Ch. 69.2 - Ch69 A Date, and Then Finding a Sleeping Beauty Pt2
“Excuse me.”
Passing the front counter, Harutaki stopped and bowed slightly to the stunned clerk.
“In booth 201X, there’s a group who drugged a girl’s drink and tried to assault her. I’ve already called the police and locked them inside using a mop. Please don’t open the door until officers arrive.”
“Uh… ”
“I have the whole thing recorded on video as proof.”
Since the private room’s wall had a built-in intercom with a camera for contacting the front desk, he made sure to block off even the last possible escape route for Yobitani. Naturally, being the careful type, he didn’t forget to explain the situation to the clerk first.
Holding Chouko securely in one arm, he unlocked his phone with the other and showed the recorded video to the clerk.
“I… I’m terribly sorry! For something like this to happen in our store…”
The clerk bowed repeatedly in panic, his words tumbling over themselves in confusion.
“Customer, um, I’ll contact the manager right away, and we’ll offer compensation, ”
“No need. This doesn’t have much to do with your store, and I don’t need compensation. I just need you to keep an eye out so the criminal doesn’t escape before the police arrive.”
Even so, a customer being assaulted inside their establishment still meant the karaoke place bore some responsibility.
But what could Harutaki do?
In this country, concerns over privacy and personal rights meant that many places didn’t have security cameras. The only places blanketed in surveillance were probably the train stations around the capital. Though, in recent years, thanks to various incidents of people doing outrageous things inside private rooms, many karaoke chains had started installing cameras, but a small, old-fashioned store like this one clearly hadn’t caught up yet.
“Please hand this video over to the police later.”
He sent the footage to the clerk’s phone via AirDrop.
He had to admit, living in a country where most people used iPhones was convenient in moments like this.
“I’m so, so sorry…”
Even as he headed down the stairs, the clerk behind the counter was still bowing nonstop. The attitude was there, but whether there was any genuine resolve to improve… that, Harutaki couldn’t say.
…
With Chouko sleeping soundly in his arms, there was no way Harutaki could take the train home.
“That’ll be 2,520 yen.”
“...”
“Here’s your change, 480 yen. Thank you very much.”
When he stepped out of the taxi, even with nearly a million yen in savings, the 2,520-yen fare made him wince a little.
Compared to the train fare of under a thousand yen, taxis were outrageously expensive. This was the “lucky” rate too, no traffic jams, no time-based surcharges.
Thump, thump, thump.
With both arms occupied holding Chouko, he couldn’t be bothered to fumble around one-handed for his keys. So, he resorted to tapping the door with the toe of his shoe.
He really should’ve thought ahead and slipped the keys into his pocket while in the cab. But no, he’d spent the whole ride admiring the adorable, sleeping face of the beautiful girl in his arms, forgetting even such simple things.
“Who’s there?”
“Ayaka, it’s me, Harutaki.”
Creaaak.
“You lost your house key or something? Why do I always have to open the door for you? Honestly…”
Her grumbling accompanied the slow creak of the front door opening.
Her caution wasn’t unreasonable. The Hoshikawa household had once dealt with an overly persistent NHK collector. Best not to open the door carelessly, once someone like that stepped inside, it turned into a nightmare if you didn’t have the nerve to kick them out.
“I thought you said you weren’t coming home for dinner today. And it’s not like you to forget your key, ”
Clang.
The kitchen knife slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor. The pink-haired girl in an apron froze in shock, her sea-blue eyes widening as she stared at the scene before her.
“Haru… Ha-Harutaki, you… you actually…”
Messy black hair. (From rubbing against the car seat.)
Even breathing. (Still fast asleep.)
A stunningly beautiful girl, clearly about her age, wearing the same school uniform as her brother. Combine that with the message Harutaki had sent earlier, ‘I’m going out with a classmate today, don’t wait up for me’, and, well…
“I… I told you before, didn’t I?! If you can’t hold it in, just ask me for help instead! Guh… how could you…!”
It’s over. Her brother’s life was over.
How was she supposed to explain this to Chiaki and Fuyuno? How was she supposed to tell their parents their eldest son was going to prison? Ayaka’s vision swam, her knees going weak.
“You should just… turn yourself in…”
“Hey, Ayaka, could you not assume the worst about me?”
Watching his sister spiral into full-on crisis mode, debating whether to call the police herself to get him a reduced sentence, Harutaki nearly burst out laughing.
Seriously, what kind of filthy thoughts were constantly bouncing around in her head?
“Ah…?”
“Can we just go inside first? I’ll explain after dinner, alright?”
He glanced around to make sure none of the neighbors were watching and finally let out a sigh of relief.
“If someone saw this, that’d be the real problem.”
“R-right… sorry…”
That reminder finally brought her back to her senses.
Of course her brother would never do anything that disgusting.
But… in that case, was she the one with the problem?
No, no, definitely not,
This was all his fault. All Harutaki’s fault!
Ever since that time he’d said she could “lend a hand if he really needed it,” she hadn’t been able to sleep properly. Her mind kept conjuring up ridiculous, indecent images: her kind, handsome, dependable brother… the delicious meals he cooked… and the blanket tented high in the middle…
“Guh…”
The more she thought, the redder her face burned. Overcome with shame and embarrassment, Ayaka dropped to a crouch, burying her face in her hands.
…
After setting both backpacks in the corner, Harutaki paced around the living room, still holding the sleeping Chouko, searching for a good spot to lay her down.
The sofa? Not ideal, after spending hours in a karaoke booth, her uniform probably wasn’t that clean. Any smell or germs clinging to the fabric would be a pain to clean out later.
The floor? Too hard and cold. You couldn’t just set down a sleeping beauty like that.
So after a moment’s thought, he simply laid her flat across the coffee table in front of the TV.
Tables, at least, were easy to wipe clean.