Chapter 243

The dizzy, uncomfortable feeling still hadn't faded, Kitakami Yoru muttered, put down his phone, and went to take a shower.

He washed his hair, applied soap to his body, scrubbed hard, and rinsed it clean.

Finally, he soaked in the warm bathtub.

Kitakami Yoru really wanted to lie back in bed after the bath.

Not long after, in front of Kitakami Yoru’s apartment.

Aoyama Nanami gripped two sheets of white printed paper, on which something was recorded, and knocked on the door while taking a deep breath.

"At this time, Kitakami-kun should have finished lunch, so I won't be disturbing him."

"He said if I have anything, I can ask him for help; he won't refuse me, right?"

"Is this outfit of mine pretty?"

Knocking on the door a few times, Aoyama Nanami once again tidied up this outfit that had been at the bottom of her chest and had never been worn once.

It was an off-season JK uniform she bought during the winter sales last year.

Originally, she intended to save it for the audition in early November, which was the exam for the voice actor school.

While thinking and worrying, it took Aoyama Nanami quite a while to react to the fact that there was no movement inside.

"Kitakami-kun?"

Aoyama Nanami hesitated for a moment, increased her volume, and used her small hand to knock hard on the apartment door.

She eagerly hoped for a response from inside.

Quiet...

Apart from quiet, it was still quiet.

"Did Kitakami-kun go out, or is he taking a nap?"

Aoyama Nanami didn't know Kitakami Yoru’s situation; she couldn't hear her knocking from inside the enclosed shower room.

Suddenly.

The girl who had finally convinced herself, mustered up the courage, and even sacrificed three nights of quality sleep, had the thought of leaving.

Staring fixedly at the apartment door lock, she felt uneasy.

Asking for help was a lie; wanting to probe Kitakami Yoru’s thoughts and be with him was the truth.

"No... I don't want to!"

Aoyama Nanami struggled in front of the apartment door for a full few minutes, her face changing inexplicably.

She knew that if she backed down now and went back to lie to herself that she would come back later, she might never dare to again!

There is a saying: at the first drum, the spirit is high; at the second, it wanes; at the third, it is exhausted.

Placing her palm on the doorknob, Aoyama Nanami tentatively pushed it lightly, and the door opened a crack.

"Hoo..."

Relieved, Aoyama Nanami pulled the door halfway open, poked her head in, and shouted: "Kitakami-kun... are you home?"

"I have something, could you help me?"

Still no response.

Feeling a bit strange, Aoyama Nanami stepped inside and left the door ajar.

Subsequently, she saw the shoes in the entryway.

"He's home, could he be sleeping?"

Aoyama Nanami wasn't willing to give up; even if Kitakami Yoru was sleeping, she had to take a look before leaving.

"Meow meow..."

San-San in the living room meowed twice.

Taking off her shoes, Aoyama Nanami stepped onto the floor in her clean, small white cotton socks and moved slowly inside.

As if afraid of scaring herself.

"Kitakami-kun?"

Raising her voice, Aoyama Nanami increased the volume, but she didn't dare to be too loud.

If Kitakami Yoru was sleeping and she woke him up, she would feel guilty.

"Is someone calling me?"

Kitakami Yoru, soaking in the bathtub, suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the door.

Uncertain, a flash of hesitation crossed his face, and he shouted loudly toward the outside: "I'm here, who are you?"

His voice was loud and energetic; after shouting, Kitakami Yoru sat up and listened intently to the outside.

"Shower room!"

The layout of the apartments was the same; Aoyama Nanami’s eyes lit up as she locked onto Kitakami Yoru’s location and walked over quickly.

"It's me, Kitakami-kun, it's me..."

"I have something I need your help with, did I disturb you?"

Facing the shower room, the excitement and nervousness in Aoyama Nanami’s eyes couldn't be hidden at all.

"Nanami?"

"I'm taking a bath, could you wait a moment?"

Kitakami Yoru relaxed and lay back down.

"It's okay, I can wait, there's no rush."

Aoyama Nanami nodded happily, clutching the printed paper as she paced around the doorway a few times, finally arriving at the living room sofa.

"San-San, long time no see!"

The happy girl sat down, petted San-San, and immediately noticed Kitakami Yoru’s clothes.

"Does Kitakami-kun like taking baths at noon?"

Aoyama Nanami’s gaze swept over the pile of clothes, and with her sharp eyes, she discovered something unusual.

"Eh... hmm?"

A sound of surprise came from her mouth; Aoyama Nanami turned back, squinted her eyes, and examined them carefully.

Her pupils gradually dilated, and her expression became increasingly ugly.

Bending down, she carefully picked up a strand of hair stuck to the short-sleeved top and brought it before her eyes!

"A girl’s hair!"

Aoyama Nanami’s fragile little heart was struck by lightning, and the voice in her heart trembled due to the violently fluctuating emotions.

It was a strand of hair almost the same length as her own, slightly colored, but because the hair was too thin, the specific color difference couldn't be seen clearly.

Did you see the pale complexion the moment she saw it?

San-San had seen it.

At this very moment.

Aoyama Nanami’s lips trembled as she mumbled a few times, making meaningless sounds, her heart dead.

As if her soul had been hooked away by Ox-Head and Horse-Face, she fell straight back onto the sofa!

This was definitely a girl’s hair; Aoyama Nanami would never misidentify it even if she died.

Kitakami Yoru was taking a bath, and there was a girl’s hair stuck to his clothes...

"No..."

Aoyama Nanami’s mind was filled with that terrible fact.

Kitakami Yoru had a partner he was seeing...

Hair stuck to clothes, taking a bath at noon...

Did that mean he hadn't gone home all night last night?

Her heart ached with grievance, almost to the point of tears; Aoyama Nanami held back the tears sliding from the corners of her eyes and stood up, supporting herself on the table.

"Meow meow?"

San-San, completely unaware of what had happened, jumped from the floor into Kitakami Yoru’s pile of clothes.

Aoyama Nanami wanted to leave directly, but was attracted by San-San’s meowing and sat back down.

"Right... a strand of hair doesn't prove anything..."

"Maybe it got stuck there by accident?"

Holding onto the last bit of hope, Aoyama Nanami was very willing for the truth to be completely different from what she thought, and finally, she slapped herself hard.