How could she say it out loud? There's no way she could say it out loud!
A cough spurted out of Megumi's mouth as her face flushed a hint of red. Hajime's question caught her by surprise, and her pause just made her look like she was hiding something. With a doubtful expression on his face, Hajime asked the question for the second time, concluding that Megumi would be prompted to answer against her will.
"I... it's nothing! I just didn't feel like going to school, that's all." She forced a laugh as she continued eating, then used her trump card of changing the topic. "This curry is delicious. As expected of myself!"
How could she tell him that it was her time of the month? Even if a knife was pointed at her, there's no way she'd be able to tell him.
"Well, you don't have to tell me, it's fine. It's not like we're close enough to be sharing secrets with each other and frankly, I don't really want to exchange secrets with you either. Forget I asked you anything." He continued before taking in another mouthful of the curry.
Hajime quietly watched Megumi eat without saying another word. When she's like that, all quiet and enjoying her meal, she seemed like a harmless dove, without a hint of malice or anything of the sort. Had Hajime not known better, he would've concluded that Megumi is one gentle lady. But no, he knew all too well that Megumi's hiding her bite. She only resembled a harmless dove since she was eating. That's all there is to it.
"Can't I just stay here? You know... for a few nights?" Megumi suddenly asked, shutting her eyes tightly. It was obvious that she had to swallow her pride whole before asking the said question
"No can do, you do know that I'm a guy, right? There's no way I'd allow you here. Last night was an exception since there's really nothing we can do about that. But now, no, I can't allow you to stay here." Hajime adamantly refused, fully knowing that Megumi would still insist. She wasn't the type of girl who doesn't get what she wants, and Hajime was pretty aware of that fact.
"I'll cook! I'll clean! and... and... " Megumi wracked her brain to find another reason.
"No, I don't have time to play house. And don't you think you should be going home by now? Your parents must've been worried by now. I mean, it's not that I'm not happy with your cleaning and your cooking, but don't you think this is a bit too much? Aside from the roof over our heads, I can't really return the favor you're giving me. So don't expect anything in return, and I don't want the pile of favors to overtake me. I'll just feel bad." Satoshi continued. "Thanks for the meal,"
"I'm really sorry, just let me stay here for a bit... just one more day! Just one more day is enough." Megumi apologetically said. This time she really completely got rid of her pride as she asked Hajime. "Think of it as returning my favor, please?"
Two thoughts occurred in Hajime's mind when he saw Megumi's pleading face. He knows Megumi by the core, and he was fairly certain that Megumi wouldn't ask him for any favor even if his grave was turned over a couple of times. And yet right now, she was beseeching him as if he was the last person on earth.
His first thought was that maybe Megumi was going through something and she didn't want to worry her parents about it. Megumi seemed like the type to hide her problems away and try to solve them by herself. It's pretty evident since she didn't have any friends in school, except for Hajime, of course, if one could call him that. As for his second thought, he assumed that maybe Megumi was having family problems and that she didn't want to go home since she would just be reminded of the grave reality and the pressure in her household. These two thoughts were just Hajime's assumptions though, he wasn't really sure what Megumi was thinking right now when she suggested staying over.
"Something happened at home? Is it a family matter?" Hajime didn't know what to ask but he asked her anyways about what he thought.
Megumi hesitantly stopped then slowly nodded her head as her eyes darted from one point to the other. She didn't want to talk about it, and Hajime immediately understood what she meant through her body language. She fidgeted.
"Whatever it is, it would be much better if you talk to your parents about it. I'm sure you'd come to a middle ground. That's just how parents are." Hajime sounded as if he had more time with his parents but in truth, he just wished that they were here with him, giving him the talking-to's he needed. Whether or not he was telling Megumi this sound advice because of his regrets, he still thought to help Megumi out. Familial disputes are easily resolved over a course of conversation after all— or so that's what Hajime thought to believe.
"Yeah, you're right about that. But... sigh~ it's more complicated than you think." Megumi's pace halved as she continued to eat.
'At least they're still alive and you can still talk to them.' Hajime didn't speak his thoughts out loud, instead, he just gave Megumi a stare that somehow made her feel uneasy.
'Now that I think about it, Megumi grew up in a rich household, right? How come she knows how to clean and how to cook? Don't they have maids in their household? No, I'm sure they have maids, they even have an exclusive butler.' Hajime told himself as he rested his chin on his palms and continued staring at Megumi. He didn't realize it though and Megumi called him out because of it.
"What are you staring at, you're creeping me out," Megumi commented even though she wasn't creeped out at all.
"Nah, I was just wondering... don't you have maids at home? How come you could cook, let alone clean? From what I know, rich kids don't know what those words are, it's not even included in their dictionary."
Megumi's eyes lit up, she completely understood where Hajime was getting out. With a flick of her wrist, she started waving her hand as if what Hajime said wasn't a big deal. "Oh, that? Don't lump me in with those rich kids. I didn't grow up in a rich household when I was a kid, you know." She continued.
"What do you mean?" As Hajime spoke, his chin slipped from his palm and his head almost hit the edge of the table.