It Seems Like a Girl I Don’t Know Is Doing Housework at My Place. But She’s Cute, So I’m Watching Her.

“…Uh, so basically? You were definitely stalking and trespassing, but the person you were stalking was aware of it and didn’t say anything?”

“Yes! That’s exactly right!”

“…Can I ask you one thing?”

“What?”

“Why are you leaving out the part where you stole underwear?”

“…Suuu…”

“Hey, stop that!”

Look me in the eyes, idiot. Stop whistling and speak actual words. Based on what you just said, it seems likely the victim doesn’t know about your thefts.

…Then again, if they’ve been allowing you to stalk them to the point of trespassing, maybe they’ve already factored that in.

“Sigh. Well, I get what you’re saying now. I thought that store clerk was a good, serious person…”

“…Wait, Meg, were you also interested in Haruto?”

“No! Don’t tie everything to romance, you airhead!”

“Airhead!?”

I was just stating my opinion. Sure, we’ve been to Marine Snow pretty often, so naturally, the store clerk who Ran has a crush on… Haruto, right? Yeah, we’re probably somewhat familiar with him.

But even so, it’s only ever been a customer-employee relationship. It’s not like we’ve ever interacted beyond ordering, picking up our food, and paying for it. Actually, the recent service interaction might have been the first real conversation we had.

So, my impression of him is pretty simple: he’s a serious guy. Because he doesn’t do unnecessary things.

Including me, our group is relatively attractive, so it’s not unusual for male staff to strike up conversations with us. In bars, we’ve even been blatantly hit on.

But he never crossed that line and just stuck to his job, which made him more memorable. I can still recall his face and the store’s name. Of course, part of it is because I genuinely like Marine Snow.

Anyway, while Ran might read too much into this, I can’t deny I had a good impression of him. But only as a clerk. I didn’t have any opinion of him outside of work… Well, thanks to Ran’s testimony, now I kind of think of him as a weirdo.

“By the way, why are you so obsessed with a store clerk? Usually, you don’t have much chance to fall for someone in that role. It’s not like it was love at first sight or that you liked his appearance, right?”

“…Do I really have to say this? It’s embarrassing.”

“Of course you have to! It’s the motive for your criminal behavior!”

“Ugh…”

Honestly, you should be more ashamed of your stalking behavior than anything else.

“Come on, out with it. If you’re embarrassed, then just reflect on your actions as the consequences of your own choices.”

“Ugh, Kaho…”

“Sorry, Ran, but I’m curious too.”

“Ran, this is your punishment. Accept it.”

“Why am I being surrounded like this!?”

You brought this on yourself. Normally, you’d be in a summary trial without a defense. The only reason you’re getting a suspended sentence is because the victim is just as weird as you are. Depending on your testimony, it could still turn into a real punishment. I’m ready to call the police if necessary.

“…Well, a while back, when I was on my way to Horoscope, I was getting persistently hit on.”

“Did he swoop in to rescue you!?”

“No, not really… Kaho?”

“Give it up, Ran. You know how much Kaho loves romance stories. Anyway, continue.”

“Ugh. Well, I was genuinely in trouble, and then I saw Haruto walking nearby, so I rushed over to him.”

“Wow, that’s such a hassle.”

“What else could I do? I was scared! The guy hitting on me was terrifying! He wasn’t just sleazy; he was bald with tattoos, wearing a tank top, and super muscular!”

“Wow…”

That makes sense. Even I, who’s used to getting hit on, would’ve been scared. For someone like Ran, who’s shy and only assertive in comfortable settings, it must have been overwhelming.

Even knowing it was an inconvenience, I get why she ran to someone familiar for help. Though it must’ve been quite a shock for him.

“So, what did the clerk do?”

“At first, he seemed surprised, but when he noticed the guy hitting on me, he quickly shielded me and got rid of him!”

“Wait, really? I thought he seemed like the quiet, passive type. I didn’t think he’d have that kind of guts.”

“Right? Haruto’s amazing! And after that, he even walked me to Horoscope like it was the most natural thing!”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Calm down. You’re too loud.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Ugh. Her loud voice, which is powerful on stage, is nothing but annoying right now. I didn’t think I’d ever have to listen to her bragging this loudly.

“So, you fell for him after that, right?”

“Well, yeah, that’s when I started being aware of him. But at that point, I was still more grateful than anything else. Even though I caused him so much trouble, his attitude didn’t change at all. He still treated me with the same smile as before.”

According to Ran, she had been worried that he’d start giving her looks of disdain or annoyance, but he never did. He continued treating her with the same professionalism, never bringing up the incident.

The only time he ever mentioned it was during her next visit, when he casually asked if everything had been okay since then.

That thoughtful attitude touched her, and before she knew it, she found herself drawn to him more and more.

“I see…”

“It’s like a scene from a shoujo manga!”

“A classic romance story.”

“Stop! Stop! This is so embarrassing!”

“Well, your stalking kind of ruins everything, though.”

“Ugh…”

Seriously… if only she hadn’t resorted to crime, we could’ve fully supported her in this.

“Why did you have to turn into a stalker? You’re attractive enough that if you just approached him normally, you’d have a good chance.”

“If I could do that, I wouldn’t have had this problem! Watching from a distance is all I can handle!!”

“Stalking, breaking and entering, and stealing underwear is way more difficult!!”

I’d love to know how your brain works because it clearly lacks common sense.

“But, but! Even so, Haruto accepted me, right!? That means this is fate, right!?”

“Uh, well… hmm…”

“Honestly, it just sounds like classic stalker delusion…”

“Still, part of me can’t deny it.”

“Right!?”

Whoa, hold up. Don’t look so triumphant. We’re not happy about this situation at all.

I mean, I feel bad for the store clerk for being stuck with such a troublesome stalker, but I can’t deny that he seems like the only person capable of handling someone like Ran.

Before, I thought she could find a boyfriend without much trouble. But now that I know she has this intense, obsessive side and lacks patience to the point of breaking the law, finding a decent partner seems unlikely.

She’s the type who might get used and tossed aside, or worse, fall for someone who takes advantage of her, maybe even ruin herself financially by getting involved with shady types or hosts.

As much as I’m put off by Ran’s obsessive tendencies, she’s still my friend. I don’t want to see her destroyed by some guy.

In that sense, even if the store clerk is a bit odd, he’s still a much better option.

“…Anyway, let’s go apologize to the store clerk. We’ll bring a gift and tell him how sorry we are for the trouble our idiot caused.”

“Yeah, that sounds right.”

“Agreed.”

“Why do you all sound like guardians!?”

“We’re more like guarantors.”

I refuse. No way I’m going to be the guardian of a fool like you.