Chapter 89: Together (Part 2)

He released Hitori’s hand, swung the swing once, then suddenly stopped.

“Oh, right, Bocchi, I was thinking earlier about how close our distance should be for our relationship…”

He felt that Hitori seemed to have made progress and thought he could make a move to get a bit closer to her.

But then he worried if it was just his imagination and asked hesitantly, “How about we rent a place together in Shimokitazawa next semester?”

Because his transition was too quick, Hitori didn't react and looked at Ishikawa Hayato in confusion.

'Rent a place to live… together…?'

'Cohabitation!?'

Hitori’s eyes widened.

She blinked foolishly, then said in a rush, as if afraid Ishikawa Hayato would change his mind, “Y-y-yes!”

Ishikawa Hayato stood up, walked in front of her, and flicked her head.

“Think carefully before you agree. Don’t rush into it.”

As his voice fell, the surrounding lights came on.

The warm streetlights and the cool white lamp posts in the Park began their vigil early for the night.

...

That evening, Hitori returned home.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, both her father and mother came out.

But seeing Hitori alone, her mother said with a smile, “Hitori, welcome home.”

Father: “How was the audition today? Did you pass?”

Hitori looked at her parents’ expressions and understood that they didn’t want to see her. She lowered her head pitifully and said, “Yes, I passed.”

“That’s great.”

Having said that without any perfunctory meaning, the two turned and returned to the living room.

She also knew that her parents were very fond of Hayato.

They really liked this prospective son-in-law they had set their eyes on, but this preferential treatment was too much.

She changed into her slippers and walked into the house.

Futari ran over with Jimihen and glanced at Hitori.

“Sister’s boyfriend didn’t come over, how boring~”

She finished speaking and then ran off.

'They had only met once this morning, had even Futari betrayed her!?'

…

In the morning, when Hitori and Ishikawa Hayato returned from the suburbs to pick up her guitar.

Hitori greeted her family upon returning home.

“I’m home.”

As soon as Ishikawa Hayato entered, he noticed the shoes and realized Hitori's family seemed to be home, so he greeted them, “Excuse me for intruding~”

The quickest to react was the youngest girl in the family.

A cheerful little girl with short hair and two cowlicks just like Hitori’s ran out from inside the house.

She curiously sized up Ishikawa Hayato and said, with a maturity beyond her years, “Are you Sister’s boyfriend?”

Ishikawa Hayato squatted down, but even squatting, he was still much taller than the little girl.

He looked at the delicate little girl in front of him and said softly, “Not yet, no. Are you Hitori’s younger sister?”

“Yes, nice to meet you, I’m Gotou Futari.”

Completely unlike Hitori, Futari wasn't afraid of strangers at all and naturally bowed.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Ishikawa Hayato.”

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and slightly bent his back to match her.

Looking at Ishikawa Hayato, Futari didn’t seem to find him unfamiliar at all.

She tilted her head slightly and curiously compared her height to Ishikawa Hayato’s head while he was squatting.

“Hayato-nii is so tall, even taller than Dad.”

“Oh?” Ishikawa Hayato understood her intention and, with a playful expression, cooperated and said, “Do you want to be lifted high?”

“Yes, yes!” Futari jumped happily.

As Ishikawa Hayato lifted Futari high, and Futari burst into extremely happy laughter, Hitori watched, completely stunned.

'How could she... how could she get so close to Hayato in less than a minute of meeting him, even seeming becoming more intimate than her?'

It was as if there was no room for her to interject between the two of them.

As if everything could continue as usual even if she disappeared now.

No, no, no, don't!

Her presence, her sense of presence was going to disappear!

After Ishikawa Hayato put Futari down, he immediately noticed Hitori’s situation.

And Futari, seeing her strange sister, explained, “Sister is making that strange face again.”

At this moment, Hitori’s parents also walked out from the living room.

“Futari~”

Hitori’s mother softly called her younger daughter’s name, with a hint of admonishment, clearly helpless about her overly familiar and impolite behavior.

But as they walked out, they saw their elder daughter squatting strangely in the corner of the entrance, and after Ishikawa Hayato stroked her head, she quickly recovered to her normal shy demeanor.

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

Only Hitori’s father still showed a slight hint of helplessness.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed Hitori’s parents had arrived and bowed respectfully, saying, “Hello, Auntie and Uncle. I’ve come with Hitori again to pick up her guitar.”

“Hayato-kun, don’t be so polite. Just treat this as your own home.”

Hitori’s mother spoke, and Hitori’s father was about to say something, but after she nudged him in the waist with her elbow, he immediately swallowed all his words.

And Hitori, as if afraid her family would steal Ishikawa Hayato away, was also trembling among her family members.

She pulled Ishikawa Hayato’s arm and said, “Hayato, come upstairs too.”

Ishikawa Hayato smiled helplessly at her parents, then followed Hitori upstairs.

Futari watched the two going upstairs, then looked at her parents, and after a short while, she asked very confusedly, “Is it okay for Hayato-nii to go to Sister’s room? Isn’t the ceiling full of Hayato-nii’s photos?”

“Eh?”

Hitori’s parents stared blankly at their younger daughter, and after realizing what she said, cold sweat continuously streamed down their frozen smiles.

...

On the other side, Hitori had already led Ishikawa Hayato to the door of her room on the second floor.

Hitori’s house was a classic single-family home, retaining many traditional styles within its modern architectural design, even her room door was a shoji door.

Standing at the door, Ishikawa Hayato was a little curious about how Hitori filmed and recorded her videos for YouTube.

After all, from the videos, one could tell she did it very professionally, presumably with proper equipment.

He was starting to get curious about her room.

Amidst the urgent thudding footsteps downstairs, Hitori, without much thought, pulled open the shoji door and said with downcast eyes, “Please come in.”

As Ishikawa Hayato was about to step inside, his gaze had just settled within when a powerful gravitational pull attracted his attention upwards.

Looking up, he saw the ceiling covered with countless copies of his own face.

He was instantly stunned.

Hitori saw Ishikawa Hayato suddenly stop in place and look up.

She also looked up in confusion.

She immediately discovered the problem.

“Ah…”

Hitori showed an expression as if the sky had crashed down on her.

She also had common sense.

Normally, such a ‘photo wall’ should not be seen by others.

But because she had long been accustomed to the scenery in her room, she had overlooked this point, and had actually invited Hayato into her room under such circumstances.

'What to do, what to do, was her life over?'

And Hitori’s parents, who had rushed upstairs from downstairs, also felt despair at the scene due to their belated arrival.

But very quickly, Ishikawa Hayato recovered, thoughtfully stroked his chin, and said to Hitori, “Sure enough, my eyes weren’t wrong. Hitori, you have great potential to be a pervert, don’t you? But don’t you feel suffocated with it like this above your head?”

He finished speaking and calmly walked inside.

And Hitori, like a broken doll, floated in behind him, closing the door as she went.

Gotou's parents and Futari, who were watching the two from the stairwell, were stunned for a long time.

After a long daze, Gotou's mother tentatively asked her husband beside her.

"Honey, how would you react if you saw this scene when we were dating?"

Gotou's father thought for a moment, then shivered.

"Turn around and run as fast as I can."

But then, a remark from Futari made the father's health drop to zero, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Daddy is so lame."