Vol. 1 Chapter 6 – The Neighbor

About two weeks after entering Ichiyou High School, on a morning when I had grown accustomed to the feeling of being enveloped in my new uniform, I was eating breakfast, still battling the persistent morning drowsiness.

“Oh, right. Our neighbor is apparently moving overseas soon.” (Mom)
“Hoh~… Well, they weren’t home much anyway.” (Yuuto)

Our neighbor, who had lived there for years, lived alone but often traveled abroad for work, so the apartment was frequently empty. When they returned, they would bring back rare sweets or toys from overseas for Akari and me, the little kids on the floor, and we were quite attached to them… Feeling a pang of sadness, I rationalized it in a way I wouldn’t have in elementary school, thinking it must have been hard to keep the place. I might have cried if I were younger.

“So what happens now? Will it be vacant for a while?” (Yuuto)
“No, apparently a relative wants to live alone, so they’re giving it to them. That person might be moving in sometime this week.” (Mom)
“Hoh~… Hope we can get along.” (Yuuto)
“Yes, indeed.” (Mom)
“Thanks for the meal.” (Yuuto)

Finishing my preparations, I met Akari in front of the elevator and headed to school. More conscious of the stares than before, I got through another typical day.

Akari apparently had plans after school, so I walked home alone. When walking a familiar path many times, it somehow feels like you arrive home faster. This is especially true for the commute to school. Apparently, my brain gets used to the scenery of the commute route and processes only necessary information, making it feel faster… As I mulled over this piece of trivia-level information, I arrived home.

Inside the familiar apartment building, I saw an unfamiliar sight. The matter Mom mentioned this morning about the neighbor—the nameplate had changed.

“Minase…?” (Yuuto)

Recognizing the characters I’d seen somewhere before, the name came out smoothly. Minase-san, who gave the speech at the entrance ceremony. However, a question remained.

“Would a high school student normally live alone…?” (Yuuto)

Unless you’re a character in a story, it’s rare for a high school student to live alone. Besides, the only merit a high schooler gains from living alone is more personal time. Would a high school student really choose a life where they have to do all the cleaning, laundry, and cooking themselves? …Yeah. It’s an uncommon surname, but they’re probably unrelated. She mentioned being interested in living alone, so it’s likely a university student or someone similar moving in. My home is supposed to be a place of peace; I didn’t want the daily life of having a neighbor from the Entertainment Course, let alone a currently active high school actress. Too intense.

Having reached this conclusion, I pulled open my door as usual.

“Excuse me~” (Akari)

On a Saturday afternoon. Mom was out shopping, creating the perfect hobby time. I was spending the ultimate quiet holiday reading on the ‘person-ruining’ sofa Akari had left behind, yet a voice far removed from a quiet holiday echoed from the entrance.

Somehow the door, which should have been locked, was open, and besides, she hadn’t called or anything. Maybe if I hid somehow, she’d give up and leave. While contemplating this, my bedroom door opened, and the comfortable air that filled the room escaped.

“Huh~? Yuuto, you’re here. Why didn’t you answer?” (Akari)
“…First, I have a question. How did you get in? The door should have been locked.” (Yuuto)
“I ran into your mom outside just now, said I’d come over later, and she gave me the key.” (Akari)

She showed me her hand, and indeed, Mom’s key, attached to a ridiculously large bear strap, was clutched in it.

“Sorry, but I’m reading right now. If you’re going to bother me, please leave.” (Yuuto)
“I won’t, I won’t. I’ll play games quietly.” (Akari)

Saying this, she tossed the key onto the bed and picked up a controller. Realizing it was futile to say anything to my childhood friend who was clearly planning to stay, I gave up and decided to move to the living room.

“Ah, it’s fine. Just spread your legs a bit?” (Akari)
“…Like this?” (Yuuto)

Opening my comfortably outstretched legs as instructed, Akari slipped between them and started using my body as a backrest.

“…What is this.” (Yuuto)
“Hm? Game posture.” (Akari)
“…I can move, you know?” (Yuuto)
“No, no. When I want to play games seriously, I want to lean forward a bit. This sofa sinks in too much for that. This is just right.” (Akari)

She started matchmaking for an online match without even glancing at me, despite my troubled expression pleading with her.

“It makes it hard for me to read.” (Yuuto)
“You can use my head~ It’s right there in a good spot, isn’t it?” (Akari)

Positionally, Akari’s head was indeed at a convenient low height.

“Aren’t you lucky~ Being able to use an active high school girl’s head as a bookrest is quite a luxury, you know?” (Akari)
“Don’t equate such a pervert’s luxury with mine…” (Yuuto)

Giving up, I placed the book on the floor. As I watched Akari’s gameplay screen idly, intending it as a way to kill time, who knows how long passed before the doorbell rang.

“Hey, Akari, move. Mom might be back.” (Yuuto)
“Ehh~! Wait a sec! Two more minutes… no, one minute!” (Akari)
“I can’t wait that long!” (Yuuto)

Forcibly standing up, Akari’s posture collapsed completely with a “Gyaaah!”

Leaving my room, I realized the earlier chime wasn’t from the auto-lock downstairs but from the front door itself.

Approaching the entrance, I opened the door.

“Ah, I’ll be living here in place of my uncle. My name is Minase.” (Nagisa)

…My bad feeling was spot on. Minase Nagisa, who had stood at the front giving her speech at the entrance ceremony. Speaking to her up close, different from seeing her in the large event hall, she seemed, as expected of an active actress, a bit mature for a first-year high school student.

“I might cause some trouble, but…” (Nagisa)

Fortunately, she was the top of the Entertainment Course, while I was aware of my position near the bottom of the class hierarchy in the Advanced Course. Apparently, my face wasn’t in her memory. Let’s just get through this smoothly and protect even a little bit of my peaceful holiday. Let future weekday-me handle any troublesome matters.

“Ah, likewise, nice to meet you.” (Yuuto)

Trying to end the conversation with a non-committal reply.

“Jeez~… Yuuto, you made me lose my rating… huh? It’s Nagisa-chan!” (Akari)
“…Horita-san? Why are you here…” (Nagisa)

She looked surprised, comparing the nameplate next to the door with Akari’s face.

“Hmm~? This is Yuuto’s house. See, this Yuuto, from the first-year Advanced Course.” (Akari)
“Does that mean… you know who I am?” (Nagisa)

Cursing my childhood friend internally for saying unnecessary things from start to finish, I had no choice but to answer in a fading voice.

“Y-Yes.” (Yuuto)