I’m Back in the First Grade of Elementary School, so I’m Going to Live Well

Itosaki Dining Table

About an hour had passed since I read the picture books.

And it was around the time I finished reading the first book without being able to get any of the content into my head and was about to start the second book.

“Knock, knock.”

I hear a knock at the door behind me.

The door is opened before I can reply, “Yes.”

My dad was not home and my sister had just left the house, so I could only think of one person to knock.

“Mizui-chan. If you don’t mind―― My my~♪”

Before Mom can finish, she smirks at the distance between me and Mizui-san.

I’m sure she misunderstood something.

No, I’m indeed in a situation where I could be misunderstood, but what my mother imagines is a total misunderstanding and mistake.

When my mother appeared on the scene, Mizui-san seemed to have no choice but to break free from her clinging state, and even though she regretted leaving, she kept her distance from me for a little while.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting anything?”

“No, not at all.”

Mizui-san replied, but her expression was a bit cloudy.

“So, what’s the matter? Mom.”

I don’t think she would come to my room without any business when I have a visitor.

She must have had some business to attend to.

“It’s almost lunchtime, isn’t it? Would Mizui-chan like to have lunch with us if you don’t mind?”

Oh, that reminds me, it’s already that time.

I looked at the clock in my room and saw that the two hour and minute hands had become a single line. The time was 12:30.

If you ask me, I’m not hungry.

I hadn’t gone for my daily run yet, so even though I wasn’t feeling that hungry, I knew I would get hungry as time went by.

I don’t know where Mizui-san’s house is, but at this time of night, it might be better to eat at my house.

“Well, since we’re here, why don’t we eat, Mizui-san?”

That is, of course, if she’s okay with it.

Maybe she’s been told by the people at her home to eat lunch at home, you know.

“If you say so, I’ll take your word for it.”

That was the reason I asked, and she agreed.

I was more than happy to have my first experience of sitting around a dinner table with friends.

It was a wish come true.

“It’s settled then. I’m almost ready, so please come downstairs.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As soon as she said that, Mizui-san and I sat up.

“I’m home―” 

My sister, who had unfortunately gone out for a walk, returned at about the same time as Mizui-san and I went downstairs.

And we bumped into her in the hallway.

“Gee, you’re still here?”

As soon as she saw our faces, she wrinkled her brow and complained.

“Hey, don’t be rude to our guest Mizui-san.”

“I was talking to her, not you, you stupid brother.”

In any case, it’s rude to call a customer “this guy.”

“It’s natural for me to be here. It’s my house.”

“I don’t care where you are, go home now. Or go back to the dirt.”

“You’re the one who needs to go back to the wild.”

“Aa?”

“Aa?”

Both of us are boiling with anger and are on the verge of exploding.

We fight face to face.

But today, Mizui-san is right in front of us, so she is restraining her emotions. She clicks her tongue once and lies down on the sofa in the living room.

I don’t have the self-control to get into a big fight in front of Mizui-san.

We just bickered and that was that.

All we had to do was bicker and it was over.

Mom, on the other hand, is steadily preparing the meal.

From the sound of the oil splashing and the aroma of soy sauce, I guessed that today’s lunch would be fried chicken.

“I’ll help you prepare the meal if you want.”

When Mizui-san saw what was going on in the kitchen, she took the initiative and offered to help her mother.

“My, no problem, Mizui-chan. You’re our guest, so you can relax.”

“No, I don’t want to take care of you for free, so please let me help.”

“Really? Well, can you bring me the dishes?”

Mom easily relented and asked her to do so, and Mizui-san gladly agreed.

It was strange that she, as a guest, would help and I, as a house owner, would not.

I guess I should help here, too.

So I decided to go to the kitchen.

“Hey, little brother.”

My sister, who was relaxing in the living room, called me out with the same malicious tone as ever.

I’ve just had a tiff with her, but she’s still talking to me again.

I’m sure it’s something to do with Mizui-san who is in the kitchen right now.

“What is it?”

“Are you friends with that guy?”

“Well, yes.”

“You’ve never had a friend before?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“…… Nothing. I just thought it was unnatural.”

If you think about it, it’s not natural for someone like me to be friends with Mizui-san from the outside.

On the one hand, I’m the dull one, and on the other hand, she’s the popular one in class.

It’s quite natural that people who don’t know the circumstances of our shared secret hobby of picture books would find it disproportionate that she and I are getting along so well.

In addition to the fact that I still haven’t grasped the true reason why Mizui-san is so close to me to the point of needlessness, my heart is bothered by a sense of inferiority and distrust.

“You’ve been acting strange lately, haven’t you?”

“…… It’s――”

“I’m home.”

My father came home at the same time as I heard the key in the lock.

Oh, by the way, you said your golf meeting with your boss would be over in the morning.

“Hmm? Is there someone here?”

There was an unfamiliar pair of shoes at the door, and Dad knew we had a visitor.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway was getting closer and closer, and when he appeared in the living room, he looked first at his visitor, Mizui-san.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you. My name is Mizui Hime.”

“Are you a friend of Sho’s, by any chance?”

“…… Yes, that’s who I am now.”

Dad rolls his eyes at Mizui-san’s affirmation.

My dad’s reaction was different from my mom’s, but they both seemed surprised that I had a friend.

Am I really that much of a nerd to my family? I was indeed a loner until recently.

“Well, I can’t believe Sho is bringing his friends. Thank you for always taking care of Sho.”

My father, who was surprised but soon returned to his usual calm smile, said something that I found a bit meddlesome as he sat up with his hands on his knees to make eye contact with Mizui-san.

“No, I’m the one who takes care of Sho. Father-in-law.”

(TN: I’m not sure if the RAW is wrong or my TL that is wrong. It doesn’t connect with the conversation above. Or maybe I’m the wrong one…)

“It’s kind of embarrassing to be called father. Hahaha.”

Dad smiles to cover up his embarrassment.

“Come on, honey, we’re almost ready to eat, so go take a shower.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay.”

After receiving Mom’s instructions, Dad headed for the bathroom.

It would be somewhat unhygienic to go straight to the table after exercising in the open air today, where the temperature is still reasonably high, if not blazing hot.

Above all, we were in front of guests.

◆

“““““Bon appétit!”””””

After my father finished taking a quick shower, we gathered around the table, one more person than usual, and all of us put our hands together before picking up chopsticks.

The chair I had pulled out from the back of the storage room for visitors was placed to my left, and I asked Mizui-san to sit on it.

On the table, there was miso soup and white rice for five people, as well as a large plate of fried chicken and salad.

“………?”

“……? What’s wrong?”

While my mom and sisters took the fried chicken and salad from the platter with chopsticks, Mizui-san looked at the dishes on the table with a slightly puzzled expression, and when I saw that, I asked her.

“We don’t eat like this much in my house……”

“Ah, I see.”

The main dish on the platter is served on individual plates, which is the main style of eating at our house.

I’m sure that the mainstream style of eating in the Mizui household is to serve each person a portion.

If that’s the case, it’s not surprising that our way of eating is uncomfortable.

I heard that some people don’t like to take individual portions from a large plate, so I guess I wasn’t considerate enough.

“If you want, I can serve Mizui-san’s portion separately first.”

I suggested that, since it would be better if I just served her portion beforehand.

“No, I just thought it was fresh, so it’s all right――”

She was about to shake her head, but stopped mid-sentence.

“……”

Then, after a moment of silence, she opened her mouth again.

“Can I ask you, after all?”

“Y-Yes. Of course.”

What the hell was that pause?

“Then can I ask you to serve me fried chicken?”

“Yes.”

I borrowed Mizui-san’s chopsticks since I had already put my chopsticks to my mouth, and put the fried chicken on her plate.

She could have served it herself, but it would have been polite of me to do so.

“Can I have a salad?”

“Yes.”

I serve the salad.

“Can you pass me the dressing?”

“Yes.”

I hand her the salad dressing.

“Can I get a drink, too?”

“Sure.”

I pour tea into a glass.

“Then feed me♪”

“Yes, yes.”

I took the fried chicken with my chopsticks and brought it to her mouth.

“I’m not going to do that far.”

She was standing by with her mouth open, but I pulled my hand back just in time without bringing any fried food into her mouth.

The request was so natural that I almost complied without question.

Mizui-san pursed her small mouth in disappointment.

“Fufufu, that’s nice, Sho. You can do that for her.”

My mother, sitting in front of me, smiles and makes fun of me.

“No, that’s about it.”

It may be just that much for my mother, who is watching, but for me, who is doing it for her, it’s extremely embarrassing.

If it was just the two of us, but in front of my family, it would be more than embarrassing.

“I don’t think you should do it. It’s disgusting. My stupid brother.”

“Oh? What are you doing, you fucking sister?”

“What? I’m good, stupid brother.”

A fight breaks out between me and my sister, who is sitting diagonally in front of me across the dining table.

“Stop it, you two! You’re in front of the guests!”

My mother quickly intervened, but for the third time today, it was hard for both of us to control our anger.

There’s a saying that the face of Buddha comes three times, and the face of Sho comes twice!

“I’m sorry, Mizui-chan. It’s a noisy house.”

My father, sitting right next to me, smiles apologetically at Mizui-san while the two of us fight over the desk and my mother stops them.

“No, I’m from a quiet family, so this kind of lively atmosphere is refreshing and――well, kind of fun.”

I’m not sure if she’s being complimentary or if she’s being sincere, but she says this with me between her and my father.

“Really? Then why don’t you stay at home for the day and experience the Itosaki family?”

Dad said, almost as a joke.

In reality, it must be somewhat unacceptable for the other parent to have a girl stay at a boy’s house, no matter how elementary school age she is.

There is also the situation between the parents.

It’s also difficult to ask for help when the parents don’t know each other at all.

It is also a difficult matter.

It’s not something that should be decided by a child.

My father must have said that on the assumption that she would refuse. But―― 

“Yes, I’d love to.”

“What?”

Mizui-san accepts the request with a biting smile.

My father, who hadn’t expect it, looked like a pigeon that had been hit by a peashooter.

“No, but your parents…”

“I’ll call them and convince them.”

“But you’re not even prepared to stay the night.”

“I’ve brought a full change of clothes in case something like this happens.”

“But you’ll need to find a place to sleep.”

“I’ll sleep in Sho-kun room with him.”

“……”

“I’ll be fine.”

I assure him with a gentle smile.

My dad, who is a bit of a wimp, is not happy to hear me say this much back.

“Well, it’s okay then.”

He’s easily pushed away.

Thus, while I was still fighting with my sister, unbeknownst to me, Mizui-san decided to stay with us.