I Got Cheated On, so I Thought I’d Cheat Back and Went to a Group Date, I Ran Into a Classmate Who Used to Boss Me Around and Now We’re Living Together - Chapter 18

“Ah―welcome back, Shiraki. I just got home too, so dinner isn’t ready yet…”

That was Machida-san’s reaction when I came home with Umi. She looked completely blank, like she didn’t expect me to bring a guest, and a girl at that.

“Hello, nice to meet you.”

On the other hand, Umi spoke without hesitation.

“I’m Tokitou Umi. I go to the same university as Sousuke. You’re his roommate, right?”

“Well… yeah… but who is this?”

Machida-san gave me a puzzled look.

“You’re not… a new girlfriend?”

“No.”

I quickly denied it.

“Basically… Umi’s just worried about me. She wants to know more about Machida-san. She knows about the trouble with Rinne, so she’s just being overly careful about the girls around me.”

“Just being overly careful? Don’t you know it’s too late if something happens?”

Umi puffed out her cheeks and lightly elbowed me. It’s not painful at all.

…Yeah, calling her overly careful was probably rude.

“Anyway, Umi is just looking out for me… right?”

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I came to check on your roommate―”

Umi turned her gaze to Machida-san.

“―So you’re just Shiraki’s friend, right?”

“That’s right, Tokitou-san… I’ve been Sousuke’s friend since high school.”

“Oh… since high school? I met him back in middle school, though.”

Machida-san… what’s with that weird brag?

“M-Middle school? So what? You went to a different high school, so in terms of time spent with Sousuke, it’s basically the same for both of us, right?”

Umi argued logically, and Machida-san shot back, “Not the same.”

Hey, hey… why are they competing…?

“I live with him now, so obviously I spend more time with him, don’t I?”

“Well, I go to the same university as him, though?”

“Really?”

“What’s with that? You bragged first, and now you’re just giving up? That means you lost the bragging battle, right?”

“Really.”

“Grrr!!”

…O-oh no… this is bad… a full-on elementary school-level argument, and the atmosphere is awful.

“C-Calm down, both of you… You should get along…”

“I’m trying to get along! But this guest I’ve never even met just started a fight for no reason.”

“Hmph. You came to spy on Shiraki, thinking I might be a bad influence, so you basically started it first. But fine. If Shiraki says we should get along, then I’ll play nice. I’m Machida Nene. Nice to meet you.”

“Y-Yeah… nice to meet you, Machida-san.”

As they shook hands, it almost looked like invisible tension was radiating from them and an ominous aura of sorts.

I-is this really okay…?

“—Hey, next time, I’d appreciate a heads-up if you’re bringing friends.”

After the handshake, Machida-san pulled me into the hallway to scold me.

“I’m sorry… you’re right…”

“Well, this is Shiraki’s room, so I technically have no right to complain. But still… a simple warning would’ve been nice.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“And she’s really pretty… and calling you by your first name…”

Machida-san pouted like a sulky child.

“…She’s really just a friend, right?”

“She’s really just a friend… It’s nothing weird, I swear.”

I didn’t really need to explain myself to Machida-san, who wasn’t my girlfriend.

But I wanted to make sure she didn’t misunderstand, so I said it anyway.

“…That’s good then.”

S-she returned to the living room with a look of relief.

…Apparently, this is enough.

I was glad she was calm again, but why had she been upset in the first place?

I’d better not dig into it. It probably would just make things worse. So I ignored it and went back to the living room.

“Hey… do you want some dinner?”

Back in the living room, Machida-san asked Umi this.

Sitting down at the table, Umi asked curiously,

“…You made the food?”

“Yep. I’ll make a delicious meal and shut Tokitou-san up.”

“Really? Then let’s see… I believe no bad person can make truly good food. If it’s really good, I’ll change my opinion about Machida-san.”

A theory that anyone who can cook well can’t be evil… This seems strange, but it’s hard to think of an evil person who makes amazing food. It’s a weird logic, but somehow convincing.

“Hehe, alright then, Tokitou-san. You just have to wait and see. I’ll make your taste buds sing!”

With that, Machida-san rolled up her sleeves more determined than ever.