Chapter 1199 - The Chick's Day Off: Part 2
Thus, determined not to be swallowed by the tension and expose my own unsightliness. Just as about an hour had passed with me keeping my guard up to desperately protect my evaluation points, which may or may not even exist.
An hour of being continuously brushed off with 'It's a secret' or 'Look forward to it' whenever I asked where we were going. While being rocked by her splendid safe driving with a state of mind like a carp on a cutting board, I was abducted away from the city center toward the edge of Tokyo... and ultimately, the place we arrived at was—
"............Um, Saegusa-san?"
"Yes, yes. What is it, Kasuga-san?"
It was not some kind of shop, nor was it a place like a photogenic spot or whatever. To put it simply, it was a scenery where only the word residential area came to my mind.
A so-called high-class residential area.
Compared to the center of the city, the surrounding bustle was like heaven and earth. It was a location that seemed reasonably easy to live in, which, in short, meant that in Tokyo, it was likely a seriously wealthy residential district.
...It is not as if, considering the extraordinary experiences I have accumulated over the past year through this and that, I would shrink back in this kind of environment at this point. However, of course, I am confused.
Because, of course I would be—
"...What? Um, this..."
"'What is this' you say... A house? A building? I can only say it is exactly what it looks like... Ah, or is it that? Is it a more philosophical question? Well, I can't really think of anything else—"
"Not that."
Since I accompanied her on a drive with various preparations, only to be suddenly brought to a house. My brain cannot keep up with a development that I seriously did not predict even a fraction of.
"Eh, what, what do you mean... Eh, does this mean it's Saegusa-san's house?"
A detached house in a high-class residential area that did not stand out from its surroundings. In other words, it was a very grand mansion, but on the nameplate hung on the sturdy gate, there was the word Saegusa.
Therefore, having understood in an instant that it was a building related to her, I was asking what this was—indeed, I was not questioning the object, but this situation.
"Well, it is Saegusa property, but it is not my property. To put it that way, it is like my grandmother's owned house... Well, your doubt is natural, though."
It seems she has no intention of feigning ignorance even after reaching this point... but before she could finish answering the question, Saegusa-san, who was standing beside me, went behind me and pushed me.
In other words, inside the gate.
No, wait, seriously, please wait a moment. Today, indeed, I came with the intention of trying my best not to resist any development, being obedient and showing sincerity, but suddenly her parents' home... parents' home? Do you call this a parents' home? I don't know, not a single thing is keeping up with my understanding, but I feel like this situation is normally bad, mainly in the sense of my sins—
"Come on, come on, hurry, hurry. Hiyohiyo—"
"Wait, hold on...! Eh? Ah, what, is, is your family here!? Like, a sudden meeting with the Saegusa clan here, and everyone coming out to string me up, or something like—"
"Ah, geez! That's wrong! We are all alone, so it's okay, it's okay!"
"In a different sense, that is seriously not okay in the slightest—"
Thus, while panicking, I attempted a momentary resistance, but...
"I won't eat you up, come on, hurry! In the end, I'll scream! In an ultra-sweet anime voice, 'Big Brother!♡!♡!♡'! Right now, in this residential area!!!"
"Damn it, you really do intend to kill me!!!"
With my social standing taken hostage, and if both options meant 'death', it took less than ten seconds for me to run forward. Literally without a choice, I passed through the Saegusa gate in true desperation.
◇◆◇◆◇
"............Excuse me...?"
Thus, let's entry to the presumed land of death.
Following Saegusa-san, who unlocked the door and went ahead, I timidly entered through the entrance door, but...
"That's why I said there's nobody here. This isn't a house for living in."
"Is a house that isn't for living in even a house...???"
In a sense different from the temperature, there was a chilly atmosphere. In short, far from the presence of people being zero, even the trace of people having been here was close to zero; it was that kind of atmosphere.
The inside of the entrance was also a spacious royalty conforming to the mansion-like appearance of the exterior, but almost no furniture or fixtures were placed there. It looked almost like an empty house.
...Which meant.
Just as she said, the situation was an undeniable just the two of us.
"............Um, as expected, this is really..."
This is different from being one-on-one with a maid in a public place (karaoke box). I don't know if it's a house that isn't a house or what, but being alone with my beloved's best friend in a private home is one hundred percent out for me.
And not just by my personal standards, it was crystal clear that this was a situation that would easily be judged as 'out' by society's standards—and yet, however.
"Well, yes. It is exactly as you say. I did think of patterns like bringing Hayato-kun... or rather, just bringing Nia-chan along with us."
Saegusa Hiyori, while agreeing with my attitude, did not try to stop her hands from taking off her shoes.
"Though it's based on trust, crossing the line is certainly, certainly... But,"
Leaving me standing there in agitation, she, who had stepped up onto the raised entryway first,
"Only for today, there are no jokes. —Please, keep me company one-on-one."
When she looked back at me, it was like that time...—the day we exchanged greetings for the first time.
Because she said it with the exact same face she showed me back then, as a single person who simply thought of her best friend (Nia), just like the one I saw during that 'handover' ceremony.
"............Sigh...—Later."
"...? Yes."
"Later, if necessary, shall we say 'I'm sorry' together?"
"............Fufu, ehehe."
Following suit, I took off my shoes.
Looking at me as I followed beside her while dragging a bitter smile.
"I refuse!"
"Eh..."
In the end, Saegusa-san, while unilaterally rolling a bad man around,
punched me once with a melting smile, then walked briskly down the hallway.
You understand, don't you?
That depending on the circumstances and the world line, she possesses a clear and charming double-sidedness that wouldn't make it strange for her to shoot right through the kinks of some protagonist. Hiyohiyo—
[Author's Note]
*Note: Another update is scheduled to be added late tonight.
I will update twice tomorrow as well, once at noon and once at night.