Chapter 17

Chapter 17

[You know very well where Asano Nao’s anxiety comes from. You intruded into her life because you ran out of living expenses and came to find food, and now you have money again.]

[Asano Nao nervously eats pizza, biting her finger in the process. You laugh.]

Memory scene appears.

Asano Nao holds her finger, Minami Yuuki’s laughter doesn’t make her blush; at this moment, her heart is filled with unease and reluctance.

She looks up at Minami Yuuki, who always has a smile on his face, as if worries never touch him. He must be happy about the money, right?

Of course, with money, he doesn’t have to see her gloomy self anymore and doesn’t have to eat with a weirdo like her. Isn’t that a good thing?

She gradually feels sad, puts down the pizza, and stands up, pressing against the chair.

She doesn’t want to sit there, tormented by waiting, nor does she want to face the inevitable goodbye. Instead of waiting for Minami Yuuki to say he won’t come anymore, it’s better to let him disappear suddenly, just like he suddenly barged into her life, making it all feel like a dream.

Dreams are always fragmented; an ending would only ruin this illusion.

She takes steps toward her upstairs bedroom, wanting to dive into bed, using post-exercise fatigue to numb herself and forget her worries.

“Aren’t you going to eat, sister?” Minami Yuuki looks up at her.

“Yeah.” Asano Nao nods without stopping.

“Wait, there’s something I need to tell you.”

The boy’s words make Asano Nao feel despair. She had so decisively walked away to leave herself with some hope, yet she still can’t escape this cold ending.

She stops, not because she wants to, but because Minami Yuuki called her to wait.

Minami Yuuki quickly finishes his pizza, wipes his hands with a napkin, and takes out a stack of money from his pocket.

“Here you go.” He hands the money to Asano Nao.

Asano Nao takes it, feeling the thick stack of bills, at least most of the boy’s living expenses. Holding the money, she feels bewildered.

“Didn’t I borrow money from you to enroll in cram school? Please let me repay you slowly each month.” Minami Yuuki puts his hands together earnestly. “Since I gave you all the money, you’ll still need to take care of me.”

An angel, he’s an angel!

An angel who always finds a way to pull her back from the edge of fate’s cliff!

Sure enough, compared to emotions, material dependence made Asano Nao feel more at ease. Being a NEET, Asano Nao had a sense of inferiority, which made her deny her own emotional appeal.

A woman like her, rich, timid, and beautiful, could easily be targeted by bad men and become a cash machine.

Fortunately, Minami Yuuki was a man with ideals, morals, and a sense of responsibility.

He wouldn’t deceive Asano Nao for her money; he wanted both her money and herself!

[You spent more time at the Asano household. You used the excuse that playing musical instruments in your apartment would lead to complaints, so you had to practice at the Asano household.]

[Gradually, except for sleeping, you spent all your time at the Asano household, staying by Asano Nao’s side.]

[You studied diligently and practiced hard, making rapid progress. The private tutor admired your good looks and gave you a lot of extra help.]

Admiring good looks? Shouldn’t they admire my talent or hard work instead!

[You discovered that your learning ability was outstanding. In just one semester, you caught up with the lowest-ranked students in the higher grade. The private tutor liked you even more.]

[You spent all your time on music, neglecting your high school courses. A week before the final exams, you asked Chitose Kazumi to help you with your studies, and the tutoring location was—at the Asano household.]

[You did this based on three considerations.]

[First, improving your exam scores through tutoring. If you failed, the homeroom teacher would contact your parents, and you’d lose your freedom during the summer vacation.]

[Second, Chitose Kazumi had become increasingly forward. Last weekend, she even sent you photos asking which clothes looked good. You wanted her to meet your official girlfriend and curb her improper thoughts.]

[Third, Asano Nao had grown accustomed to your presence. You were ready to start the second phase, introducing a few female friends to her.]

[To avoid making Asano Nao too nervous, you explained in advance and told her about your second consideration, asking her to pretend to be your girlfriend to discourage Chitose Kazumi. Asano Nao agreed.]

[On the day of the tutoring, Asano Nao stayed upstairs the whole time. You sent her many messages urging her, but she just couldn’t bring herself to come down.]

[You had anticipated this and weren’t discouraged. At the very least, there were now people other than you entering the Asano household.]

[The tutoring lasted a week, and Chitose Kazumi was amazed by your learning ability. She invited you to join her in aiming for Misaki University, but you refused, telling her your goal was Misaki Art University, Japan’s top music school.]



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