I Will Inspire Your Insipid Days - Volume 1 Chapter 1.7

Thus

The dim glow of a fluorescent light was the only source illuminating the interior of a 1K apartment.

Warm-colored light shone upon various colored scraps of paper scattered around.

The first thing that caught my eye was — an enormous number of sketchbooks.

Each piece of paper scattered on the floor was filled with countless lines… these lines congregated to form shapes. The works couldn’t simply be described as illustrations in one word.

Similar to the room’s tragic state, the system desk was like a mountain range of clutter, piled up high.

In front of it, a person sat on a large working chair, fervently moving a pen.

I approached quietly to confirm.

It was unmistakably Tachibana-san.

“…Um—”

All my mental simulations on how to initiate the conversation had vanished. I didn’t know where to start, but instinctively called out to her.

Then, Tachibana-san jolted, as though shocked, turning around like a spring-loaded doll… and without changing her expression at all—

“Wowwaaaaaaaah───!”

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After explaining roughly what happened, Tachibana-san’s reaction was…

“Is that so? Looking forward to living together from today.”

She accepted it as if it was the most natural thing.

I couldn’t grasp the abrupt change.

“Isn’t it strange? What was that panic about earlier? I’m getting worried.”

It was my turn to be flustered by Tachibana-san’s composed demeanor.

It was hard to believe she was just screaming moments ago.

“I’m just weak in the face of unexpected situations. I try to think of various scenarios every day, but when something exceeds those scenarios, I don’t know how to react. It’s tiring, though.”

I’m just as exhausted. It was a hassle dealing with Tachibana-san’s hyperventilation, putting a paper bag to her mouth, and stopping her from clawing at her head.

Unconcerned about how I felt, she continued.

“The student dorms are fundamentally designed for two people, right? This worked out just fine.”

“Is that the issue? I’m a boy, and Tachibana-san, you’re a girl.”

“You mention it a lot for someone who’s hiding it. Hilarious.”

Don’t laugh! I wanted to scream, clenching my fists. The conversation wasn’t going anywhere…

They say human anger is transient, calming down after a few seconds. I took a deep breath to settle my emotions before speaking again.

“…Wouldn’t it be easier for you if I weren’t here?”

“If Yonon becomes part of my routine, there won’t be any problems, right?”

Why is she only coming up with reasons to be positive about sharing a room? As usual, I can’t understand what she’s saying. Shouldn’t girls be the ones to dislike this situation?

Based on her incomprehensible thought process and understanding, it seems there’s no room for my opinion in the conclusion Tachibana-san has reached.

It’s time to face reality.

It looks like our cohabitation is genuinely starting.

The desolate space resembled ruins. The corridor was filled with mountains of clothes and trash.

With discarded blouses, hardened rags stained with paint, scattered PET bottles, and open 45-liter trash bags, this room was submerged in a solidified sludge of living discomfort. The stark difference from the room I had been staying in until this morning was enough to make my head spin.

I went back to my room to pack up my belongings. I hardly brought any personal items, and aside from daily necessities, everything fit neatly into a single suitcase. Rolling the suitcase back towards Tachibana-san’s room—now my new dwelling—I didn’t see the roommate in question.

The sound of running water hit my eardrums. It seemed to be coming from the shower room. It was perplexing why she would choose to bathe under these circumstances.

The room was a mess. The air, cut off from the outside by blackout curtains, was stagnant, urging me to ventilate as soon as possible. Just as I reached for the window, the familiar sound of a door opening came from behind me—

“Do you have any extra conditioner? I ran out.”

Tachibana-san appeared from the bathroom, completely naked.

“It should be there. Just give me a moment.”

I rummaged through my suitcase for a refill pouch and tossed it over. Tachibana-san let out a comically surprised yelp, trying to catch it but missed, and the plastic hit her forehead with an embarrassing thud. She really lacks coordination.

Picking up the fallen pouch, Tachibana-san turned on her heels, then immediately looked back.

“Isn’t your reaction a bit different?”

“Different how?”

“When i saw your naked body, you were surprised. Was that an act?”

“It wasn’t an act! Because… it was the first time someone else saw me naked…”

“So you’ve seen the female body numerous times.”

“I also had to take care of bathing duties at home.”

“You don’t get aroused by my body?”

“I truly think that’s not something you should ask while completely naked.”

“Hmm.”

Muttering so, Tachibana-san finally returned to the bathroom. After hearing the door close, my knees gave way.

I couldn’t believe I was expected to live together under these circumstances.

Yet, why was I so concerned about her?

***

Despite tossing and turning with unease, fatigue eventually took over, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep, waking up at 7 in the morning. With time to spare before heading to school, I decided to take a shower first, but then I noticed my co-inhabitant (temporarily) sleeping face down at her desk. Tachibana Natsume.

“…sshh… sshh…”

“…Tachibana-san? Are you awake?”

I tentatively checked, but there was no response. Scattered around her on the desk were pieces of a sketchbook, intricately drawn with a pencil. There were some notes scribbled next to the drawings, but they were illegibly written.

“You’ll ruin your health, you know?”

“…mm… mm…”

Still no response. Carrying her to the bed seemed like the best option, but lifting someone with my strength was nearly impossible. Reluctantly, I took the duvet from Tachibana-san’s bed and draped it over her back. Then, I headed to the bathroom.

Showering, I thought about how I ended up in this situation, but no answers came. There must have been choices to make before things got to this point. Satsuki-san’s words lingered in the back of my mind.

As usual, I got ready for school and left the student dorm. While preparing for class, several classmates approached me. Had I done something…?

“Was everything okay yesterday?”

“Okay… as in?”

“You were rushing back and forth between the dorm and the school building.”

“You’re always so calm, so we thought maybe something bad happened.”

Yesterday, I was running around like a messenger pigeon between Satsuki-san and Tachibana-san. It seems my frantic behavior was noticed. The path from the dorm to the school building is almost a straight line, and the structure allows for easy observation of entrances and exits from each room’s window, which must have made my actions stand out.

“That was… I forgot my room key at the auditorium…”

Though it was a common excuse, they seemed to buy it.

“Really? I do that sometimes too.”

“Even Hanabishi-san makes careless mistakes. I feel closer to you now.”

“Doing that sort of thing alone is amazing. I’d definitely fail at living alone. If I didn’t have a roommate, I’d be doomed.”

At least that was a relief. Whether it was necessary to hide Tachibana Natsume’s existence or not was debatable, but the situation was too complicated to explain, so it was best to keep quiet. There was no telling how my true identity might be exposed. It was better to stay as cautious as possible.

Soon, the warning bell rang.

“Oh, right. Thanks for compiling the application forms for the Hoigan Festival. You really helped us out.”

“I’m terrible at that kind of thing. You being here was a real lifesaver.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Please feel free to rely on me more in the future.”

“We’re so grateful.”

“As expected of a lady.”