Liar's Lips Fall Apart in Love - Volume 1 Chapter 1.2

The Spring I Met You 2

When I straddle my bicycle and start pedaling, I head towards my apartment back home.

I’m from Nagoya, and I’ve been living alone since April.

The reason I chose a private university in Kyoto for my further studies was simply because I wanted to get out of my parent’s house, and I ended up missing the national public university exams due to influenza, leaving me no choice but to attend my backup private university.

At these crossroads in life, I seem to always be plagued by bad luck.

As I make my way through the residential area near the university, I head south on Nishioji Street.

The uphill is tough on the way there, but it’s a breeze on the way back.

There’s a crowd of students in uniforms at the bus stop, likely on a school trip, blocking the way.

Even though it’s a weekday, the buses are packed with tourists. The students who commute by bus must have a hard time.

Continuing south, I reach Sanjo Street and come across the train tracks in the middle of the intersection.

This is where the trams, known as Randen, run. (tln : kyoto electric train)

As I wait for the signal to turn green, I casually glance over the tracks and, oh, I notice her. A girl with her back straight, pedaling a bright red bicycle with her chestnut-brown long hair fluttering in the wind.

It’s Nanase, whom I had a conversation with today.

Judging that it would be troublesome if she noticed me, I wait a bit even after the signal turns green, and only start pedaling again after her figure has shrunk in the distance.

However, Nanase’s figure doesn’t disappear no matter how long I wait, which makes me a little anxious.

Maybe she lives quite close? It’s quite far from the university, and I liked that I didn’t run into people I know.

Crossing another intersection, I see Nanase turn west at the corner of the post office.

I slowly turn the corner myself and see that she has just gotten off her bicycle.

As she goes up the stairs of an old apartment building, I’m shocked.

“…Seriously? She lives in the same place…”

I live in an apartment building that’s over forty years old with a unit bath and a single room.

It’s run-down and far from the university, but the rent is incredibly cheap.

Nanase stops in front of a corner room on the second floor. She takes out a key from her bag, unlocks the door, and goes inside. I can’t help but let out an involuntary groan.

Of all places, she lives next door.

Is such a coincidence even allowed? I can’t believe I haven’t noticed for a whole month.

Why would such a beautiful girl live in a run-down apartment like this? It’s so different from what I imagined that it feels strange.

For security reasons, shouldn’t she be living in a newly built apartment with auto-locks?

When I get to the bike parking lot, I park my bicycle as far away from Nanase’s as possible.

As I climb the stairs of the apartment, they make a loud, clanging noise.

I take out my key and enter my room as quietly as possible.

I’ll have to be careful not to let her notice me from now on.

I’ve been living here since April, and the walls of this apartment are thin, so all the living noises go straight through.

Even though I’ve hardly paid attention to it until now, just the thought that Nanase is right there… Okay its okay…

She’s practically a stranger to me.

I shake my head vigorously and flop onto the futon that’s been laid out on the floor. My room doesn’t have a TV or a bed. The only piece of furniture is a small low table.

There’s a fridge, rice cooker, and a microwave, which are barely there, but since I don’t cook, the fridge is almost empty. I seem to remember buying udon for thirty yen at the supermarket.

I’ll just boil that today, add some soy sauce, and eat up.

After eating, I’ll take a nap until it’s time for my part-time job.

As I close my eyes and think about this, that’s when it happened.

“Kyaahhhhhh!!”

A terrible scream echoes from the next room. It’s Nanase’s voice.

I jump up in a panic and dash out of the room, hesitating for a moment before deciding whether to press the intercom…

If I do, she’ll find out I’m living next door.

I mentally slap myself for even thinking that. Idiot, what if it’s an emergency! If it’s nothing, that would be the best outcome!

Just as I resolve myself, something slams into my face with a tremendous impact, causing me to stagger. “Ouch…”

As I realize the door in front of me has opened, at the same time ── something soft jumps into my chest. Reflexively, I end up holding it in an embrace. A sweet scent delicately tickles my nostrils.

“Go, go, go, go,”

the woman pressing her face into my chest is clearly distraught. Trembling, she screams in a high-pitched voice from the back of her throat.

“Cockroach!!”

…Ah, a cockroach. I see.

While enduring the stinging pain in my nose, I let out a sigh of relief. My face might not be in the best shape, but at least it’s nothing serious.

I gently pat Nanase’s back to calm her down, trying my best not to focus on the soft sensation pressed against my stomach, and hiding my inner turmoil.

“Do you have bug spray?”

“Ah? Uh, um, Ughh… no, I don’t…”

“Got it.”

I tightly roll up the old magazine, then step outside again.

Before entering, I call out to Nanase, “I’m coming in,” and then step into her room.

By the way, this is actually the first time I’ve ever entered a girl’s room in my life.

As I search for the cockroach, I take the opportunity to look around the room.