Chapter 9

"Alright, next, let’s try typing on the keyboard. First, why don’t you try pressing the keys freely?"

"O-okay."

With that, Yuu slowly began tapping the keyboard with her index finger.

Typing with just the index finger, huh…? Well, she’s a beginner, so it can’t be helped. But seeing a cute girl like Yuu do it is oddly endearing.

"Hm, thanks. Anyway, see, this is typing in English, right? This works if you want to type in English, but if you want to type in Japanese, there’s something else we have to do. And that is—"

When you use a computer every day, it’s easy to forget, but learning how to use one is surprisingly difficult, with a lot to remember. I still recall how much I struggled with every little operation when I first touched a computer.

Beginners start by learning how to turn on the monitor. That’s the level we’re dealing with, so we have to teach everything from scratch, step by step. Because of that, teaching a beginner how to use a computer is harder than it seems—there’s just too much to cover.

And beginners forget things quickly. There’s so much to learn that they can’t retain everything at once. So, you have to repeat the same instructions over and over until they fully remember.

Teaching someone how to use a computer takes more time and patience than you’d think. It’s definitely not something you can rush in a day or two.

"Good job! You’re a fast learner, Yuu. Now, let’s try again—from opening the text file to typing something in."

"O-okay. Um, um, let’s see… first, I think…"

Yuu picks things up quickly, but not so fast that she masters everything in one go. It’ll still take some time.

But I don’t mind that at all, and I’m willing to put in as much effort as I can. After all, the reason I’m the one teaching her is because I chose to.

This all started last night after dinner. While drinking tea, Yuu hesitantly made a request—Could you teach me how to use a computer?

At first, I hesitated. Wouldn’t it be better for her to go to a computer class and learn from a professional instead of an amateur like me? Sure, it’d cost money, but after all she does for the household, paying for lessons would be nothing in comparison.

But in the end, I didn’t suggest it—because of the guilty look on Yuu’s face.

Yuu is extremely reserved.

When I asked her before if there was anything she wanted, she stayed silent. Even though we’ve been living together for over a week, she’s barely asked for anything. The only thing she’s ever requested was the snacks stocked on the shelf—apparently, she eats a little bit every day.

Telling a girl like that to go to a computer class costing tens of thousands of yen would only burden her. So, I decided to teach her myself.

"Now that you can type, let’s try converting the characters. I’ll show you first—watch closely, okay?"

"Y-yes."

…But for some reason, Yuu seems unusually stiff today.

Her responses are hesitant, lacking her usual clarity. She keeps glancing at me like she’s nervous.

Is she tense because she’s using delicate machinery like a computer? Or is there a problem with my teaching?

This is my first time teaching someone, so I’m not sure. I’ve been following Yamamoto Isoroku’s motto—"Show them, explain it, let them try, and praise them—otherwise, people won’t move." But maybe I’m missing something?

…No, I can’t tell. She is stiff, but in some ways, she’s doing better than usual.

"You already remember? That’s amazing. I don’t think I was this quick."

"R-really?"

When I praised her for performing the steps flawlessly, Yuu smiled—a shy, embarrassed smile.

That expression—one she only shows when being praised—was something I’d never seen before in our time together.

Not her usual refined smile, but a genuinely happy one.

Looking at her face like that, I realized something. I may have started teaching her out of gratitude, but right now, it feels like I’m the one being rewarded.