Opening the door, standing outside was Yoshida Saki, dressed in casual clothes and carrying a suitcase along with a duffel bag.
The so-called casual clothes were not just her outfit but also her loosely tied pigtails and glasses, creating a "plain girl" image.
Facing this scene, Kitahara Sousuke paused for a brief moment before finally speaking.
"Anyway, come in first."
"E excuse me for intruding."
Yoshida Saki lowered her head, looking very much like she was afraid of Sousuke.
Her mother and her sugar daddy had not been supportive of her decision to move out and live independently while still in high school. However, she did not dare to defy Sousuke, so the atmosphere between them remained tense.
Because her parents believed she would give up after facing a little hardship, Yoshida Saki had not received much financial support. The funds she carried with her were limited.
At this moment, her heart was full of confusion, and a faint sense of resentment toward Sousuke crept in.
"Relax, it is just me here."
Understanding how she felt, Kitahara Sousuke deliberately softened his tone, guiding her to sit down in the living room.
In fact, it was precisely because there was only one boy present that she should have been more cautious about what might happen next.
But Yoshida Saki, a foolish otaku girl who had spent more than ten years in solitude, obviously lacked any real sense of self-protection.
"Have you eaten?"
Kitahara Sousuke glanced at her gloomy expression, showing a bit of concern.
"N no..."
Yoshida Saki squeezed out the words with difficulty.
"Is that so? Then I will make you some instant noodles."
Sousuke spoke casually.
"..."
Yoshida Saki's mouth twitched slightly, but in the end, she did not dare to refuse.
She carefully accepted the cup noodles he handed over and went to fetch some hot water herself.
As the heat radiated from the cup, she occasionally stole glances at Sousuke, but each time their eyes met, she would quickly look away, not daring to meet his gaze.
On the other hand, because she was not his "wife," Kitahara Sousuke did not bother cooking anything special for her.
If it had been Katou Megumi visiting instead, the situation would have been entirely different.
He was, after all, a very practical person.
Slurp slurp
Yoshida Saki endured the agony of waiting for three minutes, then used her chopsticks at top speed, breaking her personal record to shovel all the noodles into her stomach.
Outside, the sky had already turned completely dark. It was very late.
Kitahara Sousuke walked over to Yoshida Saki to help her tidy up, then took her suitcase and backpack with a casual motion, urging her along.
"Finished eating? Then let us go."
"Uh... where to?"
Yoshida Saki stood frozen, asking with great confusion.
"Of course, to the place you are going to live."
"You did not think you would be living with me, did you?"
Sousuke threw the question back at her, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"..."
Yoshida Saki was speechless. In truth, Kitahara Sousuke had correctly guessed what she had been thinking.
The two of them left Sousuke's house together.
After walking for about three minutes, they arrived at a house that was slightly smaller and noticeably older than Sousuke's own home.
Kitahara Sousuke, moving with familiar ease, took out a key, opened the door, and walked inside.
"This is..."
Yoshida Saki followed closely behind, her voice full of curiosity.
"The place my family used to live. No one stays here now."
"I called a cleaner yesterday to get everything in order, so you do not have to worry about cleanliness. All the basic necessities are here too. Feel free to use them."
Kitahara Sousuke dragged her luggage up to a room on the second floor.
"This will be your room."
Yoshida Saki's previously gloomy mood visibly improved.
The environment here was not only acceptable but even better than her current living conditions.
"Thank you..."
Yoshida Saki sincerely expressed her gratitude.
But the moment she finished speaking, she felt something was wrong.
"He was the one who forced me to move out of my house. Do I really need to thank this guy?"
Kitahara Sousuke, not caring about what was going through her mind, casually asked,
"Anything else you need help with, like making the bed?"
"No need, I can do it myself."
Yoshida Saki quickly shook her head.
There were personal items like underwear in her luggage, and even otome games she definitely did not want him seeing.
Fortunately, Sousuke did not pry further.
"Is that so? Anyway, just stay here peacefully. If anything happens, call me or come find me directly."
He spoke while mentally checking if he had forgotten anything important.
"Um, the rent..."
After a moment of hesitation, Yoshida Saki brought up the issue herself.
Kitahara Sousuke waved his hand dismissively.
"Looking at you, it is clear you do not have much money right now. We will talk about it later. For now, just settle down first."
If she ended up seeking help from some older man to pay rent, it would have made all of Sousuke's efforts meaningless.
He had no doubt that this foolish girl could actually end up doing something so reckless.
Sousuke stared at the clueless girl in front of him and let out a quiet sigh.
"Although you probably cannot understand it now, what I am doing is saving you. Literally saving your life..."
"What on earth is this guy talking about?"
Yoshida Saki truly could not understand.
Kitahara Sousuke did not care. He was not doing this for her gratitude but simply for his own peace of mind.
Still, to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary trouble, he decided to roughly explain the situation.
"Do you remember the guy who hit on you that day?"
"Ah? What about him?"
"He is dead."
Kitahara Sousuke answered expressionlessly.
At the same time, he handed her his phone, showing a news article related to the incident.
"He was killed by the yakuza for failing to repay his debts. The media reports it as a suicide, of course."
"His name was Hayato. If you want, you can find more information about him online."
Considering that the actual truth about the Lolita incident was too outrageous, Sousuke decided to reveal only a half truth.
"I is that so..."
Yoshida Saki's face paled with fear.
Having always lived a quiet otaku life, this was the first time she had encountered something so frightening.
But Sousuke was not finished yet.
"By the way, that guy controlled several bar hostesses to earn money for his drugs."
"You were there that day. You should have heard him mention the name of the drug himself."
Kitahara Sousuke paused at the end of his sentence, leaned forward slightly, and step by step forced Yoshida Saki back until her back hit the wall.
"Did you also want to become one of his underlings? Another person who would willingly sell herself and throw away her life for a few hits of that trash?"
"Ugh ugh ugh..."
The girl shook her head frantically like a rattle drum.
"Good girl."
Kitahara Sousuke praised her gently, stepping back to give her space.
Yoshida Saki lowered her head, her hand clutching her chest, feeling her heart race uncontrollably.
The distance between them just now had been far too close.
"From now on, please think carefully about your future."
Kitahara Sousuke's expression softened.
For the first time, he gave the not so bright girl in front of him a rare, genuine smile.
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