It Seems Like a Girl I Don’t Know Is Doing Housework at My Place. But She’s Cute, So I’m Watching Her.

In the end, after some back-and-forth—and with Chiaki on the verge of tears—I decided not to press further about her underwear.

“Well, anyway… ‘naughty pranks,’ huh…”

Even though I’d let the matter drop, the conversation itself was still… well, a pretty loaded one. It wasn’t the kind of topic you could just smoothly move on from. So, naturally, the ridiculous banter continued. Or rather, I was the one continuing it.

“Thinking about it, sexual harassment is kind of tricky, huh?”

“In your case, Haruto, it’s more like power harassment than sexual harassment.”

“Are you referring to physical power?”

That sounds bad. I’m not harassing anyone! The whole peppermint oil thing was just a joke.

“Actually, I was just playing around, trying to make sure things didn’t veer too far into inappropriate territory.”

“Oh, yeah, I figured. I was a little worried there for a second, wondering what I’d do if you were being serious.”

“No way.”

I mean, who in their right mind would seriously think about putting peppermint oil on someone’s underwear? That’s not something that just pops up in your head without it being a joke. I had to shift gears and come up with something ridiculous on purpose.

“I was being considerate, you know? I was making sure it didn’t get too real—nothing too crude or direct. I toned it down to a level that wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, keeping it in the realm of harmless teasing.”

“I don’t know… it felt like my dignity was trampled just a little bit.”

“Well, you’re the one who brought those ‘props’ in the first place.”

“Did you just call my underwear ‘props’?!”

I mean, I had no choice but to treat them like that. Sure, it would’ve been better not to use them at all, but given the situation, I couldn’t exactly ignore them. Honestly, I deserve praise for how smoothly I navigated that awkward moment.

“And besides, sexual harassment is still harassment. It’s not about whether it’s tricky or not—it’s just something you shouldn’t do.”

“True. I guess in this case, it wasn’t really harassment, right? You didn’t seem too bothered, Chiaki.”

“Well, I mean… it’s not like I said I was completely okay with it…”

“You pretty much did.”

You literally said you wouldn’t mind some “naughty pranks.” Isn’t that closer to harassment than what I did?

“Anyway. Having experienced something straight out of a rom-com manga, I’ve realized how incredible those protagonists are. The fact that they can turn situations like that into romantic moments is impressive. Even more amazing is how they only get a slap as punishment.”

“Honestly, I think you’re pretty much like a rom-com protagonist yourself, Haruto.”

“The person responsible for all of this is saying that with a straight face?”

Who does she think is responsible for this bizarre situation? Sure, I’m in this weird position where a gorgeous girl is all over me like a doting wife even though we’re not dating. That’s rom-com-esque, I guess.

But seriously, Chiaki is just too eccentric to be your standard rom-com heroine. In fiction, it’s cute, but in reality, I’d prefer to take a step back.

“Oh! I’ve got an idea! Let’s practice becoming a rom-com protagonist! We can work on transitioning from awkward situations to a romantic vibe!”

“What’s your real goal?”

“I want to make up for earlier and get closer to you, Haruto!”

“For someone who looks so composed, you sure lead an embarrassing life, Chiaki.”

“And for someone who talks like an idiot, you’re pretty sharp with your insults.”

Hey, I’m a well-rounded student with a lot of interests. Although, most of my witty responses come from internet slang more than anything.

It’s not like I don’t read, but I never really got into literary classics. Even just skimming through them gave me a sense of how powerful the old-school writers were.

“Anyway! Let’s try it, okay?!”

“Stop trying to force it.”

“Come on! There’s something in it for you too, Haruto! You might get to see me in a more revealing way, you know?”

With that, Chiaki gave me a sultry look as she slowly lifted the hem of her skirt.

As I’ve mentioned before, Chiaki’s looks are top-tier. She’s so attractive that she can make her stalker tendencies seem almost tolerable.

“…”

In short, I’m not sure how to react. It’s effective enough to make me uncomfortable, which makes it worse.

“S-see? With a little effort, you could get a better look… maybe even touch if you wanted. What guy wouldn’t go for that?”

“You’re shaking.”

“Well, yeah, because I didn’t expect you to stare this much! It’s embarrassing!”

Then don’t do it in the first place. Of course I’m going to stare. I’ve got thick skin, and I’ll definitely look if you’re giving me the okay. I’m not the type to hold back if I don’t have to.

By the way, Chiaki’s outfit today is a sleeveless shirt and a long skirt, perfect for the upcoming summer weather. So, there are plenty of gaps in her attire. Right now, her skirt is lifted to just above her knees, so if I felt like playing a “naughty prank,” I could probably catch a glimpse of her underwear without much effort.

“You’ve got a patch of hair you missed shaving on your calf.”

“Eep!”

“Just kidding.”

“Y-you know what, Haruto!? That was sexual harassment!!”

“You’re the one who asked for it.”

“We already established that there’s a difference between naughty pranks and harassment! What you just did crossed the line!”

“Oh, sorry.”

Is it really that bad? Yeah, it probably is. My bad.