I’m an Introvert, but After Taking Care of the School’s Most Beautiful Girl Who Lives in an Apartment When She Was Sick, She Became Attached to Me and Started Inviting Me Over to Her Place! - Chapter 61

Chapter 61

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

“Um… Where did Kaede and the others go?”

“They already went home… We couldn’t wake you up, Natsuki-san…”

Kaon moved her neck stiffly, like a robot with dying batteries. As her hazy consciousness gradually awakened with the passage of time, she began to understand her own blunder.

Then, as if to hide her face burning bright red with embarrassment, she used her own long hair to cover everything from her eyes downward. Her wandering gaze, like a little bird searching for a perch, found no place to settle. Even with Sorato simply staring at her in silence, her face continued to grow redder and redder.

That aside, they had to do something about this awkward atmosphere. Sorato slowly stood up, then spoke to Kaon as she sat back down on the sofa.

“Natsuki-san. I’m going to have some cocoa. Do you want some?”

“…I’ll have some.”

This girl sometimes closes in on me at heart-stopping distances, but when she’s on the receiving end, she gets surprisingly weak, huh.

Usually the one always being teased, Sorato faintly recalled the events of the past few weeks, starting with the time she rested her head on his shoulder while making him watch a horror movie at her place not long ago. Every version of her was nerve-wracking, mischievous, and left him with the frustrating feeling that he was being toyed with. That was precisely why seeing her blush after being caught off guard once in a while was so entertaining.

Once in the kitchen, he quickly poured cocoa mix into two mugs with practiced motions. He diluted it with hot water and milk he had already boiled, adjusting it to his personally preferred balance.

“By the way, where’s Kanau-chan…?”

“Kanau went out just now to have dinner with her friends. Here you go.”

“Thanks!”

After handing her the mug filled to the brim, Sorato sat down beside her on the sofa and started drinking his cocoa as well.

“—Phaaah. Cocoa really is the best.”

“Yeah. It’s warm… Hehe.”

“Huh? What is it? What happened?”

As he enjoyed the rich, melty flavor of sweet milk and cocoa, with just a hint of bitterness sliding smoothly down his throat, Kaon leaned in and smiled at him.

“You’ve got a little mustache on your lip.”

“Huh, seriously?”

Click.

“Huh!? Did you just take a picture!?”

From the smartphone Kaon held up near her face came a shutter sound that could only have meant one thing. Sorato didn’t miss the mischievous smile lurking beneath it.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t really mind, but taking pictures of me is just a waste of storage space, you know.”

“Eeh? That’s not true at all. For me, it’s part of my beautiful memories.”

“Memories of sulking and passing out asleep at someone else’s house?”

“That’s something we agreed not to mention!!!”

As Kaon tried to bury her blunder in the darkness as part of a “beautiful memory,” Sorato dug into the details as if refusing to let her escape. Eventually, Kaon glared at him with narrowed eyes in protest, but to Sorato, it was about the same as a small animal giving a gentle bite.

Deciding she couldn’t win this time, she let out a low “Uuugh…” and took another sip of her cocoa.

“…Phew. Somehow I feel really relaxed, like this is my own house. Normally, I can’t really relax at other people’s places.”

“I’m glad to hear that. As always, it seems like you’ve grown pretty attached to me, Natsuki-san.”

“Attached… That makes me sound like a pet.”

Watching Sorato laugh as he stroked his mug cheerfully, Kaon puffed out her cheeks and let out a cute little “Muu…” For some reason, Sorato seemed calmer today, and that made him feel tougher than usual.

“…But honestly, ever since we started getting involved in each other’s private lives like this, there are times when you seem like a completely different person at school, Natsuki-san.”

“A different person? Like how?”

The topic Sorato raised in his calm tone was sudden, and he spoke with a confidence that made it seem like he had grasped something essential. Even when Kaon reflexively questioned him, Sorato answered without hesitation.

“At first, I thought you were someone who smiled kindly at everyone. No offense, but I thought you were a pretty carefree person. But now, I think that the expression you showed me the first time I visited your house might have actually been your true side.”

“-!”

Kaon’s face stiffened as if she had been splashed with cold water, and a faint light appeared in her eyes.

“To put it simply, the Natsuki-san at school and the Natsuki-san in private look similar, but they’re completely different. At school, you’re too much like the rumors say. It’s like you’re living your life tracing along a pre-drawn idol’s rail.”

In a world where only Sorato’s voice existed, Kaon said nothing and listened carefully, as if she were appreciating music, not wanting to miss a single word. She didn’t know what he was thinking or why he was saying these things to her. But she was certain that his words were slowly filling her heart.

“And on top of that, even though you’re actually pretty needy, don’t you try to keep an unnecessary distance from people? Even if we’d just met, I’d help you with anything if you relied on me. Instead of asking for help, you try to handle everything on your own. I want you to rely on me more.”

“Eh…”

Receiving Sorato’s words, Kaon felt a faint sense of discomfort and carefully observed him as he continued to stare outside. His ears were bright red, and even though his face was turned toward the window, she could tell he wasn’t looking at the scenery at all. She understood that he was being unusually forward, and that the words he was directing at her carried real meaning.

“I’m not used to saying things like this, so I’m bad at it, but… Uum… I think the you who smiles naturally is cuter, Natsuki-san…!”

Having apparently finished saying what he wanted to say, Sorato placed his mug on the table and covered his mouth with his right hand.

“Ho-How embarrassing…”

Having received Sorato’s sudden, honest feelings while alone together in the room, Kaon Natsuki then… 

“Hehe… I’m happy.”

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー