I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School! - Chapter 37

I stepped across the threshold of the Shijouin residence.

I’ve only seen the Shijouin mansion once when I sent Shijouin-san home at night, but when you see it in the daylight like this, you can see how big and gorgeous it is.

Big! …Not as big as a palace or the houses of wealthy people in manga, but it’s three or four times bigger than a typical two-story house, …or even more?

(Though I was happy and annoyed at the same time inside the car… I was too close to Shijouin-san…)

My cheeks blushed as I recalled what happened in the car.

On the way to Shijouin-san’s house, we enjoyed various conversations.

Conversations such as, “The third season of Players has started! I was so excited that I jumped up and down on my bed!” and “When Yamahira showed his parents the final exam results, they cut his gaming hours to one hour a day…! I was supposed to have a similar fate, so I feel like I can relate to his situation…” We talked about all sorts of topics, but the… distance between us was just too close.

Even though the Rolls Royce is a big car, it’s not as spacious as a limousine with a length of a minibus.

In this situation, Shijouin-san, who is wearing a one-piece dress, is sitting right next to me in the back seat, close enough that I can smell her sweet scent, and was chatting with me the whole time.

Furthermore, the driver was grinning in a strange manner while looking at me.

“Now shall we move on? We already have everything prepared!”

Shijouin-san leads the way, and I walk through the large garden like a fool.

It is very well maintained, with colorful flowers and well-selected varieties of garden trees to please the visitors’ eyes.

“I’m back! Please open the gate!”

When Shijouin-san said this in front of the magnificent entrance gate, I heard a clicking sound of an electronic lock being opened, which must have a voice authentication system or a guard checking the camera. The security is flawless.

And so, I set foot on the threshold of the Shijouin residence, a world completely beyond me.

(Wow… is this what a celebrity’s mansion looks like…? The ceiling is so high that the room feels very spacious and it doesn’t feel like a normal house at all…)

As I stepped into the residence of the Shijo-in family, what greeted me was a space that gave me a sense of refinement, with only the bare minimum of furnishings being present, such as vases of seasonal flowers, chandeliers, and carpets, all of which were appropriately arranged.

As expected of a famous family, the room was not decorated with a large amount of expensive furniture and artwork, but rather with a sense of elegance and comfort.

“This is the living room! Please have a seat!”

I was led into a large room that looked like an extension of a luxury hotel suite. With a nervous look on my face, I took a seat on the sofa which felt frighteningly comfortable to the touch.

All of the furniture here is probably very expensive…

“Hello, welcome! Thank you for coming today!”

I was stunned when I saw an incredibly beautiful woman with semi-long hair enter the living room and greet me.

The woman greatly resembled Shijouin-san.

She was so beautiful and looked like a grown-up version of her.

“Thank you for inviting me here today. I’m Haruka’s classmate, Niihama. Are you… Haruka’s sister?”

“Ufufu, It’s nice to hear you say so, but I’m her mother, Akiko. Anyways, you are a very polite boy, just like I’ve heard…”

Her mother… How old was she when she gave birth to Shijouin-san?

I would believe it if she said she was in her late twenties.

But… Oh, so this is her mother.

It’s only natural to meet her family members at her house, but I’m still nervous about meeting her in person.

(But I’m a little relieved. Shijouin-san’s mother is a genuine daughter of a famous family, but she seems to be a very kind person…)

I suddenly noticed that Akiko-san was staring at me with sparkling and curious eyes. For some reason, she was viewing me from various angles, and mumbling very quietly, “Haa…” and “Hoa…”

“Oh, excuse me…?”

“Ah, sorry for staring at you! We don’t have a son, so it’s kind of nice to have a boy in the house!

“Oh, is that so? I see…”

She doesn’t seem to be lying when she says she’s happy… But the way she’s acting right now is more like a small child who’s just found a very interesting toy…

“Hmm, I have a lot I want to talk about with you, but… that can wait for now. So, Haruka, do your best!”

“Yes! I’ve done all the prep work and I’m good to go!”

“Well, that’s not what I meant… My daughter is so innocent and pure…”

Akiko said in a somewhat troubled tone and continued, “Well, if you’ll excuse me”, and left the living room with some simple words of encouragement, “Good luck Haruka.”

She was a bit strange, but… from the way she talked, she seemed to welcome my visit and I was really grateful for that.

“Fufu, please have a cup of tea first.”

Shijouin-san seemed to have prepared a fragrant tea in a teapot while I was greeting Akiko-san, and placed a cup in front of me.

It’s really a new experience for me. I’ve never been invited to a girl’s house before, and I’ve never had a classmate make me a cup of tea either.

“It’s not just the tea! I’ll be in charge of all the hospitality today!”

“Oh! …I understand.”

Mufu! When I saw Shijouin-san’s chest puffed out with enthusiasm, I let out a squeal of admiration as I realized that I wasn’t dreaming.

(The girl I’ve been longing for, the girl I love, the girl I’ve always thought of… as an unattainable angel in Heaven, is making a homemade meal for me… Oh my God, I’m about to cry…)

“Ah, that look on Niihama-kun’s face… were you wondering if I could really cook? Don’t worry, I was taught by my mother and the professional cooks that we have here at home.”

“Eh!? No, no, that’s not true! I mean, there’s a professional chef here after all!”

“Yes, to be exact, it’s a substitute chef. My mother also likes to cook, but she also works as a secretary for my father, so she doesn’t have much time to cook, and we often ask the chef for help.”

Whoa…

There are actually families that use such services on a daily basis…

“I was thinking that it would be better to treat you to a meal prepared by a professional instead of my own cooking, but I realized that it would be pointless…”

While placing a small plate of sugar cubes in front of me, Shijouin-san continued.

“I want to convey my gratitude to Niihama-kun for everything he did in those study sessions…and to express it clearly, I thought it should be something I worked hard to make.”

“Shijouin-san…”

This girl, who expresses her true feelings of hospitality, is so innocent to the core.

Shijouin-san, who said this with a smile as gentle as a spring breeze, coupled with her neat one-piece dress, made her look like a real angel.

“That’s why it’s a poorly made homemade dish, but… did you perhaps expect a professional meal…? If so, I’m sorry…”

“Eh…? No, no, no! I’m not thinking about that at all! I don’t need a professional meal or anything like that! I definitely want to eat something made by Shijouin-san. Rather, I’d hate it if it’s not yours.”

When I heard Shijouin-san’s sullen voice, I blushed as I realized that I had reflexively blurted out my true feelings.

It was an almost unconscious plea, but I couldn’t help but speak out of impulse, showing how much I admired Shijouin-san’s cooking.

” Yes, yes! That… Thank you… It’s a little embarrassing to hear you say it so passionately…”

She’s always so bubbly, but the straightforward request for the meal she made seemed to have an effect on her, and her cheeks turned a little red.

Then… a strange and embarrassing silence filled the room.

For some reason, our cheeks were stained red with shame before we even had a chance to share a meal together.

“I’m looking forward to it!”

“Yes…! I’ll start working on it right away, so please look forward to it!”

In order to disguise our embarrassment, both of us spoke loudly to each other.