The Case of Me, a Guy With Zero Dating Experience, Getting Mistaken for a Stalker by the Angel I Fell for at First Sight, Only to End Up Living Together With Her in a Harem Share House With a 1:9 Gender Ratio - Chapter 11: Bodyguard

Chapter 11: Bodyguard

At 3:30 p.m., Sakura appeared.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Nah, I just got here too…”

Yuuki and Sakura met at the gate of Seisho Gakuen Women’s University and headed to Café Valencia.

Café Valencia is a two-story Western-style building with a weathervane atop its spire as a landmark.

The first floor is the café, and the second is the residence of the owner couple.

Famous for its chic exterior and exquisite sweets, it’s a local institution everyone knows.

Inside, jazz piano music creates a relaxed atmosphere, making it an inviting café at first glance.

Yuuki led Sakura to the innermost counter seat.

“It’s reserved, but this spot’s free, so sit here.”

With that, he went to the back to change.

When he returned, Yuuki looked dashing in a white dress shirt, a wine-red tie, a black vest, and a brown sommelier apron.

“Your order?”

“Um, I’ll have a café latte, please.”

“Certainly.”

As Sakura watched Yuuki work, a white porcelain cup with intricate designs was placed before her.

“Sorry for the wait. Here’s Café Valencia’s signature café latte.”

It was a café latte with an impressive cat latte art design.

“Wow, a kitty~ So cute~… Wait, did you make this, Yuuki-san?”

“Of course… It’s my specialty.”

“It’s so realistic and adorable.”

Sakura squinted, captivated by Yuuki’s stunning latte art.

“Not to brag, but I’ve got a latte art certification.”

Yuuki had recently earned a Latte Art Class B qualification.

“Really? That’s amazing…”

Learning this unexpected side of Yuuki, Sakura was impressed.

“Well, enjoy.”

Yuuki switched to work mode, handling orders one after another.

Sakura slowly flipped through her novel, occasionally glancing at Yuuki’s work out of the corner of her eye.

Soon, the café was fully packed.

Students stopped by after school, chatting with friends or having an early dinner.

The kitchen and drink counter were swamped.

Sakura noticed that over 70% of the customers were female students, and the girls at the counter were all eyeing Yuuki.

(Yuuki-san’s pretty popular with girls, huh…)

Around then, Misato-mama caught Yuuki in the back getting ingredients.

“Hey, Yuuki-kun, that cute girl you came with—is she your girlfriend?”

“No, no, she’s just a resident at my share house.”

Yuuki explained that his sister-in-law tasked him with being Sakura’s bodyguard due to her stalker incidents.

“Hmm, I see… Still, she’s adorable, like an angel descended to earth.”

“That’s what I thought when I first met her too.”

“Hmm, then being her bodyguard is your chance to get closer to her.”

“Huh? I’m not thinking about that.”

“Ugh, Yuuki-kun, you’re too serious…”

Before long, the clock hit 8 p.m., closing time.

“Alright, I’m clocking out~”

While Yuuki changed, Misato-mama handed Sakura a paper bag.

“You’re Sakura-san, right?”

Misato-mama called out to her.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Sakura Saotome, living in the same share house as Yuuki-san.”

“My, such polite manners, thank you.”

“I’ll likely be here almost every day, so please take care of me.”

“I heard the situation from Yuuki-kun. Feel free to stay as long as you need.”

“Thank you.”

“This is some staff meal made from leftovers. Would you mind eating it with Yuuki-kun?”

“Huh, is that okay? I feel bad staying so long with just a café latte.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. We can’t finish it with just our family, so you’d be helping us out~”

“Thank you. The strawberry shortcake from yesterday was delicious.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Then I’ll accept this gratefully.”

Sakura bowed deeply and took the bag.

Just then, Yuuki returned from changing.

“Misato-mama, is that today’s staff meal?”

“Yup, there’s enough for Sakura-san too, so eat together.”

“Sorry for always troubling you. I’ll take it, then.”

Yuuki and Sakura headed back to the share house.

Wiping tables, Yui overheard the exchange and said grumpily,

“Mama, what’s that girl’s deal with Yuu-nii?”

“She’s from his share house. She’s being stalked, so Yuuki-kun’s been asked by the manager to escort her to and from university for a while.”

“Huh, really? Yeah, she’s so cute, no wonder stalkers won’t leave her alone. I thought Yuu-nii got a girlfriend for a sec…”

Yui let out a relieved sigh.

※

Yuuki and Sakura took the train from Hoshigaoka and got off at Hakurindai.

Hakurindai Station’s area has a small entertainment district with izakayas, karaoke, and snack bars, bustling even on weekdays.

Beyond the district, the streets turn quiet and dimly lit.

Old streetlights are spaced far apart, making it a bit dark for a woman to walk alone.

The two hurried toward the share house, staying vigilant.

Yuuki has good eyesight, but spotting a stalker lurking in the shadows would be tough.

The distance from the station to the share house is about 700 meters.

There’s a small park and a convenience store along the way.

Yuuki and Sakura kept a close but comfortable distance, hurrying along.

“This road’s a bit too dark for a woman to walk alone…”

“You’re right.

I wish there were more streetlights, but that’s probably tough.”

Yuuki thought corners and side paths were dark enough for a stalker to hide unnoticed.

They reached the park entrance. That’s when it happened.

Something suddenly darted out from the bushes.

“Danger!”

Without thinking, Yuuki grabbed Sakura’s arm, pulled her toward him, and stood protectively in front of her.

“Kya!”

Sakura let out a small scream, clinging to Yuuki’s back in shock and fear.

What emerged from the bushes was a large stray cat.

“Nyaan,” it meowed once before sauntering off into the darkness.

“Just a cat…”

“A cat, huh…”

Sakura hesitantly let go of Yuuki’s back, where she’d been clinging.

“Oh, s-sorry! I just…”

“No, it’s fine. Sorry for grabbing you suddenly.”

A warm, gentle atmosphere, different from before, flowed between them.

After that, they reached the share house without incident.

That night, no stalker appeared.

The sensation of Sakura’s fingers clinging to his back lingered with Yuuki for a long time.