After Escaping from a Black Company, I Ended Up Being Pampered by Sexy Beautiful Women

Chapter 3: An Invitation Home

I never thought that just having someone listen to me would make my heart feel so much lighter.

But even that kind of time had to come to an end eventually.

I still didn’t know her name, yet just being able to talk and have her listen had honestly made me happy.

“It’s starting to get dark now.”

“…Oh, you’re right.”

The sun had already begun to set, and the area around us was growing dim.

People often have this almost prejudiced idea that the countryside is peaceful or safe compared to the city, but I still felt bad for keeping a woman out this late.

“Sorry for making you stay with me until this hour.”

“No, there’s no need to apologize.”

She said that with a smile.

She really had the kind of reassuring smile that put you at ease… The sort that made you think you could push through anything as long as someone like her was by your side.

Even so, it was probably not great that it had gotten dark.

I checked the timetable, but the buses had already stopped running… and I couldn’t spot a single taxi either. At this point, the only thing left was to cling to a faint hope and ask her.

“If it’s not too much trouble, is there anywhere around here where I could stay the night—?”

The moment I asked, she gently took my hand.

“Um…?”

I was confused when she suddenly grabbed my hand.

But it had been so long since anyone held my hand like this, and what’s more, both of her hands wrapped around mine felt incredibly warm.

Still, why grab my hand out of nowhere…?

“If you’re looking for a place to stay, I know just the spot.”

“Really!?”

“Come to my house. I live with just my mom, so we have plenty of empty rooms.”

“…Huh?”

Uh… what was this person saying?

Sure, the offer was incredibly helpful, but still—suggesting something like this to a guy she’d only just met… It made my heart waver, yet no matter how you looked at it, nodding along would be impossible from a common-sense standpoint, not to mention rude.

“You don’t have to hold back, you know? You’ve probably already guessed, but there’s nowhere to stay nearby. The buses aren’t running anymore, and no taxis come through here either.”

“Ugh…”

“I could never just leave you in this situation and go home by myself.”

“But still…”

“If I parted ways with you now, I’d probably lie awake all night wondering what happened to you. So please—just think of it as putting my mind at ease… and also as a chance for you to rest your body and heart. Won’t you come to my house?”

I felt like I was being pushed really hard here…

“…………”

“…So, what do you think?”

She tilted her head in that cute way, and I quickly looked away.

My gaze landed on the completely darkened, unfamiliar surroundings… At this point, maybe it really was better to accept her kindness.

I finally gave in and decided to rely on her.

“Then… would it be okay if I took you up on that?”

The instant I said it, her face broke into a huge smile as she nodded.

“Yes♪”

…She’s cute.

I never imagined my worry about sleeping rough would disappear in this kind of way, but even now, after she nodded like that, I was still hesitating about whether it was really okay to go to the home of a woman I’d only just met.

But she started walking while still holding my hand, so the atmosphere had already shifted to the point where I couldn’t say no anymore.

“Oh, right—we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. My name is Anzai Minato. I’m a teacher at the elementary school here in Sumirizato Village.”

“You’re a teacher…? Oh—my name is Sumeragi Takuya.”

“Takuya-san, right? Please just call me Minato. And you don’t have to use polite language either, okay? We don’t seem that far apart in age… By the way, I’m twenty-two.”

“I’m twenty-four… But still, using first names—”

“It’s fine, come on—try saying it♪”

I could tell she was the type who wouldn’t budge until I did.

She kept that bright smile on her face, waiting expectantly for me to speak… Reluctantly, I said her name.

“…Minato-san.”

“Yes. And in return… Takuya-san.”

My name… Come to think of it, it had been a really long time since anyone called me by my first name like this.

It was always “you,” “you bastard,” “useless piece of—” from that awful boss, and even Kanzaki-san and the others always used my last name, so this felt incredibly fresh.

“Then shall we get going? If we take any longer, my mom will start to worry.”

“Okay…”

“Polite speech.”

“…Got it.”

“Good♪”

And so I ended up heading to the house of Minato-san, the first woman I’d met in this village.

The sudden encounter and her sudden offer still left me with no idea what was going to happen.

But my heart felt deeply at ease… because I could still feel the comforting warmth of her palm in mine.

“I said it was just a short walk, but… it’s actually kind of far. Sorry about that, Takuya-san.”

“Ah… No, it’s fine. If anything, I’m glad we didn’t part ways while it was still this dark.”

“Hehe, you really are kind.”

“No, it’s honestly just normal.”