Chapter 10: Telling My Childhood Friend I'm Looking for a Girlfriend
The next day, Ren had taken the day off but hadn't forgotten his promise with Hinata. He still woke up early to wait for her to leave for school.
"Ren-nii, aren't you going to school today?" Seeing Ren not wearing his uniform, Hinata asked with a puzzled expression.
"No, but didn't we promise to go to school together? It works out since I'm heading that way for breakfast anyway. Let's go." Ren smiled at Hinata, waking up early wasn't entirely just to accompany her.
"Ren-nii, you're so nice! I wish Nee-chan could walk me to school too." Hinata was very satisfied with this answer. Holding Ren's hand, she walked toward the school, chatting about school happenings and new friends she'd made until they reached the school gate, where she reluctantly entered the campus.
After saying goodbye to Hinata, Ren leisurely headed toward the airport, stopping for breakfast along the way.
It was still early before Anon's flight arrival. Ren wandered around the area at a relaxed pace, checking every corner, not for any particular reason, just to pass time leisurely while observing the different scenery from his previous life.
Soon it was noon, and Ren arrived at the airport. He even found some discarded cardboard boxes, borrowed a pen to write "Chihaya Anon" on one and drew several hearts. Anyone seeing it might mistake him for some fervent fan waiting for an idol.
"Ren, what are you doing? This is so embarrassing!" Anon almost didn't dare acknowledge him when she saw Ren holding that shameful sign.
"I thought you'd like it. Don't you love this kind of attention the most?" Ren couldn't help but laugh. He'd done this precisely because he knew his childhood friend loved making a scene. See? Not only did someone come to pick her up, but they were holding a sign too. Wasn't that impressive?
"How could I possibly like this right now? I'm sneaking back home in disgrace." Anon said distressingly." Although she'd salvaged some dignity using Ren's method, the fact remained that her study abroad had failed. She really wasn't in the mood for this kind of attention right now.
"It's still better than continuing to suffer overseas. Are you hungry? Do you have an appetite?" Ren said, taking Anon's luggage and walking alongside her as they left the airport.
"I'm not hungry. Let's just go home first. I couldn't sleep properly while abroad, so I want to catch up on sleep first. I'm so sleepy~" Anon yawned as she spoke, revealing her cute little canine teeth.
"Aren't you going to adjust to the time difference? Wouldn't it be better to stay awake until tonight?" Ren said while hailing a taxi, and they both got in.
"I'd like to adjust, but I'm really tired. Ren, wake me when we get home. Oyasumi~"
With someone completely trustworthy by her side to rely on, Anon could no longer resist her drowsiness. She clung to Ren's arm, leaned against his shoulder, and fell asleep shortly after.
Breathing in the faint fragrance unique to a youthful girl, Ren felt no ripple of emotion in his heart. It smelled pleasant enough, but he had encountered it too many times before.
Moreover, Anon's figure was somewhat lacking, to his regret. There wasn't even the kind of situation where her chest would press against his arm as she slept leaning on him.
Didn't that mean there was no chance for an ambiguous atmosphere to develop?
Ren sighed inwardly but didn't disturb Anon's rest. Only when they reached the front of her home did he push her shoulder, intending to wake her.
But Anon, finally able to sleep peacefully, merely mumbled a few indistinct words before falling silent again, completely unrousable.
This didn't stump Ren, however. His relationship with Anon was close enough, and now he didn't have to worry about being unable to carry her. So he lifted Anon out of the car and carried her into his own home.
Mr. and Mrs. Chihaya were still at work. They had been reassured when Anon said Ren was picking her up, but Ren didn't have a key to their house. Anon did, but she was sleeping like a log. Since he had already carried her to his place, there was no need to fish out the key and take her back. It was better to let her rest at his home directly.
After placing Anon on his bed, Ren left the room, took out his phone, and called Mrs. Chihaya to let her know everything was fine. Shortly after, the computer he had ordered arrived. With time to spare, he personally assembled it.
Even with money, some things simply had to be done by oneself. This was one of the romances of being a man, after all.
After setting up the computer, Ren smacked his forehead. He had been so focused on upgrading his equipment that he forgot to upgrade the internet connection. That couldn't be overlooked—it had to be maxed out, no matter the monthly cost.
With money paving the way, the technician came the same day and worked until evening to get everything just right.
By then, Mr. and Mrs. Chihaya had returned from work. They came to Ren's house to ask about Anon's whereabouts.
"Ren, where's Anon?"
"She's still resting in my room. You should be able to wake her now."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chihaya went upstairs to rouse Anon, leading the still drowsy girl back home while also inviting Ren to join them for dinner.
Ren didn't decline and went to the Chihaya household.
"Ren, why do I feel sleepier the more I sleep—"
The newly awakened Anon lay lazily on the sofa, even placing her delicate, pearl-like feet on Ren's thigh as she kept yawning.
"Still feeling sleepy like this?"
Looking at Anon's feet, which still hadn't been washed, Ren sneered coldly. What kind of unwashed feet was she shamelessly pressing against him? Although he had a thing for pretty feet, he had no interest in their "natural state." If he were to savor them, they'd have to be clean.
After saying this, he tickled Anon's feet, making her squirm and laugh for a while. This perked her up considerably, and she immediately got up to wash her face in the bathroom. Returning to the sofa, she regained her energy, grabbed her phone, and started scrolling through Twitter, occasionally sharing posts she found amusing with Ren.
During dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Chihaya discussed school matters with Anon. They had contacted several schools that were still accepting students, but they wanted to hear Anon's opinion.
Logically, attending Toyosaki High with Ren would be the best option. As childhood friends attending the same school, they could commute together.
However, Anon had old classmates there, and having failed her study abroad attempt, she didn't dare go. So she chose Hanasakigawa Girls' School, which was quite far from Toyosaki High.
Ren knew that once Anon started avoiding something, she would avoid it completely, so he wasn't surprised. Anyway, they were neighbors, so meeting up wouldn't be difficult.
After finishing dinner, Ren eagerly returned home to enjoy his new computer. Anon followed him over, watched for a while, and when she realized Ren was just downloading things, she sat on the bed.
This happened to be a good opportunity. After some thought, Ren decided to tell Anon his idea.
"Anon, I plan to find a girlfriend during high school. What about you?"
"Huh?"