A Case in Which My House Is a Gathering Place for Girls - Chapter 23: Those Who Gather

“Haah… I can’t believe Itsuki was such a hopeless womanizer. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.”

“Did you say something, Sasazuki?”

“I was just saying I want to thank you for helping me with my shopping.”

I knew it was a lie, but I decided to just go along with it because it seemed like it’d be a hassle to press the issue.

“Thank you… Does that mean you’re going to make me mapo tofu?”

“Yes, let me thank you for finding me. So I’ll give Itsuki a special dinner.”

“It’s an honor, thank you.”

“Indeed. You may relax. I’m in such a good mood that I might even start coming over as your live-in wife from now on.”

I was about to tell her I’d have to decline the live-in wife part, but Sasazuki’s face suddenly turned sad, so I swallowed the words at the last second. It might’ve been an act, but thinking too much about that was pointless.

“T-then, let me take your word for it. By the way, if you’re going to be a live-in wife, that means you’ll be coming to my place, right?”

“Of course. You live alone, don’t you? A high school boy can’t live alone and eat proper meals, so tonight I’ll let you indulge a little.”

I couldn’t help but feel like she was subtly mocking me, but I decided not to say anything. A homemade meal from the nation’s beloved daughter—I’ll make sure to enjoy it to the fullest.

As we exchanged lighthearted banter, we continued packing ingredients for a side of the soup and ice cream for dessert. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice us, but this felt uncomfortably like a secret date between cohabiting lovers.

“Now, Itsuki. I’ll finally tell you the biggest reason why I couldn’t get into the supermarket by myself.”

“Come to think of it. You did mention something about that. I got so caught up in shopping that I completely forgot.”

“I can’t believe I’d forget something so important, but since we’re short on time, I’ll tell you. The reason is the checkout!”

Sasazuki said this with a bizarre mix of a serious tone and a triumphant look on her face. Given her peculiar trait of being unnoticeable to others, the checkout process was likely an even bigger hurdle than simply entering the store.

“Come on, it’s not that big of a deal. Couldn’t you just make a self-introduction, like when Misuta-sensei takes attendance every morning?”

“If I did that, people around here would figure out that I live nearby. That’d be a huge problem.”

“Ah… I guess that makes sense. You’re an actress, even if you’re on a break. But still, I doubt anyone would notice in this supermarket.”

“Hmm. Itsuki, you don’t understand how dangerous it is for an actress’ living area to be known. If I weren’t invisible, this place would’ve turned into a panic—is that…?”

“Next customer in line, please proceed to the open register at the back!”

After a long journey, we finally arrived at the checkout area. Near the cashier ringing up items swiftly, there was a self-checkout station where customers scanned their own barcodes and paid.

“Self-checkout…?”

Sasazuki looked stunned and then collapsed to her knees in despair. Her reaction was more fitting for a comedian than an actress, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Needless to say, after she recovered, Sasazuki gave me a thorough series of playful smacks.

＊＊＊＊＊

After a series of twists and turns, Sasazuki and I somehow managed to finish our shopping without incident. We were walking side by side on the way home as we noticed how much time we’d ended up spending in the store. The sun had already set, and the air had grown a bit chilly. But it’s much warmer than the countryside.

“Hey, Sasazuki. Are you really coming over to my place?”

Once again, I decided to confirm with Sasazuki about it.

“Are you seriously asking me that at this point? Could it be that Itsuki doesn’t want to eat my cooking?”

“No, that’s not the case…”

“Or is it inconvenient for me to come over? For the record, my place is too messy, so that’s a no-go. But if you help me clean, I might invite you over next time.”

She doesn’t listen to people at all, and on the contrary, combined with her blatant attempt to turn me into free labor, made me want to bury my head in my hands.

“Is Itsuki dating Hanazono Kanna by any chance?”

“…How can you say that?”

“I think I’m pretty even though I look like this. If such a child comes to your house to cook at home, your head will boil with joy and tension. If you’re the main character in a comic book.”

“The reality is different.”

“But your reaction is the exact opposite. It feels like you have some reason why you can’t bring me to your place.”

She’s sharp. She’s like a very rare wake-up detective. I decided to listen to Sasazuki’s reasoning in silence. Can she really see through a single truth?

“At school, the girl Itsuki is closest to is Hanazono Kanna. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that you and Kanna are already dating and practically living together. That’s why you don’t want to invite me to your place because it’s going to be a disaster. Am I wrong?”

“Hahaha. Nice try detective. Am I dating Kanna? Living together? It’s a funny story, but you’ve got no evidence.”

“Then there’s no problem if we go to your place, right?”

“…Of course not. I never said you couldn’t come over.”

Sasazuki shot me a skeptical look as her eyes narrowed, but I pretended not to notice. It was fine. Kanna had said she’d be home late today. As long as I got Sasazuki out of the place before Kanna came over, there wouldn’t be any issues. All would be well.

I repeated this reasoning to myself as I ignored the persistent detective and kept walking. After a few more minutes, my beloved place came into view. Even though I’d lived there for less than a month, I was already starting to think of it fondly. Was that a good sign?

“Hey, Itsuki. I’m sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but what’s that?”

“Why, out of the blue like that. Are you making fun of my place? It’s a little old on the outside, but it’s a little new on the inside.”

“That’s not it. Aren’t those Hanazono Kanna and Asakura Nao?”

“Hahaha. That’s impossible. Asakura is at club practice, and Kanna messaged me saying she’d be home late, so there’s no way they’d—”

Just as I was about to finish my sentence, my eyes landed on the sight of two familiar girls standing in front of my place and glaring daggers at each other.