After I Started Living Alone, My Place Turned Into a Hangout Spot for Beautiful Girls - Chapter 25: Chieri Sato (Part 2)

Chapter 25: Chieri Sato Part 2

I had invited Sato over to my house on a whim, asking if she wanted to come, and she actually showed up.

I asked Sato, who was sitting politely in seiza in the living room.

“My parents are not home right now, but… is that okay with you?”

“It is fine. In fact, I knew your parents were not at your house, Teruaki, so that is why I accepted your invitation.”

“Huh, how did you know?”

“My mom told me after she heard from the neighbors that ‘only the eldest son is living at the Ieyiri place right now.'”

I remembered that Mom had told some neighbors she got along with well.

She said everyone except her son would be away from home for a long time.

The rumor had spread, and it reached Sato’s ears too.

“So, basically, that means you would be coming over to a house where a boy lives alone, but, uh, are you really sure you are okay with that?”

“I am fine. I actually like you quite a bit, Teruaki.”

“L-like me?”

Had I done anything to make Sato like me?

As I gave a wry smile, Sato explained to me.

“You helped me out last year when I was about to get roped into the cultural festival executive committee, right?”

“You looked like you really did not want to do it… It felt weird watching someone like that, so I just raised my hand and said I would do it instead.”

“That is what made my heart flutter a little. So, I felt like it would be okay to come over to your house, and even if you pulled some minor prank there, I could forgive you—that is how much you have won me over.”

Sato had a short haircut and stylish square glasses.

She was normally cute; she just did not stand out.

Hearing a girl like that say she liked me more than I expected made me want to melt.

“Anyway, uh, we should stop chatting and get to studying already…”

“You just blatantly changed the subject there.”

“No, because it is awkward.”

“Um, may I use the desk?”

Sato said that while looking at the low table in the living room.

“Of course. By the way, how long do you plan to study until?”

“Until 9 p.m…. would that be okay?”

“That is totally fine.”

“Thank you…”

Sato gave a slight bow and then began studying diligently in silence.

Seeing her like that made me think it would not be fair if I slacked off alone, so I decided to study alongside her.

※

A few minutes before 9 p.m., Sato began putting away the textbooks she had spread out on the living room desk.

With a calm tone that sounded somehow relieved, Sato said to me.

“Thank you for today. By the way, you did not pull any pranks.”

“Conversely, would it have been okay if I did?”

“It would be fine. After all, I came over to your house prepared for the possibility that something like that might happen.”

“…No, really, is that okay?”

Sato showed a different kind of boldness from Mizutani.

She said to me as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, with a weary sigh.

“If it were not okay, I would not have come over to your house.”

It seemed Sato thought more favorably of me than I had realized.

Curious about just how favorably, I asked her a little question.

“You say you like me more than I expected, Sato, but how much do you like me?”

“More than you expected.”

“That ‘more than expected’ is what I am asking about…”

“I have more favorable feelings toward you than you think, Teruaki.”

“In other words?”

“It means I like you enough that I could forgive you even if you tried to flip up my skirt as a prank while we were studying.”

It really seemed like Sato thought more favorably of me than I had imagined.

“Then, is it okay if I flip up your skirt?”

“I would get angry, so if that is fine with you, go ahead.”

“That sounds scary, so I will pass.”

“By the way, today’s is cute, so I recommend it?”

Sato seemed serious, but she actually liked jokes more than I thought.

Well, I supposed it was time to wrap up the chitchat.

“It is getting late at night, so I should walk you home, right?”

“No, do not worry about it. It is only a five-minute walk from here.”

“Yeah, now that I think about it again, you really are right next door.”

“True. Thank you so much for inviting me over today. Thanks to you, I could concentrate and study for an extra hour and a half compared to usual, so I am happy.”

Sato said that to me while making a peace sign with both hands.

Her slightly childish side was cute too, I thought as I asked her.

“Want to come over again tomorrow like today?”

“…Is that okay?”

“Well, having you here helps me concentrate and study too.”

Just having Sato there studying seriously made me feel like I had to study.

Thanks to that, I had gotten a ton of studying done today too.

“In that case, I will impose on you.”

“Yeah, got it. Same as today for tomorrow, right?”

“That is fine. Well then, I really should head home now.”

Sato finished getting ready to leave and headed toward the entryway.

Since she was a neighbor and had said there was no need to walk her home, I thought at least I would see her off to the door, so I followed her.