Chapter 35

“Haa…”  

After some time had passed, I was slumped over on the sofa in the Tachibana family’s living room.  

Orange sunlight filtered in through the curtains from the large window. On the big TV in front of me, the evening news droned on in the background.  

“Don’t sigh like that,”  

Miki, seated to my right, smiled wryly while gently patting my shoulder.  

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not such a big deal… right?”  

Yuki, sitting to my left, gave an awkward smile. Miki responded to her comment.  

“Thanks to you… I feel like I’ve gained a little confidence.”  

“See? Even Miki says so. Isn’t this a good chance for you to feel more confident too, Knight-kun?”  

“What kind of confidence would that even be?”  

I couldn’t help but interject.  

According to Miki’s logic, I was supposed to be brimming with confidence right now instead of hanging my head like this.  

“Still, Yuki, I’ve gotta say, you’re really bold.”  

“Well, I think Miki did great too—so meticulous.”  

“What are you two praising each other for? Why are you making up over this?”  

The two exchanged glances and nodded at each other.  

Apparently, their bond had been restored through their mutual struggle against a “common enemy.” It was straight out of a classic battle manga. Seeing their camaraderie rebuild itself like this made all my earlier efforts to mediate seem idiotic.  

“But, you know… it was over faster than I thought.”  

“Yeah, it was kind of anticlimactic.”  

“Seriously, you two…”  

Well, at least their relationship seemed to have somewhat recovered, which was a relief. If all’s well that ends well… Except not. This is definitely going to joke about this for years to come.  

“Knight-kun, you might as well stay over tonight.”  

“Yeah, yeah, that’s a good idea.”  

Completely ignoring my presence, the two carried on the conversation with perfect synchronization.  

At this point, I had neither the energy nor the will to resist. Whatever. What happens, happens. 

“I’m hungry.”  

“Okay, okay, I’ll get something ready for you.”  

“Be a good boy and wait, okay~?”  

They each patted me on the head before standing up, treating me like some kind of kid.  

As they walked toward the kitchen, I couldn’t help but notice their outfits—one of them in something that looked like underwear or pjs, the other in a tight, thin T-shirt and short shorts. Both barefoot, their steps lightly pattered on the floor. Honestly, they could stand to put on more decent clothing.  

“I said I’d handle it, so it’s fine, Yuki!”  

“There’s no way that’s going to be enough!”  

Before long, bickering voices echoed from the kitchen. Were they already at odds with each other again? At this point, I had no energy left to intervene.  

Lying on the sofa, I leaned my head back against a cushion, completely drained. I felt something under me and pulled it out, only to find a bra beneath the cushion.  

“Here, sorry for the wait.”  

Miki returned holding a tray. She saw me pinching up the bra, and her blank expression preceded her words.  

“I found this under the cushion.”  

“Oh, that’s probably Yuki’s, isn’t it?”  

“It’s yours, Miki.”  

Yuki appeared from behind, placing dishes on the table. On it were some potato wedges and a small pizza. Meanwhile, the dish Miki served in front of me appeared to be just a reheated bento: an eel rice bowl in a fancy, multi-tiered container.  

“I figured you might eat at home today, so I prepared this.”  

“I appreciate the effort, but why eel rice?”  

“You don’t like it?”  

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it…”  

I decided not to press the issue further.  

Yuki, sitting next to me, picked up some chopsticks and said,  

“Okay, I’ll feed you.”  

“I can eat on my own, thanks.”  

Of course, the handcuffs had already been removed, so I could feed myself.  

I snatched the chopsticks from Yuki and began to dig into the bento at my own pace.  

“Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t have taken the handcuffs off.”  

“Should we put them back on? You never know, he might suddenly attack us.”  

“That could be fun, though getting attacked sounds kind of exciting.”  

An ominous conversation was unfolding. If anyone should be worried about getting attacked, it’s me.  

We all started eating dinner, or at least what seemed to pass for it. Most of what appeared on the table were unmistakably frozen foods.  

Miki, fiddling with her phone, was eating pasta that looked like it had come straight out of the microwave. Meanwhile, Yuki snacked on fries before transitioning to munching on chocolate treats.  

“Is that really your dinner? Isn’t it not enough?”  

“Yuki’s a picky eater. She never eats properly unless Mom’s watching.”  

“Hah? You can’t even eat fish, so don’t talk.”  

“Okay, okay, enough. Eat nicely, both of you.”  

I stepped in to mediate. The smallest spark was enough to ignite these two.  

Despite all the food they’d brought out, neither of them ate much, so I ended up finishing most of it.  

After eating, Yuki and Miki switched to staring at their phones. I occupied myself by flipping through channels on the giant TV, impressed by its size.  

…That was fine and all, but they both stayed seated on either side of me. Having them so close made it hard to relax. Their proximity was just enough that I could see their phone screens.  

“Look! Isn’t this score amazing?”  

Yuki showed me her phone, excitedly tapping at the screen. It displayed a high score in a familiar-looking puzzle game. Whether or not it was impressive, I couldn’t really say.  

Miki, on the other hand, was swiping through images and artwork, casually liking them with heart icons. She moved with practiced ease.  

“Didn’t your house have some rule against social media?”  

“I’m just browsing.”  

Miki replied nonchalantly. 

Yuki immediately leaned over and said,  

“Okay, Miki, that’s a foul. I’m telling Mom.”  

“I’m not even posting anything!”  

They started arguing again. I thought their relationship had somewhat mended, but apparently, this was a never-ending cycle.  

Grumbling to herself, Yuki set her phone down and stood up. Her shirt lifted slightly, exposing her belly as she stretched broadly.  

“Alright then. Say, Knight-kun, let’s take a bath together.”  

“Don’t be ridiculous.”  

I had a bad feeling she’d suggest something absurd, so I quickly shot her down.  

For some reason, Miki gave me a cold glare. Seriously, I refused her. Scrambling to save the situation, I said the first thing that came to mind.