Episode 66 – The identity of a kouhai who lives alone

I looked back and saw Mitani-san with a cold expression on her face.

─ I’m going to be killed!

I saw something I shouldn’t have seen, and I’m going to be dumped deep in the mountains in the middle of nowhere, to be dealt with in secret. ……

“What are you so scared of?”
“No. ……”

I was thinking strange things, but Mitani-san immediately gave me a dumbfounded look.

“I went shopping for a bit.”

Saying so, she began to take food out of the supermarket bag she was carrying and put it in the refrigerator.

“……”
“I’ll treat senpai today. It’s a thank you for the key chain. Please wait there.”

Before I could hear her reply, Mitani-san stood in the kitchen and began to cook something.

Should I wait for …… for this?
I was bothered by the fact that she didn’t say anything about what happened earlier, so I decided to wait, just as Mitani-san, who I can’t read the emotion of, said.

After a while, a nice smell fills the room. It was the aroma of soup stock.

“It’s ready. I hope it suits your taste. ……”

With these words, Mitani-san, looking unsure of herself, brought out a bowl of oyako-don (chicken and egg on rice) and miso soup.
The dish was well done and looked quite delicious.

“Well, itadakimasu”
“…………”
“What is it?”

Nothing happened, we were in the flow of eating, so I silently stared at Mitani-san, and she tilted his head.

“Where are your glasses?”

With her glasses off and her hair tied in two knots, Mitani-san was like a different person.
She is quite a beautiful girl, just like in the picture.
Even to me, who usually sees Asagiri and Kurase, she is comparable. It is amazing that she can change so much with only thick bottle-bottom glasses and a haircut.

“Ah, about that ……. I have fake glasses. I usually take them off at home. My glasses fog up when I’m cooking. ……”
“I-I see.”
“Okay, let’s try it again. itadakimasu”
“Itadakimasu”

After listening to the explanation that wasn’t really an explanation, we moved on to eating dinner.

I picked up the bowl and put the egg, rice, and chicken in it.
The dashi broth was well seasoned and the eggs were fluffy. It was quite delicious.

“How is it?”
“It’s really good.”
“I’m glad.”

She looked a little relieved. I know how you feel. It’s nerve-wracking to serve food to someone. Especially if it is someone you know.

“If you like, you can have another helping, so please eat as much as you like!”
“T-thank you.”

I feel like she’s more energetic than usual.

After that, we had a casual conversation, and dinner proceeded.
But during that time, I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask, but I missed the timing to ask.

Why was there men’s underwear, what was it that I saw on the computer earlier, and why did she go to the trouble of dressing so plainly?

But now that I was feeling better, I was afraid to bother asking such questions. I was told that I was being half-heartedly kind because of this.

“Thank you for the food.”
“Thank you for the meal.”

And so, before I knew it, I had finished my meal. All I could do was to enjoy the delicious rice.

“I’ll make you some tea.”
“Thank you.”

She was so thoughtful and considerate. She would make a good wife.
No, I don’t know what to think about that.

Anyway, I sipped the hot tea.

“So what do you want to ask me?”
“Ueh!?!”
“You were glancing at me the whole time we were eating, and you looked like you wanted to ask me something.”
“Did I look like that?”
“Yes.”

Mitani-san was smiling at me. I’m sure it’s much better when you are smiling.
I’m not sure if it was that obvious or not. Do I have such an obvious face, I ……?

“Well, if I ask you, will you answer me?”
“I’ll answer as much as I can. Senpai has helped me a lot.”
“Well, then, let me tell you one thing. Let’s see, …… why men’s underwear? Oh, no, this is not the best …… ah, but ……”

I thought I had asked a rather unimportant and delicate question. But they all seem equally hard to answer, so I guess it’s the same.

“Yes, it is. That’s my onii chan’s.”
“Oh, it’s your onii chan’s.”
“Yes, he came to check on me before and left it brand new. He said he might stay again. I thought it was a good idea, so I left it out.”
“You didn’t explain so well, I wasn’t sure if I should take it.”
“I’m sorry …… about that, I was embarrassed too.”

The cheeks turn red as she turns her face away.
It’s …… cute.
How can I say this, it’s very protective.

“Well, if I hadn’t borrowed it, I’d still be in that dangerous dressing room.”
“Dangerous?”
“Ah, …….”

They say that words are the root of all evil. It was a clear slip of the tongue.

“What do you mean, dangerous? Was there such a strange thing ……?”
“Nothing. Never mind. ……”
“You’re a weird senpai, aren’t you ……?”

I beg you to let it slide.
That’s because it was bad enough that I looked around carelessly. It was an accident.

However, Mitani-san still doesn’t seem to have any intention of letting it slide, and she has an uncluttered look on her face.
Then she noticed something and her face turned red.

Oh, I’ve been found out.

“D-Did you see it?”
“No”
“It’s a lie! I’m sure you saw it!”

I couldn’t make up a better excuse than that. Because there was a three-tiered box in that changing room that I could have easily seen if I had been there.

“F-forget it. Forget it for sure!”
“Y-yeah……”

I could only nod my head at the sheer volume of swordplay. I couldn’t find any other excuse.
But when I nodded, Mitani-san blushed and mumbled quietly, “I knew you were looking…”

I was set up.

Then, a little awkwardly, we moved on to the next topic of conversation.

“Mitani-san, you laugh a lot at home.”

That was the most I had felt since I came to this house.

“‘Are you trying to say that I’m always unsociable?”
“Ah, no. ……”
“Fufu, I’m joking. I guess it’s because I feel at home in my own house after all. I still try to keep my true self in check.”

I am too curious about Mitani san’s true character. But I have an idea. I’m sure that will become clear when I ask her the next question.

“Can I ask you a question next?”
“Sure.”
“Uh, um, …….”

I turn my gaze in that direction, a little uncomfortable to say.

“PC?”
“Ah, yeah. I thought it was a great piece of equipment. And what I just saw on the screen was …… Misaki Akari, right?”
“Do you know ……?
“Yeah, Sosuke recommended it to me recently. I saw a little bit of it. I heard she’s a pretty famous Vtuber.”
“I-I see… I see… I see… Y-you saw it..”

The words became smaller and smaller, and her face became red.

“So, I don’t know if I should be asking you this, …… but I was wondering if you might be…”
“……”

Mitani-san huffed and tied her mouth shut.
As you can see from her reaction, her answer is probably exactly what I asked.
And I had some assurance of this from the screen I saw earlier. The screen that was open was probably the settings screen of some application that he uses to work as a Vtuber. I had never seen anything like it before.
After looking at it, I realized that the voice of Misaki Akari and Mitani san’s that I had seen so far matched.

“─ ─ I told you, didn’t I? That I’m popular.”

Then she turned her face away and answered.
And I knew what she meant.

“Well, are you sure?”
“That’s the kind of thing you don’t ask, even if you know.　Because it’s dangerous to be exposed.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. ……”

It was a breach of etiquette, or rather, it was thoughtless in the usual sense. One should not imitate the idea of exploring the true identity of a popular idol on the Internet, whose true identity is unknown.

It would lead to a crime or information leakage from such a part of the world.

I don’t intend to do such a thing, but from Mitani san’s point of view, I don’t necessarily trust the words of such a stranger.

“I don’t mind. I was thoughtless, too. I left the PC in sleep mode without locking it. I trust senpai.”
“…… I know I say this, but don’t you think you’ll tell someone or something?”
“I don’t think I will.”
“O-ouu……”

She assured I’m a little embarrassed to be told so clearly.

“It’s been a short time since I’ve met senpai, but he’s helped me a lot.”

I feel like she’s really opening up to me ……. I’m not really doing much, you know.

“Besides,……, I thought I wanted senpai to listen to me. So I went out of my way to give him a reason to come to my house.”
“Eh, really?”
“Yes, that’s right. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of bringing a man to a house where I lives alone.

It sounds calculating, but it also proves that she trusts me that much.
I’m not sure whether to be happy or embarrassed about it. I’m glad and embarrassed, but I don’t know what to say.

“I don’t know. Did you not think that I might use what I just said as a weakness to threaten you or do something strange to Mitani-san?”
“As I said before, I trust you. Besides…”

Mitani san continued

“If it’s senpai, I don’t mind.”
“……eh?”
“What are you looking at me like that for? I’m only joking.”

She teased me.

“If you try anything, I’ll take all the power of the office, the fans, and the whole force of…”
“Isn’t that too scary? That’s a joke too, isn’t it ……?”
“You want to give it a try?”
“No, I won’t.”
“Fufu, I know. Senpai is fun to tease.”

It’s funny. Suddenly, she started to take the initiative.

“Well, senpai. Will you listen to me?”
“……Yes. If it’s okay with me.”

I was surprised to see Mitani san’s face suddenly turn serious, but I switched over to a listening posture.