After Picking up a Runaway Girl From the Same University on My Way Home From Work, We Started Living Together in Secret - Chapter 6

“Minato. Which one do you want to go into the bath first?”

After finishing the meat sauce pasta and cleaning the dishes, I sat on the sofa. Just then, Kototori, who had been fiddling with her tablet, asked.

The bath order… I hadn’t thought about it since I started living alone.

“If you want to, you can go first.”

“Is it okay for me to go before the owner?”

“If you’re worried about that, I wouldn’t have let you stay.”

Whether it’s first or last, she can go whenever—wait, hold on?

If I go after her, won’t the water be the one Kototori already used?

…

…

…

“You’re making a difficult face.”

“…It’s nothing serious.”

It really wasn’t anything serious.

If Kototori went first, I could just change the water after her.

The issue would be… the water and electricity bills that would come with changing the water.

Even if I only did it once a day, that would be around thirty times in a month.

Naturally, the cost would add up.

And unfortunately, I don’t have financial freedom.

My university life is just barely manageable with my parents’ allowance and my part-time job.

Considering that background, I thought about the bath order again.

There were three main options:

1. I go first.
2. Kototori goes first.
3. Either way, I’ll need to change the water.

The point is…

“So, what do we do about the bath?”

A voice whispered close to my ear, pulling me out of my thoughts, accompanied by a tickling sensation.

When I looked, Kototori’s face was right next to me.

Her smooth, milky white skin and red lips, blooming like a flower.

Her long eyelashes fluttered with a single blink.

“I don’t mind either way, but I’d prefer going last.”

“…I’ll ask just in case, but why?”

“So the bath doesn’t take too long and trouble you.”

“Ah…”

I see where this is going.

I’ve heard that women tend to take longer baths, and my mother was the same.

If that’s the case, Kototori probably doesn’t need to worry about me if she goes last.

However, I’m not sure about using the water after she’s been in it…

I wash myself before entering the tub, and I also clean the bathtub regularly.

It shouldn’t be dirty, I would think.

But still…

“Do you like baths?”

“It’s fine. It’s just a hassle before I get in.”

I totally understand that feeling.

Once you’re in, it’s not a big deal.

…But that’s not what I meant.

If Kototori particularly liked baths, it would make sense for her to go first. But since she doesn’t seem to, I think either way is fine.

Honestly, I feel like the only way to settle this is with money or by sheer chance.

“How about we decide with rock-paper-scissors?”

“If you’re fine with that.”

“Alright, here we go. First is rock, then scissors—”

I made a fist as the signal was given.

Kototori, on the other hand, opened her hand loosely into a paper.

“I win.”

“Seems like it.”

“I’ll go now before it gets complicated.”

“Okay.”

Once the order was decided, Kototori quickly stood up from the sofa.

She opened her suitcase to grab her clothes, and I only heard the sound of her rummaging while keeping my gaze on the TV.

“Let’s eat cake once we both take our baths, okay?”

“Sure.”

I sent Kototori off to the bathroom and shifted my gaze from the TV to my phone.

As I lazily caught up on updates on my manga app, a banner notification appeared at the top of the screen.

“How was ‘Snow White’? Did you do it?”

The message, clearly intended for the first half of the story, was from Mayumi.

Well, I guess she would be curious.

Kototori, who rarely interacts with anyone, had gone out of her way to stop me and talk, so it makes sense that Mayumi would wonder about it.

“How should I reply?”

I hesitated for a moment before texting back, “She just thanked me for helping her a little while ago.”

It wasn’t a lie, and honestly, telling the truth would probably lead to complications.

I knew Mayumi could be trusted, but… I wanted to keep things hidden for now. It involved Kototori’s situation too.

While thinking about this, I heard the bathroom door open.

“Wait, Kototori!?”

For some reason, Kototori, wearing only a bath towel, passed right in front of me.

Didn’t she take her clothes with her?!

“I forgot my hair dryer.”

“Use the one by the sink!”

“Is it there? I couldn’t find it.”

“It’s in the shelf!”

“I didn’t check. You told me not to do anything weird.”

…So opening the shelf is “weird,” huh?

Well, I guess I’m partly at fault for not telling her.

“I’m going to use my own dryer today.”

Kototori seemed to find her hair dryer in her suitcase.

I could hear her quiet footsteps as she returned to the bathroom.

“Minato. Where’s the outlet?”

I heard her call again.

“…Isn’t it by the sink?”

“Found it. Thanks.”

Finally, it seemed like things were winding down, but then the sound of the dryer started.

…Is the door still open?

I guess it’s fine if I don’t go over there, but it feels way too careless.

Does she think I’m someone she doesn’t need to be cautious around, just because I’ve helped her twice already?

“…Give me a break.”

Thinking about how these mentally draining days might keep continuing, I sighed.

Maybe if I reached enlightenment, I’d be freed from these worldly troubles.

I even started considering meditating to clear my mind, when I suddenly heard her voice.

“Thanks for the bath.”

I reluctantly opened my eyes and looked towards the voice, and before I knew it, Kototori was sitting down right next to me.

Her legs, slender and soft, extended from the short shorts she wore that barely covered her thighs.

The top button was undone, probably because she was hot after the bath, and her collarbone peeked out.

Her long white hair was gathered and draped in front of her chest, and her nape was glossy and clearly visible.

The scent she gave off wasn’t the same as when she used the same body soap and shampoo as me, and my heartbeat started to quicken.

I already knew Kototori was cute.

But… this was unfair after a bath.

“The bath’s free now?”

“…Yeah, right.”

I could only respond vaguely.

If I stared directly at such a defenseless Kototori, I felt like I might lose control.

I quickly said, “I’m going to take a bath,” and hurriedly left the room.

In the laundry basket, there were Kototori’s underwear tossed in carelessly, and I buried my face in my hands. But I chose to pretend I hadn’t seen anything and went into the steamy bathroom.

I tried to calm my mind, repeating the words “empty mind” over and over, wondering if that was what true emptiness meant, while I took my bath.

“Finally here.”

As soon as I left the changing room, Kototori spoke up.

On the table were two short cakes on plates.

…Was she really craving cake that much?

“You could’ve eaten first.”

“If I ate first, it would defeat the point. This cake was bought so I could eat it with you, Minato.”

I see.

Well, if that’s the case, I felt bad making her wait, so I sat on the sofa and picked up a fork.

“It feels strange to eat cake without any celebration.”

“There’s something to celebrate.”

“…You’re not saying this is to celebrate the sleepover, are you?”

“No. But I’m not telling you.”

…Did I miss something?

I didn’t know, but since she said she wouldn’t tell me, I wouldn’t force her.

“Go ahead and eat first.”

Kototori, looking intently at me, urged me with her words and gaze. I cut a bite of the short cake.

The fluffy sponge was coated in light whipped cream with sliced strawberries in between.

It was nothing special, just a regular short cake.

But somehow… it was so delicious that it made me feel it deeply.

“Is it good?”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m glad.”

Kototori smiled faintly and took a small bite of her cake.

“It’s… delicious.”

Noticing that I was staring at Kototori, I tried to distract myself with the sweetness of the cream, to avoid thinking about it too much.