It was around noon that I decided to refuse Hime's arrival.
The appointment was at 2pm, so it was more of a last-minute cancellation, but I would definitely make it up to her at a later date. With that resolve, I decided to contact Hime.
We had already exchanged contact information.
Hime doesn't seem to like electronic devices very much, and we have only exchanged greetings with her so far.
I felt that if Shinyo-chan found out about the phone call, she would question me, so I decided to just leave a message.
"Hime, I'm sorry. Something came up suddenly, so can we hang out another time?"
While Shinyo rubs her cheek against my stomach, I compose a message on my smartphone and send it.
I had hoped to do it without being noticed, but... it seemed that Shinyo had picked up on something.
"Yo-chan? Why are you on your smartphone?"
"N-nothing."
"...Could it be an affair?"
How precocious. I wonder where she learned that word... Maybe she was influenced by watching adult dramas with her older sister.
My sister loves dramas about messy affairs. I think Shinyo has been influenced by them, and is growing into a girl with a heavy heart.
"I'm not cheating on you, so don't worry... Shall we have some sweets now?"
"Hmm, I just ate, so I'll have snacks later! Next time I want to play a coloring game."
So, we decided to play the second game.
This time it was a hugely popular shooting game where you shoot colorful ink with a water gun and roll it around with a roller. Although I bought it, I got motion sickness so I stopped playing it soon after, and so I pretty much just reserved it for Shinyo-chan.
"Rolling~"
Rather than playing against other people, it seems like the fun is in coloring the stage with ink. Shinyo-chan is playing leisurely. I watch her from next to me and sneak a peek at her smartphone.
The reply...hasn't come yet.
(I-It's okay, right?)
It had only been about ten minutes since I sent the message. I'm the type of person who can wait patiently for a reply, but since it was a sudden message, I was a little worried.
There were less than two hours left until the appointed time. It was early to leave the house, so he must have let his guard down, thinking that he would definitely make it in time.
I was licking it a little.
I was underestimating how much Hime was looking forward to coming to my house.
I hate to say it myself, but Hime is very friendly towards me.
That's probably why she couldn't wait.
"Ping pong ♪"
Suddenly the intercom rang.
It was exactly 1pm and I still hadn't heard from Hime.
At this time of day, I thought it would be delivered.
"Someone's here! Yo-chan, Koharu's going to go see it."
"Ah, wait."
Shinyo-chan is a lively and energetic girl with a strong sense of curiosity, and she wasn't intimidated by the sudden visitor. Rather, she seemed to be curious about who had come, and before I could stop her, she ran out of the room.
I panicked and chased after him.
It's probably a delivery, but there's a chance it could be a suspicious person, so I think it's dangerous to leave the front door right away. I head down the stairs, thinking that I should report this to my sister later.
And that was the moment we arrived at the front door.
"--a"
It was too late now.
When I arrived, Shinyo-chan had already opened the door, and behind it was...Hime.
Two people who should never have met ended up meeting each other here.