Time passed without me realizing it. I hadn't seen Kusanagi once in these past few weeks. Mr. Kuroki was also busy with work, so we rarely crossed paths at the apartment either.
Morning theory classes were over. Li Shijia was frantically waving her arms, afraid I wouldn't see her. "Nozawa! Let's have lunch together later!"
"Shijia." I gathered my books and pens and walked towards her. "What do you feel like eating for lunch?"
"I want ramen. I can't eat ramen alone, so lucky I have you to keep me company~" Li Shijia had a particular fondness for red. Today she was wearing a fiery, bright little dress with a pair of high-top AJs, looking very trendy.
"Can't eat ramen alone?" On my first day in Japan, I went to a ramen shop. I picked a corner seat. All around me were uncles in their forties and fifties, always staring at me with lecherous eyes. I thought it was because my skirt was too short that day and drew attention, so I never wore it again.
"Girls shouldn't eat ramen alone! Nozawa, don't tell me you didn't know this?"
Li Shijia looked at me in surprise. "In Japan, if a girl eats ramen alone, people might mistakenly think she's unsociable or single. And you're supposed to make slurping noises when eating ramen, right? Most girls think that's inelegant, so it's impossible for them to eat ramen alone."
"..." My brain short-circuited for a moment. No wonder I received a note that day saying to contact them if I was lonely. Lonely my foot. Drop dead.
"Let's have sushi instead. One bite per piece, elegant." I hooked my arm through Li Shijia's, smiling brightly.
"Huh? Ramen..." Li Shijia, bewildered, let herself be pulled along by me, utterly confused.
I don't really feel like eating ramen for a while. Hmm.
The campus was especially crowded in the afternoon. There were always Japanese boys with long bangs covering their eyes passing by. Under the tall, lush branches of the metasequoia trees, couples chatted and laughed happily.
We wandered around for a bit and then entered a conveyor belt sushi restaurant that wasn't too crowded. Li Shijia, in high spirits, ordered a bottle of sake.
I glanced at the price: 4,000 yen. Uh... my wallet was feeling light, but I didn't want to shortchange a friend either. Gritting my teeth and doing the math, I could just barely afford it.
Li Shijia snatched the price slip. "It's the sake I ordered. Don't even think about paying. This meal is on me."
"That won't do. I was the one who suggested sushi." I also tried to grab the slip from her hand. "I'll settle the bill this time."
"My treat! Otherwise, I won't eat!" Li Shijia shot up from her seat. The chair behind her fell over with a loud thud, hitting the ground with a crash.
I was stunned. Why was this person as stubborn as a mule? Don't even think about fighting a northerner over the bill; she'll show you what true tyranny is.
"Then I'll treat next time, okay? That should work, right?" I hurriedly picked up the fallen chair and repeatedly apologized to the startled customers around us.
"That's more like it." Li Shijia finally sat back down, smiling as she handed me a plate of caviar sushi.
I glared at her helplessly. No way around it.
The two of us ate and sipped our drinks, both feeling relaxed and comfortable.
"You don't have any classes this afternoon, right?"
"Nope, otherwise I wouldn't dare drink. My place is near the subway station, so even if I drink, it's fine. I can just walk back. What about you?"
"I'm pretty close too. I can walk."
Talking about where we lived inevitably led to rent. Li Shijia stuffed a piece of mackerel into her mouth: "You live around here too? That's great! We can hang out often. By the way, how much is your monthly rent?"
"I'm staying with a host family, so I don't pay rent." I sheepishly brushed my cheek with a finger.
Li Shijia replied, "That's so good! You don't even have to pay rent, saving a ton of money. I'm worried right now, trying to find a roommate to share rent with. Otherwise, the rent is just too much. Tokyo is terrifying."
Her words suddenly reminded me. Mr. Kuroki mentioned last time that he would be temporarily moving away from Tokyo, and Kusanagi would be going home too. That would leave just the Madam and me. Given their fiery, tense relationship, being stuck in the middle would be like the filling in a sandwich—awkward just thinking about it. Besides, if Kusanagi and I lived under the same roof, that girl would definitely find ways to pick on me.
"Shijia, how about me as a roommate?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Nozawa, you want to share an apartment with me? I love you to death!"
Li Shijia jumped up and planted a big kiss on my cheek. "That way, I'd only have to spend 40,000 yen a month! Sweetie, when should we move?"
"Anytime!"
We laughed for a while and drank a bit more, then agreed to check out her place on the weekend.
Arriving at the bookstore, I'd learned my lesson this time. I bought a pre-heated onigiri and some beer beforehand and secretly stuffed them into my bag. Ah, I really love drinking beer.
Besides The elderly man, there was also a store manager at the bookstore—a man in his thirties, wearing stiff glasses and particularly difficult to deal with. He didn't allow eating dinner in the bookstore, nor did he allow going out to buy food during shifts. Every time, I'd be so hungry I saw stars, but I could only endure it silently.
However, yesterday I heard from The elderly man that the manager would be in charge of cleaning the warehouse today, meaning he wouldn't be in the store during dinner time. That gave me a chance to eat! Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. A living person won't be held back by a full bladder—crude saying, but the logic's sound.
Avoiding the bookstore's surveillance cameras, I secretly moved to a small corner, opened the onigiri, and started stuffing my face. I didn't forget to open a small beer, happily taking sips.
Eating is the best!
I was happily enjoying myself when suddenly I saw a tall girl in a short skirt appear on the surveillance monitor. Her soft, wavy short hair was loose, lazily falling over the guitar on her back. She was casually chewing gum.
Her eyes scanned the area, finally landing on me in the corner.
Kuroki Kusanagi? What was she doing here now?
My mouth full of rice, I saw Kusanagi stride over with her long limbs. In her lazy voice, she called out loudly, "Hey, where's the bookstore clerk? Slacking off instead of working?"
I was so startled I forgot to swallow the food in my mouth. I quickly pulled her over. "You!"
She glanced at me lightly, clearly aware I was secretly eating during work hours. Then, in an even louder voice, she shouted, "Manager! Is the manager here?"
"Customer-san?" The manager's voice came from the back warehouse. "Is there a customer?"
Oh no! He could hear from that far away? The manager's ears were too sharp!
I was really done with this troublemaker. I hurriedly pulled her into the corner, clasping my hands together pleadingly. "Miss Kusanagi, if the manager finds out I was secretly eating, I'll lose my job."
"Serves you right. Who told you to snitch to the old man?"
Kusanagi leaned close to my face, her soft black hair tucked behind her slender, pale ears. "Kuroki suddenly wants me to go home. It must be because you told them about me smoking."
I was taken aback. I wasn't taking the blame for this! I hadn't said a single word from start to finish! "I didn't!" I even held up three fingers in a swearing gesture to show I truly hadn't revealed her secret.
The girl stared at me, a hint of danger lurking between her brows.
"Really didn't?"
"No! Really, I didn't!"
"Whatever. I doubt you'd dare." After letting me off the hook, she seemed to be in a good mood from teasing me. "Hand over the beer. I want some too."
...So she was just testing me. If I had really told Kuroki, I'd definitely lose my job. What a nasty person.
"Miss Kusanagi, minors can't drink alcohol. It's Japanese law." I answered her helplessly. This person probably forgot about her own poor health. Otherwise, how could she be so brazen?
"Manager-san! Manager-san!"
"Fine, fine, you can have some..." I rubbed my forehead in resignation. This wasn't a minor girl; she was a demon.
Kusanagi broke into a triumphant smile. Even her slender eyelashes seemed to curl upwards like dark little crescents.
"Only one sip." I handed it over nervously, my heart pounding, feeling like I was committing a crime. I wondered when I'd get arrested for enticing and tricking a minor into drinking. Japanese police would break down the door and take me away... And I'd already drunk from this bottle of beer.
I watched nervously as Kusanagi tilted her head back and took a sip of beer. Phew, good thing she didn't notice.
Kusanagi nonchalantly took another big gulp. Her cool, handsome face puffed out her cheeks. She licked her lips, seemingly wanting more.
"No more!" I quickly stepped forward to snatch back the beer. I felt my study abroad life was about to end!
"Why so nervous?" Kusanagi adjusted her school uniform tie, which had gotten crooked from my pulling. "It's just a sip of your beer."
I was speechless. The Japanese in my brain started to crash. Can't win, can't hide? I'll be moving out this week anyway. Farewell, Miss Kuroki.
To stop Kusanagi from eyeing the beer again, I right in front of her, quickly threw my head back and chugged down the remaining half-bottle of beer in one go.
"Burp." A choked hiccup escaped. I quickly covered my mouth, but it was too late.
"Pfft."
Kusanagi just laughed at me, right? She laughed at me! She definitely couldn't hold back her laughter just now!
The girl leaned against a bookshelf, hands casually in her pockets, chewing gum, a mocking smile playing on her lips. I was utterly exasperated. I simply turned my back to her and ignored her.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
"You only eat this for dinner?" Seeing that I didn't speak, Kusanagi rummaged through my convenience store bag. It was filled with the cheapest rice balls and crab sticks, which certainly didn't qualify as good food in the eyes of the Japanese.
I lowered my head and chewed on the remaining rice ball in my hand, saying vaguely, "Yeah, I've been eating these lately."
I was a bit worried that Kusanagi would see through my embarrassment. After all, I was indeed very short on money, but I didn't want to be overly pitied, especially by a junior who was so much younger than me. It felt very uncomfortable.
Kusanagi remained noncommittal. She didn't say anything else, just turned around and left behind a light remark: "Eating too much of this kind of stuff will make your figure worse and worse."
Figure getting worse? It seemed like Kusanagi was talking about my chest just now.
I looked blankly at her.
The next day.
With a gloomy expression, Mr. Kuroki looked at the slacker girl opposite him. "Speak, what are your conditions?"
"I want to live alone." Kusanagi crossed her legs, her slender shoulders leaning back to form a beautiful inward arc.
"How old are you? Live alone? Let me tell you, you'd better give up that idea right now." Mr. Kuroki couldn't help but slam the table hard, causing the water glasses on the table to collide with a violent clatter.
"Slamming the table makes you tough? I can do that too." Kusanagi lazily put down her crossed legs and tapped her heel against the tabletop, rolling her eyes toward the sky.
"You! Cough, cough!"
Mr. Kuroki was enraged, his chest seized with a sudden cough. He immediately covered his mouth and began to cough violently. His wife hurried over to pour water. "Don't be angry. The young lady didn't mean it. Don't be so harsh, speak nicely."
"Look at her, is this how a young lady of the family should behave! She's just a rebellious daughter!" Mr. Kuroki scolded while coughing.
"No need to offer snide remarks from the sidelines. I'll handle things between me and the old man myself."
Kusanagi was not shaken at all. She clasped her jade-white arms behind her head and instead raised an eyebrow with great interest: "Hey, I'm just saying, the old man is almost 50. Are you two still harmonious in bed?"
As soon as these words were out, Mr. Kuroki's coughing became even more violent and painful. His wife supported him to help him catch his breath, her face full of embarrassment and helplessness.
"Look at what she says. Is this something a child should say!" Mr. Kuroki caught his breath, his face livid. "You have to agree to this today, whether you want to or not. My wife will stay in Tokyo with you. This is not up to you!"
"Are you afraid I'll get sick?" Kusanagi swung her feet, seemingly considering something. "Then wouldn't it be fine if I just found someone else to come over?"
"You're always coming up with random ideas. What are you plotting now?"
"There's one ready-made. Where was she from again? Oh, China. The Miss Nozawa Mizuki from China." Kusanagi curled the corner of her lips. "I think she's quite good."
"Miss Nozawa?" Mr. Kuroki frowned. This request was simply bizarre. "Miss Nozawa taking care of you in Tokyo? She's a student, where would she find the time?"
"I think it might work," the wife spoke up from the side. "Husband, why don't we discuss it with Miss Nozawa? If she agrees, it wouldn't be a bad thing."
Seeing his wife say this, Mr. Kuroki's anger dissipated by more than half, and he began to consider it carefully with a frown. Miss Nozawa was a girl guaranteed by a friend, so they knew her background. Although her family was poor, she had a gentle and straightforward personality and treated others with sincerity. Also, because she was a medical student, she was skilled and efficient at tending to his wife's wounds, so her professional knowledge must be solid. She was indeed a good candidate to take care of Kusanagi.
"How about it?" the girl's cold, clear voice was tinged with cynicism. "This condition is simple enough, right?"
Mr. Kuroki's gaze deepened. He pondered, "This isn't up to you either. It also depends on whether she is willing."
"That's simple. Don't be stingy with your money. She'll inevitably have to spend money if she lives with me. Just transfer it all to her." After saying this, Kusanagi stretched. She stood up to loosen her muscles, her slender, fair wrists lazily twisting.
"You're actually right about that. It's much more reliable to leave it to her than to you!" Mr. Kuroki said coldly. How could he not know that his own daughter was just finding a roundabout way to get money?
The wife kept her eyes lowered, stroking the man's back. Her daughter was rebellious, and her husband was in poor health. She could only try her best to look after his health and not let him get angry enough to hurt his spleen and lungs. Since the child didn't want to live with them, they had to find a way to make the best of both worlds.
"Miss Nozawa is kind-hearted and simple. She definitely won't refuse if we ask her."
"In that case, it would actually be unfair to Miss Nozawa."
This child had a mischievous and rebellious personality, and was usually overbearing and cold to others. Miss Nozawa would probably have a hard time for a while. Was there any way to make Miss Nozawa not refuse, and also take care of Kusanagi with peace of mind?
Kusanagi shouldered her guitar and left a remark before walking out the door: "That woman's Japanese is poor. I'll teach her, you just provide the money."
Mr. Kuroki and his wife looked at each other. Miss Nozawa's study materials were placed on the table: "Japanese Red Treasure Book" and "Business Language and Daily Conversation," which she read intently every day.
The girl's slender, fair figure disappeared at the doorway.
"Forget it. I'll make arrangements tomorrow. It will just depend on Miss Nozawa's willingness."
"I think this suggestion is good. Miss Nozawa probably won't refuse, I just don't know if the young lady will keep her word," the wife said with a wry smile.
"Her? She's probably just on a whim." Mr. Kuroki looked at the door and sighed helplessly.
In the blink of an eye, it was midsummer. The scorching sun baked the earth, and people and trees alike were listless, yearning for a hint of coolness and comfort.
"Miss Nozawa, I'll leave things here to you." A black sedan was parked outside. Before getting into the car, Mr. Kuroki squeezed my hand tightly and said earnestly: "If anything happens, contact me anytime."
"Okay, please rest assured." I nodded, my mood very complicated.
"Let's go."
The wife put her arm around Mr. Kuroki, and the two sat in the back seat together. The car window gradually rolled up.
Watching Mr. and Mrs. Kuroki get into the car, I couldn't help but sigh, my mood complicated and conflicted. Because on the night before they left, the couple found me and made a request I found hard to refuse.
Mr. Kuroki knew I was a medical student and hoped I could take care of Kusanagi's daily life. Combined with the fact that I could cook a good meal, they decided I was the best candidate to help Kusanagi get healthy.
"Me and Miss Kusanagi?" I pointed at myself in disbelief. The impact of this sentence was truly not small.
"Yes, please stay in Tokyo, both you and Kusanagi." Mr. Kuroki rubbed the ring on his thumb. "Listen to me first."
He took out a paper bag filled with money, containing 2 million yen, carefully sealed with glue. He pushed the paper bag in front of me. "This is your living expense. It's more than enough for a high school student like her, and the rest is for Miss Nozawa to use at her discretion."
I had never seen so much money before and didn't know how to react for a moment.
"I know Miss Nozawa is working part-time and studying Japanese. Kusanagi is Japanese after all, how about letting her teach you Japanese?"
Mr. Kuroki's hands were crossed together, a very humble way of expressing himself. "And my condition is very simple: take good care of Kusanagi's daily life, most importantly her health. Until I return to Tokyo from Osaka. During this time, we will also take time to come back. Miss Nozawa is a medical student, I am very reassured by that."
"This, does Miss Kusanagi know?" I was still very worried and subconsciously wanted to refuse.
"She was the one who initiated it, saying that if it was Miss Nozawa, she would be willing to move back."
Now I was truly confused; the thoughts in my head spun round and round.
How could this young lady, who seemed to dislike everything about me, actually suggest this? Perhaps it was a condition she had to agree to in a hurry; after all, to avoid living alone with the wife, she had to agree to whatever conditions were set.
I thought about it repeatedly, hesitant and undecided.
"This is too much money, I can't accept it." I politely declined this first; the amount was simply too large.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Kuroki shook his head and insisted that I accept it, saying it was my prepaid salary. "Kusanagi has a bad temper; I'll have to trouble Miss Nozawa to take care of her. It's my fault, I've been busy with work and neglected her. I'm already very happy that she agreed to move home. Fortunately, with Miss Nozawa here, you've done me a huge favor."
Mr. Kuroki pushed the money bag in front of me again. "Please, you must accept it."
As living expenses for Kusanagi, a high school student, it was more than enough; this was an obvious subsidy for me. I had originally decided to move out, but now I couldn't say such things. I wasn't paying rent and was taking advantage of them; this was basically room and board included.
My face flushed with heat, feeling both guilty and grateful.
The thick stack of cash in the money bag felt heavy in my hand. Kusanagi's pretty face flashed through my mind, and my head started to throb faintly. I had the illusion that I was selling myself.
Since I had agreed, there was no room for regret. I turned and looked at the detached apartment in front of me, then looked at the key in my hand, clutching it tightly in my palm.