Chapter 18 | Apology

─Ding-dong, ding-dong!

On Sunday morning, a doorbell rings inside the house.

It seems to be a visitor.

It is 11 o’clock. It was a warm time before lunch.

Since their parents are not home, either Yuka or Yuuji has to move…

“Well, Nee-chan will go get it, won’t she?”

Yuuji Sakamoto is not moving. There is no sign of movement.

He couldn’t go because he was in the good part of the game he was playing in his bed… or so he told himself.

In case you’re wondering, the game he’s playing right now is a turn-based RPG, so he can stop at any time he wants.

………

………

Knock-knock.

“Hmm?”

It’s the sound of a knock on the room. Is it my sister?

If it’s not my sister, it’s a ghost. If there was a ghost in the house, I would sleep with my sister from today.

“Yuuji, can I come in?”

“Nee-chan?”

“Dad and Mom are not here, so who else would be here but me?”

“Ghosts.”

“What are you talking about?”

Yuka opened the door in disgust.

“If there is a ghost, I’m going to sleep with you from today.”

“I’ve heard that this house has been in some kind of accident.”

“I don’t need to know about that.”

“………….”

“Oh, and you don’t have to knock, you know?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m just gonna knock.”

“You’re a Yankee.”

“Next time, I’ll kick your a*s.”

“You’re really showing your true colors, aren’t you?”

“Just get out of here, and don’t keep the guests waiting.”

“Okay, I’ll go. Okay, I’m going! Damn!”

“You’re being so rude! What’s wrong with you all of a sudden!”

Yuuji left the room, swearing.

But just as he was about to head for the front door, the worst possibility crossed his mind. He immediately stopped and looked at his sister.

“Perhaps Airi?”

“No. I don’t know her.”

“What’s the gender?”

“Female.”

“What’s her name?”

“….Go quickly!”

You should at least ask her name… but who is this woman who isn’t Airi? Surely it wasn’t Youka, right?

I mean, was it a woman who came to visit me in the first place… I would have preferred a man.

I headed for the front door in my loungewear.

“…why are you here?”

“Oh, um…I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment…”

To his surprise, it was Kinjo Karen who came to visit Yuji.

The day Yuuji started to distrust women, it was this young lady who rejected him along with Youka.

She was dressed in a light blue one-piece dress and a straw hat, again, just like a young lady.

When Yuuji noticed her, he frowned in disgust.

Although it was far better than Airi or Youka visiting him, Yuuji still did not have good feelings toward her, who was involved in the incident.

So he immediately tries to turn her away.

“We don’t have anything to talk about. Who are you anyway?”

“…Kinjo…Karen…”

“Are you satisfied with your name? Then, can you leave?”

“Oh, um… please…listen to me.”

Bending her waist neatly, Kinjo Karen bowed her head.

The face that was visible before she lowered her head…her eyes were covered with dark circles, and there was no sign of her well-formed face. And her body was shaking slightly as she clutched her skirt.

She was rejected by Yuuji, and her mental state was so shredded that she left crying.

One wonders how much courage it took for such a girl to come to Yuuji’s house.

“…uuu…It’s not fair…”

Once Yuji figured this out, he could no longer turn away strongly…only on this occasion, his feelings for the girl prevailed over his distrust of women.

“I’m just going to listen to what you have to say.”

“…!!”

She was not quite accepted, but for the first time she was listened to, she looked up with a smile on her face like a blossoming flower.

However, one second later, she began to cry.

“…Yuji-sama…Ah, thank you very much…Thank you…Uwaaaaaaan!!”

“Ah, noisy”

“I’m sorry… but I thought I would never speak to you again… ugh… I never meant for that to happen… I never meant to hurt Yuji-sama. I’m such a fool…ugh…”

“…………”

Yuji exhaled slowly.

The truth is, from the moment I laid eyes on her, I was inwardly quite nervous, remembering what had happened the day before yesterday, but that uneasy feeling gradually receded.

It came naturally to me as I looked at her – what other high school students would cry so much at the doorstep of a stranger’s house?

At the same time, I felt a surge of guilt toward her for having pushed me away so badly.

To be honest, Kinjo Karen did not do much more than agitate Youka, even though she was involved. And since the two are usually on good terms with each other, it wasn’t like they were bullying each other.

To be honest, it was almost like taking it out on her. Yuuji reflected on this and bowed his head to her in apology.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

It is an apology for misunderstanding her.

Since Kinjo Karen had apologized for hurting Sakamoto Yuuji, it was now Yuuji’s turn to apologize for hurting her as well.

“I told you not to talk to me, but…I said too much.”

“Oh, no, it’s not something Yuji-sama should apologize for! It was because I had instigated Nakagawa-san that all this happened…”

She was upset and tried to get Yuuji to raise his head.

“… you’re a good girl.”

Seeing such a girl, Yuuji couldn’t help but smile.

And he admires her humanity.

Like last time, Kinjo Karen never once mentioned that it was not her fault. She admits all her faults and apologizes honestly.

Of course, Yuuji is not looking for that level of sincerity. Nevertheless, it is because of her sincerity that he has developed a favorable impression of the girl.

“It’s terrible to laugh… no matter how much Yuji-sama… how much courage I had… mmm~…’

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I said those things to a good girl like you… To be honest, I don’t have that much against you, even though you might have been the one who started it all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, thanks for coming over today. I feel like I’ve calmed down a little bit.”

Yuuji said with a smile.

Although he did not believe in her as much as Yuka did, at least his negative feelings toward her had disappeared. Among the female members, Yuuji’s trust in her is second only to Takamiya, the student council president.

“Uh-uh…”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Your smile is too bright… you’re so handsome… you’re by far the coolest guy I’ve ever met…”

“Coolest…?”

I may be good-looking, but I’m only an 80.

I think the first one is a bit of an exaggeration… Are you sure you can trust this one?

Maybe she’s trying to catch me off guard and then slap me with a wad of cash? Or maybe you’re trying to bribe Nee-chan…

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to offer you a small consolation fee…”

“I knew it! Slap me with a wad of cash!”

“I wouldn’t do that, would I?”

“How do I know you won’t do it?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure I wouldn’t do that.”

“I’ll tell you what…really? Oh, and don’t come too close to me, I don’t like it when women other than Nee-chan approach me.”

“Yes… it’s enough that we can talk like this now… oh, it was your sister who was asking me behind your back, wasn’t it?”

“What?”

I turned around when she told me that.

Then Yuka was peeking at them while hiding in the shadows. When her eyes met Yuuji’s, she whistled as if by chance, deliberately appealing her innocence.

But it did not work on Yuuji.

“Don’t peek at me! You pervert!”

“…!”

Yuka was called a pervert by her brother, and she strode swiftly back to her room.

“…Hmmm…”

Seeing this scene, Karen laughs happily.

Not long ago, it took me a long time to ring the ping-pong and I was anxious all the time.

But now, from the bottom of my heart, I am glad that I decided to be prepared.

Because I was able to laugh like this with the person I love…

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