My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

“Darn it!” Kitahara Hideji wasn’t a local, and he had never experienced living in an area with heavy rainfall. He didn’t expect the tradition of opening drainage outlets on rainy days. When he reached the vicinity of his apartment, the streetlights were off, and the drainage areas that were opened didn’t have the night-time markers like in other areas. In the pitch-black darkness, he almost stepped into one of the drainage openings, thanks to his agility, he managed to avoid it just in time—otherwise, he could have fallen and hurt himself badly.

It’s often said that Japan is a country prone to natural disasters, aside from volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, heavy rainfall also falls into that category. During the typhoon season from July to November, Japan is hit by an average of five typhoons, each causing varying degrees of property damage. Heavy rainfall, which often accompanies typhoons, has even claimed over 100 lives in a single instance.

While this is largely influenced by Japan’s geological conditions, with numerous tectonic plates and volcanic geology making the country quite fragile, even in its rainfall response. The various local governments in Japan invest significant funds in improving their drainage systems, yet the results are only marginally effective. Even in the largest cities, drainage systems are working at full capacity, but Kitahara Hideji still ended up wading through water on his way back. In some areas, it almost felt like he could swim a few meters if he laid down.

He pulled his leg out of the drainage outlet, his shoe soaked with water, making each step uncomfortable. Holding his breath, he finally returned to the apartment. As soon as he entered the building, he noticed his own apartment door ajar. Two little heads popped out, Ono Yoko and Hyakujirou.

Ono Yoko sweetly called out, “I knew it was Onii-san coming back because Hyakujirou was desperately scratching the door! Just as I thought! Why are you back so early today?” Hyakujirou’s eyes were glowing with excitement, his mouth salivating eagerly.

Kitahara Hideji walked into the apartment, took off his shoes and raincoat at the makeshift entryway, and responded with a smile, “I came back early since it’s raining and there were no customers. But I guess Hyakujirou isn’t just eager to welcome me back; it’s waiting for its dog food, right?”

Hyakujirou crouched to the side, grinning and wagging its tail so fast it almost seemed like a blur. It was trying hard not to look at the bag of dog food in Kitahara Hideji’s hand, as if to convey that it wasn’t really thinking about meat or bones, just genuinely excited for its owner to be home.

Kitahara Hideji was amused by the dog’s behavior and handed the bag of dog food to Ono Yoko, saying, “Could you put this in its bowl? I’m going to change clothes.”

Ono Yoko picked up Kitahara Hideji’s dripping shoes and the bag of dog food, leading Hyakujirou to the bathroom. She smiled and said, “Sure thing, Onii-san. Go change your clothes, I’ll help you clean the shoes.”

“No need, Yoko. I’ll take care of it myself in a little while.”

“Please change your clothes quickly, Onii-san, so you don’t catch a cold.” Yoko entered the bathroom, making space for Kitahara Hideji to change clothes. There wasn’t much space to begin with; the apartment could only be described as minuscule, barely even three tatami mats in size.

Even though he hadn’t been soaked much, his clothes were still damp and uncomfortable, especially his pants which were wet up to the knees despite wearing rain trousers. Kitahara Hideji called out once more to tell Ono Yoko not to worry about the shoes, then swiftly stripped down, opened the closet, and efficiently changed into a set of dry home clothes. He glanced at the bag with the books and realized they were fine, though the envelope from Fukuzawa Naotaka had become a bit damp.

As he called out that he was ready to come out, he opened the envelope and found a recommendation letter from his employer praising him lavishly. It described him as a perfect employee, only a step away from including an award certificate, along with ten fresh one-thousand yen bills as a parting gift.

Kitahara Hideji did a quick mental calculation and realized that it amounted to an extra hour’s worth of wages per day. When he considered it this way, the pay for this odd job turned out to be above average, and it also became a small act of kindness.

Fukuzawa Naotaka was a meticulous person. Despite his appearance as a sickly man who indulged in alcohol, his actions were seasoned and mature. He was knowledgeable about social courtesies and matters of propriety. After interacting for a while, Kitahara Hideji couldn’t find a single fault, and he couldn’t help but hold him in high regard.

Shaking his head lightly, Kitahara Hideji repackaged the envelope and money. He noticed an odd scent in the air in the apartment, like a faint smell of disinfectant. Just as he was about to inquire, he realized that Yoko hadn’t come out of the bathroom yet. Curious, he walked in to check, only to find Yoko earnestly scrubbing and cleaning his shoes. He was taken aback—this seemed like child labor, and it wasn’t at all humane.

He quickly moved to stop her, but Yoko resisted, twisting her body to block his hand. She sweetly smiled and said, “It’s okay, Onii-san. I do laundry and take care of shoes at home too. I’m quite capable, I can handle all sorts of household chores!”

Kitahara Hideji hadn’t experienced someone cleaning his shoes and washing his clothes since his childhood, which made him quite uncomfortable for a moment. However, the bathroom was quite cramped, and with Hyakujirou’s presence and vigorous eating beside him—its tail was wagging so much that it moved vertically—it was practically impossible to intervene. He reluctantly decided to let Yoko continue.

He stood by awkwardly, watching as Ono Yoko skillfully removed the shoelaces and cleaned the shoes, proving her earlier claim to be truthful. She seemed to be well-versed in household chores and tasks. First, she wiped off dirt from the shoes inside and out with clear water, then used an absorbent cloth to remove the moisture. Finally, she stuffed balled-up tissue paper into the shoes.

She kept busy with her task and, while working, she looked up with a sweet smile and confidently said, “Onii-san, just add a layer of shoe polish when your shoes are dry tomorrow! Don’t worry, they won’t deform!” Pausing for a moment, she peeked her head outside and asked, “Onii-san, what about your wet clothes?”

Seeing that she was still intent on helping with his laundry, Kitahara Hideji couldn’t accept it. He extended his hand mainly out of empathy for Yoko’s situation; he hadn’t intended to have her work like child labor. He quickly said, “There’s no way to dry them now, so let’s wait until the weather improves.”

He felt a bit uneasy, not quite accustomed to others doing things for him.

However, Ono Yoko was slightly disappointed when Kitahara Hideji refused to let her do more work. She really wanted to repay his kindness. At her age, there wasn’t much she could do, and taking care of shoes and washing clothes were likely her limits.

So, she continued fiddling with the shoes, trying to remove as much moisture as possible to extend their lifespan. Meanwhile, Kitahara Hideji remembered why he had come in the first place. Watching Ono Yoko busying herself, he unexpectedly experienced a fleeting illusion of a domestic family life. At times, he did find himself longing for a normal family life.

He smiled and asked, “By the way, Yoko, why does it smell like disinfectant in the apartment?”

Ono Yoko, looking up with her small face, was glad that he had finally noticed. She eagerly explained, “I scrubbed the ceiling, Onii-san! You won’t have to worry about mold until next year.”

She was quite pleased with her accomplishment and hoped that Kitahara Hideji would share her happiness.

Kitahara Hideji quickly understood and realized why the persistent mold on the floor had been so hard to eliminate. A sense of relief washed over him. This was fantastic news. Let those mold colonies be scrubbed away—whether they could finish scrubbing them or not, the very fact that the problem was being addressed was a relief. He placed his hand on Ono Yoko’s head and began to gently rub it, expressing his happiness, “Impressive, Yoko, I never would have thought of this!”

Ono Yoko was even happier. She turned her head from side to side, nuzzling his palm with her closed eyes, and cheerfully exclaimed, “Onii-san is happy, and I’m so happy too!”

Listening to her words and feeling the smooth sensation of her hair under his touch, Kitahara Hideji couldn’t help but marvel at how strangely addictive it felt to stroke her head. It was as if there was an indescribable comfort that science couldn’t explain. He sincerely thanked her, saying, “I truly appreciate this, Yoko. I’ve been bothered by this for a long time.”

Ono Yoko sweetly smiled and responded, “It’s really nothing, Onii-san. No need to thank me anymore.”

While she said that, she felt completely content, as if her expectations had been fully met. She felt a sense of happiness, her small face radiating with joy. Even the occasional pain she felt in her belly seemed to have improved significantly.