(AN-Yall don't mind the title)
Chapter 70: Something Like a Date
Kobeni finished her bath and stepped out of the bathroom. She was wearing pajamas that looked old and worn, covered in several patches; they were likely hand-me-downs from an older sister who had outgrown them. Her only "new" clothes were her school uniforms—two sets each for autumn and winter.
As she passed through the living room and saw Chiya still lying on the sofa, she said softly, "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight, Otonashi-kun."
"Mm, goodnight," Chiya replied with a smile. He prepared to wash up and head to bed as well.
Kobeni entered Denji's room, where Denji was still playing games with Pochita. Even now, she felt a wave of awkwardness facing Denji. She wanted to remind her that it was late and time for sleep, but after a moment of hesitation, she gave up. She crawled into the covers without a word, pressing herself against the wall to leave as much space as possible so Denji wouldn't feel crowded.
A while later, Denji noticed the time herself. "Pochita, it's getting late. Let's stop here for today," she told him. Chiya had previously told her that she should turn off the lights and rest by 10 or 11 PM at the latest, as staying up late was bad for the body. Seeing it was past 10, she stopped the game.
"Woof!"
Denji and Pochita had already bathed before playing, so they turned off the game and the lights and climbed into bed. Kobeni pretended to be asleep, keeping her eyes closed and remaining motionless to avoid further awkwardness. Denji assumed she was already out; she had wanted to say something to her teacher, but decided not to disturb her.
Early next morning.
Chiya woke up early as usual to prepare breakfast. The only difference was that this time, he had to prepare four portions: for himself, Denji, Pochita, and Kobeni.
Kobeni was already awake and washing up in the bathroom; she had brought her towel, toothbrush, and other daily essentials with her the night before. Looking at the breakfast spread on the table, she felt as though she were living in a dream.
"I gratefully receive!"
As she ate, Kobeni thought about how wonderful her life would be from now on. She no longer had to worry about university. Without her parents' interference and with such a high salary, she was set. There were nearly two years left before university; if she worked hard and saved during this time, it would be enough to cover her basic expenses.
Once Denji and Pochita finished eating, Chiya cleared the table and washed the dishes in the kitchen sink. He felt he didn't have many lingering concerns now. Aki was training with Kishibe while partnering with Himeno, Denji and Pochita were well-settled, and Kobeni's predicament was resolved. He could spend these remaining days at home with them before heading to the Soviet Union with a clear mind.
"I'll take you to buy a new bed later," Chiya said to Kobeni. "And we can pick up some new clothes for you while we're at it."
He noticed she only had her school uniform and patched hand-me-downs. While she spent most of her time at school, there were still weekends and holidays. Japanese schools had plenty of breaks—winter, summer, and even spring break. She couldn't very well wear uniforms or rags every single day, could she?
"Eh? Buying new clothes? That's... that's a bit too much trouble for you..." Kobeni was always hesitant to burden others.
"It's fine. Once I go abroad, I'll be entrusting you to keep Denji and Pochita company and look after them a bit. Since that might affect your studies a little, consider the new clothes as compensation," Chiya said.
Denji and Pochita had looked after each other for a long time, so their ability to take care of themselves was fine, but having someone there for companionship and a little extra care was naturally for the best. Of course, it wouldn't actually impact Kobeni's studies much. Denji was perfectly capable of doing laundry and cooking; Kobeni just needed to interact with them like a normal family member after school.
"All right," Kobeni nodded. Otonashi-kun was not only giving her such a high salary but also providing food and a place to stay—how could she possibly have a problem with such a small request?
Afterward, Kobeni left the house with Chiya, her heart full of joy and anticipation. As they walked through the mall, she couldn't help but feel that this was just like a date! She stole a glance at Chiya, only to have her eyes meet his. She frantically looked away, her face turning a deeper shade of red.
"We've reached the spot. If we keep walking, we'll miss it," Chiya said, simply trying to point out the store.
"Oh! Right!" Kobeni reacted with a start, her flustered panic making it look like she had been caught doing something wrong. After calming down slightly, she followed him into the furniture store they had almost passed. Chiya let her pick out a bed she liked and then arranged for a moving company to deliver it to the house.
"Now, time to buy some new clothes."
Chiya then took her to a clothing store. It happened to be a boutique that only sold women's wear. The clerk at the door asked politely, "Excuse me, are you two a couple? If not, we only allow women inside. I'm very sorry."
Hearing this, Chiya turned to Kobeni. "Go ahead and pick whatever you like. I'll wait out here." He didn't mind waiting at the door; he could just pay once she was finished.
"How could I do that?" Kobeni didn't want him standing outside waiting for her. She turned to the clerk, face burning with bashfulness, and stammered, "W-we are a couple!"
Though the clerk thought it was a bit odd, she let them both in. Like most girls, Kobeni loved beautiful and cute clothes; unfortunately, given her past family situation, she never had the chance to buy anything nice.
The first thing she asked was, "Um... how much does this cost?" When she heard the clerk say that a single outfit cost thousands or even tens of thousands of yen, she felt it was far too expensive.
Kobeni immediately stood on her tiptoes and whispered to Chiya, "Otonashi-kun, maybe we should try another shop. This one is too pricey..."
"No need. Let's buy them here. Just pick what you like and don't worry about anything else," Chiya whispered back. While she thought it was expensive, these were standard prices for Tokyo, unless one was buying poor quality or second-hand items.
"Okay..." Since Chiya insisted, Kobeni stopped worrying. There were indeed clothes here she loved and had set her eyes on, but she had kept quiet because of the price tag.
(AN-
OK,70
30 more before we hit 100
Let's do this!
LET'S GOOOOOO!
Enjoyyyy