Kaiwa mo shinai tsurekko no imouto ga, naganen issho ni baka yatte-kita Netoge no friend datta

She was about ten minutes late, but when she arrived, she immediately swore at me. As she growled at me, I could see that the cat-like mask she was wearing until moments ago had long since disappeared. 

I pointed out that she, Nanjo Rin, was cleverly hiding the dark circles under her eyes with make-up just like the other day. Also, to add on, she looked somehow more excited than usual. 

I, on the other hand, was in a state of depression, not wanting to stay with her for even a moment longer. So I asked her casually.

“So, what do you want?”

“Ah, right! I wanted to ask you something!”

I was a little startled when she came up right next to me excitedly.

Her eyes were colored with excitement as if they were those of a child aching to cause some trouble. I can’t help but feel that I’m about to get myself into some kind of serious issue with her.

“Are you free, Subaru-kun? Oh, you must be free because you don’t have any follow-up exams, right? Come hang out with me for a minute!”

“What if I refuse?”

“I’m sure you’ll make a wise decision.”

“…Good grief.”

Nanjo Rin talked with an excited tone. There was some indescribable power there, which made me unable to say no to that invitation.

In such a case, the damage would only be reduced if you do not go against it. I came up with that conclusion with my experience with Philia-san. I shrugged and nodded.

◇◇◇

“Here, this way! Hurry up!”

“Oh, hey!”

We ran out of the school from the fire exit and then hurried along the back of a residential street, trying to stay unseen from the mass.

“Where the h**l are we heading to?”

“You’ll know when you get there.”

“I’ll know when I get there…”

“What, did you have something else to do? Don’t tell me, it’s a girlfriend?”

“I don’t have any …”

“Thought so.”

“This brat…”

This small runner, Nanjo Rin, was going so fast that I could barely keep up with her. Somehow, it felt like she was about to leave me behind.

However, if I were to be left behind by her, I could easily imagine her ridiculing me by saying, “sloppy” or “so uncool”, so I half-heartedly, with the help of my willpower alone, tried to keep up with her.

But that willpower too, as we approached an area with large houses and expensive-looking cars parked on colossal parking lots, gets replaced by anxiety.

Where on earth am I headed?

“This is….”

“As you can see.”

It was a gorgeous entrance that was enough to make me lose my concentration.

Nanjo Rin unlocked the security system with a practiced hand and entered the tower mansion. As I looked around restlessly like a Nobori-san, I was forced into the elevator by Nanjo Rin who was getting fed up waiting for me.

[TL note: Nobori-san is a word used to make fun of people who came to the city from the countryside, mesmerized seeing the new things around them.]

“……”

“……”

We kept quiet around each other. I could feel a different form of awkward atmosphere than when I was dealing with Hiyori.

It took quite a long time to get to the 25th floor. Even though I’m not that uncomfortable being silent when I’m with Hiyori… While thinking about that, time passed by, and it felt like I was finding a needle in a haystack.

The first thing I saw after reaching the 25th floor was a fluffy hotel-like corridor. I went through the way, following her from behind.

Then, we stopped in front of a particular door. Nanjo Rin took out a key and opened it. Looking at the nameplate, I could see the syllables of ‘Nanjo’ inscribed. No matter how you looked at it, it indicated that this was Nanjo Rin’s home. What in the world was she even thinking?

I was a little confused by the magnitude of the situation unfolding so fast and terrifyingly.

“Well, then. Come on, in.”

“… I will be intruding.”

I went through the front door as I was urged to do. The interior of the room was decorated nicely enough that it didn’t fall behind the exterior. It was not only just a girl’s house. Instead, I was put off by the fact that the dwelling atmosphere and the standard of our living were so obviously on a different level that I subconsciously bent my back.

[TL note: Japanese people have the custom of bending forward when feeling respect towards someone or something. It also depicts knowing one’s position when in a corporate.]

“The living room is beyond the door at the back. I’ll be right there, so wait comfortably.”

“Yeah…”

That said, Nanjo Rin entered the room on her right. Is that perhaps her room? 

As there was no point in standing in front of the doorway, I headed for the living room as instructed.

Let’s just say it was as I had imagined it to be. The living room was quite spacious with a size which seemed to be almost twice that of our house, although with highly sparse furnishings, and with only the bare essentials needed for daily life being present. It was functional at best, and, at worst, a barren place to live in.

I tried to sit on a very comfortable sofa, stretching my legs forward. However, the couch sank underneath and my legs were now at a height more than me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting… Just what type of weird position are you sitting in? Pfft!”

“Shut up… Come to think of it, what about your parents? I’m sure we can at least share some greeti—”

“There are none, as I live alone.”

“—Oh, I see. You live alo… HaA!?”

A bombshell was just dropped nonchalantly. I couldn’t hide my perplexed expression.

I was invited to a girl’s house where she lives alone… Even if I don’t intend to, trying to be nervous about the situation is a relatively hard call.

“What are you even getting conscious about it now? Just to make sure, I’m a black belt in aikido, okay? There’s no way you can physically overpower or even assault me, so no need to even worry about it.”

“Heh heh, I wouldn’t touch you even if you begged me to.”