I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

He wanted a sweet taste, not to be overwhelmed by cloying sweetness.

Sure enough, after Aki Tomoya said that, Kudo Sayaka also picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"..."

There was definitely too much. She hadn't even tasted it before it was served. Aki Tomoya was the first victim, and she was the second.

"You've improved since last time!"

However, Sayaka Kudo was not discouraged; instead, she said with some joy.

It was a bit salty, but it was alright, not as bad as I had imagined.

Of course, there was no miracle as one might imagine, just because it was something made for someone you like.

It's impossible to go from a beginner to a master chef in just a short time.

"They've even improved..."

Aki Tomoya thought to himself, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Perhaps it is indeed an improvement for her personally.

However, Aki Tomoya still hopes that his partner will give him such a surprise after he has made progress to a certain level.

You know what, if you give her some time, maybe she'll be able to eat her homemade bento boxes every day.

"If Sayaka, you don't use me as a practice subject, I'll be very touched!"

"So my feelings can't move you?"

She had at least consulted her mother specifically for this matter.

While the taste wasn't great, it wasn't too bad either; at least it wasn't some kind of culinary disaster.

Isn't it said that love can make everything taste delicious?

Those dating guides in magazines are all just hype.

"I'm quite touched now, but I would be even more touched if I weren't a guinea pig."

As he spoke, Aki Tomoya picked up his chopsticks and took another bite.

Whether you're moved or not, actions speak louder than words.

The taste wasn't great, but it was still okay after eating it.

"If it tastes bad, feel free to spit it out."

Sayaka Kudo said it lightly.

It seemed she also felt it was a bit difficult to make Aki Tomoya finish his meal.

After all, although she said she had made progress, she had tasted everything herself and knew the truth.

"It's not to the point where I can't eat anymore. If I really can't eat anymore, I'll just throw it up. And didn't you say we had three rules?"

Aki Tomoya shook his head and then said it was alright.

Did I wrong myself?

It's alright, it's not really that bad or unpalatable.

For beginners, Aki Tomoya is extremely forgiving, not to mention that this was made by his lover.

It's okay to offer encouragement, I suppose.

However, if Sayaka Kudo wants to return to the kitchen, she'll have to put in a lot of effort.

After all, he still wants to eat truly lovingly made bento boxes in the future.

Are you so moved that you can't speak?

"No!"

=

Chapter 396 Go Away

By his junior year, Aki Tomoya had personally experienced what it meant to have a small test every two weeks and a big test every month.

In the medical school, there are already a lot of courses in the early stages, and even more in the later stages.

"Friday is all about quizzes, and then next week is the big exam. Are they trying to kill us?"

In June, while complaining about the department's arrangements, Aki Tomoya also had to study diligently and learn new things.

At the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Medicine, the exams are scheduled even more intensively, sometimes leaving no time to catch your breath.

"May I look through my notes? I want to see if there's anything I've missed writing down."

After starting his junior year, Takagi gradually became more serious.

In his words, he originally thought he would be able to live a carefree life for at least four years, but reality is often not as wonderful as imagined.

The prerequisite for living a carefree life has become not failing a single subject.

You can't fail! You can't fail! You can't fail!

This is important, so I'll say it three times: there are no electives, only required courses. Even if you don't get enough credits in one subject, you'll have to repeat the year.

It's not an elimination or expulsion, but rather a retention of the student's seniority. However, generally speaking, no one wants to go from being a senior to a peer or even a junior.

"Last year, all 127 students in the Kyoto University School of Medicine had to repeat the year because they all failed neurology. I hope that this situation will not happen here."

Whether the examples the lecturer cited are true is currently uncertain. After all, things that happen at Peking University cannot be confirmed unless you go to Peking University to ask.

However, he also reminded the medical students not to stay in school for years, because that would be a shameful thing.

At least judging from the lecturer's tone, that's certainly what he meant.

Although I really want to retort with "How could someone from our prestigious University of Tokyo possibly fail a course?!", you never know, what if someone actually does fail? Hehe...

In the first semester of his junior year, Aki Tomoya had a tough time, as he spent most of his time either studying or facing exams, while also helping out in the pathology classroom.

Perhaps because of his help there, after he was officially enrolled in the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Medicine, Professor Yano would sometimes give him private tutoring and explain some difficult problems to him.

Also at the end of last month, Aki Tomoya came into contact with some of Professor Yano's research.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that Professor Yano was not only accomplished in academics, but also in medical research.

In comparison, Okajima seems to be simply very good at academics, serving as Professor Yano's go-to writer; he certainly has a knack for writing papers.

From the start of the school year in April to June, Aki Tomoya was so busy that he neglected the people around him.

Those around him, especially Sayaka Kudo, complained about this.

Because of her studies, her boyfriend didn't have time to spend with her, which made her feel neglected.

Although there were some complaints, they endured them and mostly tried to show their understanding by doing things to relieve some of the pressure on Aki Tomoya.

They started living together around June.

After moving from his home to an apartment in Bunkyo Ward at the beginning of the year, Aki Tomoya began living with Kudo Sayaka six months later.

The reason they lived together was partly because they had done everything they were supposed to do. I won't go into the specific details, but those who know, know. After all, it goes without saying what young men and women do when their hormones are running high.

For Aki Tomoya, the shy and budding beauty of Kudo Sayaka was an unforgettable memory.

On the other hand, once the relationship reaches that point, living together becomes a matter of course, although that's not the real reason.

To be honest, it was about taking responsibility, and also because he really didn't have time to spend with her. In the end, Aki Tomoya suggested that Kudo Sayaka should come with him, since they had already done what they needed to do.

Sayaka Kudo didn't agree right away at first, saying she needed to think about it.

She considered it for about a week, and then moved into Aki Tomoya's apartment, and began to share the responsibility of "life" with Aki Tomoya.

Since they started living together in June, whenever he came back from university in the afternoon or spent time alone with Sayaka Kudo in the apartment on Sundays, the longest thing Aki Tomoya experienced was not the other person's gentleness, but the process of the other person's skills improving.

It's impossible to eat a truly delicious love-filled bento box without paying a price, let alone the fact that they've already started living together.

What score would you give today's portion?

After dinner, Sayaka Kudo asked a question as usual.

After thinking for a while, Aki Tomoya gave his answer: "Seven points."

Improvements in culinary skills can be directly felt through the taste buds.

Someone is acting as her guinea pig, offering advice; if she doesn't improve, that would be truly unacceptable.

Kudo Sayaka was quite satisfied with the reply, and then she and Aki Tomoya started packing up.

After tidying up, Aki Tomoya stayed in the living room reading, preparing for her upcoming quiz.

Sayaka Kudo went to the bathroom first.

When she reappeared in front of Aki Tomoya after changing into a refreshing nightgown and with her still slightly damp, shampoo-scented hair, Aki Tomoya finally looked up from his book and turned to look at her.

"You really work hard. Every day when you come home, all you do is read books. You might as well just live your life with these things from now on."

Sayaka Kudo sat down next to Tomoya Aki, resting her head on his shoulder, and teased him slowly.