CH 6

When Hoshimiya saw me thinking about it, her face instantly turned red and she hurriedly began to speak as if to make an excuse.

“Ah, u, um….. There’s no deeper meaning!”

“So Hoshimiya is a gal-bitch who invites guys into her room for no reason?”

“That’s terrible! I’m not a bitch!”

“I’m kidding. Are you worried about me when you suggested I stay with you?”

I guess she may want to keep an eye on me to make sure I don’t kill myself.

“Um….There’s that too, but…”

“You’re not speaking clearly. Like I said yesterday, I’m fine, so don’t worry about it.”

“But today, Kuromine-kun, you were pushing yourself…….N, no. I’m actually having some trouble with something too.”

“Something you’re troubled about?”

“Yeah. I feel like I’m being stalked lately. That’s why I’m scared… It seems that you live alone, so I thought it wouldn’t be a problem for you to stay at my place. …..No?”

Hoshimiya asked, glancing up at me as if to check my expression.

Hmm, a stalker.

Well, Hoshimiya is pretty, and it’s not surprising that a guy like that would show up.

“I don’t mean to doubt you, but you’re not imagining things, are you?”

“Maybe… I’ve never seen him in person, but I’ve had a feeling that I was being followed… A, also, one of my underwear that was hanging out to dry went missing. I can’t rule out the possibility that it was blown away by the wind, though.”

“Did you call the police?”

“I tried to talk to them, but they were not very helpful. They told me, in a roundabout way, that I should come back to them when I had more convincing evidence.”

“That’s…tough.”

When I said this without hiding my sympathy, Hoshimiya also said, “Yes, it’s not easy…” She nodded with a gloomy expression.

However, the police may have a variety of situations, and may not be able to act if there is not much of a case.

…No, I don’t know much about it.

“If you don’t like it, Kuromine-kun, you can say no. I may be overthinking things.”

“Maybe you’re overthinking it, but it could be true, right?”

“That’s right, but…”

Even if it was just her imagination, it would be scary for a girl who lives alone.

“Alright, I understand. Sure. I’ll start staying at your house from today.”

“Eh, you don’t mind?”

“Yeah. Since this life was saved by Hoshimiya, let’s do our best for her…!”

“No, I don’t want you to go that far.”

I think I exaggerated a bit.

She shoves me a little harder.

“But you know, Kuromine-kun? I know I asked you to do this, but if there really is a stalker, it’s…. Dangerous, okay?”

“Doesn’t that mean that you being alone is even more dangerous?”

“Yes, but…”

“It’s okay. I’m strong even though I look like this.”

“Eh, is that so?”

“Yeah. I’ve been hiding it until now, but I wish I had participated in a karate tournament in middle school and won it with overwhelming power.”

“It’s just a wish! Are you sure it’s okay!?”

“Leave it to me. I’ll protect Hoshimiya even if it costs my life.”

“As I said, I don’t really want you to go that far…But, you know, thanks.”

I was unintentionally joking earlier, but it’s probably a case that should be taken rather curiously.

This is not the time to be happy about staying in a girl’s room.

She has taken all the precautions she can now and I just have to hope that Hoshimiya is just imagining things.

◯

“I’ve really come to stay.”

I looked at the apartment where Hoshimiya lived again and muttered to myself.

I had a backpack on my back. I had gone home to prepare for the night.

In case you’re wondering, I didn’t ride a bicycle.

I took the train.

I walked up the rusty stairs to Hoshimiya’s apartment, just like last night.

I was a little nervous, but I pushed the doorbell firmly.

“Yes~”

“It’s me. Kuromine.”

“I’m coming~”

That’s a cheerful voice.

It doesn’t sound like the kind of girl who’s about to invite a boy in. Is this what you call a gal? It’s a sensibility that I will never be able to understand because I’m a bit of a loner.

The door was opened with a bang.

Hoshimiya, dressed in loose, loungewear-like clothing, showed up.

“Thank you for coming, Kuromine-kun.”

“If Hoshimiya calls me, I’ll come as fast as I can, even if it’s halfway around the world.”

“I think I’ve gotten to know your personality pretty well. You like goofing off, right?”

“Not so bad, huh?”

Hoshimiya, who smiled wryly, led me into the house.

We walked past the clean kitchen and into the living room, where we found————

“Ah, Riku-kun, welcome.”

“…Why?”

Chiharu Kado1———Monmon was there.

She was relaxing by a mini-table, something resembling a can of beer in her hands.

Her face and voice sounded unnecessarily happy.

“Eh, is it bad that I am here? Don’t think you can do it with Ayana so easily!”

“Hey, Hoshimiya. Can I kick this person out of the house?”

“No, no you can’t. Um, should I have told you that Chiharu-san was here?”

“No, not at all. I was just a little surprised.”

In fact, I was flabbergasted.

I thought I would never see her again.

But when I thought about it, since I was staying at Hoshimiya’s house, it was inevitable that I would meet her.

“Ayana-chan told me what happened. The runaway boy protects the gal from the stalker, right?”

“Well, that’s how it’s going to be.”

She heard the story from Hoshimiya.

But Monmon thinks I ran away.

It seems that Hoshimiya was on the same page.

“By the way, Riku-kun.”

“…What is it?”

Every time she opens her mouth, I get nervous. She’s going to say something stupid anyway, isn’t she?

You know, something that’s got to do with the bottom line.

“Are you ready for that?”

Here it comes… As expected.

“You’re still in high school, so you need to be ready for it.”

“Huh? Chiharu-san, what are you talking about?”

“Of course, it’s——”

“I’m going to sue you one of these days, I swear.”

She immediately says that.

I can’t let my guard down at all.

“No, no, Riku-kun, this is really important. Can you take responsibility?”

“It won’t come to that.”

""

“Hmm? What are you two talking about? Why won’t you talk in a way so I can understand?”

“Hoshimiya….Stay as you are.”

“Eeh?”

A pure, untainted gal.

It’s not that she’s pure, it’s just that she doesn’t know much.

In addition, I’m too insensitive to that side of things.

“Ah, sorry! It’s almost time for my part-time job. I’ll go get ready.”

Then Hoshimiya ran to the bathroom.

Seriously?

I’m alone with Monmon now.

I don’t like being at the mercy of this person when I’m with her.

“Riku-kun. Maybe you’re not very good at dealing with me, are you?”

“I’m not very good at it.”

“I see, I see. Then I’ll give you this as a sign of friendship. Let’s get along, shall we?”

Monmon grinned and pulled out a book from the rectangular bag she kept at her side.

I naturally accepted the book she offered me.

Then I looked down at the cover———And instantly regretted it.

“What’s this?”

“Hehe, no need to thank me. You can put it to good use.”

“What do you mean, ‘put it to good use’? This is an….erotic book. With a gal as the heroine.”

The brown-haired gal is dressed in a lewd outfit and the speech bubble says, “Do you want to play…a naughty game?”

It was disgusting.

This is not a sign of friendship, but it’s on the level of starting a world war.

“I’m off then~”

Hoshimiya came into the room. I immediately hid the erotic book in my clothes.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Kuromine-kun?”

“It’s nothing. What’s wrong, Hoshimiya? You’ve gone into sober mode again.”

The current Hoshimiya had removed her makeup and untied her ponytail.

She also wore round glasses.

“Sober mode….A customer once told me not to dress too fancy.”

“Is that so. It’s tough being a clerk, huh?”

“Ahaha. But, there are a lot of nice people and it’s kind of fun. I’m off then.”

Hoshimiya smiled cheerfully, waved lightly at us once, and headed for the door.

“You really are a good girl, Ayana-chan~”

“That’s right.”

“Are you really going to do it?”

“Go home.”

Just to be sure, I’ll say this.

I treat my superiors with respect.

The only reason I’m making such a rude remark is because the person I’m talking to is a monster.

This is the second time we’ve met, and I already know where she stands in my mind.

“Riku-kun, seriously though, please don’t make Ayana-chan feel sad.”

“…Mondo-san?”

It was not the light-heartedness she had before.

Mondo-san, who was looking straight at me, had a very serious look in her eyes.

“I know you’re going through a lot, but Ayana’s going through a lot as well.”

“Looks like it. Part-time, stalkers…”

“That’s not what I meant.“

""

“Eh?”

I didn’t understand what she was saying.

What else is there to say?

“Then, I’m going home, too. Oh, and….You can’t go through Ayana’s underwear just because she’s not here, okay~”

“No, I won’t.”

In the end, Monmon was Monmon until the end.

After watching Monmon go home, I closed the front door and went back to the living room with a sigh.

I’m all alone. What should I do now?

And what should I do with the erotic book in my hand?

“I mean, shouldn’t I have gone with Hoshimiya?”

She’s worried about a stalker, right?

Wouldn’t it be better if I stayed with her?

Well, she seemed to be in a hurry, so maybe she forgot.

In the meantime, I’ll call her.

I’ll pick her up at the end of her part-time shift.

And as I took out my phone, I received a phone call from a certain person.

“…Haruno.”

It was a call from my childhood friend.