It Seems Like a Girl I Don’t Know Is Doing Housework at My Place. But She’s Cute, So I’m Watching Her.

“……”

“……”

The silence was unbearable. Given the circumstances, it was only natural that we were now sitting opposite each other, both in formal seiza posture. But to put it lightly, this was hell.

On one side, you had a pervert who had been caught staring intently at women’s underwear. On the other, an offender who had brought in said underwear without permission. Objectively speaking, both parties were in the wrong. Neither had a leg to stand on. To be fair, Chiaki-san was the one who had set this in motion, and personally, I’d like to think my actions were somewhat inevitable due to the situation.

But no matter how you look at it, according to societal norms, this was not just a three-strike out — this was a game over. So I couldn’t exactly argue against being labeled a pervert.

“Um, hey…”

“What is it?”

“Sorry, but… I need a time-out.”

“Oh, okay.”

Even so, the conversation wasn’t really progressing as I had hoped. But that was something I had already anticipated.

The thing is, Chiaki-san can be oddly proper or pure in a way, especially in situations like this. When it comes to these kinds of awkward topics, she struggles to find the right words.

Indeed, Chiaki-san was currently wearing an expression that made her discomfort obvious. About seventy percent was embarrassment, twenty percent self-reproach, and the last ten percent was something close to frustration.

As for me, I wasn’t feeling as awkward as one might expect. It was awkward, sure, but since the person sitting in front of me was Chiaki-san… well, there was this sense that I could talk my way through this, so I felt pretty at ease.

It’s not that I’m taking her lightly. It’s just that when someone has a weakness for you, that’s when you can really take advantage of it. Especially when it’s someone like Chiaki-san.

“Haruto-kun,” she started, “why were you staring at my underwear so intently?”

“Because it was in the room.”

“That’s not a good enough reason! Normally, you wouldn’t just stare at it like that!”

“Well, I think most guys would. Whether it’s a bra or panties, if it’s in a guy’s room, he’d at least give it a look. And in this case, a whole section of my closet had been taken over without my knowing.”

“Ugh…”

Chiaki-san fell silent, unable to refute my perfectly reasonable argument. I could tell I was going to win this one, even without relying on the fact that she liked me.

“But still! Even if you didn’t know at first, you had to realize they were mine, right? So there was no need to keep staring!”

“True, I figured out they were yours pretty quickly. I won’t deny that.”

“Then why!? It was so embarrassing!”

“I was just too surprised to look away. Plus, I was curious.”

“You’re not even sorry about it, are you?”

I do feel bad… just a little bit.

“So… does this mean you were interested in my underwear?”

“If you’re so hesitant, why even ask?”

“No, I want to know! It’s a big deal! So hurry up and answer!”

“Alright, alright. Yes, I was curious, especially about your choice and the reason for it.”

“My choice… and the reason?”

“Yeah, like why you brought your underwear into my place in the first place. And also, I was genuinely curious why you didn’t bring anything more… special. Like, no fancy lingerie or anything — just plain ones. Are you really okay with me seeing those?”

“The last part! Okay, maybe the first part is understandable, but the last part!? No, I’m not okay with that at all!”

“Then why bring them here? Without permission, even?”

If you really didn’t want them to be seen, the fault lies in bringing them without asking.

“I-I mean… What if I need to change during a sleepover?”

“You can just bring them when that happens. Also, we haven’t had any sleepovers yet.”

“‘Yet’ means it could happen in the future, right? Better to be prepared, no?”

“Let’s set aside whether or not that will happen for now. But seriously, just bring them when you need to.”

“Keeping them here saves time!”

“There’s such a thing as too much efficiency, you know.”

Sure, I get it. It’s more efficient to store things here rather than bring them every time. But the least you could do is ask for permission. If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone through your stuff. And I definitely wouldn’t have stared at it.

The reason I ended up doing so was because I wasn’t informed. I found them unexpectedly, and because I didn’t know what was going on, I was shocked. My curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t help but stare.

“Well, you see… I didn’t think you’d give me permission…”

“Then maybe that should’ve made you hesitate. Going through with it thinking ‘as long as I don’t get caught’ is literally how a criminal thinks. You’re a criminal, Chiaki-san.”

“I’m not!”

“Yes, you are.”

It’s only because I haven’t pressed charges that you’re not in trouble, but Chiaki-san is absolutely a stalker. She even trespassed. A full-blown criminal.

I’ve known for a while, but clearly, she hasn’t learned her lesson. Well, technically she has, but she doesn’t feel the need to change because she knows I won’t do anything about it. It’s not because her personality is rotten, though. Well, a stalker is pretty rotten by any normal standard.

“Did it not cross your mind that someone might see your underwear? Or that they might do something weird with it? Most people would be uncomfortable with that, wouldn’t they?”

“Do something weird… You mean, like what you did earlier, Haruto-kun?”

“Want me to take another good look at it?”

“Please don’t!”

Honestly, I’d rather not, too.

“Well… I did think about it a little, but I figured if it were you, Haruto-kun, I wouldn’t mind if you did something… mischievous.”

“I see. Well then, next time, I’ll rub some peppermint oil into the crotch area for you.”

“Not that kind of mischief! That’s crossing the line into harassment! No, beyond harassment!”

Yeah, I know. Peppermint oil on sensitive skin would be no joke.

“No, I meant… I wouldn’t mind if you… made a move on me. You know, a girl’s delicate feelings.”

“So, you want me to pour the peppermint oil directly, then?”

“Get away from the peppermint oil! That’s not even sexy, that’s just violent!”

Though messing with someone’s underwear is a pretty weird kink in itself, too.

“Seriously, Haruto-kun! Why do you keep trying to twist the conversation in a weird direction? Right now, in any normal manga, this would be one of those accidental lucky-pervert scenes! You’re supposed to go with the mood!”

“So, what you’re saying is… you want me to make a move on you, is that it? You want me to tease you like that?”

“Of course I do! I want you to see me that way! It’s only natural, isn’t it?”

“Wow, you’re really laying it all out there.”

At this point, her openness is almost admirable.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. If you’re going to be that straightforward, I’ll answer your feelings.”

“I’m still a girl, though.”

“Alright then. I’ll do my best to make a mischievous move.”

“Um, you know… now that you’re actually saying it out loud, I’m starting to feel like I should really, really say no…”

“First, I’ll go get those plain cotton panties of yours. I’m also curious about why you chose those in particular.”

“Wait! Yes, that’s harassment, and yes, it’s sexual! But no, you can’t actually do that! That’s crossing a line you can’t cross!”