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

“…You shouldn’t mess around like that. Almost raised my guard for nothing.”

“Haha… Yeah, I started talking on reflex in the second half. It’s embarrassing.”

“That’s not where your shame should come from.”

I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. Really, she should be ashamed of her criminal actions in the first place…

Well, at this point, I won’t press too hard. Given that I’ve never once called her out for her crimes, and in fact just let them slide, it’s possible that any guilt she felt towards me has completely vanished.

I probably created this monster. When I think about it that way, even if I don’t feel affection, at least a sense of responsibility has started to grow.

In reality, though, I think things are still salvageable. There’s no doubt Chiaki is a troublesome stalker, but she hasn’t actually shown any signs of causing harm. There’s no hint of her evolving into something dangerous—like some ultimate negative form.

For a moment, I felt a cosmic-level fear, but when I pressed her, it turned out she was just spouting words on instinct. It was more like sleep-talking, really.

Given that, there’s no need to panic. I’ll just keep dodging her nonsense with meaningless conversation.

“Haah… Anyway, back to the point. You want to keep doing what you’ve been doing, but this time with my permission?”

“Yeah, exactly! I mean, I know it’s bad, but I’ve kind of just been doing it, you know? But even my bandmates got mad and said it’s not okay anymore.”

“I’m surprised just getting mad was the extent of it.”

“Right?! Honestly, I thought they’d cut ties with me when they found out, but somehow, they settled for a lecture and a light punishment—like something out of Edo period torture.”

“Wait, what was that last part?”

That word was too heavy to just let slide. What do you mean by Edo period torture? Are Chiaki’s bandmates weird too? Like attracts like, maybe?

“You know this is a country governed by law, right? Things like corporal punishment, let alone torture, aren’t allowed.”

“No, no! It’s not like that! It was just a figure of speech. There was nothing bloody about it. I just had to sit in seiza and they put a few weights on me!”

“Ah, got it. …Yeah, no, that’s still torture.”

“It is, but it isn’t, okay?! It’s hard to defend because it’s both a misunderstanding and not!”

I thought her bandmates seemed normal at a glance, but I guess they’re funkier than I expected.

Still, with Chiaki in front of me—a stalker who looks like a sunny, outgoing person but has this deep, twisted side—I’m not that shocked. You can’t judge a person by their appearance.

“Anyway! So that’s how it ended up with me getting told to get your permission. The band really can’t handle the idea that one report and I could get arrested at any moment.”

“And the option to just… stop?”

“Even if I stop, the crimes I’ve already committed won’t go away.”

“You realize that’s not something the stalker should say, right?”

She’s not wrong, but she’s also completely wrong. That’s not a line the person committing the crime gets to say. What kind of mentality does she have?

Still, I understand what she’s getting at. Legally, she’s already crossed the line, and from the perspective of her bandmates, her face is already known. They’re aware that I could call the police at any time, and it’d be game over. The band would probably break up due to the scandal.

So, stopping her stalking and just disappearing isn’t an option. At the very least, she needs to apologize and be forgiven for what she’s done. Though for some reason, she’s also added the suggestion of continuing her actions. I assume that’s just Chiaki’s decision.

“Basically, you want to negotiate a settlement.”

“Something like that! Like, ‘You can do whatever you want with my body, just please forgive everything up till now!’”

“Can you stop jumping back to values from centuries ago?”

Even if you say something like that, I’m just a regular modern-day person, so I don’t know how to respond. I can’t keep up with these extreme people who casually throw around Edo-period punishments.

“I mean, I’m joking about the body part. …Well, mostly joking.”

“Why did you say it twice?”

“But, just forgiving me doesn’t benefit you, right? So I thought I could repay you by helping out around the house or something as an apology.”

“Wouldn’t it be simpler to settle things with money?”

“Uh… Well, yeah. I won’t deny that this idea has a lot of my personal desires mixed in. But if we’re serious about a settlement, we’d probably need lawyers on both sides, right? I’m not really sure.”

“Then never mind. That sounds like too much of a hassle.”

“You’re okay with that?!”

Hiring a lawyer would cost money, and it’d definitely get complicated. Plus, the whole process would be a nightmare. And if we did go through with an official settlement, my family would definitely find out, and then all the past stuff would come to light. That would probably lead to my allowance getting cut off or me getting sent back home, and I want to avoid that at all costs.

“I don’t want this to blow up either. Let’s just forget about any settlement money.”

“…I’m not in a position to say this, considering I’m benefitting from all of this, but that’s really not a smart way of thinking.”

“You make it sound like I’m being too nice or something.”

It’s not about being kind-hearted. It’s just that I want to handle this quietly and efficiently without stirring up trouble. My own personal reasons are also involved.

Just to clarify, I don’t believe in the inherent goodness of people. If things start to get seriously out of hand, I’ll push back like any regular person.

“Besides, a settlement… I don’t really see the point. I may have ignored your actions, but I never found them that harmful. Fighting a legal battle with someone I’ve been tolerating all this time sounds exhausting.”

“Haruto, you’ve got a pretty weird mentality.”

“Chiaki, do you have a four-dimensional pocket full of boomerangs?”

She’s talking about settling, but at the same time she’s slipping in her own personal agenda under the guise of helping out. It’s kind of absurd.

She’s too thick-skinned. I guess she’s realized I’m not going to reprimand her, but… If she’s like this with everyone, she’s really a natural-born monster.

“Well, I guess it’s fine. It’d be helpful if you handle the housework, so do what you want.”

“Really?! You’re not lying?!”

“As long as you don’t steal anything valuable or put bodily fluids in the food, I don’t plan on calling the cops. If you want permission, you’ve got it.”

“Wait… Haruto? You knew I was taking your clothes?”

“I know you were gleefully collecting my underwear. The moment I realized I had a stalker, I set up cameras. Even without that, when you notice you suddenly have new clothes you never bought, it’s hard not to figure it out.”

“Ugh…!”

“But I don’t know why you were doing it. Well, to be exact, I’m choosing not to think about it.”

“Nyaaah?!”

Chiaki let out a surprised scream. Did she really think I hadn’t noticed? That’s underestimating me a bit too much.

“…Um, this is really embarrassing, so can I go home now?”

“You can, but do the dishes first.”

“Come on, let me leave! And why are you already making me work?!”

“You offered. Fulfill the contract, stalker.”

“I did, but still!”

In the end, since it was part of her settlement offer, Chiaki had no choice but to wash the dishes, blushing the whole time, before finally heading home. It felt really satisfying.