The next day.
We arrived at a perfectly ordinary residential neighborhood.
A typical bedroom community, the town was relatively quiet during the day with sparse foot traffic. There were few high-rises or apartment complexes; the landscape was a dense cluster of small houses and eateries that gave off a nostalgic, old-school vibe. A modest shopping district sat just in front of the station.
"...It's been a while since I've been back."
I muttered to myself as I stood before a small, unassuming wooden house.
The houses in this particular area were packed tight, separated by a labyrinth of narrow alleys. But since I'd lived here for years, there was no chance of me getting lost.
After a long time away, I had finally returned to my old home.
"Itsuki-san. Here is the key."
"Thank you."
Ms. Shizune handed it over.
Letting me be the first one to unlock the door and step inside was likely her own quiet way of showing consideration. I thanked her in my heart.
I glanced over at Hinako; her eyes were darting around as if she were witnessing a rare spectacle.
Figuring she'd be occupied like that for a bit, I approached the door.
"...Wait. Was the front door always this clean?"
"We were in the middle of looking for tenants, so we carried out some basic cleaning and minor renovations. We've also provided the essential furniture."
We'd only decided to stay here yesterday, yet she'd already sorted out the furniture. I was once again impressed by her terrifyingly efficient response time.
I opened the door.
The sight of the cramped entryway and the living space beyond hit me with a wave of nostalgia.
"...It feels different, yet exactly the same."
It was cleaner than I remembered, but this was undeniably the old Tomonari home.
The main room was an eight-tatami-mat studio. It had a kitchen and a unit bath, but no laundry hookups, so I used to frequent the nearby coin laundromat.
It was plenty of space for one person, but splitting it between three had been a struggle. Privacy was non-existent. Plus, because we’d prioritized floor space over quality, the building was ancient and the floors creaked incessantly. If anyone got up in the middle of the night or early in the morning, the floorboards would groan loudly enough to wake the whole house.
"Man, this is..."
Seeing the place again, reality set in.
With these facilities, Hinako was never going to be comfortable here. The house was drafty, meaning the AC wouldn't do much, and bugs were a frequent sight.
A few pieces of high-quality furniture sat in the room, looking utterly out of place. A refrigerator, microwave, table, TV, and dresser—Ms. Shizune’s handiwork, no doubt. Still, they weren't enough to make the place truly livable.
I wondered if we should just find somewhere else, even at this late hour.
Just as I thought that and looked toward Hinako—
"So this is... where you lived, Itsuki...!"
Hinako's eyes were sparkling with wonder.
"Itsuki, what is this...?"
"The closet? That's the oshiire—it's where we store the futons and stuff."
I explained as I slid open the closet's sliding doors.
"Ooh...!"
"You've never seen one before?"
"I know about Japanese rooms in theory, but... this is my first time actually seeing one in use."
Hinako opened and closed the sliding doors over and over. Since the Konohana manor was Western-style, she probably hadn't had much chance to experience traditional Japanese architecture firsthand, despite her book knowledge.
"And this...?"
"That's the unit bath. The bathtub and toilet are together."
"A bath...? What is... this hollow space...?"
"That's the bathtub."
I swung the faucet from the sink over to the tub and turned it on as a demonstration.
"................Is it for children?"
"...Unfortunately, it's for all ages."
It seemed her confusion had finally overridden her excitement.
I was starting to feel a little guilty.