A Case in Which My House Is a Gathering Place for Girls - Chapter 33: A Short Talk

The crash sound woke me up. I decided to stay up all night, but apparently, I had fallen asleep before I knew it.

Sasazuki still held me in her arms as a pillow, but fortunately, her leg hold had loosened. I released her hand around my waist and looked under the bed with great care not to wake her up.

“…Huh?”

I don’t see my childhood friend who was supposed to be next to Asakura, who was breathing in her sleep. I briefly considered that she might have gone to the bathroom, but somehow I didn’t think so, so I got out of bed and went out to the veranda with a haori in my hand.

“What are you doing, Kanna?”

“Oh, Jinpei-kun…”

As expected, Kanna was there. Even though it is in May, it is still cold before sunrise. What’s more, Kanna is wearing light clothes. I gently put the haori I brought on her shoulder.

“As expected, Jinpei-kun is very considerate. I mean, you knew I was on the veranda well. Are you an esper or something?”

“Of course not. I just felt that way.”

“Really? I can’t help but feel that Jinpei-kun could see right through my thoughts.”

I stood up next to Kanna, saying it was just her imagination. Unlike in the countryside, the stars were invisible, but the crescent moon floating in the clear night sky was so beautiful that it was comparable.

“This is a good opportunity. We haven’t had much time alone together lately, so why don’t we talk a little bit?”

I nod to her suggestion.

Things had become livelier since Asakura and Sasazuki came around, but that also meant I had less time with Kanna. I have a lot to ask about since she moved.

“Then I’ll start with you. What were you doing on the veranda at this hour?”

“I wanted somehow to be immersed in sentiments in the night breeze.”

She smiled as she spoke.

“It’s been a month since I met Jinpei-kun again. I can never be friends with Asakura-san and Sasazuki-san… everyday is fun.”

“I see. I’m glad to hear that.”

I totally agree that every day is fun, but I would like her to come here a little less often. She’ll get upset if I say it, so I’ll keep that thought to myself.

“Why are you here? Did I wake you up?”

“I just happened to sense someone going outside. Waking up was thanks to my grandfather’s teachings.”

The swaying of the leaves, the faint sound of footsteps, the vibrations of the ground, and so on. My grandfather back in the countryside had always drilled into me the importance of being sensitive to my surroundings, and it came in handy even here.

“Hehe. Jinpei-kun’s grandfather’s behavior is the same as always.”

“I spend more time together with him than my parents. He practically raised me.”

After Kanna moved away, my dad was transferred overseas for work, and my mom went with him. They had considered taking me along, but even as a kid I clearly refused. Of course, the reason was—

“By the way, Jinpei-kun. It’s been a month since you started high school, but have you gotten used to life here?”

A very different question came up.

“Thanks to you. Except for occasionally wanting to go into the mountains, I’m having a pretty comfortable time here. Well, the thing that surprised me the most when I came here was that Kanna was the president.”

When I added that, Kanna smiled somewhat shyly.

“Being a president isn’t really that impressive. Jinpei-kun is the one who’s really amazing.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly talking about me?”

“It’s thanks to Jinpei-kun that I am who I am today.”

When she said so with a disconsolate look, Kanna looked up at the sky and began to speak quietly.

“To be honest, I haven’t had much fun since I came here. There was no one like Jinpei-kun who understood what I was thinking or trying to say.”

Just like when she lived in the countryside, people around her felt creepy about her, and although it was not bullying, she never really made any true friends.

“When I became a junior high school student, boys talked to me more often, but I was never naive enough to believe it was out of pure intentions. Well, that made me end up even more alone.”

Kanna smiled bitterly as she spoke, and continued saying that she studied hard to fill her lonely life. Then she would have started her own business and become the president.

How painful Kanna has been. Only the person herself can understand that. I could never fully grasp her struggles. Saying things like “That must have been tough” or “You must have suffered” wouldn’t reach her or resonate with her. So these are the only words I can say to Kanna.

“…You did a great job, Kanna.”

As I spoke, I patted her head gently just like I used to when we were kids. I stroked her silky smooth hair over and over again.

“Geez… Don’t treat me like a child already. I’m a fine adult now. I won’t cry.”

“Yes, I know. But when you want to cry, It’s okay to cry. That’s what people do.”

There was no need to force herself to hold back tears. Whether child or adult, that remained the same. If she felt like she couldn’t show weakness because she was a company president, then at least when she was with me, she should allow herself to just be a normal girl. I patted her head with that thought in mind.

“Thank you, Jinpei-kun. Really… thank you.”

As she spoke in a thin voice, Kanna pressed her face against my chest and tears began to fall from her jeweled eyes. Unlike when we were kids, she didn’t wail loudly—she just quietly trembled. I gently rubbed her delicate back, comforting her as if soothing a baby.

“You really did a great job, Kanna.”

“Yes… so will you give me some reward?”

“Oh? That was a sudden change of pace.”

“To be specific, please share a bed with me. So If you do, I’ll overlook the fact that you were hugging Sasazuki in your sleep.”

A cold sweat broke out all over me at Kanna’s monotone words. Wait… did she see me being used as a body pillow!? No, that couldn’t be. It was dark, and unless she got really close, she shouldn’t have noticed…

“You two looked just like close siblings. In this case, would that make Sasazuki the little sister? Not that I’m jealous or anything, of course. I mean, back when we were kids, your arms were my special spot… but I guess that’s not the case anymore.”

Kanna glances upward as she says so. It’s supposed to be a cute gesture, but the highlights have disappeared and the eyes are like an abyss that can’t see the bottom, so it was nothing but terrifying. Sweat streamed down my back.

“Uh… what do you want me to do?”

“Don’t go back to your bed, but go into my futon. That’s all. It’s easy, isn’t it?”

“Easy? Is it… really that easy?”

“It’s all right, don’t worry. I won’t do anything to you. We’ll just sleep on the same futon as before. That’s all!”

That was exactly the kind of thing someone planning something would say. It was so obvious I didn’t even have the energy to call her out on it.

“Haa… I get it.”

“If you refuse, I’ll just go to your bed instead! I won’t let you be Sasazuki’s hug pillow any lo── wait, what did you just say?”

“I said I trust your words. You’re not going to do anything, are you?”

“O-Of course! I swear to God that I won’t do anything.”

Her eyes darted everywhere. Her voice trembled.

She had definitely been planning something. I turned on my heel with a sigh.

“It’s getting cold. Let’s go back. We’re just going to sleep in the same futon, right?”

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

Kanna clung to my back like an excited big dog with a sudden pounce. Crying, getting angry, and being overjoyed. Her emotions were like a roller coaster.

But this was the real Hanazono Kanna, just as I remembered her.

“If you try anything, I’m going straight back to my bed. So behave yourself and just sleep, alright?”

“Hehe… I know. But as you’re well aware, I can’t sleep unless I’m holding onto something, so… if an accident happens, please forgive me.”

“That’s not something someone who was just sleeping peacefully a moment ago should say.”

We go back to the room, talking nonsense, and go into bed together. I slipped into the futon with her, doing my best to hide my pounding heartbeat.

“Well… good night, Kanna.”

“Yes, good night, Jinpei-kun.”

I slowly closed my eyelids while listening to her loving voice saying, “Have a good dream.” Strangely enough, the sleepiness soon came, and my consciousness quickly fell into the deep sea.

Then came the morning.

The first thing I felt when I woke up to the sunlight coming through the curtains was the extraordinary weight on my body and the extraordinary heat that I didn’t think was a spring morning.

There is no other reason for that. It was because before I knew it, I was hugged by Sasazuki, who had moved out of bed, and Asakura stuck to my back. And on top of that, Kanna had draped herself over me like a blanket.

“Give me a break…”

On the last day of Golden Week, the sleepover started in a way that would make any outsider envious.