Am I The Only Male Tenant Here?

The room was still cloaked in a soft warmth from earlier, the dim light casting long shadows as if trying to hide the absurdity of reality: Kana Kobayakawa, the cold manager of the convenience store, was sitting beside me, in her pajama glory, with cheeks tinged in pink.

She let out a tiny sigh.

"The sight of Ginjo-kun working diligently... makes me feel like I might've been too hard on you."

Her words came out slowly, like they'd been hiding behind her pride for years. It felt like a confession to me. One of those lines you only say when your guard is down and you think maybe—just maybe—you've found someone who won't judge you for the truth.

I tilted my head. "So... why come talk to me? Why now, of all times?"

She flinched. Her hands flew up to her mouth.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much all at once…!"

She bowed her head again like a guilty child.

"I don't know why, but… Ginjo-kun makes me feel so... safe. Like I can say anything. Even things I swore I'd never tell anyone."

She bit her lip.

"You probably think I'm weird now, huh…?"

She looked like she expected me to laugh at her—or worse, back away. But how could I?

Without thinking, I leaned in and wrapped my arms around her.

Her body stiffened in surprise—but only for a second.

Then… she melted.

Goddamn.

Her warmth filled my chest, her soft breath brushing against my neck. This wasn't about lust. It was something more vulnerable. This wasn't the woman who barked orders over the cash register. This was Kana—the real Kana—letting herself fall apart in my arms.

She trembled just a little.

She had been pretending all this time. Pretending to be cold, to be strong, to be untouchable. That kind of act had to wear on the soul. And tonight… I guess her heart hit its limit.

So all I could do… was hold her.

And so I did.

Her head nestled against my chest like a kitten curling into its favorite blanket.

"…Thank you, Ginjo-kun," she whispered.

Her voice was small. Shaky. Real.

And then… I felt it. A faint wetness through my shirt.

Kana Kobayakawa—the hard-as-nails manager, the ice queen was crying quietly into my chest.

We stayed like that. Just… held each other. For how long? I don't know. Time stopped existing. There was just her warmth, her breath, and the way her body felt safe against mine.

Of course…

I'm not a robot.

There's only so much a healthy, hormonal teenage boy can take before noticing certain... features.

Like how her full chest pressed gently against me with every breath.

Like how her slender waist fit perfectly beneath my palm.

Like how her scent—floral shampoo and warm skin—made it very difficult to stay a good boy.

Just comfort her, I told myself. You're doing this to help her.

...This bonus softness is just a reward from the gods.

Eventually, I loosened the embrace and pulled back.

She blinked up at me, eyes still glassy.

I gave her the gentlest smile I could manage.

"Be yourself, Kana."

She gasped.

"Don't be a doormat. Don't be an ice queen either. You don't have to be anyone else. Just be... you."

She blinked again, eyes wide, like my words were some kind of magic spell.

"You don't have to put up walls. Or tear down others. Just smile. Smile for real. Every day. That's enough."

I reached out, brushing away a tear with my thumb.

"And hey... if anything's ever weighing on you again—my door's always open. I promise I don't judge."

I wasn't some therapist. I wasn't an expert in human emotions. I just said what felt right.

Kana slowly nodded.

"Yeah… Thank you, Ginjo-kun."

Her fingers wiped the last traces of tears from her cheeks—and for the first time since I'd met her… she smiled.

Not the polite store manager smile.

Not the sarcastic 'you're-on-thin-ice' smirk.

A real, unfiltered, pure smile.

And it was stunning.

"Kana… you look beautiful when you smile."

She turned her face away shyly.

"G-Ginjo-kun…"

She looked like no one had said that to her in a long, long time.

Maybe ever.

"Now that we've aired out the trauma—wanna celebrate?" I said suddenly, trying to lighten the mood.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Eh?"

I stood and shuffled over to the tiny fridge I barely touched.

Inside: a sad collection of soda cans. I didn't have snacks or alcohol.

I wasn't even legal yet—and Tomoko-san fed me so well, there was no reason to stock up.

"…Well, we've got soda," I said, holding up two cans like they were fine wine.

Kana giggled. "Soda is fine."

She reached out and took a can from me.

Her fingers brushed mine for half a second.

Even that made my heart skip.

Pssshk!

The sound of two cans cracking open at once.

"Cheers, Kana."

"Cheers, Ginjo-kun."

Clink.

We tapped cans and took a long sip together.

The carbonation hit my tongue with a pop. Kana let out a cute little sigh as she settled back onto the sofa.

Her posture was more relaxed now. The tension was gone.

"Phew… I'm really glad I came over," she said. "You've got this smile, Ginjo-kun… it just puts people at ease."

Well, that's because I'm a young, handsome, positive male lead protagonist blessed by a harem system, I thought proudly—but didn't say.

Would've ruined the mood.

We talked for a while after that. Casual things. Life things. Dumb stuff that didn't matter.

But something surprised me.

Kana Kobayakawa… was only 23.

Barely older than me.

Despite the strict exterior, there was still a hint of youthful awkwardness underneath. Now that I knew how she looked when she smiled, it made everything about her… glow.

Her silky black hair cascaded like dark ink across her shoulders.

Her eyes shimmered like a calm lake under moonlight.

Her fair skin practically glowed under the lamplight.

And of course… her chest. Rising. Falling. Rising again. With every laugh. Every breath.

Soft. Inviting. Hypnotic.

She's way too dangerous to be next door, I thought.

Before I knew it, we were sitting closer. Our knees brushed. Our shoulders touched. Just a little.

Outside, the city had gone quiet. Not a soul on the streets. Only the light in my window glowed softly in the darkness.

Manager and employee by day.

Late-night drinking buddies on the couch by night.

What a strange world I'd fallen into.

Eventually, she yawned.

"Ginjo-kun… it's getting late. I should go back. Thank you so much."

She stood slowly.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Kobayakawa. It was an honor to help the beautiful manager with her burdens."

Her cheeks flushed again. It was almost unfair how cute she looked like that.

At the door, she paused.

"By the way, Ginjo-kun… I'm single now. So you don't have to call me Mrs. Kobayakawa anymore."

She turned slightly.

"You can just call me… Kana."

I stepped toward her and lowered my voice.

Leaning just close enough for my breath to tickle her ear, I whispered—

"Okay, Kana."

Her blush spread down to her collarbone.

She didn't say anything else. Just smiled faintly, lowered her gaze, and slipped out the door.

The moment it closed, I let out a deep breath and collapsed back onto the sofa.

This harem life is going to kill me.

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