When I Picked Up A Stunningly Gorgeous Downer-Type Beauty In Front Of The Entrance. - Chapter 51: In the morning, I see her off for her job interview.

In the morning, I see her off for her job interview.

“Because I have a part-time job interview.”

On a holiday morning, along with those words.

Wearing a black shirt and bottoms, a chic and casual outfit, I was awakened by Sajou-san.

“Yeeeah… Alright, good luck…”

“…I’m off.”

It was a holiday, so I had just been asleep until a moment ago.

While patting her tousled hair, I waved with a limp, unenthusiastic hand at Sajou-san as she left in front of the entrance.

Although she had said she didn’t need to be seen off, there was a mysterious sense of duty that said it must be done.

Moreover, even though I was sleepy and sluggish, seeing someone off somehow felt good. It gave me a slight sense of elation.

Though she responded with something like “What’s with that…”, she seemed a bit bashful as she rubbed her earlobes, so maybe it was just a way to hide her embarrassment.

At the moment the front door closed with a clank, I caught sight of a small, awkwardly waved hand through the slight gap.

The lock clicked a few seconds later.

She knows I’m inside, so she should just leave the key. Locking the door so meticulously was typical of Sajou-san, and I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“A part-time job… a job, huh?”

I leaned against the white wall as if collapsing, giving in to sleepiness.

The rough texture felt comfortable as I pressed my cheek against it. My cheek flesh squished up.

The words that slipped out of my mouth lacked any sense of reality and felt empty.

They dissipated into the air, dispersing easily like mist. Yet, they lingered in my mind, refusing to disappear no matter how much I tried to expel them.

“It’s a bit… lonely, isn’t it?”

My genuine feelings leaked out.

Just a little while ago, everything Sajou-san did seemed to revolve around me… It felt like an inflated sense of self-importance, making my whole body itch and squirm with self-disgust.

In reality, there was some truth to it.

Rejecting others while craving human connection.

A terrible contradiction. The impulse to reach for the stars felt unattainable, but by some coincidence, it just happened to be within my grasp.

Looking back now, I might have been harboring feelings akin to dependence.

However, it wasn’t just because it was me; anyone in the right circumstances could have been suitable.

I don’t intend to belittle myself. After all, it’s me who has built this relationship with Sajou-san, so I’m not even considering handing it off to someone else.

But, somehow, I just feel… a bit lonely.

Living together brought us closer in terms of daily life.

However, the physical distance increased as we stopped touching or hugging each other.

Now that we both attend school.

And now, she’s even getting a part-time job.

Squatting down, I hug my knees and bury my face.

Sigh… I let out a long, heavy sigh, as if trying to expel the pent-up frustration in my lungs.

“Is this what they call ‘letting go of your child’?”

It feels like being a father with a teenage daughter.

I’ve never had a child, let alone a daughter, so I don’t know if it’s the same feeling as fathers with daughters.

Will I eventually be told in a harsh tone, “Don’t wash your clothes with Dad’s” or “Don’t take a bath with Dad”?

Well, I’ve never bathed with anyone, and I’m not her dad anyway.

But, imagining Sajou-san saying, “Stay away from me,” with a scornful look… sent a shiver down my spine.

Could this be… love? No way. I quickly shut that door of misunderstanding, knowing it’s a fetish I shouldn’t indulge in.

Returning to the room, I collapse onto the bed.

The drowsiness has already disappeared, but I feel lethargic. I didn’t feel like doing anything.

“Maybe I felt good because I could rely on her…?”

As I say it, it somehow resonates with my own emotions, and I can’t help but feel disgusted with myself as I bury my face in the bed and let out a muffled groan.

It’s lonely to see her drift away.

There’s a desire to hold her back.

But that’s my emotion, selfish and self-centered.

It’s not a reason to tie down Sajou-san, who is trying to stand on her own and live a proper life.

“Yeah… I’ll just watch over her.”

As I say it aloud, my consciousness becomes clearer.

The headache seems to ease away, and I feel the tension in my head loosen.

Though the loneliness I felt when seeing Sajou-san off hasn’t disappeared entirely, it has diminished.

Attitude is everything, as they say.

Suddenly, I feel motivated.

I could do anything now, it feels like.

Alright, I get up. It’s a holiday after all. Where should I start?

“…Maybe I should wash my face…”

The crust in my eyes is gone, and I’m snapped back to reality all at once.

What am I doing with my messy pajamas?

***

I thought about changing before going down to pick up the mails and all, but oh well, I’ll just go as is.

Since it’s nearby, I didn’t bother locking the door and briskly descended the stairs.

It was a crisp autumn morning. In my short sleeves and shorts, the breeze brushing against my skin felt slightly chilly as I skipped down the steps.

On the first-floor corridor, I opened one of the double doors leading to the entrance and headed towards the wall lined with mailboxes.

I pointed at my mailbox and checked. I peered through the small window, hoping to see something. I spotted the shadows of flyers and envelopes.

I spun the dial and opened the lid with a rusty click.

A sushi restaurant flyer. A magnet for plumbing services.

As I sorted through the contents—recyclables, trash—I noticed a small piece of paper fluttering down to the ground like a petal.

“Oops.”

While tossing the unwanted flyers into the cardboard box for paper trash nearby, I picked up the paper scrap from the floor.

It wasn’t a flyer. It was a memo pad shaped like a rabbit.

I picked it up, curious. It was oddly cute for a notice from the building manager.

Suddenly, a sharp scent of perfume tickled my nostrils.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

Below that were written the time and place.

As I read the sender’s name, I gasped and widened my eyes—