I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 24

Chapter 24   Staying Over 2

“Hey.”

I answered Ayaka’s late-night call with a tone of clear exasperation.

“What’s with that annoyed voice? I’m bringing you good news, you know.”

“Goodbye.”

“Wait, wait! Hold on!”

Our conversation followed a familiar pattern, one that gave me a strange sense of comfort. With a sigh, I brought the phone back to my ear.

“So, what is it? Weren’t you supposed to be at the after-party?”

I recalled that the members of her club were splitting into groups for a second round of karaoke. I had declined the invitation since I wasn’t a club member, but as the soon-to-be vice president, Ayaka was likely to go.

Yet, from the background noise on her call, I couldn’t hear any singing or the usual party chatter.

“I’m on my way home. I’ll be there soon.”

“Wait, wasn’t the free-time karaoke supposed to go until 5 a.m.?”

“I left early because I have work tomorrow.”

“Ah, I see.”

Spring break had started, so it made sense she had picked up a morning shift. To play hard, students need to work hard too.

“You’re walking home alone? It’s dangerous to be on the phone like that.”

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you come pick me up?”

“Ugh…”

I could only groan at her retort. The thought of going out into the cold night didn’t appeal to me.

“…Maybe I would’ve considered it if I had a driver’s license.”

“Idiot, that’d be drunk driving. Did you forget you were drinking earlier?”

“Oh, right, I forgot.”

“…Are you okay?”

Her voice was now tinged with concern, as if she had moved past exasperation.

It was that odd feeling of forgetting what happened before a nap, making everything feel like it had happened the previous day. Not my fault.

“Anyway, I’m walking in well-lit areas, so I’ll be fine. My house is just around the corner, so I don’t need your help.”

“Got it.”

I remembered that Ayaka’s family home was on a busy road with lots of traffic. She had once complained that she wished they had chosen peace and quiet over the size of the house, but I always thought it sounded like a luxury.

But right now, I wasn’t in the mood for that kind of talk.

“So, what’s this ‘good news’ you mentioned?”

I wasn’t really expecting anything special, but Shinohara would be coming out of the bathroom soon, and I wanted to end the call before that happened. Worst case, I’d hang up mid-conversation.

“Yeah, about that. I’m planning a trip soon, and I was wondering if you’d come with me.”

“A trip? Is this for your club?”

“Nope, just a personal trip. I got a discount coupon for a pretty fancy inn, and I thought it’d be nice to go with you.”

Her straightforward words made me momentarily flustered. Ayaka must have sensed it through the phone, because she burst into laughter.

“See? It’s actually good news, right? It’s spring break, after all, we should have some fun.”

“It’s not about whether it’s good or not, but why the sudden invite? You didn’t mention anything when we met earlier.”

There had been plenty of time during the drinking party, so I couldn’t help but question why she hadn’t brought it up then. Ayaka responded as if it were obvious.

“I didn’t want anyone to overhear. It’d be a hassle.”

That made sense. Ayaka cared a lot about her public image, so this wasn’t something she’d want to openly discuss.

“Still, you could’ve just texted me.”

“I called because I figured you’d turn me down if I texted. But now, you can’t say no, right?”

“Okay, hanging up now.”

“Wait, sorry! Why do you always try to hang up so quickly?”

Just as Ayaka was pleading, I heard the door open.

—Oh no.

I had been so thrown off by the trip invitation that I hadn’t noticed the sound of the hairdryer stopping.

“Alright, I’m going to bed!”

“Wait, what? So suddenly!? I need your answer now, or what’s the point of this call!”

Ignoring her protests, I hung up the phone. Just as the screen returned to normal, Shinohara poked her head into the living room.

“Huh? Were you talking to someone?”

“Yeah, I thought I heard a voice behind me.”

Hearing my response, Shinohara shuddered as if creeped out.

“Stop that! It’s the witching hour, after all.”

“You’re scared of ghosts?”

“Who isn’t? I get that some people believe or don’t believe in them, but I don’t think anyone is actually okay with ghosts.”

I agreed with her, but seeing how much it bothered her sparked a bit of mischief in me. It was also a perfect way to change the subject.

“I actually have some spiritual sensitivity.”

“Wait, really?”

“I’ve kept it hidden, but yeah. So if there’s something behind me, I can tell.”

“…You’re drunk, right?”

Shinohara had a doubtful expression, unsure whether to believe me or not. While it was true I was a bit drunk, if I was going to joke around, I wanted her to believe me at least a little. I recalled an article I had read online and started telling the story.

“When I was in third grade, at a local bathhouse—”

“I give up! I’m going to sleep!”

Shinohara dove straight into my bed, pulling the blanket over her head.

Though she was a guest, and I didn’t mind letting her use the bed, the way she jumped in without hesitation showed just how much she disliked ghost stories.

“You gave up way too fast…” I sighed.

Peeking out from under the blanket, Shinohara glared at me with her big eyes.

“I can’t take it. Seriously, if you keep going, I’m not cooking for you tomorrow.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Sorry, I was definitely a bit tipsy.”

“That’s right! There are no such things as ghosts. It’s just an old misunderstanding based on the pareidolia effect. People see three dots and automatically think it’s a face! That’s what ghosts really are!”

Turning my back to Shinohara’s passionate argument, I pulled an extra futon out of the closet. When I first moved in, I had bought two futons, thinking it might be useful for a girlfriend or a friend staying over, but it didn’t get much use. Reina stayed over occasionally, but I rarely invited friends to spend the night. I wasn’t particularly fond of having people stay at my place.

Ayaka knew that about me too, which is why she never stayed over except during the day. Shinohara, on the other hand, regularly hung out here, which was unusual. There must be something about her that made me allow it, though I wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe we just got along well.

“Oh, senpai, let me help.”

As I was carrying the futon, Shinohara got up to assist.

“Nah, it’s fine. It’s for me anyway.”

“Huh? Are you sure I can use the bed?”

“That bed is the nicer one. It’s meant for guests.”

If someone was going to stay over, I wanted them to sleep in comfort. Sometimes, I liked to show a little pride as the older one. The surprised look on Shinohara’s face was enough to satisfy me.

It seemed like she had only jumped into my bed to escape the ghost story, not because she seriously intended to sleep there.

“You can change the sheets if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to make more work for you with laundry. But are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s fine. It’s not like it’ll wear out.”

I laid out my futon and got in.

The distance between Shinohara’s bed and my futon wasn’t much, but in a one-room apartment, that was as far as it could be. When I turned off the lights, most of the room was swallowed by shadow. A sliver of moonlight slipped through a gap in the curtains, casting a faint line across the room.

“Goodnight.”

When I said goodnight, I could sense Shinohara smiling.

“Goodnight.”

As I closed my eyes, I could hear Shinohara moving slightly. She could probably hear every little movement I made as well. The silence in the room only heightened the awareness that it was just the two of us, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Senpai, don’t you think you’re a little far away?”

Her muffled voice made me half-open my eyes. Her words, likely spoken from under the blanket, sounded oddly distant.

“I’m not that far. We’re less than two meters apart.”

When I replied, my voice wavered a bit. I wasn’t sure if it was because my throat was dry from the alcohol or if I was nervous about the unfamiliar situation. It felt different from when I had slept next to someone before, making me uncharacteristically tense.

I waited for a response, but none came from Shinohara. The ticking of the clock suddenly felt overwhelmingly loud in the otherwise silent room. I regretted not having an electronic clock instead. If she had already fallen asleep, I thought she must be quite bold. No matter how much trust she had in me, she was still somewhat defenseless.

It was probably the late hour that had me dwelling on such thoughts. I desperately wanted to sleep, but the more I tried, the more alert I became. Opening my eyes, I glared at the ceiling in frustration.

“This isn’t working. I can’t sleep.”

There was no response.

“Shinohara?”

I called her one more time, deciding that if there was no answer, I’d just pass the time on my phone. Of course, I knew using my phone would only keep me up longer, but I couldn’t think of any other options.

Luckily, I heard the sound of sheets rustling from Shinohara’s side.

“…I was about to fall asleep.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Her voice, raspy and groggy from being pulled out of near sleep, made me feel guilty, and I apologized without thinking. She shifted around for a bit before finally settling down. I couldn’t tell if she had fallen asleep again, but I felt bad about waking her up because of my restlessness, so I let out a small sigh.

Resigned, I pulled my phone from my pocket.

“Want to sleep together?”

“…Huh?”

I let out a dumbfounded sound, not fully processing what Shinohara had just said.