Asobi Otonari

Making decisions for the Future

“Thank you very much for today.”

Charlotte, who had finished cleaning up after eating, thanked me at the entrance of my apartment. I offered to wash the dishes, she said, but Charlotte insists that she will do the cleaning herself as the cooking process includes cleaning up afterward. She really is a very nice and wonderful woman.

Charlotte is currently holding Emma in a very delicate manner. As I stared at this close pair of brothers, I felt very happy, but also somewhat envious.

Maybe because even though there were some differences, it was something I couldn't do…

“I should also thank you. I'm so glad you cooked such a delicious meal for me. "

I express my gratitude to her from the bottom of my heart.

I don't know how rich his family is, but I don't think he usually cooks at home if his family can easily afford to make him study abroad.

In addition, the food he prepared was so delicious that it could be served in a decent restaurant.

It is no exaggeration to say that I am the most blessed in my life.

“i'm glad you enjoyed it. I really can't thank Aoyagi-kun enough. ”

“You're exaggerating.I didn't do anything that deserves such high praise. "

“you may not consider it important, but allow me to express my gratitude. If something were to happen today, the result would definitely be irreversible. If Emma had somehow disappeared, I wouldn't have been able to survive. "

Charlotte muttered in a soft voice as she gently stroked Emma's head. The friendly smile he had brought since I met him had vanished, I knew that he was really serious, with no sign of ordinary behavior.

I also decided to stop smiling and talk to him seriously.

“Yes, strangers are not an unusual sight at the moment, but they are definitely an interesting existence. Rarely are children missing or kidnapped, but if a cute foreign girl like Emma-chan is left alone outside, I don't think it's strange if she ends up kidnapped. "

What I said just now will definitely make Charlotte uneasy. Even so, I deliberately chose to say it. I judged that this was not something unknown.

Even though I took Emma as an example, she wasn't the only one who was in danger. Charlotte also has a high chance of being targeted by a suspicious person. In Japan, both have become existences that will certainly attract attention.

I'm not sure how aware he is of this, but he probably at least has an awareness of his popularity due to the sheer number of people talking about it .. If that's the case, mislead him.I'll have to give him the facts and make precautions together.

That's all I can do for now.

“Attractive existence is something that stands out, right?”

"Yes that's right…?"

Charlotte looked at me strangely because the conversation had suddenly changed. It seems that this is not enough to convey my point.

“It is quite possible for Emma to be a target if she is left alone, but of course, if she stands out then it inadvertently implies that others will be watching her as well. Therefore, he would probably not be in danger in a crowded area during the day. As I mentioned earlier, Japan is a relatively safe country, so it doesn't matter if you only pay attention at night. As for Emma, even if she got lost again, a good person would definitely take her to the police station. ”

In fact, no sane person would try to do something in a public place. Even if they did, they might not be smart and would be an easy target to catch. It is not recommended to underestimate them, but it is not necessary to be too careful. After all, even Japanese people have to be careful at night.

“Fufu ~ Aoyagi-kun is really a good person.”

Listening to my words, Charlotte put her finger on her lips and smiled. The moves are pretty elegant, but they embarrass me.

"No, I'm not good …"

“No, you're good. When you realize that I am anxious, you are really thinking of trying to eliminate my anxiety. "

"i think anyone would do that …"

“Even I know that not everyone is a good person. There are good-natured people just on the surface, and there are people who deal with it sincerely — Aoyagi-kun belongs to the last category. That's why I'm sure you're a good person. "

This might be the first time I have been recognized by anyone other than Aki, Miyu-sensei, or Akira.

I thought it was okay, because I knew that I was doing things that not everyone could understand. I am glad to be acknowledged by others. Besides, since these are words from people that interest me, it makes me happier.

"no need. If I ask you something, it's not something big, but I'd be happy if you were friends with me. ”

Charlotte said something really nice.I don't know if she said it out of courtesy or anything like that. But for me, it was a proposal that I couldn't even dream of rejecting.

"If you're okay with me .. Then I'll be happy."

“Ya, please take care of me from now on!”

When I nodded as an affirmation, Charlotte replied with a wide smile. She's too sweet. As expected, there was no way I could see her bright smile directly.

She was so cute that I accidentally turned my eyes away. From the corner of my eye, I knew that Charlotte was confused by my actions, but I wanted her to wait for a while…

“—So, sorry for the interruption.”

Since the conversation was over, Charlotte left my place to return to her apartment. It was very late, but since the apartment was right next to my apartment, there was no need to worry about being attacked by a suspicious person.

… Just in case, I'll wait until she enters her apartment.

“Aoyagi-kun, please take care of me from tomorrow onwards.”

“Oh, yes — Wait a minute.”

"Yes what is it?"

I suddenly came to my senses, so I immediately called Charlotte. He patiently waited for me to speak without making an unhappy face.

"Please don't interact with me at school for a while."

“Eh..?”

It's a sudden request. Charlotte's confusion is only natural.I don't want this either. However, if you are considering the future, this is important.

“Can I ask you why..?”

“If we start interacting suddenly, our classmates will feel uncomfortable. Some people might even try to find the reason for our intimacy.I want to avoid that. "

“Is there something wrong with that? I honestly don't mind… "

“No, if people find out that we live next door, the circulation of strange rumors is inevitable, and I want to avoid those troublesome things.”

"Is that so…? If Aoyagi-kun said that, then that must be the case. I see ... I'll be a little lonely, but I'll do as you say. Well then, good night. ”

“Ya.. Good night.”

Although confused, Charlotte accepted my request.I was very happy when she said that she would trust me even though it would make her sad.

That's why I think my choice wasn't wrong.

I had a conflict because Charlotte was the person I was dealing with, but there was another reason why I wanted to keep my distance from her at school. No, to be exact, the second half was different.

I don't want people to know that Charlotte and I live next door. This aspect has not changed. However, the real reason I was so troubled was because Charlotte was too popular.

If people knew that we were living next door, there would definitely be people who would try to come to my apartment or pretend to come in. The reason for that was because this would be a great opportunity for them to grow closer to Charlotte by bluffing that they met by chance. I'm fine with giving up and having them come and storm my private apartment .. However, it would eventually annoy Charlotte. It feels like being stalked by a classmate every day.I'm sure she won't feel good.

I decided to keep my distance from him at school to avoid such circumstances. Even if I had to explain this to her, she would insist that she would be fine no matter what. Therefore, I came up with the reason that I did not want rumors to circulate about us.

This may seem strange to Charlotte, but it is better than letting her suffer.I just pray that she does not hate me for this.

―――― I confirmed that she will not leave her apartment again, so I returned to my room as well.