Chapter 117

The students were busily preparing for the upcoming final exams. Amidst all this, where in the world could there be a student who’s actually moving houses? In my opinion, there shouldn’t be anyone like that—it’s abnormal.

Even parents who move frequently usually consider their children’s grades and typically plan moves after the final exams, at the very least during the summer break.

In that sense, the woman who, early in the morning, had shown up bearing only light luggage, could be considered abnormal even by normal standards.

Unless she’s someone who doesn’t care much about grades—prioritizing the move over academic performance.

“Why are you doing this so early in the morning…?”

“Heek, heek…Well, since we made a promise to meet here, keeping that promise is what I’m doing…”

While it’s good that she values the promise she made with me, I don’t recall agreeing to move in as part of the deal.

I searched my memory but couldn’t find any recollection of agreeing with Inna to live together in my house.

Living together with Inna would probably be more nerve-wracking than dealing with the antics of the former queen who used to torment and tease me.

There was no way I would allow someone to move in without permission.

With both of her hands full of luggage, Inna panted heavily. Despite her abilities as someone with supernatural powers, the effort seemed exhausting. As I watched her silently, trying to figure out what to say, there was a sound of footsteps from the second floor.

“Considering how early you woke up, I thought something might be up… What’s with all these suitcases? Are you letting someone into this house without my consent?”

A pink-haired woman, with disheveled hair, descended from the second floor, her face still drowsy.

“Why are you coming down here?”

As if she’d just recovered her breath, Inna sharply questioned her. The question wasn’t directed at me but I, of course, knew the answer: We had woken up and slept in the same room together.

This hadn’t always been the case. At some point, it just naturally evolved into her sharing my room, waking up, and sleeping together. At first, I didn’t even think to protest. She wasn’t causing any harm, after all.

Obviously, Inna knew by now that I had been waking up and sleeping like this recently. Therefore, her question wasn’t genuinely out of ignorance…

“You and I agreed not to sleep together anymore, didn’t we?”

This was probably a remark about the negotiation between Inna and the former queen that had gone awry. Of course, neither of them ever thought of sharing the specifics of their discussions with me.

So, I had only guessed why the former queen did what she did based on Inna’s jealousy and the queen’s behavior when Inna was around, which was to avoid approaching me.

“For what reason?”

“It’s nothing… If you want to sleep, just sleep. I’m considering sleeping beside her now…”

Inna, who was ready to press further, glanced at me before candidly expressing her own desire: ‘If you think it’s cramped, then move aside.’

It made sense. Given my deeper friendship with Inna, it would be normal for Kang Yu-ri to be the one who should move if anyone had to. But then again, would the “former queen” ever be considered normal?

“Why would you come to my house to snatch my sleeping space when you have plenty of other places?”

“Don’t you have somewhere else to go?”

“Yes, I don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t have parents either.”

Predictably, Kang Yu-ri resisted. Inna had tried to seize on a minor point, but once the fact that she didn’t have parents came up, Inna’s momentum instantly faltered.

If you think about it, this is my house—not Kang Yu-ri’s and not Inna’s. Therefore, the decision on who sleeps where should be up to me. Yet for some reason, they both seemed to want to claim the homeowner’s bedroom.

“Then I’ll sleep on the couch in the living room. You two can have the bed. I’ll gladly step aside as the homeowner.”

It seemed like if we continued this argument, we’d end up rushing to school without preparation. So, generously, I offered to give up the bed to the residents of the house.

There were other rooms with beds. I could even sleep on the floor with just a blanket. But knowing the former queen would likely come upstairs to tease me, and Yu-ri would follow because she wanted to stay near me…

The best option for me, then, was to rest on the sofa by myself—somewhere no one could bother me. This way, they wouldn’t have any reason to fight over where to sleep. Perhaps, if they shared the bed, their relationship might even improve. It was a brilliant plan.

“Where are you going to put the suitcases? Do you want help?”

“Can you lift them?”

“What do you take me for… Okay, I’ll open the door as long as you tell me where to go.”

The luggage proved to be too heavy to move and eventually Inna gave up. The carriers were almost taller than me, and she’d brought two of them! I began worrying; how could someone need so much luggage just to live here?

These two heavy and clearly packed suitcases gave off the impression that she intended to stay here for a long time, which made me fear the loss of my freedom.

Thinking back, this house had always felt like a place where I could move freely compared to Inna’s house. But now, that freedom seemed threatened.

“Let’s eat before heading to school. I’ll move the luggage and cook right after. Don’t worry, I can handle it myself. Why don’t you go upstairs and wash up? Oh… both of you?”

Inna seemed to have let the sleeping matter rest or was satisfied with my being banished to the sofa. She moved forward with the situation as we prepared for school.

Surely Inna, who claimed to have lost her memory, must still know about the empty rooms in this house. I figured she would find an empty one for herself.

I, however, headed toward the bathroom connected to my room while Kang Yu-ri lingered near the stairs, as if she had more to say. Her face naturally reflected a mocking tone.

“Yeah~. Just so you know, the food better be good, okay?”

“You can dishwash after you eat everything!”

Her next words belittled Inna as if she were merely a maid, but Inna shrugged it off.

Inna, who never showed me such behavior, easily countered Kang Yu-ri while carrying the suitcases to an available room on the first floor.

“Hm~. So why didn’t you tell me she was coming to this house?”

“Well, I really didn’t know if she would come…”

I had half-believed that Inna might show up, but I expected her to move only closer to the start of the summer vacation, not just two days later.

Though it seemed like she had intentionally left me in the dark, even knowing I was likely misunderstanding the situation.

“Right? This isn’t about you intentionally ignoring me? Anyway, keep this in mind—if you keep excluding me, I’ll truly torment you.”

“What exclusion?”

Although I was taller, while climbing up to the second floor, I could still see the woman glaring up at me. Her face was unnerving.

In every sense, she was a strange woman who didn’t cause much trouble while living in my house but, essentially, she was a kind of boss—a boss who gets in the way of the protagonist’s or heroine’s path.

An entity I should be grateful for as long as she stays this way.

If she decided to get fully involved, I’d have no choice but to focus on dealing with her instead of figuring out my scenarios and plots.

“Of course we both know you don’t really think that… Anyway, don’t push ignoring me too far.”

After patting my shoulder, Kang Yu-ri walked upstairs. There were indeed times when I didn’t inform her about these kinds of occurrences.

Like during the school trip, she had been practically excluded. Even in school, I often ignored her prodding fingers on my shoulder.

‘Was I some sort of garbage…?’

Thinking about it now, I understood why Kang Yu-ri might be upset. Despite being close to Inna and Kang Yu-ri through this body, I realized I had distanced myself a bit.

It’s time I start opening up…

At that thought, an all-too-familiar semi-transparent window opened in front of me.

[You are now living together with two heroines. Dormitory Event has started. Although there are no visible numerical changes, the likelihood of increasing favorability between the characters rises, and the chances of affection-driven events also increase.]

Really, it was unnecessary to provide so many opportunities all at once. This event seemed like a forced attempt to open up my heart.

Perplexed as I was by this event, it was still time to prepare for school.

Lost in thoughts about what might happen due to this dormitory event, I climbed upstairs to the bathroom, ready to wash up and get prepared.

I soon found out what one of the events triggered by the dorm event was when I got to school.

[Can’t you accommodate me too? I can pay for it. More than what you’d earn from private tutoring.]

“Why are you writing me a note in your sketchbook again… and how did you know about the accommodation?”

[Because I told you. And others don’t like hearing my voice.]

The essence of living together under the ‘Dormitory’ concept is essentially bringing people closer and spending extended periods together, fostering mutual affection.

I understood that.

But I didn’t agree with it.

Why were these various heroines showing such obvious favor toward me?

I…

Can’t reciprocate the kindness others show me…

I struggle enough just dealing with myself sometimes.

Sometimes, contemplating this makes me feel a little tired.

“So why did you suddenly suggest skipping lessons to eat ice cream? You seemed interested in studying until yesterday.”

“Just need a mood change.”

After asking Kana for a moment’s reprieve, I decided to skip class with person number one on my watch list…

Despite being labeled a threat, out of guilt for stealing someone’s partner, she was the only one among them who didn’t show more-than-friendship-level interest in me—Kim Ha-neul.

Thankfully, the chocolate ice cream was sweet enough to soothe my mood.