A Case in Which My House Is a Gathering Place for Girls - Chapter 13: My Childhood Friend Won’t Let Me Sleep

“Is it really okay when the day is about to start, Itsuki?”

It’s been a week since I entered the school. Wada spoke to me with a voice that seemed to be half concern, half disbelief as soon as I arrived at the classroom and slumped my face onto the desk. While I was mentally yelling at myself for being sleep-deprived, I reluctantly raised my head and answered his question.

“Ah… maybe? Maybe a little sleep will keep me up for a day?”

“I’m afraid you don’t have time for that anymore. Or is it really that hard to live alone?”

“…I have no comment on the matter.”

Wada smiled bitterly at my answer, and I fell down again to insist that I didn’t want to talk anymore.

There was no way I could say it, even if my mouth were to split open or the world turned upside down. There was no way I could say that Kanna had started coming to my house regularly.

The reason for that began on the night Kanna stayed home from school. I let out a deep sigh as I recalled that conversation.

Flashback.

I didn’t expect to send my childhood friend home for two days in a row after we met again after a long time, but what is different from yesterday is that Kanna has a lot of luggage.

“Jinpei-kun is as sweet as ever to me, isn’t he?”

“…What does that mean?”

“Because you said “Turn around and go home right now!” Even though you’re angry, you let me in and served me tea. You’re going to get sick from all that sugar.”

Kanna talks with a smile and sips the tea I made. Even though it’s a casual act, it had such an elegance that I almost found myself mesmerized. I cleared my throat to cover it up.

“I just thought I’d listen to you because we’re childhood friends.”

Kanna had a bad habit of jumping to conclusions and acting without thinking ahead, and as usual, she skipped the necessary steps, which led to the words she said at the door. 

However, unlike the fountain incident, I had no idea what her true intention was this time, so I reluctantly ended up sitting down with her.

“And why did you come home at this hour carrying a suitcase?”

“Huh? The real reason?”

Kanna tilted her head slightly as if she didn’t know what I was saying. She’s cute, but I wasn’t going to let that slide.

“…You’re not really planning to live with me, are you?”

“Oh, that’s it! Jinpei-kun’s house is close to the school, isn’t it? I can be late at night because of work, so I thought it would be easier to go to school if you could let me stay here at such a time!”

“Don’t treat my place like a nap room.”

As I spoke, she turned her eyes to me, but my childhood friend, who became president, continued to talk without fear.

“That’s not all! I could take a picture of your notebook because I sometimes miss school for work or interviews!”

“Don’t treat me like your personal assistant. I mean, if it’s a notebook, I’ll copy it and give it to you. You don’t need to come all the way here.”

“No, no! I can’t trouble Jinpei-kun with something so trivial!”

Kanna continued and said it was a waste of money to copy. It would be better if it could make a fortune, but it was definitely a problem for my mental state. Having her over at my place was the last thing I wanted.

However, my childhood friend, who became the president, wasn’t giving up so easily and kept presenting her case.

“I’ll just have to come here and work on it! It wouldn’t take much time, and Jinpei-kun can relax without worrying about me!”

She pressed her palms together and begged me as if asking for my permission.

It is not a good idea to visit a healthy high school boy’s place, even though I am her childhood friend, who lives alone. I understood it in my head, but my heart wavered. As if she could read my thoughts, Kanna pushed further.

“Besides, I think it would be lonely to be alone all the time! It’s better to have someone to talk to, right?”

Kanna keeps leaning forward and getting her face closer. Far from having a point in the argument, I only know what it is. It seemed that after all these years, Kanna could now understand what I was thinking just as well as I could understand what she was thinking.

“And look! If you let me stay, we could catch up on the time we’ve been apart! I think this is a good idea!”

“All right! I get it, just stop getting any closer! You can do whatever you want, just leave for now!”

I shout in my heart that it’s different from when we were a child. It’s not just that her face is close, there’s also the sweet scent and her fruits bouncing on the table as her soft skin and lips that look like they’d be soft to the touch. Every one of my senses is sending out danger signals.

“Yaay! I knew Jinpei-kun would say that!”

Kanna is happy with a smile on her face and nearly jumps up with excitement. She is easygoing without knowing what I’m thinking. It was probably just a coincidence that she read my mind.

“Then can you show me  today’s notes right away? Oh, but since it’s late, should we do it tomorrow?”

“Y-yeah… we have school tomorrow, so we’d better do that. Is it far from here to your house? Do you want me to walk you there?”

Unlike in the countryside, there are many streetlights, so even though the road at night is bright, it is a little dangerous for a girl to walk alone at this hour.

“Is it about twenty minutes by train from here? It’s not that far, so it’s all right. I’ve also told my mom and dad that I’ll be home late, and if I miss the last train, I can take a taxi.”

“No, no. I’ll make sure you get home before the last train!”

Since all of today’s classes were just introductory, there isn’t much to write down, so it should be over quickly. That is, if we don’t end up chatting too much.

“Well, I put my pajamas and uniform in my suitcase just in case!”

“Are you seriously going to stay over!? I’ll give you the notes, so go home right now!”

End of flashback.

There was some more back and forth after that, but in the end, I managed to get her to leave with only the notes. Since that day, Kanna had started coming over to my house regularly for one reason or another.

I might have allowed it if it were just for hanging out, but strangely enough, her personal belongings are gradually increasing.

What’s more frightening is that a set of futons is being brought in and cosmetics, toothbrushes, and shampoo are being placed so that she can stay at any time. What the heck am I supposed to do about this?

“Come on. You look like you’re in bad shape this morning. Don’t go fainting during the physical test today, alright?”

“…Do we have a physical education class today? Can I just sleep until then?”

Physical education is in the third and fourth periods. If I use the two classes in the morning to recover my strength, I’ll be able to manage it. However, in that case, I can’t take notes, so I will have to rely on Kanna in the end, which will only make my sleep deprivation worse. Life is so well-planned.

“I’d like to say that it doesn’t matter, but just know I’m not taking responsibility if sensei gets mad.”

“I’m glad to have such a harsh friend.”

After finishing this lighthearted conversation with Wada, I turned my gaze to Kanna. She was elegantly reading a book and was looking like a high-class young lady from a noble family. She looked so refined that I hoped she would just keep quiet. That way, I could avoid revealing my embarrassing side.

Even though she was coming over to my house more often, I still kept my distance from her at school as much as possible. There’s no need to be reserved with a childhood friend, but the environment doesn’t allow that.

After all, Hanazono Kanna is a high school girl and a president. On the other hand, I’m just an ordinary high school boy from the countryside with nothing special to my name. If we walked to and from school together, it would immediately become a scandal. It would have a huge impact on her work, and my high school life would come to an end the moment that happened.

“You’re saying this now when you brought a drenched me into your house on the day of the entrance ceremony and even let me take a bath?”

Kanna pouted and seemed to sulk in response to my suggestion, as if she had already predicted my concerns. I wanted to make her stop coming over, but I knew if I said anything about it, she’d likely explode like a giant monster and go on a rampage, so I kept quiet.

While I was thinking about something silly, Misuta-sensei entered the classroom energetically and started the homeroom session. Perhaps because she’s a physical education teacher, she was in particularly high spirits today.

“I’m looking forward to this moment when I can measure everyone’s abilities.”

Misuta-sensei smiles like a strong opponent in a boy’s cartoon. It’s not exactly the kind of smile a teacher should have, but since no one pointed it out, I figured it was a case of something like don’t mention it or you’ll lose. Or maybe everyone was just looking forward to this moment, though I’d rather not think about that.

“The club activities are starting, Feel free to join if there’s something you’re interested in! That’s all I want to say to you all! Just make sure not to fall asleep in class or skip lunch early! See you again in the physical education class!”

Compared to my most recent homeroom teacher, Misuta-sensei’s energy is on another level. She looks like she’s the same age as me, but the difference between the city and the countryside is astonishing. If she heard me think that, she’d probably be angry. I couldn’t help but smile as I began preparing for the first period.