When I Picked Up A Stunningly Gorgeous Downer-Type Beauty In Front Of The Entrance. - Chapter 77: It Was Her Stunning Beauty That Drew Me In.

It Was Her Stunning Beauty That Drew Me In.

With my stomach full and a comfortable lethargy setting in, I found myself on the verge of collapsing onto the cardboard, much like one would on a futon.

However, seeing the disdain in the eyes of my companion, as if looking at an unemployed father, I hastily retreated to the next room, mumbling about getting to work.

The apartment I moved into, though reasonably aged, had recently been renovated and looked brand new inside. Not a single stain marred the pristine white wall. Considering the rent matched the building’s age, I was deeply grateful.

The adjacent room was meant to be a bedroom but resembled more of a storage space due to all the cardboard boxes. Thick rectangular boxes leaned against the wall, which were essentially an unassembled bed.

As tedious as it looked, I had no choice but to get started. “Let’s get this over with.”

I grabbed a cutter lying around, nearly slicing my hand due to leaving the blade exposed. My stomach churned at the near-miss, almost making me lose the noodles I had just eaten.

“Mwahaha… Tonight, Murasame thirsts for blood,” I joked.

“…Sigh,” came a resigned sigh from the neighboring room, which I decided to ignore.

I adjusted the cutter’s blade and opened the bed’s cardboard box. Inside were large wooden boards, screws, and an instruction manual filled with various details. Feigning confidence, I sniffed at it, though I wasn’t particularly good at assembling things. I wasn’t interested in model kits, nor had I ever raced the popular mini four-wheel-drive cars.

I started taking everything out of the bags, constantly referring to the manual, and somehow managed to piece it together. Contrary to expectations, I didn’t find the process enjoyable and only wanted to finish quickly, which made my work sloppy. The screws ended up being crooked.

“Whew,” I sighed, wiping sweat from my forehead with half-closed eyes.

Looking at the wooden bed frame that now stood in the room’s corner, I felt a mix of annoyance and accomplishment. It was quite large for a single bed, especially since there were two of us but only one bed… The thought made my feet tingle awkwardly.

I heaved the mattress onto the frame and flopped onto it.

“Wheee!” The springs’ bounce made me laugh like a child.

Though I was 18, almost 19, and climbing the steps to adulthood, moments like this were timelessly fun. Age didn’t matter; the sensation of bouncing was delightful at any age.

“It’s noisy, and it stirs up dust… Do you need another reason?” came a scolding voice.

“…No, I don’t,” I replied.

Though it felt like being scolded like a mischievous child, I lay facedown on the bed, exhausted from both university and the assembly.

“Taking a break,” I announced, closing my eyes. I heard an exasperated sigh but wasn’t reprimanded. Despite the nagging, my companion was indulgent.

If left alone, they would do everything for me… The thought of potentially becoming a freeloader was both comforting and slightly terrifying.

I tried to muster the energy to work, feeling a brief surge of determination in my stomach.

But then I quickly let go, deciding that for now, I could relax. In my mind’s eye, I saw the taut rope slacken instantly.

As I lay there, the bed creaked as it sank under someone’s weight.

To my right, where my face was turned, I felt a slight shift. When I opened my eyes, I saw a perfectly beautiful face.

“…Tired?”

“…Not really,” came the usual curt response. Despite the indifferent reply, her expression was serene, like a cat basking in the sun on a veranda.

Seeing my companion so relaxed, an overwhelming emotion surged within me, and my hand instinctively reached out to touch her cheek. Her skin was slightly wet with sweat, soft and clinging. I wanted to keep touching it.

She said nothing, just looked at me with her deep, dark eyes. Gazing into those bottomless depths, I felt something within me being drawn out, and words of worry escaped my lips.

“Hey, Sajou-san…”

“…What?”

“Do you think… this was really the right choice?”

In the end, I hadn’t done anything specific. I had merely stayed with her.

During our three years of high school, many things happened after meeting her, but I never took any concrete actions. I just went with the flow, accepting things as they came, thinking it was fine.

I never made decisions or took bold steps because it was too troublesome and tiring.

Personally, I was okay with that, but when I thought about Sajou-san, doubts arose. It was like clear pond water becoming murky with disturbed silt as fish swam.

Maybe I could have done something more. If I had taken action, things might have turned out better. Perhaps if I had done something, even Sajou-san and her mother…

But even now, I don’t know what that something is.

I accepted the unchanging reality, yet I couldn’t shake the lingering sense of what-ifs. Despite having done nothing, I felt a deep regret that made me ashamed.

I lowered my gaze, unable to look directly at Sajou-san’s face.

“…It was the right choice. Just as it is.”

Her hand touched my cheek, initially tracing with her fingertips, then pressing her palm gently against my face. I moved my eyes to see her peaceful smile, devoid of any regret.

“Because you never asked for anything, I am here. You stayed by my side, and now I can touch you like this. Because of you, I can breathe… Back then, I didn’t even know how to breathe.”

Her hand slid from my cheek to gently grasp my hand.

“I live because you picked me up.”

Following her lead, my hand came to rest on her chest.

Soft and yielding, yet strangely devoid of lustful thoughts. Instead, a warmth spread from the point of contact, and the sound of a steady heartbeat resonated through my hand, filling my ears. With a quiet thump, thump, I felt a profound sense of calm.

I closed my eyes, feeling a bit of weight lift from my heart, leaving me slightly lighter.

“Then, I suppose…” I thought, surrendering to the gentle sway of the breeze, as if I were about to fall asleep in a sunlit meadow.

I felt like I would sleep well tonight, breathing softly… until a sudden pressure on my stomach made me exhale sharply.

“W-What?” I exclaimed, my eyes snapping open wide. Somehow, Sajou-san was straddling me, pushing me onto my back. I blinked rapidly as she unzipped her black hoodie and threw it off the bed.

“Hey… wait a minute,” I protested, but she paid no heed. She quickly removed the white shirt she was wearing underneath, revealing her lacy black underwear.

Sensing what was likely to happen next, I averted my eyes and muttered, “I’m tired, you know.”

“This is your fault, Rihito,” she said, placing a hand on my chest, causing me to shiver. It seemed I had no choice but to comply.

She smiled and added, “You’ll feel better after this~. After all, isn’t that how men are?”

Her words, though cliché, made me sigh in resignation.

How did it come to this? Living with such a beautiful woman would have seemed like a fantasy to my past self.

As Sajou-san’s face drew closer, I finally understood.

I used to think everything started on that rainy day when I took Sajou-san in, but that wasn’t the real beginning.

I had never forgotten her face among the apartment residents. Whether it was love at first sight or just an attraction to her looks, I didn’t know.

But I realized that from the moment I first passed her in the apartment hallway and saw her face, it was inevitable that I would take in the drenched and huddled Sajou-san from my doorstep.

In the end, it was her stunning beauty that drew me in.

Though I felt a bit of helplessness about the inevitable outcome, I was always good at coming to terms with things, thinking, “Oh well, it’s fine.”

I reached out and touched Sajou-san’s flushed cheek, which was so close I could reach it with just a slight movement.

“…I guess I’ve always loved you, Sajou-san.”

“Wha—?”

My feelings, kept for over two years, were finally voiced. It was a poor confession, almost like talking to myself.

Yet, it felt fitting. Embracing the gentle happiness, I pulled the stray cat, who had grown attached to me alone, closer to my chest.