Maybe he'd already gotten used to having one more person at home.
Or maybe it was because, lately, nothing but good things had been happening.
Gotoh Doku felt like he'd finally adapted to living with Bocchi.
He could calmly say "I'm home" to her.
He could calmly eat the dinner she cooked, then wash dishes with her in the kitchen.
He could even calmly sit with her in the living room, both of them saying nothing—just sitting absurdly straight while scrolling their phones.
And, most importantly, he could very, very calmly tell Bocchi—
"Um… Bocchi, I think the water's boiled. You should go wash up first."
It was obvious.
Gotoh Doku's understanding of the word "calm" still needed work.
"Ah… um, I'm not in a hurry… You got back really late today too, Gotoh-san… so you should go first…"
Beside him, Gotoh Hitori—who'd been staring at her phone—jerked like a student daydreaming in class who suddenly got called on by the teacher.
"N-no… I'm fine going after… You've always let Bocchi go first, right? And Bocchi's a girl—your hair takes a long time to dry, so you should go first…"
"N-no, it's fine if my hair isn't dry… You work every day, Gotoh-san, way harder than someone like me who just stays at home… so you should wash up first and get to bed early…!"
"N-no no no no…"
"N-no no no no…"
They were back in that familiar routine: two socially anxious people insisting the other should go first.
This kind of scene had already happened countless times over the past few days.
Still, as they spent more time together, the "no, you first" exchanges were getting shorter and shorter.
If things kept going like this, maybe in about a month, this wouldn't happen anymore.
In other words—
If it was just one more month, maybe he and Bocchi could finally live together like a real family, without that constant sense of distance between them.
Ah…
Speaking of family…
Had Bocchi… felt even a little more at ease lately?
Gotoh Doku pressed his lips together.
He'd thought about taking Bocchi back to his parents' house—introducing her to his family.
That plan was far better than leaving her alone in his tiny rental apartment all day, never stepping outside.
At the very least, his parents—proper, capable adults—would surely be able to give Bocchi a better life.
And honestly, based on what he knew about them, whether it was his dad or his mom… even little O—none of them would make a big deal out of it. They'd treat Bocchi well, the same way they'd always treated him.
But even if his parents could accept it without hesitation…
Bocchi might not be mentally prepared.
From Bocchi's perspective, his family might look no different from the family in her memories.
But the problem was: his family had no memories of Bocchi, and Bocchi had no memories of his family.
Before coming to this world, Bocchi surely never imagined she'd end up in another world.
And his parents certainly never imagined a daughter would just… appear out of nowhere one day.
There was no foundation of shared feelings.
Only a sudden, jarring change.
Even if they could prove the relationship through DNA or something, there still wouldn't be any memories to reflect one another—nothing to bridge that gap.
Sometimes Gotoh Doku wondered if he was worrying too much—maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he feared.
But he couldn't gamble on that.
Even now, he vividly remembered the expression Bocchi had worn a few days ago, when he'd asked how she felt about coming to another world—an expression so painful it made his chest tighten.
She'd definitely been thinking about her family from her original world.
Even though she hadn't said it out loud, he could feel it.
He couldn't guarantee that if he introduced Bocchi to his family too abruptly…
It wouldn't hurt her before she was ready.
It wouldn't make her truly realize, in the most brutal way, that she really had come to another world—one she might never be able to leave.
Even if there were familiar people here…
They didn't know her.
They didn't recognize her.
That kind of pain—straight to the heart.
Gotoh Doku didn't want Gotoh Hitori to face that so soon.
At the very least, he wanted to stay by her side a little longer… until she could finally feel safe.
"…Ah."
Gotoh Doku let out a small sound, remembering that he'd been in the middle of their "you go first" routine about the bathroom.
But when he looked up, Bocchi was already gone from the living room.
She probably couldn't hold her ground against him again, and ended up going to wash up first.
Sigh.
He'd really thought he'd grown a little.
But he was still the same—getting lost in thought at the drop of a hat…
Honestly, maybe only Bocchi and Kita-san could put up with a personality like his.
Gotoh Doku gave a long, quiet sigh, sat back down on the sofa, and picked up his phone to read the messages Kita-san had sent him.
Most of it was relaying what Hiroi Kikuri had asked of them back at the izakaya—something she wanted him and Kita-san to help with.
In short—
It was about a pair of sisters who both desperately wanted to help the other.
Neither of them wanted the other to suffer.
Both wanted the other to have an easier life.
And that mutual goodwill twisted into conflict… until it finally became a fight.
…Yeah.
How should he put it?
Wasn't this just… someone else's family business?
Even if he and Kita-san wanted to help, they didn't really have the right to step in.
Gotoh Doku felt a headache coming on.
He was already drowning in everything involving Gotoh Hitori.
On top of that, he had his restaurant job, and he had to teach Kita-san guitar.
He didn't have time to spare for anything else.
Unless—
Unless Kikuri's "help" meant having him and Kita-san form a band with that unnamed younger sister.
That way, they'd have a legitimate reason to be involved with her.
And they'd have time—at least to some extent—to help her reconcile with her older sister.
Because, according to Kita-san's retelling…
That younger sister's dream—or rather, her goal—was to form a band with "reliable, normal people."
Which would explain why the older sister had been running a live house for years, and why the younger sister had started considering giving up on having a band and accepting reality.
These days, finding someone "normal," who also plays in a band…
Honestly?
It was about as hard as getting into the University of Tokyo in three months.
And just so happened, he and Kita-san fit the criteria of "normal people in a band," which was probably why the older sister wanted them to help the younger sister.
But leaving him aside, Kita-san was in college now. Did she really have the time and energy for band activities?
And in the first place, a band wasn't exactly the kind of future parents found reassuring.
Kita-san's parents probably wouldn't agree so easily.
If they really formed a band with that younger sister, and Kita-san got stuck in the middle—caught between the sisters—what then?
Kita-san was so kind. She'd definitely end up hurting herself for someone else.
…He didn't want Kita-san to get hurt for a stranger.
But he'd already promised Kikuri he'd help…
Gotoh Doku covered his face with one hand. He could practically feel his brain cells dying.
After a while, he suddenly thought—
Maybe he was overthinking it.
Maybe Kikuri didn't mean "form a band."
Maybe she just wanted them to befriend the younger sister, and help ease the tension between the sisters.
After all, everyone knew:
To form a rock band, a guitar alone wasn't enough. You needed drums and bass too.
Even if the younger sister happened to be the drummer, they'd still be missing a bassist.
There was no way they'd just coincidentally lure in a bassist on top of everything, right?
The odds were too low.
Yeah.
He was definitely worrying too much.
Right. That had to be it.
Gotoh Doku crossed his arms, utterly impressed by his own brilliant logic.
About half an hour later, Gotoh Hitori opened the bathroom door.
At first, she only opened it a hair's breadth—so narrow it was barely visible.
Then, little by little, she gathered her courage and pulled the door wider.
The first thing that came out wasn't her—it was the thick white steam from inside.
Then came the oversized slippers—too wide compared to her small, pale feet.
Because the bathroom connected directly to the living room, Gotoh Doku only had to lift his eyes to see Gotoh Hitori right after her shower—
She held the bath towel he'd bought her tight against her chest with both hands, too nervous to lift her head.
It wasn't that she looked like a freshly bathed, breathtakingly cute girl whose every move made hearts melt.
No—she looked like a little mouse that had done something wrong, sneaking out of its hole to steal a bite of cheese.
What she wore was an oversized, pale white hoodie—the one Toyokawa Sakiko had picked out at the clothing store back then.
He had to admit: the junior's taste in clothes was absolutely top-tier.
The hoodie had no pattern. Even the color was plain.
But on Bocchi, especially with those pink strands of hair still damp with water vapor draped over the fabric like willow branches…
It made him want to scream so cute a thousand times in his head.
"…Um… is it okay that your hair isn't dry?" he asked.
As far as he could remember, this was the first time he'd ever seen Gotoh Hitori right after a shower.
Before, she always showered at a different time from him.
But this afternoon, their apartment's water had been shut off.
And tonight, Gotoh Doku hadn't eaten, so he'd called Gotoh Hitori and asked her to quickly make him something again—which meant she still hadn't had a chance to shower until now.
"Ah… um… my hair is really thick… and it's long…"
Gotoh Hitori lowered her head and carefully sat down on the sofa. Her slender fingers fidgeted awkwardly.
"If I use the hair dryer… it takes a really long time before it dries… I'm afraid it'll cost too much electricity…"
"You don't have to worry about the electricity bill, Bocchi. It won't cost that much," Gotoh Doku said, surprised she'd even been thinking about that.
"But… if I do it every day… then day after day… it adds up, right? I… I don't want to put extra burden on you, Gotoh-san…"
Afraid he still wouldn't agree, Gotoh Hitori hurriedly added another reason.
"And also—um! Right! When I was at home before, I always did this too! My hair is really thick and long, so I just dry it a little with the dryer, and then let it air-dry the rest…!"
I already use so much of Gotoh-san's shampoo and conditioner when I wash my hair… I really don't want to add even more burden…!!
Gotoh Hitori wailed silently in her heart.
Back then, she'd never realized how fast she went through a bottle of shampoo.
But after coming to Gotoh Doku's place, she understood it painfully well.
Every day, watching those expensive brand-name bottles he'd bought her getting lighter and lighter, she felt a deep, creeping fear.
What if Gotoh-san forced himself to work even more… just to keep up with how fast she used shampoo?
And then, when she tried to tell him not to push himself, he'd put on a strained smile and say, "I'll do my best"—
Just imagining that scene made her feel like she was dying inside.
"But… won't you catch a cold?" Gotoh Doku frowned slightly. "If your hair isn't dry, it's really easy to chill your head…"
"I-it's fine! I've done it like this my whole life!" Gotoh Hitori shouted, her eyes spinning in panicked circles.
"…Y-your whole life…?"
Gotoh Doku actually believed her—despite it being the kind of nonsense she'd blurted out without thinking.
He could see the moisture still clinging to her hair, and a few strands were even dripping water.
Then he glanced at the time. It was already late—it was time to sleep soon.
And then, in his head, he pictured the worst-case scenario: because he hadn't stopped her, Gotoh Hitori ended up getting a stroke from a chilled head—
N-no.
He couldn't do this.
Just thinking about it made him feel like he was about to die.
"Bocchi… the electricity really doesn't matter. I picked up another job, so I can completely afford to support the two of us."
"So you don't have to force yourself to scrimp and save… We don't need to live like that—where you have to suffer and hold back. You're still young. You don't have to be this 'mature.'"
Gotoh Doku looked at her, genuinely worried.
"When it comes to your health, that's what you need to prioritize. You can save on other things, but you can't save on anything related to your body."
"And if you think drying your hair is annoying or takes too long… I can help you, Bocchi. I can dry your hair for you."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Silence fell on both sides.
Gotoh Doku blinked in confusion, not understanding how he'd ended up blurting out that he'd help dry her hair.
Wasn't that… way too intimate?
Bocchi was already timid and introverted—wouldn't this just scare her?
O-oh no…
Did he just say something that would make her misunderstand?
They weren't even the same gender. Living under the same roof already came with so many awkward inconveniences. Bocchi, as a girl, definitely had more things to worry about than he did.
How could he casually tell her he'd dry her hair for her…?!
Reject me, Bocchi—please reject me.
I'm fine.
If you actually agree, then it'll be me who dies of embarrassment…!
On the other side—
Gotoh Hitori's mind had gone half-shutdown, too.
But it wasn't because he'd offered to dry her hair.
It was because she'd heard him say he'd taken on another job.
In an instant, she understood.
Why Gotoh Doku had been coming home so late these past few days.
Why he'd suddenly gone out today carrying a guitar.
Even though she hadn't seen a guitar at all in the days before.
She'd found it strange—if Gotoh Doku was her future self, then why didn't he have a guitar in his room?
Even the "Guitar Hero" account she'd searched for online hadn't updated in a long time… but not long ago, it posted a status saying it was going to become someone's guitar teacher.
And the timing—
It lined up exactly with when she'd arrived at Gotoh Doku's home.
Gotoh Hitori pressed her lips together hard.
The answer was obvious now.
The reason Gotoh Doku came back so late… was because he'd taken an extra job to take care of her.
As for why he'd hidden the guitar… why he hadn't uploaded videos in so, so long… even though he used to care about that account so much, and care about the guitar so much—
Gotoh Hitori didn't know the real answer.
But she had a faint, terrible, terrible premonition.
She'd always felt guilty toward him.
And now, at last, she was finally seeing a corner of the reality she'd never truly touched before.
"…I'm sorry…"
Gotoh Hitori whispered.
Then she stood up from the sofa and walked, step by step, over to Gotoh Doku—who was still frozen in place.
With her bangs hiding her eyes, he couldn't see what expression she was making.
All he could tell was that her lips were pressed tight.
Like she was holding back something.
Like she was trying not to cry.
"Bocchi, wh—"
Gotoh Doku hadn't finished speaking when he saw her slowly sit down beside him.
It looked like she wanted to hug him… but didn't dare to actually do it.
So instead, she reached out with both trembling little hands.
As if she were touching a butterfly that might flutter away if she moved too suddenly—
She carefully, cautiously tried to hold a few of his fingers.
Gotoh Doku stared at her, blankly.
Did she really… have a stroke?!
The thought turned his face deathly pale.
But the very next second—
The girl suddenly lifted her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and shouted at him with all the courage she had:
"P-please… please let me dry your hair too…!!!"
-------
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