Though the well-meaning warning was given, Shinomiya found herself more concerned with correcting Granny Kobayashi's apparent misunderstanding about her relationship with Kuroha Akira. She felt the need to clarify once more.
"Um… Granny, he and I… we aren't in that kind of relationship."
"I understand. You're just at the stage where you're a little interested in him, right?"
"Mmm… it's just that Akira-kun is a truly remarkable person."
Oh, child… that's how it always begins. The seedling of affection. And often, the prelude to a tangled web.
Granny Kobayashi sighed inwardly. She knew this path all too well. In her youth, she too had fallen head over heels at first sight for a man named Kobayashi Tokuma, and ended up following him for a lifetime.
That journey was anything but smooth. It was paved with countless near-breakups, harsh words, and fierce competition, only culminating in a 'happy ending' after immense struggle. And even after marriage, women bearing 'gifts' would still appear, attempting to usurp her place. She'd lost count of how many times she'd flown into a rage over such matters.
Yet, despite always being the one to get angry, he was the one who left first, so casually… The thought brought a bittersweet twist to her heart, both tearful and absurdly funny.
"I've only known that boy for half a year, so I can't claim to understand him deeply," Granny said aloud, her tone measured. "But from what I see, he has the makings of someone who will become very 'popular.'"
"'Popular'?"
"It means many people will gather around him. Right now, there might not be many, but that's only because he hasn't begun to spread his wings… Once he starts moving in wider circles, he'll likely attract a flock of admirers in no time. In fact, Shion-chan, weren't you persuaded to come here by his words alone?"
"Mmm…"
"Don't be embarrassed. It's because people like them are… special. So special they hardly seem of this world."
In truth, they really aren't.
"So, you must seize the present. Right now, he only has you by his side."
"…Granny, I don't want to think about those things right now," Shinomiya replied, her voice soft but firm. "For now, I want to focus on my future. On being able to stand on my own two feet. Other matters can come later."
"It seems you don't yearn for love, Shion-chan."
Most teenagers her age secretly—or not so secretly—longed for a romantic partner, for a passionate or sweet story of their own. But Shinomiya Shion had sealed those feelings away in the deepest lockbox of her heart. This was likely tied to her family environment, and to the very incident that had led her to run away.
"I just feel… I shouldn't harbor illusions about love."
"It's not wrong to think that way. If you expect to gain everything from love, then when you lose it, you lose everything—even your soul feels hollowed out."
"Even knowing that… why do people still seek it? If you know you'll get hurt from the start, why not simply abandon it?"
"Because love is a beautiful thing. It would be a pity to abandon it."
"I don't understand…"
"That's because you haven't truly loved someone yet. Once you do, you'll realize it's a feeling that brings profound happiness just by its existence."
"Just by having it, you're happy… It sounds like magic."
"Hehe, yes, it truly is like magic. However, love doesn't only bring happiness. Sometimes, that very feeling can also bring immense pain…" As she spoke, Granny Kobayashi's gentle smile faded into a familiar, rueful one. "You see, he has already left me, yet I still keep his clothes. Only then can I feel he's still by my side."
"Granny…"
"Ah, look at me. Old women do tend to ramble once they get going. Pay no mind to my mutterings. I won't meddle in you young people's affairs." Granny Kobayashi deftly closed the topic. She had simply sensed a flicker of envy in Shinomiya regarding her own long marriage and felt compelled to offer some hard-won advice.
In truth, she felt it was almost a waste for a girl like Shinomiya Shion to be paired with Kuroha Akira.
What virtues does that lazy brat possess to deserve such a beautiful, talented wife? And the treasured daughter of the Shinomiya family, no less…
(It's called plot armour, Granny! You wouldn't understand…)
The image of Kuroha Akira—who was always talking about 'lying flat' and giving up—becoming a live-in son-in-law was almost comical. It would be far better for Shion to take the reins and train him into a proper, henpecked husband. That would save her from walking the difficult path I did.
"Anyway, given the current situation, living under the same roof is a good opportunity for you, Shion-chan. You'll have plenty of chances to interact. Try to understand him better."
"Yes, I will."
"Good. Now, tell me your clothing size. I'll get you a proper set of loungewear tomorrow."
"Thank you, Granny."
At that moment, the door slid open, and Kuroha Akira sauntered in, having changed into the simple jinbei. He was vigorously rubbing his hair with a towel.
"All clean! Pretty fast, huh?"
Granny Kobayashi's expression underwent an instantaneous, dramatic shift. All traces of her earlier gentleness toward Shinomiya vanished, replaced by her trademark, fire-breathing glare. "You stinking brat! Dry your hair thoroughly before you come parading around! Don't you dare drip water all over my clean floors!"
Kuroha Akira, feigning deafness, simply shoved the bundled-up tracksuit in his hands into Shinomiya's arms. "Here. Your turn. Wear this after you're done."
"Okay, thank you…" Shinomiya accepted the clothing. The oversized jacket and pants would undoubtedly hang loosely on her slender frame.
The thought triggered a memory of a style called the 'boyfriend shirt'—where a girl wears only her boyfriend's oversized button-down, the hem barely covering essentials. It was considered subtly provocative, a look many men supposedly fantasized about.
IYKYK
Her situation, however, was the opposite. She was missing the inner layer, as Kuroha Akira's tracksuit short-sleeve tee was in the wash. And there were no spare undergarments either. Which meant after her bath, Shinomiya would be wearing his tracksuit directly against her bare skin.
My entire body… wrapped in Akira-kun's clothes…
Even with virtually no skin exposed, a wave of inexplicable, flustered shame washed over her.
"Anyway, I'll head back to the room and wait for you, Baa-chan," Akira declared, already turning. "Hurry up and get the bedding out. I'm on living room duty tonight."
His announcement was met with a wonderfully rustic, creatively profane tirade from Granny Kobayashi—a verbal onslaught so vivid it would put a native Japanese speaker to shame.
In the end, however, she did retrieve a fresh set of futon and a pillow from storage. This wasn't for Akira's comfort, but rather a pre-emptive measure born of deep suspicion. She didn't trust for a second that the boy wouldn't try to 'accidentally' share a blanket with Shinomiya Shion if given half a chance.
Promises meant little; when young men and women slept in close quarters, the risk of 'beast mode' activating was far higher than anyone cared to admit.
Granny Kobayashi had zero faith in Kuroha Akira's willpower. A guy whose life plan revolved around lying flat and being supported by others—could such a person resist a feast laid right before him? He'd gobble it all up and then try to play innocent!
But she also recognized that young Shion had deliberately locked away her own romantic feelings. She needed time to unpack those emotions herself. Forcing the issue now, 'cooking the rice' prematurely, would only warp the girl's understanding of relationships and love.
This line of thought sparked a memory. There was an old item in storage, something that could help maintain a necessary, subtle distance between the two.
"Hey, you stinking brat," she called out, cutting off his retreat. "Come with me to the storage room."
"What for?"
"To move something. With it, you won't have to camp in the living room."
"Oh? What is it?"
"A double bed."