Volume 1 - CH 1.4

Chapter 1 - Reunion (Part 4)

Hoshimiya lived in a two-story wooden apartment. The walls were dark and there was a seedy atmosphere inside. This was not a place where a gal should live.

Well, even though this Hoshimiya in front of me doesn't look like a gal, because the current one is just an innocent girl, no matter how I look at it.

It feels strange to know that a person can change so much.

"This way!"

I parked my bike in the bicycle parking lot, and climbed the stairs with Hoshimiya's guidance.

Hoshimiya's room was at the far right end of the second floor. So, this is where she lives, huh?

"Why does Hoshimiya live alone?"

"Hmm? It's because my mother followed my father on his business trip."

"I see. So Hoshimiya prefers to stay here."

"Yes! That's because I have a friend here. But I heard he won't be back for another year."

"You must miss him."

"Yes, but I'm sure that we'll definitely meet again...."

Hoshimiya said in a dark and depressed tone.

You just remembered my situation, didn't you?

"Don't think about it too much. Look, I'm fine, after all."

"Even though you intended to suicide....."

Don't bring it up again. Moreover, the fact is, humans always live based on the mood and feelings they feel at that moment. And in my case, maybe I'm a bit too much, hahaha.....

"Kuromine-kun, do you know, you may look quiet on the outside, but you're actually mature on the inside, right?"

"Not really. I'm just a gloomy and simple guy, both inside and outside of school. I'm sure Hoshimiya thinks so too, right?"

"Yes."

".............."

I said that to her in hopes of tricking her a little, but she took it for real.

"Before, I thought that Kuromine-kun was a child of Hikikomori."

"Urk... your words are so painful...."

"Ahaha. Sorry, sorry."

Hoshimiya smiled mischievously and then lowered his head.

Supposedly, that kind of smile would be annoying in some cases, but this smile of Hoshimiya's had a charm that made me think that he was quite cute.

The cheerfulness on his face is a bit girly.....

"I'm home!"

Hoshimiya, who had opened the door, entered through it. Of course, it was dark and there was no one inside.

"P-Permissioner!"

"Please come in."

Hoshimiya, who was smiling gently, answered my greeting.

I felt a little nervous about it....

"Sorry, Kuromine-kun. Can you wait at the entrance for a moment?"

"Sure."

After taking off his shoes at the entrance, Hoshimiya passed through the kitchen, opened the door, and entered a room. She must have been cleaning.

It looked like the apartment only had one bedroom. The bathroom was near the entrance. Then, there was a door connecting the bathroom and the toilet.

The room Hoshimiya entered was probably his room, where he spent his time during the day.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Less than 10 minutes later, Hoshimiya returned.

The light in the room allowed me to see Hoshimiya's face clearly. However, his cheeks still had traces of tears.

.....Does he not even notice his own face?

"Come in!"

Hoshimiya led me into a room with a kitchen next to it.

It was a childish room with pink as the base color. The room was about eight tatami mats in size. The floor was tatami, not wood, but carpeted to look like a Western room.

The window curtains and the bed were light pink, which was not too conspicuous to the eye, while the cupboard on the wall was spotlessly clean white.

Other furniture, such as the desk, is well-organized which makes the room seem smaller than it actually is.

"............?"

There was one thing that caught my eye. It was a family photo placed on the table. The photo showed Hoshimiya, who looked to be in middle school, smiling with his parents.

The Hoshimiya in the photo was the innocent girl I saw today. She had black hair.

Did Hoshimiya coincidentally change it because of his high school debut?

"......."

What is this strange feeling? There was something throbbing in my head.

"What do you think? Does my room look ..... weird?"

"No, it's not weird. But it smells like fruit. I see, yeah. So this smells like Hoshimiya."

"You shouldn't say something like that even if your intention was just a joke...."

The gaze from Hoshimiya's eyes pierced my cheeks.

"Are you sure I can stay here?"

"Of course."

"So, what about your boyfriend? I think this will be a big problem if he finds out...."

When I said that, Hoshimiya shook his head frantically.

"No! I don't have boyfriend! I don't have a boyfriend!"

"Really? Haven't you gotten a confession before?"

"No! No! No one has ever confessed to me...."

The fact that she denied it with surprise made it not sound like a lie.

It was hard to believe. A girl like Hoshimiya should have been born under the starlight. Or rather, she should have been a popular girl. But strangely, she doesn't even have any friends, although I often hear rumors that there are at least a few guys trying to express their feelings for her.

"Have you ever brought a guy to your house before?"

"No, never. Kuromine-kun was the first one...."

I got become awkward when she said that.

......I wonder if I'm the only guy who's ever been in the Hoshimiya house? If so, I feel a bit special.

"Even though you're a gal, you shouldn't invite men to your house."

"I'm not a gal, okay? Don't accuse me of anything."

"But at school, Hoshimiya looks like a gal."

"That's fashion, okay? Fashion! I'm just trying to be cute in my own way!"

Hoshimiya said to me in an exasperated tone. Apparently, she's not good at socializing with men.

"I know it's none of my business, but you shouldn't bring a boy home so easily."

"Why?"

"Why? It's obvious that they will sexually assault you!"

She didn't seem to understand what I had just said. But, after seeing Hoshimiya's eyes flutter behind his glasses, it seemed like she could already understand it.

"What are you saying?! You pervert!"

"Hey! I'm not talking about myself, okay?!"

"I told you, I didn't invite Kuromine-kun to my house with such intentions! So don't do that to me!"

"........."

Hoshimiya's eyes sharpened and she hugged himself as if to protect his body.