy that asparagus."
He paused. "Did something change? If you're comfortable, can you tell me about it?"
Standing up, Kyousuke poured a glass of water and handed it to Yukari, gently helping her up as he spoke in a calm, reassuring voice.
"I…"
That warmth, that concern, it had been so long since someone had spoken to her like this.
She wanted so badly to tell him everything, to pour out the painful truth she had been holding inside.
But her frustratingly reserved nature held her back. She swallowed her words, lips trembling.
"Is it something you can't tell me?"
Kyousuke looked at her closely.
Strands of black hair, damp with tears, clung to her pale skin like faint scars. Her long, thick eyelashes still held tiny, shimmering teardrops.
Her usually gentle eyes were now filled with overwhelming sorrow, barely holding it back.
She looked so heartbreakingly fragile.
Before he realized it, he had stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle embrace. There was no ulterior motive ,just a simple human desire to comfort someone who was hurting.
"Can I really… tell you about my awful past?"
Yukino Yukari, her body cold and shaking, found herself wrapped in warmth.
The sadness in her heart lessened ever so slightly. She turned her head slightly, and as she moved, another tear slid down her cheek.
Because of the height difference, Hojou Kyousuke had to tilt his head slightly upward just to meet Yukari's gaze.
"Of course you can. I'm Hojou Kyousuke, your friend. Just as you've kept my secrets, I will keep yours."
He placed his left hand over Yukari's right hand, which was still gripping the cup.
This time, he didn't wear the polite, customer-service smile he often used when interacting with the town's elderly. Instead, his expression was calm—steady.
As she stared into that unwavering gaze, listening to words that carried the force of an avalanche, a memory surfaced in Yukari's mind.
She remembered the first time she had beer with chocolate.
The cold bitterness of the beer had drained all warmth from her body, leaving her with an overwhelming fear—fear that she was losing the very essence of being alive.
Desperately, she had rushed into a convenience store, searching for something, anything, that could bring warmth back into her.
But everything she laid eyes on was unappealing, nauseating even.
It felt as if she were slowly dying. Then, in someone else's shopping basket, she spotted it, a bar of chocolate, something she rarely ate.
The moment it touched her tongue, the familiar sweetness bloomed, cutting through the bitter aftertaste of the beer.
Her taste buds, which had long been dormant, awakened in celebration, reminding her that she was still alive.
The warmth returned to her body.
She wouldn't have to die, alone and forgotten, in the cold indifference of the city.
And now, in this moment, that same warmth returned—not from chocolate, but from the presence of the boy in front of her.
"Hojou-kun…"
Yukari placed her left hand over his, holding onto that warmth.
"I…"
She didn't cry.
Though she was revisiting a painful past, she had long since become accustomed to the hardships life threw at her.
She wasn't strong, never had been.
She lacked the courage to fight back against misfortune, the resilience to endure cruel gossip, or even the will to become stronger.
Since childhood, she had been a frail, timid girl. And because of her accursed appearance, she had been the target of endless malice.
All she could do was hide, run away—because what else was there?
"What should I do, Hojou-kun?
Why is it so damn hard just to live?"
Her voice, so often soft and hesitant, suddenly erupted into a raw, desperate scream.
Even after escaping to a secluded town like Itomori, the curse followed her, clinging to her like a shadow.
Tears poured down her cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away. She simply stared at Hojou Kyousuke, letting them flow freely.
"..."
So this is what she had been carrying all along?
She wasn't just struggling—she was barely surviving. Every day was a battle just to exist.
Kyousuke's chest tightened.
Yes, as long as you're alive, there's still hope.
As long as you can eat, you can live.
But… what if food has no taste?
He had never been picky about food, but he had always taken care to make his meals as delicious as possible.
He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like if every bite was devoid of flavor.
But looking at Yukari now, he could see—he could feel—the sheer agony of it.
Her suffering, born from her appearance and personality, wasn't something he could casually comment on.
He couldn't even offer empty words of comfort, because that might sound like he was dismissing her pain.
He couldn't expect everyone to be as strong as him, to throw punches at life when it hit them.
And not everyone was lucky enough to meet someone who could pull them out of their despair.
He gently took the cup from her trembling hands and set it aside.
Then, without a word, he pulled her into an embrace.
She was so light, so fragile that the slightest pull had her collapsing into him.
His right hand rested on her back, his left stroking her hair.
"It's over now."
The coolness of his tracksuit zipper pressed against her cheek, but the warmth of his voice made her press her face deeper into his chest.
A small, broken sob escaped her lips.
Kyousuke tightened his embrace.
She wasn't weak. No, this wasn't the cry of a weak person.
This was the cry of someone who had carried everything alone, who had endured too much for too long, until the weight became unbearable.
"For now you can cry now," he murmured, his voice as gentle as a lullaby. "You're not alone anymore."
Yukari's breath hitched.
He knows.
Hojou-kun understands.
He truly understands me.
She didn't say a word, but her sobs turned into deep, gut-wrenching wails—like a wounded animal finally letting out all its pain.
No one had ever seen this side of her before.
She had never cried like this.
Even though she was weak, even though she always ran away—she had never once cried over her misfortunes.
Because she had no one to cry to.
She had no close female friends. Even her mother, burdened by the endless complaints of their neighbors, had never offered comfort.
She had never grown stronger from her suffering—only learned how to survive.
Running away might be shameful, but it had kept her alive.
"Life is made up of countless 'pasts' and 'presents.'"
The gentle voice reached her ears, grounding her.
She forced herself to stop crying and lifted her head.
Tears blurred her vision, making Kyousuke's face hazy.
"Such beautiful eyes shouldn't be wasted on tears."
He brushed the wetness from her cheeks, and the world became clearer.
For the first time, she truly saw him, not just as Hojou Kyousuke, but as someone standing right here, in this moment, with her.
And for a fleeting instant, she saw something else, a vision of a man, strikingly handsome yet cursed just like her, gazing at her with the same tenderness.
His lips parted, his voice gentle, as if afraid to wake a sleeping child.
"If you stay trapped in the past, you won't be able to see the present. And if you can't see the present, you'll never reach the future."
His voice was real.
He was real.
I see it.
I see the present.
I see you.
But… I still can't move forward.
"I… I don't have a future," she whispered.
Every night, she feared the coming day.
Every meal was a struggle to force down.
She spent all her strength swallowing tasteless food, just to stay alive.
"Come on," Kyousuke said, gently pulling her to sit down.
"Let's try again."
He picked up the plate of tempura she had left behind, still waiting for her.
"I…"
Yukari stared at the tempura Hojou had praised so highly, her dark eyes filled with apprehension.
She couldn't understand why, even after learning everything, Hojou still wanted her to try eating again.
"Maybe food tastes better when I feed you?" Kyousuke chuckled softly.
When in doubt, run an experiment. Control all variables, and the one that changes must be the answer.
Earlier, inside the house, Yukari had eaten with obvious enjoyment, but here in the kitchen, she couldn't taste a thing.
Was it the location? No, judging by the simple chairs and table, she had probably been eating here alone for a long time.
Was it the food? No, it all came from the same source, maybe even the same batch of asparagus, and was cooked by the same person.
Was it the time of day? No, that wouldn't make sense. Tasting food couldn't just be a matter of luck, could it?
That left only one variable: his hands.
The last time she had tasted food properly, it had been when he fed her himself. Could that be the key? There was only one way to find out.
"Hojou-kun…"
Yukari watched as a piece of asparagus tempura, gripped between Hojou's chopsticks, moved slowly toward her.
The nausea from earlier still lingered in her body, but even so, she made the decision, just like before to be brave, for the sake of her god.
She shut her eyes, leaned forward, and opened her mouth, biting down on the crispy tempura as if preparing to meet her fate.
Her first instinct was to wince and chew quickly just to get it over with. But the moment her tongue met the asparagus—
Her eyes flew open.
Thick lashes framed wide, astonished black irises.
How?
"Well?" Kyousuke asked.
"I can taste it!"
She swallowed hurriedly, the joy in her voice unmistakable. She wanted to savor the flavor she had finally regained, but excitement won out.
"Let's try another one," Kyousuke said with a grin, picking up a piece of eggplant tempura.
"Okay!"
Sitting on the small round stool, Yukino Yukari—who, at 162 cm, was every bit a grown woman in both body and appearance, suddenly resembled a child waiting eagerly to be fed.
She looked at Kyousuke, her supposed god, with eyes full of anticipation.
'Could it be that Hojou wasn't a god of agriculture, but a god of food? Or maybe… a wish-granting deity?'
Sunlight filtered through the broken bricks, casting dappled patterns across the kitchen.
The gentle spring light, warm like cherry blossoms, illuminated the space, just like the food that had been placed into her mouth, blooming with flavor on her tongue, lighting up the path ahead.
"It has taste!"
Yukari, both fragile and strong, felt tears slip down her cheeks once more.
She had shed more tears today than she had in years, but these were different, these were tears of joy.
"How about trying the fried fish next?"
Kyousuke pulled out Mitsuha's handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears.
He picked up a piece of the now-cooled fried fish and held it up for her.
"Of course!"
Now that her tears had been wiped away, she didn't cry again. Instead, she beamed at Kyousuke's words, as if he were coaxing a child.
Kyousuke carefully broke the fried fish into bite-sized pieces with his chopsticks and placed one in her mouth.
"It's delicious!"
Even though the fish had cooled, the sauce carried the fresh aroma of shiso and the rich nuttiness of peanuts, perfectly masking any lingering fishiness.
All that remained was pure flavor.
As she swallowed, Yukari's gaze drifted to the vegetable salad.
A dish she had always dreaded was now something she found herself looking forward to.
"What are you doing? I already told you, if Yukino-sensei doesn't want to eat, you shouldn't force her!"
A voice full of frustration interrupted them. Both Kyousuke and Yukari turned their heads toward the doorway.
Standing there, hands on her hips like a little adult, was a very annoyed Yotsuba.
"Um, Yotsuba, it's not what you think…" Yukari hurriedly tried to explain.
"Yukino-sensei, you don't have to cover for my idiot sister! She's just taking advantage of you because you're too nice. You were crying, and she still kept making you eat, that's just cruel!"
Yotsuba was fuming.
She had heard Yukino-sensei crying and had wanted to rush over immediately, but she figured there were things about adults she didn't understand.
So, she waited and listened instead.
When the crying stopped, she finally decided to take a look—only to find her foolish sister forcing a tear-streaked Yukino-sensei to eat!
Unforgivable!
"But if the fried fish is so delicious, it wouldn't be fair if only the two of us got to enjoy it, right?" Kyousuke countered smoothly. "This is a dish Yukino-sensei made herself. Wouldn't it be strange if she, the cook, didn't get to taste it?"
Kyousuke had quickly realized something: Yotsuba loved reasoning things out. Maybe, as a child, she enjoyed being treated like an equal in discussions.
"…That does make some sense," Yotsuba admitted, dropping her hands from her hips to rub her chin thoughtfully. "But that still doesn't mean it's okay!"
"Have you considered," Kyousuke asked, his tone playful, "that maybe sensei actually wants to eat?"
Yotsuba blinked.
"Oh! That's right—Yukino-sensei came to the kitchen because she wanted to eat!"
"Exactly, Yotsuba. I chose to eat. Mitsuha didn't force me," Yukari said with a smile.
While Kyousuke and Yotsuba had been talking, she had discreetly wiped away the last traces of her tear-streaked face.
Now, she had returned to her usual delicate yet beautiful appearance.
"…Then why did you let her feed you?" Yotsuba asked, zeroing in on the inconsistency.
"Uh…" Yukari hesitated.
"Because food tastes better when I feed it to people," Kyousuke answered smoothly.
Yotsuba narrowed her eyes, still skeptical. She walked into the kitchen and stopped in front of her sister.
Then, without hesitation, she opened her mouth and let out a small, expectant "Ah~."
Kyousuke grinned at Yukari, then grabbed a different pair of chopsticks.
He picked up another piece of fried fish and, much to Yukari's dismay, placed it into Yotsuba's mouth instead.
"…It tastes the same." Yotsuba chewed for a moment, unimpressed.
Unlike the others, she was used to eating cold food, so temperature didn't affect her perception much.
"You have to listen to the food," Kyousuke said solemnly. "Didn't your grandma teach you that?"
The moment the words left his mouth, even he nearly burst out laughing.
"…Listen to the food?"
Yotsuba furrowed her brows.
But the fish was dead, wasn't it? Or was she supposed to talk to it while it was still alive
Maybe if she knew where it came from, she could understand its unique flavor better?
"Yes, exactly," Kyousuke replied, shooing her away with a plate full of tempura and fried fish.
"Now take your food and go eat, it's almost nap time."
As Yotsuba left, Kyousuke turned back to Yukari with a smirk.
"Hojou-kun, you're terrible."
Yukari had been covering her mouth tightly the entire time, trying to suppress her laughter.
But the moment Yotsuba walked out of the room, she finally let it out.
Unlike her usual soft chuckles, this time, it was bright and carefree, like a beam of sunlight breaking through the clouds, warming everything it touched.
"That wasn't being mean. Yotsuba actually enjoys this kind of thing," Kyousuke shrugged, then picked up the plate of unfinished grilled fish and turned to Yukari.
"Ah~"
Understanding his cue, Yukari opened her mouth obediently, making a cute sound.
Her hands rested neatly on her slender thighs, and the scattered patches of sunlight on her skin made it almost impossible to tell where the light ended and she began.
It was as if all the hunger she'd accumulated over the years of not tasting food had erupted at once.
At first, she chewed slowly, savoring each bite.
But soon, her pace quickened, so much so that Kyousuke struggled to keep up with her.
"Sensei, I think that's enough," he finally said, glancing at her now slightly rounded belly, unsure if he should continue feeding her.
"I'm full... but I still want to eat more," Yukari sighed contentedly, then noticed her own stomach.
Her cheeks immediately flushed red, and she quickly averted her gaze from the remaining food, trying to resist temptation.
"Sorry, Hojou-kun, you haven't even had your fill yet."
Seeing him finally start eating, Yukari felt a pang of guilt.
After all, the man had been working hard in the kitchen all morning and had only managed to eat a single piece of tempura so far.
"I don't mind, but I think Mitsuha's body might not be able to handle it," Kyousuke chuckled, half-joking but also half-serious.
His body, at least, was durable enough to endure long stretches without food, but Mitsuha's... not so much.
"Ah..." Yukari let out a small gasp, as if something had just dawned on her.
"What is it?" Kyousuke asked between bites of grilled fish. The food, cooked in oil that wouldn't congeal when cold, still tasted good.
"If Mitsuha-san fed me instead of you… would I still be able to taste the food?" she asked hesitantly. But before he could respond, she frantically waved her hands.
"Of course, I'm not asking you or Mitsuha-san to feed me every day! I just suddenly thought of this and got curious!"
The moment the words "feed me" left her lips, Yukari's face turned as red as a ripe apple.
If it was Kyousuke, she could still accept it, after all, in her mind, he was like a divine being who had blessed her with the ability to taste again.
She had already decided that no matter what, she would repay him in the future.
But Mitsuha...? The thought was too embarrassing to bear.
"Hmm..." Kyousuke set his chopsticks down, now facing the dilemma himself.
To Yukari, everything he did seemed like a divine miracle.
But Kyousuke wasn't sure if the reason behind her regained taste was his own presence or Mitsuha's body, the same body that could trigger a supernatural body-swapping phenomenon.
"I'll talk to her about it. The best thing to do is to test it out," he finally said.
But what if the key factor wasn't Mitsuha's body but himself?
If it turned out that he was the only one who could make Yukari taste food, he would have to consider asking her to come to Tokyo.
But could she handle it? Tokyo was a place full of painful memories for her.
"...Alright!" Yukari agreed immediately, relieved that Kyousuke had made a decision.
She wasn't expecting him or Mitsuha to feed her every day.
Just knowing that she could occasionally taste food, even if only once a year, was enough to give her hope for the future.
The last thing she wanted was for Kyousuke to feel burdened because of her.
After finishing their meal, Yukari laid out a mat inside the house for Kyousuke and Yotsuba to rest on.
Technically, people in Japan whether in elementary school, high school, or even university—weren't in the habit of taking afternoon naps.
Their school days ended early enough that they didn't really need them.
But Kyousuke had carried over this habit from his past life, and he simply couldn't function in the afternoon without one.
"Why waste such a beautiful day sleeping?" Yotsuba grumbled.
She had just met a new friend, her beautiful Yukino-sensei and wanted to spend more time getting to know her, maybe even reach the point where she could call her by her first name.
"Kids who don't take naps won't grow tall," Kyousuke replied, already lying down.
He had removed his sports jacket and, even though the weather was warm enough to sleep without a blanket, he still tucked himself in under a lightly scented one.
"But none of my classmates take naps! And you didn't nap when you were in elementary school either, right?"
"They're all going to stay short. Look at me do I look tall?" Kyousuke retorted, eyes already closed.
Yotsuba pouted, glancing at her sister, then at Yukari, who was smiling gently beside her.
"I used to nap when I was little," Yukari added with a smile.
"...Fine. But I really want to take a bath first," Yotsuba grumbled, still reluctant.
———————————————————————
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Go to p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters.