It Seems Like A Girl I Don't Know Is Doing Housework At Home. But It Was Cute So I'll Keep An Eye On It - Chapter 6
Episode 6: VS Silky, The War Commences
─Looking back, I think I did something quite foolish, like ignoring the intruding stalker.
“…E-Excuse me.”
Seeing the stalker nervously entering the room without backing down, I couldn’t help but think that from the bottom of my heart. …Why is this person coming here even though I’m at home?
“……”
For now, I maintained the same stance as the other day, which was to completely ignore them. …But deep down, my heart was pounding with nervousness.
And understandably so. Unexpectedly hearing the sound of the door unlocking while I was mindlessly grinding through mobile games on a Sunday afternoon, it’s normal to be startled.
“Well, I’ve come…”
“……”
…They shouldn’t have come. Why not when I’m not here, but when I’m at home? This stalker must know my daily routine. That’s why, until the irregularity the other day, they managed to go without encountering me.
They intrude when I’m not home, do some chores, and occasionally replace clothes and such with new ones. Although it wasn’t explicitly agreed upon, it seemed to be an unwritten rule.
Well, unwritten rule or not, that’s beside the point. A normal person… or rather, a stalker who intrudes unlawfully wouldn’t do such a thing. If someone were to intrude on a one-room apartment where the owner is clearly present, it would most likely be for robbery.
“But, um, let’s quickly get this done…”
However, this person is a stalker. Definitely not a robber. At least, if they had intentions of causing harm, they wouldn’t start doing chores after casually entering and announcing themselves like this.
“……”
…The sound of clinking utensils echoed in the room. The dishes piling up in the sink must be diminishing rapidly.
I almost involuntarily shifted my gaze from my smartphone. Although it’s my own fault, I still needed to conserve my energy to continue ignoring them.
“Ehehe… Um, thank you for allowing me to come in and help around the house. I’m really happy.”
Well, it’s not like I was admitting anything… Sure, I’ve been treating Silky a certain way and turning a blind eye to it, but that’s because I’ve been doing things behind the scenes, you know…
No one said you could just come and go as you please. Actually, who are you really?
“U-Um, you know, it feels kinda like… we’re living together, doesn’t it?”
It’s definitely a case of illegal trespassing. Coming into the room while the homeowner is present, doing household chores without permission… That’s what it boils down to.
Calling it “living together” takes some impressive mental gymnastics. I mean, anyone who’s comfortable with committing illegal trespassing is definitely not operating on a normal mental level.
But, well, I’ll admit I mishandled this. Despite treating her like a convenient character who does chores I dislike, ignoring her after bumping into her was definitely a bad move in hindsight.
Ignoring is a form of tacit consent. By turning a blind eye, it’s not unreasonable for it to be interpreted as approval.
Especially considering she’s the type to commit illegal trespassing. While a normal person might become cautious and restrain themselves upon being witnessed committing a crime, with a stalker, there’s a higher likelihood of things worsening once acknowledged.
Failing to anticipate these downsides was simply my fault. It’s too late for regrets now though.
“……”
Hmm. What should I do? Things have escalated quite a bit already, crossing a certain line. That’s why I’m torn.
It’d be easy to cut ties now. Change the locks, move out, or as a last resort, report to the police; there are plenty of options.
But honestly, I don’t want to. Firstly, as it stands, there haven’t been any actual harms. If anything, the benefits outweigh any discomfort.
Considering her essentially as a free housekeeper, I can overlook some creepiness. Also, being a man, I can’t deny being somewhat attracted to an attentive beauty.
Moreover, feeling flustered now after pretending not to notice from the start annoys me. You could call it stubbornness.
So, considering these conditions, as I weigh my options, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.
Changing the locks or moving out would simply cost too much money. I do have enough from my parents’ allowance and my part-time job, but I’d rather not spend it unnecessarily.
And if I were to report to the police, it would definitely become a big deal. Or rather, my handling of the situation would certainly be criticized. I’m aware I’ve really messed up.
The worst part would be if my parents found out. In that case, who knows what penalties I’d face. If they stop my allowance, that’s one thing, but if they forbid me from living alone, I’d be in big trouble.
And that’s highly likely. They’d naturally worry about me being targeted by criminals. And yet, if they were to find out, I’d be saying, “I tolerated illegal trespassing because I didn’t want to do housework”…
I’d definitely get an earful. This is going to be rough.
“Heheh♪.”
Hmm… Thinking about what could happen if I were to cut ties now and she were to retaliate, it’s terrifying. She’s currently humming away happily, but if I were to suddenly push her away…
Given her mentality of being okay with committing crimes, she could spiral out of control into a state of insanity.
She’s already somewhat unstable, bordering on yandere or mentally unstable. If things escalate from here, it’ll be out of my hands.
“…Well then, I have plans later today. I’ll be heading out. …I’ll come again.”
“……”
Hmm… In light of all this, the only resistance… no, countermeasure I can take is to continue ignoring her thoroughly.
Even if things escalate further from now on, I won’t engage. I won’t react. I’ll treat her like she doesn’t exist.
At least until she gets fed up with being ignored and backs off, this seems to be the only viable strategy. …It’s become a matter of pride at this point.
“Well then, I’m off. …Ehehe.”
I wish she could have at least said “goodbye”… It’s frustrating not being able to retort.
With that, seemingly oblivious to my inner thoughts, the stalker left my house with her cheerful voice.
“…She never even introduced herself once.”
─As an aside, who is that stalker really?