第14話 氷の令嬢と相合傘
レジで会計を済ませてスーパーを出ると、十分前と変わらず冬華が雨を見つめながら佇んでいた。
雨脚は強まるばかりで、まだ当分止みそうにはない。
「行こうか」
「......はい」
傘をさして頭上に掲げると、冬華の身体はすっぽりと影に覆われた。
傍から見れば、相合傘をする仲睦まじいカップルに見えるのだろうか。
実際は、狭い空間の中にほんの少しの甘い空気すら漂っていない。
「......あなたが左側で、私が右側なのは意図的ですか?」
「ん? まあ、お前の買った物が濡れないようにとは思ったけど......。何でそんなこと聞くんだ」
「男性が左側、女性が右側で同じ傘の下に居ることは恋の成就を願うまじないの一種だそうです」
「......あのなあ、俺がわざわざ縁結び目的で誘ったと思ってるのか」
「いえ、全く。あなたはただ、お節介なだけでしょう? 私に恋愛感情を抱いてるとは思えません」
無言の時間が続くかと思われた帰り道で、突然あらぬ疑いを掛けられたが、朝陽としてはさして驚くことではなかった。
家に運び込んで看病したことから始まり、夜ご飯を振る舞ったり、荷物を無理やり運んだり、果ては相合傘を持ち掛けたり。
全て善意によるもので、やましい気持ちなど一切無いと断言できるが、受け手からすれば裏の意図を探ってしまう気持ちも分かる。
特に冬華はその美貌故に異性から言い寄られることが多いので、氷と形容される性格と相まって警戒の気持ちが強いのだろう。
ただ、ここに来てお節介過ぎる隣人というイメージが功を成したらしい。
冬華は朝陽の心情を正確に理解してくれていた。
お節介を焼いているだけで、恋愛感情は全くない。
まさにその通りだった。
「第一、そんな疑いがあったら俺の家にあがって勉強を教えようとは思わないだろ」
「そうですね。あなたが無害でお節介な人で本当に良かったです」
「やっぱそれ褒められてないよな」
「......ほんの少しだけは褒めていますよ?」
「そりゃ、褒められてる気は全くしないからな」
褒められている気はしないが、無害でお節介故にこうして冬華と会話をしながら隣を歩いているのだから不思議でならない。
裏を返せば冬華が氷の令嬢として振る舞っているのは、お節介かどうかはともかく、少なからず他人を有害だと考えているのだろうか。
そんな過激な発想をしているとは流石に思えないが、やはり過去に何かきっかけとなる出来事があったに違いない。
ただ、いくら無害でお節介とはいえ、そこまで踏み込んだ話をできるほど距離が縮まっているわけではない。
寧ろ、まだ友達とも呼べない仲である以上、会話は限りなく表面的な話題に限られた。
「レトルトにお惣菜......」
少し無言の時間が続いた後、怪我人を気遣って冬華が持つビニール袋を代わりに運ぼうかと考えたが、朝陽も朝陽で両手が埋まっているため状況的に厳しい。
その時、チラリと横目で捉えたビニール袋の中身がやけに少なく軽そうなのが見て取れた。
「別に何も」
勝手に買った物を見られたのが気に障ったのか、冬華が不機嫌そうな声を発したので朝陽は直ぐに目を逸らす。
「私だって自炊をして、なるべく健康的で栄養のある美味しいご飯を食べたいと思っていますよ。ただ、利き手が使えないとなると......」
一見、やっぱり自炊ができなかったのか、自炊が面倒くさくなったかの二つのパターンが考えられる。
しかし、少し視線を落として冬華の右手を見れば三つ目のパターンが思い浮かぶ。
冬華本人がどこか早口に話している通り、利き手が使えないとなると自炊は難しいだろう。
「だったら俺が作ろうか?」
自分で言っていて、流石にお節介が過ぎるとは考えた。
ただ、気づけば口が勝手に動いていたのだから仕方が無い。
遠慮します、の前に何を提案されたのかまだ思考が追い付いていないのだろう。
きょとん、と目を丸くしてこちらを見上げている冬華に構わず朝陽は言葉を続けた。
「俺が氷室の晩飯もついでに作ろうかって言ってるんだ。健康的で栄養のある美味しいご飯を食べたいんだろ」
「確かに言いましたけど......」
「それに、レトルトとお惣菜とはいえ準備や洗い物に利き手を使うはずだ。球技大会までに怪我を治したいなら悪くない提案だと思うぞ」
筋は通ってるが、やはりお節介が過ぎる。
たかが隣人のために、どうしてそこまでする必要があるのか。
何故こんな提案をしたのかと考えれば、もっともらしい理由は思い浮かばない。
強いて理由をあげるとするならば、部屋の前で倒れた事や球技大会の事も含めて冬華はどこか危うげで儚く、どうしても心配になってしまうところがあった。
それが朝陽を過剰なお節介へと掻き立てていた。
しかし、決して善意を押し付ける真似をするべきではない。
遠慮されたら、大人しく引き下がる。
この提案もまた、相合傘と同じく断られることを前提としたものだった。
「......それもまたいつものお節介ですか?」
「そうだ」
「......何と言うか、もう......あなたはお節介の塊ですね」
「俺もそう思う」
呆れた様子を隠そうともせず、冬華は大きなため息をついた。
それっきり、どういうわけか目を伏せて黙りこくってしまう。
沈黙が表す意味が何なのか分かるはずもなく、朝陽はひたすらに冬華の返事を待った。
雨粒が跳ねる音だけが静かな住宅街に響く、そんな時間が暫く続いた後にマンションに着いた。
びしょ濡れになった傘をたたみ、エントランスを通過して、長い廊下を歩く。
そうして部屋の前に着き、このまま何も言わずに解散かと思われた時だった。
「......材料費と人件費を全て私に払わせてください。それでいいのなら、暫くあなたのお世話になろうかと思います」
ようやく冬華が口を開いて発した言葉は、提案者の朝陽が思わず傘を手放してしまうほどの驚きがあった。
Ch 14
When I left the supermarket after paying the bill at the register, Fuyuka was still standing there, staring at the rain for a decent amount of time.
The rain was getting stronger and it didn't look like it would stop for a while.
"Let's go."
"...Okay."
When he raised the umbrella above his head, Fuyuka's body was completely covered by its shadow.
Looking from the side, did they look like a friendly couple under an umbrella?
However in reality, there was not even the slightest bit of sweet mood in that small space.
"Is it intentional that...you are on the left and I am on the right?"
"Hmm? Well, I was just trying to keep the stuff you bought from getting wet. Why would you ask me that?"
"It is said that having the man on the left and the woman on the right under the same umbrella is a kind of spell wishing for the success of their love."
"...You see, you think I went out of my way to ask you for that kind of thing?"
"No, not at all. You're just being nosy, aren't you? I don't think you have any romantic interest towards me."
She unusually  began to speak eloquently, even though I hadn't asked her, perhaps because she didn't want me to think that she can't cook for herself.
The other day, I thought she had bought the ingredients for curry and started cooking for herself, but what she had now were retort and staple goods.
I can assure you that it was all done with the best of intentions, and that I had no ulterior motives whatsoever, but I can understand why the receiver would want to find out the intention behind it.
In particular, Fuyuka was often courted by many because of her good looks, and her "Ice-like" personality probably made people wary of her.
However, it seems that the image of being an overly nosy neighbor had some merits.
Fuyuka understood exactly what Asahi was feeling.
That he was just being nosy and had no romantic interest towards her whatsoever.
And that was exactly right.
"First of all, if you had any doubt about that, you wouldn't exactly come over to my house and tutor me."
"That's true. I'm so glad you're harmless and just being nosy."
"That's not a compliment, is it?"
"I am complimenting you, just a tiny bit."
"It's because I don't feel like I'm being complimented at all."
I don't feel complimented, but I can't help but wonder why I'm walking next to her, conversing with her like this.
On the other hand, the fact that Fuyuka was acting as the "Ice Lady", it might be nosy but I wonder if she considers others to be harmful in some way.
That radical idea of his seemed unlikely, but something might have happened in her past that made her this way.
However, no matter how harmless and nosy he was, they were not close enough to talk about it.
Since they were not even friends yet, their conversation was limited to superficial topics.
"Retort and staple goods..."
After a short period of silence, he thought about carrying Fuyuka's plastic bag, out of concern for the injured person, but the situation made it difficult because both of his hands were occupied as well.
At that moment, I caught a glimpse of a plastic bag with a small amount of contents and that it seemed to be very light.
"Not really."
Asahi immediately looked away when Fuyuka made a grumpy noise, as if she was upset that someone was looking at what she had bought without permission.
"I also want to cook my own food and eat healthy, nutritious and tasty food as much as possible. But I can't use my dominant hand so..."
At first glance, there were two possibilities: either she can't cook for herself after all, or it became too troublesome to cook for herself.
However, if you look down a little and look at Fuyuka's right hand, a third possibility emerges.
As Fuyuka herself was speaking somewhat rapidly, it would be difficult to cook for herself if she could not use her dominant hand.
"Then, want me to cook for you?"
I thought to myself that I was meddling too much.
However, I couldn't help but notice that my mouth was moving on its own.
I guess she still hadn't caught up with what I suggested as she didn't refuse.
Fuyuka looked up to Asahi as he continued what he was saying.
"I'm asking if I can cook dinner for you while I'm at it. You want a healthy, nutritious and tasty meal, right?"
"I did say that, but..."
"And even though it's retort and prepared food, you'll be using your dominant hand for preparation and washing up. If you want to recover from your injury before the ball game, I think it's not a bad suggestion."
It made sense, but it was still being quite nosy.
Why do I have to go to such lengths for the sake of a mere neighbor?
When I think about why I made this suggestion, I can't think of a plausible reason.
If I had to give a reason, I would say that Fuyuka was somewhat fragile, the fact that she collapsed in front of her apartment and for the ball game, I couldn't help but worry about her.
This had stirred Asahi to being excessively nosy.
However, we should never try to impose our good intentions.
If they don't want to, then back off quietly.
This proposal was also based on the premise that it would be rejected, just like offering her an umbrella.
"...Is that just you being nosy as usual?"
"Yeah."
"What can I say...you're the embodiment of being nosy."
"I think so, too."
Fuyuka sighed loudly, not even trying to hide her dismay.
After that, for some reason, she kept her eyes down and was silent.
There was no way he could know what the silence meant, so he just waited for Fuyuka's reply.
I arrived at my apartment after a long time in which only the sound of raindrops splashing echoed in the quiet residential area.
Folding up my soaking wet umbrella, I walked through the entrance and down the long hallway.
We arrived at the front of the room, and it looked like we were going part ways without saying a word.
"...Let me pay for all the ingredients and labor. If that's fine with you, I think I'll stay under your care for a while."
When Fuyuka finally opened her mouth to speak, the words were so surprising that the proposer, Asahi, involuntarily let go of the umbrella.
How To Melt the Ice Lady
【コミカライズ連載中】氷の令嬢の溶かし方　～クールで素っ気ないお隣さんがデレるとめちゃくちゃ可愛い件～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/how-to-melt-the-ice-lady/
Comedy Romance School Life Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Beautiful Female Lead Caring Protagonist Cooking Cute Story Famous Parents Kind Love Interests Kuudere Male Protagonist Modern Day Popular Love Interests
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2567fv/
高峰 翔