CH 27

“Fuu…”

After going to the toilet and washing my hands, I took a breath and looked into the mirror. Perhaps because the lighting in the bathroom was great, my complexion looked better. 

Masaya was right. I could feel like my blood was flowing properly, or rather, I felt full of vitality.

Anyway, it seems safe to say I was starting to get healthier.

“Hm, huh?”

I searched my uniform pocket for a handkerchief to wipe my hands with but suddenly realized I didn’t have it. I must have checked when I left the house this morning, but did I drop it somewhere?

Luckily, there are paper towels in the restrooms, so I can avoid wiping my hands on my uniform trousers.

With that in mind, I was about to leave the washroom when―

“―Um, this. Is this yours?”

“Eh?”

A hand that appeared beside me startled me, but in that hand was the handkerchief I’ve always used.

“It fell in front of the toilet. You were the only one inside, so I thought it was probably one of your belongings.”

“Oh… Ah, yes, it’s mine. Thank you for picking it up.”

While I accepted the handkerchief, I looked at the kind man’s face.

He wore glasses and had facial features that were difficult to grasp.

There is no doubt that he was well-dressed, and it stood out. I would definitely call him impressionable. 

He had a childlike face, and he looked quite young, but he was probably an adult. He had that mature look that a student could not have, to the extent that even I could see it.

“No, no, I just did the obvious. Well then,” The man said and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

At that moment, I felt a cold shiver down my back.

Unlike the loving, narrowed eyes that Tojo-san would give me, I had a feeling that I was getting judged.

(…!)

I could almost feel my body reflexively moving backwards, but it barely stood in place.

Think about it. 

It’s not like I was harmed in any way by this person. He also helped me find my handkerchief so I couldn’t act rude to him.

“… Did something happen?”

“Ah… N-no, I was feeling a bit sick and came to the toilet…”

“Ah, I see. Are you alright? If it’s too much for you, I’ll go and ask someone in the shop to help you.”

“I’m fine. I have a companion.”

“Ah, I see. Well then, take care of yourself…”

The man left the restroom after saying that. 

A sense of relief immediately came over me, and the air suddenly felt fresher, even though I was still supposed to be in the restroom, and breathing got easier.

“You’re overreacting, aren’t you?” (Monologue)

I unconsciously found my hand reaching for the phone in my pocket and chuckled.

It’s a given that some people don’t fit together, and I’m sure he and I are just incompatible from the ground up.

It was probably too much of a reaction to be that alarmed and almost use the emergency call app from just that.

Overreacting, right?

With a strange uneasiness left in my hands, I left the bathroom and went back to the table where Masaya was waiting for me.

◇◆◇

In the end, I went to the arcade with Masaya after that and played a random game.

Maybe because I hadn’t been there for a while, everything they had on display felt somewhat fresh, and I unintentionally lost track of time playing with it… Well, it’s not past 19:00, so I guess it was okay.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

I left Masaya at the station, and I got on the train.

(I see… I’m heading back to Tojo-san’s place now.)

While suffering from the crowds of the rush hour, I suddenly thought to myself.

I’m going home where someone is waiting for me.

It may be something normal for people my age, but once I had lost that normal, I understood how fortunate it was.

The sense of happiness that welled up in me made me want to cry.

I got off the train and headed towards the flat.

I reached there without incident and took out a card I had in my wallet. I scanned it into the terminal beside the door and unlocked the auto-lock, then I moved toward Tojo-san’s door and took out a metal key this time.

The key is a duplicate key, a sign of trust from Tojo-san.

It made me happy again when I remembered I got chosen by such a person, and the corner of my mouth naturally went up.

“I… I’m home.”

I said these words in the corridor, feeling very nervous.

Was my voice too low? Maybe she didn’t hear me.

In spite of my anxiety, Tojo-san jumped out of the door to the living room while wearing an apron.

“Welcome back! Haruyuki-kun!”

“Ah, aah.”

“Would you like dinner? A bath? Or do you want… me?”

“Um, rice.”

“… It’s a bit perplexing that you didn’t feel conflicted at all.”

I’m sorry, but to be honest, I was starving.

My appetite was more assertive now than my lust, which got shaken by her joke.

Although, even if I hadn’t been hungry, I would surely not have taken up her provocation.

… Well, not yet.

[EDN: Ohoho.]

“Oh, speaking of which…”

I looked at her and said the thought that suddenly came to mind.

“I thought Tojo-san looked really good in an apron. I probably should have said this when I first saw you, but what can I say? Um… yeah, I think you’re cute.”

I realized that I was naturally trying to compliment Tojo-san, and as a result of my gradual embarrassment, my voice became quieter towards the end.

I glanced at Tojo-san’s face and saw that, for some reason, she had a stunned expression on her face.

“T-Tojo-san?”

“… Ah, I’m sorry. Please excuse me for a moment.”

After saying that, she headed toward the bedroom.

When I followed her out of curiosity, Tojo suddenly dived onto the bed and pressed her face into the pillow.

“～～～～～～!”

There was no doubt that she was shouting something.

She was definitely shouting something, although it got muffled because she pressed her face against the pillow.

She began flapping around as it was, and Tojo-san rolled from side to side on the wide bed with her face pressed against the pillow.

It was extremely difficult to explain her odd behaviour, but at least there was no doubt that she was pleased.

However, I felt bad about watching her like this, so I quietly closed the bedroom door.

I thought I saw what looked like a wagging dog tail on Tojo-san’s waist before I left, but… I’m sure that was just my imagination.