At dinnertime, as a matter of course, Wakaba Mutsumi accompanied Nagasaki Soyo to Chihaya Tetsuya's home.
Although she had interacted with him several times before, coming directly to a boy's home like this still left Mutsumi feeling a little at a loss.
Especially the moment the door opened and she came face-to-face with him, she subconsciously tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes.
"Good evening, Wakaba-san."
Tetsuya greeted her with a smile.
And Mutsumi, in a very polite and proper manner, returned the greeting:
"...Pardon the intrusion, Chihaya-san."
"You two are being a little too formal... Tetsuya, could you please get the new slippers from the shoe cabinet?"
"Ah, right."
At that, Tetsuya quickly bent down, opened the shoe cabinet, and took out the pair of slippers that had been prepared in advance.
Meanwhile, Mutsumi stared, a little dazed, at Soyo's incredibly natural and practiced movements as she entered, as well as her subsequent series of actions:
"Anon, are the vegetables washed?"
Soyo asked towards the kitchen just as she walked in.
"All done! You can start cooking anytime!"
Chihaya Anon's voice came from the kitchen.
"I bought the mango juice you wanted, too."
"Okay, thank you... Mutsumi, you can wait in the living room for a bit."
Soyo said, having already changed into her slippers.
"Let's see, for four people, mhm... dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes."
"..."
Hearing this, Mutsumi nodded obediently, then changed into the slippers Tetsuya had brought out and sat down on the living room sofa without a word.
Although Soyo had always been the type to be good at taking care of others, this capable, at-ease demeanor, like that of a housewife, gave Mutsumi a very strong sense of novelty. At the same time, just as Soyo had always said, she seemed to prefer this slightly cramped but cozy, ordinary apartment to her own spacious and quiet high-rise one.
Thinking this, Mutsumi couldn't help but look around at the living room.
The books on the coffee table, the empty clothes hangers on the balcony, the throw pillows piled to one side, and the sound of Soyo and Anon talking nearby.
It was completely different from the cold and silent home environment she was used to...
The warmth of this place, filled with signs of life everywhere she looked, even gave Mutsumi the illusion of being in another world.
Just as she was gradually getting used to this warm messiness, Tetsuya suddenly sat down on the other sofa.
Then, under her somewhat reserved gaze, he stared at her for a few seconds before slowly speaking:
"...I think I should tell you. I'm sorry, Wakaba-san. Actually, right before you came, I was on the phone with your mother."
"!"
Hearing this, Mutsumi subconsciously sat up straight, and her usually expressionless little face showed a look of nervousness.
But soon, his next words made her expression relax instantly—
"She doesn't object to you moving here. But as a condition, if any major events happen, I need to report the situation to her truthfully. Things like falling in love or deciding on your future career path."
Tetsuya recounted the results of his negotiation with Mori Minami truthfully.
"Other than that, if there's anything you forgot to bring from home, I can relay it to your butler, and he'll have it sent over to you as soon as possible."
"..."
The unexpected leniency made Mutsumi's expression change from tense to puzzled.
If she hadn't known his personality beforehand, she might have even thought he was joking with her.
"According to her, it seems that after seeing the series of changes in Sakiko after she left home, she has also developed certain expectations for your growth."
Tetsuya explained.
"Of course, I'm not sure if she has other plans, but at the very least, you're no longer in a situation of having 'run away from home.' Which means... you can now live here without any psychological burden."
"..."
Hearing this, the nerve in her mind that had been faintly tense for so long instantly relaxed. The indescribable sense of relief surprised even herself.
"...Thank you, Chihaya-san."
Mutsumi bowed her head to him.
"I really do feel much more at ease."
"For someone who has lived in that kind of environment for so long to suddenly make a decision that completely goes against their parents' wishes... no matter how you look at it, it's a bit too drastic."
Tetsuya said with a smile.
"The same goes for your lifestyle. You must be having a hard time adjusting, right? Suddenly coming to an unfamiliar environment and being told you can live as you please... just figuring out what to do next is probably a problem that would take several sleepless nights to think about."
"!"
Mutsumi's eyes lit up at his words, and she immediately nodded.
"Yes! Although I did receive an invitation from Sakiko... besides that, I have no idea what else I can do."
"That's normal. I felt the same way when I first came to the Chihaya home."
He leaned back against the sofa, speaking in a slightly nostalgic tone:
"To suddenly be told you don't need to work on a schedule and can manage your own time freely... for someone who has never enjoyed free time, the confusion that comes with this sudden liberation is far greater than the relief at first. Not to mention, the reason you left home was to escape your original environment. Beyond that, you don't really have a goal of your own."
"...Yes."
Mutsumi gripped the hem of her clothes again.
"Although there is the premise of helping Sakiko... besides that, I haven't had time to think about anything else..."
Even now, despite having her mother's permission, the confusion in her heart had not been resolved.
She was completely different from the determined Sakiko and the assertive Soyo. This puppet girl, who had just broken free from her strings, had not yet found the motivation to get her moving again.
That was why her gaze would always unconsciously fall on Soyo, as if trying to learn her proactivity and initiative.
But... she was not Soyo, in the end. Right now, she couldn't understand the reason that drove Soyo to be so proactive.
Meanwhile, after thinking for a moment, Tetsuya continued:
"It's certainly difficult to find something you want to do in a short amount of time. So, if you're really having trouble adjusting to your current life, why not hand over your 'strings'... to someone you can trust, until you find something you want to do for yourself?"
Out of a sense of responsibility, and also out of sympathy from having had a similar experience, he said:
"If you don't mind, Wakaba-san, how about I take on the role of holding those 'strings' for the time being?"