In a World of Reversed Chastity, I’m Surrounded by a Clingy Older Woman, a Walking Red Flag, and an Exhausted Office Lady - 22

Chapter 22: You Can Come Over Anytime You Want, Okay?

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“Section Chief Kaoruko, did something good happen to you lately, by any chance?”

As I was working as usual, Sasaki-san, one of my subordinates, said that to me.

“…Why do you think that?”

“W-Well… you haven’t been working any overtime at all lately, and you’ve been smiling the whole time, and when you look at your phone you sometimes have this really happy expression on your face.”

When she said that, I felt my face grow hot and flush red. Had it really been that obvious on my face? It was true that whenever something painful or unpleasant happened, or when I needed a little encouragement—even when nothing in particular was going on—I would look at Aoi-kun’s account page and remember the time we ate together.

She had probably seen the look on my face at those moments. I thought I had been careful.

“Could it be… a man?”

Uesaka-san, who had joined the company the same year as Sasaki-san, chimed in with that teasing remark.

“…Who knows? Anyway, instead of worrying about something so trivial, hurry up and get back to work.”

“Aww. If there’s a good host or guy out there, I wanted you to tell me.”

A slightly dark, murky feeling rose up inside me at the way Uesaka-san said that so regretfully. Aoi-kun would never become a host, and more than that, I absolutely hated the idea of telling Uesaka-san or my coworkers about him. Surely Aoi-kun would interact with my coworkers, with Uesaka-san and Sasaki-san, the same way he had when he met me.

If that happened, what would follow was more obvious than fire. That was why I had no intention of introducing him to them. And though I didn’t even want to think about it, if I did introduce him to my coworkers—Sasaki-san or Uesaka-san—and he ended up prioritizing them over me, then I would undoubtedly fall into such a deep mental collapse that I wouldn’t even be able to stand back up.

…………Ah. No.

Once I started thinking about those unpleasant possibilities, my imagination spiraled and gave rise to even worse thoughts. Today was the day I would get to eat Aoi-kun’s homemade cooking. Instead of indulging in these awful fantasies, I should think about what to talk about when I see him and I should hurry up and finish my work.

I drove the unpleasant thoughts away and began reviewing the documents in front of me.

———

After finishing work, I immediately headed to the convenience store where Aoi-kun worked. Today, he was apparently finishing his shift earlier than usual so he could cook for me. The thought that he was prioritizing me made me feel so happy and blessed. When I arrived at the convenience store, I decided not to go inside. Since I would be seeing Aoi-kun anyway, I waited quietly outside.

For over ten minutes, I waited for Aoi-kun while feeling slightly anxious, wondering whether cleaning the house and everything else had been enough effort to welcome him. Then, after politely greeting the store staff, Aoi-kun stepped outside, and I hurried over to him.

“Good work at your part-time job, Aoi-kun.”

“Good work to you too, Kaoruko-san.”

He smiled at me warmly as he acknowledged my effort, and I felt my face about to soften into a grin but I restrained myself, as befitted an adult woman. Unaware of my internal struggle, Aoi-kun took a plastic bottle of tea out of his bag.

“Here, this is for you.”

He handed it to me, and I accepted it without thinking.

“Oh, you really didn’t have to go to that trouble. I was the one who decided to wait.”

“It’s fine. Please take it.”

“…Thank you.”

The warmth of his kindness, like the tea itself, warmed my heart. I would not throw this bottle away. I would display it at home, since it was something he had given me.

With that firmly decided in my heart, I began walking beside Aoi-kun, and we stopped by the supermarket together. On the way, he suggested splitting the cost, so I gently admonished him while we shopped together and paid at the register. Since we bought enough for two people and some daily necessities, the bag became quite large and looked heavy. I reached out to carry it, but Aoi-kun gave me a mischievous, slightly teasing smile.

“Aoi-kun, let me carry that bag.”

“Nope. You’re already carrying your business bag, Kaoruko-san, so I won’t let you carry this.”

He hugged the bag protectively, as if to prevent me from taking it. Even that was adorable, and I felt happy that he was considering my burden but I still couldn’t let Aoi-kun carry something so heavy, so I shot him a protesting look. Aoi-kun returned a firm look that said he didn’t want to—but then, as if he had thought of something, he smiled.

“Then how about we carry it together?”

“T-Together?”

For a moment, I didn’t understand what he meant and repeated the word.

“Yes. If we each hold one side of the handles, we can both carry it.”

When he said that, I blushed involuntarily. That was…

So heart-pounding. It felt just like we were dating… Like a loving married couple you see in manga or dramas…

“I-Is it really okay? You’ll do that with me?”

When I asked, Aoi-kun tilted his head and nodded.

“Of course. Here, I’ll hold this side, so Kaoruko-san, please hold that handle.”

“O-Okay.”

Urged on by him, I took one of the handles. I felt happiness, bliss, and a slight touch of embarrassment. With those feelings in my chest, we walked leisurely and returned to our home.

As usual, I held up the key card and we entered. I placed my business bag in its usual spot and returned to the living room, where Aoi-kun was looking at me with a noticeably restless expression.

“…? What’s wrong, Aoi-kun? You seem so restless.”

“Well… this place looks like the rent must be really high, so I’m not used to it and I feel a bit restless.”

“Eh!?”

I raised my voice without meaning to. But that didn’t matter. There was something far more important I needed to ask.

“This might be rude, but what kind of place are you living in right now, Aoi-kun?”

“Huh? Just a normal apartment. I’ve never even seen an auto-lock entrance system before.”

…………………………

It felt like I had been struck with a blunt object. A boy as adorable as Aoi-kun was living in an ordinary apartment?

“I just assumed that since you’re such a cute boy, you’d be living somewhere with proper security awareness, or maybe with your parents.”

“No, I live alone in a normal place. It’s the type where you use a regular key and unlock the door.”

He said that with a completely normal expression.

His security awareness is far too low. He’s far too careless.

An ordinary man would live somewhere reasonably secure, like a place with auto-locking doors or at his parents’ home. If it was Aoi-kun, then he needed something even safer, like an absolute top-tier residence with superior security.

A boy like him—like an angel molded from a girl’s ideal by God Himself—shouldn’t be living in a regular apartment. It was practically like saying, “Please attack me.”

… I understood. I understood why Aoi-kun was living somewhere like that. He probably felt bad about making his parents pay an exorbitant rent and chose a normal apartment instead. But even so….

Even if Aoi-kun said he was fine with it, I couldn’t accept it. Just imagining Aoi-kun being raped made my chest feel like it was splitting open, as if the blood in my veins had frozen.

“That won’t do, Aoi-kun. You need to live somewhere proper. There are rapists and dangerous people in this world, you know?”

“It’s fine. Nothing’s happened to me so far.”

He looked perfectly calm, but I was beside myself with worry.

“It’s really fine. More importantly, where are the knives and pots?”

Sensing something from my expression, he tried to change the subject.

“…In that drawer and in that cabinet over there. …We’ll have a proper talk about this later, okay?”

“…Okaaay.”

——————

While Aoi-kun was cooking, my mind kept shattering with horrific images of him being raped—only to be restored again by the sight of him earnestly cooking for me before my eyes. I went back and forth between heaven and hell until, before I knew it, he called out to me.

“Kaoruko-san, it’s ready. Could you help carry it over?”

“Wow, it looks delicious! You really can do anything, Aoi-kun.”

“It’s not that impressive.”

Though he downplayed it, every dish looked so delicious that I almost started drooling. We set out the dishes, sat down together, and began to eat. When I brought the food to my mouth, along with the delicious taste, I could feel Aoi-kun’s kindness and the value of the fact that he had made it for me. All those layers of happiness stimulated my taste buds, and I couldn’t help but smile, my cheeks relaxing.

“It’s incredibly delicious. It’s the best meal I’ve ever had.”

“That’s too much praise, but I’m happy. Thank you.”

“It’s true. No luxury cuisine could be more valuable than this.”

Aoi-kun looked at me like I was exaggerating, but I was completely serious. Savoring my happiness, I continued eating until, before I knew it, everything was gone.

“Thank you for the meal. It was very delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m happy to hear that. Where should I put the dishes—”

“I’ll handle that much. You stay seated, Aoi-kun. Oh, and would you like coffee or tea?”

“Coffee, please.”

“Alright. Wait just a moment.”

I put the dishes into the dishwasher, cleaned up, brewed coffee in a guest cup, and brought it over.

“It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Thank you.”

I sat down as well, sipped my coffee, and took a breath.

“…So, Aoi-kun.”

There was something I had to say, so I began, but Aoi-kun hurriedly spoke first.

“Ah, by the way, Kaoruko-san, what’s your favorite animal?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

I said it a little more firmly, and though he averted his eyes slightly, I knew I had to say it. I took another sip of coffee, steadied my breathing, and spoke.

“You see, Aoi-kun… w-would you live here with me?”

“…Huh?”

He looked more stunned than I had ever seen him. Not giving him time to think, I continued.

“If you live here, the security is very good. There are spare rooms, and I think it would be comfortable.”

Of course, living together would make me happy but more than that, if he kept living in a place like that and something happened to him… If he were raped and cried with a dark expression…

I would probably kill whoever did it….Without hesitation… Without any second thought… I would kill them with nothing but hatred. That was the meaning behind my proposal as well.

I waited for his answer as though awaiting divine judgment. After thinking for a moment, Aoi-kun finally spoke.

“I’m sorry. I’m attached to my current place, so I can’t accept that offer.”

When he said that, I felt stunned.

Surely he had his reasons for deciding that, but I was still worried, and my anxiety only grew. However, if I pushed the matter, he might dislike me, so I reluctantly accepted, even though I hated it. After that, the conversation became awkward because of the anxiety I carried, but by the end, I had recovered enough to manage a smile.

“Well then, I’ll head out here.”

“Thank you for today, Aoi-kun.”

“No, thank you. I’ll come to cook again.”

“Hehe. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The thought that he would come cook again made me happy, but there was something I needed to say.

“Make sure you remember what we talked about. If you change your mind or if anything happens, tell me right away. I’ll make the necessary preparations.”

Anytime is fine. Tomorrow, the day after, even a week from now—I don’t mind. If, the next time you come over, you bring more of your own things so it’s easier to cook, that’s perfectly fine. That’s right. Before he comes next time, I’ll prepare all sorts of things to make it easier for Aoi-kun to live here. If I do that, maybe his mind will change.

“Y-yes.”

He replied, waved his hand, and turned his back to me. I stared intently at that adorable back until it disappeared from view.

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