Ichinose: Your Closet Moved!

Inside Room 404.

As she listened to Ichinose's account, Horikita Suzune took a sip of milk tea while organizing her thoughts.

Suddenly, a strange gaze made her raise her eyes. Kamigami Haruo, seated across from her, was signaling with his eyes. She gently set down her cup, slightly refined her thoughts, and parted her thin lips.

"I fully understand the sacrifice you made for your family. If our positions were reversed, I would have done the same without hesitation. But this was undoubtedly the stupidest option."

"There were several ways to obtain that hairpin. You could have discussed with the shop owner whether it could be taken off the shelf temporarily until you had enough money, or borrowed some from close friends or teachers. There were countless options, but what I wanted to say was..."

For someone with no friends to say that was rather ironic. Unable to bear the awkwardness, the boy rudely cut in.

"Kindness is usually seen as a positive word, but that does not mean there are no exceptions. To some people, kindness means bearing immense responsibility. One careless mistake can easily bring disaster. Carrying pain and sorrow alone becomes normal, and one day, the burden will crush you. In this society known for its cruelty, kindness may be a clear stream, but it is absolutely not the most suitable way to live. It is enough to reserve it for those who deserve it."

Once he finished, something called silence suddenly visited the modestly sized room.

Gurgle, gurgle...

Having finished his speech, Kamigami Haruo opened his abyssal mouth and gulped down his milk tea. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, picked up his chopsticks, and swept away his hunger.

After a while, he raised his eyes toward Horikita Suzune.

"Horikita, how about you make me bento for a month in exchange for the hidden rules? This is a rare opportunity..."

She snorted disdainfully. That was why the boy stopped talking. The girl bluntly expressed what she meant next.

"There is no need. While you were living like a useless person, I had already acted on it. Even without concrete evidence to confirm the truth, I analyzed the general situation from the words and behavior of every class. I still have coursework to study. Goodbye."

"Miss me, Horikita-san."

"Do you want me to wish for your death?"

"No. Then stop being an eyesore here. Goodbye."

Only after the door closed did Kamigami Haruo's eyes shift as he remembered something he had overlooked.

"Uh... I forgot to wash up. Ichinose, wait for me."

"O-okay."

Ichinose replied like that, still keeping her head lowered.

Time passed as they each showered or stared blankly into space.

Suddenly, a hand extended from the open bathroom door, accompanied by an embarrassed voice.

"Sorry, Ichinose, could you get me a towel?"

"I'll get it right away!"

Ichinose lifted her head and looked around. She stood up, picked up the towel on the bed, and trotted over to hand it to the boy.

After a while, Kamigami Haruo, wrapped in a towel, brazenly stepped into the living room. With an awkward expression, he grinned at the stunned Ichinose, swiftly grabbed his change of clothes, and returned to the bathroom to put them on.

"Sit on the chair. The floor is cold."

"Thank you... Kamigami-kun."

Ichinose, whose mood was clearly off, got up and sat in the chair. Kamigami Haruo sat on the bed instead, staring at the girl who still had her head lowered.

"Will the shadow follow you for the rest of your life...?"

He let out a heavy sigh, stood up, passed Ichinose, walked to the computer, and pressed the power button.

He moved the mouse to an icon with a teddy bear on it and double-clicked. The game started, and he stuffed the mouse into Ichinose's hand.

The absentminded girl turned around and looked at the boy and the computer screen.

"Playing this game will help improve your mood. It might even make you forget your troubles. Give it a try."

As terrifying music began to play, the girl, who had no idea what was happening, immediately stiffened. She rigidly raised her head and looked helplessly at the boy beside her.

"Forgive me, Ichinose."

Kamigami Haruo reached out and wiped the corners of his eyes, though there were no tears there. His selfless spirit was on full display at that moment.

"Watch me demonstrate once, then it'll be your turn."

The mouse in the girl's hand was suddenly snatched away.

"Got it... Kamigami-kun."

Even though everything about the situation clearly felt wrong, Ichinose still chose to trust Kamigami Haruo.

Nothing unusual happened during the first night under the boy's control. Thus, during the second night, the mouse returned to the girl's hands.

Assailed by fear, Ichinose randomly clicked through the surveillance cameras. The atmosphere gradually grew stranger.

When she found a camera feed that seemed off, she stared at the eerie teddy bear on the screen, then looked helplessly at the boy for help.

Reassured by his gaze, the girl looked back at the screen. Just then, a grotesque doll suddenly appeared on it.

Prepared in advance, the boy was not startled. In contrast, the defenseless girl was so frightened by the sudden scare that her body tipped backward.

Seeing that an accident was about to happen, Kamigami Haruo quickly reached out and wrapped an arm around Ichinose's waist.

The girl's mood had already been low, and after this scare, her suppressed emotions poured out like floodwaters. Forgetting all propriety between men and women, she leaned against the boy's shoulder and sobbed.

With no other options, this was the only method Kamigami Haruo could think of. He pulled Ichinose into his arms and rhythmically patted her back. If not for their age difference, he would have looked exactly like a parent soothing a child.

"The energetic girl has completely turned into a crybaby. How many times have you cried already?"

"Waaah..."

"Your kindness, pure and without any impurities, makes even someone like me want to stay far away from you."

"Waaah..."

"Kind and righteous people always struggle to survive, because this world is neither kind nor righteous. It doesn't sound very nice, but that's a famous quote from one of my favorite novel characters."

"Waaah..."

"I never expected fate to be such a coincidence. I never expected to see you again after that night. The scene from that night has been deeply etched in my mind. Of course... there are moments in life just as unforgettable as shadows."

Talking to himself, Kamigami Haruo could only ease the sorrowful atmosphere this way, telling stories to the girl in his arms. The effect was unexpectedly good. The girl in his embrace was trying to reconcile with her sadness, asking between hitching sobs.

"Can a criminal like me... possibly be forgiven...?"

"My name is Everyone now. Everyone forgives you."

"Pff—waaaah..."

Kamigami Haruo froze for a moment. He could feel something wet against his chest, and a helpless smile curved his lips.

No... laugh if you want, but don't blow your snot out.

"Yes. As long as you make amends before committing an irreparable mistake. Thanks to your mother—though her method was a little extreme—she successfully pulled you back onto the right path."

The boy's scorching body heat slowly dispersed the sorrow that had built up inside the girl. Ichinose could clearly feel her mood moving in a better direction.

Only after the second hand had gone around five full times did the room, filled solely with sobbing, finally return to silence. The two, fully revived, also pulled apart. In contrast, the atmosphere had never been more comfortable.

Kamigami Haruo fiddled with his phone with interest. Many special photos could be seen on the screen: snot bubbles, her crying with her mouth open, snot flowing into her mouth, or her face covered in snot from rubbing against his clothes. These were all the fruits of his hard work.

"If you cry again or blame yourself again, I'll post these photos on the forum and make your title of Crybaby spread throughout the whole school."

Kamigami Haruo waved the phone at the girl, displaying the spoils of this trip. His expression looked evil no matter how one looked at it.

"Got it. Kamigami-kun is really mean."

Ichinose sniffed and looked away, refusing to look at Kamigami Haruo.

"Then let's continue the game."

"N-nooooo!"

"Ahem. Miss Ichinose, you wouldn't want photos of you eating snot to appear on the forum for everyone to watch, would you?"

Kamigami Haruo's grin widened even more than before, like a black bear toying with its prey.

Ichinose was left speechless by such despicable behavior. In a burst of anger, she clicked the mouse hard and resumed the game.

After barely making it through the second night, she came to a halt on the third. The mere appearance of an outline scared her into fleeing before the battle.

This was the excuse she gave.

"Huh? Kamigami-kun, your closet moved. I'll go check it out, so you can play for now."

As a result, behind the boy, a cute and lovely face peeked at the computer screen, guarding against a jump scare.

"This kind of thing only scares children."

"I'm not a child anymore, okay? I can eat and change clothes by myself!"

Kamigami Haruo casually shut off the computer, turned his head, and asked Ichinose.

"Want to go shopping?"

"Yes!"

(This chapter was revised over two hundred chapters later. It should be better now, right?)