Fool's Love

As soon as I was looked at by him like this, I couldn't think of words to say no.

Masumi came to my house more often, and my parents and Mimi-san became familiar with him.

And because I relied on his help in my studies before, his treatment in my family has naturally increased.

When he came in from the entrance with me, and neatly put away the shoes he took off, if someone in the room heard the sound and knew that the guest was coming, he would come out to say hello.

"Is Masumi hungry? Do you want to eat something?" Both father and mother always ask this question.

Probably because I usually work in the kitchen, when it comes to hospitality etiquette, the first thing that comes to mind is appetite.

At this time, if Masumi replied: "Thank you! I am indeed a little hungry", and they went into the kitchen full of energy.

Masumi, who saw this scene for the first time, was still very surprised. After recovering, he showed me a shy look: "Your family is so warm!"

"No way! They just saw that there were guests, and they were more excited than usual."

"Is that right?"

"Of course!"

One thing impresses me.It was the same rainy day as when Masumi first visited my house.

But he didn't come to my house because it was raining, but it suddenly rained after staying at my house for a while.

We all had dinner in the downstairs living room, and it was sukiyaki cooked by my mother.Then go back to my room.

I sat cross-legged on the bed with my back against the wall and practiced drawing, while Masumi sat on the floor leaning against the edge of the bed and read comic books.

As soon as I looked up, I could just see the slender nape of his neck because of the lowered head - that day he tied a hair bundle of about ten centimeters like a puppy's tail behind his head.

The rain suddenly broke out, knocking on the windowpane.Masumi looked to the right, and the clear scenery reflected on the window glass suddenly became blurred, and they were mixed together, like an oil painting dissolved with solvent, or a Turner accidentally knocked into the water watercolor.

"It was raining heavily. I remember it was also a rainy day when I first came to Yamagishi's house."

"Yes. But it was the rainy season at that time. The rain now, as expected, should be a shower, and it won't last long."

Masumi turned her head to me again.His lower body still maintained a forward-facing posture, but his head moved his shoulders to speak to me.

"At that time we went to the theater to watch the comic of Salmon on the Pier."

"Yes, you also said that you wanted to be a manga teacher before."

"It's a 'comedian'!Whether it's comics or short dramas, I like them very much. It's very difficult for me to choose one of them.But that's not what I want to say. "

"what is that?"

"It's already raining after watching Manzai's performance, so I followed you to your house. Then——There's a prize quiz! Does Yamagishi know what I want to say?"

He suddenly stood up and faced me, raising his voice to ask a question.I was stunned by his question, my lips twitched a few times, but I didn't know what to say.

I just remember him lying on the bed with his pants rolled up as my model, looking at me with eyes like the night sky.My face suddenly became hot.

"Do you want me to draw a picture for you?"

"No, it's not."

"Is that the name of the manga group that you want to continue discussing?"

"Not this one either."

We had been tossing around for a long time on the subject, and the final candidate was Candy and Mackerel.

Because I like the combination of pier tuna, we kept the element of "fish" in the name, and the word "candy" is because we are still high school students, which is a deliberate show of our youthful side.

We also imitated the iconic opening line of the pier tuna, Masumi as the role of playing dumb, and I was the one who complained.

I imitated Kakuwada's sarcasm on the pier tuna, and slapped his head while saying the sarcasm lines.But I didn't dare to push hard, I just patted symbolically.

"If this is not the case, then what is it?"

I can't remember it at all.My memories of being at home that day are half of Masumi lying on the bed and lying on the edge of the bed, and half of him smiling and talking about Mancai.

Masumi didn't seem discouraged even though our train of thought didn't align at all.He took a small step towards me, and his legs were already completely against the edge of the bed.

There is a distance of more than one meter between us.I was too embarrassed to look him in the eyes, so I just stared at his hair.

"It's cooking, Yamagishi. I miss your mapo tofu."

I never expected him to say this.We had already had dinner by then, and he ate clean as usual.

I think that my cooking skills are far inferior to my parents, but Masumi's words make me happy.

"Then next time I have time, I'll show off my housekeeping skills and make something real! What would Masumi want to eat?"

"Full Han feast."

"How can I do that kind of thing!"

Masumi laughed again.Like this, I can tell at a glance that he is playing dumb.

We also go out to eat sometimes, because Masumi feels that he can't bother me and my family all the time.

He paid for it.The first time was to go to the nearby Ramen Jiro. Masumi was not used to the taste there, and it spoiled our stomachs. After that, we ate more at restaurants that Masumi was familiar with.

But I never went to Masumi's house.I didn't find an opportunity—for example, the heavy rain before, or maybe that wasn't the main reason.Perhaps I was unconsciously rejecting the visit to Masumi's house.

-

Mimi-san gave me a portion of the profit from selling doujinshi at a regular rate.

I couldn't figure out how to spend the money for a while, because I didn't have any comics I wanted to buy recently.Then I thought about it.

On the weekend after the first week of school, Masumi and I went to a shopping mall in Umeda by car.I said, because the proceeds from the doujinshi I posted some time ago have arrived in my account, so let me treat you today!

Masumi was a little surprised, and it took a few seconds for him to realize, "Thank you so much." He said with a smile.

We watched a movie first and then had sushi nearby.Masumi naturally talked about the manga that was the source of funding for this time - "S?D?R".I'm embarrassed to confess, so I turned the topic to the comics I will cooperate with in the future.

"Really? I thought it was just casual talk."

Under the warm yellow light, Masumi dipped the sushi in kanko soy sauce and put it into his mouth with his hands.

His eyes are brighter than the rice grains on the sushi. Once I was looked at by him like that, I couldn't think of words to say no.

"Of course it's true. I've thought about it a long time ago. The comics I collaborated with can be submitted to the "Weekly Barita" comic contest. I think the style of that magazine will be more suitable for your story."

"But I haven't figured out what to draw yet."

"Didn't you tell me a story before? The one about the universe, I want to modify its setting slightly and condense it into a short story."

I probably drank the tea mixed with matcha powder as wine, and talked a lot with him eloquently.