9 Confidence Issues

Hito could have feel her joy, which is certainly a surprise for him, after all, he just called her 'cute' once, she's already this happy?

To be frank, he genuinely believe that she's cute, he wasn't kidding when he said that, even though his standard of 'beautiful' and 'cute' had been re-evaluated in the past few days.

So basically if he calls someone 'cute' they are automatically better looking than 90% of the world's population.

Though it was quite shocking to see such a cute girl have little confidence in her looks.

"D-do you really think so?" Saki muttered unsurely.

"Yes, confidence is what you need not makeup, your already beautiful the way you are." Hito heard her and replied with an encouraging smile.

With that Saki's blush deepen even further, no one called her 'beautiful' before, not even her mother as far as she could remember…

Let's not mention her father.

"T-thank you.."

"For what?" Hito asked while tilting his head.

For calling me beautiful, for giving me confidence.

Saki wanted to say that to him, but she couldn't as she thought it was too cheesy to say.

"N-nothing.." Saki shook her head with a smile.

"If you say so?" Hito didn't try to pry more and went to the cashier to pay for the mineral water he took from the fridge.

After he paid for the mineral water, he noticed Saki going to the counter with a magazine in hand.

Hito couldn't help but frown, however, Saki noticed it and quickly said. "I-it's the r-reason why I'm here in the first place, I decided to buy for it…for a different reason," Saki muttered the last part so that Hito couldn't hear them.

"I suppose you're right." Hito shrugged, it wasn't like he could stop her anyway, it was her decision.

Who was he to stop her?

After Saki finished paying for the magazine she bought, she suddenly started fidgeting around him.

Hito felt her nervousness and wondered the reason why she was nervous.

"U-umm…c-can I add you in Line?!" Realizing she shouted the last part, she immediately felt embarrassed.

It wasn't her intention, but she couldn't help it, she was nervous! Who knew asking for someone's contact is nerve-wracking?!

Hito didn't mind her shouting, he smiled as she mentioned adding him in Line, this was an opportunity to gain another friend!

There's no way, he'd decline!

"Sure." 

Hearing his reply, Saki's face brighten, and quickly took out her phone and added Hito's Line account.

In the background, the cashier who was a woman in her thirties couldn't help but smile slyly at the 'drama' that was happening in front of her, she was enjoying this.

It was obvious to see the girl's interest in the boy, and it made her feel nostalgic with her own husband.

Ah..youth.

–

Hito made a 'friend' at least he thinks so, either way, he was smiling on his way back home, aside from his family he has 2 friends in Line now.

Nishimiya and Yoshida.

That's progress if you ask me.

He arrived at his family's house and said. "I'm home!"

As he got inside, he was greeted by his sister. "Welcome home!"

He could hear her voice from the living room, after that, he went directly to his room to change clothes.

—

Saki arrived at her family's house with a bright mood, because a certain someone made her day, he called her 'cute'!

No one has ever called her that apart from her family, it also didn't help that barely anyone would notice her presence, and that's how her confidence became very low, without compliments from others she subconsciously thought herself as unattractive.

Ugly even,

But today it changed because someone made her feel more attractive, and that was enough for her. Saki was a simple girl.

A single compliment from a stranger would make her smile.

Looking at the magazine that she bought from the convenience store, her original plan was to use this as a tip to be more attractive and people would notice her.

But because of a single person's interference, her goal changed to making herself more attractive, not because she wanted people to notice her but to make that person who told her that she was 'beautiful'.

Oh, she wanted to hear his compliments again, as it made her feel better about herself and more importantly it made her happy.

Selfish as it is, it was her desire.

With a determined look on her face, the next time she meets him, she would be more attractive.

—

In the living room, Hito was sitting on the couch watching some news today. It wasn't anything interesting at all, it was just the old boring idol scandals.

Honestly, news like this is very uninteresting in his opinion, why do these people care about other people's lives?

But then again, it was their job but still, these people don't know the word 'privacy'.

He couldn't help but sympathize with these famous idols because they had to be careful with their every action in public because a simple mistake could be their downfall.

"Onii-chan, dinner's ready!"

Well, that's his cue, with his sister calling him, he turned off the tv and went toward the dining table.

"Mom and dad aren't here yet?" Hito noticed his parents were missing from the table, at this time they'd be here with them.

"Oh, yeah forgot to tell you that but some of them are going overtime today." 

Hito couldn't help but raise his brow and replied. "At the same time?"

"Yep."

"What a coincidence." 

"Indeed, but it does happen sometimes." His sister shrugged it off.

Suddenly a spicy aroma assaulted his nose, his gaze was fixed on the dish that his sister put on the table.

"Spicy mapo tofu?" 

"Yep! I made it super duper spicy this time!" His sister proudly spoke of the dish.

Hito stared at the mapo tofu in front of him, it was so red to the point the soup would be mistaken as molten lava.

Not to mention its overpowering spicy aroma.

Lumine, who was on the sidelines, couldn't help but sweat a little after seeing the mapo tofu.

"You sure that's edible…?" There was a slight hesitation in her voice.

Not that he could blame her, although he loves spicy dishes, he knows when to call it quits.

"I think…?" 

"Oh come on you two! Don't be dramatic! It's edible and delicious I guarantee it!" Hitomi spoke with great confidence.

However, Lumine wasn't sure nor was Hito.

You could see the doubt on their faces.

"Hitomi, I don't think that's edible." Hito finally decided that this dish isn't something that a human should consume.

"Pssh! It's edible! You'll see, I'm going to try it first." 

"I don't think you shoul-'' Hito tried to stop his sister from tasting that abomination she called food.

"Num!" Hitomi put the tasting spoon in her mouth, for a few seconds she didn't react and after that, her entire face was starting to turn red.

Hitomi couldn't hold it anymore.

"RARGGHHHHH!! IT BURNS! MY MOUTH IS BURNING!" 

That's it, he tried to warn her but she didn't listen, she reaps what she saw.

If this was an anime, they would see her bursting out literal flames out of her mouth, but in reality, such an effect doesn't exist.

Hitomi quickly rushed to the kitchen and started making milk, thankfully she boiled hot water in advance.

After chugging an entire glass of milk, only she calmed down, but the damage was done, as they fell from her eyes.

"O-oh my god…t-that was terrible!" Hitomi cried in regret.

Lumine stared at her with concern, even though it was technically her fault for doing such a thing, as her friend she was concerned.

"Are you okay?" 

"N-no…" 

"Sorry.. that was a stupid question to ask."

While the girls were busy, Hito was staring at the dreaded mapo tofu, its presence alone was daring him to try and eat it.

Oh? You're coming at me human?

You can't stop human curiosity.

Yeager!

Tata ke!

Freeedoooom!

Sasageyo sasageyo!

Without him realizing he was already putting the tofu in his mouth, as he tasted it.

The flavor exploded inside his mouth. Instead of reacting like his sister, he enjoyed the dish, as he didn't feel its spiciness, only its delicious flavors.

He knew that something was wrong, but he was too occupied to care, as he wolfed down the mapo tofu on the table.

Hito didn't even realize that the two girls in the room were looking at him with different kinds of expressions.

Lumine was looking at him with awe.

Hitomi's jaw dropped from her mouth, her eyes wide as she looked at her brother eating the mapo tofu like it was nothing but a common soup.

It didn't take him a few seconds to finish it all, after he did he let out a loud barf, making him feel embarrassed.

"A-ahem, it was so delicious that I couldn't stop myself from eating it all."

"O-onii-san..? A-are you okay?" Hitomi hesitatingly asked him.

"Of course, why am I not?" He replied a bit confused at her reaction.

"R-really?! You didn't feel anything at all?! Like feeling your mouth burning off!"

"That's oddly specific, but no…"

"N-no way?! Who are you? What have you done to my onii-chan?!" Hitomi exclaimed in exaggeration.

"What's the big dea- oh.." Hito finally realized what he had done, and then he looked surprised, astonished, and in a bit of disbelief at what he just did.

How? He didn't feel anything at all, which was wrong. It was supposed to be insanely spicy but he could barely feel any spiciness as he ate the mapo tofu!

'W-what the hell is happening to me..?' Not for the first time, he asked himself what was wrong with him, as he started charging without him realizing it.

–

Sup, I don't think anyone missed me, but anyway, stay tuned I'll add a few more chapters later~