CH 8

The goddess can’t go back to her original residence.

If this were true, I should probably ask her about the situation.

But Mikoto-san’s beautiful blue eyes are downcast and she is trembling as if she is frightened.

I could not insensitively ask such a distressed-looking girl about it.

We are strangers, just distant relatives.

I didn’t know what to say to her, and for a moment, silence reigned.

At that moment, the sound of the automatic hot water heater’s completion of filling the bathtub rang out in the room.

It seemed that the bath water was ready.

Relieved, I smiled at Mikoto-san.

“Why don’t you go ahead and take a bath first?”

“But I’m…”

“You can explain the situation to me later. The most important thing is to keep your body warm. Oh, that’s right. You needed a change of clothes.”

I pulled out a set of navy blue jerseys from the top of the closet.

Then I turned and glanced at Mikoto-san.

Once again, Mikoto-san is quite well styled and tall for a girl.

Even so, as expected of a man, my clothes would be quite a bit too bulky for her.

Well, it can’t be helped.

I don’t know what she plans to do with her underwear, but of course I won’t ask her about that.

When Mikoto-san received the jersey, she said, “Thanks.” and looked at it.

“Is this Akihara-kun’s?”

“That’s right. I’ve only got my clothes and my father’s old clothes in this room. Bear with it.”

“Are they washed?”

“Of course. I’m quite meticulous.”

Mikoto-san looked around the room, then nodded in agreement.

For a single male high school student living alone, I think the room is pretty tidy.

Even the laundry and cooking are not too shabby.

Before I asked her to take a bath, I wanted to ask her one question.

“Mikoto-san, have you eaten dinner yet?”

“I haven’t.”

I thought she probably hadn’t had dinner yet, since she had come all the way here at night without any luggage at all.

I doubt if she even has her purse with her.

And I hadn’t eaten dinner yet either.

I smiled.

“Do you have an appetite?”

“Me? I’m hungry, what’s wrong with that?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Mikoto-san looked at me strangely as I replied, but eventually disappeared into the bathroom with a wobbly walk.

I sat down on a chair at the dining table.

Then I sighed.

What in the world is going on?

Whatever the future holds, it is almost certain that Mikoto-san will be staying here today.

But I had a feeling that would be a bad idea in more ways than one.

I would question the decency of any adult who would encourage a boy and a girl of her age to sleep in the same room.

Well, I’m talking about Amane-nee.

I took out my smartphone and called her, the source of all this.

Since I would be calling Amane in the U.S., it would be an international call, but due to the rate plan, it shouldn’t cost that much.

The problem was that it was early in the morning on the other side of the world, considering the time difference.

I was worried whether she would be awake or not, but I heard that Amane called Mikoto-san a while ago.

If that’s the case, I’ll probably be fine.

Within one ring, the phone connected.

“Hello? This is Amane Akihara.“

It was beautiful pronunciation.

When I called her and received a response like this, I realized that she was studying abroad.

Unlike me, she is studying at a prestigious university in the U.S., and she is extremely talented.

However, she might lack in common sense.

“I’m Haruto. I’m Haruto Akihara. I’m sorry for calling so early in the morning. You’re already up.”

I said, “Ah!” came back a cheerful voice.

“Long time no talk! I’m fine as I should be without having to put it into words, but how are you doing, Haruto?”

I smiled, thinking that there was no need to emphasize so much that she was fine.

But talking to Amane-nee-san makes me feel a little more energetic.

I answered her question.

“I’m fine, thanks to you. Anyway, didn’t you have my number on your phone?”

“I did, but I didn’t check who it was and hit the answer button.”

“Why don’t you check it…?”

“I thought it was about time you called me, Haruto.”

I could imagine her smiling at me on the other end of the phone.

This person always had strange thoughts, always wanted to do everything the way she wanted, and always did whatever she wanted without thinking about other people’s inconveniences.

But I didn’t dislike her free spirit.

“Amane-nee-san, I heard you gave my classmate the key to our home.”

“I did. I gave it to your and my cousin, Rei Mikoto.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because it would be a waste.”

“What?”

“If I study abroad, there will be a lot of keys left over that no one will use. So I thought it would be better to give it to someone who might use it.”

“Don’t treat our keys like pudding that’s about to expire…”

“It’s okay, isn’t it? It’s my key, too.”

“I’m the only one living here now. Besides, don’t you think it’s not a good idea for two high school students, a boy and a girl, to be alone in the same apartment?”

“Oh, you’re thinking of something d***y, aren’t you?　But if you put it that way, me and Haruto were living in that apartment alone just a little while ago, too, right?”

Well, it’s true that since my father moved out on his own, it’s always been just the two of us.

But that’s not the same thing as this.

Amane-nee-san continued in a pleasant, cheerful voice.

“Perhaps, Haruto, when you were alone with me, you were imagining that we might be able to do something naughty?”

“No, I wasn’t! I don’t know what father would think if he heard this…”

“Don’t worry, Uncle knows that I gave the key to Mikoto-san.”

I almost dropped the phone from my hand.

According to Amane-nee-san, her uncle, in other words, my father, had already given his consent.

I was getting more and more puzzled.

Unlike Amane-nee, my father is supposed to be a sensible person.

I asked her.

“I heard that Mikoto-san can no longer live in her previous residence, so she is going to live in ours. I heard that was also your suggestion.”

“That’s right. That girl is the daughter of the Tomi family.”

Amane-nee said casually.

Oh, I see.

I had heard a rumor that Mikoto-san was the daughter of the president of a big company, it was true to some extent.

The Tomi family was the family that owned the largest business group in this regional city.

The Tomi Group is involved in a number of businesses, including construction, telecommunications, real estate, and retail, with consolidated sales in the hundreds of billions of yen.

The Tomi family were the original members of the Akihara family.

The Akihara family separated from the Tomi family in the latter half of the Edo period. In addition, my grandfather’s wife, my grandmother, was also a member of the Tomi family.

Unfortunately, unlike the Tomis, the Akiharas had no wealth of their own.

That is why my father is a regular government employee and I am living in this cheap apartment.

Nowadays, the terms “main family” and “branch family” are becoming obsolete, and I myself am not close to the Tomi family and rarely visit them.

But still, it is strange.

“Her last name is different from theirs. If Mikoto-san is from the Tomi family, why isn’t her family name Tomi?”

“There are complicated circumstances. I can’t explain it now.”

I sighed once more.

“If it had been just a fight between parents and children and she had run away from home or something, I would have sent Mikoto-san back to the Tomi residence right now. But it’s not like that, is it?”

“This is no ordinary running away from home. That girl really can’t go back to the mansion. So, protect her.”

“Protect Mikoto-san? Me?”

“Don’t worry. You can do it, Haruto. You are kind.”

Then she said, “I’m busy.” and hung up the phone.

I understand that your studies are so hard that you have to study from early in the morning, but please consider our situation as well.

She said I was “kind” and that that was why I could protect Mikoto-san.

But being kind is of no use.

Kaho always told me that I was a kind person.

But she still rejected me.

I tried calling my father, but he was not available.

Maybe he was working late.

I heard the shower running.

I guessed that Mikoto-san was washing her body.

“…Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

Suddenly, I heard her scream.

I rushed toward the bathroom.

What happened?

“P-Please save me!”

In a short, gasping voice, Mikoto-san was calling for help.

I know Mikoto-san is naked inside, but if something had happened that could not be undone… I would have been in a very serious situation.

I hesitated for a moment and eventually opened the bathroom door.

With trembling hands, Mikoto-san pointed to the wall.

There, I saw a large black insect running at an extremely fast pace.

I quickly took some insecticide from under the sink in the bathroom and sprayed it.

As I did so, the insect died and fell to the floor.

Mikoto-san breathed a sigh of relief.

Apparently, she had been screaming because she was afraid of the insects.

“Thank you…”

Mikoto-san murmured quietly, and then seemed to realize what kind of state she was in.

Mikoto-san’s skin was frighteningly white. It reminded me of the rumor that she was half-British.

And because she had been taking a shower, her silver hair was moist and wet.

Her hair hung over the soft fullness of her chest, giving her a sensational appearance.

I looked away in a panic, but it was too late.

“Kyaaaaaaah!!!!!!”

Mikoto-san let out a beautiful scream and tried to slap my cheek with her white hand.

I was used to fighting, so I reflexively grabbed Mikoto-san’s wrist to prevent her from doing so.

“Ah…”

Mikoto-san’s body trembled and she became helpless.

And then, as if frightened, she looked me up and down with her blue eyes.　

From Mikoto-san’s point of view, this situation must be terrifying.

She was completely naked and alone with a man she did not know well.

Moreover, her hand was grabbed, and even if I resisted, she would never be a match for me in strength.

I shrugged, mumbled “Sorry.” and picked up the dead insect.

Then I turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Even though it was an act of God, I did something bad.

From now on, Mikoto-san will have to live in this home, and she must be anxious about it.

Anyway, was Mikoto-san originally living in the Tomi mansion …?

The Tomi residence was located at the foot of the mountain, across the river to the west from the city center.

When the mansion across the river is mentioned, the house of the Tomi family comes to mind for every resident of this town.

I remember when I visited the Tomi’s house when I was in elementary school.

Behind the large, old-fashioned gate was a large, purely Japanese-style house and garden.

It was a large mansion, but it was somehow dark and covered with a somber atmosphere.

I broke off my coherent thought.

I was hungry.

I had planned to eat dinner as soon as I got home, but it was too late.

Well, let’s prepare a meal, albeit a simple one.

Of course, I’ll prepare one for Mikoto-san, too.