Apparently the Gal who Bullies me Likes me

Chapter 17

Mansion

A few days after the summer festival.

We are currently in our summer vacation.

The sunny days continue, and it is hot even in my room unless the air conditioner is on.

I'm an indoor person, so I'm just playing games and watching this season's anime and I have been lounging around at home from morning since the start of the summer vacation.

In my room I can hear the sounds of the cicadas loudly as if they're telling me to get out of the house.

I don't want to. I will spend my whole summer vacation like this.


On the day of the summer festival, Tachibana and I became lovers.
　
But since we had been friends until then, we didn't suddenly become lovey-dovey.

Our relationship has not changed that much.

Well, I'm thinking that we should do that on our own pace.

Today, I will go to Tachibana's house at noon so that we can make plans for what we're going to do this summer vacation.

I already saw Tachibana's mansion but I never imagined that I would be able to enter that house.

I wonder what it is like inside.

I wonder if Tachibana's parents are there.

Should I say hello to them or something?

Should I tell them that I'm dating their daughter?

What should I do if they told me that they don't approve our relationship?

Is it okay if I only wear normal everyday clothes?

What will I do if they tell me that I'm wearing a shabby clothes?

I'd better check if there are any holes in my clothes.

What should I do if those situations came true?

Right now I can only imagine negative things.

Maybe I should call Tachibana and ask her.

I then open my phone and call Tachibana.

After a few seconds she answers her phone right away.

"Hello? Tachibana?"

"Hello, what's up?"

"I'm thinking of going to your house soon, is that okay?"

"Yup, that's okay."

"Uhmm, hey is is okay if I just wear normal clothes?"

"Clothes?"

"I'm really not sure and I was wondering if it was okay to go to your house wearing my normal clothes."

"Yup it's fine, don't be so formal."

"Then bye! I'll be waiting for you."

She hangs up the phone.

Well as Tachibana said I will just wear my normal everyday clothes.


...


I arrived at the station close to Tachibana's house.

I can really feel the heat from scorching sun outside.

A large iridescent cloud is standing in the bright blue sky.

There's no doubt about it. It's already summer.

I proceeded from the station to the road where I had sent Tachibana home on the back of my bicycle before.

This area is a high class residential area on a hill, and large and beautiful houses are lined up.

It is quiet. I could feel the solemn atmosphere.

I can already see Tachibana's house.

Even so, it is a particularly large and spacious mansion located a further away from the residential area.

This is Tachibana's house.

It's really huge. Am I really going go into this house?

I was getting nervous.

After all, I was only wearing my usual jeans and T-shirt, but I regretted it when I came to the doorstep.

The entrance is like the entrance of an apartment building.

I wonder where's the intercom?

There are several device that looks like an intercom but I'm not really sure if those are an intercom, what if I press them at random and things get weird?

I sent a message to Tachibana saying, "I've arrived".

She then replied saying "I'm coming to get you!"

A few minutes later, Tachibana came out of the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

She operates something and the door opens from the other side.

"Long time no see! I haven't seen you since the summer festival..."

Tachibana's eyes then looks down and it looks like she's embarrassed.

That's right, we had been in touch thru call and text, but we hadn't actually met since the summer festival.

I missed her since it had been so long since we had seen each other.

When I realized that she's my girlfriend.

I suddenly felt nervous.

"That's right."

I don't know how close I am now to Tachibana as I still can't get over the feeling that we are friends.

"Let's go then."

"Okay."

Both of us are feeling awkward with each other but Tachibana leads the way.

Beyond the door is a large space with a grass line on concrete below.

And after that there is a two-story house with a flat roof.

I asked Tachibana the thing that is bothering me for quite a while.

"Is this the front door?"

"No, that's only the entrance."

...Entrance? I didn't know that there's a difference between an entrance and a front door.

Maybe I should have said "Ojama shimasu" earlier.

"This is the front door."

When Tachibana said that she opens a really big door.

I was speechless.

The entranceway is made of marble and on top lies a high-class mat.

Beyond the entranceway is a living room, or maybe it's not as there are no walls between the rooms, and it is giving it a great sense of openness.

And outside I can see a garden and a swimming pool.

This house is really a beautiful modern house.

It's amazing.

I was so overwhelmed that I can't speak.

"Oh, ojama shimasu..."*

"Let's go, my room is upstairs."

I took off my shoes and followed Tachibana.

Tachibana's room was apparently on the second floor.

I climbed the stairs and I was stunned by the sheer size of the room.

After climbing the stairs, there was a long hallway with several doors.

Tachibana opened the door near the stairs.

"This is my room."

Huh? This is Tachibana's room? Isn't this a living room?

To the left of the room is a single-size bed in black and white with a canopy and bed curtain.

It looks like something a princess would sleep on.

Next to it is a dresser with a large mirror and lots of makeup tools.

To the right of the room is a large bookshelf with various mangas.

At the front of the room is a table and a large TV with the latest video game consoles.

Because the house is located on a hill, Tachibana's room has a panoramic view of the city.

Below, there is a garden with a swimming pool and a hammock.

"Do you live here every day?"

"Of course as this is our house."

The lack of a sense of reality caused me to ask a question that makes no sense.

"Why don't you sit down."

I then sat down in front of the table in front of me.

"Your room is really amazing!"

"It's not that amazing, it's pretty normal, you know?"

"I don't think that you can count this as normal."

"I also want to go to your house sometimes."

"Maybe some other time."

It's kind of embarrassing for someone like her who lives in a place like this to come to our house.

"Ok! Let's make our plans right away!"

"Where do you want to go?"

"What shall we do?"

"The sea would be nice. Then we can go shopping, camping, and also we can go to a hot spring."

"That's really a lot of things."

Tachibana is smiling happily.

Well, with Tachibana, anywhere would be fun.

"Yeah."

"Are we going to stay overnight?"

I ask Tachibana that question purely because of my curiosity.

"That's fine with me."

But when she said that I imagined a lot of things.

"Also, I have a favor to ask..."

"What is it?"

"I want you to call me by my first name, because when you are calling me by my last name I felt that there's a distance between us."

"You're right let's do that, by the way can I use your bathroom?"

The situation got awkward that's why I want to run away.

"Okay! You need to go downstairs, then turn right, it's at the end of the hall."

I can't believe you can use the word "at the end of the street" inside a house?*

"Got it, thanks."

I left Tachibana's room and I went down the stairs.

I turn right as I was told.

I proceed to the end of the stairs.

I don't get what she meant by to the end of the hall at all.

The house is much larger than I thought.

I am looking for the restroom while walking besides the really large garden.

As I was walking I saw a lot of Japanese-style room with tatami mats.

This is really a stylish house with the fusion of Japanese and Western styles.

There it is, maybe this is the restroom.

After I went to the restroom I'm now walking back to the way that I came from.

This house seemed to have a lot of rooms.

Because of my curiosity I took a little detour and walked around Tachibana's house.

A few minutes later.
　
Ah, I'm completely lost.

I can't find my way back.

I'm completely regretting that I took a detour.

I went down the hallway looking for the stairs that leads to the second floor, and I came out on the porch.

In front of me, there is a garden like a dry landscape.

I can tell that it had been very carefully maintained.

It is really beautiful.

I looked to the side and saw a man of about 20 years old sitting on the porch a little further away.

I wonder if he's Tachibana's brother.

He has a brown hair and he's wearing glasses while reading a book.

I should ask him.

"Um, I was invited by Kyoko-san to come here, but can you please tell me where are the stairs that leads to the second floor?"

I spoke to him using the most respectful language I could.

Then he took his eyes off the book and looked at me.

"Ah, it's this way."

He got up from his seat and he started walking.

He's amazingly quiet and elegant.

I followed behind him and we came back to the path I had just taken.

We turned right and I finally saw the staircase.

I saw Tachibana's figure in front of the stairs.

"Ah there you are! You were late so I thought you might be lost. Ah! otou-san?"

Otou-san!

You've got to be kidding me he's too young.

He looks like he's just in his early 20s.

"Are you Kyoko's rumored boyfriend?"

"Y.. yes that's right, I'm going out with Kyoko-san."

What will he say.

My heart is pounding really hard as I've never experienced anything like this before.

"Take good care of my daughter."

"Yes!"

Oh, that's really good

I thought that he was going to kill me.


...


Tachibana is taking me to the station.

We are walking to the station together.

"I'm looking forward on going to the beach."

In the end, we decided to go to the beach.

Summer vacation may be short, but I hope to make a lot of memories with Tachibana.

I parted from Tachibana at the station ticket gate.

Then I turned around.

"See you later! Kyoko!"

I said her name while being embarrass.

"See you later! Kazuma!"

Tachibana said that as she waved her hands in the air.



Note: 1. "Ojama shimasu" literally means, "I'm going to get in your way" or " I will disturb you." It is used as a polite greeting when entering someone's home.

2. The exact translation is "Sorry to bother you" but for me it doesn't make any sense saying that as we are more accustomed to western culture so I'd put the original Japanese word.

3. This 2 lines is kind of lost in translation because Tachibana used the word "き当たり" which read as tsukiatari and it translates to the end of something like a hall or a street. Tachibana meant at the end of the hall but Kato interprets it as the end of the street.

4. Otou-san literally means father. I just though that using the word father in that situation isn't appropriate.