“No, it’s okay. I was the one who lied and was working for them. I just got punished for it.
After leaving the scene, I decided to give Tojo-san a ride home.
It was almost midnight, and I couldn’t just let the girl go home alone.
“It’s better that it didn’t turn out to be a big deal. Tojo-san, please don’t worry about it.”
“I can’t do that, though… Because Inamori-kun helped me, and I returned the favour by getting you fired.”
She looks extremely depressed and looks like she fell flat on her face.
I didn’t expect her to care this much about me, so I don’t know what to say.
“–Oh yeah, Inamori-kun, have you finished dinner yet?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I was just about to get something to eat.”
“In that case, why don’t you let me invite you for dinner? I don’t think it’ll make up for it, but I’d like to, at least, return the favour of the person who helped me…”
I was about to say, “You really don’t have to worry about that–,” but the mere reminder of dinner made my stomach growl loudly.
I only ate one piece of pastry instead of lunch at school and nothing else since.
I didn’t notice it because I was concentrating on something else, but once I became aware of it, the bug in my stomach rumbled unceasingly.
“Fufu. I can repay you in some small way it seems.”
“Ugh… Um… If you want to… I’d be happy to oblige.”
“Yes, of course. Let’s go, shall we?”
“B-by the way, I’d like to ask you, where are we going?”
At this hour, most of the restaurants would be closed.
Even if pubs and chain stores are open, if they see your face in a well-lit place, they’ll know you’re underage.
In response to my question, Tojo-san smiles mischievously.
“To my house.”
◇◆◇
“U..waah..”
Tojo-san took me to a big tower apartment, which was almost like a skyscraper.
The difference between my crumbling 1K apartment and this one, if you’ll excuse me, is like heaven and earth. [EN: 1K is a one-room studio with a kitchen.]
As expected of rich people, the place where they live is at least an order of magnitude different.
“Fufu, that’s a cute reaction.”
“Eh!?”
“Let’s go in the room first. I’ll tell you more about it when we get there.”
I could only watch with trepidation as Tojo-san walked into the room with ease as if she was used to it.
When she noticed that I had stopped, she came back to this side of the room with a wry smile on her face as if she was concerned about me.
“Um… It’s an automatic lock, so I’d like you to come in with me.”
“–Ah, ah, yes, of course. This is an auto-lock, huh?”
“I should have explained it to you first… My apologies.”
“I’m sorry for my ignorance too.”
To be honest, I am feeling very embarrassed.
When my parents were alive, we lived in an ordinary apartment, but it didn’t have an automatic lock, and none of my friends lived in a place remotely close to something like this.
So it was new for me to see an automatic door in an apartment, and I didn’t know what to do.
“Please come on in. It’s going to take a little while from here.”
Tojo-san tugged on my sleeve, and I stepped into the apartment.
As she asked, I entered the elevator through the large entrance, and we both went up in it. I was surprised that it took longer than I expected.
It is high–, or rather, it’s the top floor.
What should I say? The atmosphere isn’t good. I can’t think of what to say.
“This is my home. Please make yourself at home.”
“I think that’ll be hard to do, though…”
I opened the front door and entered the apartment.
From the looks of it, there are at least three bedrooms.
It’s all very clean, and it smells sweet.
“I’m sorry. It was a sudden visit, and the place is not very tidy…”
“No, no, it’s more like it’s not even dusty.”
“I’m sorry. You are actually the first person to come to this house other than when my family visits and my nanny.”
It’s a fact that makes me feel a bit embarrassed.
But one thing she said stuck with me, and I had to ask her about it, even though I felt terrible doing so.
“What do you mean when you say… when your family visits?”
“Oh, I live alone in this house. It’s a kind of social study or an experience of independence.”
You live in this three-bedroom house by yourself?!
We should be around the same age, and even though she was right in front of me, I could feel her disappearing into the distance.
Add onto the fact that right now, it was just me and Tojo-san in the house.
In the current situation, this fact is the most frightening.
“Oh, does it bother you that it’s just the two of us?”
“It’s not healthy for a man and a woman to be alone together on a night like this, is it…?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t attack you.”
It’s usually the other way around, though.
“Please take a seat on the couch and wait. I need to start cooking…”
“What? So, is there a problem with…?”
“Home delivery might be heavy on the stomach, especially at this time of night, and you wouldn’t want that to affect you tomorrow. Anything you specifically want to eat?”
“No… Nothing in particular.”
“I’m glad. I’m pretty confident in my cooking, for what it’s worth.”
She put on an apron over her casual clothes and headed for the kitchen, humming a tune.
I’m going to eat Tojo-san’s home cooking now?
If my classmates find out, they’ll kill me.
“Are there any foods you don’t like or are allergic to?”
“Oh, I-I’m fine with anything.”
“Are you nervous, by any chance?”
“O-Of course I am.”
The fact that I’ve been in a daze since a while ago is good evidence.
“I’d like you to relax more, but even if I say so, it might be difficult. For now, please watch TV and wait.”
“… I understand.”
I closed my legs like a borrowed cat and hunkered down, then picked up the TV remote and turned on the screen. [EN: “a borrowed cat” is basically when you act all shy and quiet in an unfamiliar place.]
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a celebrity talking on a screen like this since I don’t have a TV in my house, to begin with.