The Handsome Girl Who Stole My Girlfriend Seems to Be After Me Now - Chapter 16: Why Are They Getting Along?

Chapter 16: Why Are They Getting Along?

I wonder how long I slept. I woke up to the sound of faint laughter.

“Hmm… what’s that…?”

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I checked the clock in my room. It was just a bit past 10:30 AM. It seems I had slept for about 30 minutes.

“…really! My… is just so…”

The laughter wasn’t just my imagination. I could hear a familiar chatty voice coming from downstairs intermittently. It sounded like Mom was talking to someone.

“Didn’t she go to yoga class? …Yawn.”

After a big yawn, my stomach growled. I remembered I only had milk this morning. Though it was an odd time, I felt like eating something.

I crawled out of bed and opened the door to my room. Mom’s voice became clearer.

“I was so surprised! Souta didn’t tell me anything, you know? If only he had mentioned it earlier, right?”

“Ahaha. Maybe he was just too shy.”

Hearing that dignified, husky voice, my groggy mind snapped to attention.

Could it be… no way!?

Panicking, I dashed out of my room, nearly tumbling down the stairs, and burst into the living room.

As expected, there she was, sitting at the dining table, chatting and drinking tea with my mom—the so-called religious solicitor, or rather, Mizushima, who I thought I had sent away.

“Ah, good morning, Souta. Sorry for intruding.”

“You, why are you inside our house…!?”

“Souta! Don’t come out in such sloppy clothes.”

My mom glared at me, stunned. Then, her expression softened into a gentle smile as she spoke to Mizushima in an overly sweet tone.

“Sorry, Shizuno-chan. My silly son is really a mess. He left you alone even though you came to visit, and just went to sleep in his room. It’s embarrassing.”

“No, no, I just showed up unexpectedly. Please don’t be too hard on Souta-kun.”

…What’s going on with this chaos?

Why is Mizushima having tea in our living room and chatting up a storm with my mom?

And why is my mom treating Mizushima like a beloved family member she’s been fond of for years?

I’m completely lost. What on earth happened during the 30 minutes I was napping?

“Wait, Mizushima! You haven’t answered my question yet!”

“Eh?”

“Not ‘eh.’ Why are you inside our house?”

“Well, because I rang the doorbell and Souta’s mom let me in.”

“Ha!?”

I couldn’t help but let out a bewildered shout, then immediately confronted my mom.

“Why did you open the door? I told you it was okay to ignore the intercom!”

“And you, what’s this ‘weird religious solicitation’? I went to the door out of curiosity and was surprised to see such a beautiful girl standing there. And she says she’s your classmate. I nearly fell over in shock.”

No, no, no, why would you believe that and invite her in? It could’ve been a lie. She might have been pretending to be my classmate for a religious solicitation!

You know, these days, the tricks they use are getting more complicated and cunning. It’s dangerous, just like the news and talk shows always say, right?

“Your mom had no idea you had such a beautiful friend. Why have you kept her a secret until now?”

“T-That’s because…”

I stumbled over my words in response to Mom’s question. Glancing to the side, I saw Mizushima give me a meaningful wink, as if to say it was just between us.

It seems Mizushima hasn’t told Mom about the “bet” or being “trial lovers.” She’s sticking to the story that we’re just classmates and friends.

That makes sense. Even Mizushima wouldn’t easily share our complicated relationship with someone else. It’s just asking for trouble.

“Wow, I must say, I’m impressed. I never thought Souta, who’s so messy and always cooped up at home on weekends, could get close to such a beautiful girl. You’re not to be underestimated, are you?”

Ugh, this is so annoying…

I knew something like this could happen, which is why I’ve always kept my social life and romantic affairs a secret from my family, especially from Mom and my sister, Suzuka.

If they found out, they’d dig into every little detail, leaving me out of the conversation while they excitedly chat away. It’s just too much.

Well, all those efforts to keep things under wraps went down the drain now that she’s shown up at our house…