NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34
“──I’m home!”
“……”
Lately, I’ve been thinking about something.
“Oh, Haruto-kun! You’ve let the dishes pile up again. You really can’t manage without me, can you?”
“……”
Over the past few days, specifically since the day we went to the Avant-garde live concert, Chiaki-san’s behavior has gotten increasingly annoying.
“And your clothes, too. I get that worn-out shirts feel comfortable, but wearing one with a droopy collar is just sloppy. So, I’ll be taking this one for myself.”
“……”
Correction. it’s not just a feeling. She’s clearly becoming more annoying and shameless. The fact that she now casually declares her intention to take my old clothes is a clear sign of worsening.
“Here’s a new shirt for you. Do you remember it? It’s a bit flashier than your old one, but I’m sure it’ll look great on you. I picked it to match your other clothes, so I hope you’ll wear it!”
“……”
What would you call this behavior? Is it fair to say she’s acting like my girlfriend? One thing’s for sure—Chiaki-san is getting way too carried away.
“Sigh…”
I know why, though. It all started after what happened on the way back from the concert the other day.
That accidental slip-up. It was a truly embarrassing moment when she realized… that my perception of her—or rather, my feelings toward her—had softened.
Ever since then, Chiaki-san’s been on a roll. And I mean, it’s almost unbearable. She was already trying to get closer whenever she could, but once she realized it was working, it only made sense that she’d push further.
“What’s wrong, Haruto-kun? You’re sighing. You know, sighing lets happiness escape! …But, well, I’ll make sure to fill up the happiness you’ve lost.”
“……”
Does she even realize why I’m sighing? Then again, if she did, she probably wouldn’t be this irritating.
To some extent, it’s inevitable. Chiaki-san has always been this way: shameless, quick to get carried away, and oddly assertive. Call it living in the moment or following her instincts.
If she weren’t, she wouldn’t have stalked me or trespassed in the first place. And the fact that she keeps coming back with glee, even after I found out about her illegal actions… well, that says it all.
So, as unfortunate as it is, expecting Chiaki-san to grasp such subtleties is asking too much. Of course, if she were in her right mind, there might have been a chance. But right now, Chiaki-san is, to put it simply, out of her mind.
It seems she’s beyond thrilled to learn that my feelings toward her have improved. In polite terms, she’s on cloud nine; in more blunt terms, she’s lost her head.
The frustrating part is that her reasoning makes it hard for me to get mad at her. If she were just being her usual presumptuous self, it’d be easier to deal with. But knowing that her behavior stems from something almost endearing makes my reaction more complicated.
“Okay! That’s it for today. It’s true—doing chores little by little makes them finish faster!”
“……”
That said, it wouldn’t be right to just let her continue like this.
Let me reiterate, Chiaki-san and I have an employer-employee relationship. To be precise, it’s more like a pseudo-employment since there’s no money involved, but that’s beside the point.
The important thing is that our relationship should remain businesslike. In other words, her over-the-top behavior needs to stop.
That’s why I’ve been trying to protest in my own way by ignoring her, just like before…
“And now! I’ll be intruding next door!”
“……”
“Hehe, Haruto-kun’s been so passive lately. Sure, communicating is fun, but this silent treatment has its own charm too, you know?”
“……”
──Regrettably, it seems that ignoring her no longer works on this airheaded woman.
“Hey, Haruto-kun? Is this okay? If you keep giving me the silent treatment, I’ll have to hug you, you know? They say silence means consent, after all.”
“Chiaki-san, you’ve gotten so annoyingly persistent.”
“Ahh, trying to hide your embarrassment—how cute!”
Am I being mocked? Could it be that she’s just pretending to be giddy while secretly laughing at me?
No, I know Chiaki-san wouldn’t do that. But she’s still really, really annoying.
“Hey, listen. I’m actually serious about complaining at this point.”
“Oh, come on.”
“No, really. Until now, I’ve been holding back, thinking about how you must be feeling. But I have my limits too, you know?”
“I know that. But I also know your real breaking point is still way, way ahead.”
“……”
“I haven’t stalked you for nothing, you know? Of course, if you’re truly upset, I’ll take the hint and back off, but I know this is all within your tolerance. Sure, you might find me annoying, but that’s pretty much it, right?”
“……”
Chiaki-san speaks so casually about what’s going on inside me. I could dismiss it as a convenient narrative she’s made up for herself, but frustratingly, her analysis isn’t entirely wrong.
She’s certain that if I could tolerate the full-blown criminal behavior from her past, there’s no way I’d outright reject her now, when she’s just being a bit overbearing.
“You know, it’s kind of messed up to keep doing this even though you know how I feel.”
“But I can’t help it! When I act like this, I can feel your love.”
“Love?”
“Yeah. The love that lets you accept me no matter what I do. The love that makes you considerate enough not to reject me too harshly. You don’t yell at me, and even when you ignore me, it’s in the cutest way. So even if I feel bad, I just can’t stop.”
“…Really?”
I can’t help but feel my face twitch. It’s been a while since I saw this darker side of Chiaki-san. She’s reading me like a book, and she’s testing me, enjoying the process.
It’s moments like these that remind me she used to be a stalker.
“Until recently, I thought maybe you didn’t really care. But now that I know I’ve grown on you, I just can’t hold back anymore. So, I’m sorry, okay?”
“Even if you say sorry…”
“Don’t worry! I won’t do anything that really bothers you. I’m just having a little fun with your reactions.”
“Don’t you think this might make me dislike you?”
“Not at all. If I didn’t lose your favor when I was doing way worse stuff, it’s not going to happen now. In fact, it’ll only get better from here. No way it’ll go down.”
“That’s… some confidence.”
“Of course! Everything I’ve done so far has been right, hasn’t it? So now, there’s no need to hold back. I’m telling you right now: I’m going to push even harder from here on. I’m going to make you mine for sure, so be ready!”
With that, Chiaki-san wraps her arms around me. …Didn’t she say she wouldn’t do that if I responded?
“Chiaki-san, you’re heavy.”
“Yeah, sorry. I’m heavy, especially when I get stalker-ish.”
“No, I mean physically heavy.”
I’ll say it again: my couch is a beanbag. So when the two of us sit together, it gets pretty unstable. When she hugs me like this, all her weight presses down on me.
“Haruto-kun? Even if it’s payback, there are things you should and shouldn’t say, you know?”
“You literally admitted it yourself.”
“That’s not what I meant! If you say stuff like that, I’ll pin you down!”
“Then I’ll tell Harusaki-san.”
“I’m sorry.”
Harusaki-san really is strong. Even though Chiaki-san declared war on me, I think I can hold out for now. Having a proper defense strategy is reassuring.
──From stalker to roommate, from roommate to full-fledged housekeeper. Where things will go from here… I’ll just have to wait and see.