"So, this is your place?"
As Nifuji entered Chika's place, he couldn't help but look around, but even so, his mind was still preoccupied with her mutter, which he had heard previously.
I want to disappear.
When he heard those words, it triggered him, and he felt afraid that something might happen to Chika, so he tried to tamp down her emotions by making her feel embarrassed and also comfort her as long as he could.
Yet, he had to say, he was also curious about Chika's place, since the brat he had always taken care of since childhood had become a university student and was living on her own.
'What did I do before?'
When he thought of the original memory of Nifuji and even his own memory, he knew that his life as a university student was filled with nothing but playing online games, seducing women, and all other silly things, which made him sigh since, unlike him, Chika was so responsible, especially when he could see many papers scattered on the ground.
Those papers were all drawn manga, which were the failures in Chika's mind, but when Nifuji thought about how much hard work she had put into those works—
"Ah, sorry! Sorry! I will clean up everything!"
As Chika saw the mess in her room, she quickly got ready to clean it up, but Nifuji said, "Why don't you get us a towel and take a bath first?"
"Achooo!"
Chika felt cold as her body was drenched in the rain.
"...I should do that."
Being sick was troublesome, especially when she lived alone, so she knew that she had to take care of herself, but when she saw that Nifuji was also slightly wet, she also asked, "What about you, Onii-chan? You are also wet."
"I am not that wet. I can just use your towel."
"What if you get sick?!"
"...what are you trying to imply?" Nifuji looked at Chika speechlessly. "Do you want me to take a bath with you?"
"W-Who wants to take a bath with you?!"
Chika's face turned so red, and her body grew hot from his question.
"I will be fine since I have girlfriends who can take care of me, and I also have money and insurance to go to the hospital if the situation really calls for it, but you? You need to take care of yourselves better, so hurry up and get into the bath, and I will clean up the rest!"
"O-Okay."
Chika hesitated, but in the end, she nodded, following Nifuji's words, since even if she wasn't a child anymore, Nifuji's influence over him was quite strong, especially when he often took care of her when she caused a lot of mess.
Yes, while she was so responsible, she also often caused a lot of a mess as she couldn't stay in a one place and was always on the move, and Nifuji was the one who cleaned up the mess as he was the older one, so when he asked her so, in the end, she followed his words, but before she entered her bathroom, she glanced at him, as she muttered in a low voice, "It's fine you want to take a bath with you, you know?"
Her memory was faint, but she knew they had taken a bath together when they were children.
She was still a snobbish brat, she thought, and he was a gentle older brother, yet this also made her relieved since even if he had changed, he was the same as ever, which made her show a sweet smile, giving her relief and a moment of happiness during her darkest moment.
Yet, as Chika entered the bathroom, Nifuji, who was drying his hair, continued to observe her room as he tidied up all of her scattered papers on the ground.
Chika's apartment was a typical one-room unit, the most common type in this country.
Yes, it was one room with an indoor bathroom and a door separating it from the front area, which included the kitchen and the entrance to the room.
Wasn't it small?
Naturally, but for Chika, who was a university student, it was enough, or rather, it was on the luxurious side, especially when most of the university students were poor.
The lucky ones could still live with their parents, and the wealthy ones could live in their own place alone, but the unlucky ones could only live in a small, dilapidated, and old apartment like Mayuri's apartment, which was a practically run-down building more than 50 years old, and supposed to be torn down to be built again.
As for Chika, she was a wealthy young lady, especially since her family was quite well-off, and she had won 1 million yen as a prize in the newcomer competition.
If she became a professional mangaka, her income would naturally increase, but even if she wasn't one, she could earn income as a mangaka assistant, which had quite a substantial salary.
In other words, once again, she was a wealthy young lady!
Regardless, even if he had said that many papers were scattered around, Chika's place was quite tidy, with a sweet, feminine scent unique to a woman, but he was as calm as still water, especially when his needs had been taken care of.
"...."
Wait, did he?
Yet, unlike before, Chika had grown up, and she had become an adult.
Her body might not be the tallest, nor was she the most beautiful, yet she was cute, and her hips were well-toned and supple from her kendo training during her high school years.
Moreover, her buttocks were round, small, cute, yet contained eroticism from the immorality that came from—
'Stop! Stop!'
There was nothing wrong with him wanting to go after Chika, especially since they were all adults and had no relationship in their family, since their mothers were just close to each other.
If he went after her, he knew that his mother would be more or less happy, especially since, as a mangaka, her job was unpredictable, as no one could be so sure that she could make a lot of money all the time.
Nifuji also had no worries since, as a mangaka, her job would make her stay at home for most of the time.
'Hmm....'
When he thought of that, choosing a writer, a mangaka, and all other creative workers who made them stay at home all the time seemed to be a good choice as a bride, he thought.
After all, while he wasn't someone who was easily jealous when his women got close to other men, he knew that everyone was attracted to beautiful women, and beautiful women were rare.
To get the beautiful women, people would do many things, but then again, if one kept worrying about everything, they would get exhausted, and they wouldn't be able to enjoy.
The future is unpredictable, and no one can tell.
Moreover, as it happens in the future, let's worry about them in the future.
However, even if we can't tell what will happen in the future, we can do our best to prevent all of the bad things by working hard in the present.
Still, Nifuji could think about all of that later since—
"Chika, can I borrow your kitchen to make food?"
Yup, let's eat first since he was hungry.
---
Be patient, okay?
Frankly, writing slice of life is quite difficult, if I have to say since working with emotions is hard, but I will do my best.