Hiding nearby

As Kazuha-nee moved toward the door, I quietly slipped away from the kotatsu, careful not to make a sound, and tucked away the tangerine we hadn’t finished eating.

I considered hiding on the balcony on the other side of her bed. It was where she jokingly threatened to throw me earlier and, admittedly, the ideal hiding spot. After all, Ogawa wouldn’t have any reason to check there. He had no idea I was even in the room.

Nonetheless, instead of taking that option, I decided on something else. Something discreet while remaining nearby to sense the change in the atmosphere.

I followed behind Kazuha-nee and slipped into her partitioned workspace, sliding it open and hiding inside it.

It wasn’t a separate room but the partitions were tall enough to prevent anyone from peeking inside from the top.

From here, I could remain unseen without the chill of the night air biting at me.