"Oh well~ What a shame..."
"Then today's diving session is canceled. We have no choice. Let's wear some clothes for once!"
Inside the shop, after learning that the customer wasn't coming, Ryūjirō Kotobuki and Shinji Tokita's expressions were visibly disappointed.
They had to put away the diving equipment and couldn't drink, so they reluctantly put on their clothes, preparing to make a splash at the evening party.
"Hmm... Senpai Ryūjirō is wearing clothes? Am I dreaming?"
Miyazawa Yu slowly woke up from his daze. This was the first time he had ever seen Senpai Ryūjirō wearing clothes in front of him. His expression was as horrified as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Oh! Yu, you're awake? How do you feel?"
"How should I put this? What happened just now? My head hurts a little."
Hearing Senpai Shinji's words, he frowned and touched the back of his head. It hurt, and it felt like there was a huge bump.
Why did he wake up at a dining table? He clearly remembered that just a second ago, he was standing at the entrance of Grand Blue, about to open the door.
"Ah... did you lose your memory? Are you okay, Yu? Do you want to go to the hospital?"
"It's okay, Sister Nanaka. I just lost the memory of what happened after I entered the shop. It should be fine."
"Is that so~ Well, it's probably better for you not to remember."
"Eh? Why?"
Miyazawa Yu looked at the blushing Sister Nanaka in disbelief.
According to how the story should go, shouldn't the gentle older sister continue to show concern? What was with this sudden change?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. He must have forgotten something very important.
But if he asked directly, Sister Nanaka would never tell him. Maybe he should ask Chisa...
"Don't look at me! You bug!"
"!!!"
Her attitude was extremely hostile! That's not right! She was fine when we came back, wasn't she?
Did he do something to offend Chisa during his memory loss?
As soon as he looked at her, she immediately glared back at him as if he were an insect. Miyazawa Yu was now completely confused. He could only seriously ask the pig-headed guy next to him, "Mr. Pig Head, what happened just now? It seems Little Chisa is very angry."
"Yu, you bastard, are you asking for a beating? I'm more than happy to give you one!"
"Oh! It really is Iori! It's been a while, you've gotten so handsome!"
"You bastard! Die!"
Iori Kitahara pounced on him with his pig-like face, feeling that if Miyazawa Yu hadn't said that, he wouldn't have gotten such a terrible beating.
However, a large part of the reason for his pig-like face was his own unique physique.
Since he couldn't lose his memories, Chisa had been extra "careful" with him.
"Oh! You two are so close! You just woke up and you're already fighting again? Alright! Let's eat!"
Toshio Kotegawa walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fried noodles.
He looked at Iori and Miyazawa Yu wrestling again and nodded in satisfaction, as if he was praising their precious friendship.
He didn't care that their moves were all aimed at each other's faces, looking like mortal enemies.
"Tch! It's just Iori. How dare he challenge the King of the Crystal Palace! I'll spare your life this time. Now, step aside!"
"Who are you to be so arrogant! You perennially-virgin man!"
With food in front of them, Miyazawa Yu's stomach immediately started protesting as he smelled the aroma.
Looking back, it had been over 24 hours since he had eaten anything. He had chugged a lot of alcohol, but that didn't fill him up!
Iori Kitahara felt the same. So, after exchanging a few insults, the two of them let go of each other.
Iori rushed to the empty seat next to Ryūjirō Kotobuki, nonchalantly leaving the seat next to Nanaka for Miyazawa Yu.
"Gasp... Iori, what are you up to! Confess!"
Miyazawa Yu instinctively felt something was wrong. He knew Iori's character.
This guy knew he liked Sister Nanaka, so he would definitely try to stop him by any means necessary. How could he be so generous as to let him have his way?
'There must be a trick! Did he secretly sprinkle nails on the chair?'
He looked back warily, then took out a tissue and carefully wiped the chair, confirming there was no glue. Miyazawa Yu's suspicion only increased.
But seeing that everyone else was already sitting and eating, he was too embarrassed to ask someone to switch seats with him. He could only frown and carefully lower his backside onto the chair.
"Strange... there really doesn't seem to be a trap? Is this guy Iori trying to create psychological pressure to attack me on a mental level?"
After sitting down, he didn't feel anything strange. Miyazawa Yu muttered to himself in confusion, his eyes still fixed on Iori Kitahara.
The guy was just watching the show, his expression arrogant and mischievous, leaving him completely at a loss.
"Yu! Try it! Nanaka made it herself!"
"Ah! Yes! Senpai Ryūjirō, do you often eat at Grand Blue?"
He picked up a mouthful of fried noodles and put it in his mouth. The taste and texture were top-notch.
Miyazawa Yu's empty stomach immediately cheered, and a feeling of happiness paralyzed his sensitive nerves.
"Yeah, we often come here to help out."
"We're like assistants, you know."
"I see! So that's how it is..."
Miyazawa Yu nodded silently on the surface, but his hand was honestly reaching for the fried noodles in front of him.
He couldn't help it. His hunger had now overcome all his other worries. Filling his stomach was even more tempting than being next to Sister Nanaka.
Clang!
His chopsticks bumped into someone else's. Since everyone was eating from the same plate, this was normal.
"I'm sorry, I..."
He turned his head, about to apologize for his absentmindedness. What Miyazawa Yu didn't expect was that the next second, a clump of fried noodles, along with the chopsticks, slapped him in the face.
"Gah! What's going on! It's hot!"
"Eek— I'm sorry! Yu, I'll get it off you right away!"
Hearing the screams, Nanaka Kotegawa immediately came to her senses and quickly reached out to help Miyazawa Yu get the noodles off his face.
To be honest, when their chopsticks touched, she didn't know what happened. It felt like a reflex to throw everything in her hand away.
"Ugh— Wait, Sister Nanaka! This is too strange! So what did I do to make this happen?!"
Miyazawa Yu wiped the oil from his face. He couldn't take it anymore.
So, he chose the most effective way—he did a dogeza in front of Nanaka Kotegawa to apologize.
Compared to being looked down on by Chisa for no reason and then getting a face full of fried noodles, even if he were to die, he wanted to die with his sanity intact!
"I can't tell you that..."
"Please tell me! This is the request of a lifetime!"
"Ugh, a 'request of a lifetime' is so cheap. It feels like this scene happens all the time."
Ryūjirō Kotobuki chewed on his noodles and muttered to himself. He looked at Iori Kitahara and asked, "Did you see this coming, Iori?"
"Not at all. I just thought it would be interesting. And it is interesting!"
Iori Kitahara finally couldn't hold back his laughter. He slammed the table and revealed a malicious smile.
He had only wanted to see Miyazawa Yu's disappointed expression after being rejected by Sister Nanaka. He never expected to see him do a dogeza. What a rare sight!
"Damn it! Iori, just you wait! But before that, I'm begging you, Sister Nanaka! If I don't figure this out, I won't be able to sleep tonight!"
"Hmm... Yu, do you really want to know?"
"Please, please tell me!"
Nanaka Kotegawa pursed her lips. Seeing Miyazawa Yu's sincere attitude, she reluctantly leaned into his ear and told him everything that had happened.
"Oh! So that's what happened! I feel so relieved!"
After listening to Sister Nanaka's story, Miyazawa Yu smiled as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. In reality, his limbs were already stiff, and his soul had long since left his body.
"I'm sorry, Sister Nanaka. I want to die for a little bit, so I'm going back..."
He got up and left his seat. He kept a perfect smile on his face as he walked out, but his steps were unsteady. It looked like if no one intervened, he would fall on the side of the road and be picked up by a stranger.
"Um..."
"No need to persuade me, Sister Nanaka. I just need some time alone."
"No! I was actually going to say that your luggage is still in my room. Without your ID, can you really find a place to stay?"
"..."
Her words were a wake-up call.
Without his ID, he couldn't even stay in a hotel. As for renting a place...
Just as Miyazawa Yu was about to say he would go to the city to get his apartment keys, his phone rang.
"Hello, this is Miyazawa Yu who wants to die for a little bit. Who's this?"
"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? Hello, sir! This is Hakusan Rental Center. The apartment you reserved has been rented to another customer because you failed to complete the rental process within the due date. Please find another place to stay. The cancellation fee is non-refundable."
"Wait! What did you just say!"
"Beep, beep..."
The other end of the line hung up. Because he had the speaker on, the news that Miyazawa Yu's apartment had been taken was broadcast to everyone present.
Even Iori Kitahara couldn't laugh anymore. After a long pause, he cautiously came over to comfort him. "Uh... Yu, are you okay?"
"To be honest... not very!"
First, he was hit on the head by Chisa's handbag and lost his memory, and then he was subjected to a series of critical blows. Even with his steady temperament, his voice couldn't help but sound dejected.
"But it's okay. It's just an apartment. I'll just rent another one. The tower didn't allow outsiders anyway. Next time, I'll rent a single-family home and invite you all to a party!"
"..."
Nanaka Kotegawa felt even more guilty. Toshio Kotegawa saw her conflicted expression. The old man stroked his chin and suggested to Miyazawa Yu, "Since you need a place to rent, how about living at Grand Blue? There's an empty room on the second floor!"
"Eh! Really?"
"Of course! Think of it as part of Nanaka's apology to you."
Living at Grand Blue would be the same as living with Sister Nanaka. Of course, Miyazawa Yu was willing!
But considering that Chisa and Nanaka were both girls, his living there would definitely inconvenience them. This was a decision that required the opinion of the original residents.
Thinking this, he looked at Chisa with a pleading look, which made her get goosebumps.
"...It's okay. It'll keep Iori and you in check. And I'll be able to have some peace and quiet."
"Hmm! I don't mind either~ Welcome, Yu."
"Then I'll be staying! Thank you for your hospitality, Uncle Toshio!"
Since both Chisa and Nanaka had no objections, Miyazawa Yu was overjoyed. He immediately got up and greeted his new landlord, officially sealing the deal to live at Grand Blue.