124: The Turning Point

[You declined Mr. Isshiki's suggestion. It's not that you didn't want to get closer to the Isshiki family; rather, you aimed to achieve that goal in a different way.]

[Mr. Isshiki, having had too much to drink, didn't realize this fact and felt disappointed.] 

[However, Mrs. Isshiki's gaze towards you became increasingly gentle.] 

[She served you two large chicken legs, while the main person, Iroha, left with an expressionless face that left you guessing her thoughts.]

Chisato took a sip of water from the table.

So the intention was noticed, but it seemed to be okay.

It's not that he likes her from the beginning; having grown up together without blood ties, developing feelings is only natural.

Given the current situation, the Isshiki couple had a considerable degree of affection for him, which was good. Now, the only thing to watch out for was Iroha's own thoughts.]

Since she started becoming more aware at the age of twelve, whether out of embarrassment or shyness, she had grown increasingly distant, which wasn't a good sign and needed more attention.

After finishing the water, Chisato got up to pour herself another glass, casually rubbing the head of the black-winged bird in her dreams, and reclined back at the head of the bed.

The sounds of an adult film next door resumed after an hour of comedy shows.

It seemed the energy had been automatically replenished over time. This time, it appeared to be NTR themed.

He could vaguely hear lines like "Madam, you don't want to…"—so cliché.

Chisato cleared his mind and refocused on the simulation text.

[16 years old: Your grades were excellent, and you entered a prestigious high school in Tokyo.]

[The Isshiki couple, thrilled, accompanied you to the opening ceremony.] 

[They, who had already regarded you as their child, took many photos with you at school, showing you smiling happily.] 

[However, there was a cloud in your heart because, at such an important moment, Iroha did not appear.]

[On the way back, you told the Isshiki couple that you were a bit tired from the day and didn't want to dine out to celebrate but preferred to go home and rest.]

[The Isshiki couple canceled the reservation at the restaurant and drove you home.] 

[Mr. Isshiki went directly to work without getting out of the car, while Mrs. Isshiki changed her coat after arriving home and went to the nearby supermarket.]

[After returning home, you went straight upstairs.] 

[As you passed by Iroha's door, you heard the sound of girls chatting inside. You remembered there seemed to be several pairs of small shoes at the entrance. You decided….]

[1. Since the guests are at home, it's natural to offer tea and snacks.]

[2. I'm just passing by.]

[3. Maybe I can learn some of her thoughts through Iroha and her friends' conversation.]

The options seemed quite ordinary.

Option one appeared to plan to use the excuse of serving guests to knock on the door and join them. 

However, anyone with common sense would know this isn't a good choice. It would seem odd for a boy to suddenly enter while the girls were chatting.

Doing so would likely make Iroha and her friends feel awkward, further estranging her from you and adding the bad impression of being "inconsiderate."

Option two was the most normal choice, which was to ignore them.

But is normal always correct?

Chisato reviewed the lack of progress in his relationship with Iroha over the years. He vaguely felt that this seemingly normal option two might be less favorable than option one.

The reason was simple: although option one's behavior was reckless, it would indeed create some form of relationship or emotion, whether disliked or not. 

It would at least evoke a reaction from Iroha, unlike option two, which would leave him as a non-existent figure.

As for option three, while not explicitly stated, Chisato suspected it involved eavesdropping.

Although not polite, he thought this option was relatively appropriate for the current situation.

It wouldn't be like option one, which could lead to being disliked, nor like option two, which would ignore the situation and let it unfold uncontrollably. 

By listening in the dark, he could potentially gather useful information and make judgments or plan actions accordingly.

After thinking it through, Chisato chose option three.

[You returned to your room and listened through the wall to Iroha and her friends' conversation.] 

[The girls' topics were scattered and random.] 

[One moment they were discussing the latest hit TV series, and the next, they were talking about how cute and desirable it would be to have a fluffy Tibetan fox at home.

[You felt a bit disappointed. The conversation wasn't entirely unhelpful but lacked substance.] 

[Just as you were about to give up eavesdropping, you heard Iroha suggest going to a nearby indoor swimming pool this week. The other girls agreed enthusiastically.]

[You noted down the time and place and thought silently….]

[1. Find a chance to hint to Iroha that you're free on the weekend.]

[2. Head out early on the weekend and pretend to run into them at the swimming pool.]

[3. Iroha doesn't know how to swim and has never shown interest in swimming. Why does she suddenly want to go swimming?.]

A suspicious option appeared.

Chisato was surprised. He first discarded the first option and then found himself struggling with the remaining two.

In his view, both options seemed correct.

However, he didn't hesitate for long and chose the untried, doubtful option, trusting his wisdom in the simulation game.

[You knew Iroha well.] 

[She wasn't spoiled, but she wasn't far off. She was picky about food, very sensitive to temperature—liking to snuggle in a heated blanket in winter and the first thing she did when coming home in summer was to turn on the air conditioner.] 

[She was also very sensitive to pain; even a sprained ankle could make her eyes mist up, and being spanked would make her cry out loud.] 

[Her soft, endearing voice was pleasant to hear, and the more you listened, the more you liked her.]

[You stopped your wandering thoughts and began to focus on the underlying reason for Iroha's unusual behavior.]

[The next morning, a package arrived at the house. As soon as you signed for it, Iroha hurriedly took it back to her room.]

[That evening, you went out for a jog and, while taking out the household trash, noticed a square, flat box in the trash bag—it was packaging for an electronic scale.]

[You seemed to understand something.]

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