Chapter 10: Sister, I'm hungry, I want to eat.
At the first ring of the doorbell, Asano Nao thought it was her imagination. She hadn't ordered anything online recently; no delivery person should be at her door.
It wasn't until the second ring echoed in her ears that she had to accept the fact: someone was visiting.
The clear ring of the bell pierced through the darkness and emptiness of the first floor, adding a touch of eeriness. She shivered, put down Minami Yuuki's photo, prepared herself mentally, and went downstairs.
The staircase, long in need of repair, creaked as one of the wooden boards groaned. She turned on the living room light and walked to the door.
The doorbell rang a third time.
She pressed her eye to the peephole and looked outside.
Outside, the streetlamp illuminated the visitor's face. That slender body, moist eyes, and somewhat thin lips were all parts Asano Nao was familiar with, parts that combined into a person she both knew and didn't know.
How could he be here?
Asano Nao was so frightened she took a step back. The peephole seemed like the fierce eye of a wild beast, glaring at her, instilling fear.
Had he discovered the spying? Had he noticed when he glanced at my window on his way to school at noon?
I clearly followed the online tutorials and created a so-called undetectable spy room!
Asano Nao linked her reckless judgment to the boy's unusual behavior today. He had only gone to school at noon, perhaps troubled by being spied on, causing him to oversleep?
If that was the case, he had discovered her wrongdoing yesterday.
Now, after two days of contemplation, the boy had finally decided to come and confront her!
What would he say?
Would it be, "Even maggots are cleaner than you; stop your disgusting behavior," or, "I've already called the police, you perverted old hag"?
Neither option was something Asano Nao wanted. She feared hearing such words and stood behind the door, letting the doorbell ring.
After the fourth ring, Asano Nao mustered a bit of courage. She looked through the peephole again, trying to gauge Minami Yuuki's expression to determine his mood.
The boy's figure was distorted by the peephole's refraction, but his beauty remained intact. Asano Nao had already printed a 3D model of his figure in her mind and could use her mental processing power to correct the optical distortion.
No, this isn't the time for spying!
Asano Nao pinched her thigh. Focus on his expression, his expression!
After the fifth ring, the boy gave her no chance to decipher his emotions and turned to walk under the bright streetlamp.
At the roadside, in the circle of light cast by the streetlamp, the boy pulled his phone out of his pocket, dislodging a white handkerchief without noticing.
The handkerchief fell to the ground alone, and the boy disappeared from her view.
All of Asano Nao's attention was on that handkerchief. She swallowed, her heartbeat quickening.
She wanted that handkerchief!
But the handkerchief had fallen outside, on the roadside.
The thrill in her heart dissipated instantly. She didn't want to go outside; she didn't want to step onto the roadside.
She thought, maybe Minami Yuuki would soon realize the handkerchief was missing and come back to look for it.
But wait, this also meant if she didn't pick it up now, the handkerchief would soon be gone!
Even if Minami Yuuki didn't return, a passing child or housewife might pick it up!
Her treasure would be picked up by an ignorant passerby and sullied, spoiled!
Click—
Before her brain could make a decision, her hand had already pressed down on the door handle, opening the door.
Since the door was open, she might as well retrieve her treasure!
She cautiously took a step, poked her head out through the door crack, and surveyed the area.
The night was dark and windy; the sky was safe, the front was safe, and the sides were safe!
She could move!
She pushed the door open abruptly, striding quickly and silently to the roadside like a thief stealing a phone. Swiftly and accurately, she picked up the handkerchief from the ground and retreated to her doorstep.
The smooth, soft texture of the handkerchief transmitted through her palm, making her heart beat more fiercely than it had in a long time.
With one foot inside the house, her hand gripping the door handle, she felt she had entered a safe zone. Unable to resist the allure of the handkerchief any longer, she lifted it to her face, placing it under her nose. The scent of camphor wood filled her nostrils, bringing her joy.
But her smile quickly froze on her face.
From the shadows beside her house, a familiar figure emerged.
Minami Yuuki held up his phone, the camera pointed directly at Asano Nao.
The smile spreading across his face plunged Asano Nao into an abyss, like falling into icy water. The chill and shivers came simultaneously, making it impossible to tell which came first and which was the complement of the other.
She was doomed.
Not only had she been caught, but she had also been recorded!
Grandma, I'm sorry. You have to live strong. Mom, Dad, I'll be joining you soon!
The moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting a cold light on the rooftops of the surrounding houses. In the distance, a piercing car horn sounded.
Holding his phone, Minami Yuuki walked up to the Asano house and bumped into Asano Nao.
Asano Nao hurriedly stepped back, opening the door wider. She was too terrified to react otherwise.
Minami Yuuki entered the house and closed the door.
He took a pair of pink slippers from the shoe cabinet and changed into them. He walked through the hallway to the living room. The fabric sofa was very old, and the TV cable curled up beside it, not plugged in.
Behind the sofa was the dining room, and beyond that was a semi-open kitchen.
Minami Yuuki sat down by the dining table. The table was clean, and the house was tidy overall—Asano Nao was a neat person.
At this moment, the woman in clean sportswear stood behind Minami Yuuki, her head bowed, trembling with fear.
She handed the handkerchief to Minami Yuuki, her hand shaking violently.
There was no need for verbal probing, no need for special explanations. At this moment, Minami Yuuki was the master, and Asano Nao was the subordinate.
Ignoring the handkerchief, Minami Yuuki tapped the table with his fingers. "I'm hungry."
Asano Nao didn't move. The boy's words were too strange, too out of the ordinary for her to respond immediately.
"Is there anything to eat?" Minami Yuuki repeated.
Asano Nao jolted and stammered, "P-please wait a moment."
Not daring to delay, she ran to the master bedroom on the first floor.
When she came out, she held a bank card in her hand. Kneeling in a servile posture, she offered the card to Minami Yuuki.
"Please accept it. The PIN is 2130," she said.
Minami Yuuki chuckled.
He turned to face Asano Nao, crossing his legs. "Sister, you really are terrifyingly self-aware. As expected of a pervert who peeped at me, took secret photos of me, and picked up my handkerchief to sniff it."
"I'm terribly sorry. I'll never dare do it again!"
"I never said you had to stop. The bank card isn't necessary. Just make me something to eat; I'm really hungry."
Asano Nao, half doubting, went to the kitchen, took out some cooked rice from the fridge, heated it up, fried some tempura, made a plate of tamagoyaki, and cooked a bowl of instant miso soup.
The boy ate quickly, proving he hadn't lied about his hunger.
This left Asano Nao's mind in turmoil, unable to make sense of the situation.
"Thank you for the meal."
After eating, Minami Yuuki placed his chopsticks neatly on the bowl and thanked Asano Nao.
Seeing her face still full of apprehension, he reassured her, "Don't worry, I have no intention of holding you accountable. I was just hungry and came for food. As long as you don't threaten me with a box cutter to make me your slave, or lock me up in a dark basement, it's fine."
"Oh, and by the way," Minami Yuuki added, "I don't dislike you, sister."
An angel, he must be an angel!
Asano Nao was almost moved to tears. If Minami Yuuki started a religious sect now, she would be its most devout follower, willing to donate all her savings and house to support him as the leader!
Thinking of her dirty thoughts and the filthy things she had done towards such a holy angel filled her with guilt.
After spying and secretly photographing him in the future, she must reflect for an hour in front of Minami Yuuki's photo!
"Well, I'm leaving now," Minami Yuuki said.
His stomach full, satisfied with the meal, he felt content.
"The handkerchief," Asano Nao reminded him, not to forget it on the table corner.
"Oh, this handkerchief is something I used as a child. It's not fashionable to carry handkerchiefs anymore; it was just bait to lure you in. You can keep it."
A vast sense of happiness enveloped Asano Nao. A handkerchief used by Yuuki when he was a child!
Could she really possess such a holy relic?
"What time do you get up in the morning?" Minami Yuuki asked.
"Seven."
"And when do you have breakfast?"
"Around seven-thirty, no later than eight."
"I see. Goodbye, sister."
Minami Yuuki's footsteps echoed through the hallway, through the entrance. The door clicked open and then shut.
The house was left with only Asano Nao.
If not for the handkerchief on the table and the hot dishes still on it, she might have thought it was all a pitiful dream.
She recalled the conversation before Minami Yuuki left, covering her flushed face.
What did he mean? Why did he ask about breakfast time?
Was it what she thought?
Asano Nao felt joy first, then began to doubt—not Minami Yuuki's words, but her own ears and mouth.
Did that conversation really happen? Did she accurately say seven-thirty? Did she mistakenly say six-thirty or seven?
She should have recorded it with a tape recorder!
The mingling of hope and self-doubt left her both joyous and troubled.