The Matter of Starting to Live Together With a Long-Time Friend From High School After Becoming a Working Adult - Chapter 27: I Have No Intention of Living in the City

“Honestly, I was just thinking a bit…”

While eating the lunch I made, Arikura quietly brought it up.

“I’ve been feeling like maybe I could commute from this house.”

“…Why?”

“Because it’s comfortable.”

Arikura says in a somewhat sulky tone.

“Somehow, it’s so relaxing and really calming.”

“Relaxing… clearly, your place is way better.”

“That might be true, but that’s not what I meant!”

Arikura puffs out her cheeks. To be honest, I somewhat understand what she’s trying to say.

“In other words, is it like that? Not just about simple width or narrowness?”

“Exactly. I wanted to talk about that kind of relaxed feeling, not the other kind♪”

“I see.”

In the end, it feels like she’s saying the answer but not really saying it—well, I guess that’s probably what it is.

It’s not just about having a gorgeous building and spacious rooms.

“The tower apartment that Arikura lives in is quite the best in terms of location.”

I decided to share my honest thoughts that I’ve been contemplating for a while now.

“It’s close to the station, and there are convenience stores and supermarkets within a few minutes’ walk. Plus, with just a short train ride, you can get to places like Shinjuku or Shibuya, so you probably won’t have any trouble with shopping.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Then there’s food delivery. There are overwhelmingly many restaurant options.”

“Indeed.”

It seems that Arikura also agrees, as she nods.

“I also use Uber occasionally, but I always get confused about where to go.”

“I use a different site called Demae-ya, but when I checked it out briefly before, I was surprised to see so many restaurants listed.”

“Because it’s in the city, right? There were tons of fast food places, weren’t there?”

“Ah. I never thought it would exceed twenty cases.”

“There are a lot of family restaurants too.”

“The nationwide chain stores seem to cover almost everything… I was reminded once again of how impressive Tokyo is.”

I finish the mug of barley tea and refill it. Barley tea is said to have a preventive effect against summer fatigue, so it’s a healthy drink. It also contains some minerals, so there’s no reason not to drink it.

Of course, drinking it too cold is not good, and keeping it for several days is also not advisable. Since it’s good for our health, one needs to be careful about how to store it during the summer.

Well, if I just put it in the fridge, it can mostly be resolved.

“That’s why I was even more surprised by the lack of stores here.”

“But Katase-kun, you do use delivery services, right?”

“Yeah, but the options are limited. It’s just the way it is because of the location, but still…”

I eat the remaining pickles with a wry smile.

“Besides, I don’t usually order takeout anyway.”

“I see. So you didn’t notice it until now.”

“Ah. It’s just that I was surprised when I looked into it again. Honestly, I didn’t even think about it until then.”

Rather, Urawa Misono was the standard. I knew the number of stores from the map, so I was just like, “Well, this is about right,” and I was normally satisfied with that.

I just haven’t had the opportunity to compare it in detail with Tokyo—it’s really just that simple.

“To get back to the point—basically, if we’re just talking about livability from a data perspective, I definitely think that side is overwhelmingly better.”

“Ah… now that you mention it, I remember that story.”

It seemed that Arikura had completely forgotten that the conversation had gone off track, and she was giving a wry smile.

“But I have to say, the rent is quite high, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, that’s true. But if we can just get through that, it seems like there won’t be any problems.”

“Yeah. It might not be surprising if it looks that way.”

That tone was remarkably calm. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was devoid of any emotion.

However, I intended to understand Arikura’s feelings as well.

“Well then, Katase-kun, you know――”

Arikura gives me a scrutinizing look.

“Are you thinking of living in a high-rise apartment in the city like I do?”

“No, not at all. In fact, I dislike it.”

I think it was a splendid immediate response on my part. I could say it reflects my true feelings.

When I glanced up, Arikura looked puzzled.

“…No, what is it?”

“Besides, I don’t really like the city that much anyway.”

“Ah. Come to think of it, you’ve been saying that for a long time.”

I don’t want to live in Tokyo—indeed, I’ve been saying that since high school. Perhaps somewhere along the line, Arikura must have heard me say it too.

“I heard you got a job at a company in Tokyo, so I thought your mind had changed.”

“The only place I got a job offer from was there.”

“Well then, your thoughts haven’t changed at all, have they?”

“Ah. So, being able to live in Urawa Misono like this is like a dream come true for me.”

“Is it thanks to the grandmother who lived here?”

“That’s it.”

I answered casually, but the truth is, Arikura is right.

If Grandma hadn’t happened to live here, I might not even have known the name Urawa-Misono until now.

This is also a kind of luck—rather, it should be called fate.

In any case, it is certain that I can’t help but feel something quite strange.

“Well, to be honest, I quite like living here too. Unless something really major happens, I’ll probably keep living here.”

“I see. Yeah. I think it’s good, just like Katase-kun.”

“Thank you very much.”

The conversation naturally came to a halt here. It feels like it suddenly became quiet, but strangely, it doesn’t feel unpleasant.

“Anyway, let’s completely change the subject back to what we were talking about earlier――”

Here, Arikura smiled broadly while raising her index finger.

“I was thinking, maybe I could stay here for a while and commute to the company.”

“Stop it.”

“Eh, why? I think it’s a good idea!”

It seems it wasn’t a joke after all. I should have figured that out with a little thought.

I naturally let out a deep sigh.

“Simply put, it takes time. Including the walk to the station, it takes about an hour and a half, right?”

“That is…”

“You’re super busy right now, right? Then why are you going out of your way to extend your commute? Do you think I’m supporting you over there for fun?”

“Hmm. When you put it that way… fine.”

It seems she understood, but judging by her tone, she doesn’t seem entirely convinced.

I just don’t get it at all. Why would anyone go through the trouble of commuting for over an hour from such a remote place? And seriously, too.

Sure, I can get a seat on the first train from Urawa Misono, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem, right?

The questions are endless, but it’s Arikura we’re talking about. I have a feeling that even if I ask, she’ll just dodge the question.

“But indeed, it might be a hassle to do that temporarily.”

However, right here, Arikura shows signs of reconsideration.

“Claiming transportation expenses is a hassle because I have to justify it to the company.”

“…Isn’t that the biggest problem?”

“Hehehe~♪”

No, it would be a problem if she tried to brush it off with a laugh. In the end, this matter was dropped, and it was decided that I would go to Meguro as originally planned.

It was a result that was only to be expected, and deep down, I felt relieved.

Before long, without any inkling that the current story would become reality――