{Our Usual Sunday 1}

One Sunday, I took Miyu to a café near the university.

When I had visited the café before, I sent her a picture of their pancakes, and she immediately wanted to try them. She told me she definitely wanted to go there someday, and today that wish finally came true.

This is why scouting out places in advance is important. Even though we live together, without moments like these, I wouldn’t be able to surprise or make her happy. Of course, being together all the time is wonderful in its own way, but there are certain things you can only do when you spend time apart.

“Wow, this looks so delicious!” Miyu exclaimed, gazing at the caramelized apple pancakes placed in front of her.

Sitting beside her, I watched her reaction from the seat to her left.

“Yeah, it’s really tasty. You can expect great things,” I assured her.

It was lunchtime on a Sunday, and the café was very crowded. Only counter seats were available. Though we’d gotten used to sitting across from each other lately, sitting next to her like this felt nice, too.

We had always sat next to each other like this, after all.

“Okay, let’s eat!” she said, putting her hands together in a gesture of gratitude before picking up her knife and fork.

She carefully cut a piece of the fluffy pancake and paired it with a slice of apple and some vanilla ice cream before taking a bite.

Her face instantly lit up, and she smiled with delight.

“It’s delicious!”

Her honest reaction was so cute that I almost couldn’t help but smile along with her, even though I hadn’t eaten yet.

“I’m glad you’re happy. I’ve been wanting to bring you here for a while,” I said.

Miyu’s expression brightened even more as she responded, “Thank you for finding such a great place!”

“You’re welcome.”

For a while after that, I rested my chin on my hand and just watched her enjoy her food. It was clear that the café’s signature dish really suited her taste. Watching her eat so happily made me feel like it was totally worth bringing her here.

Eventually, she noticed me staring. Realizing how absorbed she had been in her pancakes, she looked a bit embarrassed and asked cautiously, “Aren’t you going to eat, Atsushi?”

“Oh, sorry. I was just watching you eat.”

“Don’t do that!”

I was scolded, but I’m still going to watch—I’m good at sneaking glances.

Still, I was getting hungry, and it would be a shame to let my freshly made pancakes go cold. So, I decided to start eating too, while stealing occasional glances at her.

I had ordered the blueberry cream cheese pancakes. Since we’d probably end up sharing, I chose something with a different flavor than hers. I also went for something that wasn’t too sweet, with plenty of fruit.

“These are really good, too. They taste like cheesecake.”

“They look yummy! Can I trade bites with you, Atsushi?”

“Sure.”

We exchanged bites of each other’s pancakes, sharing our thoughts and mostly singing their praises. It was something many couples probably do, but for us, it felt really fun.

Yes, we’re just an ordinary couple. We’re not unique or special in any way—just like any couple you’d find anywhere in Japan, or even in the world. To me, Miyu is special, and I’m sure she feels the same way about me. But that’s only how we see each other. From the perspective of others, we’re not special at all. And that’s okay.

Since we started living together, we’ve lived a peaceful daily life without any major incidents. But even in high school, that’s how we were. We used to treat every little ripple in our lives as if it were a big event. Looking back, we’ve faced many challenges and had a lot to think about, but in the end, they were just ordinary days.

I hope that days like this continue forever.

When we will look back one day, I hope we can smile and say, “We really were just a normal couple, weren’t we?” and cherish those memories.