Chapter 10: Buhao! It’s a Trap!

“Don’t worry, my mother won’t eat you —”

The two of them actually lived on the same floor.

Akiba Sakura’s home was right across from Yuuma Tsugumu’s, so they arrived at her front door in just a few steps.

But even though they were already there, Tsugumu’s heart still beat with hesitation.

“What kind of thing is that to say… Just think about it. Barging in right at dinner time without any warning? Tell me, is that polite or not…”

“Humph —”

The corners of Sakura’s mouth curled up slightly.

“Then why did you follow me so obediently?”

“That’s nonsense. My mom is up to something. She suddenly kicked me out. If I don’t eat at your place, am I supposed to go out and eat the wind?”

As Yuuma Mariko’s biological son, Tsugumu knew his mother would definitely find a way to make sure he scrounged a meal at Sakura’s house today.

Rather than arguing and ending up without dinner, it was better to just accept it.

‘Anyway… it’s not like I’ve never been here before…’

Thinking this, Tsugumu looked at the food Sakura was carrying in both hands.

He pursed his lips and reached out.

“Give me the bags. I’ll carry them for you.”

“Oh? Are you really helping me carry them? Why do I feel like you just want to run off with the food?”

Despite her words, Sakura handed the plastic bags over to Tsugumu.

After all, he had been carrying heavy objects for her for a long time.

She was used to Tsugumu being her ‘Little Laborer.’

“Stop joking. Go knock on the door. When we get in, you have to… explain things for me…”

“Who needs an explanation? Oh, honestly…”

Sakura shook her head with a smile, stepped up to the door, and knocked gently.

“Mom, Dad, I’m back!”

“Coming, coming!”

A muffled but clear female voice drifted from inside.

As the security door slowly opened, a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Sakura appeared.

“You’re back? Oh, my, look who you brought with you!”

Akiha Shiori’s eyes lit up when she saw the boy standing behind her daughter.

“Hehe… Hello, Ma’am. I’ve come to mooch a meal…”

Tsugumu scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Come in, come in! You are more than welcome here —”

Mrs. Akiha smiled as she ushered Sakura and Tsugumu into the entryway.

Her eyes then fixed on the plastic bags in Tsugumu’s hands, and she asked curiously, “What are those…?”

“Oh, Mom, Mrs. Yuuma was worried Tsugumu would go hungry over here, so…”

“That woman! What does she think of me!”

Mrs. Akiha immediately put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks, glaring angrily at the peephole of the door across the hall.

She had a feeling that Mariko was currently hiding behind her own door, peering through the peephole to watch them.

“Tsugumu, don’t you worry. I promise to feed you until you’re plump and happy!”

“Ah, thank you, Ma’am…”

Tsugumu nodded with a forced smile and slowly closed the security door.

“Give me the food. I’ll go see what your mother prepared. You go play in Sakura’s bedroom for a bit. I’ll call you down when everything is ready —”

“Ma’am, let me help you…”

“No need, no need! Off you go!”

As if she had heard something she didn’t want to hear, Mrs. Akiha hurriedly ducked into the kitchen with a laugh and slammed the door shut.

“…”

“…”

“Do you think… your mom hates me…?”

“How is that even possible…”

Sakura rolled her eyes at Tsugumu and checked the pendulum clock on the wall.

“Hmm… It’s still early, so…”

Sakura turned back to Tsugumu with a mischievous smile.

“Tsugumu, Tsugumu~ Come on — let’s go play in my room~”

“Uh…”

Tsugumu felt a chill run down his spine.

“No… I’ll just watch some TV in the living room… Mrs. Akiha should be done soon…”

“…”

Tsugumu watched as Sakura’s expression darkened, and he wisely chose not to continue.

“Fine… fine…”

“Mm-hmm, that’s my obedient Tsugumu. Good boy~”

Seeing Sakura’s triumphant smile, Tsugumu felt like crying but had no tears.

***

“Come in. Why are you standing outside the door like an idiot?”

“…”

Sakura was already sitting on a floor cushion inside the room, but Tsugumu remained in the hallway.

Everything in Sakura’s room was pink.

From the ceiling to the furniture, the primary theme was cherry blossom pink, overflowing with a girly atmosphere.

As the saying goes, ‘Pinker Avatar Harsher Insults.’

Only now did Tsugumu have a sudden realization.

‘Clearly… the internet guys didn’t lie to me. Girls who like pink really are fierce, whether they’re insulting you or fighting…’

It wasn’t that he had never been in Sakura’s room before, but that was back in middle school.

Since he had unilaterally ‘broken off’ with her, this was the first time he had stepped inside.

Although the interior decor hadn’t changed much, the change in his state of mind was the real deciding factor.

“Excuse me.”

After preparing himself mentally, he stepped into Sakura’s room.

“Hehe…”

At that moment, the corners of Sakura’s mouth curled into a deep, meaningful smile, and her eyes sparkled with ‘calculation.’

‘Buhao!’

Tsugumu felt a surge of dread the moment he saw that smile.

He tried to turn around and bolt, but the door slammed shut behind him with a heavy thud, followed by the distinct click of a lock.

“Humph, where do you think you’re going, Tsugumu? I finally caught you, didn’t I?”

Sakura was waving a device that looked like a remote control, her smugness completely unconcealed.

“…What’s with this door…”

“Ah ha~”

Sakura’s interest was piqued.

She began to introduce the remote control in her hand as if the question had hit exactly what she wanted to talk about.

“Thanks to my dad finding someone to remodel my door. When I press the close button on the remote, the door closes automatically. And if I press the red button next to it —”

Sakura raised her hand and pressed the red button on the Miniature Remote Control.

Click —

The crisp sound was unmistakably the sound of a door lock disengaging!

‘Now’s my chance!’

Tsugumu’s mind raced, and his muscles tensed.

He whirled around, grabbed the door handle, and twisted it several times…

The door didn’t budge.

“???”

“Jiejiejie… Small fry~”

Sakura doubled over with laughter, then stood up to show him the Miniature Remote Control.

“Scrub Tsugumu, open your eyes and look at what’s written on the red button~”

“???”

At her words, Tsugumu turned back to Sakura — specifically toward the remote in her hand.

There was a small sticker on the red button.

The words on it were:

‘Double-lock.’

‘So… that sound just now was the sound of another lock engaging?’