'Me?! Her bodyguard?!' The thought made Hajime vehemently shake his head. There was no way in the world Megumi would accept such a proposition, and it wouldn't do him any good if he does as well. But then again, the offer was a tad bit tempting since there were a lot of perks included. But then again, it's his pride he was talking about here, and he could already tell just how humiliating it would be working under Megumi.
Seeing the perplexed expression on Hajime's face, Koji smiled and patted his thighs before he stood up. All those sitting around on the unusually low sofa made his legs cramp a little bit. "Well, just think about it, all right? You can reach me anytime. Here," He said, handing Hajime a business card. "I'll be waiting,"
With that, Kikuchi Koji left the house, leaving Hajime to mull over the proposition.
While it may seem like a good deal, Hajime could tell that he won't last long being Megumi's bodyguard... unless, of course, she doesn't know anything about it. If she does then she would torment him to no end, or so that's what he assumed.
"Still... it's not a bad deal." Hajime told himself, heaving a sigh. It was already clear in his mind what he was supposed to do.
"Let's get some sleep.'
.....
Meanwhile, Akamine-sensei and her younger sister Fuuka just finished cleaning up her room. While her younger sister was surprised at the slovenliness at the place, it wasn't as dirty as she would've expected. Unbeknownst to her though, it's because Akamine-sensei already started cleaning before she even arrived.
"How was the transfer? Were mom and dad against it?" Akamine-sensei asked as she set cupped noodles in front of her sister.
"Not really. They didn't want me to go at first but after I told them I really wanted to attend Dai Yama High School, they eventually approved. However... they won't be sending me any pocket money. Fortunately, the tuition's cheap so I don't have to worry about that. I just need to worry about my living expenses."
"And they figured it would be more expensive if I travel to and from school. The nearest school is a train ride away after all. It would be much cheaper if I get a dorm nearby or... "
Akamine-sensei softly smiled at her younger sister who tried to avert her gaze from her. She was just about to ask something and based on her expression, Akamine-sensei could tell that it was a hard question to get out of her chest. Before she could say what it was though, Akamine-sensei patted her on the head. "Of course, you can stay here. Mom and dad wouldn't worry that much if that would be our setup. Besides, we'd be able to save more if we lived together."
"Thanks, big sis!"
"No worries... I wonder which class you're going to be assigned though. You're a fourth year this year now, right? Who would've thought that my cute and tiny little sister is already a fourth-year student."
"Mou~ don't treat me like a kid."
"Sorry, sorry," Akamine-sensei chuckled patting her on the head. In her mind though, she secretly hoped that her younger sister won't be assigned to her class.
Not only would that be awkward, but she also didn't want her to meet Hajime. She could tell that her younger sister has taken a liking to him despite their short meeting.
"Still, you really timed it well, huh, we'll be having the school excursion soon, and then summer break will follow soon after. It's quite surprising that they processed your transfer this time of year."
"It's not that late, big sis, I just missed the first term. Besides, I can catch up, you know I'm smart."
"You should eat your cupped noodles, you know, it's going to get soggy." Akamine-sensei changed the topic, pointing her chopsticks at her meal.
"Ah, right right!"
.....
While rummaging through his things in the process of contemplation, Hajime found a baseball which he began to throw overhead as he thought of Koji's offer. He decided to accept it, of course, despite its drawbacks. After all, only a fool wouldn't accept such a generous offer. He figured that there will always be pros and cons in every offer, and the only thing he could do was to get the best out of every situation.
"Who cares if she becomes aware of it. As a matter of fact, it would be better if she were. I don't know if she'll be grateful though."
"Then there's the excursion as well... I just hope Akamine-sensei wouldn't chew me out that much once I told her I won't be going."
Sigh.
Hajime rolled over his bed, telling himself that he should at least meet with Megumi's dad first thing in the morning tomorrow. It's not like he was excited about the work. It's just that, he really needed the money, more than anything... and the food, the free food.
Well, that means he had to give up his work at the construction site though. While their employer wouldn't be pleased, Hajime knew that he'd understand.
Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his line of thought, making him bounce from his bed. 'Who would knock this late at night? The debt collectors? No, they've only done that once and it didn't work... so who?'
Cautiously, Hajime approached the door. It was almost morning so there was already a faint brightness outside. He peered through one of the holes of the door, thinking that someone might barge into his house if he leaned too much.
The first thing he noticed was the blue car that was parked right outside. At that moment, he already knew who was knocking on the door. And just as he had expected, it was none other than Kirisu-san— still wearing her nurse uniform, of course.
Without hesitation, Hajime opened the door, all the color draining from his face.
"Ah, Haji— "
"Is Akiko all right? Kirsu-san?!"