Looking back, there were a few things that didn’t quite add up.
For instance, my parents suddenly decided I should start living alone to “become more independent.”
The apartment they arranged for me was absurdly spacious for one person—a modern unit with state-of-the-art security features.
As it turns out, the large space was because two people were meant to live there, and the high security was because Chika (a girl) would also be staying.
Seriously, could we not move forward with all these plans without consulting me first!?
“Well… uh… does Masato-san know about this?”
“I believe my husband is aware, isn’t he?”
Masato Tachibana, Chika’s father, is the president of a prestigious company.
“Shall we call him? I’m sure he has Keiichi-kun’s number saved on his phone and would pick up if you called.”
Chiyuki-san (Chika’s mom) pulled out her phone and showed me Masato-san’s number.
I have no idea why my number is saved in his contacts, but I guess I’ll call him. Chika’s dad is a busy man, so I don’t know if he’ll answer, but…
Maybe, just maybe, he can help fix this situation.
I switched to speaker mode and called him.
“Hello? Keiichi-kun?”
Wait, he picked up after one ring!?
“Ah, um, h-hello! It’s been a while! I’m so sorry to bother you when you’re busy!”
“Not at all. A call from the man who once saved my daughter’s life is more important than anything else. Don’t worry about it.”
Wait, what?
“Th-thank you. Um, about me and Chika living together…”
“Oh, that. Please take good care of Chika. I’m sure there’ll be challenges, but I trust you to handle them.”
Any faint glimmer of hope I had was now crushed.
This leaves me no choice—I’ll have to pull out my final weapon.
“U-um… hypothetically speaking… don’t you think it’s problematic for a boy and a girl of our age to live under the same roof? I mean… certain issues could arise…”
“Oh? Are you suggesting you might take advantage of my daughter?”
“...Yes. I’m a guy, after all.”
Surely, this would make both Chiyuki-san and Masato-san reconsider.
And seriously… don’t underestimate the hormones of a teenage boy!
“...I see. So that’s how it is… Your resolve. I’ll accept it.”
“Excuse me?”
What is he even talking about!?
“So you’ve thought that far ahead about your future with Chika, have you!?”
“Wait, what!?”
No, no, no! How did it turn into that!?
“My apologies. It seems we were the ones being short-sighted. I’m confident I can entrust Chika to you. Let’s meet this weekend to discuss everything in detail. I look forward to seeing you again.”
And with that, Masato-san hung up.
“Kei-chan, I’m back! …Huh? What’s wrong? You look exhausted.”
“No… it’s nothing. Absolutely nothing…”
And so, it was decided: Chika and I would live together.
We moved into the apartment and had dinner together, prepared by Chika.
She made carbonara, and it was amazing. The rich, creamy sauce clung perfectly to the pasta, with black pepper providing a delightful kick. It was restaurant-quality.
The side dish, a cabbage and bacon soup, was equally impressive—I finished it in no time.
By the time we finished washing the dishes, the sun had completely set, and it was dark outside.
The clock read… 8 PM.
“Alright, it’s already late. Let’s take a bath and head to bed. You can go first.”
“Huh? But…”
“Don’t hesitate. A girl should get the first bath, right?”
“That’s not what I meant. Aren’t we taking a bath together?”
What!? WHAT!?”
“W-what are you even saying!?”
“Well, I mean, we always bathed together before, didn’t we?”
“That was because we were kids!”
“Come on, childhood friends taking a bath together is totally normal, right?”
Can she not act like I’m the crazy one here!?
“Absolutely not! No way are we bathing together!”
Three minutes later…
“Wow, Kei-chan, your back is so broad! Does it itch anywhere?♪”
What am I supposed to do… How did this happen?
Why is Chika washing my back!?
“Okay, now it’s your turn to wash my back.”
In front of me was Chika’s smooth, flawless back.
Wow, her skin is so white… it looks so soft. Could I… touch it?
These inappropriate thoughts were bubbling up inside me.
This is bad—at this rate, I’ll lose my mind and stop being human.
Wait! That’s it! …I just have to kill my emotions!
…Yes… Without emotions…
Ah… Perfect… Serenity…
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