Distracted and Restless!

Though it was only around five o'clock, night fell early in Japan.

The sky was still stained a dusky yellow, as though darkness would descend before long.

The streetlights along the road had already begun to glow one after another.

On the streets of Shibuya, pedestrians hurried along.

Having just gotten off work, Natsume Chikage walked down the street alone, heading for Kondo Miyuki's home.

He had originally planned to stay home and write after work.

But since he had already agreed, he could only go to Kondo Miyuki's place for dinner before returning home to write.

Before that, however, Natsume Chikage had not forgotten the most important thing.

He took out his phone and sent a message to his younger sister.

[Natsume Chikage: Ruri, I won't be coming home for dinner tonight.]

The reply came instantly.

[Natsume Ruri: o(╥﹏╥)o Why aren't you coming home for dinner? Could it be that you don't like your little sister's cooking, Brother?]

[Natsume Chikage: How could that be? My little sister's cooking is the best in the world!]

[Natsume Ruri: (〃'▽'〃) Hehe, but why aren't you coming back? Is there some reason?]

Natsume Chikage gave her a brief explanation.

[Natsume Ruri: (^▽^) So you're going to pick up Dad's belongings. Then that's fine. Remember to come back quickly.]

Inside the apartment.

Kondo Miyuki set the dishes she had just finished cooking on the table in the living room, her gaze falling on the two people on the sofa.

"You two could at least help me out."

"I can't handle it all by myself."

One was her husband, Kondo Masasuke. He wore loungewear and glasses, with a somewhat stern air between his brows.

Even after hearing his wife, he did not move at all. He continued reading the literary book in his hands and merely said to his daughter without looking up, "Miki, go help your mother."

Miki was at the age of budding youth, around the same age as Natsume Chikage.

She was tall and had inherited most of her mother's beauty, though her features were even more refined and striking.

Yet there was a faint aloofness in her brows, carrying a pride that made her difficult to approach.

Her outfit today was the refined casual style popular among young girls these days.

She wore a navy-blue fitted blazer with a soft texture over a pure white crew-neck knit top.

Below was an ivory pleated skirt that reached her knees, its sharp, crisp pleats falling naturally with her stance.

Beneath the pleated skirt were a pair of straight, slender legs. She wore small white socks and indoor slippers.

Her smooth, slightly wavy golden hair draped behind her shoulders, with a few strands swaying faintly as she moved, making her delicate profile all the more lovely.

Hearing that, Kondo Miki frowned, got to her feet, and headed to the kitchen to help.

But she had barely arrived.

When Kondo Miyuki reminded her, "Come to think of it, you haven't seen Natsume-kun in a long time. I heard he goes to the same high school as you. You should get along with him from now on, understand?"

Kondo Miki felt a surge of irritation. "Got it."

She had originally planned to go out with her friends that evening.

But who would have thought her mother would suddenly invite Natsume Chikage over for dinner today and insist that she stay home as well?

Girls at this age tended to be rather sensitive.

She was no exception.

When she had been younger, she had not understood it. But as she grew older, Kondo Miki had gradually begun to sense that her mother had always wanted to pair her up with Natsume Chikage.

After hearing her mother say that, she became even more certain.

That was why she could not help feeling resistant now.

She did not have much of a favorable impression of Natsume Chikage. Back then, he had seemed dull and gloomy.

She had heard that before his family went bankrupt, they had enrolled him in countless cram schools and hobby classes.

Yet not only had his grades remained terrible, he had failed to develop any talents whatsoever.

Before his family went bankrupt, he had basically just been a good-for-nothing.

Not to mention that his family had now gone bankrupt.

Her mother still wanted to pair her with him when he had nothing to his name?!

Seriously, why did she always make decisions on her own without even asking what Miki wanted?!

Their family was middle class, after all. Her father was a civil servant with an annual income of around twenty million yen.

They had both a car and an apartment in Shibuya.

Did they really need to pair her with Natsume Chikage?

Not to mention that quite a few people with far better conditions than Natsume Chikage were pursuing her now.

Yamaguchi Hirota was one of them.

He was good-looking, had excellent grades, and came from a much better family than hers.

Quite a few classmates said that the two of them were a perfect match.

By those standards alone, how was he inferior to the current Natsume Chikage in any way?

The more Kondo Miki thought about it, the more irritated she became. She decided that once Natsume Chikage arrived, she would just deal with him casually.

Meanwhile.

Following the address, Natsume Chikage walked for around ten minutes before arriving in front of a mid-range apartment building in Shibuya.

He looked up at it, not expecting Kondo Miyuki's apartment to be so close to his workplace.

Since most apartment buildings in Japan had entry systems, it was impossible to get in without an access card.

Their purpose was to prevent unrelated people from entering freely.

So Natsume Chikage could only stand at the entrance, take out his phone, and call Kondo Miyuki.

Very soon.

The call was answered.

[Natsume Chikage: Um, is this Aunt Kondo?]

[Kondo Miyuki: Yes, yes, it's me. Have you arrived already?]

[Natsume Chikage: Yeah, I'm downstairs, but there's an entry system at the entrance...]

[Kondo Miyuki: Oh, oh. Press our apartment number now. I'll have my daughter unlock the entrance for you.]

[Natsume Chikage: Okay.]

Following her instructions, Natsume Chikage entered the appropriate apartment number on the keypad by the entrance.

Before long, the building's entrance unlocked automatically.

He took the elevator to the appropriate floor and found the Kondo family's door.

After he pressed the doorbell.

The door quickly opened.

Standing before him was Kondo Miki, a girl who looked cold and proud.

Because he had recalled the original owner's memories, Natsume Chikage recognized her at a glance as Kondo Miyuki's daughter, as well as the girl the original owner had secretly loved.

Kondo Miki had been wearing an impatient expression, but the moment she saw Natsume Chikage, she stood frozen for a long while...

"Long time no see, Kondo-san," Natsume Chikage greeted her politely.

Kondo Miki's gaze flickered as though she wanted to say something but stopped herself. "Mm... long time no see, Natsume-kun."

He used to look so dull and gloomy. It's only been a year, but he's changed so much.

He actually seems a little more handsome than Yamaguchi Hirota, who's pursuing me...

Kondo Miki looked at the current Natsume Chikage, her thoughts churning. In the end, she sighed inwardly, feeling that it was such a pity.

Natsume Chikage's grades were still poor, and he had no particular talents. Now that his family had fallen on hard times, he might even be saddled with debts.

Under those circumstances, he basically had no chance of making a comeback.

If it were not for that, she might not have been unwilling to give Natsume Chikage a chance.

Still, he had not actually done anything to her. Being ordinary friends was not a problem.