Our Life That Begins with a Convenient Relationship - Chapter 22

A little while later, the movers arrived exactly at the scheduled time.

The work went quickly. Cardboard boxes on dollies were carried into the entrance one after another. Watching the pile of boxes grow, I felt a strange sensation as if the pieces of my past life were being lined up in a physical shape.

“This is everything. Please check to confirm.”

The worker bowed politely. I checked and nodded, and Sakura stamped the receipt and said, “Thank you very much.”

The moment the door closed, silence returned.

In the entrance, the cardboard boxes were neatly stacked. It felt a bit crowded, but it wouldn’t be a problem once I cleared them away.

I picked up one of the boxes to carry it to my room but then I stopped.

“…”

Sakura was standing in front of the mountain of boxes with her mouth open. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Kyoko… is this really all of your stuff?”

“This is it.”

“Ehh…? It’s so little.”

Seeing her eyes go round with surprise, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Well, I suppose it’s normal to think there would be more. When people think of moving, they usually imagine a huge number of boxes, furniture, and appliances.

But for me, this was everything.

“Well, what can I say? It’s just clothes, dishes, cooking tools, and some small items. I don’t really have any hobbies other than housework, and my old apartment had furniture included. When you live in a tiny place, this is how it ends up.”

As I spoke, I felt a little embarrassed to be faced with how “empty” my life had been. However, Sakura didn’t look bothered; instead, she stared at me with curiosity.

“Huh… but it feels very ‘Kyoko-like’.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It feels simple and efficient!”

I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not.

“Well, it’s the result of a life of saving money,” I joked back. I picked up the box of clothes and carried it into my room.

Surprisingly, sorting everything out ended quickly. I lined things up neatly in the closet. I didn’t have a place for socks or underwear yet, so I put them on the floor for now, and then I was almost done.

I realized again myself—it really is very little.

Everything here is just the bare minimum needed to survive. But for me, that makes the space feel calm. I feel like my heart stays uncluttered when there aren’t extra things around.

When I left the room and went to the kitchen, Sakura had just finished putting away the dishes. However, at the next box—the one with cooking tools—she was frozen with a frown.

“…What’s wrong?”

“…Um, what do you use this silver stick for? I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere.”

I walked over to see what she was holding up curiously—it was a whisk.

“That’s a whisk. You use it to beat eggs and things like that. It’s useful for many things. Well, I only bought it because it was cheap in a set, so I’ve never actually used it.”

“Whoa! It looks like a science experiment tool!”

Her eyes sparkled with interest. Since she doesn’t cook, all of these tools must be a mystery to her. Seeing her like that made me smile.

“…You really don’t cook at all, do you?”

“I do! Like instant ramen!”

“That is a far cry from cooking.”

As I spoke, I naturally started to laugh. The room felt a bit warmer, as if the earlier silence had been a lie.

“Wait, Kyoko, are you finished sorting your things already?”

“I don’t have much, and I just put the things that don’t go in the closet on the floor for now. …Once this is finished, shall we have lunch?”

When I said that, a big smile appeared on her face. She carefully put the whisk back on the shelf and quickly helped me clear the rest of the tools.

“Now then…”

I opened the refrigerator and looked inside to see what we had.

She had an upset stomach this morning, so I should avoid heavy food. Something gentle for the stomach and light would be best.

Then, I saw a pack of udon noodles.

There was soup stock, too. Eggs and green onions. If that’s the case…

“Alright, let’s have Moon-Viewing Udon (egg udon).”

“Wow, udon! That sounds great…!”

I boiled water in a pot, prepared the stock, and put in the noodles. The white noodles danced in the water, and the rising steam softly filled the kitchen.

Next to me, Sakura asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Then, can you chop the green onions? …You can do that, right?”

“I can! …Probably.”

She stood in front of the cutting board looking happy, but the way she held the knife was very dangerous. “Your fingers! Watch your fingers!” I shouted without thinking, and she quickly pulled her hand back, saying, “Ah, that was close!”

Soon, the udon was ready. I poured the soup into the bowls, dropped an egg into the steaming noodles, and scattered the chopped green onions on top. It was finished.

“Here you go, it’s done.”

“Wow… it looks like a restaurant. Let’s eat!”

At the same time, her chopsticks started moving. She slurped the hot noodles, drank some soup, and held the bowl with both hands.

“Hafuu… it’s soaking into my body!”

Her happy sigh spread slowly through the room, like a sweet scent mixing with the air.

As I watched her, I felt something inside me soften and relax.

To me, it was just simple udon, but I realized that when someone is happy to eat it, the food itself tastes different.

“To be able to eat such delicious food every day, I’m so happy.”

“You’re exaggerating. Anyone could make this and it would taste about the same.”

“Even so, I love the food you make, Kyoko. I want to eat it every day.”

When she said that with a shy smile, my heart felt a warm glow. It was that same comfortable feeling I had when we said “Good morning” or “Good night.”

“Well, that’s good. You can eat it every day from now on.”

I meant to say it lightly, but my words made Sakura’s smile even softer.

…I never imagined just a few days ago that living together, which started with a fake marriage proposal, would become this warm.

Before I knew it, the words came out of my mouth.

“Hey, Sakura.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to learn how to cook? It’s easy.”

After looking surprised for a moment, she smiled like a flower blooming.

“If you’re the one teaching me, I want to learn!”

“Who else would teach you?”

I replied half-teasingly, and she laughed even more happily.

I’m sure that from now on, on days when we both have off, we will stand side-by-side in the kitchen.

Colors that weren’t in my life before are being added one by one. Thinking about that, my heart was wrapped in a gentle warmth.