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

University life offers a lot more freedom compared to previous educational experiences. This is especially evident in the way students can manage their schedules. In elementary, middle, and high school, students follow a set timetable with no room for personal preferences. However, in university, things change. Students can choose lectures based on their interests, the credits they need, and the times that suit them best, resulting in personalized schedules. Some students start their day in the afternoon, some finish all their classes by noon, and others might have entire days off. 

An important aspect of university lectures is that each one is generally independent of the others.

“Who would have thought I’d have two lectures canceled today?”

Thus, unexpected free time can appear due to a lecturer’s situation, just like today.

“An afternoon off is such a lucky break.”

Stretching as I recalled the university’s student portal, I noticed that the fourth lecture of the day had been canceled due to the lecturer’s illness. My schedule today included second, fourth, and fifth periods. With the fifth period already canceled since the previous day, my afternoon was now entirely free.

“What should I do this afternoon?”

I had no part-time job today, so I was free. However, my friends likely had their regular lectures, making it difficult to gather. This meant that any leisure time would be spent alone. Wandering around aimlessly didn’t appeal to me, especially since I usually commute to university by bike. Going to the city would require taking the train.

I was faced with the choice of either going home and then heading out again or leaving my bike at the university for the day. Staying home and relaxing seemed more comfortable. Besides, I’m not one to go out without a reason. Without a specific purpose, the thought of going out feels wasteful, and adding any inconvenience to that makes it even less appealing.

“…This kind of thinking is why I’m often called a recluse.”

Being comfortable alone, having many hobbies to enjoy at home, and needing a purpose to go out – all of this reflects my struggle with forming human relationships. It’s quite rare to have such difficulty with social interactions.

What makes it worse is that I have no desire to change, despite being aware of it.

“Alright, I’ll just make some quick pasta, do some drawing, and then sleep.”

In the end, I found myself pedaling home along the usual route.

“I wonder what’s in the fridge?”

Parking my bike in the designated area, I walked up the metal stairs to my apartment, thinking about lunch. My place is on the second floor of a ten-year-old building, a cozy one-room apartment with a surprisingly low rent given its convenient location.

“…Huh?”

Just as I was about to unlock my door, I noticed something odd.

“There’s a noise coming from inside.”

As I inserted the key and heard the click of the lock, I detected the sound of someone moving around inside. Instantly, my guard went up. The neighborhood is generally safe, but nothing is absolute. Criminals can be anywhere.

“…Oh, it’s Wednesday.”

I suddenly remembered that I did have a ‘criminal’ of sorts in my life – someone who seemed to be breaking into my place regularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

“…”

The hidden camera I set up a while ago captured footage of a stalker. The footage from a Wednesday, around this same time.

“I see…”

With a sigh, I let go of the doorknob and leaned back against the railing, gazing up at the clear blue sky. It was unexpected but not entirely unpredictable. The stalker enters my home when I’m supposed to be at university. So, coming home early would naturally increase the chances of us encountering each other.

“Hmm…”

What should I do? Leaving now seems inconvenient. Why should I, the homeowner, be the one to make concessions? Calling the police seems excessive, especially since I haven’t had any issues with my ‘free maid’ so far.

After a few seconds of what might seem like foolish contemplation, I came to a conclusion.

“…I’ll just go in.”

Ignoring the possibility of a confrontation, I decided to enter my home. I would ignore the stalker completely. No matter what they say, I wouldn’t respond, treating them as if they didn’t exist. Hopefully, they’d leave on their own.

If they did threaten me, I’d defend myself, but I doubted it would come to that. They’ve shown such dedication to stalking me; harming me would defeat their purpose. Unless they panicked, but that’s a defensive reaction. If I remained calm and didn’t provoke them, they should stay rational.

Ultimately, I was banking on the stalker’s ‘affection’ for me, which wasn’t exactly logical. But dealing with a situation like this required thinking outside the realm of logic.

“Alright then.”

With my mind made up, I tightened my grip on the key, ready to use it as a makeshift weapon if necessary. I was determined to ignore the stalker unless I felt threatened. With that, I turned the doorknob and entered my home.