I Asked A Beautiful Girl, Who Was About To Jump Off The School Rooftop, 'If You're Going To Die Anyway, Could You At Least Take My Virginity Before You Go?' To My Surprise, She Agreed. - Chapter 81: The Most Beautiful Girl In High School Understands The Loneliness Of Being Alone.

The Most Beautiful Girl In High School Understands The Loneliness Of Being Alone.

After finishing dinner in Hatsune-san’s room, I contacted Diona, the witch from another world, to discuss what to do about Meryl.

When I told her I had something to discuss, she asked me to meet her at a specific location, about a ten-minute walk from Hatsune-san’s apartment.

The three of us headed there and found an old Western-style mansion. The building, distinctly out of place in the residential area, had ivy-covered walls and no lights visible through the windows. The garden, leading from the metal gate to the entrance, was overgrown, suggesting it hadn’t been tended in a while.

Overall, the place felt deserted.

I pressed the intercom attached beside the gate just to try, but there was no response… then, after a moment, the rusty gate creaked open on its own. We stepped through the open gate into the yard.

“With how dark it is at night, it has a sort of Western horror vibe,” I murmured.

“Y-Yakumo-kun! Don’t say scary things!” Hatsune-san’s voice held a trace of fear.

“Do you want to wait here, Hatsune-san, if you’re afraid?”

“…No, I’ll come with you. Waiting here alone would be even scarier.”

Glancing around nervously, Hatsune-san clutched my hand. Her nervousness was endearing. Meanwhile, Meryl walked a few paces ahead, calm as could be.

“This place could certainly use a thorough cleaning…” Meryl’s maid instincts were clearly piqued by the state of the decrepit mansion.

When we reached the building, the double doors opened on their own, even though no one touched them. This didn’t seem like an automatic door—probably one of Diona’s spells. In the other world, I’d seen magic that caused doors to open automatically like this.

“Excuse us.”

While I was lost in thought at the entrance, Meryl had already stepped inside. Hatsune-san, who had clung to my arm as the doors opened, followed me in as I led the way.

The moment we stepped inside, despite the lack of visible lighting, the entrance hall suddenly brightened, and there stood Diona in the center.

“Welcome.”

“I didn’t expect you to bring us to a place like this. Is this your home, Diona?”

“Sort of. It’s a temporary residence; I’m not staying here permanently.”

I had expected as much. This witch, an information broker who moves between two worlds, wouldn’t easily disclose critical information like her actual base of operations.

“…Yakumo-kun, for a self-proclaimed introvert, you sure know a lot of beautiful women, don’t you?”

Now that the room was brightly lit and she could see people around, Hatsune-san released her grip on my arm and voiced her suspicion.

“Haha, there’s nothing to worry about. My connection with Yakumo is strictly business,” Diona laughed dismissively, though Hatsune-san still looked unconvinced.

It was understandable—given the situation, arriving at such a strange place at night to meet an unknown person was bound to raise some concerns.

“A… partner?” Hatsune-san’s gaze at me held a hint of wariness.

“I mean a business associate. Diona is from another world, and she provides me with various information. She’s the one who helped locate your parents, too.”

“Oh, really…? In that case, thank you very much.” With her doubts cleared up, Hatsune-san bowed her head to Diona in gratitude.

“No need to thank me; it’s my job. I made a good profit from it, too.”

“Profit…?”

Unfamiliar with the affairs of other worlds, Hatsune-san looked puzzled, but Diona continued at her own pace.

“Now then. I understand why you’re here—it’s about this maid, right?”

“Yes. As for me, I think it’d be best if Meryl returned to her original world.”

Having Meryl go back seemed like the smoothest solution. I knew well how challenging it was to live in a world different from the one you grew up in.

“Oh, I have no intention of going back. If I’m staying with Yakumo-sama as his companion, that’s another story, though.”

Apparently, Meryl didn’t quite share my thoughts.

“Setting aside your preferences for the moment, it’s not that easy to send someone like Meryl back immediately. Inter-world transfers aren’t so simple.”

“But you’re an information broker who travels between the two worlds, right?”

It seemed like Diona’s work would require her to move between the worlds somewhat freely.

“It’s no issue for me to travel myself, but transferring someone else is a different matter.”

“Is that so…”

“Exactly. So, regardless of her own wishes, the maid will need to stay in this world for the time being.”

“Well, that works out just fine,” Meryl said with a smile upon hearing Diona’s explanation.

If she couldn’t go back, then so be it. Now, the question was where Meryl would stay.

“In that case, could you take care of her, Diona? After all, Meryl ended up here because of your transfer circle.”

It would also be easier for Meryl to adjust to daily life if she stayed with someone from the same world.

“Hmm… I suppose that’s fine.”

“You’re agreeing rather easily,” I noted.

Taking care of a person is a considerable effort. I didn’t expect someone as profit-oriented as Diona to agree so readily.

“Well, you could say you’re a valued client of mine. Besides, I’ve been thinking of having someone around to help out. This works perfectly.”

“So, Meryl would work here as a maid in this mansion?”

That way, Meryl could live similarly to how she did back in the other world. It seemed like a good fit.

“Wait. I want to be with Yakumo-sama. I don’t mind working as a maid, but I’d rather do it at Yakumo-sama’s house.”

Meryl’s determination was unwavering.

“My house… is really out of the question. I wouldn’t even know how to explain it to my family.”

After being away for a while, if I suddenly brought home an unfamiliar girl and introduced her as “the new maid working here from today,” it would undoubtedly cause an uproar.

“You could just honestly say she’s your fiancée or something,” Meryl suggested.

“‘Honestly’—what’s honest about that? It’s not even remotely true.”

“Grr…”

Meryl let out a dissatisfied grumble. At that moment, Hatsune-san spoke up.

“Even if living together is difficult, that doesn’t mean you have to be apart, right?”

“Huh?”

“So if you feel like meeting, you can go see Yakumo-kun. Of course, it’s not good to just show up unannounced, so make sure to let him know in advance.”

“…Well, if that’s the arrangement, I guess it’s acceptable,” Meryl finally agreed, though reluctantly.

“Yakumo-kun, so please look after Meryl-chan, alright?” Hatsune-san said with a gentle smile.

“Of course. I wasn’t planning on just leaving her with Diona and forgetting about her.”

I nodded, a bit surprised that Hatsune-san had managed to smooth things over.

“Then it’s a promise, Yakumo-sama. We’ll meet every day.”

“Every day might be too much, but I wouldn’t mind seeing you occasionally.”

“I’d like to see you frequently, so I’ll think of a way to make that happen.”

Meryl said something slightly concerning, but with this, things were finally settled.

“Alright, is that all?” Diona asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then leave the maid here and be on your way. I’m quite busy myself.”

With that, Diona practically ushered us out, and Hatsune-san and I left the mansion, half-pushed out the door.

***

After that, we walked through the residential area toward Hatsune-san’s apartment.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to be the one to calm Meryl down so well,” I said.

“Because I was feeling a bit jealous of Meryl-chan when I first met her?” Hatsune-san tilted her head in curiosity.

“Well, yeah…”

She smiled at me as I nodded, feeling slightly awkward.

“Of course, I don’t like the idea of spending less time with you, Yakumo-kun.”

“So why did you ask me to look out for Meryl?”

“Because it’d be lonely coming to a different world and not being able to see anyone you know, wouldn’t it? I’ve never been to another world, so I can’t truly understand, but if I were alone in an unfamiliar place, I’d be lonely too.”

Her words carried a genuine empathy that didn’t feel like she was speaking as an outsider. Hatsune-san must know well what it’s like to feel alone.

“You’re kind, Hatsune-san.”

“Honestly, I’d like to keep Yakumo-kun all to myself if I could.”

Hatsune-san hugged my arm tightly. This area was the route we took to school, but with no one around at night, she was free to cuddle up to me as much as she liked.

“By the way, Yakumo-kun… would you like to stay over tonight?”

She looked into my eyes intently. It was Saturday, so tomorrow was Sunday, which meant I had the day off. I was tempted by her offer for a moment but held back.

“No, I really should get home. I’m sure it’d be a problem if I didn’t.”

While I was in the other world, my phone’s battery had died. It made sense, but while I was out of contact, my phone had been out of service here. After returning, I charged it a bit at Hatsune-san’s and checked my messages—my family had sent me a barrage of them.

“Ah, yeah, your mom was really worried.”

“It’s honestly going to be a little awkward, but I owe them an apology for worrying them…”

The sheer number of notifications from my family was a bit intimidating, and I hadn’t replied yet. I figured it might be best to explain everything in person.

“And Mayuki-chan missed you, so make sure you spoil her a little, alright?”

“Mayuki doesn’t really enjoy that sort of thing, though…”

“You’re a bit oblivious, Yakumo-kun.”

Apparently, Hatsune-san and I had different ideas about Mayuki’s personality. Mayuki’s at that rebellious age where she acts aloof but still goes out of her way to talk to me. I doubt many sisters her age would enjoy being spoiled by their older brothers… Still, maybe bringing her a little gift might be a good idea.

As these thoughts crossed my mind, we arrived at Hatsune-san’s apartment building.

“Thank you for walking me home, Yakumo-kun.”

“My pleasure.”

In response, Hatsune-san put her arms around my back and buried her face in my chest.

“Let’s walk to school together again next week, alright?”

“Yeah, see you next week.”

Even after saying goodbye, she clung to me for a while before finally letting go. As she waved goodbye, I headed toward the station.

Now then.

I steeled myself for the reactions from my family, a bit anxious but ready to head home.