Everyone needed time—to think, to calm down. Even if these were the worst-case assumptions, no one could guarantee they wouldn't come true.
Especially after seeing how Tomoya had behaved today.
After a long while, Utaha sighed, exhausted. "Let's go. I want to rest."
Eriri slowly calmed down too. As she stood, she turned to Megumi. "What about you? What are you planning to do?"
"Me?" Megumi blinked with a teasing glint in her eye.
"I don't owe anyone anything. But after coming this far, I still want to finish our game."
Who exactly did she mean by "our"?
Eriri didn't think too deeply. Utaha didn't have the energy to, either. The answer lay only with Megumi.
Once they confirmed the school was safe, the three girls left and parted ways at the crossroads.
Megumi left first, and before they separated, Eriri said anxiously,
"Utaha, how about staying at my place tonight? My parents would love to have you. They've been saying we should invite you again."
Utaha thought for a moment.
"It's fine. I stayed two nights at Ogiwara-san's house this weekend. If I don't go home now, it'll be hard to explain."
"…Huh?"
It took Eriri a full moment to process the sentence.
Then she locked eyes with Utaha's amused gaze, and gradually let out a string of confused syllables.
"Eh? Eh? Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh???"
Utaha finally laughed. It was a bit mean, but she couldn't help it—this blonde girl was just too fun to tease.
"Wait! Utaha, you… you and him… what's going on?!"
"We're just landlord and tenant," Utaha replied sweetly.
"Ogiwara-san has a few cats. I love cats. He offered me a room so I could stay there when I'm feeling down. Of course, I pay rent."
"Is that really okay?" Eriri asked with a complicated expression.
"Absolutely. Ogiwara-san's a man of principle. Up to now, he hasn't made a single inappropriate move."
It wasn't a lie.
Harassment, after all, requires a lack of consent.
If it's welcomed, then it doesn't count.
And as for that one time she was pinned to the bed—well, she had willingly offered herself.
Eriri breathed a sigh of relief but still stared at her oddly. "You really took a gamble there."
Thinking back to that first night, Utaha's feelings were complicated.
"I got swept up in the mood… He just wanted to prove I'd be safe staying there."
Eriri didn't know what to say to that.
"Anyway, don't worry." Utaha smiled.
"Without Ogiwara-san's care and guidance, I don't know if I'd have made it this far. I'm truly grateful to him."
Eriri accepted this strange development with some effort. "So… are you two close?"
Lover and benefactor—was that a close relationship?
Maybe. Especially since they respected each other. That made it truly "close."
So after a moment of thought, Utaha nodded. "I'd say we're pretty close. Yeah, we get along well."
Eriri immediately asked, "If that's the case, then why—"
"No! Don't!"
Utaha suddenly shouted, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, startling Eriri into jumping like one too.
Realizing what she'd said, Eriri quickly caught on. "Oh… okay, yeah, Tomoya's the problem."
But Utaha soon shook her head. "No. It's not because of Tomoya."
"Then…?"
"I won't ask Ogiwara-san for help. Because I have nothing to offer in return. Things are fine as they are.
I might not be able to write, but at least I don't owe anyone anything. I can still be myself."
Eriri thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I get it now."
Up until then, she'd mostly understood Utaha as "Kasumi Utako." But now, she understood Utaha just a bit more.
Still, she had a nagging feeling something was off.
Later, after parting ways, Eriri returned home, still dwelling on what felt wrong.
She distractedly ate dinner and avoided her parents' questions. Even while drawing afterward, her mind wandered.
Late at night, a realization struck her. Still wearing her tracksuit, she dashed into her parents' bedroom and flung open the door.
"Dad! Give me Ogiwara-san's number!"
Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Sawamura immediately leapt apart.
Adjusting their (fortunately fully dressed) clothes, Mr. Spencer coughed awkwardly.
"Eriri, even if you wanted to cuddle, this is a bit much, don't you think? At least knock—"
As someone who'd drawn erotic manga under bad parental influence, Eriri knew exactly what she'd interrupted, but she had no time for that.
Spotting Mr. Spencer's phone on the nightstand, she grabbed it and ran, shouting, "You two go ahead, don't mind me!"
Mr. Spencer shouted after her, "Wait, Eriri! Why are you suddenly contacting Ogiwara-san?"
She did pause, obediently returning while typing the number into her phone.
"Because of Utaha. I just found out she's really close with Ogiwara-san. Since that's the case, the terms should be different, right?"
Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Sawamura exchanged a glance.
"Then ask and find out," Mrs. Sawamura said, clearly relieved. "I thought you were going to throw yourself away."
"No way!"
"Right, because Ogiwara-san wouldn't take you."
Just as she was about to dial, Eriri felt her heart crack a little.
She glared at her smirking, shameless parents, pressed the call button hard, and took a deep breath to steady herself.
As soon as the call connected, she said, "Good evening, Ogiwara-san. Sorry to call so late—it's Sawamura."
"Oh, good evening, Miss Sawamura. Trouble at home again?"
"No! Everything's fine, and thank you for all your help. The reason I called is… I just found out today that your relationship with Utaha has gotten… pretty good?"
"Yeah, it has. Feel free to speak freely, Miss Sawamura."
"Well, I was wondering… since your relationship has changed, maybe the terms could change too?"
Eriri lowered her voice and cautiously added, "Today… she cried."
She was worried her question might anger Akira—it was a bit presumptuous, after all. But to her surprise, he laughed.
"You've had a rough day, huh? She's not easy to deal with when she cries. Got it. I'm handling it."
"…Huh?"
Stunned for a moment, Eriri asked in disbelief, "Really?!"
"Of course. Though I haven't told her yet. Given the situation, things could go south in the process.
I can't make a 100% guarantee. So don't say anything for now—let's call it a surprise."
"Got it! I understand!"
Eriri was overjoyed—until she remembered what Utaha had said earlier. Her smile froze, and she quickly added,
"But today when I mentioned it, Utaha was strongly against it. She said she didn't want to owe anyone anything. That it would stop her from being herself."
"Pfft—" Akira chuckled.
"I just praised her for being smart, and now she's being stupid again. I understand. Leave it to me. I'll make sure she can accept the help and still be herself."
Relieved, Eriri said sincerely, "Thank you!"
"Since you're her friend, I'll take the scolding. I'll also accept that 'thank you.' I've still got things to do, so if there's nothing else, let's skip the polite chatter."
"Alright! I won't keep you!"
"Mm. And thanks for looking after Utaha lately."
With that, Akira ended the call.
Then he looked at the faintly glowing ghost next to him and asked, "Is the person inside asleep?"
The shadow nodded repeatedly, murmuring something unintelligible.
"I checked your past—you were innocent in life, and innocent in death. You can't resist my command, but this karma won't fall on you."
Akira took out a yellow talisman covered in writing, lit it with a lighter, and solemnly intoned like a prayer:
"So rest in peace. With this guide, you'll have a better next life."
Finished, he walked forward under the moonlight, tossing the burning talisman aside, and began singing a quiet funeral song with his slightly hoarse voice.
"Sleep now, sleep now, don't wander anymore
Sleep now, sleep now, forget all your sorrow…"
The ghost behind him bowed deeply, and as the paper burned and the song faded into the night, its form gradually dissolved.
Akira's singing ceased as he passed the sleeping gravekeeper.
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