It was a simple flavor, but Hinako seemed satisfied with it.
Once my stomach was full, I started to feel drowsy. For a moment, I considered lying down, but I held back since Ms. Shizune was likely to return soon.
"Should I turn on the TV?"
I picked up the remote nearby and pointed it at the high-end flat-screen TV. It was one of the many appliances Ms. Shizune had prepared for us.
When I clicked it on, the news was playing.
"By the way, Hinako, do you ever watch TV?"
"Mm... not really."
Hinako rolled over and rested her head on my lap.
She was like a pampered cat.
I really wish I could do this without feeling so self-conscious.
We had both been awkward when our shoulders touched in the kitchen earlier, yet for some reason, we were perfectly calm during a lap pillow. I suppose we had just grown accustomed to it.
I stroked Hinako's hair while half-heartedly watching a news segment that didn't particularly interest me.
"And in our next story, Konohana Electronics announced the development of a new advanced optical satellite earlier today—"
The moment the announcer mentioned the word "Konohana," Hinako squeezed her eyes shut.
"This is why."
"...I see."
I suppose she wanted to forget about her family's business during her time off.
"But... many people at the Academy watch it."
"Is that so?"
"Because the news is good for studying. Papa also told me I should watch it whenever possible."
The news was indeed an effective way to learn about the world.
However, Hinako had been intensely motivated this morning and had already powered through a week's worth of assignments. Ms. Shizune had warned me not to spoil her, but I figured she deserved to forget about her studies for the rest of the day.
"Then let's switch to a variety show."
I changed the channel.
The Tomonari family had owned a TV as well. It certainly wasn't a state-of-the-art model like this one, though—it was a cheap second-hand unit my father had bought.
Come to think of it, I remembered this program.
On my days off from my part-time jobs, I used to watch TV while helping my mother with piecework at home. This show must have been airing back then, too.
However, the host wasn't the comedian I remembered. It seemed they had been replaced at some point.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn't watched TV once since I started living at the manor. I’d been given a laptop for my studies, which was more than enough to keep up with current events.
Even while walking through town today, I had noticed several changes in the scenery. Shop signs had been replaced, and the color of the pavement had changed; bit by bit, this town was undeniably transforming.
From here on out, I might gradually stop recognizing the world I once knew so well.
"...Itsuki, did you really live like this?" Hinako asked in a small voice, still resting on my lap.
"Yeah. More or less."
"...I see."
Hinako gave a small nod.
She might have just been sleepy, but she also looked somewhat troubled.
"How is it? Living like a commoner."
"...It's fun."
Hinako shifted onto her side as she answered.
"Nobody looks at me that way here. It's very relaxing... easy."
Hinako seemed to be enjoying herself even more than I had imagined.
However, it would be a lie to say that no one was looking at her. A girl of such refined beauty was a rare sight. Hinako was drawing a normal amount of attention, but she probably hadn't noticed because the nature of the gazes was different. She attracted looks of curiosity and interest, but they lacked the usual expectation for her to behave like a proper Young Lady.
"And... it's warm."
Hinako smiled gently, speaking with deep emotion.
"You said that in the shopping district, too."
"Mm....Everyone seemed to like Itsuki."
"Me?" I tilted my head. Hinako continued.
"So many people talked to you. You brushed it off as just being the way things are in the shopping district... but I think it's because it was you, Itsuki. That's why they called out to you."
When she put it like that, it was hard to stay humble.
But if that was the case—
"...Hinako, you too," I said, meeting her gaze. "It might have been different in the past. But now, I think you have that warmth too, don't you?"
Tennoji-san and Narika, Asahi-san and Taisho. The current Hinako surely had people she could trust just a little more than total strangers.
It was likely true that the acting was exhausting.
But because I was the one by her side, I had noticed the change. When Hinako was interacting with them, she was able to relax her shoulders more than usual.
"...Maybe so."
Hinako wore a relieved smile.
"It's all thanks to Itsuki."
"That's not true."
"No... it's thanks to you."
Lowering her gaze, Hinako whispered, "And yet, I..."
She fell silent for a while.
She had seemed happy until a moment ago, but now she suddenly looked despondent. I had absolutely no idea why she was acting this way.
"Itsuki, do you... like this kind of life?"
"...Yeah. I think I like it, in its own way."
Rather than "liking" it, it was more that I was familiar with it.
It wasn't that I missed the poverty-stricken life of the past. It was just that living in this cluttered, vibrant atmosphere, like we did today, wouldn't be so bad.
"Do you want to go back to—"
Hinako tried to say something in a tiny voice.
But her words faded away before she could finish, and she closed her mouth again.
"Hinako?"
"............It's nothing."
With a roll, Hinako moved off my lap.
She slowly stood up.
"I'm going to take a bath."
"Right. I'll get the water ready."
I went into the unit bath and started filling the tub.
The water looked like it would fill up quickly. Hinako sluggishly pulled a change of clothes out of her bag and headed toward the bathroom.
"...Itsuki?"
Suddenly, Hinako looked back at me with a puzzled expression.
"Why aren't you changing?"
"Eh?"
"The bath... together..."
"...No, no, no, no."
To Hinako, who spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, I replied while placing a hand on my forehead.
"Um, let's not do that today. The bath in this house is too small."
"Moo..."
Hinako puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, but eventually nodded as if giving in to the inevitable.
"Then... just wash my hair."
Saying that, Hinako grabbed her usual swimsuit and went into the bathroom.
From behind the door, I heard the sound of fabric sliding. After a while, there was a splash. I mustn't pay attention... I turned up the volume on the TV and stared intensely at a variety show I didn't care about.
"Itsukiii..."
"...Yeah, yeah."
Unaware of my internal struggle, Hinako called out to me in a carefree tone.
When I opened the door, Hinako was relaxing as she soaked in the bathtub.
"Okay, my hair... wash it."
"Sure....But before that, I have to drain the water first."
A unit bath wasn't designed for washing your hair or body while the tub was full.
While pulling the plug, I picked up the showerhead.
"Close your eyes."
"Mm."
Since her hair wasn't wet yet, I rinsed it with the shower.
If I kept washing like this, my hands and clothes would probably end up soaked... well, that much was fine. I could just wash my clothes and myself later.
I sat on the edge of the tub and began washing Hinako's hair.
The position was a bit strenuous.
"I'm going to rinse now."
"Mm..."
I rinsed out the shampoo.
The bathroom was small, but Ms. Shizune had properly stocked it with supplies. While I was searching for the conditioner...
"Ah, it's so hot..." Hinako said in a raspy voice.
Now that she mentioned it, I was roasting too. It wasn't the water temperature, but the air in the room. I usually took baths in spacious ones at the manor, so I hadn't noticed, but in a tiny bathroom like this, heat got trapped easily.
It was nothing like the manor's facilities. The ventilation didn't seem to be doing much, either.
"Are you okay? I'll turn the water colder—"
"No... I have to get out... for a second..."
Hinako seemed to be at her limit, so I immediately laid a bath towel on the floor.
"Wait, whoa!?"
Right as we stepped out into the living room, Hinako leaned her entire weight against me.
Water droplets trickled down my cheek from her body.
Completely dizzy from the heat, Hinako closed her eyes and went limp.
For now, I need to turn on the air conditioner and get her some cold water. Just as I thought that—
"I have returned."
The front door opened, followed by Ms. Shizune's voice.
Ms. Shizune took off her shoes and—seeing me holding a swimsuit-clad Hinako—the light vanished from her eyes.
"Beast."
"You've got it all wrong!"
◆
Later that night.
We had pushed the table to the corner, laid out three futons, and turned off the lights to sleep.
"...Um," I said into the darkness, pressing the side of my body against the wall. "Don't you think I'm a bit too far to the edge?"
"Given your history of misconduct, this is appropriate," Ms. Shizune's voice drifted from across the partition.
Originally, we had planned to place the partition in the middle of the room to separate the men's and women's spaces, but for various reasons, that partition was now jammed right against the wall. Since there were more women, we had planned a four-to-six split, but now it was closer to one-to-nine.
"It really was a misunderstanding. It wasn't on purpose."
"Does the fact that it wasn't on purpose mean you can do whatever you like?"
It was an irrefutable argument.
No rebuttal came to mind. I decided to stop making excuses.
However, unless it was my imagination, I felt Ms. Shizune was being a bit stricter than usual. Things like this happened often at the manor... well, maybe she decided it was time to be extra careful because it happened so often, but she had never been this severe before.
"...Shizune," Hinako spoke up in a small voice. "Itsuki is pitiful. Especially since he finally came back to his old home..."
What a good girl... I felt like I might cry.
Upon hearing Hinako's words, Ms. Shizune... quietly let out a sigh.
"Kagon-sama is worried," Ms. Shizune said in a serious tone.
"I do not know if he is aware of it himself, but Kagon-sama's work today wasn't quite as sharp as usual....He said he permitted this because he trusts us, but deep down, he must also feel the anxieties of a parent."
That was enough to wake me up completely.
When she put it like that, it was obvious. His high school daughter was leaving the family home for a week to spend time with a boy her age in a tiny, run-down apartment.
At the manor, someone could rush over immediately if something happened. The servants' eyes were everywhere. But in this house, Kagon-sama's influence couldn't reach so easily.
It had been allowed during the Summer Seminar. But this time, he felt uneasy.
The difference between the two... was probably me.
During the Summer Seminar, Hinako and I stayed in separate rooms. Ms. Shizune was also always by her side. That was why Kagon-sama hadn't been as anxious then.
However, this time, Ms. Shizune was often away for work, leaving Hinako and me under the same roof. Even if there were guards nearby, they couldn't infringe on our privacy, and they certainly weren't watching us inside the house.
Inevitably, the time Hinako and I spent alone in this small space would increase.
The one Kagon-sama felt both trust and anxiety toward wasn't Hinako.
It was me.
I was the one making Kagon-sama uneasy.
"I'm sorry. I was being thoughtless."
I reflected deeply and apologized.
Kagon-sama was a strict man, but he wasn't unreasonable.
If we did what we were supposed to do, he allowed us to spend our time as we pleased. He had always maintained that stance with Hinako and me. And because he was so demanding about our duties, he tried to respect our freedom afterward as much as possible.
That was likely why he had given us permission to stay here. We had been consistent with our daily tasks lately, and we had performed well on the exams during the Summer Seminar.
But still, as a father, he was worried.
Kagon-sama trusted me. And I had been going about my business without truly grasping the weight of that trust.
That's why I had made him uneasy.
"The Young Lady has changed, thanks to Itsuki-san....And Kagon-sama is also changing, thanks to the Young Lady."
Ms. Shizune continued, "I believe that change is a good thing."
That was why she didn't want me to do anything that would make them regret that change. That was what Ms. Shizune was implicitly saying.
I felt the presence of someone standing up on the other side of the partition.
Ms. Shizune peered over the top.
"This time, I shall forgive you in deference to the Young Lady's kindness."
"Thank you."
I thanked Ms. Shizune as she moved the partition back to its original, more balanced position.
"On another note, have you decided on tomorrow's plans?" she asked.
"I'm going to Yuri's house in the evening."
"Then you won't need dinner here."
"Yes."
But that meant Ms. Shizune would have to eat dinner alone again.
Today, she had eaten her curry while I was in the bath. She didn't seem to mind, but...
"Um, would you like to come too, Ms. Shizune?"
"I shall decline....I can read the atmosphere at least that much."
I’d heard Ms. Shizune was a university student, so we weren't actually that far apart in age. However, as long as Hinako was around, Ms. Shizune felt the need to maintain her professional distance.
It would be fine if we were hanging out with everyone from Kikou Academy, but this time, Yuri would be there, and she wasn't used to the servant dynamic. Ms. Shizune was being considerate. Considering their interactions during the Summer Seminar, I didn't think she needed to worry that much, but I felt hesitant to force the issue when she had already declined.
"What will you do until the evening?"
"I plan to study. I think it's about time I started preparing for the next semester."
"That is a commendable attitude."
Hinako had finished a week's worth of her daily tasks all at once, but mine were still waiting.
This morning, I had been reminded once again of how naturally brilliant Hinako was. I respected it, but I couldn't hope to imitate it. An ordinary person like me couldn't afford to neglect the steady accumulation of effort.
"But I feel like it's a waste to just go straight there, so I'm thinking of making a little detour somewhere..."
I hadn't decided where to go yet.
There was no need to force a plan; I could just decide tomorrow.
As I was thinking that—
"...The school," Hinako's small voice drifted over. "I want to see the school that Itsuki used to attend."
"...Then let's do that."
It might be difficult to go inside, but we could at least look at it from the outside.
I also wanted to see how the school looked after all this time.
With tomorrow's plans decided, I finally fell asleep.