Chapter 31: The Broken Robot

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Translator: Soafp

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The next morning, I called a detective.

It was the same one I had hired before for Nagasawa-senpai's case.

This time, the target was Sugawara-senpai's father.

“So, you'd like us to track his movements and areas of activity, correct?”

“Yes. Please focus mainly on where and what kind of gambling he's involved in.”

“Understood. As with last time, we'll provide an interim report in one to two weeks.”

After ending the call, I got ready for school.

When I went downstairs, just like a now-familiar scene, Nodoka Komori was preparing breakfast.

“Done with your call?”

“Yeah… you waited for me?”

“I could hear how serious you sounded through the door. I thought it'd be better not to interrupt.”

She must've realized it was about Sugawara-senpai.

That kind of consideration felt quietly comforting.

“Huh? Where's my mom?”

“She went to deliver your dad's lunch to his office. He forgot it.”

“Oh, I see. Dad does forget things a lot. But Anna-chan isn't here either.”

“Her elementary school is closed today for its anniversary.”

“Ah…”

Just as that trivial thought crossed my mind—

“So that means… it's just the two of us right now?”

“Huh?”

Nodoka blinked.

“Whaaaat!?”

“You just realized?”

“Why would you say that out loud!? Now I'm suddenly aware of it, and it feels weird!!”

“Why would you even get conscious about it…”

“Th-that's because!”

Her face turned bright red as she covered her cheeks with both hands.

Seeing her like that, anyone would get the wrong idea.

“A-anyway!! Just hurry up and eat!!”

“Since it's just the two of us, you could at least do the ‘ahh' thing for me, you know?”

“I'm not doing that!! You can eat perfectly fine with a fork and spoon!!”

If I teased her any more, I'd probably get smacked with a rice paddle.

I stabbed a bite-sized piece of food she'd prepared with my fork and brought it to my mouth.

“The hotel food we had over the weekend was good, but… I think I still like your cooking more.”

“R-really? Mine's just normal food though.”

“I guess I just prefer familiar flavors over fancy ones. Or maybe I just like home-cooked meals.”

“F-fine then…”

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, a faint smile on her lips.

“I-if you're going to say that much… I could do the ‘ahh' thing for you…”

“No, I don't need it that badly.”

“Make up your mind!! Stop messing with me!!”

Starting the day with her reactions like this somehow gave me energy too.

---

“So, how are my bare legs?”

At lunch break, we headed to the emergency staircase as usual with Sugawara-senpai.

Today, she wasn't wearing any bandages, nor her usual black tights.

I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

“They're perfect.”

Under the early-summer June sunlight, her bare legs—revealed for the first time—were so pale they almost looked translucent, contrasting with her jet-black hair.

Her model-like figure had a clean, slender line from thighs to ankles.

“Honestly, my boss is such a pervert. Want to touch?”

“Wait, really?”

She nodded.

Then she lifted her skirt slightly, showing even more of her thigh.

Swallowing nervously, I reached out my hand toward her leg.

But at that moment—

“No way!!”

A sharp voice came from behind.

“What is it, Nodoka? I'm a bit busy right now.”

“I'm here to stop your perverted behavior!!”

“I'm not doing anything perverted. I was just about to admire senpai's treasure-like legs once.”

“That is perverted, you pervert!!”

Nodoka glared at me and plopped down next to me.

And today, she pressed even closer than before.

“I told you, didn't I? If you're going to casually touch a girl, it should be—m-me only! If you keep doing that to senpai, she'll hate you!”

“Oh? So that's your approach, Komori-san. Personally, I don't mind if Fukagawa-kun touches me however he likes. Ch*st, butt—even over my underwear.”

“W-whaaat!? S-senpai, how far are you planning to let Ren go!?”

“I already said I'd give him my first time, so… my whole body?”

“Whaaaaat!?”

Nodoka's face turned bright red as she shouted.

When I looked at Sugawara-senpai, she had a teasing smile on her lips.

She was definitely messing with her.

“Senpai, don't tease Nodoka too much. She's not used to dirty jokes.”

“Really? Maybe I overdid it. Though I'm not lying.”

She leaned closer and whispered in my ear.

“If you ever feel like taking my virginity, just tell me anytime.”

“N-no, senpai, you should give that to someone you truly like—”

“Then if you became that person for me, would you accept it?”

I froze, eyes wide.

Just the other day she said she didn't even know if she liked me.

Was she serious?

Or was her father making her say things like this?

As I was thinking that, she continued—

“Just kidding.”

“Ah, r-right? You surprised me.”

“I meant it about giving my virginity, though.”

“… ”

She smiled.

The same words she said at the hotel—but her expression was completely different.

I couldn't tell what it meant.

“Oh right. Fukagawa-kun, can I start working from today?”

“Yeah, that's fine. Did you finish handing over your part-time job?”

“More or less… Actually, my dad told me to stop dragging it out and go work for you already.”

“Just a part-time job,” huh.

And yet he uses the money she earns for gambling.

I was speechless.

“Huh? What do you mean? Senpai working for Ren?”

Nodoka, finally calm again, blinked in confusion.

I hadn't told her yet.

I'd kept putting it off because it sounded easy to misunderstand.

“I'll be next door five days a week, from night till morning, getting paid by Fukagawa-kun… doing things I absolutely can't tell Komori-san about.”

“Whaaat!? R-Ren, explain!! Is that true!?”

“Well, it's not completely wrong, but also not exactly—”

“Not completely wrong!?”

“It's basically like Fukagawa-kun bought me.”

“Senpai, could you stop phrasing it in a way that causes misunderstandings? Nodoka just broke again.”

In the end, I explained to Nodoka that I invest in U.S. stocks, and that I wanted Sugawara-senpai's help with it.

I kept the scale of it vague.

“I see… I thought your family was just rich, but you actually earn your own money. That's amazing!”

“It's nothing special. Anyway, now you get it, right? I hired senpai so I can secure my sleep time.”

“…But you two are really in separate rooms, right?”

“You can come check yourself if you want. I'm sleeping while she's working, so nothing weird is happening.”

“Oh? Even while you're asleep, a lot can still happen—”

“Senpai, please don't ruin the effort I just made to calm her down.”

Anyway, if Sugawara-senpai was starting today, there was something I needed to ask Nodoka too.

“Nodoka, sorry to ask, but could you also prepare dinner and breakfast for senpai? I'll cover the cost, of course.”

“…Honestly, I don't mind even if you didn't ask.”

She opened her lunch bag.

Inside were three bento boxes.

“I was already planning to give one to senpai.”

Sugawara-senpai widened her eyes.

Honestly, I was surprised too.

“I noticed you giving her meal tickets. I figured she probably has some situation where she can't eat properly, right?”

“…Thank you, Komori-san.”

Sugawara-senpai accepted the bento without hesitation.

The old her would've refused.

Maybe this was another change in her.

“Well, instead of repayment…”

Nodoka fidgeted as she spoke.

“C-can we be… friends?”

Ah, so she worked up the courage.

Honestly, after staying at a hotel together, I thought they already were.

Sugawara-senpai opened the bento.

Her eyes widened at how well it was made.

“Of course, Komori-san. No—Nodoka-san.”

…Wait, she didn't become friends just for the food, right?

I hoped not.

Nodoka's face lit up.

“Then let's exchange LINE!”

“Sorry, I don't use LINE.”

“Then Instagram…?”

“I don't use that either.”

“T-Twitter…?”

“Don't have it.”

“Email…?”

“I don't use email either.”

Nodoka slumped in despair.

In the end, I had to explain that senpai didn't even have a smartphone.