"Aoyama-sensei! Knock, knock...!"
Hayashi quickly set down the kitchen knife he was holding and went to open the door.
Ayumi Ito stood in the hallway, carrying a shopping bag.
"Sorry to disturb you, Aoyama-sensei."
Since it was a public holiday, she wasn't wearing her usual professional attire. Instead, she was dressed in a simple T-shirt and well-fitted jeans, with a small lady's handbag slung over her shoulder. She looked significantly younger and more radiant than usual.
After all, Ayumi was only twenty-two years old herself.
As she stepped inside, Ayumi instinctively reached down to slip off her canvas shoes.
Hayashi quickly spoke up, "Ah, Ito-san, there's no need to take your shoes off. Just come right in."
Ayumi froze for a second before she realized where she was. This was the Federation, not her hometown back in Japan.
This was actually the first time she had been formally invited to someone's home as a guest since she had moved to The Metropolis.
When she had visited Hayashi's old, cramped studio, she hadn't given it a second thought and had just walked right in with her high heels on.
But now that Hayashi had moved into this bright, airy, and incredibly tidy new apartment, Ayumi found herself subconsciously wanting to be more respectful. According to the customs of her homeland, it was common courtesy to remove one's shoes before entering a residence.
Now that Hayashi had reminded her, she finally snapped out of it.
In The Metropolis, it certainly wasn't a universal requirement to remove your shoes before entering someone's home.
Still... even in The Metropolis, most people would at least expect guests to change into indoor slippers.
"Ah... about that... I actually haven't had a chance to buy any guest slippers yet," Hayashi said, tapping his forehead with a grin. "So, you can just walk in as you are."
"Are you... are you sure that's okay?" Ayumi asked, sounding a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine. I'll just mop the floor later. Since I don't have any slippers to offer you, what am I supposed to do? Go out and buy some right this second?" Hayashi shrugged.
"No... no, of course not," Ayumi replied, her face flushing a light shade of pink.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, she stepped onto the clean floor still wearing her canvas shoes.
"Woof! Woof!"
Pochita had become quite familiar with Ayumi over the past few months. As soon as she walked in, the puppy ran over to greet her, his tail wagging with infectious joy.
"Pochita."
Ayumi also had a soft spot for the little dog. She reached down and gave his head a fond rub, admiring the soft texture of his fur.
"Ito-san, I'm surprised you're here so early," Hayashi noted curiously. "I thought we agreed that eleven o'clock would be plenty of time?"
They had discussed it over the phone previously. Hayashi had planned to have all the ingredients prepped and in the pot by eleven, so that he, Ayumi, and Akane could chat for a bit while the food finished cooking.
But Hayashi checked the time on his phone: 9:53 AM. She was over an hour early.
Ayumi handed the shopping bag to Hayashi. "Aoyama-sensei, these are the lemons and fresh mint leaves you asked for."
"Wait, you came all this way this early just for those?" Hayashi scratched his head. "I really didn't mean to rush you. I just figured you could pick them up on your way over later."
"No, that's not the only reason. It's primarily because of that written interview I mentioned to you previously..."
Ayumi reached into her handbag and pulled out a stapled questionnaire.
"Oh, right! I remember now... but still, there was no need to come over so early for that. Didn't you say you were just going to mail it to me?" Hayashi asked, still a bit confused.
"I figured since I was coming over today anyway, it would be more convenient to just bring it in person," Ayumi replied honestly.
Hayashi looked at her with a hint of admiration. This Japanese girl really was as diligent as they came.
She was willing to use her own personal holiday time just to ensure her work was completed efficiently.
Most people in her position would have likely chosen to mail it during office hours, using it as an excuse to slack off work while preserving their precious weekend hours for themselves.
"Are you free right now, Sensei? Perhaps we could go through the interview questions together?" Ayumi asked tentative.
But right at that moment...
"Knock, knock, knock... Hayashi?"
The sound of another knock echoed from the door. This time, it was unmistakably Tachibana Akane's voice.
Hayashi shook his head. First Ayumi, and now Akane? Why was everyone arriving so early today?
Regardless, he went to open the door.
Akane looked exactly the same as always, radiating the youthful energy and confidence of a university student. As always, she was strikingly, undeniably beautiful.
As she entered, she immediately spotted Ayumi and offered a friendly wave. "Hi, Ayumi."
"Hi, Akane," Ayumi replied, though her voice carried a hint of her usual professional reserve.
Truth be told, the two of them still weren't particularly close.
While they had met several times over the past few months because of Hayashi, they had never interacted with each other outside of these weekend gatherings.
Given that dynamic, it was only natural that they wouldn't be on particularly intimate terms just yet.
Akane, however, was naturally outgoing and didn't seem to feel any awkwardness or restraint in the situation.
Ayumi was the complete opposite, hence her somewhat stiff demeanor.
As soon as Akane appeared, Pochita, who had been at Ayumi's feet, immediately bolted toward the doorway, barking with a level of joy that was significantly higher than his greeting for Ayumi.
The sheer excitement in his voice was unmistakable.
It was almost as if he recognized that Akane was the one who had originally provided for him, or perhaps he viewed her as a co-owner alongside Hayashi.
Akane scooped the puppy up and gave him a big hug. "Pochita! I'm here! Did you miss me while I was gone?"
"Woof! Woof!"
Pochita barked back enthusiastically, sounding for all the world as if he understood exactly what she was saying.
"Come on in, Akane. Oh, and don't worry about changing your shoes. I haven't bought any guest slippers for this place yet," Hayashi said, sounding a bit chagrined. "I think I'll have to pick up some disposable ones later this week."
"Don't bother," Akane laughed. "I'll just bring a pair of my own slippers next time I come over and keep them here."
"After all, I'm planning to visit Pochita every week. Once the next semester starts and my schedule clears up a bit, I'll likely be stopping by whenever I don't have classes."
"Fair enough," Hayashi replied with a shrug.
Hearing Akane's suggestion, Ayumi spoke up tentatively, "Um... in that case... maybe I should bring a pair of slippers to keep here as well?"
"Sure, why not? You're practically a regular at this point anyway, Ito-san," Hayashi replied casually.
"Wait, Hayashi... what's that paper in your hand?"
Akane asked curiously, her gaze falling on the document Hayashi was holding.
"This?"
Hayashi waved the questionnaire in the air. "It's a written interview for 'Edgerunners' that's supposed to run in the next issue."
"Can I see it?" Akane asked.
"Sure."
Hayashi handed the document over to her without hesitation.
(End of Chapter)
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
T/N: Written Interview (文字采访) - A popular feature in manga magazines where readers can learn more about the author and their creative process.
T/N: Pochita's Loyalty - The text emphasizes that Pochita recognizes both Hayashi and Akane as his primary caregivers.
T/N: 22 Years Old - Establishing Ayumi's age relative to the other characters.
T/N: Milestone - This concludes Chapter 20 of the translation.