Chapter 10

Chapter 10

At the first ring of the doorbell, Asano Nao thought it was her imagination. She hadn’t ordered anything online recently; no delivery person should be at her door.

It wasn’t until the second ring echoed in her ears that she had to accept the fact: someone was visiting.

The clear ring of the bell pierced through the darkness and emptiness of the first floor, adding a touch of eeriness. She shivered, put down Minami Yuuki’s photo, prepared herself mentally, and went downstairs.

The staircase, long in need of repair, creaked as one of the wooden boards groaned. She turned on the living room light and walked to the door.

The doorbell rang a third time.

She pressed her eye to the peephole and looked outside.

Outside, the streetlamp illuminated the visitor’s face. That slender body, moist eyes, and somewhat thin lips were all parts Asano Nao was familiar with, parts that combined into a person she both knew and didn’t know.

How could he be here?

Asano Nao was so frightened she took a step back. The peephole seemed like the fierce eye of a wild beast, glaring at her, instilling fear.

Had he discovered the spying? Had he noticed when he glanced at my window on his way to school at noon?

I clearly followed the online tutorials and created a so-called undetectable spy room!

Asano Nao linked her reckless judgment to the boy’s unusual behavior today. He had only gone to school at noon, perhaps troubled by being spied on, causing him to oversleep?

If that was the case, he had discovered her wrongdoing yesterday.

Now, after two days of contemplation, the boy had finally decided to come and confront her!

What would he say?

Would it be, “Even maggots are cleaner than you; stop your disgusting behavior,” or, “I’ve already called the police, you perverted old hag”?

Neither option was something Asano Nao wanted. She feared hearing such words and stood behind the door, letting the doorbell ring.

After the fourth ring, Asano Nao mustered a bit of courage. She looked through the peephole again, trying to gauge Minami Yuuki’s expression to determine his mood.

The boy’s figure was distorted by the peephole’s refraction, but his beauty remained intact. Asano Nao had already printed a 3D model of his figure in her mind and could use her mental processing power to correct the optical distortion.

No, this isn’t the time for spying!

Asano Nao pinched her thigh. Focus on his expression, his expression!

After the fifth ring, the boy gave her no chance to decipher his emotions and turned to walk under the bright streetlamp.

At the roadside, in the circle of light cast by the streetlamp, the boy pulled his phone out of his pocket, dislodging a white handkerchief without noticing.

The handkerchief fell to the ground alone, and the boy disappeared from her view.

All of Asano Nao’s attention was on that handkerchief. She swallowed, her heartbeat quickening.

She wanted that handkerchief!

But the handkerchief had fallen outside, on the roadside.

The thrill in her heart dissipated instantly. She didn’t want to go outside; she didn’t want to step onto the roadside.

She thought, maybe Minami Yuuki would soon realize the handkerchief was missing and come back to look for it.

But wait, this also meant if she didn’t pick it up now, the handkerchief would soon be gone!

Even if Minami Yuuki didn’t return, a passing child or housewife might pick it up!

Her treasure would be picked up by an ignorant passerby and sullied, spoiled!

Click—

Before her brain could make a decision, her hand had already pressed down on the door handle, opening the door.

Since the door was open, she might as well retrieve her treasure!

Asano Nao, half doubting, went to the kitchen, took out some cooked rice from the fridge, heated it up, fried some tempura, made a plate of tamagoyaki, and cooked a bowl of instant miso soup.

The boy ate quickly, proving he hadn’t lied about his hunger.

This left Asano Nao’s mind in turmoil, unable to make sense of the situation.

“Thank you for the meal.”

After eating, Minami Yuuki placed his chopsticks neatly on the bowl and thanked Asano Nao.

Seeing her face still full of apprehension, he reassured her, “Don’t worry, I have no intention of holding you accountable. I was just hungry and came for food. As long as you don’t threaten me with a box cutter to make me your slave, or lock me up in a dark basement, it’s fine.”

“Oh, and by the way,” Minami Yuuki added, “I don’t dislike you, sister.”

An angel, he must be an angel!

Asano Nao was almost moved to tears. If Minami Yuuki started a religious sect now, she would be its most devout follower, willing to donate all her savings and house to support him as the leader!

Thinking of her dirty thoughts and the filthy things she had done towards such a holy angel filled her with guilt.

After spying and secretly photographing him in the future, she must reflect for an hour in front of Minami Yuuki’s photo!

“Well, I’m leaving now,” Minami Yuuki said.

His stomach full, satisfied with the meal, he felt content.

“The handkerchief,” Asano Nao reminded him, not to forget it on the table corner.

“Oh, this handkerchief is something I used as a child. It’s not fashionable to carry handkerchiefs anymore; it was just bait to lure you in. You can keep it.”

A vast sense of happiness enveloped Asano Nao. A handkerchief used by Yuuki when he was a child!

Could she really possess such a holy relic?

“What time do you get up in the morning?” Minami Yuuki asked.

“Seven.”

“And when do you have breakfast?”

“Around seven-thirty, no later than eight.”

“I see. Goodbye, sister.”

Minami Yuuki’s footsteps echoed through the hallway, through the entrance. The door clicked open and then shut.

The house was left with only Asano Nao.

If not for the handkerchief on the table and the hot dishes still on it, she might have thought it was all a pitiful dream.

She recalled the conversation before Minami Yuuki left, covering her flushed face.

What did he mean? Why did he ask about breakfast time?

Was it what she thought?

Asano Nao felt joy first, then began to doubt—not Minami Yuuki’s words, but her own ears and mouth.

Did that conversation really happen? Did she accurately say seven-thirty? Did she mistakenly say six-thirty or seven?

She should have recorded it with a tape recorder!

The mingling of hope and self-doubt left her both joyous and troubled.



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