Day 3

Day 3

"Welcome home, Riri-chan! Here, have some snacks!"

"Um... how are you in here?"

I have finally managed to get myself into the house. This morning, when it was time to take out the trash, Riri left the house without locking the door. I took that chance to slip in, hid until Riri went to school, and then prepared snacks for her while she was away.

"I mean, you're being really creepy here! I'll report you for trespassing!"

Riri says, her face warped in disgust, her feet stopped at the entranceway. It's pretty remarkable, her going to school despite the world ending soon.

"But we aren't strangers anymore now, are we? I think it'd be better for both of us if I could stay here instead of taking the train every day, though."

"That's a hundred percent for your convenience only!"

"C'mon, I'll cook for you. Oh, I also cleaned the bathroom. This is important, you know. Gotta keep things clean wherever water flows."

The bathroom was quite messy. Riri seems aware of that, too, what with her going silent.

"Haven't you heard? Things can be surprisingly convenient when you have another person with you."

Back when I saw all the dust in the air at the entranceway, I could immediately tell that Riri isn't so good at doing housework. Same case with how she was lured so easily with food yesterday. From what I could see in the kitchen's garbage can, she has been getting by with cup ramen and convenience store bento.

"Give and take. Win-win. Right?"

I point at both myself and her to emphasize my point. Fortunately, this house had a good amount of food stocked up. Either Riri was planning to cook by herself, or the stuff was left behind by her parents. Either way, the ingredients were starting to go bad, so I could tell that they've been left untouched for a while now.

"I've used the vegetables since they'd be wasted otherwise. Made some stir-fried veggies for dinner. Oh, I put in some pork, too."

"...Whatever you do, please don't go into my room."

"What's that, an invitation?"

"What is wrong with you!?"

"C'mon, never mind that stuff. Eat up."

It's been quite a long time since I last made a pound cake. The house has been filled with a sweet smell ever since I was done just now.

When making confections, as well as when eating them, this smell is great. Even when the world is ending, they'll always be sweet, and sweet things will always bring happiness.

"You like sweets?"

Riri doesn't answer. I already got it figured when I saw all the snack bags in the trash, though.

"I'll make you something to drink. You fine with black tea?"

I take some tea leaves from one of the kitchen cupboards, knowing where they were from all the snooping around I did beforehand.

"...Did you use to come here, back when you dated my sister?"

Riri looks at me from behind while I do my thing.

"Sure have. Actually, on that sofa..."

"I'll kill you if you keep saying weird stuff!"

While Riri says that, she puts down her bag and sits down at the table. Looks like she's hungry after all. It's one of the perks of being young, I say. Innocence, libido, appetite, and curiosity. All the stuff that's so dazzling to me now.

"Um, what's your name, again?"

"You can call me onee-san."

"I'll say granny."

The sweet aroma of tea wafts through the air. I smile, thinking how highschooler-like she's acting, and then tell her,

"Yune. Yu for friend, and ne for sound."

"...Yune-san, what did you like about my sister?"

"Hmm, I can't narrow that down to just one thing, you know."

I take the teacup and bring it to the table where Riri's waiting.

"Is it that thing about how a woman has many things going on?"

"Not just women, but more like the whole thing about human relationships. A whole lot of things go. Well, same case for animal partners, I guess."

"You loved her so much that you want to kill her?"

Riri is staring hard at me from behind her glasses. Her eyes are so straightforward. I see that as a reflection of her mind, pure as the driven snow.

"...I wonder if that's it."

I crack a bitter smile.

"I figured I'd kill her if the world's gonna end. Always thought about it way back when."

Now the preparations are complete for an impromptu tea party. I take my seat diagonally opposite of Riri and hold up my fork.

"C'mon, let's eat."

I definitely loved that woman, I think. But she slighted me. I wonder, while being so enraged and resentful, if I could have kept loving her as I had before. I just don't know.

That woman dumped me. Since then, I have always been by my lonesome.

"This is good."

Riri murmurs, as if she didn't intend to do so. "There's more where that came from," I tell her. But she is no longer looking at me, and is now chowing down the cake so eagerly.

"Your sister never made any for you?"

"Of course she'd never do that."

She's got a point, I guess. No way that woman, what with how high-maintenance she is, would struggle herself with wheat flour. The kind of person who would say that if you want cake, then let someone else bake one for you.

But leaving Ruru aside, her parents must have been here, too. Ruru barely told me anything about them though.

"Well, I happen to be good at making cakes. Win-win, right?"

Staring fixedly at Riri, I say to her in a way that intentionally makes myself seem silly. Although Riri frowns a bit in response, she never stops eating.

Such was how I safely, successfully infiltrated my ex-girlfriend's house.