Chapter 5
After finishing breakfast and seeing off our mother as she left for work, we left the house.
Today marks the end of spring break and the first day of the new school term.
Needless to say, Lily will be attending the same school as me.
"By the way, Sota?"
"Hmm?"
"How does this look? Does it suit me?"
Lily asked me with an upward glance.
Suddenly, I was reminded of the events in my dream this morning.
However, unlike the dream, Lily was wearing a sailor uniform.
Since schools in England have blazers and ties, this was a bit of a novelty.
"It suits you."
A beauty like Lily, who doesn't quite fit the typical Japanese mold—well, she's not Japanese to begin with—makes even a familiar uniform look surprisingly stylish.
"Is that so? As long as it doesn't look strange, that's good."
"It's not strange. 'You look cute.'"
"C-cute...!"
Lily's blue eyes widened at my words.
Her fair skin turned bright red.
"I didn't ask you to go that far!"
Lily exclaimed, turning her face away in a huff.
It seems I've upset her.
She gets sulky if she's not praised...
We continued such exchanges as we went to school.
Fortunately, we were in the same class.
And so began the customary self-introductions of the new term...
Because Lily boldly declared that she was "living with Kudo Sota," I ended up in a terrible situation.
"This is delicious. Better than what I had in England."
Lunch break.
Lily had a satisfied expression as she ate her katsu curry.
I don't quite understand, but Japan's "katsu curry" is popular even in England.
Lily had eaten it in England... or rather, she had gone out to eat it with me and seemed to like it.
She wanted to try the authentic katsu curry once she came to Japan.
"By the way, Sota?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to swap the chicken for pork?"
Lily had chosen chicken katsu curry.
In England, chicken katsu is more mainstream than pork katsu.
So, Lily, accustomed to chicken, chose it.
"Sure."
I placed a slice of pork katsu from my own curry onto Lily's plate.
Lily also shared a slice of her chicken katsu with me.
"How's the pork? Lily?"
"It's delicious... But"
"But?"
"I prefer the chicken."
It seems the chicken katsu she's used to tastes better to her.
However, that's just the katsu on the curry.
Lily doesn't know the taste of pork katsu eaten with cabbage and sauce.
I'll have to let her try it next time.
"Thank you for the meal."
Lily, having neatly finished her katsu curry, said so with a slightly unsatisfied look.
She seemed happy while eating, so it's probably the quantity, not the taste, that's lacking.
Lily, as she appears, is a hearty eater.
The Japanese M size might not be enough for her.
"By the way, Lily... Why did you say that this morning?"
"What do you mean?"
"About living together... You didn't have to say that. And leaving it to the imagination... It's as if you're saying we're lovers."
Thanks to that, our classmates now perceive us as a couple.
Lily is seen as the beautiful girl who chased her lover all the way to Japan.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, not really... I just wonder if it's okay with you, Lily. Being asked about it and all, it must be tough?"
I don't have anyone I like, and being misunderstood doesn't harm me...
But is it okay for Lily to be thought of as my lover?
Any girl might be fine with it, but Lily is a noble's daughter.
Wouldn't it become a scandal?
"It's convenient for me. 'It keeps the bad bugs away.'"
"I see."
So it's a deterrent for men.
Indeed, Lily was often approached by men even in England.
If she pretends to have a "lover," it reduces the chances of being confessed to by strangers or approached by those who think they have a chance.
"We must be careful of the thief cat."
...Thief cat?
As far as I remember, "thief cat" refers to a woman who steals someone else's boyfriend (an affair partner).
What Lily should be wary of are not thief cats, but "bad wolves" who prey on young girls.
I thought about pointing it out, but seeing Lily's smug face, I decided against it.
I also had a time when I wanted to use newly learned words... like idioms, at every opportunity.
Lily must be going through that phase now.
I'll just let it be.