After Picking up a Runaway Girl From the Same University on My Way Home From Work, We Started Living Together in Secret - Chapter 2

“…Thank goodness for the exhaustion from my part-time job.”

Leaning back against the hard wall, separated by a cushion, I gazed at the sunlight streaming through a gap in the curtain and muttered quietly to myself.

There was still over an hour until my alarm would go off, but I didn’t feel like I’d be able to fall back asleep.

Last night, after everything that happened, I ended up letting Kototori Risa stay over. I was a perfectly healthy university student, and spending time under the same roof as a beautiful girl meant I was fighting all kinds of temptations. With my earphones in, I kept my eyes glued to my phone, trying to block out her breathing and any movement, keeping my mind distracted.

Eventually, though, my fatigue from work caught up to me, and I fell asleep. I got through it without any issues. Nothing happened, and I made it through.

“Anyway, how can Kototori sleep so soundly in the bed of a guy she barely knows?”

I glanced over at the bed.

Kototori was fast asleep in my usual bed, lying there with a childlike, innocent face, showing no signs of caution.

Kototori said she’d run away from home. I hadn’t asked her why. Even if I knew the reason, I didn’t think there’d be anything I could do about it.

The only information I had from yesterday was that Kototori didn’t want to go home and was looking for someone who’d let her stay over.

“Did something happen with her family?”

When someone runs away, the first thing that comes to mind is a problem with family. If that were the case, there was even less reason for me to get involved.

All I could do was let her stay for the night and send her back without any trouble.

While I was thinking that, watching Kototori sleep soundly—

“…Mm, nngh.”

She shifted, her eyelids gradually lifting—

“…Good morning, Minato.”

In that sleepy, soft expression unique to just waking up, she looked at me with drowsy eyes and greeted me in a slightly mumbled voice.

She’s cute. Really, she looked kind of like a kitten.

“…Good morning. Looks like you slept well.”

“I slept better than usual.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Kototori let out a cute little “Mmm” sound as she stretched. The shirt I’d lent her, since she didn’t have one, slid off one shoulder, leaving her collarbone exposed.

I quickly averted my gaze.

The clothes she’d worn yesterday, including her underwear, were still drying. For some reason, she had a spare for her lower half but not the top, so her shirt was still in the dryer… and I was worried something might accidentally show.

“I have an early class, so I’ll be heading out soon. What about you, Kototori?”

“I have an early class too. It’s Modern Japanese Literature.”

“…Same class as me, then.”

Whether that was good luck or bad, at least we didn’t have to adjust our schedules much.

“Well, I guess I’ll make breakfast. You’ll have some too, right, Kototori?”

“…Are you sure?”

“It’d be awkward if only I ate. Think of it as a final favor.”

“Then I’ll have some.”

“Got it.”

After getting her answer, I quickly headed to the kitchen. Breakfast today would be leftovers from yesterday, some instant miso soup… and I’d also make a tamagoyaki. I preferred tamagoyaki over fried eggs, especially the kind with sweetened sugar.

I wondered if Kototori liked that kind of flavor. …Oh well, she should just be grateful I’m making breakfast.

While I prepared everything efficiently, I heard some sounds from the bathroom. Kototori was probably changing into the clothes that had finished drying.

“What am I even thinking…”

I shook the thoughts from my mind and set the finished breakfast on the table. A little while later, Kototori, now changed and with her hair fixed, joined me and sat across from me.

“Thanks for washing my clothes… and for breakfast.”

“It was just part of letting you stay over. Sorry for the simple breakfast.”

“No, this is a huge help.”

Together, we put our hands together and said, “Itadakimasu,” then reached for our chopsticks.

Bringing the nicely golden tamagoyaki to my mouth, I thought it turned out pretty well. Across from me, Kototori was just about to take a bite too. I found myself watching her as she chewed.

“…This tamagoyaki is delicious.”

After swallowing, she murmured softly, with a slight smile.

“Glad you like it.”

“You’re really good at cooking, Minato.”

“Thanks.”

I’d always been able to cook decently for myself, and a year of living alone had only improved my skills. I even cooked at my part-time job. Still, it felt good to be complimented directly.

Especially coming from a cute girl like Kototori.

…Actually, my impression of Kototori had really changed in the past day. I’d rarely seen her talking at university, yet here she was responding naturally to me.

She was just an ordinary, cute girl. I actually preferred this side of her over the doll-like image she had on campus.

“Usually, I just buy my food, so this feels really fresh.”

Saying this, she took another bite.

Her words made me worry a bit about her eating habits, but I kept quiet. It wasn’t something I should pry into.

“All done. Just leave the dishes in the sink and rinse them.”

“Got it.”

After telling her, I got ready for university too. It wasn’t much—just getting changed, tidying my hair a bit, and packing textbooks into my bag.

By the time I was ready, Kototori had also finished her meal and placed her dishes in the sink, just like I’d asked.

“I’ll head out soon. It’d help if you could leave before I go.”

“…I’ll leave first. I need to change my clothes.”

Kototori’s current outfit was pretty eye-catching. Of course, there were some people who wore these kinds of styles, but she usually dressed more conservatively.

“You really don’t want to go home, even after saying that yesterday?”

“…Yesterday, I really didn’t want to go back. Today, I still don’t want to, but I don’t want to go to school in these clothes either.”

“They’re flashy. But I think they suit you.”

“…I see.”

When I gave my honest opinion, Kototori’s eyes softened, and she smiled a little.

With her looks, I figured she could make anything look good. She was like a perfect doll.

Then, Kototori looked straight at me and bowed.

“Thank you for letting me stay. And the food was delicious.”

“…Yeah.”

I replied briefly on purpose.

Maybe I should have asked why she’d run away. Without addressing that, Kototori might keep running away again and again.

But I wasn’t sure it was my place to pry into her life, so the words stayed stuck in my throat.

At the entrance, Kototori slipped on her slightly high-heeled shoes, opened the door, and said,

“Well then, see you.”

With a little wave, she closed the door with a soft click.

“…This is fine. This is how it should be.”

Repeating it to convince myself, I turned away from the door and returned to my room without looking back.