After finishing dinner, I left Kanade and my mother chatting happily in the living room and resumed my studies in my room.
Truthfully, I wanted to talk with Kanade a little more... but since the consequences of giving in to immediate desires were obvious without even thinking about it, I chose to endure.
My quiet room was filled only with the sound of the clock's ticking.
After concentrating on my studies for a while... I heard the sound of the door opening from the first floor.
It was then that I finally checked the clock to see the current time.
The current time was 10:00 PM.
“...I was able to concentrate today.”
Lately, I've been feeling an uncomfortable sensation as if someone was watching me whenever I was in my room, so my studies hadn't been progressing much, but today was different.
Not only did I not feel that constant gaze at all, but I also didn't get that spine-chilling sensation, like when you have a fever.
I'm doing quite well.
“...Well, I'm probably just overthinking it.”
There's no way anyone would want to sneak photos of an introvert like me anyway.
Besides, I don't recall inviting anyone into this room recently.
...The stress of the upcoming tests probably made me feel gloomy and hypersensitive.
However, if I could overcome it today, I feel like I'll be fine from tomorrow onwards.
“...Come to think of it, I wonder if Dad has come home yet.”
My father, who had been deeply lamenting his recent promotion to section chief, found his return time even later after the promotion.
On top of that, it seems he no longer gets overtime pay because of the promotion... he was lamenting it over and over again.
“...I wonder if Kanade has gone home already?”
Putting my father aside, I wondered if Kanade was still in the house.
No, there's no way.
It would be dangerous to let a girl her age go home alone at this hour.
...But if that were the case, she could have at least said a word about leaving.
Well, I'm sure she was being considerate because I was focused on my studies.
“Ak-kun. I made a midnight snack, do you want to eat?”
“Yeah. I'll have some.”
When the door to my room suddenly opened, Kanade came in carrying two onigiri on a large plate.
Looking closely, she was holding another onigiri in the hand that wasn't holding the plate.
She was probably a little hungry too and was eating while heading to my room.
How ill-mannered...
...Wait?
“Kanade, you haven't gone home?”
“Nope.”
Kanade nodded happily.
“Obasan said if you wanted to concentrate on studying, I should just stay over today. When I consulted my mom, she said okay. So I'm staying.”
“...I see.”
Things had somehow progressed incredibly far without my knowledge, and I couldn't even manage a proper reaction.
“So, I'll be staying at Ak-kun's house today.”
“Ah, okay.”
“I already took a bath.”
“Is that so.”
“Yeah. I smell like Ak-kun.”
“Is that so...?”
The shampoo I usually use is for men. There should have been female shampoo in the bathroom for my mother, but she probably accidentally used the wrong one.
“Also, for pajamas, I borrowed Ak-kun's PE clothes.”
“Looks like it.”
“The size is... a bit tight around the chest.”
“...Looks like it.”
I glanced at Kanade's chest for a moment and immediately looked away.
“Also, it was decided that I'll be sleeping in Ak-kun's room with a futon spread out today.”
“...”
“Obasan told me to do that. If Obasan says so, it can't be helped, right?”
“............”
“Ufufu.”
“...That's no good.”
I looked down.
“...Ak-kun?”
“...It's no good, Kanade.”
“...Even if you say it's no good, it can't be helped. Obasan said so. None other than Obasan herself, you know? In that case, I have no choice but to obey. Because Obasan said so.”
“...It's absolutely no good.”
“...Boo.”
I let out a deep sigh.
“...The idea of you sleeping on a futon.”
That was the only thing I simply couldn't accept.
“...Eh?”
“You sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the futon. If you spread a futon directly on the flooring, there's no cushioning, and your body will be sore the next morning, you know? Kanade... you need to rest properly.”
“...Ak-kun.”
Kanade directed an entranced gaze at me. Her voice was somehow feverish.
“Ak-kun. I feel like I'll be able to sleep more soundly tonight than ever before in my life.”
“What are you talking about, Kanade?”
“Because...”
“I'll be troubled if you don't.”
“Eh?”
“Since you're staying at my house, it means I have to provide the best possible hospitality I can manage.”
Now that Kanade is staying at this house, I can't have her waking up the next morning anything less than fully recovered.
It was with that kind of resolve that I was letting her stay in this room for the day.
“...W-What do you mean?”
However, it seems my intention didn't reach Kanade.
“Kanade, I'm counting on you tonight.”
“...Y-Yeth.”
“I'll treat you with such hospitality that you'll want to stay at this house again.”
“...Ufufu.”
“...”
“...Uhehehe.”
Kanade smiled sloppily.
For the first time, I wrote this while tilting my head every time the protagonist spoke. Even after re-reading it, I still didn't understand what the protagonist was saying.