The two took off their aprons, locked the doors and windows, and walked out of the restaurant one after the other.
Leaving the warm interior, the chilly evening breeze hit their faces, making them feel refreshed.
The night was deepening.
Kiyono breathed out lightly and looked at the girl beside him, his expression gradually becoming serious.
Late-night Japan wasn't safe, especially for a beautiful girl alone. At this moment, an option seemed to appear before his eyes: [Should you walk her home?]
This was the only option.
He certainly knew this was the right thing to do and wasn't comfortable letting Yanami go back alone, but... but... choosing this meant increased favorability!
With every point of favorability raised with the heroine, he was one step closer to corruption!
So the pure love warrior was still trying to struggle: "Miss Yanami, it's so late now. Won't you have your family come pick you up?"
"It does seem pretty late, but Mom and Dad have both worked hard all day. I don't want to make them take another trip specially."
The blue-haired girl actively stepped forward two paces, passing Kiyono, then turned to show him her usual innocent smile, saying matter-of-factly.
"What about your childhood friend?" Kiyono hadn't given up yet!
"Kusunoki... he's probably sleeping now." Yanami blinked her pretty eyes.
"Is he an elementary school student!" Kiyono clutched his head and wailed, looking exactly like a princess knight fallen into a demon's den.
Could it be... could it really be that only he could escort the girl home!
Yanami walked slowly forward as if she knew nothing, hands behind her back.
Two steps.
Three steps.
She heard no movement, and the air gradually became heavy.
And just then...
"You're really brave. Do you want to become a doujin heroine?"
The boy's dissatisfied voice rang in her ears.
Yanami stopped and turned around.
Kiyono pushed his bicycle over to her side with a tsundere attitude. "Hmph, get on. Today I'll reluctantly act as a driver."
Seeing this scene, the girl's lips quietly curved into an arc. This arc slowly expanded into a brilliant smile.
"Very good! From now on, you're Yanami-sama's exclusive male servant!" The girl sat on the back seat with a "hey!"
"Master! Please give me wages!" Kiyono started pedaling.
"No no, you long ago swore to dedicate your entire life to me. A servant's things belong to the master—why separate things so clearly?"
"Your heart is blacker than a capitalist's..."
The bicycle rode through the quiet residential area. Looking up, the moon hung high in the night sky with twinkling stars as decoration. The boy and girl's energetic voices carried far.
Though this was the first time riding on a bicycle with a boy other than her childhood friend, Yanami felt incredibly safe and relaxed. She had one hundred percent... at least seventy percent trust in Kiyono's character!
Kiyono's back... was thinner than she'd imagined, but she felt it was very masculine, and she didn't feel the wind at all.
"I'm poking!"
"Please don't sexually harass me, Yanami-san."
Feeling the sensation at his waist, Kiyono's mouth twitched and the bicycle swayed twice.
"Can't help it. This position is a bit uncomfortable, and I'm afraid of falling." The girl grabbed onto his clothing.
After riding for ten minutes, they were very close to the residential address Yanami had mentioned. Kiyono stopped the bicycle and looked at the street ahead, making a light sound of surprise...
Was it his imagination? Why did this area feel so familiar?
"You can get off now." Kiyono said casually. The girl's house was just a few dozen meters ahead. He didn't plan to take Yanami to her front door, or it would be troublesome to explain if her family or childhood friend saw them.
"Can't you ride a little more?"
Yanami jumped down somewhat dissatisfied and lightly arranged her skirt hem and hair.
"I'm leaving then. See you tomorrow!"
The girl waved at him and walked toward her house. Kiyono stayed in place watching her figure until she opened her front door before feeling relieved.
But... just as he thought.
Kiyono's gaze fell on the building not far away. Although visibility wasn't great at night, he could completely confirm that Yanami's house was the same place where he'd met that blue-haired beauty the other day...
Obviously, they were family.
As for their relationship, it should be... it should be...
"They're sisters!" Kiyono perked up.
He didn't know much about the original work and didn't know Yanami's specific family situation, so he could only analyze from appearance. Looking at that big sister's beauty and temperament... she definitely seemed like an older sister!
"I'll have to be nicer to Old Eight from now on, and ask if her sister has a boyfriend..."
He was suddenly looking forward to the future even more.
Yanami often ate snacks in front of him.
All kinds of snacks.
Chips, candy, rice crackers, daifuku... Having seen so much, his brain was forced to remember most of the delicious and affordable snack brands.
But for some reason, Yanami only ate these snacks in front of him. When interacting with other colleagues, she never ate such things.
"Why is that?"
In the break room, Kiyono stared at the laptop computer, inexplicably spacing out.
Afraid others would eat her snacks?
Very possible.
Didn't want to expose her foodie nature?
Also very possible.
"As for why she eats so carefreely in front of me... it's probably because I'm not interested in her snacks." Kiyono thought silently, turning his gaze to look at the girl not far away.
Today the girl was still enjoying snacks during break time.
"Eating cookies today... this is the fifth time she's eaten them in two days." Kiyono gave up—wait, why do I know this so clearly! How pathetic!
But there was no help for it. The girl often ate in front of him, so it was impossible not to remember.
"What are you doing on the shop computer every day?" As if by telepathy, their eyes met, and then Yanami appeared at his side.
The girl's little head curiously leaned toward the computer screen, a few strands of hair playfully falling on his shoulder—too close, too close!
"Mmm, are you writing an essay... writing a novel?" Yanami saw the document on the screen and asked curiously.
"Something like that..."
Kiyono snapped the computer shut and said ambiguously.
"Oh, so you're writing novels." Yanami's sapphire eyes blinked a few times, narrowing into beautiful crescents. She looked very happy.
What was she so happy about?
Kiyono was somewhat puzzled...
Yanami often ate snacks in front of him.
But one day, Kiyono was bewildered to discover that she suddenly stopped eating in front of him.