Chapter 2 Yuuki, Kotori, and the Girl Next Door
The next day, after school.
Just like two days prior, Yuuki was sitting on the bench in front of the school entrance, waiting for Kotori.
And just like last time, he had a textbook open, but his state of mind was vastly different.
The reason being…
(Today’s my first day off in forever!)
That’s right.
For the first time in a long while, he hadn’t scheduled any work.
For Yuuki, who basically worked weekends and never skipped a day of studying, this was a precious day indeed.
Of course, he’d still get his studying in, but he planned to wrap it up early and spend some quality time with Kotori.
Yuuki had suggested going out somewhere, but Kotori was more of an indoor person, so they often ended up just playing games together.
One might think that wasn't much different from any other day, but for the busy Yuuki, the only time he got to relax with Kotori was during breakfast, dinner, and for a little while before bed.
All told, maybe a little over two hours?
But today, he’d get to be with her for about six hours, from now until bedtime.
(Which means I can absorb three times the usual amount of Kotori-ness, which calculates out to my overall life-happiness index skyrocketing by a factor of ten or more!)
Such was the nonsensical result produced by Yuuki’s brain cells—the very same brain cells that had aced the math section of the recent national mock exam.
Truly, the world was a strange place.
“Ah, there she is.”
While he was lost in thought, Kotori emerged from the entrance, just as she had the day before yesterday.
(Huh, who’s that next to her…?)
It was an unfamiliar face.
A girl with dyed hair and a somewhat flashy look.
The flashy-looking girl glanced over at Yuuki, said, “Well, I’m outta here,” and left with a wave.
Kotori waved back, saying, “Goodbye,” then made her way over to Yuuki.
“Good work in class, Kotori.”
“Yes. You too, Yuuki-san.”
“Who was that?”
“Oh, that was my classmate, Yoshida Sayuri-san.”
“…I see.”
So Yoshida was the friend Kotori had mentioned.
He’d heard she was a “cute girl,” so this was a bit unexpected.
From Yuuki’s perspective, she had that sparkly vibe he wasn’t used to, and her sharp, dignified features gave off a rather unapproachable air.
As he was thinking that, he glanced in Yoshida’s direction.
“…(wave, wave)”
From a good distance away, she was still waving at Kotori.
“…Kotori, look.”
“Hm? Oh. Fufu, honestly, Yoshida-san…”
Kotori smiled happily and waved back.
In response, Yoshida’s stern expression melted away into a goofy grin, and she skipped contentedly out the school gate.
*(…Yeah. Okay, I guess she is pretty cute.)*
In fact, the gap between her appearance and her personality was so jarring it almost made him do a spit-take.
In any case, Yuuki was relieved she didn’t seem like some dangerous delinquent.
“…Alright, Kotori, let’s head home. It’s our day off. Let’s get back and relax!”
“You seem happy, Yuuki-san.”
“Yeah, just thinkin’ about how I get to spend the whole day with you. Can’t wait.”
“I-Is that so…?”
*Hah. She’s blushing.*
Guess being direct with your feelings is the way to go.
No need for fancy curveballs when you can just throw a perfectly controlled 100-mph fastball.
But just then…
Squeeze.
A soft sensation enveloped Yuuki’s hand.
Kotori had taken his hand in her small one.
“We can stay like this all day today, can’t we, Yuuki-san?”
She smiled, her face still flushed.
“…Y-Yeah.”
Between that devastatingly cute smile and the warmth spreading from her palm, Yuuki’s heart started pounding so hard he was sure he could hear it.
◇
“Huh?”
“What is it, Yuuki-san?”
Walking hand-in-hand with Kotori, Yuuki arrived at their apartment building.
There, in front of the door to the room next to Kotori’s, he saw a young girl sitting on the ground.
“Hey, isn’t that the kid from yesterday?”
Yes, it was the same girl who had witnessed them embracing at the entrance.
She was looking down, fiddling with her smartphone.
She was wearing the elementary school uniform of the prestigious girls’ academy nearby—the same one Kotori used to attend.
“It is. She’s the one who just moved in.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve greeted her a few times. Come to think of it, the move-in was finished while you were at work, Yuuki-san.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Plus, Yuuki was the type to leave early and come home late, whether it was a weekday or a holiday.
It wasn’t strange at all that they hadn’t crossed paths until now.
But more importantly…
“Hey, you don’t think she’s locked out, do you?”
It was summer, but today was a little chilly.
He couldn’t think of any other reason for her to be sitting in front of her own door.
“I’d like to ask what’s wrong, but… in this day and age, I’m a little hesitant to just walk up to a little girl.”
“That’s rich, coming from the person who let me into his home,” Kotori said playfully.
“Well, you’ve got me there.”
Incidentally, he’d looked it up after that whole incident and learned that even if both parties are minors, letting another minor stay over without parental permission can be considered kidnapping.
Apparently, it’s permissible if it’s to avoid a threat to life or limb.
It was a gray area in Kotori’s case, given that she’d been covered in bruises and about to jump, but it still sent a chill down his spine to think how close he’d come to crossing a very dangerous line.
While he was lost in thought, Kotori had already approached the girl, crouching down to meet her gaze.
“What’s your name?”
The girl slowly looked up from her smartphone.
This was the third time Yuuki had seen her, and if he had to describe her appearance in one word, it would be hauntingly beautiful.
Her expression was blank, but her eyes were slightly upturned and her lips were pressed firmly together, giving an impression of strong will.
She had long eyelashes and a well-defined nose.
Her short, silky hair was a brilliant blonde, and a beauty mark under her right eye served as a distinct feature.
Every one of those features was arranged with a perfection that was both beautiful and adorable.
(How do I put it… Right, she looks like a character from an anime or a manga.)
The girl possessed an almost surreal aura, as if a blonde princess from a fairy tale or fantasy world had wandered into their own.
The girl stared intently at Kotori’s face.
Kotori simply offered her a gentle smile.
“…”
“…”
A moment of silence passed.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, the girl spoke.
“…Yui. Hori Yui.”
So she introduced herself.
“You’ve been sitting out here for a while. Is something wrong?”
“…Lost my key.”
Called it, Yuuki thought, exchanging a look with Kotori.
Yuuki asked, “Did you call your mom or dad?”
“…”
Hori Yui slowly shook her head.
She was holding a smartphone, so it couldn’t be that she couldn’t call…
He was reminded of when he first met Kotori.
Back then, when he’d tried to contact her parents, she had begged him to stop.
Did this girl have her own circumstances, too?
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it…”
Hori Yui murmured, then turned her attention back to the screen in her hands as if she’d lost all interest in them.
“Easier said than done.”
It was genuinely worrying to see a kid her age all alone outside.
Still, he couldn’t just snatch her phone and force her to call her parents, and calling the police seemed like an overreaction.
“…I see.”
Kotori whispered the words, then smoothly sat down next to Hori Yui.
“Then, may I stay here with you for a little while?”
The girl looked up from her phone again, a puzzled expression on her face.
“…Why?”
“Because I wanted to. Would that be a bother?”
“…”
The girl silently shook her head.
Seeing this, Kotori’s voice brightened.
“Thank you, Hori-san.”
“…Yui. You can call me Yui.”
“Okay. My name is Shimizu Kotori. It’s nice to meet you, Yui-chan.”
“…”
The girl gave a silent, curt nod, and went back to her phone.
Yuuki leaned in and whispered to Kotori.
“*(Hey, Kotori. What’s the plan here…?)*”
“*(I don’t know. I don’t, but… I just have a feeling it would be better to stay with her.)*”
Kotori said, her eyes on Yui.
“(…Well, yeah, I get that.)”
The girl herself said not to worry about it, and bringing her into their apartment could cause unnecessary trouble depending on how her guardians reacted.
In that case, Kotori’s idea of simply staying by her side seemed like a good option.
But…
(…There goes my precious day off alone with Kotori…!)
“Is something wrong, Yuuki-san?”
“Nah… it’s nothin’.”
Yuuki plopped down next to Kotori.
“…You don’t have to.”
Yui said, her eyes still glued to the screen.
“Can’t do that. It’s not safe for two girls to be out here alone…”
Well, I guess I can stand to lose a little of my one-on-one time with Kotori, Yuuki thought with a sigh.
◇
“It’s gotten this late already…?”
Yuuki closed his textbook and glanced at the time on his phone.
The three of them had sat down in front of the door, and with no further developments, the sky had grown dark.
“…”
He glanced to his side.
Yui was still silently tapping away at her phone.
Kotori was next to her, reading a book and occasionally looking over at Yui.
(She seems really concerned about her.)
Maybe she just likes kids?
“…Ah, it’s getting a little chilly.”
Though the last vestiges of summer lingered, the nights were cool.
Yuuki stood up.
“I’m gonna grab a jacket. You think one of yours will fit Yui, Kotori?”
“I think so. Thank you.”
Just as Yuuki opened his apartment door…
Clack, clack.
The sound of footsteps ascending the apartment stairs reached them.
The sound of heels on the metal steps.
“Why are you sitting in such a place, Yui-sama?”
The person who appeared was a woman in her mid-twenties.
The first thing that caught his eye was her expression.
With her lips pressed into a firm line and her slightly upturned eyes behind a pair of glasses, she looked angry at first glance.
However, she was so petite—clearly under 150 centimeters—that she lacked any real intimidating presence.
Dressed in a prim and proper suit, she gave off an incredibly serious and diligent impression.
*(Not Yui-chan’s mother… she called her ‘-sama.’ And who the hell gets called ‘-sama’ anyway? What is this kid?)*
Yui looked up from her phone.
“…Key.”
She said just one word.
“I see. So you have lost it. In that case, you should have contacted either myself or the president.”
“…It’s fine.”
“Hah, you are as stubborn as ever, Yui-sama. I have the spare key, so I will open it for you.”
Well, it seemed the problem was solved.
Yuuki and Kotori exchanged a look and stood up.
She wasn’t her parent, but since a responsible adult had arrived, their job was done.
“And who might you two be?”
The woman in the suit asked, looking at Yuuki and Kotori as they were about to enter their own rooms.
“Oh, we were just talking with Yui-chan. I’m Yuuki Yuusuke, from two doors down. And this is Shimizu Kotori, from next door.”
“Is that so… My apologies for the late introduction. I am Hyodo, secretary to this child’s mother. On behalf of the president, allow me to offer our greetings for the move-in. We look forward to being your neighbors.”
She bowed deeply.
Seeing this, Kotori bowed back, saying the pleasure was all hers.
It was a bit overwhelming for a high school student to be treated with such formal politeness by an adult.
“Now then, I must return to the company, so please excuse me.”
Hyodo took a key from her bag, unlocked the door, handed the key to Yui, bowed once more, and turned on her heel.
She descended the stairs and left the apartment building.
Every one of her movements was crisp and efficient.
She seemed just as serious as she looked.
“…Later.”
Yui said, then opened the door that had just been unlocked for her and stepped inside.
“…”
“…”
Yuuki and Kotori were left in silence for a moment.
“Hyodo-san was a very prim and proper person, wasn’t she…?”
Kotori said, looking a bit taken aback.
Kotori herself was quite serious, but she was more of the polite and deliberate type.
Hyodo’s sharp, almost military-like movements seemed to have overwhelmed her a little.
“…And Yui-chan’s mom is some kind of company president, huh. Well, whatever. I’m just glad Yui-chan got inside safely. We should head in too, Kotori.”
Yuuki said, placing his hand on his doorknob.
“…Ah, man.”
Yuuki opened the door.
“It’s already nighttime.”
“Yes, it’s gotten completely dark.”
“…Haaah.”
Inside, the apartment was dark and chilly.
It was empty, of course, since no one had been home.
It felt like a reflection of Yuuki’s own heart.
“Yuuki-san, are you feeling down?”
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
It was just a little too pathetic to admit he was bummed that his one-on-one time with Kotori on his day off had been cut short.
The time was 9:00 PM.
Not much different from a regular day.
Yuuki, filled with a sense of regret, was about to step over the threshold when…
“Ah, please wait a moment.”
Kotori slipped past Yuuki and entered the entryway first.
“What’s up?”
“Um, Yuuki-san… could you close the door, wait a little bit, and then come in like you always do?”
“I don’t mind, but…”
“Thank you. I always look forward to it.”
“To what?”
Kotori took off her shoes and stepped inside.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“O-Okay.”
As instructed, Yuuki stepped back outside and closed the door.
“What the hell is this about…?”
Puzzled, he waited for a moment as she’d asked.
“…Is it okay now?”
Yuuki opened the door just as he always did.
“Welcome home, Yuuki-san.”
Kotori stood in the entryway, greeting him.
“…”
It was the same scene as always.
The lights were on.
Kotori’s lovely voice and smile.
And that familiar routine warmed Yuuki’s heart in a way he couldn’t explain.
“You know, saying ‘welcome home’ to you like this really does make me happy.”
Kotori said, her cheeks blushing slightly in embarrassment.
“…Yeah.”
Yeah, this is fine.
So what if his plans for the day didn’t go exactly as he’d hoped?
Just seeing Kotori this happy was enough to fill him with such a sense of bliss.
“Yeah. I’m home, Kotori.”
Yuuki said, stepping into the home that was, as always, filled with a gentle warmth.
◇
“You know, Yui-chan was a very cute girl.”
The day after their time spent with Yui in the hallway, Kotori brought it up as they were eating dinner together.
Tonight’s meal, by the way, was curry—one of Yuuki’s favorites among Kotori’s dishes.
The vegetables were simmered until they melted into the roux, creating a light yet incredibly deep and delicious flavor.
“Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess she was.”
Her features were certainly very well-formed.
“Do you like kids, Kotori?”
“I do. Do you not like them, Yuuki-san?”
“Hmm, let’s see.”
Yuuki scooped up some curry with his spoon.
“It’s not that I dislike them… it’s more like, I don’t know how to act around them.”
He brought the spoonful of curry to his mouth.
The curry and rice mingled, and a sweet and savory flavor spread through his senses.
“I think you could just be kind to them, like you were with me.”
“You think so?”
Honestly, he still wasn’t quite sure.
“Well, I guess I won’t have a choice if I have kids of my own someday.”
When Yuuki said that, Kotori laughed.
“Fufu, if you had children, I bet you’d dote on them so much, Yuuki-san.”
“You think? Hmm, well, maybe.”
Yuuki thought for a moment.
“I’d want to let my kids be free…”
He said, his voice trailing off.
“…I see. That’s very like you, Yuuki-san.”
Kotori’s expression grew a little complicated.
He’d told her about his father before, so she probably understood what he was getting at.
“What about you, Kotori? How would you want them to grow up?”
“Me? Let’s see…”
Kotori touched the spoon to her lips, thinking for a moment.
Then, with her left hand, she touched the spot just below her collarbone.
Yuuki knew what was there.
Hidden by her clothes, the skin was slightly discolored—a mark of Kotori’s past.
“I… would want them to be happy.”
Her voice and expression were filled with kindness, regret, and a myriad of other emotions.
“…Happy, huh.”
It was a rather abstract wish.
But for Kotori, who had endured a life that was anything but happy, those words were surely not spoken lightly.
“Yeah. That’s the most important thing, isn’t it?”
“Yes. For me, that’s all that matters.”
“Yeah.”
Kotori’s eyes were so gentle.
Despite everything that had happened, she held no grudges.
She probably even wished, from the bottom of her heart, for the happiness of the person currently in a detention center.
*(You’re too kind. You really are…)*
Watching her, Yuuki felt a sense of mission welling up inside him.
(I’m still just a kid who can’t do anything yet.)
But one day… he would be the one to make this girl and her children happy.
It was a bit premature, but… he wanted that with all his heart.
“Man, I think this is the first time I’ve ever wanted to grow up fast…”
Yuuki said, leaning back against the bed with his hands clasped behind his head.
“Fufu, what’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Nah, it’s nothing. I’ll tell you when the time comes.”
“?” Kotori tilted her head.
*That’s right. I’ll tell her someday.*
For now, Yuuki decided to save those words for when he had the power to back them up.
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