In the video, Kan Yuu crouched on the floor, dressed in a black camisole, pointing at the gas cylinder in Rin Amane's house.
It seemed she knew Rin was in class and worried his phone might not be on silent, so she didn't speak. Instead, she simply pointed at the gas, then rested her hand under her chin, spreading her fingers in a questioning gesture.
"You bastard!!!"
Beside him, Hisao Eiji suddenly erupted.
He grabbed Rin's arm tightly, his bloodshot eyes bulging as he glared at him.
"Who is this girl?! Who is this beauty, huh?! Why the hell is she in your house?!"
Rin froze for a moment, choked by the sudden outburst.
He really hadn't expected Kan Yuu to send a message at a time like this.
Wait… what was she doing opening the gas in his house??
She wouldn't… she wouldn't really try to kill herself in his kitchen, would she?!
The thought sent a chill down Rin's spine.
Given Kan Yuu's mental state, it wasn't impossible.
Smiling sweetly at him in the morning, pretending nothing was wrong—yet in reality, maybe she'd planned everything out long before. The moment he left the house, she would just… die right there.
That was exactly the sort of twisted thought she might have.
So you won't let me jump off the building, huh?
Fine. Then I'll die in your house. In your house. In your house.
Tomorrow, it'll be your turn to want to throw yourself off a roof.
What a vicious plan!
"Say something, damn it!! Talk to me!"
Seeing Rin frozen in place, Hisao panicked, hopping on his feet, almost in tears.
"I'm begging you, bro! Just explain! Whatever you say, I'll believe you!"
"Shut up."
Rin shook off Hisao's grip, irritated. He had enough to worry about already.
"It's nothing. Just the granddaughter of the old man downstairs. She showered at my place last night, drank a bit, and then crashed there."
"…???"
Ignoring Hisao's dumbfounded expression, Rin quickly tapped out a message:
[Why are you turning on the gas?][Cooking a couple of dishes.][Seriously?][Seriously.]
Then Kan Yuu sent another message:
[Actually, I wanted to cook dinner for you tonight. I'm just practicing a bit first.]
At that, Rin finally let out a breath.
Yes—this did sound like something Kan Yuu would do.
[Didn't you say you wanted to treat me to dinner out?][Cooking for you myself feels more heartfelt.][I can't tonight. I've got my part-time job after class, no time to come home. Let's just eat out instead.] Rin replied.
This job had been hard to land, and he couldn't afford to skip it.
After all, Rin hadn't made a single yen in a week.
Worse still, yesterday he'd stupidly blown a few hundred at a massage parlor while scouting for potential partners. If he didn't work, he might not even have food money for next week.
At best, he could do two hours at the restaurant, then ask Hisao to cover for him so he could slip out early. That way, he wouldn't miss dinner with Kan Yuu.
[Alright.]
After a long pause, those were the only two characters Kan Yuu sent back.
Since it was plain text without any emoji, Rin couldn't tell what she was really feeling.
Just in case, he added another message:
[My workplace is on the shopping street across from school, near Jiefang Road subway station. It's a tea café. If you're bored, you could always come by early and wait around the area.]
[Mm.]
Setting his phone down, Rin sighed in relief.
When he turned back, he saw Hisao, now looking like a rabid monkey king, fully red-faced.
"Ah—I get it now!"
Hisao adjusted his glasses, raising a finger knowingly.
"That girl looks so young. Must be the one you met when you ordered the 699-yen 'Reliving Youth—High School Uniform Premium Massage' package at the parlor, right? Gotta admit, her schoolgirl cosplay is pretty convincing!"
"You actually know that package?"
Rin's jaw dropped. This guy knew more than he did!
"No. She's from our school. Class B, next door. She's been on leave these past few days. I only just met her."
"Bullshit! I know exactly what color panties every pretty girl in our school wears, and I've never seen her in my life!!"
"She just came back from abroad."
"Abroad?! She's a foreigner? Damn you, Rin!"
What, so just going overseas makes you a foreigner? By that logic, if I shoved some spare change under your mom's blanket, that'd make me Superman too.
"Hisao!"
At that moment, the math teacher rapped on the blackboard.
Hisao stiffened.
"Here!!"
He shot up to his feet instantly.
"What's so funny over there?"
The teacher adjusted his glasses.
"Come solve this inequality for us."
In that instant, Hisao's world collapsed.
Meanwhile, back at Rin Amane's house—
Kan Yuu put down her phone and crouched in the kitchen, staring blankly.
He's really not coming back, huh?
Must be tough… living alone, working to support himself.
Does he… not have parents?
Her eyes drifted across Rin's home: the greasy stains on the counter, the dust under the TV stand—traces of a life without anyone to care for it.
Though shabby and old, everything was still arranged neatly enough. For someone living alone, it wasn't bad at all.
Kan Yuu felt her chest tighten.
How long has he been living like this?
He's just as lonely as I am.
That thought stirred something in her.
Her own life had already lost its meaning.
So why not… before it ended… do a little more for Rin Amane?
She slipped on gloves and a mask, tied on an apron, and flung the windows open.
Time for a full cleaning.
From the bathroom she fetched a broom and began sweeping the entire apartment from corner to corner.
Not even the dust under the sofa and tables was spared!
After mopping every inch of the floor, she grabbed a rag and wiped down every door, window, and cabinet.
Back when she lived with her grandfather, he'd handled the coffee-making while she did the chores. She was used to it.
So this—this was nothing.
Still, Kan Yuu deliberately avoided two things.
First, Rin's bedroom.
She didn't go in.
Curious as she was, she knew better. A teenage boy's room was sacred ground.
If she went in and happened to uncover something… embarrassing… on a brightly colored magazine cover, the awkwardness would be unbearable.
So she left the door shut.
Second, she avoided rearranging his things.
Everything she cleaned, she returned exactly where it had been.
Because she knew—thanks to her grandfather's teachings—that many boys didn't like everything neatly organized.
Sometimes, what looked like chaos to others was actually their own kind of order. They knew exactly where things were. If someone rearranged it without asking, they might never find anything again.
Two hours later—
Kan Yuu stood, hands on her hips, smiling with satisfaction as she looked at the sparkling-clean apartment.
Rin would be shocked when he came home.
She glanced at the clock—it was already noon.
The whole afternoon still stretched ahead of her.
Just then, something Rin had said earlier came back to her.
That tea café on the shopping street—she knew it. There was only one on that street.
She pulled up her phone, searched the map, confirmed the location, and then bit her finger in thought.
Back when she helped at her grandfather's café, he'd brewed the coffee while she handled the pastries. She wasn't much of a cook, but when it came to desserts, she had some real skill.
If there's no time to eat dinner…
Then maybe… I could make a dessert, and bring it to him?