Chapter 46: Spending the Night at His House Is No Problem.

[The first person to discover your secret was Yumemi Miu's grandmother.]

[This careless, clumsy old woman, who was already eighty years old, uncovered the truth when she brought snacks to the girl who had taken on her request and thanked her for the meal. The girl failed to respond properly, and the truth was exposed.]

[The clouds and rain that came with the typhoon finally dispersed. In the morning, the long-awaited sun hung in the blue sky. The clouds were thick, blocking most of the sunlight.]

[Yumemi Miu, under the supervision of Asano Nao, took her medicine and hurried out the door. She didn't notice that her grandmother was following her, trailing behind as she passed the house of the girl who had taken on her request and left the area where the village houses were clustered.]

[The view became expansive, and the water in the roadside ditch reflected the somewhat dim sunlight, which wavered with the water ripples.]

[Yumemi Miu walked briskly towards the school. She already saw the sign of the small shop and knew she would reach it after turning a corner.]

[As she turned, she habitually glanced around and saw her grandmother standing under a tree.]

[Having been discovered, the old woman gave up following and walked straight to Yumemi Miu, asking where she was going and who she had been with these days.]

[Yumemi Miu couldn't hide it anymore and said she was playing at your house, but she didn't mention that you were making her do things.]

[The old woman had heard about you from the villagers: a single person of advanced age, returned from the city to the countryside to laze around, idling away. That was her impression of you.]

[In her view, you were just like her granddaughter, a useless NEET. She was afraid Miu would be influenced by you, and she sternly told Miu not to associate with you and made her promise.]

Closing his eyes, Minami Yuuki saw the memory scene.

"Hurry up and say it, you must never associate with him again!" The old woman grasped her great-granddaughter's arm, her expression stern.

Yumemi Miu lowered her head, staring at the ants on the ground, showing her attitude.

"Miu, you know, both your mother and grandmother don't want you to become someone who can only stay at home, so you can't be with such a person, understand?" The old woman switched to a gentle tone.

Yumemi Miu remained motionless. On the ground, a group of ants lifted a small beetle's corpse, marching towards their nest.

"Alright, if you think not speaking means I can't do anything, you're mistaken!"

The old woman was furious. Miu had always been an obedient and sensible child and had never resisted her like this.

She looked at the shop ahead. It must be that shut-in youth who had corrupted her Miu!

She strode towards that direction.

"Grandmother, what are you going to do?" Yumemi Miu sensed something was wrong and hurried to the old woman's side.

"What am I going to do? I'm going to give him a good scolding! A bachelor, leaving an unfamiliar little girl at his house, how outrageous!"

"No, stop it!"

Yumemi Miu reached out to pull her back. Just the thought of her grandmother barging into Uncle Minami's house and scolding him made her very scared. Uncle would definitely be very angry, and knowing it was her fault that Uncle got so mad made her feel so guilty she wanted to cry.

The old woman ignored her and, shaking off her hand, walked even faster towards the house.

"I promise!" Yumemi Miu hugged her grandmother's leg, "I won't go there anymore, is that not enough?"

Tears streamed from her eyes, and she buried her face in her grandmother's leg. The tiny sobs blended into the summer morning's sunlight, hazy and dim.

"No!" The old woman paused, then suddenly said.

Before Yumemi Miu could ask why it wasn't enough, the old woman grabbed her shoulders and pushed her in front, "I didn't realize you were going to his place. If it's him, there's no problem. You can go. You can even stay overnight there."

Yumemi Miu was about to burst into tears, but upon hearing her grandmother's words, the crying got stuck in her throat. She looked ahead with tear-filled eyes.

In front of the small shop, a young man's figure emerged. He had his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall, looking at them with a very nonchalant posture.

"Go ahead, remember to listen to him," the old woman gave Yumemi Miu another push.

The girl turned to look at her, confirming she wasn't speaking sarcastically or mockingly, and took a step forward.

The old woman stood still, watching the small, tearful figure walk towards the larger figure leaning against the wall. The two figures held hands and went into the house together.

In her heart, surprise, fear, joy, and confusion mixed together. She recalled the youth's name that the villagers had mentioned. Yes, it was Minami Yuuki. Why hadn't she remembered it immediately?

That figure, she had seen it from a distance in Misaki City, and had scrutinized it in the photo album her granddaughter had hidden. That was Miu's father, Nao's boyfriend.

Why had he come to Yori Village? How had he gotten the news? What did he want? To settle accounts? To take Miu away? Or... to find Nao?

How should she tell Nao about this?

The elderly woman stood for a long time and decided to act as if she knew nothing. Let the young people resolve their own matters.

She turned to go back.

The clouds gradually thinned, and the sun slowly climbed higher, shedding its early morning laziness and casting intense light. Those who had ventured out while the sun was still mild now cursed as they hurried back home.

Minami Yuuki sat on the tatami mat in the living room, looking at Yumemi Miu, who was still wiping away her tears.

The girl had been terribly frightened and had been sobbing for a long time.

"Can you still make barbecue for me like this?" Minami Yuuki sighed deliberately.

"Grandma just told me not to come to your place anymore! I'm so sad, and all you can think about is eating! How can I have the heart to cook?" Yumemi Miu wiped her tears with a tissue, glaring at him with her tear-streaked face.

"You have a point. In that case, let's forget about that Yonezawa beef and just have instant noodles." Minami Yuuki stood up, pretending to head to the convenience store for cup noodles, watching the girl from the corner of his eye.

The girl ran up behind him and grabbed his shirt.

"Yonezawa beef?" She looked up with her tear-streaked face, staring at Minami Yuuki nervously.

"That's right."

"Marbled Yonezawa beef?"

"Yes, but it's a pity you're not in the mood to cook."

"I am! Where's the beef? Where's the grill? And the hot pot! I want to make sukiyaki too!"

The girl quickly ran to the kitchen, her eyes still wet with tears, but her lips were already smiling.

After bustling about for a while, she brought everything to the table.

"It's so delicious!"

She ate a piece of grilled beef, then a piece of beef dipped in raw egg, swaying happily.

"Don't just eat by yourself, give me some too." Minami Yuuki yawned. He had grown tired of high-end ingredients long ago.

Yumemi Miu picked up some grilled and boiled beef and placed it on Minami Yuuki's plate, complaining:

"Uncle, you're getting lazier and lazier. Soon you'll want me to feed you too."

"It's all your fault, Miu. You've spoiled me, so you have to take responsibility!"

"Huh? Is it really my fault?"

Yumemi Miu panicked.

She had breakfast at home and soon couldn't eat anymore, so she just watched Minami Yuuki eat, still having to serve him meat and vegetables.

"Do you know my grandmother?" She thought of her grandmother's change in attitude.

Her grandmother's attitude had shifted from wanting to separate them to supporting them after seeing Minami Yuuki.

"I do. I told you before, if questioned, just give my name and description, or bring them to meet me."

Minami Yuuki was too lazy to use his chopsticks. He lay beside Miu, opening his mouth for her to feed him.

"You might choke like that."

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!"

Yumemi Miu picked up a piece of beef, carefully holding her hand underneath to catch any dripping juices, and put it in Minami Yuuki's mouth.

Minami Yuuki wasn't lying; he had a remarkable ability to eat while lying down.

"Why did Grandma change so much after seeing you? She even said I could live at your place. Before, she always insisted I come home by evening." Yumemi Miu was very confused. Her usually overly concerned grandmother was now letting her do as she pleased.

"Because... I have some leverage over her!"

"Is that so!"

Relating it to her own experiences, Yumemi Miu immediately believed him.

She felt she had learned a new skill!

Yes, as long as you have leverage!