Chapter 497: So, I Brought Another Girl Home
Chapter 497: So, I Brought Another Girl Home
The Female Teacher dropped everyone off one by one.
Yuigahama got off with Yukinoshita, shouting, “I’m coming to Yukino-chan’s place for dinner!” That’s what she said.
They sure got along well!
Hanjo Ayame, still in the car, felt a pang of envy and shot Six Flowers a tiny, resentful glance.
But Six Flowers, freshly awake, was busy playing a mobile game with Himekoji and had no time for her.
The nerve!
Hanjo Ayame gritted her teeth in frustration.
It was all Himekoji’s fault!
The more she looked at him, the more he seemed to get in the way.
If it weren’t for Himekoji messing things up, her relationship with Six Flowers could surely be as close and sticky-harmonious as Yukinoshita and Yuigahama’s, right?
How infuriating! Absolutely maddening!
“Um… what game are you guys playing? Could I join in?”
After much thought, Hanjo Ayame finally made up her mind. She decided to swallow her pride and join Himekoji and Six Flowers’s little gaming circle.
First, join. Then, dismantle!
Fortresses are best attacked from within!
…
Watching the car drive away, Yukinoshita stayed rooted to the spot.
“Yukino-chan? What’s up?” Yuigahama asked curiously, calling her friend’s name.
“Hmm… Don’t you think something’s a bit… strange between Sensei and Pervert-kun?”
So, that’s what Yukinoshita said next.
Yuigahama was startled at first. Then a strange expression crossed her face as she nervously twisted her fingers, hesitating before speaking—
“If… if we’re being like that, well… I actually thought, thought… that your relationship with Akito has been really unusual lately too…”
“Huh?”
Yukinoshita completely disagreed, shooting Yuigahama a ‘what nonsense are you talking about?’ look before decisively striding off ahead.
“Let’s just go… bleh—”
Once again, the girl’s cool and spirited exit was ruined by that final retching sound.
“Yukino-chan, are you okay?” Yuigahama couldn’t help but worry for her.
“Fine. Just a bit carsick still. It’ll pass.”
“I-is that so?”
That night, Yuigahama ended up staying over at Yukinoshita’s place, too worried to leave her alone.
…
“We’re here.”
Himekoji was practically shoved out of the car by the Female Teacher, and Six Flowers followed close behind.
Both were treated to a faceful of exhaust fumes as the Female Teacher angrily sped off.
While heading upstairs, Six Flowers stood frozen for a long moment.
“Something wrong?” Himekoji asked.
But the girl just shook her head.
Under Himekoji’s puzzled gaze, Six Flowers started walking.
Only to—
“Hey! Your apartment’s this way!”
Six Flowers had managed to go the entirely wrong direction.
“Huh? Ah, ah, really?” Blushing with embarrassment, the girl turned around. Learning a lesson, she stood stiffly at attention, silently signaling with her eyes for Himekoji to lead the way.
It was only seeing the girl’s bright, golden eyes that Himekoji realized it wasn’t Six Flowers— this disoriented wanderer was Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye.
That explained the confusion.
Walking ahead, Himekoji said with amused exasperation:
“Look, couldn’t you two give me a heads-up before swapping bodies? Otherwise, I never know who’s who, and it feels like it’s just asking for some really awkward situation to pop up, you know?”
“What awkward situation?” Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye blinked, curious as a kitten.
“Em…”
Himekoji was stumped. He definitely couldn’t start listing examples.
“Mr. Himekoji can think of me as Rikka, it’s fine.”
“Don’t be silly,” Himekoji laughed, turning back to urge her on. “Now come on, keep up!”
He reached out naturally and took the Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye’s hand.
Himekoji’s place was on the third floor. Six Flowers’ was directly above his, on the fourth.
The door still had that signature calculator stuck to it, all mysterious-like.
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye curiously tapped it with her finger.
“Can you open it by typing in the password?”
“If you have the key?”
Himekoji handed her the key Touka had given him.
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye stared silently at the keychain resting in her palm.
“Big Sister is gone… so, Mr. Himekoji will take care of me from now on?”
“Of course. If there’s anything you need help with, you can always come to me. I live right downstairs.”
“Downstairs?”
“Mhm.”
“Not… live together?”
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye looked up at Himekoji, a hint of confusion appearing on her face.
“No, of course not, Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye. A girl can’t just live with a boy without a good reason.” Though saying this felt a bit hollow coming from Himekoji, who not too long ago had secretly housed two high school girls. But still, it was the principle of the matter.
Himekoji saw that Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye looked confused, so he had to explain again patiently.
At the end, he wanted to check if she had listened.
“…In short, that’s basically it, do you understand?”
“I understand.”
“Hmm, that’s good.”
Both were inexperienced and naive people, but Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye’s understanding was much better than Mashiro’s, and Himekoji truly felt relieved.
She could understand after one explanation. Mashiro, you should learn from this!
“I understand. As long as we don’t live together casually, it’s no problem.”
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye muttered this softly to herself, then picked up the key and aimed it at the keyhole.
“Put it in, then turn it to the right.”
Himekoji taught her personally.
Teaching Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye various things one by one was a satisfying thing for Himekoji.
It felt just like being a dad, because you teach kids from zero too!
As a new dad, Himekoji had been in a mysterious mood lately.
“It… it won’t turn!”
The expected “click” sound and the door opening didn’t happen, which was a bit surprising to Himekoji.
“How come?”
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“I’ll try harder!”
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye took a deep breath, as if getting ready to be serious.
“Wait!”
Luckily, Himekoji stopped her in time.
Her “hard” was definitely not like a normal person’s hard!
If she truly “tried hard”, the key might break along with the lock.
“I’ll do it.”
Himekoji stepped forward and decided to show her himself.
Then…
“Did your sister give us the wrong key?”
Himekoji found that this door really wouldn’t open at all!
“Probably… not?”
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye’s tone was not really sure.
Himekoji had to keep trying bravely—
“Open the door! Open! Open it, hey!”
Maybe Himekoji’s words worked, because the door opened with a “click” sound.
Only, it was opened from the inside…
A big aunt in loose pajamas with a face mask glared angrily at Himekoji and Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye.
“What are you two doing? Why are you shouting by someone else’s door?”
Someone else’s door…
Wait, how had this become someone else’s door?
Wasn’t this Rikka’s house?
Himekoji’s mind went blank. He stiffly turned his neck to look at Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye beside him, using his eyes to ask if this aunt was Rikka’s relative or something.
Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye just shook her head, meaning she didn’t know anything.
Then, at that moment, while Himekoji and Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye were still in shock, the aunt drove them away very angrily and without mercy.
“What… what’s happening?”
Himekoji couldn’t figure out the situation for some time, but then, a text message Rikka got on her phone solved it for him.
Actually, this house’s rent had ended a month ago. Back then, Touka had been settling back in the countryside because of Rikka. Most things in the house had been packed up, and they didn’t think they would ever need to live there again, so they just stopped renting…
“Such a big thing, and Sister Touka only thought of it now?!”
After reading the message and learning all about it, Himekoji couldn’t help but hold his forehead for a long moment, speechless.
“What should we do now?”
Where would Rikka and Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye live after this?
“Big sister told me, Mr. Himekoji would handle it.”
As the person involved, Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye wasn’t worried at all.
Was it trusting Himekoji too much?
Anyway, Himekoji tentatively made a decision—
“How about staying at my place for tonight? Later, we can see about renting a place or living in a dorm.”
After saying this, and seeing that Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye had no objections, he took her back to his house.
Just as he took out his key to open the door, he realized it wasn’t locked.
Himekoji gave a gentle push, and the door opened.
…