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Volume 1, Chapter 8: A Day Tinged with Color

(Note: The title also implies the blossoming of feelings.)

The two of them set a promise, beginning to build a new relationship.

“We both wanted to stay together for a while longer, so we decided to sort out the boxes filled with manga, light novels, and game discs.”

“Ah, this one I bought. Wow, that’s a big help. If I sell these game discs, my wallet will be a bit thicker. Now that I think about it, I left all this stuff behind when I moved out. I’m surprised you didn’t just sell it. You could have, and no one would have said a word.”

“I thought it would be a hassle if you came back asking for them. Eh, this one’s mine, right?”

“Mmm, I think I paid for it.”

“No, no, I remember buying this…”

“But it looks like something I would own, right? This kind of game isn’t my style.”

“No way, it’s more like something I would like.”

“I already told you, it’s something I like.”

The conversation escalated into a slight argument. This was due to the ambiguous ownership of these items. But we didn’t want to fight over such things.

“Alright. This is going to lead to a fight, so let’s just sell everything and split the money. Mafuyu, you don’t want to fight over something so trivial, do you?”

In truth, I bought most of the valuable games. But I ignored my own interests to avoid arguing, suggesting we sell everything and split the proceeds.

“Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ve said before, I want to reflect on our past living together to avoid repeating the same mistakes. I don’t want to fight with you; I’m fine with whatever it takes.”

“Thank you. But Yuji, don’t you think you’re trying too hard to get along with me?”

Mafuyu laughed at me as if I was a fool.

But strangely, it didn’t feel annoying at all.

“Let’s sell all the game discs and split the money. What about the light novels and manga?”

“They’re not worth much, so let’s just sell them or take them. Look, this brings back memories.”

Mafuyu picked up a light novel from the box, a well-paced isekai novel with cheat-like abilities. No wonder Mafuyu found it nostalgic.

“It was this novel that brought us closer together.”

Right, it was thanks to this work, “The Jobless Me, Reincarnated to Become a Deity”, that Mafuyu and I started to share our everyday lives.

Now, more than 20 volumes have been released, and there are even rumors of a third season of the anime being decided.

Holding such a memorable item, I couldn’t help but reveal my boiling emotions to Mafuyu.

“Phew. I can’t help it. I still like you.”

“Don’t expect me to get back with you just because you’re flattering me now.”

Mafuyu laughed, saying it was too late.

Ah, indeed. It’s too late. Really, too late.

If we had expressed our feelings openly like now, without being caught up in trivial matters, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this situation.

Taking our relationship for granted, waiting for the other to make a move, led us to our current state.

“I know. Though I say that, I was just thinking about the reason we broke up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t seriously said ‘I like you’ in a long time, have I? Naturally, if you don’t express your feelings, you drift apart.”

“So, if we get back together, say you like me more often?”

Mafuyu teased me, reflecting on my words. As if to say, even though I can say it now, I’ll become too embarrassed to say it as time passes.

“Yeah, I’ll say it until you’re satisfied. From now on, always.”

“Mmm. I see.”

Mafuyu muttered disinterestedly and then turned away.

“Don’t be so frank, it makes me want to get back together right away.”

“How much do you like me?”

“I want to go back to being your boyfriend right now, that’s how much…”

Mafuyu said this while being a little sulky.

Despite her affection for me, I took our relationship for granted, was stubborn, lacked openness, and neglected Mafuyu’s feelings in various ways.

If I don’t reflect on this, we won’t be able to move forward.

Alright, even though I want to keep talking with her, we need to figure out who owns the manga and light novels first.

“Let’s sort out who owns the manga and light novels.”

“…I’ll give you all of mine.”

“Is that okay?”

“You obviously bought more game discs. But you said we should sell them and split the money. So, at least take the manga and light novels.”

Mafuyu, like me, seemed to be competing in reflecting on herself.

I had no reason to refuse her kindness.

“Let’s do that. So, this issue is resolved.”

We decided how to deal with the box filled with our shared interests.

The matter was resolved cleanly. It was the result of our mutual concessions, not wanting to argue.

If it were before our breakup, we couldn’t have resolved it so smoothly.

“I’m a bit tired. I’ll head back to my room. Good night, Yuji…”

“Ah, good night.”

I watched Mafuyu leave my room, recalling the gentle kisses we used to share before sleep.

We had just started to reconcile, and it was unclear if we could return to how things were. We were not lovers but merely friends living together in a shared house.

Of course, this was not a relationship where kisses were appropriate, I thought.

Mafuyu stopped in front of my door, giggled, and turned to look at me.

“Expecting a goodnight kiss? Silly. We’re just friends sharing a house now, how could we do that? See you, bye.”

Mafuyu clearly showed her joy at our reconciliation, and I watched her leave.

Afterward, I flopped onto my bed, murmuring with a joy no less than Mafuyu’s.

“Even though you ran to kiss me when you were drunk at the welcome party, what are you saying now?”

With a light heart, I turned off the light and closed my eyes.

◆◆◆◇◇◇

Mafuyu Side

The day after we made our promise.

Since there was no longer any need to avoid Yuji, I boldly sat down in the living room of the shared house.

“Mafuyu-senpai! It’s a bit hard to ask, but may I ask you something?”

Koharu-chan, the younger sister of the owner and manager of this shared house, Miss Saotome Hiyori. She’s friendly, cute, and gets along well with everyone.

“Sure, go ahead and ask.”

“Um, where do you buy your lingerie, Mafuyu-senpai?”

I had struggled with this question myself when I was in my first year of high school.

Feeling somewhat nostalgic, I answered her earnestly.

“Hmm, don’t go for the cheap ones, choose well-known brands. Ultimately, it’s more reassuring to buy from well-known brands, and they surprisingly last longer. Especially bras, it’s really better to spend a bit more. The brands I often buy are—”

I shared with Koharu-chan the names of several brands I usually buy.

Then came summer. Naturally, the chances of friends seeing your lingerie increase. Whether changing into swimsuits or when clothes get wet and reveal what’s underneath, you wouldn’t want to feel embarrassed because of the style of your lingerie.

“I see, I’ll check them out later!”

“Didn’t you ask Miss Saotome Hiyori?”

“Ah, well, you know, the things my sister recommends always feel a bit outdated… Not that it’s bad, just not quite youthful.”

“So you came to ask me.”

“Exactly. Despite my looks, I’m kind of a trendsetter at school. I need to teach others before they teach me.”

“I get it. Really, I totally understand.”

Right, being so noticeable, it’s hard to ask others for advice.

Even if I did ask, somehow, I’d end up giving them advice instead.

Even though I’m not particularly fashionable, my friends often come to me, saying, “Mafuyu, your outfits are always so cute and pretty,” and ask about my clothes.

And I actually wanted to ask them…

“That’s how it is. Even if I ask them, it’s always, ‘Koharu is fashionable enough~’ and they brush me off without telling me.”

“Ah, it must be like that. I experienced the same thing.”

Just being good-looking, people assume everything about you is fashionable.

I’ve grown a bit tired of being treated that way. Even now in college, although my clothes are obviously no-name brands, I still get asked, “What brand is that?” It really makes my face stiff.

“But despite that, Mafuyu-senpai, you really are beautiful and stylish. I bet your ex-boyfriend was a really handsome guy who matched well with you.”

“He was quite plain. Wore glasses, didn’t style his hair with gel, nor trimmed his eyebrows. Really negligent. Well, his looks were just to my taste.”

“Here we go again~ Saying such things~. There’s no way Mafuyu-senpai’s ex-boyfriend was plain. Thanks for the advice, Mafuyu-senpai. I’m off to ask for some pocket money to buy the lingerie you recommended!”

Koharu-chan walked off with brisk steps towards Miss Saotome Hiyori’s room.

During this time, I avoided the living room to stay away from Yuji. Now, after a long time, I relaxed elegantly in the living room.

And, by staying here,

“I’m back.”

“Welcome, welcome back, Yuji.”

I could naturally encounter Yuji, the ex-boyfriend I still liked the most.

We had agreed that if we both reflected and could avoid repeating our past mistakes, we would get back together.

Now, there was no need to hide from Yuji anymore.

But to say that I cared about him and wanted to be close… it was still embarrassing.

“Hmm, it’s rare to see Mafuyu in the living room.”

“Because there’s no need to avoid Yuji anymore. By the way, have you had dinner?”

“Just grabbed something.”

A trivial conversation.

Not long ago, we couldn’t even do this. Just talking like this made us very happy.

Meanwhile, Koharu-chan returned from Miss Saotome Hiyori’s room with ten thousand yen.

“Mafuyu-senpai, I got it! Oh, Yuji-senpai, welcome back de~su.”

“Oh, I’m back. What did Koharu-chan manage to get?”

“Money, money. As a high school girl, money is essential. So, I asked my sister for some allowance. But, the price was quite high!”

“Price? By the way, what did Koharu have to pay?”

“In this shared house, there’s no maid, right? Previously, my sister was in charge of cleaning the common areas. She said if I take over the cleaning, she would give me an allowance.”

“Sounds good, make sure to use it wisely, okay?”

“Sure! I’ll use it well. Ah, Yuji-senpai, want to go shopping together next time? I don’t have plans with friends next week!”

“Going with me won’t be any fun.”

“Chichi~ Look, senpai, look at this!”

Koharu-chan showed me her phone screen, displaying a post on cons.

“Koharu-chan and Yuji Holding Bubble Tea” Post

The post, showing a photo of Koharu-chan and Yuji holding bubble tea, received not only numerous “likes” from users but also various comments like “Who’s this!?”, “So sweet~ Your boyfriend is so handsome!”, and “Matching straw colors add points!”

“There are a lot of likes.”

“Yes, it seems to be catching on. That’s why I was thinking of doing a sequel. I want to be flattered like this by everyone, and I’ll be grateful. So, come on, take some hinting photos with me~” (Note: Hinting photos are a popular type of post on social networks, where photos intentionally or unintentionally include items related to the opposite sex, implying the poster has a boyfriend or girlfriend.)

“I know you’re happy about it… But getting too involved in this kind of thing isn’t good…”

“Please~ Yuji-senpai~ I’ll repay you properly~~~”

Koharu-chan shook Yuji’s shoulders.

Yuji, with a resigned yet somewhat happy expression, said,

“Alright, alright. I’ll go with you.”

“Yay! So, our next day off is a date with Koharu-chan.”

“I told you, it’s not a date, just looking after a younger sister.”

“Geez, Yuji-senpai, you shy guy. Going out with Yuji-senpai is definitely a date, no matter how you look at it. Right? Mafuyu-senpai!”

“Uh, what, what?”

Caught off guard by the sudden conversation, I struggled to fully grasp what was being said.

“I was saying that going out with Yuji-senpai isn’t just going out, it’s a date. Since Yuji gets embarrassed easily, he won’t admit it’s a date. You think so too, right, Mafuyu-senpai?”

“…Hmm. Maybe it’s like that.”

“See~ Mafuyu-senpai agrees, it’s not just going out, it’s a date! Really, really.”

“Alright. But, the ten thousand yen in your hand, don’t lose it, put it safely in your wallet, okay?”

That made sense, and Koharu-chan, agreeing, disappeared with the ten thousand yen in her hand.

Left behind, I nervously asked Yuji,

“You get along really well with Koharu-chan.”

“Well, she’s like a little sister to me.”

Indeed, that was true. Koharu, at 15, was like a younger sister to us at 20, just slightly younger.

But still,

“Even so, you two are really close.”

“Of course, it’s Koharu-chan and my relationship, after all.”

Yuji boasted confidently about their close relationship.

Seeing this, I felt a cold sweat breaking out on my back.

“What if, just hypothetically, Koharu told you she liked you?”

“I’d find her really cute.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

Yuji’s wording, treating her just like a sister, reassured me.

Because, I no longer had the right to stop Yuji.

If he fell for Koharu-chan, I couldn’t object.

“Jealous of Koharu-chan?”

“Not at all.”

“Hmm—alright. Well, it’s not like Koharu-chan and I would become what you’re thinking.”

“You say that, but if you get a bit closer, you might change your heart.”

“No way. Really, it’s just… I’ve been embarrassed to say it, but whether it’s in the past or now, the only one I’ve liked is you.”

“Why say that if you didn’t want to…”

That’s so sly. Saying he’s only liked me from the beginning, it’s so cunning, my face is about to melt.

Whether in the past or now, I monopolize Yuji’s affection, and just thinking about it makes me incredibly happy. He likes me too much, doesn’t he?

“Because you seemed jealous.”

“I said, I’m not jealous.”

Embarrassed at having my feelings seen through, I brushed it off.

“Really?”

“Really, really.”

Yuji looked straight at me, even more intently than before.

But every time I saw Koharu-chan and Yuji together, I felt pain deep in my chest.

In fact, I clearly understood Yuji and Koharu-chan weren’t interested in each other in that way.

But, that’s only for now. If Koharu-chan starts to develop feelings for Yuji and approaches him…

Even Yuji might waver. I was afraid of that, so every time I saw them interacting closely, I felt uneasy.

Although Yuji and I had made a promise, we were still just “friends” living together in a shared house. I had no right to meddle in his affairs.

“I’m going to put away my bag. Are you staying in the living room? If you are, I’ll come back…”

“I’ll stay in the living room.”

“Then, I’ll just put my bag away and be right back.”

Yuji, having just returned home, went to his room to put away his bag.

Alone in the living room, I murmured to myself about the things on my mind.

“Although we’ve made a promise to go back to the way things were… I wonder how it will turn out.”

Before Yuji seriously reflects and makes up his mind, he might fall for someone other than me.

While I was lost in this whirlwind of worries, Asakura-senpai entered the living room.

“Lately, Mafuyu has been sitting in the living room more often. Does this mean things have improved a bit with Kaga-kun?”

“Ahahaha… My efforts to avoid him have been totally exposed, huh?”

“It’s quite obvious. Did you follow my advice about helping him with his eyebrows and improving your relationship? Was my suggestion useful?”

In reality, these actions didn’t have a direct effect.

But Asakura-senpai’s words significantly influenced me.

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“That’s great, really great. This way, we can all have fun this summer.”

“What do you mean, have fun?”

“Hmm? That’s right, Mafuyu just moved into this shared house. We emphasize interaction here, right?”

“It’s even mentioned in the documents.”

“For that reason, Miss Saotome Hiyori loves organizing outings with the residents. Last summer, we went to the river, beach, pool, mountains – many places. And Miss Saotome Hiyori even generously footed a lot of the bills.”

“Eh~. Now that you mention it, they did throw a welcome party for me and Kaga. Ah, I see. You mean that if my relationship with Kaga improves, we can do those activities without the atmosphere getting awkward, and everyone can have fun…”

“That’s right. So, I’ve actually been trying hard to help you, thinking ‘How can I make Mafuyu-chan and Kaga-kun get along better?’ I came up with many ideas.”

“Hahaha. Thank you.”

“By the way, Mafuyu-chan, you call Kaga-kun by his name without any hesitation. Did something happen?”

“Ah~. It’s because I already have another friend I call ‘Kaga-kun’, so to differentiate, I decided to call him ‘Yuji’.” (Note: Kaga is a common Japanese surname)

Such a flimsy excuse.

I thought the lie would be easily seen through and I’d be teased, but Asakura-senpai wasn’t so malicious.

“Using the same name as someone you previously knew would indeed feel very strange…”

“Right?”

I pretended the lie was true and answered with a feigned, upright laugh.

“Even so, Mafuyu-chan, you seem softer and smile more than before today.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If I were a wolf, seeing Mafuyu-chan like this, I’d definitely want to pounce on her – she’s that cute.”

“It’s because you always say things like that with your appearance that people mistake you for being in love, even though you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“That comment just now felt almost like physical contact to me. Always being judged by my appearance is really troublesome. Well, that’s why I thought about not dressing so frivolously.”

◆◆◆◇◇◇

“…”

I put my bag down, intending to return to the living room.

But, I couldn’t bring myself to walk down the stairs.

“Ahaha, Asakura-senpai, you too?”

“Yeah, me too.”

Mafuyu and Asakura-senpai were chatting happily. Hearing their conversation made my legs weak. After making the promise with Mafuyu that we would reflect on ourselves and only get back together after ensuring we wouldn’t repeat our past failures, I felt relieved.

However, I realized a fatal flaw in this promise.

Not repeating the failures of the past, before becoming that sort of relationship again—

Mafuyu might fall for some other guy.

If that happens, I have no right to stop them.

“Ahh… Troublesome times ahead.”

I sighed deeply, complaining about my situation.

◆◆◆◇◇◇

This made me understand that Mafuyu’s love life wouldn’t be so simple.

However, lately, life in the shared house has been shining brightly. Frankly, living here is incredibly fun.

If someone’s in the living room, I can easily chat with them, just like the lunch breaks at school. And when I don’t feel like talking, I can just go back to my room.

For someone who loves chatting but also needs their own space, this place is perfect.

The only downside is not being able to freely use facilities like the toilet and bathroom.

Today, too, I spent my time idly watching TV in the living room.

Of course, being an otaku, I was also searching for news about anime and manga on my phone.

Ah, speaking of which, yesterday was the airing day of that anime.

“Yuji-senpai, where are you going?”

Just as I was about to go back to my room to watch the recorded anime, Koharu-chan, rolling around on the sofa, called out to me.

“I’m going to my room to watch a recorded anime.”

“Heh~. Even though you’ve dressed up, you’re still an otaku, huh?”

“It’s not like I dressed up to stop being an otaku. Actually, since entering university, my otaku interests have intensified.”

“Usually, joining clubs and going out would reduce the time spent on hobbies, right? Oh, sorry. Yuji-senpai probably didn’t join any clubs, so that’s unlikely…”

Koharu-chan looked away, feigning pity to tease me. I proudly proclaimed to her.

“I have plenty of evidence of joining social gatherings. Here, take a good look at this photo.”

Social gatherings. In other words, parties.

After becoming a university student, I became more active compared to my high school days.

I’ve attended countless such events, and it’s now rare for me not to be invited.

“Eh~. You really did participate. Looks like you had fun.”

“Generally, it’s fun. Especially now, unlike before, the concept of forcing someone to drink is considered harassment. Thanks to this, I’ve never been forced to drink till I’m drunk.”

“Ah, I thought so before, but is university life more leisurely than I imagined?”

“It’s more enjoyable than high school, though there are many assignments. Well, I’ll head to my room now.”

My conversation with Koharu came to an end, and just as I was about to head back to my room, Koharu-chan smiled cutely and spoke to me.

“Yuji-senpai, you’re planning to go back to your room to watch anime, right?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

“I’m free right now~”

“Ah, you do look quite free.”

“Yes, very free.”

Koharu-chan giggled, gazing into my eyes.

“…So, are you hoping I’ll invite you to watch anime with me?”

“Eh~ I didn’t say that~. But, if Yuji-senpai really insists on saying that, I can join you~”

“I didn’t insist on anything, so never mind.”

“Really, that’s not nice! Can I please watch anime with you? I want to watch too~”

Koharu-chan quickly became direct, not following the path I had expected.

That’s a skill of a socially active person. Regardless of how the situation evolves, they can steer the conversation in a positive direction.

“Alright, alright, I get it. By the way, Koharu-chan, do you usually watch anime or read manga?”

“Not much. That’s why I sometimes feel like watching.”

“Do socially active people nowadays not have prejudices against otaku hobbies?”

“Many socially active people like it these days. That makes me wonder, was it different before?”

“I think up until a few years ago, there was significant pressure on otakus from society.”

I couldn’t have imagined it back when Mafuyu and I were in high school.

Suddenly, everyone seemed to accept otaku culture.

Who would have thought that otakus would gain such recognition today?

“What kind of prejudices were there before?”

“It was enough to make you uncomfortable just watching. I was actually ridiculed quite harshly myself.”

Back when I was trying to protect Mafuyu’s otaku side from being exposed, I was heavily mocked.

“Yes. When Yuji and I were in high school, the prejudice against otakus was very strong.”

Mafuyu joined our conversation as she came down from her room, smiling apologetically at me as if to say, “I’m sorry for that time.”

“Eh~ so it was like that. Speaking of which, Mafuyu-senpai~ You now call Yuji-senpai ‘Yuji’, right? Really, really~ I shouldn’t underestimate you. Surely, it’s because Yuji-senpai resembles an actor you like, so you thought he might be a good match, right?”

“It’s because I call another friend ‘Kaga-kun’. So, I decided to call this one ‘Yuji’ to differentiate.”

“Hmm, it does sound like that. Okay, I’ll stop teasing.”

That makes sense. It’s impressive how she could come up with such a lie.

Thinking this, I played along mischievously.

“No, that’s not it, Koharu-chan. Mafuyu insisted on calling me ‘Yuji’, coming at me so passionately…”

“That’s not true! Don’t make things up. Yuji, you said it was because you were so concerned about me that you wanted me to call you ‘Mafuyu’.”

“Is that so?”

Koharu watched our playful banter with enjoyment.

“Koharu-chan, why do you look so pleased?”

“No, no, just thinking it’s great that you two are getting along better now. It’s rare to live together in a shared house, and it’s best if everyone gets along well.”

Koharu-chan, though surprisingly annoying at times, isn’t a bad kid.

Perhaps it’s her inherent kindness that allows everyone to tolerate her annoying side.

While I was thinking this, Mafuyu asked Koharu.

“So, what’s this about prejudices against otakus? What were you two talking about?”

“We were talking about going to Yuji’s room to watch anime! Ah, would you like to join us, Mafuyu-senpai?”

“Hey, don’t just invite people like that.”

“Sure, I’ll go.”

“Mafuyu, don’t just go along with it. Well, it’s fine… Alright, let’s all go to my room to watch anime.”

With that, it turned into the three of us watching anime together.

Upon reaching the second floor, I opened my room door…

“I’ll sit on the bed.”

Koharu-chan nonchalantly sat on my bed.

Rather, she flopped down as if diving into a pool.

“Then, I’ll sit here.”

Mafuyu spread a cushion in front of the low table and sat down. I sat down beside the table as well.

“Koharu-chan said earlier that high school students watch anime. So, to keep up with friends, let’s watch some recent popular shows.”

I started playing the recorded episodes of a trending anime series I had saved on my Blu-ray recorder.

There were four episodes in total, about 1 hour and 20 minutes long.

The story involves a protagonist who drifts to a mysterious island and, for some reason, suddenly gains the ability to use magic. He then starts exploring the mysterious island while battling the native inhabitants – a fantastic, otherworldly kind of plot.

This series is currently very popular and often a hot topic on Twitter.

High school students would probably enjoy this series as well.

Although, it’s just a trending show of this season, far from being a social phenomenon…

“Alright, I’m starting it now, hey.”

I pressed play, and the anime started showing on the 24-inch TV I bought during high school.

Since Koharu-chan mentioned earlier that she doesn’t watch much anime, I was worried she might find it boring and kept glancing her way.

But it seemed my worries were unfounded; she was quite enjoying it.

However, I regretted a bit that her critique of the anime was rather harsh.

“It feels a bit superficial.”

“Well, it’s a creation by people. Though I know it has a bit of superficiality, it’s still quite interesting beyond that.”

“Speaking of which, there are nude scenes in it, Yuji-senpai, you’re such a pervert~. Watching slightly erotic anime with two girls and enjoying their reactions…”

“This is considered tame. What, you want to watch something more erotic?”

“Then, I want to watch that! Ah, Mafuyu-senpai, is that okay with you?”

“It’s fine. I’m surprisingly an otaku, too. Come on, Yuji. Hurry up, put on something more risqué.”

“Uh… Ah… Okay…”

Mafuyu and I have watched anime that’s just on the edge of being explicit.

Actually, we watched it often and got used to it.

But watching it with Koharu-chan was a different story.

Well, it should be fine, right? There should be censorship, right?

“Ah, no! Stop~~~”

The sounds of a girl’s gasps, muffled by strategic beams of light, filled my room.

Curious about Koharu-chan’s reaction to the more suggestive parts of the anime, I glanced at her. Far from being repulsed, she seemed more like, “Ah, so that’s how it is.”

As I nervously watched, the episode quickly came to an end. Unable to bear it anymore, I stood up to turn off the risqué anime.

“Well, that’s enough of the risqué stuff. Let’s go back to watching the one we started with.”

“Yuji-senpai, out of the girls in this anime, who do you like the most?”

“Why are you asking that?”

“Just purely curious about what type of girl you like~. Mafuyu-senpai is curious too, right?”

Mafuyu clearly saw I was troubled by Koharu’s probing.

But instead of helping me, she seemed to push me deeper into trouble.

“Yes, I am curious. So, Yuji, which girl do you like the most in there?”

If I answered that question, I’d definitely be teased.

Saying “That girl is my type” would surely lead to comments about the lucky pervert incidents in the anime, like “So you want to do that~ kind of thing?”

“No, I like all of them, can’t really rank them.”

“I see, I see. By the way, about those lucky pervert incidents, Yuji-senpai, have you ever thought about them?”

“No, not at all. That’s just fiction, completely unrealistic. Though, as a guy, I guess the thought of experiencing it might cross my mind.”

Being overly concerned about “Isn’t this sexual harassment?” would seem unnatural.

I answered casually, pretending to be completely relaxed.

“Yuji-senpai, you’re no fun. You should’ve been more embarrassed, let me see you panicking and saying ‘I’m not perverted!'”

“Figured you just wanted to make fun of my embarrassed self…”

“Pfft. Koharu-chan wants to see Yuji-senpai embarrassed.”

Mafuyu, with a mischievous grin, leaned closer to me.

She suddenly grabbed my hand and placed it inside her long-sleeve pajamas.

My hand directly touched Mafuyu’s belly, and she whispered in my ear.

“What do you mean by showing girls this kind of thing? Pervert.”

“Uh! Ah!”

Mafuyu’s whisper in my ear left me speechless, shivering, and my skin crawled with goosebumps.

Damn it, what is she doing all of a sudden?

Mafuyu, seeming proud of her action, told Koharu with her hand still on my stomach.

“It’s easy to make boys shy just like this. When you have someone you like, Koharu-chan, you should try it too.”

Mafuyu looked satisfied.

Was this to keep Koharu from getting too close to me?

“You really are something, Mafuyu-senpai. Ah, I’m a bit thirsty, I’ll go get a drink. But come to think of it…”

Koharu gave Mafuyu a meaningful glance before leaving the room to get a drink.

I wanted to complain to the person who suddenly made such a heart-racing move.

“Did you let me touch you just now to make Koharu-chan less dependent on me?”

Then, Mafuyu’s muffled response came.

“No, it’s not like that… it’s just your imagination…”

◆◆◆◇◇◇

Koharu had been out of the room for a while.

When we were still dating, I particularly loved to gently caress Mafuyu’s belly.

Out of habit, I reached out to Mafuyu, but she slapped my hand away.

“It was just a joke, I can’t let you touch me over and over.”

“But it was you who let me touch you first.”

“No matter what… well, maybe if you really want to…”

“What? Did you say something?”

“Uh, no, nothing.”

As we were talking, Koharu came back into my room with drinks.

It was about time to end the ex-couple-style banter.

It still held true that revealing to the other residents that Mafuyu and I were once a couple would bring awkwardness.

“I’m back. Here, Yuji-senpai and Mafuyu-senpai, have a drink.”

She handed us her favorite bagged juice.

“Thank you, that’s thoughtful of you.”

“Koharu-chan, it’s cute how you think of others.”

“Right, right? Okay, let’s continue watching!”

Mafuyu jabbed the straw into her juice, took a sip, and then turned to me.

“Since we’re watching together, let’s not put on another topic show, but something interesting.”

“I was thinking something that could be talked about in high school would be better. Well, let’s try something a bit older but very popular with Koharu-chan…”

So, we started watching an anime that was incredibly popular three years ago.

We stopped at a good break point, a perfect time to pause.

I asked Koharu for her thoughts after watching the anime.

“How was it?”

“Um, it’s the most interesting thing we watched today! But, compared to the anime, it was more fun seeing Yuji-senpai get teased by Mafuyu-senpai and acting all weird.”

“If someone whispers in your ear, it tickles and makes anyone blush, right?”

“Eh, really?”

“Come here, let me try it on you.”

“Here we go again~ Yuji-senpai is always so competitive. Can’t help it~ Let Koharu-chan be your opponent!”

Koharu leaned her ear towards me. She had no clue.

Just whispering in someone’s ear, feeling the breath, is enough to make anyone embarrassingly shy.

I leaned in close to her ear and whispered.

“You’ve changed a lot since then, so cute I could hardly recognize you.”

That’s a bit cringey… My own action felt too much, giving myself goosebumps.

And whispering softly made it even more awkward.

I braced myself for Koharu’s scolding as I looked at her.

“Ah, ah, um…”

Only to see her swish and become all red, whimpering and moaning.

Well. Yes, it’s like that ah.

Since I felt very ashamed because I didn’t have much experience of being whispered in someone’s ear, I shuddered and froze ah.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

At the same time Koharu-san’s face turned red. On the other side, Mafuyu was looking over here with a very scary look.

“Huh? There’s nothing wrong.”

“No, there’s definitely something.”

“Nah, how old is Yuji?”

“I’m 20 years old and I can drink.”

Since my birthday in April, I’ve become an adult.

Why are you asking me my age? While I was thinking that, Mafuyu said something that gave me the creeps.

“First year of high school. What about the fact that it’s not okay to do strange things to a 15 year old? If you upset them, you’ll be arrested, right?”

“…… Well, that. I treat Haru like a sister. Sueing me for sexual harassment is something I wouldn’t…do, right?”

Ever since I whispered those words in Kasumi-san’s ear, she stayed there with her face flushed red. Even when I asked her that, she was ignored without replying.

“Yuji has to realize that what she’s doing isn’t strange even if it’s called sexual harassment by others, right? Even if you love Haru-chan as a younger sister, her age is still there.”

“And it’s not just because I love her as my sister.”

“That’s it, that’s it?”

Ah, Koharu-san came back from her petrified state.

“See, she said that.”

“I…I won’t be happy at all even if I’m suddenly told by Yuji-senpai that I’m cute! It’s because Yuji-senpai is like a big brother. It’s just…it’s just that I was startled by someone whispering in my ear! That’s all for now, I’ll see you when it’s almost time to eat!”

As if she was denying that her face had turned red before, Haru left those lines and fled violently.

“Just in case, can’t you not be more careful in the future ……”

Although I don’t think it’s much of a problem, and Haru-chan didn’t say anything nasty or anything like that, I’m mostly right in taking this kind of thing too insignificantly. As Mafuyu said, a line should be drawn.

“If Haru-san thinks it’s sexual harassment, I’ll undoubtedly be arrested.”

After all, she’s a girl of a wonderful age, so it would be more or less dangerous to get along with her in such a manner again.

“Well, it’s better this way. Because Yuji doesn’t…see Haru as a member of the opposite sex.”

“Well, that’s true. Well, I’m going to eat too… ……”

I stood up while thinking about what to eat for dinner. Mafuyu, however, was sitting with her knees clasped together with an expression of hesitation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing …… nothing at all”

“You look like you want to say something.”

“No… there’s nothing like that…”

Mafuyu has a hard time being frank about certain things.

But that’s also what makes her so endearing. In the past, I wouldn’t have probed too deeply.

But now, I can’t do that. If I want to get back with Mafuyu, I can’t remain indifferent.

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“Don’t you think you’re being unusually persistent today? Before, as soon as I showed any reluctance, you would immediately stop asking. Why is it different now?”

Because I’ve reflected. I foolishly misunderstood Mafuyu as being unfaithful.

I believe this was because I didn’t properly clarify things with Mafuyu when I should have.

That’s why I’m asking like this now.

“Ah, it’s that…”

“What?”

“I didn’t want you to dislike me, so I wouldn’t press beyond what was necessary before.”

“And what about now?”

“I think that was wrong. You see, during the time we misunderstood and broke up, if I had delved deeper into your heart, I think I wouldn’t have made that mistake.”

“Hmm… You’ve become really cunning lately…”

My adorable ex-girlfriend, far from looking down on me for saying this, looked rather flustered herself.

I felt relieved that I had spoken my mind.

“So, what’s on your mind?”

I asked Mafuyu again, and this time, having given up, she revealed her inner thoughts.

“Just that… you never did that sort of thing to me…”

“Huh?”

What, that’s it?

“You mean, whispering in the ear and doing slightly embarrassing things? You thought I would be angry, huh? Did you actually want that to happen?”

When I was more frivolous in our relationship, I remember Mafuyu telling me it was too embarrassing for her, so we never did much of that.

“It’s just that… I can’t be upfront.”

“I know.”

“To be honest… I wanted it to happen. I had refused you once, right? After that, I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘I want Yuji to do that~'”

“Can I hold you for a bit?”

Mafuyu actually wanted to do those kinds of slightly embarrassing things.

She was so adorable, I couldn’t help wanting to hold her tightly.

As friends now, not lovers, I didn’t have the right to hold Mafuyu.

So, I sought her consent, wanting to hold her tightly.

“Don’t! Right now, if you hold me, I’ll end up liking you even more. I’ll become careless about not wanting to repeat the mistakes we made while living together…”

Mafuyu hid her face in her knees, refusing me.

I didn’t want to act on impulse and return to a relationship without reflection.

Since I didn’t want to screw up again, I controlled my feelings and said to Mafuyu with a smile.

“Ah, you’re right. Then, I’ll be completely honest.”

I had stood up to go out for dinner, but now I sat down again next to Mafuyu, even closer than before.

“Knowing that you actually wanted to be whispered to, that really surprises me.”

I smiled at my ex-girlfriend sitting beside me.

“Wuu… I knew you’d look at me with that expression…”

Mafuyu, a bit sullen from embarrassment, revealed a clear brightness in her heart through her expression.

“But, it feels good to say it out loud. Still, it’s really embarrassing, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It feels like, well, like Yuji and I are talking, but also like we’re not saying anything at all.”

“Ahahaha, maybe that’s right.”

Mafuyu laughed bitterly, and I chuckled along.

“That you wanted to be whispered to, I’m hearing it for the first time.”

“Well, it’s hard to say something like ‘I actually want it’ after I was the one who refused.”

“I get it. So, how about this? From now on, share more of these things with me.”

Talking seriously with Mafuyu was a bit embarrassing, but this was just right.

We, who had once ended our relationship, were just perfect, sharing such honest, silly thoughts with each other.

“Yes.”

“So, Mafuyu, aside from wanting to be whispered to, are there other things you once refused but now want to try?”

“I do… want to try.”

“Go ahead, feel free to tell me.”

“I want to post a photo of us together on Cons.”

“Eh, ah, is that so?”

When I had just installed Constagram on my phone, I had invited Mafuyu to take a photo with me.

But at that time, she said it was too embarrassing and declined.

“Even though I refused before, after seeing my friends posting photos with their boyfriends… I thought it was nice, and I wanted that too. I couldn’t help feeling that way.”

“So… do you want to take one?”

“Let’s not. We can’t do it now.”

“Why is that?”

I didn’t understand why, if she wanted to take a photo, she was holding back from doing so. Observing my confusion, Mafuyu deliberately feigned astonishment and said to me,

“Right now, we’re not lovers, just friends living together in a shared house, right?”

“Ah, yes, that’s true indeed. Let’s save it for when we get back together.”

“Right, right. When that time comes, we’ll definitely have fun taking pictures.”

◆◆◆◇◇◇

Today, I had a great time with Mafuyu.

After finishing work, I came home and didn’t forget to greet, “I’m home.”

“I’m home.”

“Ah, welcome back~”

The response came from Hiyori Saotome in the kitchen of the shared house.

As long as the cleaning is done, everyone is free to use the kitchen, and Hiyori often cooks there.

Today, she seemed to be doing the same, having changed out of her uniform and now busily stirring eggs in a pan.

“I often see Hiyori cooking.”

“Compared to eating out, cooking at home allows me to control the portions and flavors I like. Ah, you’re back just in time, can you taste this and tell me how it is?”

Hiyori handed me a spoonful of tomato stew.

A perfect spoonful, with eggplant, chicken, and onions in the sauce, it looked fantastic.

As soon as it hit my tongue, the tartness of the tomatoes and their unique flavor spread in my mouth. The savory taste of the chicken elevated the flavor of the tomatoes, blending the overall taste of the dish harmoniously.

“It’s surprisingly delicious, almost like something you’d get in a restaurant…”

“Not at all, I just added a lot of cheese haphazardly. If it were a restaurant dish, it definitely wouldn’t have this much.”

“Ah, that’s nice.”

“Honestly, don’t you think restaurant dishes never have enough cheese?”

“I get it, I get it.”

“That’s why my home-cooked meals, while having lots of meat, also have an excessive amount of cheese, making them taste better than restaurant dishes. And, you know… people say girls who can cook are more attractive, so I consider this practice for my cooking skills.”

“Indeed, for me too, someone who can cook is more attractive than someone who can’t. But even if they can’t cook, I don’t mind much. Ah, thanks for letting me taste the stew. I should get going now.”

“No problem, no problem. I made a bit too much, so would you like some? Of course, I’ll charge for the ingredients.”

“I won’t be shy then.”

“Okay, I’ll call you when it’s ready, okay?”

Ten minutes later. Hiyori called me to eat, so I went to the dining table.

Besides me, Asakura Ryuga was also there.

“Ah, you invited Yuji too. Well~ as I always thought, being able to eat Hiyori’s cooking occasionally is a huge advantage of this shared house, don’t you think, Yuji?”

“Definitely, it’s a big help. Strange, where’s Koharu?”

Usually, whenever Hiyori cooked, Koharu would definitely come to eat together, but she was not there today.

“She said she went out today.”

“Let’s not keep you waiting, here we go. Let’s eat. I’m starting.”

As Hiyori spoke, we began to eat.

The tomato stew was even more flavorful than when I first tasted it, simply delicious.

“Listen, Hiyori. The other day, I had already reached the university only to find out that classes were canceled. Really, couldn’t they publish this information a bit earlier? Don’t you think?”

“Wow, when I was in university, smartphones weren’t widespread yet, so we had to check the notice boards at the school for class cancellations. But now, if the university cancels classes, they notify us through our phones. It’s the same for you, right, Yuji?”

“Yes, on the university website, we can see not only class cancellations but also a lot of other information.”

“Eh~, that’s so convenient… If only I had that when I was in university.”

As Hiyori felt the generational gap with us, I suddenly became curious and asked her.

“Ah, Hiyori, how old are you? I don’t think I’ve ever asked…”

“……”

Hearing my question, Hiyori’s eyebrows twitched in silence.

Then, Asakura Ryuga, sitting nearby, gave a look that said, “Ah, this is bad.”

“Eh, ah, that question is inappropriate, right?”

“…No, well, it’s nothing big. Rounding up, I’m 30 years old. I have some anxiety about age since it’s the age to get married.”

Rounding up means… between 25 to 34 years old?

That’s a very broad range. Is the air frozen because Hiyori is at a marriageable age?

That means we can rule out 25, right?

Then, maybe 26, or 27, 28?

No, the anxiety about approaching the marriageable age… could it be 29?

Wait a second?

If she mentioned that university cancellations were announced on notice boards, that means…

Since she rounded up to 30, could it be the early 30s?

“Yuji, you’re now trying to guess my age, aren’t you?”

Although Hiyori smiled, there was something quite terrifying about it.

It seemed Hiyori didn’t like people prying too much into her age. Better to completely forget about the age topic.

“No, no, not thinking about it at all.”

“Well, it wouldn’t really matter if you knew. The correct answer is 26.”

“Eh~. When you mentioned university cancellations on notice boards, I thought it would be a bit higher. And you mentioned anxiety about the marriageable age.”

Although it was an offhand remark from me, Hiyori unexpectedly seemed very concerned in her response.

“The widespread use of smartphones really only happened recently! And also, depending on the university, there are definitely places where smartphones aren’t widely used, right? And really, it’s just because I’m anxious about not having a boyfriend at an age close to marriage, not because I’m older than expected!”

“Ah, sorry.”

“Ahahaha, I accidentally got angry at you, Yuji.”

Watching my interaction with Hiyori, Asakura Ryuga laughed.

I couldn’t let him off the hook.

“Speaking of which, Asakura, when you first met Hiyori, how old did you think she was?”

“She looked like she was in her late 20s. But given her composed aura and running this shared house, I wondered if she might be 30.”

“Ah~ Ryuga thinks I look 30.”

“Ah, no, it’s not like that. You don’t look it at all! It’s just because you run such a grand house that I thought so. No, really, not at all.”

As Hiyori glared at him with narrowed eyes, Asakura clearly became flustered.

Pfft, he fell right into my trap.

“You think I’m 30? I’m only 26.”

“No… it’s not like that~. Just a miscommunication. Right, Yuji? You wouldn’t think someone who runs a shared house is 20, would you?”

“I totally think so. It always feels like, ‘Did she win a lottery or something? Or maybe she invests in something~.'”

“I was just thinking because Hiyori lives in such an imposing house, if maybe… she was 30…”

“Huhuhu, I’m not mad, you know? Why are you so flustered?”

Hiyori deliberately made a poker face and pressured Asakura.

While I sneakily glanced at the cornered Asakura, Mafuyu returned home from work.

“I’m back, ah, tomato stew. Hiyori, I’ll pay, let me have some too~”

“Ah, Mafuyu, welcome back. No problem, I made a lot, please help yourself.”

A lifeline appeared, and Asakura didn’t miss this opportunity.

“Welcome back, Mafuyu. By the way, when you first met Hiyori, how old did you think she was?”

“Hm? Around 24, I guess.”

“Right? Right? Ryuga was so mean, saying he thought I must be 30 when he first met me. That’s too much, right?”

“Damn… fell right into Yuji’s trap…”

After that, the four of us, including Mafuyu, continued eating dinner and chatting merrily, letting time slip by.

Despite various worries and concerns, life in the shared house felt so joyful that it seemed to offset everything.

After dinner, I was idly sitting in the living room, thinking even this wasn’t so bad, when…

“Hey, Mafuyu, what do you do when both the first and second-floor bathrooms are occupied?”

Just when I urgently needed to use the bathroom, both were in use.

“You have no choice but to give up and rush to the convenience store.”

“Not really, I’d rather wait here than go to a convenience store…”

“Hmm~ I don’t think those two will be out soon. I’ve been in that situation too.”

“What’s going on?”

“Etiquette in shared living, huh? After spraying air freshener in the bathroom, everyone waits for the smell to dissipate before leaving.”

“I see, hmm… If it’s Mafuyu in the bathroom, I could ask her to come out quicker… Well, I feel like I can’t hold it in anymore, so I’ll head to the convenience store.”

“Then, could you buy me some ice cream on the way? Is that okay?”

“Got it, I’ll pick some out for you.”

“Thanks, be careful on the way.”

This was when someone other than Mafuyu was using the bathroom.

If I waited any longer, it would be bad, so I had no choice but to head out towards the convenience store.

“…Really, it’s things like this that make me dislike shared houses…”

There are good things about this place, but also bad things.

This is the reality of living in a shared house, a fact I’m acutely aware of.