Hearing the awkward sounds from next door, Utaha's mind started to wander.
She looked over at Chisato and said,
"Come to think of it, the last time we were here, too, the TV sounds from next door easily passed through the walls. With this kind of poor soundproofing, it must be hard to get any rest at night."
She cleared her throat, and Eriri quickly picked up the cue, chiming in,
"Yeah, with such bad soundproofing, it's not just about sleep. It must interfere with daily life too, leaving you with almost no privacy."
The two of them took turns talking, not giving Chisato a chance to speak.
Utaha, who'd been acting quite composed up to this point, shifted to a look of faint distaste. She released Chisato's hand, stood up, and moved to the wall, lightly running her finger along it.
"And by the way, when we came in, I noticed a faint musty smell in this apartment."
"At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but looking at the yellowed walls and these scattered black spots… It's mold, isn't it?"
Eriri moved closer, feigning shock, "I thought they were just stains. Is it really mold?"
"Yes. Eriri, do you know the risks of living with mold for extended periods?"
"What kind of risks?"
"It increases your chances of developing cancer."
"Oh, wow! That serious?"
Eriri's exaggerated reaction wasn't particularly convincing, and Utaha rolled her eyes in mild exasperation.
Still, for the sake of today's purpose, she held her composure and carried on with the somewhat poorly acted conversation.
"I'm not exaggerating. You can look it up—there are studies by well-known doctors supporting what I said."
"So, if that's the case, it's not good at all for Chisato to be living here. I also noticed a lot of mold in the bathroom corners."
"Not just there, it's in the ceiling corners too."
"It seems like it would take quite a lot of effort to clean it all."
"Yes, it would be quite troublesome."
"In fact, hiring professionals to take care of this would cost enough to rent a different place with more space, better ventilation, and a much healthier environment."
Utaha paused intentionally, and both she and Eriri turned their gazes to Chisato, who had been silently watching their "performance" with an amused smile.
Together, they said, "What should we do?"
"…"
Are you two putting on a comedy show for me?
Honestly, if Chisato hadn't been holding back his laughter, he might've already been rolling on the floor by now.
Trying to keep his amusement in check, he said, "Pff… Ahem… So, what do you think we should do?"
Eriri's eyes brightened as she got up, knelt on the bed, and pulled a bank card out of her pocket, holding it out to him with both hands.
"Use mine… Oh no, I mean, I'll lend you some money for now, just to find a new place."
Chisato took the card, glancing at Utaha, who sighed and mirrored Eriri's action.
Now holding two bank cards, Chisato smiled wryly. "So, this is why you both came here tonight."
Utaha nodded, done with the awkward act.
Pressing her fingertips to her forehead, she explained honestly,
"We don't have any other motive. We just want to help you have a better quality of life and a healthier place to live."
"Hmm…"
Chisato's drawn-out tone made Eriri nervous. She quickly leaned forward, grasping his hand, and quietly apologized.
That only puzzled Chisato even more.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Because we didn't consider things from your perspective. Guys usually don't like it when girls act on their behalf like this."
"Maybe most guys wouldn't, but I don't mind. I understand that you're saying these things because you care about me, and that's why you're giving me this."
Chisato lifted the bank cards in his hand.
"To be honest, I'm touched. Money isn't everything, but sometimes, it says a lot."
"So… you're willing to accept from us…?"
Eriri's words trailed off as Utaha nudged her and finished the question for her, "You'll accept our suggestion?"
"At first, I didn't think it was necessary, but… it seems the sounds next door are really something. If you both come over and keep hearing that, it could get pretty inconvenient."
Chisato handed back both cards with a smile. "So, thank you. I'll accept your suggestion to find a new place."
"I'll consider the rent money a loan from you, and I'll pay you back. But as for improving my quality of life, I'd rather work on that by myself."
"Wait—if you give us back the cards, how will you pay for a new place?"
"Well, I'm busy with work all week, so I probably won't have time to look for a new apartment until next week."
Eriri and Utaha took back their cards, and after a moment of thought, Utaha made a suggestion.
"We're both free this weekend, so why don't we start looking at apartments for you?"
"It'll be a hassle, though."
Chisato recalled that it was forecasted to be a sunny, cloudless week. Running around to see places in the heat would be exhausting.
"It's no trouble!"
They answered in unison, their expressions firm.
Wow, you two are really eager to see me move out, huh.
"All right… then I'll leave it to you."
"It's no big deal. Once you move into your new place, we'll help you settle in. Then you can properly thank us. I'm curious—how do you plan to thank us?"
Utaha leaned in and whispered teasingly into Chisato's ear.
Since their objective for the night had been achieved, they didn't linger much longer. After a short chat, they left in high spirits.
Chisato walked them to the road.
"So… aren't you curious about how much money is in those cards?"
As they were about to part ways, Utaha came up close to Chisato and asked.
She had a point, and so he followed up with a question.
"Well, in my case, between my book royalties, signing fees, and licensing payments, I've saved around 40 million yen so far."
"I'm not sure about Eriri, but considering her family's wealth, she's likely saved at least as much."
"…"
Chisato was stunned into silence.
"Can I change my mind?"
"Sure."
Utaha laughed brightly, "Then just marry me."
Don't worry, It's only a matter of time.
Chisato thought to himself.
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