Chapter 39: Home

Heading to a fast-food restaurant, Ishikawa Hayato looked pitifully at his wallet, and the wallet responded with an expression of 'I only have this last drop left'.

"Ah, my money..."

Although he had recently, for the first time in a while, asked his family for pocket money and received a considerable amount, it couldn't withstand Ishikawa Hayato's spending habits.

However, his manuscript fees were about to be paid, so he just needed to hold on a little longer.

At this moment, Bocchi, who was beside him, took out her wallet from her cloth bag and started to take out money.

"Then... Ishikawa-kun, I'll pay for what we just spent, it's all because of me..."

Ishikawa Hayato wasn't too surprised by Bocchi's reaction, but he also hadn't expected Bocchi to pay for everything.

He patted Bocchi's shoulder.

"Bocchi, you'll be taken advantage of in the future."

...

They arrived at the fast-food restaurant.

They had already decided that Bocchi wouldn't bear the car rental fee. She would just pay for lunch.

Ishikawa Hayato's first experience of being supported by a woman was with Bocchi.

Bocchi walked to the counter and just glanced at the menu, her gaze involuntarily darting to a combo meal, then she immediately moved it away in a panic.

At the same time, she strongly repudiated herself for even thinking about that combo meal.

'Don't get carried away! Even with the biggest discount, this isn't a combo an introverted person can choose. It'll bring back the pain of the few times I tried to order a couple's discount combo!'

'Stop immediately, you'll self-destruct!'

But then, a completely pink Bocchi suddenly appeared in her mind and said to her.

[ 'If it's just the two of us, Ishikawa-kun and me, then we can confidently order this combo, and we can also...' ]

Pink Bocchi hadn't finished speaking when Bocchi pressed her down, but Pink Bocchi's words still seemed to reach her ears.

Bocchi's lips curved into a smile, and her eyes glazed over, expanding.

But at the same time, Bocchi felt a bad premonition. She glanced to the side.

Ishikawa Hayato's lips were stretched into a grin, and he was smiling at her.

Balloon Bocchi instantly deflated, slumping onto the counter like a sheet of paper...

After ordering and sitting down, Bocchi mustered her courage, gripped the corner of the table, and solemnly knelt with her head bowed to the tabletop.

The table vibrated slightly.

She said mournfully.

"Ishikawa-kun, I beg you, please don't read my mind anymore."

"Alright, but there's a condition."

Although Ishikawa Hayato said this, he knew very well that if he was familiar enough, he wouldn't need to guess what Bocchi was thinking. He could just see it.

It wasn't a question of whether or not to read her mind, but rather that the answer was clearly written on her face, so there was no way to not see it.

He was just agreeing not to use it to tease Bocchi anymore.

Bocchi looked up, her soft, sky-blue eyes looking at Ishikawa Hayato in confusion.

Curious about his condition.

"Bocchi still calls me Ishikawa-kun, it feels very distant, how about changing the address?"

Ishikawa Hayato said to her.

Bocchi hesitated, feeling like her mind had been read again.

She had been thinking about it for a long time but hadn't dared to change the address, constantly agonizing over it.

For a moment, she inexplicably felt that it didn't matter even if her mind was read.

She lowered her gaze and softly called out to the person in front of her.

"Um, Hayato..."

...

After lunch, the two sat in the fast-food restaurant for a while, then went to the station and boarded the train to Bocchi's house.

In the brightly lit train, the two sat together with some distance between them.

After getting on the train, Ishikawa Hayato noticed that Bocchi suddenly became less enthusiastic about talking.

She lowered her head, hugged her cloth bag, and her sky-blue eyes looked sadly at the floor in front of her.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced around, noticing that some people occasionally looked their way.

Apparently, the oddity of the pair attracted the attention of others.

This was only natural. Ishikawa Hayato alone usually attracted enough attention, and with Bocchi beside him, who was like his polar opposite, it became even more eye-catching.

Just now, on the bustling street and in the restaurant where they sat opposite each other, gazes hadn’t felt quite so obvious.

But on the train, in this confined space, the feeling was amplified.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't say anything to the people around him. He just took out his phone, casually opened a video to watch, and at the same time placed his right hand in between them.

"Hand."

He reminded her without turning his head.

Hearing Ishikawa Hayato's sudden voice, Bocchi was startled.

Then she glanced around, hesitated, squeezed her hand, and then nervously placed her hand next to Ishikawa Hayato's head, leaving a few centimeters of distance.

Ishikawa Hayato subtly reached out and held her slightly cool small hand.

Bocchi was surprised and looked at her hand, which was held by Ishikawa Hayato.

Their two hands overlapped as if by accident, Hayato's warm palm covering the back of her hand.

She carefully glanced around, not noticing any difference in the surrounding gazes.

Then she occasionally stole glances at Ishikawa Hayato, who was holding her hand, but seeing Ishikawa Hayato quietly looking at his phone, her heart was full of questions.

After a while, her gaze couldn't help but fall on the phone he's holding again.

But... even after getting off the train, she still couldn't clearly see what video Ishikawa Hayato was watching...

...

After leaving the station, Ishikawa Hayato followed beside Bocchi, while also paying attention to their surroundings.

Bocchi, seeing him, thought he was memorizing the route to her house. Although she was a little scared, she wouldn't dare to say anything.

She could only obediently lead the way.

However, as they passed by a fruit store.

Ishikawa Hayato suddenly asked her, "Bocchi's parents are both home, right?"

Bocchi: ???

She cautiously looked beside her.

Ishikawa Hayato's tall and upright figure was illuminated by the soft, warm sunlight as if emitting a glow. He looked down at her slightly, his neat short hair and the gentle smile at the corner of his mouth were so attractive.

'What was he doing, what was he going to do! What if her parents were home, what if they weren't!'

Wait, Bocchi only realized this now.

She was bringing a boy to her house now! Although it was just to get her guitar, shouldn't she let Ishikawa Hayato in?

And then what!?

She didn't know! She didn't know!

Moreover, in her understanding, when a male normie goes to a female's house, isn't there only one thing to do?

As soon as she thought of that thing, Bocchi...

*Boom*

Ishikawa Hayato stared blankly at Bocchi, who suddenly exploded

She was like a firework, jumping up directly and flying into the sky to explode.

She quickly disappeared into the bright sky.

Looking at this clear-sky firework, Ishikawa Hayato sighed silently.

This time, he failed to read Bocchi's thoughts, and she actually exploded...

After Bocchi returned to normal, she began to answer Ishikawa Hayato's questions.

"Ah, both my parents are home, and I also have a younger sister..."

She lowered her head, acting as a real guide, introducing her family situation to Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato nodded, suddenly thought of something, and then continued to ask.

"Oh, you have a younger sister too? How old is she? Where does she usually play?"

Bocchi hesitated, also feeling something was off.

Her eyes were already spinning, but she spoke as if she couldn't control herself.

"5... 5 years old, in..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Ishikawa Hayato patted Bocchi's shoulder and sighed.

"Bocchi, saying everything like this is very dangerous."

But Bocchi was already in a stuttering state, opening and closing her mouth like a puppet.

"Ah ah ah..."

...Then, Ishikawa Hayato led Bocchi to the fruit store he had seen earlier, and selected fruits under Bocchi's confused gaze.

Finally, he led Bocchi out of the store, placed his wallet on the ground, and bowed to his wallet, which seemed to say, 'I have nothing left.'

After picking up his wallet, he wiped away a tear and strode forward.

Bocchi looked at him in surprise, then followed closely with small steps

She seemed to realize the reason and asked softly.

"Um... Hayato, what is this?"

"A souvenir."

Ishikawa Hayato replied.

Bocchi was stunned.

Just accompanying her to pick up a guitar, it didn't need to be so formal, did it...

"I'm home."

Bocchi could still speak naturally in front of her family.

Behind her, Ishikawa Hayato also raised his voice slightly and said.

"Excuse me for the intrusion."

His voice made Bocchi's father's voice, who was saying "Hitori, welcome ho..." in the living room ahead, stutter and stop.

Then, as Bocchi brought Ishikawa Hayato his slippers...

*Thump, thump, thump.*

Bocchi's parents, both looking flustered, rushed out in their slippers.

They stopped at the entrance, momentarily stunned to see Bocchi bringing someone slippers.

Their faces showed an expression that was a mix of joy and some other emotions.

Then, they both shifted their gaze to Ishikawa Hayato, who was about to enter.

"Good afternoon, Uncle, Auntie," Ishikawa Hayato said with a polite smile, then held up the fruit in his hand and offered it.

"A souvenir."

Bocchi's mother, Gotou Michiyo, who had numbly accepted the souvenir, sized up Ishikawa Hayato.

Handsome, sunny, polite, and exuding confidence.

Then she glanced at her own daughter: a frumpy tracksuit, bangs covering her eyes, and a slight hunch.

Finally, she met eyes with Bocchi's father, Gotou Naoki.

The two began a telepathic conversation.

Gotou Naoki: Hitori has finally gone down this path.

Gotou Michiyo: To stoop so low as to deceive her family... she communicated with her husband mentally, but in reality, she was already silently wiping away tears.

Bocchi's father couldn't quite bear to watch.

Although he also felt something was off—after all, with his daughter's personality, bringing slippers to an unfamiliar person, especially a male, would absolutely not be so natural.

But based on his many years of understanding of his daughter, this! This absolutely had to be a rented boyfriend!