Chapter 58 – Itsuki’s Situation

“So, how long are you going to stay over?”

After school, they went shopping, and returned home. They relaxed a little, and Amane looked towards Itsuki who was treating the place like his own house.

Itsuki hardly came by recently as Mahiru had been around. He however had been here a few times, and seemed so familiar with the place.

Itsuki sat cross legged as he drank the coffee, and looked rather decent because of his good looks. He seemed to be thinking of something, for his eyes wandering around.

“Nn, first off, I want to stay for 3 days. That’s troublesome, don’t you say.”

“Your dad isn’t a bad guy or something, just inflexible in accepting other people’s opinions.”

“You can just say outright that he’s a stubborn, bullish shitty dad who’s born in the wrong era here.”

“Hey you.”

“How can I allow my parent to tell off my partner to be?”

I’ll leave the house when I grow older anyway, Itsuki once spat, but he really did not dislike his father.

His father was a man of reason, and once pleased, he would treat others earnestly. The father was acting like this because Chitose displeased him, but he seemed a decent man to Amane.

He did not approve of Itsuki’s relationship with Chitose because they were of a somewhat prestigious family, and he hoped his son would choose a female of appropriate standing.

Also, another reason was that the father was bad at dealing with Chitose.

However, Itsuki was flatly denied by his father, and because of this, it seemed he chose to run away from home.

“You have it good here, Amane. You can do whatever you want.”

“My parents love each other too much, and they want me to choose someone I like.”

“I’m jealous of you.”

Itsuki at this point was a result of his strict upbringing, and Amane could not overly deny that.

According to him, dyeing his hair bright and dressing frivolously was him acting in protest.

“You say that, you really respect your dad, right?”

“I respect him as a person, but he’s hopeless as a parent, right? Oppressing me isn’t going to solve everything…he could have given me a little leeway, but he’s just giving me the whip all the time, of course I’ll bite back.”

“Is it good for the one given leeway to understand this?”

“I can take it if he just let me free, but he caged me and put a collar over me. That’s why I’m protesting, that’s all.”

He doesn’t even understand this even after these decades, Itsuki shrugged, and finished the rest of the coffee.

“Well, you can relax a few days. Luckily we got a few days of break.”

“How nice to have a friend …!”

“Stay away, you disgust me.”

“I’m hurt!I want Shiina-san’s cooking as compensation!”

“You’re going to eat it even if you’re hurt, right?”

“Tehee.”

“Stop acting cute. It’s disgusting.”

“This scolding is so cruel…oyoyo.”

He pretended to cry, but Itsuki was still smiling, and Amane was stunned yet a little relieved.

Itsuki often had disputes against his father, but it seemed it was a little worse than usual this morning. Amane might be imagining things, but he sensed Itsuki was mentally down. It seemed he had recovered somewhat.

Well, he could not say this to Itsuki, so he pretended to look aloof as he exhaled slightly.

The sun set, and Mahiru arrived at Amane’s house.

Her hands were empty, for Amane had already prepared her ingredients.

He told Mahiru that Itsuki would be staying over, and she did not falter even though Itsuki was spreading himself wide. Instead, it was Itsuki who was a little frantic.

“It has been a while, Akazawa-san.”

“Yep, same to you. Sorry for dropping by at your love nest…owowowow, I know, I’m just joking. Sorry for disturbing you. It’s bothersome having someone you’re unfamiliar with here, right?”

Amane silently stomped on Itsuki’s foot, and the latter cried out, grinning away and making a popular looking smile.

“No, that is not the case. It is better to be livelier.”

“It’ll just be noisy with him around.”

“You should not be saying that.”

Reproached into silence, Amane saw Itsuki leering away, so he pinched the latter in the flank, at a position Mahiru could not see.

However, Itsuki had the ideal male body type, and there was nowhere to pinch in particular.

“I shall prepare dinner now then. Please continue.”

While the duo continued their little skirmish, Mahiru showed an angelic smile, put on the apron, and went to the kitchen.

It seemed she probably did not know what to say, so she decided to leave Itsuki to Amane.

After staring at Mahiru’s back, Itsuki sheathed the leer on his face.

“…You’re on such good terms, you gave her your key?”

“Shut up.”

She would enter using the key given to her, because they were already used to it. She entered without pressing the doorbell, and Itsuki noticed this.

“Please continue, so Shiina-san says because she thinks this is a safe space for her? She’s already acting like your wife here.”

“Want me to chase you out?”

“I want to say…that I’m joking here, but this is an objective view of the situation, you know?”

Amane wanted to grab Itsuki on the neck, only for the latter to escape as he was on the carpet, starting the game. Amane got off the sofa, bumping him lightly with the kneecap, and sat next to him to play games and kill time.

After a while, he heard the plates being removed. He wondered if he should let Mahiru handle everything, so he stood up and went to the kitchen.

“I’ll help you out. Do I bring the plates with the food on?”

“Thank you very much.”

He served the dishes on the table as usual, and saw Itsuki looking dumbfounded.

“…You know…”

“What?”

“No, I’m not saying it.”

Itsuki did not finish his words as he went off to keep the game console. “What in the world?” Amane asked, sounding a little confused.