Chapter 5: A Sudden Visit

“Hey, did you hear that, Asahi? Earlier, the class next door…”

“I did not.”

After the weekend, came Monday, the first day of the week.

A friend from when they were kids, which meant a close friend that could be regarded as his best friend, Kikkawa Chiaki. Asahi interrupted him with a blunt response.

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“It’s probably something stupid, anyway. Don’t bother me while I study for the exam.”

“I don’t know about that. It’s about the Ice Lady.”

My ears picked up those familiar words, and the pen that had been moving just stopped.

My mind wanders back to the events from three days ago.

It seemed that Fuyuka was feeling better after the weekend, and I caught a glimpse of her going to school as usual.

“Heh, interested now?”

“…Not really”

“Liar, you’re a little curious, aren’t you?”

At times like this, I have no words to say anything back when Chiaki hits the bullseye.

However, I was embarrassed to admit it, so I decided to ignore him, and Chiaki grinned playfully and started talking on his own.

“Apparently, Yamada-san from the other class confessed to Himuro-san.”

“…And?”

“I knew it, you’re curious, after all.”

“Shut up. Just keep going.”

“Alright, alright, It’s like there’s an explosion that happened yet there’s like no trace of it.”

ーEven that handsome guy can’t do it. Chiaki added.

Although they didn’t know each other, Asahi knew a little bit about Yamada.

As a freshman, he was the ace of the soccer team and had the looks of a famous actor. Even if you didn’t want to hear it, it would still reach your ears.

Secretly, it was said that Yamada was the only one who could match the “Ice Lady,” but it seems that it was wrong.

“Looking at her popularity coupled with that attitude, I can’t imagine it but what if Himuro-san was a lot more friendlier…”

“She’ll be even more popular, I bet.”

“Right, right, wait…It’s unusual for you to talk about this kind of thing…You…Don’t tell me?! Do you have any feelings for Himuro-san―”

“Absolutely not.”

Denying the hidden suspicion that he had, Chiaki, who was grinning suddenly becomes disappointed.

This guy was like a girl who loved to talk about love life, so you couldn’t relax because he connects everything to love.

Like right now, I didn’t talk much but it ended up like this.

I’m sure that If he knew that the “Ice Lady” lived next door, he would tease me about it and it would be a pain to deal with.

There was absolutely no way I could tell him that I let the “Ice Lady” sleep on my bed.

“Asahi, hurry up and fall in love and get a girlfriend.”

“If you were saying that to someone else and not me, you would get smacked on the face, Mr. Boyfriend.”

I gave Chiaki a light punch, “I’m still being smacked, aren’t I?” Chiaki replied with a laugh on his face.

一一

After school, Asahi was studying in the library and came home a little late.

It was getting dark outside, but there was still the laundry and dinner that needed to be done.

Thanks to this, there were still unfinished quotas for today, and there were still some difficult problems that couldn’t be solved on their own.

Collecting the clothes that were in the balcony and carefully folding it with thoughts in mind regarding the math problems that were still yet to be solved.

As a condition for living on his own, Asahi promised his parents that he would have to achieve a certain level of grades, so he couldn’t help but make an effort to study.

Although, he didn’t exactly hate studying, after entering high school he was struggling quite a bit in studies.

‘Should I solve one problem before having dinner?’

After being finished with placing away the laundry, I spread out my notebook instead of heading to the kitchen.

It was then the intercom rang, announcing that there was a visitor.

For a moment, Chiaki’s face came to mind, but I immediately rejected the possibility.

Sure, he comes by pretty often, but that guy never comes without notifying me.

However, there were only a few friends who might visit me, and I don’t remember ordering a delivery at all.

Not knowing who the visitor was, Asahi proceeded to head to the front door.

In case it was a suspicious person, I use the intercom to check.

With that decision made, I approached the peephole and saw the figure of the “Ice Lady”, her glazed hair swept by the night wind.

“What’s the matter all of the sudden?”

I opened the door, hiding the surprise that I felt and saw Fuyuka standing there in her casual clothes, looking a little uncomfortable.
I’ve seen them in my apartment a few times, but unlike the familiar school uniforms, it was hard for adolescent boys to look away from the appealing look of a girl.

“Here, please take it.”

“…What is this?”

“I wanted to thank you for the other day.”

As Asahi looked around to the left and right, a white envelope was held out in front of him.

It was obvious to me what the other day meant, but I couldn’t quite understand the situation.|

I tilted my head in confusion and checked the contents, and a piece of Fukuzawa Yukichi appeared in a flash. [TL: If you didn’t know, this guy is the one on the 10,000 yen bill.]

“I can’t take it. I don’t remember working this hard.”

“That won’t do. it would be unfair if I didn’t pay for the time and effort you spent, Kagami-san. Besides, the cooling sheets and sports drinks also cost you money.”

Fuyuka listed all of it one by one as if they were expenses, and Asahi couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

‘This is what you meant when you said you’re gonna repay the debt…?’

I hadn’t expected to see the lady part of the “Ice Lady,” which I had thought was just a rumor, show up here.

Calling her disciplined sounds good, but even so, her sense of money was very different from that of Asahi.

“Anyway, I can’t take this. I helped you out of good will. I’m not expecting anything in return.”

“B-but…”

Of course, when he declined to accept the envelope, Fuyuka was seen clearly upset.

The ice part of the “Ice Lady” was gone, even though the fever should have disappeared.

Her normally mature and beautiful face, with its unreadable emotions, now showed signs of confusion and frustration.

Fuyuka didn’t seem to be leaving even though I told her not to worry about it, as if she was quite unhappy about having a debt.

“…If I remember correctly, you’re good at studying right, Himuro?”

“Studying, you say? Well, to an extent.”

Although accepting the envelope was not an option, he would have to come up with some kind of alternative to cancel the debt or else Fuyuka would not be satisfied.

With that in mind, Asahi came up with a strange idea on the spot.

“How about you tutor me? That’ll make up for all the time I spent nursing you.”

“…Are you fine with just that?”

“Of course.”

She said it was to a certain extent, but Fuyuka must have been the top student by far at midterm and final in the first semester.

If I can get Fuyuka to tutor me, I can kill two birds with one stone to get rid of the problem that I’m facing.

“…I understand.”

Fuyuka nodded her head although a bit unconvinced.

“Well then, please excuse me.”

“…Eh?”

The point of difference between Asahi and Fuyuka was when, where, and why.

Passing by Asahi, who had a dumb look on his face, Fuyuka walked to the door without hesitation.

“What are you surprised about? You’re the one who asked me to tutor you, aren’t you?”

“….Yeah, I know.”

That’s true, but my assumptions were much different.

Asahi was going to ask her to teach him in the classroom or library on a different day.

It was completely unexpected that the study session would be held at my house now.

‘Where did the Ice Lady go?’

Asahi looked at the slender little back with a strange feeling as he interacted with the “Ice Lady,” who had unexpectedly come to visit him, and who was supposed to be closed-minded and reject others.