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

“…I’m really sorry for my stupid daughter.”

“Could we possibly settle this out of court…?”

The next day, I was called to a private room in a restaurant.

It was to negotiate a settlement with Rinne’s parents. We had exchanged messages through lawyers a few times, but this was the first time we met in person.

They looked decent enough.

People always say, “It’s the parents’ fault if the child turns out bad,” but I think there’s only so much parents can do. If the kid’s own character is messed up, no amount of good parenting can fix that completely.

“As I said through the lawyer, I don’t mind settling. I don’t want any more trouble, and I guess you don’t either.”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“If you pay the settlement money, including everything, that’s fine. Also, make sure you take care of Rinne properly. She’ll be kicked out of college, and leaving her to wander isn’t really responsible as a parent.”

“Of course… We’ll bring her back home. Leaving her in the city would be dangerous. We don’t know what she might do.”

After that, we signed a bunch of papers. Once they’re processed, the settlement is done. I left the restaurant and left the rest to their lawyer.

I thought Rinne’s mess was finally over. I felt a little lighter.

It was past noon. I had skipped college today for the settlement. I could have gone to afternoon classes, but I decided to just go home.

At home, I opened my laptop. I want to become a scriptwriter, so I need to prove myself through my novels. I finally finished my plot, so I started writing my first story. I’ll decide later whether to post it online or enter it in contests.

Writing is more tiring than I expected, so I occasionally stood up and stretched while working alone.

[Hey, can I ask which one looks better?]

Later, in the evening, I got a LINE from Umi. Right after, she sent two pictures. I was a mix of annoyed and excited.

They were selfies of her trying on black and navy underwear.

…She often asks me to help her choose when buying lingerie, like some personal service since high school. I once asked her, “Why do you even ask me this?” Her answer was always the same,

“I just want Sousuke’s opinion.”

That’s all she ever says.

But what I really want to know is why she wants my opinion. She’s never given me a clear answer and has always dodged it.

[Which one is better?]

Either is fine.

It’s not because I don’t care, but because both look perfect. Still, if I say either, she gets mad. So I answered,

[Black.]

After I replied,

[Pervert.]

That’s what came back from her. I couldn’t help feeling a little unfair. You’re the pervert, I thought, and went back to writing.

“—I’m sorry! I had a shift until closing, so I’m late!”

Then I noticed Nene-san coming home in a hurry. I looked at the clock… oh, it was already past 10 PM. I hadn’t realized. I’d been so focused.

“Dinner… isn’t ready yet, right?”

“Nope, not yet. I’ve been writing since I got home this afternoon.”

“You’re so focused… But hey, if it’s late, you can just eat something on your own.”

“But if I wait, I get to eat Nene-san’s delicious cooking, right?”

When I said that, Nene-san looked away.

“Y-Yeah… but I feel bad making you wait while you’re hungry…”

“I can wait as long as I get to eat Nene-san’s food.”

“―I-I see… Alright then, I’ll make it right now, so just wait a bit…”

Still a little shy, Nene-san went to her room, changed into a cami and shorts, and came back to the living room. She started taking ingredients out of the fridge.

“By the way… did Tokitou-san come today?”

Tonight’s dinner looked like simple pasta, and she had put a pot of water on the stove. While she was making the sauce, she asked,

“Nope, she didn’t come today.”

I said.

“You weren’t secretly inviting her every day or anything?”

“Not at all.”

“Then… how’s your relationship with Tokitou-san, really?”

“What do you mean… Like I said yesterday, we’re just normal friends.”

“…You’ve never done anything sexual or anything?”

“Nope.”

“Then… there are no dates either?”

“We’ve gone out a few times… but calling it a date? Not really.”