chapter 11
11: Aira’s House
Ryugo and Aira changed trains and got off at the station two stops away.
Apparently, Aira’s house is here.
Since I didn’t know if I would be able to go home today, I called my parents and told them I was going to a friend’s house.
“Have fun,” my mother said, her voice somewhat cheerful.
Since Koki transferred schools, Ryugo has been alone at school.
He doesn’t bring anyone home, and he doesn’t talk about his friends anymore.
So, I’m sure she was relieved to hear that her son was going to hang out with a friend.
I felt guilty for lying, but I arrived at Aira’s mansion.
A conspicuous white mansion standing on a stone staircase in a residential area.
Surrounded by the greenery of the front yard, its luxurious appearance was not diminished in the slightest, and it remained an imposing sight.
A spacious three-story building with a heavy, imposing presence.
Part of the exterior wall was made of glass, and the space that seemed to be the entrance hall was visible from the outside.
There was a spiral staircase inside, connecting it to the upper floors.
“Wait a minute. I’ll unlock it.”
The key that Aira took out was a common alloy type with indentations on the tip. However, there didn’t seem to be a hole to insert it into the front door.
When she held the key in front of the door, there was a beep, and the door slid open sideways.
I’ve only seen that kind of electronic lock in movies.
“Come on in.”
Wearing fluffy slippers that were obviously expensive, I stepped into a luxurious space that was so warm and inviting that I felt intimidated.
“Aira’s room is on the third floor. Go up those stairs.”
Is this what the house of a rich person looks like?
I guess it’s no wonder she has that kind of personality if this is the kind of place she grew up living in, spoiled rotten.
…Or maybe it’s rude of me to think that about other rich people.
“This is Iroha’s room!”
The space is so large it could probably fit an indoor pool, and it’s filled to the brim with cute stuff. The wallpaper and carpet have her favorite mascot character on them. The bed is covered in countless stuffed animals.
There’s an enormous flat-screen TV on the wall, easily 200 inches or more. There’s a computer on the desk too, and I don’t even need to check to know it’s top of the line.
As I’m standing there like an idiot, the sweet scent in the air tickling my nose,
“You can sit on the bed,”
Iroha says, putting the spot next to her.
Ryugo hesitates, but does as she says, and asks,
“It must be a lot of work to clean all this…”
“Oh, we have housekeepers, so it’s fine.”
“You’re so rich. I feel like I can’t move around properly because I’m being so careful. I always feel like a cat that’s been brought into someone else’s house.”
“You don’t have to be so formal. So, what do you want for dinner? We can order delivery.”
“Sushi!! Fatty tuna!! The expensive stuff!!”
“Sure. It seems like you forgot what you were just saying a second ago, Watanuki-kun.”
“Sushi!! Sushi!! Sushi!!”
“Now you sound like some kind of strange animal.”
Iroha calls to order the food, then leads me to the dining room.
The dining room and kitchen are on the first floor, and like the entrance, the walls are glass, offering a view of the city night view.
The city, illuminated by the bright moonlight, is still bustling with activity, and there are lots of people walking around.
“Delicious! Delicious!”
But Ryugo, oblivious to all that, is stuffing his face with the luxurious meal.
The sushi that arrived is an expensive set for two that costs over thirty thousand yen.
Colorful seafood is artfully arranged on the plate, making it look like a jewelry box.
Every piece that I pop into my mouth melts in my mouth, the soft rice and the flavorful rice coming together perfectly.
“Ah, there’s nothing like having someone else pay for your sushi!”
“Isn’t that, like, the number one thing you’t supposed to say to the person who’s paying?”
“Don’t sweat the small stuff!”
“I don’t think fifty thousand yen is small change.”
He polishes off the sushi in no time and finishes his tea with a satisfied sigh.
“But still, for Iroha to actually pay for someone else’s meal… Tomorrow the Earth might just split in half.”
“Huh? Is it that big of a deal? I mean, it’s not like it’s my money. I used my dad’s credit card.”
“You can use your parents’ credit cards whenever you want?”
“Yeah. He told me I could. I don’t really spend that much, anyway. And he’s never asked me what I use it for.”
“Wow. Rich people really are different.”
I figured Iroha would be the type to max out her credit cards, but maybe she’s surprisingly responsible about that sort of thing.
Surely it’s not because she’s too scared of her father to spend too much.
This incredibly arrogant girl.
No, wait, it’s not right to badmouth someone in my head, even if they’re paying for my meal. I should apologize. I’m sorry.
“Thanks for the meal! It was delicious!”
“You ordered the expensive stuff, of course it was.”
“I’ll thank you anyway. Thanks.”
After cleaning up after the meal,
“So, why aren’t your parents home?”
“Straight to the point! You should ease into sensitive topics!”
“??? I eased into it, didn’t I?”
“Are you talking about the sushi, by any chance?”
“By the way, if this isn’t interesting, I’m leaving.”
“That’s the worst.”
“So, what’s up?”
“…They’re both just busy today.”
“That’s not the truth.”
“How do you know?”
“If you were just temporarily given your parents’ credit card, I’d think they were just being cautious. But you were talking as if it was normal for you to use the card. They’re not just out today. In the first place, is it really just a coincidence that both of them just happen to be out today?”
Aira averted her eyes and looked at her nails, her face clouded with hesitation.
“You know about it too, don’t you, Watanuki-kun? Aira’s mom is a celebrity, and her dad is a CEO. They’re busy. But that’s not all that’s been going on lately.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a fight with my mom. She told me to join the entertainment industry, and I refused. Why do I have to take orders from someone else? I said. Then my mom said, ‘I gave birth to you as a beautiful girl and raised you without any hardship, and you can’t even follow my orders?’ Like, I didn’t ask to be born.”
“And that’s what you fought about?”
“Yeah. Or rather, I’ve been following my mom’s orders my whole life.
I was forced to take piano lessons, swimming lessons, dance lessons, tea ceremony lessons, singing lessons, acting lessons, and a bunch of other stupid lessons.
But no matter how hard I tried, I could never be more than mediocre, and my mom was always disappointed in me. I guess she would have made me join the entertainment industry no matter what I was good at.
That’s why she kept telling me to ‘join the entertainment industry because you’re pretty,’ and when she realized I had no talent, she tried to get me into a place where I could get in just because of my face.”
Aira seemed to be getting angry and angry.
Even so, she was pretending to be “not bothered,” but her complaints were getting more and more heated, like a balloon about to burst.
“That’s why I got mad and told her off when I was in middle school.
And we had a huge fight.
My mom was determined to make me join the entertainment industry. I hated it so much that I started dating Ma-kun because I thought she’d give up if I had a boyfriend. It’s a minus for a young actress to have a boyfriend, right?
But then, she was like, ‘I’ll set you up with a young, good-looking actor, so break up with him’? Are you kidding me!? Does she think I’m a dog or something!? What does she mean, ‘set me up’?!! You don’t use that kind of language with your daughter!! I, Aira, only want to do what I want to do!!”
I received her sudden outburst of anger with mixed feelings.
“Wow…”
The only thing I could say was that I felt sorry for Makoto. Aira started dating him to avoid her mother’s wrath, and he was treated like a glorified slave, had his belongings destroyed, and was forced to grovel in front of others…
I’m getting sidetracked.
Let’s get back to the main topic.
“So, why did your dad give you the card?”
“…He’s busy with work, and if he’s home, he has to listen to Aira’s complaints. I guess he thinks he’s fulfilling his parental responsibilities by giving me the card and letting me do whatever I want. Neither of them comes home until late. I’ve been home alone a lot lately.”
“That must be tough on you too.”
“I think this is the first time I’ve ever complained to anyone. Thanks for listening.”
“Well, it’s the least I could do after the sushi.”
“…Oh, that’s right. I forgot to return it.”
“What?”
When Ryugo tilted his head in confusion,
“Look.”
Aira placed a finger on her lips and reached for the hem of her uniform.
From beneath slightly the raised fabric, her translucent skin—her pale abdomen and small navel—peeked out.
“…I promised to show you.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her lips twisted into a devilish grin. Was it the reverse of embarrassment? Her ears were as red as a Chinese lantern.
Oh yeah, I remember making that promise.
It had been completely driven from my mind by the delicious sushi.
My sober thoughts were pushed aside, and the bell of emotion rang.
“Here I go…Make sure you look closely, okay? Under Aira’s clothes.”
As Aira’s clothes were gradually lifted, I couldn’t help but get excited and stared at her as if I could bore a hole through her.
Her clothes completely exposed her shapely abdomen and continued to rise, snagging on her soft, full breasts. The hem lifted her breasts, slightly altering their shape.
Aira’s shoulders tensed, and her hidden ripeness was about to be revealed with just a little more effort.
Just as my chest and nostrils flared with anticipation,
“Okay, I showed you under my clothes.”
“…Huh?”
Aira abruptly lowered her clothes, crushing my hopes and plunging the world into darkness.
“I’m embarrassed, so that’s all I’m showing you.”
“No way…”
Ryugo’s chest burned with despair, and he let out a cry of anguish.
“Y…You tricked me, aaa!”
“Awww…Do you really want to see Aira’s breasts that much?”
“Yes, I do!”
He shed tears of Bl00d and begged for mercy.
“Hmm, you really want to see them that much~”
Aira narrowed her eyes and licked her lips seductively.
“Then…shall we go to my room?”
“Yes!”
I stuffed the remaining pickled ginger into my mouth to freshen my breath.
The sour taste numbed my tongue, but it wasn’t enough to quell my anticipation and excitement.