Chapter 2: The Forbidden Fruit of Photosynthesis

I, Fumino Kaede, am a shut-in who doesn’t attend school.

Even though I went to middle school, I only went as far as the nurse’s office to take tests. Despite this, my father expects me to follow in my sister’s footsteps and enroll in Japan’s top university. To an outsider, it might seem absurd for a parent to make such unreasonable demands of a shut-in who doesn’t even go to school. But I didn’t see my father’s expectations as unrealistic or overly ambitious.

It’s not because I’m an optimistic person. If anything, I’m rather pessimistic.

That said, I’m not some clueless, head-in-the-clouds type who doesn’t understand reality or my own limitations. I might avoid thinking about the future, but I know my own abilities better than anyone. I’m a realist, after all.

After all, I’m a prodigy. I’ve never seen anything other than triple-digit scores on school tests.

The results I achieved while casually playing online games. My father, satisfied with that, allowed me to continue my glorious shut-in life. To be precise, he simply ignored my problems.

So, for the three years after compulsory education ended, I wanted to coast through life as a shut-in. But as the non-compulsory education event loomed, my life finally hit a snag.

I wanted to take the easy way out with a high school equivalency exam. Denied.

At the very least, I wanted to attend a correspondence high school. Denied.

Anything other than a prestigious private school was out of the question.

“Even if you get into a university, you won’t be able to attend properly. That fake illness of yours where you can’t even speak properly—fix it already.”

At this point, my father refused to let me skip non-compulsory education and ordered me to attend high school as a form of harsh treatment to fix my issues.

For a parent who doesn’t care about their child’s feelings and is only interested in the results they produce, it’s a remarkably sound argument.

The prestigious school I was forced to attend, along with the logical harassment, was one I casually got into while playing online games. If only life were always this easy. Unfortunately, the real world is full of demons. It’s a harsh world for someone with communication issues.

And so, with no time to prepare, I faced the first day of high school: the entrance ceremony.

To be honest, even someone like me had expectations for this prestigious school.

I thought it would be full of nerdy bookworms with no interest in others, with no extroverted, party-loving types in sight. School events like those in anime would be out of the question. Clubs? Who has time for that? Just study. I imagined a rose-colored high school life where the only goal was to get into a top-tier university.

That expectation was utterly betrayed.

The school had lax rules and a free-spirited atmosphere. They actively encouraged club activities, emphasizing both academics and extracurriculars. There was a ridiculous trend of going all out for cultural festivals and sports festivals as a class. And with no class changes for three years, friendships would become even more intense. It was essentially a breeding ground for extroverts.

After the entrance ceremony, when the homeroom teacher laid out the reality, I was devastated.

With a packed schedule of youthful events, do they even plan to get these students into high-ranking universities? I wanted to grill them for an hour. As a prodigy, I could handle it easily, but could they really guide these seemingly airheaded extroverts to higher academic achievements?

Unfortunately, the school’s升学率 (advancement rate) was the real deal.

The reason extroverts are extroverts is because of the youthful energy that overflows from within. They don’t shy away from putting in sweaty effort behind the scenes to achieve their sparkling campus lives. In fact, the youthful events and intense friendships are their way of taking a break. And at the end of it all, there’s club activities and the pursuit of both academics and extracurriculars.

Their lives seem so fun.

I’m not having any fun at all.

And then I remembered.

This was the alma mater of the extroverted goddess (nee-san) who fondly remembered her fun high school life. It was clear that this was a crappy high school.

How could I, a prodigy, overlook something so obvious?

My strong desire for a rose-colored high school life must have blinded me. Now that my vision has cleared, the light has faded from my eyes. It’s a rape scene where my rose-colored high school life is utterly violated by extroverts.

After the ceremony, I immediately tried to escape.

But I was intercepted!

The speed of these extroverts, with their life experience as high as stray metal, was something else.

The self-proclaimed king of the school caste, accompanied by three lackeys, stood in my way as I tried to leave.

Without even being asked, he started introducing himself and then rudely demanded my real name.

If only I could have shouted, “I am Renafalt of the Ten Thousand Realms! The blade that will judge you extroverts!”

But alas, I couldn’t.

With my social anxiety and stutter, the king of extroverts was far too terrifying.

While I seethed internally at his lackeys, who were probably thinking, “Stop staring at her chest, you idiot!” I couldn’t even let out a stuttered word. I just shrunk into myself, waiting for the storm to pass.

Then, in a playful tone, the self-proclaimed queen of the school caste appeared with four followers, saying, “Hey, boys, you’re scaring her!”

This wasn’t salvation. It was like being hit by a typhoon and then an earthquake right after.

The king and queen of the school caste seemed to be old friends, engaging in lively banter. Their lackeys and followers laughed and cheered, further heating up the atmosphere.

As I waited for this disaster to end, hoping they’d just leave, the queen turned her fangs toward me.

She started introducing herself, even though I didn’t care, and then demanded my real name.

If only I had the courage to shout, “I am Renafalt of the Ten Thousand Realms! The sword that will punish you extroverts for your sins!”

If I could do that, my life would be a happy one by now.

But with my social anxiety and stutter acting up, the queen of extroverts looked like a monster straight out of a nightmare. With her followers in tow, she was like a parade of demons.

While I fumed internally at her followers, who were probably thinking, “What’s so bad about looking at someone’s chest? The real problem is your empty brain, you idiot!” I couldn’t even let out a stuttered word. I just shrunk into myself, waiting for the earthquake to pass.

Then, in a casual tone, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the school caste appeared, adjusting his glasses with a smirk and accompanied by five subordinates.

This wasn’t salvation. It was like a tsunami following the typhoon and earthquake.

The king and queen of the school caste cheered, “Oh, class rep!” as the prime minister arrived, and the atmosphere grew even more lively. Their lackeys, followers, and subordinates laughed and cheered, further heating up the scene.

While everyone was distracted, I realized this was my last chance to escape and quietly slipped away.

◆

The above is the terrifying experience I had on the first day of high school, during the entrance ceremony.

It was like a haunted spot where evil spirits just popped up. I’ll never set foot in such a horrifying place again.

And so, on the second day of high school, I became a shut-in once more, resuming my life of seclusion.

During the entrance exam interview, I stuttered and couldn’t answer a single question. Despite that, I was accepted because my self-graded written test was perfect. Even with my garbage social skills, my prodigious talent must have been seen as a contribution to the school’s升学率 (advancement rate).

The homeroom teacher must have heard about my social anxiety from the interview. They probably figured out why I stopped attending school right away.

My father is usually away from home, so it was the housekeeper who had to deal with the fallout. But since supervising me isn’t part of her job, she just passed the information along without getting involved. She only took care of my daily needs, leaving my truancy untouched. She’s a wonderful person who supported my shut-in life.

A week after I stopped attending school, the king, queen, and prime minister of the school caste came to visit.

Apparently, they felt guilty that surrounding me that day might have scared me and caused me to stop attending school. They could tell I was a quiet girl, and they felt truly sorry for what they’d done.

They had gotten my address from the homeroom teacher and came to apologize.

While their crime wasn’t entirely wrong, my spirit had already been broken before that. I’ll never forgive their outrageous behavior, but even without them, I would have stopped attending school.

I had the housekeeper send them away and then wrote a scathing review on a high school evaluation site, criticizing the school for carelessly leaking personal information like it was no big deal.

After I stopped attending school, my father, who came home once a week, would yell at me and berate me. I just kept my head down and endured it each time.

Golden Week came, and it was the last day of April.

My father’s patience had finally reached its limit.

“If you don’t want to go to school, fine. But I didn’t raise you to be a freeloader. If you can’t adapt to society, then you’ll have to contribute in your own way.”

After a long, roundabout lecture, the verdict was handed down to the shut-in who refused to attend school.

The sentence: to be a plaything for an upper-class old man.

There was a family he wanted to maintain ties with, so I was assigned the role of a tool for an outdated form of matchmaking. It’s the kind of thing that would make feminists furious.

My father’s face showed no hint of a threat—it was already a done deal.

Satisfied with the verdict, my father left the house.

I sat there in a daze, unable to do anything.

It’s not that I lack emotional intensity. If anything, my emotions are quite strong. But because I lack the ability to express them in real life, I’m misunderstood as a weak, quiet child. This applies not only to my father but also to my sister, who cares about me more than anyone in the world.

Whenever I’m pushed into an unbearable situation, I’ve always kept my head down and endured until the other side gives up. It’s a misuse of my social anxiety and stutter, a form of calculated behavior.

This is my way of navigating life. It’s not that I never say anything. It’s a coping mechanism where I abandon any response or assertion from the start.

I have zero intention of solving the problems presented to me. I’ve always thrown my problems to my future self.

And now, the accumulated debt of those problems has come due. The day of reckoning has arrived.

Being a plaything for an upper-class old man is something I’d rather die than do. But I have no way to overturn my father’s verdict.

In that case, my only option is to rely on my sister, who moved to the city for university.

…Or so I thought, but that’s also a bad move.

After tracing my sister’s thought process, it became clear that social awkwardness will inevitably be cured in the end. That’s why she gently persuaded me to keep trying and go to school. Even if her intervention helped me avoid the fate of becoming a plaything for some high-class old geezer, I’m still destined to meet a tragic end—a bright, colorful youth tainted by the horrors of rape.

My life is over.

My future is utterly hopeless, with no way out.

The only path left is to become an unstoppable force, taking many lives (scores) along the way, ending in a family-and-relatives-including-Tanaka mass tragedy. I have no intention of going quietly alone. No matter how terrible I am, I’m the kind of creature who can push all that aside.

The quieter someone is, the more terrifying they become when they finally explode.

It’s often said, but people don’t realize it. We’re not quiet by choice. We just lack the ability to express ourselves emotionally and communicate smoothly. As a result, we end up living quietly.

Our emotions are always suppressed. With no way to release the negative energy, it piles up in our hearts day by day.

When it finally explodes, it becomes, “This society that pushed me to this point is to blame.” That’s the truth behind the birth of an unstoppable force. At least, that’s what I believe, and now, I’m on the verge of becoming one.

If a prodigy like me becomes an unstoppable force, my deeds will be talked about for the next hundred years. The Tsuyama massacre of thirty people will pale in comparison. I’ll rack up a quadruple score and carve my true name into history and Wikipedia.

I don’t dislike my sister. In fact, I respect her. But she’s too rigid to truly understand my heart. That kind of sisterly love isn’t enough to keep my humanity intact. In the end, she’ll just have to fall into hell with me as part of the perpetrator’s family.

I set the time limit for my next birthday and spent about an hour lost in thought about how to become an unstoppable force. A fifteen-year-old child, pondering how to rack up the highest score.

First, I’ll look up how to make a pressure cooker bomb.

As I reached for my phone, I suddenly remembered.

The one person who truly understands me, the one I can open my heart to.

My senpai, whom I met in an online game in fifth grade and who has taught me so much since then.

A senpai who brings me nothing but joy is my emotional anchor.

The escape from my suppressed heart, the world of Renafalt, was nurtured and shaped by my senpai. You could say it’s entirely their creation.

The only time I feel joy is when I can escape reality through Renafalt. Since my mother died, the days I’ve spent with my senpai have been the only color in my life.

Before I end my life, I want to meet my senpai.

I don’t know their face, voice, or age. All I know is that they’re an adult man with a job. I know nothing else about them.

Before I end my life, I want to meet my senpai.

A socially awkward person with social anxiety and a stutter, wishing to meet someone like that—it’s a desire I’ve held in my heart.

After all, my life is already over.

A reckless impulse pushed me forward.

Once I decided, things moved quickly.

Even though I’m a shut-in who doesn’t go to school, I don’t mind going out if I don’t have to interact with people. I withdrew the daily limit from the ATM. I plan to do the same tomorrow.

Until middle school, my father would give me whatever I wanted as long as I produced results. I consistently scored triple digits on paper tests, and as a result, my bank account held an amount far beyond what a fifteen-year-old girl should have. It was nothing more than bait to keep me producing results. The numbers in that account were a reflection of my father’s humanity.

This time, it worked in my favor.

That same day, I packed everything I needed into a carry-on bag. I left a note saying, “I’m going to my sister’s place in Tokyo,” booked a plane ticket, set a trap for my sister, and all that was left was to consult my senpai… but my hand stopped there.

Back when I first started playing online games, I knew nothing. My senpai taught me internet literacy, and I’ve faithfully followed their advice to this day.

That’s why my senpai doesn’t know my gender or age. They probably think I’m a male college student. They’d never imagine I’m a high school girl.

Visiting an adult man and asking for a place to stay—I understood what that implied.

It’s not about base male desires. If this came to light, my senpai would face social repercussions.

I don’t want to cause trouble for my senpai. But I still want to meet them. At some point, I started wishing they’d reach out a hand to me in this hopeless life.

So, I decided to take a gamble.

My senpai always spends Fridays at a friend’s shop near the station. I’ll suddenly propose an offline meetup. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll quietly give up. Then I’ll visit my sister and end my life in a family-and-relatives-including-Tanaka mass tragedy. It’s unfair, but I’ll take the neighbors down with me.

But if my senpai agrees to meet me and takes my hand, I’ll postpone that bad ending.

I want to escape reality.

I want to turn away from this painful future.

Even if nothing remains after I wake up, I want to lose myself in a fleeting dream.

That’s when I realized what I truly wanted.

I’m seeking salvation from my senpai.

◆

The morning of a shut-in who doesn’t go to school isn’t usually early. In fact, it’s often quite late.

Today, I woke up unusually early, before sunrise. I’m running away from home with a carry-on bag, so I can’t let the housekeeper see me.

I arrived at the nearest station thirty minutes before the first train and made it to Tokyo by midday.

Street View is truly amazing. I never expected it to cover even the inside of the airport.

Thanks to that, there was no hesitation in my steps. My iron will to avoid any conversation with people, combined with meticulous preparation, effortlessly guided me all the way to Tokyo.

Next, how to get to Senpai’s nearest station?

The fastest route is the monorail with one transfer, taking about an hour. But that’s out of the question.

Even though I’ve memorized the route and the 3D map, traveling long distances in an unfamiliar place is daunting. I absolutely want to avoid any situation where I might have to ask someone for help, something my preparations couldn’t account for. So, I chose a bus that requires no transfers.

I’d have to wait hours for the next bus, and by the time I arrived, it would be rush hour. Most people might avoid this, but for me, it’s perfect. I have no intention of sightseeing in Tokyo, after all.

Despite it being a weekday afternoon, the airport was overflowing with people like trash. I guess all tourist spots are like this. While Akihabara does interest me, mingling in such a garbage-like crowd is something I’d rather die than do.

During my research, I learned about airport lounges and decided to kill time there. Equipped with power outlets, free soft drinks, and even Wi-Fi, all for just 1,100 yen. I couldn’t believe such a heavenly place existed.

Since I’ve come all the way to Tokyo, indulging in gourmet food might be the way to go. But the ordeal of talking to staff is something I can’t endure. So, I grabbed lunch from a convenience store inside the airport with a self-checkout system—a godsend—and holed up in the lounge.

The reception desk was its own kind of ordeal, but I pretended to have lost my voice. Simply showing the text I typed on my phone got me in without a hitch.

The lounge was sparsely populated. Truly the ideal environment.

Now, time to play some online games! Just kidding. Overwhelmed by the crowds at the airport, I spent the time repeatedly going over my preparations, never feeling like it was enough.

I scrutinized the meeting point with Senpai, memorized the surrounding area’s layout, and researched nearby shops with Wi-Fi.

From here on out, I won’t have free access to the internet.

I plan to leave my smartphone behind here.

The rapid evolution of smartphones in recent years is terrifying. I’m afraid this phone, registered under my parent’s name, could somehow reveal my hiding place or travel route.

The spare time before the bus departure passed quickly as I worked.

Pretending to have forgotten my phone in the restroom, I boarded the bus and arrived at my destination.

The station nearest to Senpai’s home.

It was rush hour, and the crowd was more chaotic than I had imagined. Even though it’s not a tourist spot, Tokyo is overflowing with garbage-like crowds.

I had the area’s layout memorized. Without hesitation, I slipped into the world’s most famous hamburger chain and, using a memo pad for communication, got myself a coffee.

After two hours without internet access, I finally reconnected. Now, all that was left was to wait. Wait until Senpai finished work and arrived at their friend’s shop.

It was only then that I started to feel restless and uneasy.

My fate would be decided soon.

Would it be the family-and-relatives-including-Tanaka mass tragedy ending? Or a postponement?

It’s not just that. A postponement would mean I’d successfully met Senpai face-to-face.

What kind of person are they? I imagined over and over, picturing their face.

Back when I was an innocent child, I always imagined someone as cool as the people on TV.

But now, after being fully immersed in internet culture and experiencing both the bitter and the sweet, I no longer have that naive optimism.

We met through an online game. Someone whose life revolves around the internet and 2D worlds couldn’t possibly be handsome. Expecting that would be pointless.

A stereotypical duffufu otaku. Or maybe an unhealthy, pale-skinned, messy-haired NEET.

T/N: duffufu – an onomatopoeia for a grotesque chuckle associated with otaku.

But Senpai, while an otaku, isn’t a NEET. They’re a working adult living on their own. So, it’s pretty much decided what kind of person they are.

They’re probably the type to eat cheese gyudon at a beef bowl shop.

I’ve come all this way, flying across the distance, seeking salvation from Senpai.

If possible, I want to crash at Senpai’s place and live a life of escapism.

A runaway girl like me, crashing at an adult man’s home.

I fully understand what that means. How much of a burden it would be.

That’s why I’ve resolved to offer something in return. Compared to the bad ending of being a plaything for some upper-class old man, running through the battlefield with Senpai would be a happy ending. Our battle is just beginning!

I respect Senpai as someone I can open my heart to. They’re the only splash of color in my life.

So, I made this wish.

Please, God! Please grant me a cheese-gyudon-eating working adult!

No matter how much I respect Senpai, there’s a limit to how much I can suppress my physiological disgust.

I’m not asking for a handsome guy. A cheese-gyudon type is fine. So, please spare me from stereotypical otaku or NEET types. If someone like that shows up, I’ll quietly choose the path of becoming unstoppable.

Meeting Senpai is something I’m really looking forward to. But until I open the box, I won’t know what’s inside. It’s Schrödinger’s box.

And at best, it’s a cheese-gyudon type, so either way, my image of Senpai is going to take a big hit. …Thinking about it, I’m starting to feel like I don’t want to meet them after all.

While burdened with the paradox of Schrödinger’s box and the torment of conflicting emotions, time flowed on, and the moment I had anticipated arrived.

I opened the messaging app on my laptop.

“Senpai, let’s have an offline meetup.”

I typed that far but couldn’t bring myself to press the Enter key.

Why?

Was I afraid of getting zero responses? Yes.

Was I afraid of shattering my image of Senpai? Yes.

Was I scared to open Schrödinger’s box? Yes.

In short, at the last moment, I chickened out.

After flying all this way seeking salvation, I was now afraid to meet Senpai. More than that, I hesitated to drag Senpai into this mess.

As I dawdled for ten, twenty minutes, unable to make up my mind,

“Hyah!”

“Ah, sorry ’bout that!”

Suddenly, something hit my back.

It seemed like an elbow from one of a group of cheerful, extroverted kids who were walking while not paying attention. They left behind a flippant apology as they laughed it off.

“…Ah!”

I let out a small scream.

My finger, resting on the keyboard, had pressed the Enter key.

The message was sent before I could steel myself.

A wave of panic washed over me, strong enough to make me want to clutch my head.

I desperately wished, Please, don’t notice this message, but—

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

The reply came in less than a minute.

To Senpai, I am Renafalt from the Ten Thousand Realms.

Someone who turns even negative things into cheerful jokes, a terminally ill patient who’ll die if they don’t act silly.

Leaving a gap in the conversation here would damage Renafalt’s dignity.

“Had a talk with my parents about the future. Currently on the run.”

In less than ten seconds, I sent that reply.

No lies, just cheerfulness. It’s perfect if they’re left thinking, What’s this idiot doing now?

“Didn’t you say before that you live in Sapporo or something?”

Even though I adhere to internet privacy, I had vaguely mentioned my location. So, it’s natural for them to question how I’d cover the distance by plane.

“It’s a dynamic runaway, yo.”

“That’s way too dynamic.”

Their predictable response made me chuckle.

Just moments ago, I was so pessimistic and hesitant, but now Renafalt was back to their usual banter.

“Since when did you plan this?”

“Yesterday. First time on a plane, too.”

There was a minute-long pause in the replies.

They must have been so shocked they let out a gasp on the other side of the screen.

“That’s some insane initiative.”

“Right?”

“Do you have any friends here you can rely on?”

“A shut-in NEET like me doesn’t have friends, duh! Get real!”

By now, Renafalt had fully taken over my hands.

Senpai must be exasperated by this version of Renafalt. I might have even made them worry.

No matter how chaotic my actions and words were, they had always been confined to the internet. But now, Renafalt had taken physical form and was moving in the real world.

This would never happen as Fumino Kaede.

It’s precisely because I’m Renafalt that I’ve come this far.

“So, anyway…”

That’s why the next message I sent was a wish only Renafalt could make.

“Senpai, how about hiring me as a home security guard?”

I was asking someone whose name, face, and age I didn’t know—a stranger in real life—to hire me.

“Wait, did you run away from home counting on me?”

“Yes! Help me with a place to stay every night!”

Senpai’s replies stopped.

Even I, as bold as I am, didn’t expect a sweet reply like “You’re such a funky guy, alright, I’ll hire you” to come so easily.

Being suddenly asked to help with a runaway, Senpai must be bewildered.

I can picture them sighing, their face probably that of a cheese-gyudon-eating salaryman.

Still, Senpai wouldn’t dismiss Renafalt so coldly. I, the coward, know that much.

I’m a prodigy. I’ve traced Senpai’s thought process and predicted their next move.

They’ll try to prolong the conversation.

So, what I need to do is clear.

Play along and reel them in with one shot.

“You’re way too shameless, it’s hilarious. This is definitely a zero-response offline meetup.”

“Is that so? Actually, I’m a big-breasted JK beauty, you know. And a virgin, too.”

“I’ll come pick you up in a second.”

“Senpai, you’re way too easy, I’m dying laughing.”

Things went exactly as I hoped, and I laughed so hard I had to cover my mouth with both hands.

If my sister or father saw me, they’d be shocked to see that I still have this kind of function left in me.

I realized it once again. The times when I’m having these silly conversations with Senpai are truly the most enjoyable.

“Tonight’s the siege battle. My Gungnir is gonna roar!”

“Oh no, oh no! The castle gate we’ve defended for years is finally gonna fall!”

It almost brought me to tears.

The time I spent with Senpai was just too dazzling.

◆

And so, I stood at the meeting spot.

Now that I’d left the shop, I no longer had internet access.

Meeting up without a sense of direction or a smartphone. The area around the station was still crowded, so meeting there would have been reckless.

That’s why I had chosen a meeting spot inside the airport where we wouldn’t miss each other. I sent them the URL of a photo and map of the location and had them confirm the spot.

Apparently, it was about ten minutes away.

They arrived in less than five minutes, and I was so restless I couldn’t calm down at all.

Finally, Schrödinger’s box was about to be opened.

Senpai had mentioned they’d be wearing a suit. To avoid any mix-ups, they even sent me a selfie.

It was the kind of suit you’d often see on TV. Though their face wasn’t visible, I felt relieved.

Combined with the fact that they’d just finished work, their collar was slightly loosened, but there was no sense of sloppiness. At the very least, they weren’t a pizza-faced or gaunt shut-in. They seemed like someone who kept themselves neat and tidy, exuding a sense of cleanliness.

Maybe there’s a chance.

They’re not a stereotypical otaku or an unhealthy-looking hikikomori.

This is a working adult who probably eats cheese gyudon. My image of Senpai would only suffer minimal damage, and I felt a surge of joy and hope.

As for me,

I had only told them,

“I’m a big-breasted JK beauty holding a red carry-on bag.”

I’m not arrogant enough to call myself a beauty, but I do take pride in being a big-breasted high school girl. While the most important part might be a bit of an exaggeration, 70% of it is true, so I hope they’ll forgive me for that.

Time had flown by in the airport lounge.

At the hamburger shop, it had flowed like water until I pressed Enter.

But now, every minute and second felt like it had slowed to a crawl.

My heart was pounding so loudly it felt like it might explode. I couldn’t run away now that I’d come this far, so I just waited anxiously for the moment to arrive.

I was fidgeting nervously, unable to calm down, when suddenly, something caught the corner of my eye.

Their gaze locked onto me, intense and unwavering.

Their short hair wasn’t messy, greasy, or flat—it had a carefully styled, three-dimensional look. Their eyebrows weren’t unkempt but neatly groomed, and their face was free of blemishes, not even glasses in sight. Their tall, slender frame might have been a full head taller than me.

They weren’t as handsome as a TV actor or a king of extroverts.

They were a working adult.

That was the impression I got of this adult man.

The reason “working adult” came to mind was because of the suit they were wearing. And it was the same outfit I had seen in the photo just ten minutes ago.

I was stunned.

The photo they had sent me. The same outfit. The working adult had appeared at the meeting spot.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before the working adult awkwardly averted their gaze, a look of discomfort on their face.

They must have been afraid of being seen as a creepy guy in their twenties staring at a high school girl.

Yet, the working adult didn’t leave the spot. Despite their fear of causing a scene, they stayed put.

Maybe they were hesitating because their purpose was tied to this location.

Could this really be happening…?

I hadn’t asked for anything extravagant, but I found myself questioning if this was really okay, as if asking the heavens.

No divine answer came. It felt like the heavens were saying, The rest is up to you.

The working adult was afraid of causing a scene. Expecting them to make the first move seemed unlikely.

That’s why it was surprising to me when my feet started moving on their own.

“U-uh… um…”

The world’s most awkward, mosquito-like stutter.

It wasn’t because I had made up my mind. It was because I couldn’t hold back the inferiority complex I had been carrying.

It came from a heart reaching out for the hope that had fallen, seeking salvation.

“A-are you… S-Senpai…?”

It was a plea, a wish for them to be the one I was hoping for.

I wondered how I appeared in their wide-eyed gaze.

I must have been completely different from the person they had imagined.

My age might have been endearing, but my gender was the complete opposite. Even if they didn’t understand the meaning of my question, it couldn’t be helped.

So, I desperately suppressed my social anxiety and stutter,

“I-I’m…”

Summoning the courage of a socially awkward person,

“R-Rena… fart…”

I told them that I was their kouhai.

◆

Even though I could produce results, to my father, I wasn’t a daughter he could proudly introduce to others. Overnight trips were a thing of the distant past. When was the last time I stayed out overnight? At the very least, it hadn’t happened since my mother passed away.

So, the first thought that crossed my mind when I woke up was,

“This is an unfamiliar ceiling.”

A cliché line that could’ve been straight out of a classic comedy dictionary.

The smell of an unfamiliar room. At the same time, my nostrils were tickled by the scent of freshly unpacked bedding.

Even with my groggy mind, I didn’t need to retrace my memories step by step. I knew exactly where I was.

I had been hired by Senpai as a home security guard.

Although Senpai lived in a house, they lived alone. They had never hosted anyone overnight before.

The only bedding in the house was a single bed. I had prepared myself to count the stains on the ceiling when I arrived at Senpai’s place, but that didn’t happen.

I admired and respected Senpai, but I had never put them on a pedestal as a saint. If anything, they felt distant.

Until yesterday, Senpai had believed I was a guy. Because of that, it wasn’t uncommon for our conversations to devolve into crude, male-centric jokes fueled by male desires.

Once, when I asked Senpai about their battle experiences,

“I vowed that my first battlefield wielding Gungnir would be alongside a pure Valkyrie.”

They explained this vow with unnecessary literary flair.

Senpai was probably drunk at the time. They casually admitted they had no real battlefield experience. My stomach took a massive hit from the sheer embarrassment.

When I asked if they had ever been to a training ground,

“I absolutely hate mock battles against veterans!!!!!!!!!”

They replied with an excessive number of exclamation marks.

They even said that if they ever saw a beautiful Valkyrie lost in front of a convenience store or station, they’d want to reach out to her, gently heal her heart, and charge into battle together, wielding Gungnir.

“The reality that this can’t happen is just crap!!!!!!!!”

They added even more exclamation marks.

As a woman, I didn’t look down on Senpai for this. I didn’t feel disgusted by their base male desires.

“Senpai, you’re way too far gone, I’m dying laughing lololololololol.”

I typed this while laughing so hard my stomach hurt the next day.

“Dreams come true if you don’t give up!!!!!!!!”

“There’s no way a dream like that, full of desires, is just lying around! Get real!”

After that, I teased them relentlessly.

This was two years ago, right after I had given Renafalt the title of “Ten Thousand Realms.”

This wonderful joke was one of the factors that pushed me forward.

I didn’t consider myself a beautiful Valkyrie, but I was a Valkyrie that even a unicorn would drool over. I could at least play the role of waking Senpai from their daydreams and freeing them from their prison. With that self-assessment, I could confidently call myself a big-breasted JK beauty without it being mere flattery.

Yet, the siege battle was indefinitely postponed. Senpai didn’t take me to the battlefield or even make me a maintenance crew member.

Why?

At first, I thought maybe they were just a virgin who got cold feet when faced with the battlefield, but it didn’t seem to be just that.

Unable to find a clear answer,

“I can’t just do nothing while causing you trouble.”

The person I hated second only to my father ended up moving their hand.

Renafalt was my alter ego, my personality, and my ideal.

I didn’t want the shadow of a woman with low social skills to overlap with Renafalt, at least when we were communicating through a screen.

At the very least, I wanted to remain Renafalt in front of Senpai.

“Listen, what am I to you?”

“Just a big-breasted JK beauty.”

“You kinda like that label, don’t you?”

“Hehe.”

I forced myself to act like Renafalt to cover up and erase my mistakes.

“Then, the opposite. What am I to you?”

“You’re my Senpai. My life’s Senpai.”

“Is your Senpai the kind of person who would take advantage of a kouhai’s weakness to request support and launch a siege battle?”

Renafalt’s hand stopped again, desperate.

“At the very least, Senpai, aren’t you the type who wants to launch one lololololol?” I should’ve replied with a laugh, but Renafalt’s hand wouldn’t move.

After tracing Senpai’s thoughts multiple times and encountering numerous errors, I finally hit on one possibility.

Was it okay to be this self-absorbed?

Maybe Senpai was afraid that our relationship would become awkward after charging into battle together. Perhaps they wanted to avoid the possibility of what we had built together falling apart.

“I can’t just do nothing while causing you trouble.”

Because Fumino Kaede had accidentally let her true feelings slip.

So, surely, that must mean…

Senpai also values their relationship with Renafalt deeply.

They suppressed their desires and wishes, all to maintain the unchanged bond between us.

Realizing this, the emotions welling up from the depths of my heart couldn’t be contained, spilling out in the form of sobs.

Even after being hired as a home security guard, we didn’t share the single bed. As part of the living-in benefits, Senpai went to a nearby supermarket and bought an extra futon for me.

This was the room next to Senpai’s. While the entrances were separate, the two rooms weren’t divided by a wall but by a sliding paper door. I could hear not just the sounds of daily life but even Senpai’s breathing as they slept.

Before being Renafalt, I was a high school girl. Spending the night alone under the same roof as an adult male who wasn’t family was already a huge issue. And yet, all that separated us was a thin paper door.

I had a lot of thoughts about it, and Senpai was fully aware.

Trying to be considerate,

“You can use the second floor however you like,”

they suggested. But my head didn’t nod up and down—it shook side to side.

After all, this was a horror house. A genuine haunted spot.

Senpai had often joked about its glamorous history and illustrious battle records. I had laughed countless times, thinking, Senpai is seriously crazy for living in such a place.

Never did I imagine I’d one day not only step foot into such a genuine haunted spot but actually live there.

Knowing the tragic events that had occurred on the second floor, sleeping alone there was too terrifying. But sharing the same space as Senpai didn’t feel like it would let me sleep either.

After much deliberation, I chose the room next to Senpai’s.

My mind and body trembled with fear, and it took a long time to fall asleep.

I only calmed down after Senpai’s breathing broke the silence.

Senpai was right next to me. With that as my anchor, I spent the long, long night and eventually drifted off to sleep.

The dynamic runaway that I had staked my life on had left me utterly exhausted. I slept so soundly that I didn’t even dream, let alone wake up in the middle of the night.

The room had poor lighting. Despite the lack of curtains, it felt like a dense forest, and the morning sun didn’t wake me.

There was no sign of movement from the next room.

I felt uneasy, as if I had been left alone in a haunted spot.

Today was Saturday, the start of Senpai’s days off.

I left the room, seeking the presence of my protector.

The living room, with its clear sightlines, had no furniture and lacked the lived-in feel of a relaxing space. Yet, no one would call this living room dreary.

There was an altar.

The only thing placed in the living room was this out-of-place object. If you focused solely on it, you might mistake Senpai for being involved in a cult. But that wasn’t the case at all. The scene here had nothing to do with religion.

On the altar was a large bottle of amber-colored alcohol, a mid-year gift ham set, and on the top shelf, a figure from an early-season anime that was apparently originally an eroge, with a nonsensical plot.

It was a blasphemous sight, as if Gandhi was giving the middle finger and yelling, Go die!

Renafalt’s eccentric remarks and ideas were all shaped by Senpai. I had learned so much from following their lead.

That said, it didn’t mean it bled into reality. Eccentric remarks and antics online weren’t unique to me. It was a culture many embraced under the mask of anonymity. Bringing that culture into real life was unthinkable.

Or so I thought.

I never imagined Senpai would indulge in their madness in real life too.

Facing the altar, I clasped my hands together and renewed my vow to follow Senpai’s lead for the rest of my life.

Suddenly, a sound echoed through the living room, making me flinch.

It wasn’t the screech of a haunted house’s evil spirit or the cry of a madman.

It was the sound of a motor.

The source of the sound wasn’t the madman’s living room. It came from beyond the open door, leaking out from the dining kitchen.

Peeking in, I felt relieved.

The working adult was there.

After failing the father gacha, I hit the jackpot with a 5-star sister gacha. But her usability was the worst.

The world I lived in was full of demons. Why did a prodigy like me have to be driven to such a corner? I cursed my father, society, and the extroverts.

As if to balance out my misfortune, the world distributed a source of emotional support to me. Without it, I would’ve reset my life much earlier.

Senpai was a distributed character, but their performance was truly 5-star. The only mystery was their character design.

It must’ve been handled by a terrible artist.

I had resigned myself to that, but when the truth was revealed, it was shocking.

The character design was handled by an illustrator with over 200,000 followers on social media.

God existed.

The character design didn’t damage my image of Senpai at all. The fact that they weren’t overly handsome showed a sense of restraint, and I couldn’t help but give a standing ovation in my heart.

Senpai was exactly as I had imagined.

Their hair wasn’t styled now, but Senpai was still Senpai. The emotions from yesterday weren’t just a fleeting dream.

The aroma of coffee tickled my nostrils.

It seemed the source of the sound was an electric grinder. Senpai must have been grinding coffee beans.

“Oh, hey. Morning, Rena.”

Noticing me, Senpai greeted me with the standard social nicety.

Good morning.

It was a spell I hadn’t heard in a long time. It no longer rolled off my tongue, and reciting it felt foreign.

If it were Renafalt, I’d have typed “Yo, yo” with my fingers, but Fumino Kaede’s mouth wasn’t equipped with that function.

I knew the proper response was “Good morning.”

The person in front of me wasn’t my sister or my father.

Even though I knew there was no reason to be nervous, my throat just couldn’t utter the words.

As I stood there hesitating, unable to return the greeting,

“Ah…”

Senpai blinked and cleared their throat.

They weren’t upset by the lack of a response or uncomfortable with the silence.

“Well, uh…”

If anything, their expression was serious.

“Thank you.”

Despite my lack of manners, they thanked me for some reason.

Just as I was about to tilt my head in confusion, I noticed their eyes weren’t on my face. They weren’t looking away, but their gaze was slightly lower, just below my chin.

Following their line of sight, I looked down.

My pride was blocking my view of my feet, but there was nothing unusual about my appearance.

My indoor outfit prioritized comfort and functionality. I didn’t need to look cute enough for a party. A loose zip-up hoodie and shorts were my go-to indoor attire. Perfect for efficiency, as I only needed to take off the top when sleeping.

It was the same outfit I always wore when I woke up.

Through the thin white shirt, the undergarments supporting my pride were faintly visible.

The emotions welling up inside me, if translated into Renafalt’s words, would look like this:

“qawsedrftgyhujikolp”

◆

Day one of employment.

I immediately retreated to my room. Diving straight into my duties, I was the very model of a home security guard.

Never did I imagine I’d become the perpetrator of a lucky pervert moment. If this were a rom-com, the heroine would’ve yelled “You jerk!” or “What are you looking at?!” and resorted to violence.

Thinking about it, rom-com heroines who lash out irrationally despite being at fault are pretty terrible. I could never act so shamefully, which is why I’ve always felt I wasn’t cut out for that kind of thing.

And Senpai wasn’t cut out to be that kind of protagonist either. Instead of looking away, they boldly observed and even thanked me.

About five minutes later, a voice came from the other side of the sliding door: “Call me when you’ve calmed down.”

Taking advantage of my employer’s kindness, I spent about an hour fulfilling my duties.

After zipping up my hoodie, I sent a message from my computer: “I’m okay now.”

“Let’s have lunch,” a reply came from the next room.

Glancing at the bottom right corner of my computer, I realized it was already lunchtime. It seemed I had really slept soundly.

Stepping into the madman’s living room, I had my second face-to-face encounter with Senpai for the day.

I tried to look them straight in the eye but failed, quickly lowering my gaze instead.

It wasn’t my social anxiety acting up. It was the bashfulness of a maiden.

A workplace incident right after joining. Senpai didn’t tease me or bring it up again.

“Here,” they said, holding out a smartphone.

It was the same brand as the one I had discarded in the restroom, marked with an apple logo.

Taking the offered phone, I felt its weight. It was slightly larger than what I was used to, a bit too big for my hands.

“It’s inconvenient if you can’t respond when you’re away from your computer, right? So, use this.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

“You can use it for regular conversations. But try to get used to responding with a word or two out loud.”

This Senpai is for real.

“No matter how much you stutter, I won’t laugh. Your vocal cords are muscles. The more you use them, the easier it’ll get to speak normally.”

“H-Ha… ha… hai.”

“Good, that’s a great response. Keep it up.”

Instead of mocking my awkward stutter, Senpai smiled.

My loud, overbearing father and my kind but forceful sister. While their feelings toward me were opposite, what they demanded from me was always the same.

It was like forcing a child who couldn’t count without using both hands to do math. Those two foolishly believed I could learn that way.

On the other hand, Senpai gave me a first-grade math workbook along with a calculator. They told me to start by getting used to numbers this way. They gave me the confidence and motivation to believe I could do it.

I’d known Senpai for five years, but it hadn’t even been 24 hours since we met in person.

The gap between them and the people who had been my family since birth left me stunned.

Senpai always stayed close to my heart, setting everything up for me. It felt like a halo was shining from their back.

My admiration had crossed into reverence.

I’d do my best in this environment.

I renewed my vow to do so.

◆

“For today, just observe. Watch from the side.”

And so, the training for the home security guard began.

First up: cooking.

Because I had been busy fulfilling my duties as a home security guard, lunch was delayed.

The training started with observing the cooking process.

“Any foods you dislike or allergies?”

At Senpai’s question, I instinctively shook my head.

But I quickly realized that wasn’t enough.

“N-No… n-none… d-desu.”

I had promised to respond with a word or two out loud whenever possible.

The person in front of me wasn’t my sister or my father. It was Senpai, who had accepted me as I was. There was no need to be nervous.

Even so, getting even a single word out was a struggle. As Senpai had said, vocal cords are muscles. Years of disuse had taken their toll, and they didn’t move as I wanted.

My stuttering voice was disgustingly awkward. I didn’t want to hear such a sound.

But I had promised to respond with simple answers out loud.

“Okay. Then I’ll just whip something up.”

True to their word, Senpai didn’t laugh. Instead, their eyes looked satisfied.

After staring into the fridge for a while, Senpai muttered, “Alright,” and began cooking.

They microwaved some rice wrapped in plastic, chopped the ingredients for the filling, and whisked eggs. With practiced ease, Senpai prepped everything and then pulled out a wok from the storage space under the stove.

The wok, heated to perfection, quickly transformed into a masterpiece of fried rice.

The tantalizing aroma was enough to make anyone’s stomach growl.

“…Ah, ugh.”

Despite being in front of Senpai, the smell made my stomach rumble loudly.

I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday.

“Here, go eat in your room.”

Senpai laughed as I reflexively clutched my stomach. It seemed their promise not to laugh only applied to my stuttering.

Overcome with embarrassment, I retreated to my room with the fried rice.

I placed the plate on the folding table Senpai had prepared for me the day before.

Clasping my hands together, I silently said “Itadakimasu” in my heart.

I was surprised at myself.

Since my mother passed away, I hadn’t done such a thing in front of meals prepared by the housekeeper.

But now, a sense of gratitude toward the person who cooked for me naturally welled up.

A meal made by a man. I had no concerns about the taste.

Driven by hunger, I took a bite.

As expected from the aroma alone, it was delicious.

Each grain of rice was coated in egg, perfectly fluffy. The ingredients were simple—green onions and char siu—but Senpai’s unexpected cooking skills had turned it into a flawless dish.

Despite being a light eater, I finished the slightly larger portion without hesitation.

“How’s the taste?”

Through the thin sliding door, Senpai asked for my thoughts on the meal. They must have been waiting for me to finish.

It wasn’t a simple yes-or-no question. To properly convey my thoughts, I definitely needed my phone.

“It’s the best fried rice I’ve ever had.”

It wasn’t flattery or anything—just my honest opinion.

After all, the housekeeper only made Japanese or Western dishes. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had fried rice. It had definitely been since elementary school.

Since I genuinely found it delicious, I decided to praise it highly.

A notification sound rang out in the next room as Senpai received my message.

“That’s good to hear. I was actually pretty confident about this one.”

Senpai’s voice sounded more satisfied than relieved.

“By the way, the char siu is homemade. That’s what gives it such a good flavor.”

“The char siu too? Senpai, you’re really good at cooking. I’m a little surprised. No offense, but I thought you’d find that kind of thing bothersome.”

“I’ve been cooking my own meals since middle school. I’m pretty skilled at it, if I do say so myself.”

Senpai proudly boasted about their cooking skills. I couldn’t respond immediately.

They’ve been cooking for themselves since middle school?

“When you’re a low-earning, bottom-tier worker, eating out all the time will bankrupt you. Cooking isn’t exactly a hobby, but if I want to eat something, I make it myself.”

Their tone was casual, but in a normal household, this wouldn’t happen. Yet, it didn’t seem like they had a passion for cooking either.

They had to cook their own meals. Senpai had been in that situation.

“But cooking definitely comes with its own hassles. Do you know what they are?”

I’d known Senpai for five years. Just as Senpai didn’t know about my family situation, I knew nothing about theirs.

“Cleaning up. Doing the dishes and all that is just a pain.”

Senpai’s past. The time when they were still treated as a child. What kind of life had they led?

Now that I was meeting Senpai in person, I wanted to know more about them. That feeling welled up inside me.

“So, Rena. For now, you’ll be working as a manual dishwasher.”

I swallowed that impulse and replied,

“Yes. Leave it to me.”

I quietly pushed it down.

Our lives, burdened by shadows from society, had only just begun. There was so much I needed to learn.

I wanted to know more about Senpai.

But it didn’t have to be now.

They had taken on the heavy burden of me. I wanted to be useful to Senpai as soon as possible.

So, what I needed to know wasn’t their past but their present.

I focused on the home security guard training in front of me.

After finishing the dishes, the laundry began. Senpai tossed all the clothes from the basket into the washing machine and pressed start. While the machine ran, they vacuumed the entire first floor and cleaned the bathroom. By the time that was done, the washing machine had finished, so they hung the laundry on the sunny second floor.

The life of a working adult living alone. Even on their day off, they had to do all this. While it didn’t take more than two hours once they got started, doing all this after working five days a week was undoubtedly bothersome and tedious. It really did seem like having someone to help with chores would be a relief.

Cooking aside, the other tasks seemed like something I could handle right away.

“This is about all I’d like to leave to you.”

If this much would help Senpai, I could do it every day.

…I could, but there was one obstacle when it came to the laundry.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle my own underwear.”

The issue was underwear.

After the laundry was done, when it came time to hang it up, the sight of Senpai’s underwear made the air between us awkward. Just seeing it made my cheeks burn, so handling it was a mental hurdle.

Even Senpai seemed hesitant to have a high school girl wash their underwear.

I wanted to say, “I’ll handle everything!” but my maidenly worries won out.

“I’m not expecting you to do everything perfectly right away. Just gradually take on more as you get comfortable.”

“Y-Yes…!”

“Good answer. Keep it up.”

Standing in the madman’s living room with their arms crossed, Senpai encouraged me.

Communicating face-to-face with someone had always been painful. Even if it was Senpai. I hated the sound of my own voice and found conveying my thoughts to be a torment.

But I could feel that changing in a short time. Senpai had become the exception.

“But I thought a man living alone would have a messier, dirtier place.”

Even in the form of text, conveying my thoughts to someone in front of me was astonishing.

“Huh? Well… back at my old apartment, it was more like what you’re imagining. I wouldn’t say there was no place to step, but I didn’t even own a vacuum, let alone clean.”

Senpai responded to the message on my phone out loud.

“Really? You looked so neat in your suit yesterday, I thought you might be a bit of a neat freak.”

Even though we were face-to-face, I replied via text.

It might have been a bit strange, but it was proof that Senpai was considerate of my social anxiety.

“I wouldn’t call myself a neat freak, but appearance is the most important thing for a person. I’ve always cared about how I look, but I only started taking cleaning seriously after moving here.”

“Was there a reason you decided to take better care of the house?”

“If you neglect your home, it’ll end up contributing to your glorious life story. Like I said yesterday, it’s about showing gratitude and respect.”

“I see.”

“Also, it was around the time I climbed up from being a slave to a bottom-tier worker. I had some breathing room, so I found the energy for it.”

Senpai spoke as if it were no big deal, just a simple fact.

But one word caught my attention.

Slave.

Senpai had always referred to themselves as a bottom-tier worker. But there was a time even before that, which they called being a slave.

Should I ask what they meant by that?

But before I could, Senpai’s right hand came toward me.

I thought they were going to gently pat my head, but…

“Ah…!”

An unexpected flick hit my forehead, making my head jerk back. It didn’t hurt, but I reflexively covered my forehead with both hands.

They had flicked me.

“By the way, Rena, what’s with this attitude lately?”

Senpai, with an extremely serious expression, stared straight into my eyes.

I thought I had been doing my best to be serious during the training. Yet, they were scolding me for my attitude.

What had I done wrong? My mind went blank because I couldn’t figure it out.

“Acting all proper and obedient, huh?”

Senpai waved their phone in front of me.

“Huh…?”

A dumbfounded sound escaped my open mouth.

“Renafalt from the Ten Thousand Realms isn’t some goody-two-shoes. Where’s the energy from yesterday?”

Senpai pouted as if scolding me for being rude, but they were actually criticizing the opposite.

Recalling the conversations I’d had with Senpai since being given the phone, my word choices had indeed been far from Renafalt’s usual style.

Through the sliding door, Renafalt could log in. But when face-to-face, Renafalt couldn’t log in. My hands were only moving as a proper, obedient girl.

After all, Renafalt was rude. I didn’t want to openly disrespect Senpai in front of them.

“Think about all the nonsense you’ve spouted at me until now.”

Senpai’s hand came toward me again.

“It’s pointless to act like a good girl now, worrying about being rude or making mistakes.”

This time, instead of my forehead, they gently patted my head.

It was absolutely the truth.

I had used all sorts of expressions to tease and provoke Senpai. Even if it was just for fun or the heat of the moment, I had been consistently rude and disrespectful.

Just because we were face-to-face now didn’t erase that past. Acting like a good girl now would only throw Senpai off.

“What’s going on with this company? Harassment on top of harassment!”

Before I knew it, Renafalt had logged back into my hands.

“Our company doesn’t care about age, education, or experience. Kind seniors will motivate and teach you. Everyone gets along, and your efforts are recognized. We’ll help you achieve your dreams of independence. As long as you’re passionate, you’re welcome in our warm, family-like workplace.”

“Stop with the black company starter pack.”

“But since you’ll be living here, there’s no rent, and we’ll cover food and utilities. Pretty appealing, right?”

“And the most important thing, the salary?”

“A sense of fulfillment.”

“Just a slave contract. I’m nominating you for the Black Company Awards.”

Looking up from my phone, I saw Senpai’s amused face.

I realized I didn’t need to put on an act. Whether through the sliding door or face-to-face, at least in text, I could be the usual Renafalt.

Joy welled up inside me at finding the right balance between us.

A small, natural smile crept onto my lips.

“Anyway, I’ll start practicing what I learned today from tomorrow. I’ll even handle Senpai’s used underwear.”

“Don’t add unnecessary parentheses. …But are you sure? Don’t push yourself.”

“If they were briefs, I’d be out, but black boxers are doable.”

“Don’t nitpick about the color.”

“All the underwear you hung up was the same, right? So, what you’re wearing now is…”

“And what about you?”

“Black adult-style thong.”

“Liar. It’s probably pink.”

“Ugh…!”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

I had forgotten that Senpai had seen the underwear supporting my pride through my shirt.

Senpai’s lips curled into a smirk. It wasn’t base male desire but amusement at poking the hornet’s nest.

And so, I found myself holding a kitchen knife.

The color of the underwear I was currently wearing—it wasn’t just exposed; I had been humiliated. I was ready to stab Senpai with a “You know too much.”

Just kidding.

“I want to start practicing cooking right away too.”

“Trying to learn everything at once will be tough. It’s fine to take it step by step.”

“It’s fine. I’m a prodigy, after all. Cramming is a piece of cake.”

“Well, if you say so, give it a try.”

Senpai easily agreed.

Before evening, I found myself standing in the kitchen, ready to practice.

I had helped my mother set the table, but I had never been involved in cooking.

So, this was my first time holding a kitchen knife.

Gripping the knife tightly, I glanced at the blade and then at the onion on the cutting board.

“Scared?”

Senpai’s voice reached me as I stood frozen, holding the knife. I felt their warmth, their consideration that I didn’t have to push myself.

“N-No…”

I shook my head.

It wasn’t the fear of cutting my finger with the knife for the first time.

I was lost in the emotions welling up from deep within.

Reluctantly, I set the knife down on the cutting board. Communicating with Senpai took priority.

I pulled out my phone and typed out my thoughts.

“I thought I’d only equip this when swinging it at humans. I never thought my first victim would be an onion.”

A shut-in like me would never equip a kitchen knife. I thought I’d only do that if I became an unstoppable force. I never imagined I’d switch to being a home security guard and equip this.

Life is unpredictable.

“Swinging a knife at people?”

Contrary to my emotions, Senpai’s expression turned serious.

“Don’t say stupid things. Renafalt from the Ten Thousand Realms would never do something like that.”

Their tone was heavy, but I didn’t sense fear or confusion.

They treated me as if I weren’t the kind of person who would harm others—just a moral, ordinary girl.

It seemed Senpai saw me that way. Their feelings made me genuinely happy. But… I’m not a normal person.

My roots aren’t just rotten—the very soil is irreparably decayed. No matter how beautiful the seeds planted or how wonderful the environment, a beautiful flower could never bloom now.

It’s not just that I can laugh at others’ misfortune…

I can even find entertainment in people’s deaths.

I am an utterly selfish, ugly human being.

The creature standing in front of Senpai is that terrible. They’ve misunderstood me.

“After all, you’re more about quantity than quality.”

…Or so I thought.

“You’re the type to treat human lives as scores and rack up numbers.”

Senpai hadn’t misunderstood me in the slightest.

“Your goal is to aim high, at least triple digits. You’ll wipe out large numbers in one strike, rack up scores, and post a manifesto online. You’ll create a spectacle crime to stir up the world and carve the name Renafalt from the Ten Thousand Realms into history and Wikipedia. That’s your style when you become an unstoppable force. Someone like you wouldn’t choose something as inefficient as a kitchen knife.”

Senpai explained my hypothetical crimes as an unstoppable force with utmost seriousness.

They were spot on, from start to finish. If I ever became an unstoppable force, a kitchen knife wouldn’t even be an option.

“Hehe…!”

I couldn’t help but laugh, covering my mouth.

Senpai truly understood the essence of Renafalt from the Ten Thousand Realms. No matter how terrible the content, being told so bluntly felt refreshing.

“That’s right. I forgot I’m an efficiency freak.”

Without a doubt, Senpai was my true understanding.

With that engraved in my heart, I gripped the knife again.

I carefully followed Senpai’s example, mimicking their actions.

What Senpai could finish in seconds took me minutes under their watchful gaze.

After repeating this process, I completed my first-ever dish.

It was a classic curry.

The ingredients were onions, pork, and a clove of garlic. No potatoes or carrots. It wasn’t that Senpai had limited the ingredients for my sake—it was simply their preference.

In the end, it felt like Senpai had made it.

“Yeah, it’s good. For a first try, this is impressive. Seems like the prodigy thing isn’t a lie.”

Yet, Senpai praised me as if it were entirely my achievement.

My first homemade meal. While the housekeeper’s cooking was undoubtedly better, this felt incomparably delicious. Come to think of it, lunch had felt the same way.

I quickly realized why it tasted so good.

It was warm.

Until today, I had never been attached to food. While good taste was a bonus, food was just a means of nutrition. I didn’t mind eating the same thing repeatedly because I didn’t seek enjoyment from meals.

The feeling of something being delicious had returned.

How long had it been since I last felt this way?

My memories led me to the answer.

I desperately held back tears.

Senpai, being considerate, had us eat separately. Like at lunch, I ate in the next room.

If I cried here, Senpai would hear. I didn’t want to worry them like that.

Swallowing my tears, I brought the spoon to my mouth.

The rice was delicious.

The dining table felt like a distant past. My father wasn’t there.

It was just me, my sister, and my mother. After it became just me and my sister, I never felt that meals were delicious.

Who cooks the meal certainly matters.

But equally, if not more important, is who you eat it with.

My true understanding was right next to me. Even if separated by a sliding door, we were eating the same thing.

The warmth of joy and happiness was the “deliciousness” I had been missing.

◆

After finishing the dishes under supervision, today’s home security guard training came to an end.

It was past 5 PM. A reasonable time to finish work.

I relaxed in my room, feeling a sense of calm.

“By the way, Rena.”

Just then, from the other side of the sliding door,

“Why are you so… pretty?”

“Huh…!?”

Senpai had suddenly dropped a bomb of embarrassment.

They weren’t flattering me, teasing me, or joking around. Like when they called me a beauty yesterday, being told I was pretty threw my heart into chaos.

I didn’t crave being called cute or pretty. Being praised by my father, the extroverts, or even my sister only made me feel indifferent. Should I just say “thanks” and act happy? It felt like a hassle.

Yet, my chest felt restless, my cheeks burned, and a strange sense of excitement welled up.

To be honest, it made me happy.

Being praised by Senpai fulfilled a desire for recognition I didn’t even know I had.

More than happiness, I was overwhelmed by an itchy, restless feeling.

“What’s with the sudden compliment?”

My hands, afflicted with the “must make a joke or die” disease, typed on the keyboard. But in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t come up with a clever retort.

“You’ve been a shut-in ever since you had your epiphany, right?”

Their tone was matter-of-fact.

“So how are you so… put together?”

The emotions in my chest subsided as I realized Senpai wasn’t complimenting my appearance.

It seemed Senpai wasn’t using the word “pretty” to praise my looks.

“Especially your hair. It doesn’t look like a shut-in’s at all. I can’t imagine you going to a salon.”

Of course not. I wished everyone but Senpai would drop dead, so there was no way I’d step into such a hellish place.

“I cut it myself. I keep it around shoulder length because it gets annoying if it’s too long.”

“You even take care of it properly. For a normal girl, that’s expected, but for a shut-in like you, I’m surprised you care about how others see you.”

That was true. As someone who had abandoned real-life interactions, I didn’t care how others saw me. I didn’t care about maintaining my appearance or staying clean.

So, this wasn’t something I did of my own will.

“It’s to avoid pissing off my sister.”

“Your sister’s anger?”

“If I neglect that stuff, my sister gets mad. It’s such a hassle, but I was forced to learn how to take care of myself.”

While my sister would gently scold me about being a shut-in, she never truly got angry. The only thing that made her lose it was when I acted like I was abandoning my femininity. Once, she dragged me out of my room and forced me to go to a salon. It was terrifying. I never want to experience that again.

My iron will to avoid salons led me to master self-haircuts. My sister was both amazed and exasperated by my prodigious skills.

The same went for skincare. If I neglected it and let my skin deteriorate, she threatened to throw me into a spa. Reluctantly, I learned how to take care of myself.

It was all to avoid angering my sister. Maintaining my appearance and cleanliness was a form of self-defense.

“Now it makes sense. Your outfit yesterday didn’t look like something a shut-in would wear.”

“As expected of Senpai, you really get me. Spot on. That outfit was picked out by my sister.”

I bought clothes twice a year. My sister would drag me out and pick my outfits for me. It wasn’t like I was her doll—she’d ask me what I wanted.

But my preferences were never reflected. I didn’t care about dressing up, so I genuinely didn’t mind.

I wore a uniform to school, and my indoor outfits were all bought online. I didn’t mind going out if I didn’t have to talk to anyone, but there was no reason to, so I stayed in my room. If I did go out, my uniform or indoor clothes were enough.

The only time I wore the clothes my sister picked was during the final fitting.

“Thanks to that, I didn’t have to worry about what to wear when meeting Senpai.”

That’s why I brought the clothes my sister had chosen this time.

I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Senpai. Maybe, subconsciously, I had thought that way.

“I see. Your sister really is kind, huh?”

“She’s kind, sure, but honestly, I wish she’d just leave me alone. I was radiating ‘I don’t want to do this’ energy, but she didn’t care. We both ended up miserable, but she’s persistent.”

“It’s literally because she cares about you more than anyone else in the world. Even if you resent her, she wanted to leave you with an easy mode in life.”

“Easy mode in life?”

I tilted my head, not understanding what they meant.

“There’s this question: Would you choose a beautiful person with a bad personality or an ugly person with a good personality?”

“Whoever came up with that question is definitely an ugly person with a bad personality.”

“No doubt. Their intention to make you choose the ugly option is obvious.”

“By the way, which one would Senpai choose?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Senpai snorted.

“A beautiful person with a good personality.”

“It’s a two-choice question, get serious!”

“A crappy question designed to make you choose the ugly option isn’t worth answering seriously. What kind of life would force you into such an extreme choice? Love or the world, huh?”

“The crappy question suddenly got grand. Thinking about it, it’s like something out of an anime or movie.”

“Society is more complicated, annoying, and tedious. It’s not a sweet enough world to let you off easy with extreme choices.”

The chair creaked. Senpai must have leaned back.

“But one thing’s for sure: people praise beauty and are dazzled by what’s pretty. What’s inside comes second, or even third. If the form is bad, they hesitate to touch it, and that alone makes them treat it poorly. Even if the content is great, judgments change based on beauty or ugliness.”

“Like what kind of situation?”

“Recently? Hiring you.”

The unexpected example made me stop typing.

“Rena. Sure, we’re close. So when you asked to be hired, I thought I’d take care of you a little. But when I saw you were just a kid, I hesitated until the last moment.”

They hesitated until the last moment.

Hearing that, I didn’t feel disappointment or guilt.

Of course not.

When it comes to self-preservation, Senpai is unmatched. I didn’t come up with that assessment.

“The word I hate more than anything is responsibility.”

That’s what Senpai always said.

When playing online games, Senpai excelled at shifting blame. Even I, who knew their tactics, was almost brainwashed into thinking, It’s not Senpai’s fault, it’s this guy’s.

For Senpai to reject their biggest advantage and still hire me—that was the surprising part.

“If you were a troll or, worse, a guy, I’d have wished you the best in your future endeavors.”

“Fair enough. What if I were a typical high school girl who matched Senpai’s standards?”

“I’m not that heartless. I’d have said, ‘I’ve brought my sister here because of such-and-such circumstances. Please take care of her from now on.’”

“Senpai, acting like a reasonable adult? If that ever happened, it’d be Armageddon. Humanity would be doomed!”

I joked, saying something grand that would never happen.

I’m a realist. If I could take triple-digit numbers with me, that’d be a win. I don’t have what it takes to be a final boss who destroys humanity.

“So, you’re saying the world was saved because I’m a beauty?”

“Our five years of connection, plus your beauty. Those two things together made me think, ‘Fine, I’ll hire you.’”

“H-How cruel… So, you were after my body all along!”

“I said I wouldn’t launch a siege battle, but that was a lie.”

“Ahh, I’m gonna get violated!”

I stifled my laughter as I listened to Senpai’s deliberately low voice.

Despite their words, I trusted that Senpai hadn’t hired me with future siege battles in mind. That much I believed. Even if it was because of my appearance, they valued my relationship with Renafalt. That alone made me happy.

“And you’re the same, aren’t you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“If I were a bald, fat orc, what would you have done?”

“Ah…”

“You said you came prepared, but you’d have lost your will to fight and retreated, right?”

I respected Senpai. I admired them. But even I have limits to suppressing physiological disgust.

If a monster had shown up, the offline meetup would have ended immediately.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

When Senpai turned out to be the working adult, I was genuinely relieved. I was so happy I could’ve thanked the heavens.

“Honestly, a cheese-gyudon type would’ve been my limit. I can handle some physiological disgust, but what really hurts is my image of Senpai being shattered.”

So, this time, it wasn’t just Senpai who judged by appearance. I had also chosen Senpai based on their looks.

“That’s why I was so relieved when Senpai turned out to be the working adult.”

People aren’t just their appearance.

People are their inner selves.

I realized how naive that sounded.

“Senpai.”

Both are necessary.

“Thank you for not being too handsome.”

Your face is perfect just the way it is.

“Seems like you want your pink underwear ripped off.”

“What a wonderful workplace, full of harassment!”

It’s a place where I genuinely feel happy and motivated to do my best.

“Even in our relationship, one look can change everything. Just being handsome or beautiful gets you better treatment and more perks. It’s not just envy. You’re recognized as someone people want by their side. Appearance plays such an important role in society that it creates disparities.”

“So, that’s how it is.”

I wasn’t so dense that I couldn’t understand what Senpai was getting at.

“So, my sister was fully aware of the conditions for life’s easy mode.”

“From the outside, it didn’t seem that way?”

“I know I’m privileged, but I didn’t think she believed that being good-looking gives you an advantage.”

“She probably hid that part. It’s not a good look. No matter how true it is based on personal experience, you can’t say it publicly. People who’d suppress that kind of thinking would come crawling out of the woodwork.”

“What kind of people?”

“Society. The have-nots would scream, ‘It’s not fair! It’s not fair!’”

“Remember this, Rena. Even if the core is jealousy or shifting blame, as long as it’s wrapped in a pretty package, people will forgive anything. That’s the tyranny of those who believe in such things, and it’s rampant even in real life.”

I was a child who never left my room, ignorant of society. But I understood what Senpai was saying deeply. I had learned it, quite literally, to the point of disgust, in the online world.

But the weight in Senpai’s voice wasn’t just from observing from afar. It felt like they were speaking from personal, negative experiences.

“That’s why your sister never said it outright. She taught you to maintain your appearance and cleanliness not just for yourself, but to avoid making others uncomfortable, right?”

“Senpai, are you secretly psychic?”

“Nah, I just dressed it up in fancy words.”

They spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.

“Beautiful things attract other beautiful things. It’s rare for something beautiful to willingly approach something ugly. When packed into the same box, similar forms gather and form groups. The content is checked afterward.

That’s why your sister thought about what would happen after you returned to school. She left you with an easy mode in life so you wouldn’t struggle with relationships. That’s your avatar as a big-breasted JK beauty.”

My sister had always been nagging about my appearance. Despite my obvious reluctance, she dragged me around and dressed me up.

It was all so I could walk through life on easy mode when I returned to school.

Until today, I had never realized she had gone to such lengths for me.

“But even if you say someone like me can walk through life on easy mode, it’s hard to really feel it.”

“Speaking of which, you said your spirit was crushed the moment you entered the school. What happened?”

Senpai answered my question with a question.

“I was devastated by the toxic atmosphere of everyone working together enthusiastically. It was a school for breeding extroverts.”

“Anything else?”

“I was surrounded by the king, queen, and prime minister of extroverts. It was like evil spirits swarming a haunted spot.”

“So, the evil spirits took notice of you. That’s your objective appearance stat.”

“Ah…”

A small sound escaped me.

The rudeness I had shown them. The outrageous act I had sworn to curse them for—it had such a meaning behind it.

A shut-in who couldn’t even talk properly to her family… How could I have imagined being acknowledged by such lofty beings?

Looking back, the king and his group had felt responsible and even visited my home. I was the one who ran away in fear. …Maybe they weren’t bad people after all.

“By the way, from Senpai’s perspective, how do I rank?”

“If I were your classmate, I probably wouldn’t even talk to you. That’s how big the gap in facial stats is.”

“If Senpai were my classmate… If such a miracle happened, I’d want you to carry me through school life.”

“The case of meeting your kouhai from an online game in class.”

“You’d be the protagonist of a light novel!”

“A trash heroine who treats human lives as scores would never be popular. You’re more suited for runaway-themed eroge or ero doujins.”

“Come to think of it, my high school didn’t accept bottom-tier students. Senpai, what was your alma mater’s academic ranking?”

“You’re about to be left alone in a haunted spot.”

“Stop using forbidden cards!”

I shuddered at the thought of being left alone in this horror house, sensing Senpai getting up from their chair.

But nothing happened.

Yesterday, Senpai had made a move like they were going to check on me but didn’t follow through.

Even as we bantered like this, Senpai never crossed the line. They always considered my feelings and respected my boundaries. In the short time we’d known each other, I had come to trust them.

So, even as the silence stretched, I basked in the afterglow of our fun exchange. But I tilted my head in confusion when I heard rustling sounds.

Senpai was changing clothes.

Were they switching from loungewear to pajamas? Or maybe they slept in their underwear. I wanted to feel some masculinity there, but it was too early for even a child to sleep. It was clear they weren’t preparing for bed.

Fidgeting, I listened to the rustling sounds, and my hand moved from the keyboard to the sliding door. I opened it just enough to peek through.

“…Ah.”

My eyelids twitched violently.

The sight before me was terrifying, but it wasn’t a ghost, monster, or madman.

It was Senpai in casual clothes.

Gone were the loungewear. Senpai now wore a shirt with a jacket over it, looking ready to go out.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Noticing me peeking, Senpai flashed a bright smile. If they were handsome, it would’ve been a refreshing, picture-perfect moment.

But instead of my heart fluttering, I took a step back. My heart wasn’t swayed by romance—it was gripped by fear, as I mentioned earlier.

“Wait a minute!”

I frantically typed, making typos in my panic.

“Time to show your true skills as a home security guard. Do your job.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Rena. Does this sound like a joke to you?”

“I’m sorry for mocking your academic background! I’ll do anything, just forgive me!”

“Hm, did you just say ‘anything’? Well, if a big-breasted JK beauty says she’ll do anything…”

Senpai paused meaningfully.

“Then I’ll have you work hard as a home security guard.”

“asdfghjkl;’qwertyuiopasdfghjkl;’”

My hands were in a panic, I can’t even stay calm.

Seriously, screw this guy!

The fear in my chest turned into frustration, and I was seething. Even if it was just in my mind, it was the first time I had called Senpai “this guy.”

“Well, enough jokes.”

Thank goodness. It was just a joke after all. Even if Senpai liked to tease, I trusted they wouldn’t do anything I truly disliked.

“Sorry to leave you alone, but I’ll be back soon.”

“I just ate, so I don’t need any tempura rice!”

But that trust was shattered in an instant.

“Rena, I’m serious. Bear with me for a bit.”

Senpai’s voice was utterly serious.

I quickly understood that leaving me alone wasn’t punishment for mocking their academic background. Senpai was going out because they had to.

“Where are you going?”

“Gami’s place.”

A name that occasionally came up in our conversations—Senpai’s friend.

Their place was apparently a bar, and Senpai always spent Fridays there. That’s where I had called Senpai from yesterday.

“Just so you know, I’m not just going out for drinks. Even I wouldn’t leave you alone suddenly for something like that.”

Senpai was considerate, knowing how scared I was of being alone, even on the second floor.

“I’m going to explain your situation to them.”

“Eh…”

My throat tightened.

Senpai, who excelled at self-preservation, wasn’t the type to hide a high school girl at home for a fleeting sense of superiority and say, “Don’t tell anyone.”

So, what was their intention in going to explain my situation?

“It’s fine. Gami’s a hedonist with no regard for the law. You don’t have to worry.”

That was quite a way to describe a friend, but it also showed trust.

“I already told them yesterday that I’d explain. If I avoid it now and they find out later, it’ll be more troublesome when they ask why I hid something so interesting.”

And Gami seemed like a troublesome person.

I had heard they were eccentric.

They had apparently undergone a sex change, not because of gender dysphoria or a newfound identity, but simply because they got bored of being a man. Senpai described it as the equivalent of changing genders in a mobile game.

The fact that they could categorize our situation as “interesting” said a lot about their personality. They were the complete opposite of my sister.

“So, it’s better to just lay everything out and ask for their help. Gami can easily step into places a man can’t.”

They were probably thinking about feminine necessities.

I didn’t know how long I’d be staying under this roof, but if it was long-term, I couldn’t ignore those issues. From underwear to daily necessities, the list was endless. While most things could be bought online, some items might need to be purchased in person. Asking Senpai to buy them would be awkward for both of us.

“Depending on Gami, I might be back late.”

Senpai opened the sliding door and asked,

“Can you handle it?”

Their face showed a hint of concern.

Yesterday, I had been left alone briefly when Senpai went to get bedding. But back then, I was so filled with gratitude and joy for Senpai accepting someone like me that I forgot this place was a haunted spot.

Today was different. Being left alone here was terrifying.

“Y-Yes…”

Swallowing my fear, I let out a faint voice.

Senpai was trying to resolve an unavoidable issue. I couldn’t let myself be selfish and beg them not to leave me alone. I didn’t want to hold Senpai back like that.

“Good answer.”

A gentle hand patted my head.

“Keep it up. I’m counting on you to guard the house.”

◆

I resisted the urge to cling to Senpai as I saw them off at the door.

The sound of the lock clicking echoed.

It felt like a signal that I had been left behind in a haunted spot, sending a chill through my core.

Turning around, I saw the staircase leading to the second floor. The entrance light was still on, but the top of the stairs was shrouded in darkness.

I thought I saw something moving in that darkness.

Of course, it was just an illusion born of fear. I hoped it was just an illusion. It had to be.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the fact remained that this horror house had claimed the lives of forty people in the past.

But Senpai had lived here safely for five years without a care.

In the end, it was just a series of unfortunate coincidences. People call such places haunted spots because of the accumulation of strange, tragic events.

In this modern society, believing in supernatural powers is ridiculous.

But this horror house defied logic.

Since the incident where a monk was sent to the morgue via ambulance, this house had lost its chance to add to its glorious history. Sadly, the records stopped over a decade ago.

Instead, it had built up a dazzling reputation over the years.

For example, a middle-aged man who illegally dumped garbage on the property complained of unexplained heaviness in his shoulders.

An occult enthusiast who trespassed claimed to have been pushed down the stairs by an unseen force.

It was said that the closer you got to this house, the more likely you were to develop mental illnesses or exhibit abnormal behavior.

The usual irresponsible rumors about haunted spots sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain. …When Senpai first told me about them, they didn’t believe them either, but they soon realized the rumors were true.

The turnover rate among the neighbors was incredibly high. Senpai mentioned seeing moving trucks far too often.

If someone took statistics on the frequency of moves in this neighborhood, starting from this house, the results would be fascinating.

In fact, some people had tried. A university occult club had apparently visited.

They were a laid-back group of men and women, not exactly serious, but they seemed genuinely interested in gathering data. Senpai, intrigued by the idea, let them into the house, showing them the cult relics left in the living room and the rarely used second floor.

They exchanged contact information, with Senpai asking to be informed of the results. But that was the last they saw of the club. Months later, Senpai emailed the club president to ask about the statistics, only to receive a reply filled with endless apologies:

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…”

What had happened to them?

This horror house, with its dazzling history, single-handedly lowered the property values in the neighborhood. There was no doubt that it held some mysterious power.

Shivering with fear again, I shook my head.

Senpai had said it themselves. This house deserved respect and gratitude. If I treated it with reverence, it might even become a guardian spirit.

I needed to think in terms of addition, not subtraction.

The neighbors were so afraid of the horror house that they ostracized it. If that was the case, they probably wouldn’t find it suspicious if they sensed someone’s presence during the day when Senpai was gone. In fact, they’d likely avoid getting involved out of fear.

I didn’t know how long I could stay as a home security guard, but at least I could avoid being forcibly dismissed due to neighbor complaints or interference.

No matter how glorious its past, as long as the house didn’t turn on me, it didn’t matter. In fact, it might even become my shield.

Thinking this way, the horror house started to feel like a true guardian spirit.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the altar in the madman’s living room, clasping my hands together.

“My name is Renafalt from the Ten Thousand Realms. Please allow me to seek shelter under this house’s protection. I don’t care what happens to the neighbors, so please take care of me.”

I showed my respect and reverence.

My emotions had calmed, and I was back to normal.

Starting today, I had been entrusted with the duties of a home security guard in this horror house. I decided to keep it even cleaner than Senpai had.

With that in mind, what I needed to do next was clear.

I had to study to become the king of maids.

To repay Senpai for taking on the risk (me), I was determined to take on the household chores. A shut-in with zero housekeeping skills, who had always left everything to the housekeeper.

I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. Today’s training had only scratched the surface.

There was so much to learn. I couldn’t afford to slack off.

I was a prodigy. Even without motivation, I could handle most things effortlessly. The numbers I consistently produced to satisfy my father were proof of that.

In other words, with a clear goal and full motivation, I was unstoppable.

All the knowledge needed to survive in this world could be found online.

First, I greedily devoured knowledge to learn how to cook. Time flew by as I immersed myself in it.

I binge-watched cooking videos, unsure if I was watching to learn or just to hear the excuse to drink. Just as I lost track of my purpose, a sudden sound made me jump.

The sound came from outside my room—from the madman’s living room.

Without hesitation, I stood up and rushed out.

What awaited me in the living room wasn’t a ghost, monster, or even an intruder.

It was Senpai.

Their face was flushed, not from embarrassment but from drinking.

The employer and homeowner had returned.

“W-W-Welcome back…”

It was a phrase I hadn’t used since my mother passed away. It wasn’t out of obligation or politeness—it spilled naturally from my heart.

Senpai didn’t laugh at my stutter.

Instead, they looked stunned.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

The silence stretched, and with it, my anxiety grew.

Had I done something wrong?

As I searched for the mistake in my mind, Senpai finally smiled faintly.

Ah, thank goodness.

“Yeah, I’m back.”

It seemed I hadn’t made any unforgivable mistakes.