I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 96: Please Enjoy Some Casual Conversation (Still Relaxed)

The BBQ skewers, with a colorful array of vegetables and meat, sizzle on the charcoal grill, cooking away any excess moisture and fat. The irresistible aroma of the collaboration between the charcoal and meat alone is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. When the barbecue sauce is brushed on with a cooking brush and caramelizes, it becomes impossible for anyone not to let out a satisfied “gulp.” For high school students who have played all day and are now hungry, this is nothing short of critical.

“Mmm…! This is seriously delicious!”

“So good! I can’t stop eating this!”

“You always seem to have some mysterious talent up your sleeve, Niihama… chew chew chew“

“Hey, don’t eat too quickly and choke, you guys.”

While my friends enthusiastically devour the barbecue skewers, I watch with a wry smile and offer a word of caution. Although I decided to be a carefree kid today, seeing these young ones enjoy the food so much genuinely makes me happy.

“Phew, how does it taste, Shijouin-san?”

“Ah…”

I direct my gaze towards the girl whose reaction interests me the most. The angel in the white blouse (though I’m a little concerned about sauce splattering) is currently taking big bites from the center of a skewer she’s holding from both ends.

Her blissful eating style clearly shows how much she’s savoring the flavors, and it brings a smile to my face. However, Shijouin-san’s face gradually turns red.

“Oh, um… you saw me eating in such an indecent manner… it was just so delicious that I couldn’t help myself…”

Despite her words, Shijouin-san continues to eat while hiding her mouth with her hand. No matter how refined her upbringing as a young lady, she can’t suppress her appetite when faced with delicious food on an empty stomach.

“Hehe, I’m glad you liked it. I ended up doing the cooking because everyone trusted me with it, but if it turned out bad, I would have gotten a unanimous scolding.”

“No, not only is it not bad, it’s really well done! The meat and vegetables are cooked perfectly, so juicy and not at all dry! Are you secretly a barbecue master, Niihama-kun!?”

“Haha… well, kinda…”

I can’t really attribute it to my previous life when I was just the office guy responsible for grilling the meat. I had to study a lot to avoid displeasing my superiors, treating vegetables with olive oil to prevent them from getting too grilled, creating zones of high and low heat when igniting the fire… I did whatever it took to not make them unhappy.

“Wow, I think I can have as many as I want of these! Oh, this corn looks perfect already; I’ll have it, please.”

While enjoying the occasional drink of juice, Shijouin-san tackles one delicious dish after another on the grill with her hearty appetite.

The sight of her delicately enjoying the food and eating enthusiastically is incredibly endearing. It makes me want to keep serving her more and more food.

“Hey, Niihama! Are you eating?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, don’t worry; I’m eating too.”

While my friends are busy devouring the barbecue skewers, Ginji comes over with a can of juice in hand, in high spirits and ready to chat.

It seems he’s interested in hearing about what happened between Shijouin-san and me in the afternoon. Whether it’s girls or anime, he’s naturally curious about other people’s love affairs.

“Well, you know, it’s obvious what happened this afternoon. Why don’t you come up with something more creative and exciting, Ginji? I mean, if this wasn’t a dream, there’s no way we could be enjoying this heavenly, happy place filled with beautiful girls…”

“So, it was a dream after all!?”

“Huh!?”

“Ah, well, I mean… that’s right. Think about it, Ginji. Only in a dream could we experience this heaven filled with joyful laughter. When you wake up, you’ll be crying over summer vacation ending without anything special happening…”

“N-No way! So, it was just a dream!? Ugh, I don’t want to wake up! And to think you were the one giggling like crazy, Niihama, while I wasn’t even lucky enough to get that kind of treatment!”

I burst into laughter at Ginji’s response, which is typical of a teenage boy. It’s like having a conversation with an innocent virgin. No, seriously, stop with the blushing and looking forward to romantic encounters like a middle school girl!

(Well, I can’t really tell him, can I?)

I remember the time I spent with Shijouin-san in the afternoon.

We lay down together, looking up at the clear sky. We blushed in unison when we realized how close our faces were to each other. When Shijouin-san accidentally fell into the sea, I hugged her soft and sweet-smelling body as I tried to help her…

(I can’t say it out loud! No matter how much my adult mental state is adjusted, some things are just too embarrassing to talk about!!)

“Well, um, even if we didn’t kiss or anything, thanks to you, we’ve gotten a little closer.”

“Is that so…? Good for you, Niihama…”

“…? Ginji?”

Huh… why are you getting teary-eyed…?

“Well… as someone who knew you before, it’s just so nostalgic… You, who couldn’t even have a proper conversation with girls before, making an effort to get close to someone like Shijouin-san, who’s like an idol at school… You’re really amazing… Sniff…”

“Uh, yeah… thanks…?”

My perplexed gratitude doesn’t seem to reach Ginji, who’s sniffling and wiping his eyes. For some reason, he’s overly emotional right now.

It’s like watching a father shed tears at his hopeless son’s wedding… Wait, why are you saying this? You’re the guy who turns red and jumps around like a shrimp whenever a girl even talks to you.

“Hehehe… seems like you’re having a fun conversation, Niihama-kun.”

“Huh… Kazamihara?”

The one who speaks to me from the side is Kazamihara, who has returned to her casual clothes and glasses.

She’s usually a girl with a face that’s hard to read, and I never know what she’s thinking. But now, she’s wearing a mischievous smile, and she seems to be in quite high spirits.

“I’d like to hear some juice-worthy details. So, what exactly do you like about Haruka? I think today’s a good day to spill the beans.”

“Wait, hold on a second!?!”

I instinctively check if our conversation is leaking to the surroundings, but fortunately, Shijouin-san is at a distance, joyfully humming to herself as she grills the next barbecue skewer. It seems she didn’t hear our voices.

“Oh well, don’t be so reluctant to provide this love talk with juicy details to this hopeless romantic girl. This is the epitome of entertainment… I mean, it’s a love story between close friends, so naturally, I’m very concerned!”

“And now you’re calling it entertainment!?”

Normally, Kazamihara gives an impression of being quiet and aloof, but for some reason, she’s acting like a gossip-loving office lady, eagerly wanting to hear about others’ love stories.

Seriously, it’s like she’s tipsy or caught up in some bad mood.

“Come on, spill the beans. Or else, with this much barbecue power, I’ll start fondling your chest, Niihama-kun.”

“Kyaaah!? W-Who’d ever do that! Stop it, you idiot!”

Kazamihara transforms into a sexual harassment demon, and I let out a shriek like a girl.

Has the liberating atmosphere brought out aspects of myself that I usually hide? Seeing me in agony, Kazamihara smirks, showing a sadistic grin.

T-This girl! Is she, like Ginji, overwhelmed with joy by this first-time-ever fulfilling barbecue event?

“Oh well, I guess there’s no helping it! Even I didn’t expect to feel this… Buwaaah!”

Thinking that just confessing and putting an end to my youth would satisfy my lingering feelings after the time leap. But as I reunited with Shijouin-san and started interacting with her, my heart began to burn.

I want her to look at me. I want to spend more time with her. Such feelings, like a jet engine, drive me, and this is an unknown experience for me, who never really experienced true love until I died.

“Hahaha! That’s the spirit, Niihama-kun! Haruka is a true angel, so we can’t just hand her over to some smooth-talking guy! So, keep being this kind of heavy guy like a pickled stone!”

“Don’t call me a heavy guy!”

It seems like that was the right answer, as Kazamihara’s face, which usually doesn’t show any emotions, breaks into a smile.

(TLN) Nice, wholesome chapter. I like it.