The Classmate Who Is Adored by Everyone Smiles Teasingly Only at Me-Chapter 1V .7 - Determination and Sprouting Canelé

Determination and Sprouting Canelé 7

“Um, but there’s also something I’d like to ask you.”

As she hesitated, Chika brought it up on her own while Sōma was excitedly playing around.

“Ask me? You’re asking something of me, Satomi?”

To Sōma’s surprise, Chika said,

“I want you, Ichinose-san, to watch over me.”

“…what do you mean?”

Unable to fully grasp the vague request, Sōma was left bewildered, still holding his triumphant pose.

“Uh, well, how should I explain it…”

As Chika placed a finger on her cheek, she started to explain, speaking slowly.

“I’m a bit embarrassed to say this, but people said I have a lovable and cute image, or maybe you could say a character people adore.”

“I know. When I observe the daily life in the classroom, you’re called the ‘Angel of Peace.’ It’s not common to have classmates nicknamed as ‘Angel’.”

“That’s a bit embarrassing, but it seems to have stuck.”

The representative nickname is the [Angel of Peace], but there are many others, too.

Sōma knows, at the very least, [Healing Yuru-Chara], [Embodiment of Cuteness], [Number One Classmate I Want as a Little Sister], [Top Rank as a Daughter I Want to Have in the Future], [That-That Mascot].

(TN: Yuru-chara is a Japanese term for a category of mascot characters. ‘That-That Mascot’, because she often uses ‘あのあの (ano-ano, ano=that) as a sentence starter. Usually, I tl it as ‘Ah, um’ or smtng like that.)

She’s adored and loved to that extent.

“Everyone treats me so well. They pick cute clothes for me when shopping, and when we go to the movies, they buy my ticket first.”

“They’re really doting on you.”

Agreeing with Sōma’s comment, Chika gave a small nod and continued.

“It’s something I’m grateful for. However, on the flip side, I’ve never picked out my own clothes, and I’ve never bought my own movie tickets. Also, not only Miki-chan and the others, but my parents also dote on me a lot.”

“Your parents are both pastry chefs, right?”

Chika nodded again and said,

“I was born when my parents were already getting old. They were very happy because they had almost given up the idea of having a child, so they showered me with a lot of love. However, they did everything for me, so I hardly ever helped with household chores. It’s just a little sad and pitiful.”

Her gaze, which had been focused on Sōma, eventually fell, and she stared at the fork she was holding.

Though Sōma doesn’t watch the news much, he’s heard words like ‘infertility treatment’ and ‘advanced maternal age.’

Couples who want children but can’t conceive seem to go through a lot of hardship.

If they finally receive their long-awaited daughter through such difficulties, it’s only natural that they would end up treating her like a precious gem.

“Please don’t misunderstand; I love Miki-chan, my other friends, and my parents. I’m grateful to them. But I hate that I haven’t done anything and can’t do anything. I want to be a capable and independent adult. If I continue like this, I don’t think I can become that kind of adult.”

Even though she had her head down, her eyes showed a strong determination.

“I want to be able to choose my own clothes and buy movie tickets by myself. I want to help out at home properly and be of some support to my parents. You may laugh at me because compared to Ichinose-san’s goal of becoming a pastry chef, my goals might seem small, but this is what I want to achieve right now.”

“No one’s laughing at that.”

In response to Chika’s words, Sōma shook his head seriously.

“Both me and Satomi are working hard to become the person we want to be. In that sense, it’s not any different, right? So, there’s no reason to laugh.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Chika smiled softly in response to Sōma’s heartfelt words.

“I really want to support Satomi, but what can I actually do to help? If you want to become independent, it won’t make much sense for me to assist you.”

“That’s why I want you to watch over me. I want to challenge myself to do things I’ve never done before, but I’m not sure I can do it alone.”

“Not sure?”

“Yes, because I’ve never done anything on my own before. If I fail, I wouldn’t know what to do. I might panic and be overwhelmed. In those moments, I feel like having someone by my side would be comforting.”

“So, you want me to play the role of a lifeguard at a public pool, huh?”

Finally, Sōma understood what Chika was asking for.

To challenge something you’ve never done before requires courage.

Even Sōma feels nervous when attempting to make a pastry he’s never made before.

It’s not uncommon to wish for advice from an instructor or a professional when facing difficult steps, and It’s understandable to want someone there in case something goes wrong.

“Can’t you ask Saito for help before? She’s your best friend, right?”

“I can’t. Miki-chan would come to my rescue before I even do anything.”

“Ah… you’re probably right. She would definitely do that.”

That scene can be easily imagined.

“But even so, why me? To be honest, we haven’t really talked much, have we? We’ve only been in the same class for about half a year, and we can count the number of conversations we’ve had on one hand.”

“One of the reasons is exactly that. We’re not as close as Miki-chan and the others, but we’re not complete strangers either. I thought someone like you could watch over me from an appropriate distance.”

“I see.”

“The other reason is more important, and it’s because it’s you, Ichinose-san, yourself.”

“Me?”

“When you said earlier that you want to become a pastry chef with such a serious expression, it influenced me. I thought that I should work hard in my own way too. Everyone in the class is striving for their future, and it would be uncool for me to do nothing.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. I’m just doing what I want to do.”

“That’s the thing, you talk about your efforts like it’s nothing, and that’s amazing.”

It’s an entirely new experience for him to be praised by a girl face-to-face, so he feels quite embarrassed.

“I see, I’m the one who ignited Satomi’s motivation. In that case, I have to take responsibility.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Of course. I’m happy to help. So, from now on, count on me.”

“I appreciate it. Thank you very much.”

After bowing to each other across the table, Chika let out a big sigh and patted her chest as if relieved.