Three times

Like I planned, I sat in the passenger’s seat when I returned to the car. Furthermore, unlike the previous times, Hitomi remained in the car instead of waiting for me outside.

Fortunately, she immediately responded to me by unlocking the door when I knocked on her window.

The ride from here to my school would take at least 30 minutes if there’s no traffic. And considering that there’s still an hour before the actual closing of the school gate and the start of the first period, I still had time to at least pry some information about her.

As for Otoha, I already talked to her through the messenger and her grandfather only woke up for half an hour before going back to sleep earlier before dawn.

That’s why the girl chose to remain near her grandfather in case he woke up again. Furthermore, she already issued a leave of absence to their school, allowing her to skip for a few days.