Chapter 11: In her House 1

When my phone suddenly rang, I frantically searched through my bag to find it and quickly answered...

Upon hearing my co-worker Toka's hoarse voice, I immediately rushed out of the school.

Toka informed me that our manager had collapsed right in front of her while working. The manager was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and Toka went along to assist. However, there were still many customers in the bar, so I had to hurry there and take her place.

Shit, boss, you can't just be like that...

Don't die on us, not like him. Leaving so suddenly, I'm not fond with it.

With determination, I clenched my teeth and sprinted as fast as I could.

***

I quickly changed into my waiter uniform in the staff room, putting on a pair of narrow black slacks and buttoning up my white shirt. I then fastened the black vest over it and slipped into a pair of polished wingtip leather shoes. Finally, I wrapped a long apron around my hips. After giving myself a final check in the mirror to ensure everything was in place, I made my way outside to the bar.

As soon as I stepped inside, I immediately began blending, mixing, and pouring drinks for the customers. It was a busy night, and there seemed to be an endless stream of orders coming in.

Sigh it's still just quarter six, There are just too many customers.

*A few hours later...*

"Haaa...aah." I took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief as I saw that the number of customers was finally decreasing. After serving customers for four hours straight, it was no wonder I was feeling tired. It can be quite taxing, you know?

Glancing out the window, I realized that the sun had already set long ago. Just then, I noticed a familiar figure—a middle-aged man accompanied by a teenager—entering the bar. They made their way towards me at the counter.

"Matsuki, are you doing alright?" The manager greeted me with a smile, while Toka waved her hand with a smile.

I was about to attend to the customers when the manager stopped me and said, "It's alright now, Toka and I will take over. You can go and walk home with your girlfriend."

Huh?

"G-girl... What?" I stammered in confusion, immediately scanning the customers to see if they were referring to Kira. That's when I spotted her near the entrance of our building—a poised figure standing beside the donut stall.

It was Kira.

"Go on and change now!" The manager tapped me on the back, giving me a gentle push. "I think your girlfriend has been waiting there for quite some time. You should have invited her in," Toka added. "I can handle things here for now. Go and walk home with your girlfriend."

"At least see her off, Matsuki," the manager concluded, siding with Toka. Unexpectedly, the whole crowd of customers chimed in, their voices filled with annoyance and persuasion.

"That lady has been waiting since I arrived. To think, it's your lady, and you didn't even invite her to sit," one man commented. "That's not good, boy."

"The last time my wife waited for me was years ago. I wonder if that's why she asked for a divorce," another customer remarked.

Fueled by these comments, the entire group of customers started criticizing me for making Kira wait. I felt attacked from all sides, outnumbered. I was being portrayed as the bad guy, even though I had no idea she was there.

Sigh, "Alright, alright, I get it already! I'll go and see her, okay?" I groaned and hastily left the uncomfortable staff room, rushing towards Kira.

...

To my surprise, I was able to find Kira immediately after leaving the bar.

She was leaning against a telephone pole in front of a shop, waiting beneath a street light like the queen of the night.

"Matsuki," she called out as she spotted me approaching. "You're finally done with work. Good job!" and greeted me with a smile that seemed to bloom like a flower.

I looked up at the night sky, trying to avoid looking at her annoying face. A crescent moon grinned down at me.

"What is this?"

"What do you mean?" she responded to my question, tilting her head and pretending to be confused. "Are you asking why I'm here? It's because I miss you..."

Miss my ass!

"So, where are you taking me?"

"It's been a while, so I thought it would be nice to pick you up from work and walk you home."

Huh? Does she plan to come to my place again? I'm not going to let her have her way.

"Kira, instead of walking me home, why don't we..."

"...I mean, do you want me to walk you home instead?"

"Eh?"

"You don't want me to?" I said, my voice filled with a hint of disappointment. I let my eyes drop to the ground, "I actually wanted to see where you live," I said, acting more sad as if I really wanted to.

But I planned to walk her home and then make a run for it.

"Well..." She looked down at the ground, bit her lip, and shyly looked up at me. "If you really want to, I guess I don't have a choice." She laughed as if she were humming and linked her arm with mine. I silently wondered, "Shampoo?" as I caught a whiff of a sweet floral fragrance from her.

"Let's go!"

And so, the few meters during which her arm pressed against my chest felt incredibly uncomfortable. No one had ever been this close to me before. The fact that her soft bosom was pressing against me as if it were a normal thing made me want to break free and go home.

"I'll walk you home, so please stop this," I pleaded with a sigh, finally managing to shake her off.

"W-why?" she asked, looking at me with a clueless expression. "Heh?" Then she smirked. "I guess Matsuki is a bit shy about being seen by others," she giggled.

Just as Kira had said, it had been a while since people started to gaze at us. It wasn't the real reason, but let's play along for now.

"You see..." I scratched the side of my face shyly. "I feel really shy when people look at us. Can't we do this when it's less crowded?"

"Okay," Kira smiled.

Thank goodness she's being cooperative, I sighed in relief. I thought it was over, but then Kira reached for my hand and started running, pulling me along.

As we ran, "let's hurry then to a less crowded place!" she exclaimed, her steps remaining light. I watched in awe as her black hair danced behind her, caught in the wind. Unable to contain my emotions, I let out a loud sigh.

Due to Kira's energetic pace, we quickly boarded a train and left the city, passing through two stations with a noticeable jolt. When we finally got off at our destination, we found ourselves in a residential area on the outskirts.

"I live over there, just a few minutes' walk from here," Kira pointed towards a hill. I immediately noticed that climbing it would be quite challenging.

As expected, even though I considered myself fit, I couldn't help but feel exhausted and sweaty by the time we reached our destination. In contrast, Kira seemed completely unfazed by the exertion, which only served to irritate me even more.

"Here we are," Kira announced proudly, standing before a large entrance gate. Beyond it stood a grand white building that could easily be described as a "mansion." It had a fancy design, with tetrahedrons systematically arranged, giving it a geometric aesthetic.

Despite its size, the atmosphere around the house was calm and quiet. Seeing that there were no lights on inside, I assumed that her parents must not be home, or possibly staying in one of their other houses.

While I curiously gazed up at the house, Kira tugged at my sleeve. "Now that you're here, why don't you come in?" she suggested, her proposal raising suspicions in my mind.

Initially, I had planned to make a quick escape after bringing her home, but seeing the darkened house made me change my mind. I concluded that no one was home other than the two of us.

"Good idea. I'm quite thirsty. Can I come in for a drink?" I replied, shaking off my previous thoughts.

Following Kira, I entered the house, and was greeted by complete silence.

As I took off my shoes at the entrance, I asked, "What time will your parents be back?"

"Um... I think we'll be alone tonight," Kira blushed.

"Oh, Is that so, Will we do it until they return home" As I jokingly said, I answered—with an earnest face.

"That's.. Isn't that too much? Doing it until then.." Kira stammered, flustered by my remark.

Huh? I mean, staying here, what could she be referring?

Walking inside her house, It seemed that I had unintentionally taken the lead.

"My mother is currently resting in the hospital and will be staying there for tonight, I think. Today is... I guess we can do it," She said, her words trailing off as I wondered what exactly she had in mind.

I immediately pushed Kira's head away as she leaned in to get a closer look at my face.

The situation had shifted, and now Kira took the lead once again.

"I only wanted to introduce myself to your mother since I'm here." I indifferently said.

"Oh, that pleases me to hear, Is it about our future, hehehe..."

"I don't know how you took my words, but let me assure you that you're wrong."

Following her, I entered the living room. "I'll bring something to drink. Make yourself comfortable on the sofa," Kira said before disappearing into the neighboring room to turn on the light.

As I took a moment to survey the living room I noticed the interior was as respectable as the exterior, with a leather sofa that exuded an amber luster and a uniquely shaped glass table that even an amateur could identify as a designer piece. A large LCD TV and luxurious Wi-Fi equipment further confirmed the rumors of their wealth. It was as expected of the daughter of a businessman.

However, to my disappointment, there was nothing particularly special beyond that. The living room, which saw many people coming and going, lacked any distinctive features. Despite its size, it emitted a lonely atmosphere. And unlike other family rooms, there was no prominent family portrait or anything that showcased the bond of their family. I couldn't help but wonder why the space felt so large and filled with coveted items yet seemed empty.

As I continued to observe the room, Kira returned with a tray of drinks. "I hope you're fine with green tea?" she asked.

"It's fine," I replied, not particularly interested. There was no use in staying for too long, I'll just leave after finishing this tea is what I thought, However, Kira seems like not going to let me: "Make yourself at home! It's Friday, so there's no school activity tomorrow, there's no need to hurry, right?"

"Are you out of your mind? I'm a man, you know?" I objected.

"That's the reason! A man should never leave an anxious girl behind alone, especially if you're my boyfriend."

"But this is your own home." I countered.

"B-but robbers and stalkers don't care about such obstacles!"

"How should I know how a stalker and robber thinks? In the first place, I don't think someone will do that today."

Kira sighed slightly. "But, you know..staying here with me... Isn't it fine? It's been a week since we last saw each other, too."

"It's just a week, the way you're acting feels like something else!" I objected again promptly.

A moment later, she whispered in a voice that was too loud to be a monologue: "…I wonder, do you not like spending the night with me…"

I almost spit out my tea.

"…Staying the night? I'm only supposed to walk you home, I'm leaving after drinking this tea." I stated firmly, staring at Kira with a hostile gaze.

"Uhmm, b-but. I just wish to spend the night with you, There's nothing strange about it, is there?"

Kira covered half of her face under a cushion as if to block my gaze.

"Why me? Just ask other guys, don't you have many" I said, annoyed by her persistence.

"I mean you're now my boyfriend.. and it's been a while since we've been together.. and.." Kira played with her fingers shyly, stealing glances at me. "Isn't it fine?"

I guess I have no choice but to agree or she'll doubt me.. but.. spending the night with her.. that's just..

"Alright, I got it, I got it! I'll spend the night, you happy?"

"Yes, I'm happy" hiding her face as if shy, she buried her nose in the cushion and giggled.

Huh? this is not a laughing matter, it's not funny!

As if able to read my mind she said: "Well, sharing a tea with you, and spending the night is fun."

"I didn't ask about it."I retorted, averting my eyes from her, clearly not in the mood.

"You know what? If you don't stop giggling like that, I may damage that beautiful face of yours," I threatened, raising my clenched hand.

"You think I am beautiful? I am on cloud nine!" Kira exclaimed, her giggles only growing louder.

"Huh? I'm not complimenting you!"