In the kitchen, a woman in loose-fitting loungewear was busy preparing breakfast. She wore a light apron tied over her chest, but it did little to hide her graceful curves.
Even without makeup, her mature charm was unmistakable—in the world of a daily-life crossover story, she was practically the gold standard.
She knew exactly why Shirakawa was visiting this morning—to help clean the apartment and handle some housework, essentially working off the rent.
Turning to the door, she saw the young man standing there, full of vitality, his handsome features framed by a casual outfit.
Given how much he'd helped her and Sagiri in their daily lives...
It was hard not to feel grateful.
And yet... a strange sense of awkwardness tugged at her heart.
Last night, after returning home—
She'd found herself... unable to sleep.
As a seasoned ero-manga artist, she'd never imagined someone could actually last that long.
Let alone a high schooler.
Struggling to banish the blush from her thoughts, Izumi Mio greeted him with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Shirakawa-kun... you're here early."
"Yeah."
A gentle aroma of rice porridge filled the living room, and Shirakawa spotted salted radish and fried eggs on the table. Glancing at the spread, he smiled.
"You're making breakfast, Aunt Miori?"
"Mm-hmm. Have you eaten yet, Shirakawa-kun? Want to join us?" she asked as she slid an egg onto a plate, cracking another into the pan.
Looks like... the rent issue might just be settled.
With her daughter entering puberty, nutrition was a priority.
So she decided—any spare money would go toward better food.
And kept cooking.
"I'll gladly accept, then."
Shirakawa didn't bother putting up any pretense of humility. In fact, it was the perfect chance to assess her cooking skills. As long as it was on par with the bento boxes, he'd be satisfied.
After all—it was a hot, home-cooked meal!
Once Izumi Mio finished preparing breakfast, Shirakawa took a bite and found himself genuinely surprised by the flavor. It far exceeded his expectations in both taste and warmth.
Sagiri, however, remained shy after the meal. She retreated to her room without a word, likely continuing her studies on those kinds of manga. This left only Shirakawa and Mio in the living room—a perfect opportunity.
With a relaxed tone, Shirakawa spoke up.
"Auntie, I actually came over today because of last night's conversation."
"I figured."
Though it wasn't exactly a formal job, it would help ease the financial burden of rent. Mio's expression grew solemn.
"Thank you, truly."
"I should be the one thanking you," she added, bowing her head. "Shirakawa-kun, I appreciate the chance… and your help with Sagiri."
"I didn't come here to hear thank-yous."
Shirakawa chuckled. "To be honest, I was worried at first. But now, I feel like I can say this with confidence."
"Besides the housework," he continued, tone still light, "I'd like to ask you to handle dinner too. I'll cover the cost of groceries each day."
"Eh?"
"I know it's hard to shop just for one person, so… might as well cook for yourself and Sagiri too."
He gave her no chance to refuse. Taking out a spare key he'd prepared, he placed it gently on the table.
"Think of it as a shared meal arrangement—so I won't be paying you extra for it."
"..."
Mio knew full well that this was nothing short of Shirakawa helping her. Rather than refuse out of pride, she felt she should be thinking about how to properly repay his kindness.
She nodded earnestly.
As she looked at the youth's composed, handsome face, her gaze drifted… just for a moment. Flustered, she turned away, trying to suppress the ripples in her heart.
Stay calm!
He's still just a high schooler—though he really is gentle… too gentle…! Calm down!
「Shirakawa-kun, we're downstairs.」
The LINE message came from Yotsuya Miko. It was just past noon, and after making a bit of progress refining his magic energy, Shirakawa had cleaned the apartment. Mio and Sagiri had gone out shopping for lunch and dinner ingredients, so he replied:
"Got it. I'll head down."
Waiting downstairs was the ever-familiar black-haired, long-straight JK—Yotsuya Miko. But the girl standing beside her caught his eye.
She had short orange hair styled into a hime cut, and amber eyes brimming with energy. Her school uniform—a white blouse from Sobu High—was paired with a pleated skirt.
Most eye-catching, though, were Yurikawa Hana's shapely legs, fair and firm with the perfect balance of softness and strength. They were, quite literally, the kind of legs that could topple empires.
And then there was the rest of her—a figure impossible to ignore.
Being classmates, Hana obviously recognized him. She waved with a cheerful grin.
"Oh hey, Shirakawa-kun! You live here too?"
"..."
Yep, definitely a bit of an airhead.
Miko, standing beside her, explained flatly, "I forgot to mention—this is the empty unit Shirakawa-kun's renting out."
"Nice to meet you, Yurikawa."
Shirakawa greeted her casually, then glanced at their luggage. Three suitcases and two backpacks—light enough for a short move.
But as his gaze lingered on Yurikawa, his brows furrowed ever so slightly. Despite her vibrant energy, he could sense a thick, lingering malice clinging to her…
A curse?
With her powerful life force, most ordinary spirits would be repelled on contact. For a curse to linger this strongly—it had to be something far more dangerous.
Still, he didn't ask her directly.
Instead, he turned to Miko with a smile.
"Come on, I'll show you around the place. It's actually a pretty decent setup."
"Thank you, Shirakawa-kun…"