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It’s nice, so nice, being a NEET is so nice~¹

An extremely inappropriate parody song for a grown adult played in my head. I was about to turn 24, yet here I was, living the NEET life to the fullest. If my late grandma found out, she’d probably be sobbing in her grave.

But honestly, it couldn’t be helped — this NEET lifestyle was just too perfect.

Free from the stress of work, my only regular responsibility was doing housework for Ibuki. The rest of my time was mine to spend on my hobbies, and since Ibuki barely ever left the house, we were together all the time. It was nothing short of paradise. Knowing how good this felt, I might never be able to resign from my position as a stay-at-home security guard.

Sometimes I did think I should get a job, but Ibuki had told me not to look for work. Apparently, I was going to marry her and become a full-time housewife, so finding a job now would probably be pointless.

“Hehe… A housewife… I’m going to be Ibuki’s wife… Ehehe.”

Even though she hadn’t even proposed to me yet, I couldn’t stop my face from going slack with a goofy smile.

I wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the line, Ibuki’s approach to romance had matured. She wasn’t as flippant as she used to be. The serious look on her face when she asked me to keep my birthday free made me fall for her all over again.

She called it a date, and she’d even told me not to go on any matchmaking meetings since we were going to get married. So, if she was planning something for my birthday, it had to be a proposal.

I’d turned her down every time she’d brought up marriage before, but if she seriously proposed, I wouldn’t be able to refuse. No, there was no way I’d even want to refuse.

The only reason I’d rejected her in the past was because she made it sound like she just wanted someone to take care of the house. As someone who’d been harboring a one-sided crush for years, hoping for more felt like too much to ask. But if the person I loved was willing to put a ring on my finger — even if I was basically being treated like a live-in maid — I knew I’d happily accept.

I’d only held out because I didn’t want to be that much of a pushover. But now that Ibuki seemed to be thinking seriously about us, I didn’t think I could hold back anymore. I might as well just give in.

Besides, Ibuki had been way too adorable lately. Maybe something had changed in her heart, because she’d started blushing whenever I touched her, and she was way more physically affectionate than before.

We’d always been together, but we’d never really clung to each other. Honestly, I’d been scared that if I touched her too much, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. And Ibuki had never seemed all that interested in physical contact.

But now, whenever she had the chance, she’d sit right next to me, pressing herself against my side. She’d even started sneaking into my bed at night. It felt like living with an overly affectionate cat.

She was at work right now, so we weren’t together, but I knew that as soon as she got home, she’d probably stick to me like glue.

Ding-dong.

As I was daydreaming about the sweet, lovey-dovey time we’d have in a few hours, the doorbell rang. It was unusual, since we both had our own keys, and I didn’t remember ordering anything.

Maybe Ibuki forgot her key?

“Hey, did you forget your key?”

I unlocked the front door, but instead of Ibuki, I found a tall, stunning woman I didn’t recognize standing on the other side.

“…Who are you?”

It was hard to tell with her heels on, but she looked like she was over 170 cm tall. Her sharp, upward-tilted eyes gave her an intense, almost glaring expression, but her features were undeniably beautiful even when she looked like she wanted to skewer me with her gaze. She was the kind of person you wouldn’t forget after meeting once — maybe she was someone Ibuki knew?

“That’s my line. Who are you? This is Ibu-chan’s house, isn’t it?”
“Uh, yeah, it is…”

The fact that she called her “Ibu-chan” probably meant she was an acquaintance of Ibuki’s. But I hadn’t heard anything about having a visitor today. Then again, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ibuki had just forgotten to mention it.

“Move. I’m here to see Ibu-chan.”
“Ibuki’s out at work right now, but if you don’t mind waiting, you can come in.”
“…Fine.”

I had no clue who she was, but if she was someone Ibuki knew, I couldn’t just turn her away. Judging by the fact that I’d never heard of her, she was most likely someone from work.

“Would you prefer coffee or tea?”
“Coffee. Black — no sugar, no milk.”
“Got it.”

I didn’t have anything fancy to offer an unexpected guest, but I figured I could at least make her a drink.

“Hey. What exactly are you to Ibu-chan?”
“Um, we’re childhood friends, and for now, I guess we’re roommates?”
“…You weren’t here the last time I visited. When did you start freeloading off her, you thieving cat?”
“Did you say something?”
“Nothing at all.”

I was in the middle of making the coffee, so I didn’t catch what she muttered. When I asked her to repeat herself, she brushed it off, but it didn’t feel like a friendly comment.

“By the way, you’re Ibuki’s acquaintance, right?”
“Of course I am. I’m Onda Kae. I’ve known Ibu-chan for over a year now.”
“Oh, I see.”
“But that’s not all. We’ve been dating for the past six months.”

When I heard her comment, time… didn’t stop.

“What kind of joke is that?”
“Huh?”
“You’re lying, right? About dating her.”
“I’m not lying. Just because you didn’t know doesn’t mean it isn’t true. We’ve gone on tons of dates, and she’s even stayed over at my place.”

Onda-san rattled off her claims like she was firing bullets. Maybe someone else would’ve bought her bluff, but not me.

“Listen, Onda-san. You might not know this, but I’ve been managing Ibuki’s meals for years. I cook every single meal, 365 days a year. So if she stayed out overnight and missed a meal, I’d notice. And since that’s never happened even once, it’s pretty obvious you’re lying.”

Technically, there was one day I couldn’t make her a meal, but on that day, Ibuki hadn’t eaten anything at all. Every other time, she always ate the meals I prepped for her. So the idea that she stayed out somewhere without me knowing was impossible.

“Wha…?”
“I don’t know why you’d bother telling such a ridiculous lie, but honestly, Ibuki—”
“I’m home! What’s going on?”

Before I could finish, the living room door swung open, and of all times, Ibuki came home.

“Ibuki.”
“Ibu-chan!”

I stepped forward, ready to take Ibuki’s coat and bag, but Onda-san beat me to it — practically launching herself into Ibuki’s arms.

“Why are you here, Kae?”
“I wanted to see you. We haven’t talked much lately, and I started feeling lonely.”

Clinging to Ibuki and speaking in a sugary-sweet voice, Onda-san’s attitude was a complete 180 from how she’d treated me earlier. It was honestly nauseating to watch.

“It’s hot, let go.”
“No waaay. I finally get to see you, so I wanna stay like this a little longer.”

Even though Ibuki told her to back off, Onda just held on tighter, refusing to let go. I didn’t know exactly what kind of relationship they had, but wasn’t she being a little too clingy with my Ibuki?

“Um, Ibuki doesn’t seem comfortable with this. Could you let go, please?”
“Huh? Ibu-chan, you don’t want me to? But hugging when we see each other is totally normal, right?”
“Well… yeah, I guess.”
“What?”

Onda-san’s words didn’t faze me at all, but hearing Ibuki herself confirm them hit me like a truck.

“Yukino, do you and Kae know each other?”

I couldn’t even register Ibuki’s question. How could I, when I’d just been slapped in the face with a full-blown, broad-daylight affair confession?

“Hey… Wh-what do you mean you usually hug like that?”

My voice trembled as I asked, but it was the infuriating Onda-san who answered instead.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. Whenever I see Ibu-chan, we always stick together like this. Our height difference is perfect, so when I hug her from behind, she looks like she enjoys it. Right, Ibu-chan?”
“Is that true, Ibuki…?”

I wanted her to deny it — to tell me it was all a lie. We’d only just started getting closer, finally bridging the gap between us with small moments of physical affection. I couldn’t bear the thought that a woman this clueless about personal boundaries had been hovering around her all this time. But the fact that Ibuki wasn’t even trying to forcibly pry her off said more than words ever could.

“Well, she’s not exactly wrong. Whenever we run into each other at the studio, Kae always comes flying at me.”
“I… see.”

Sure, hugging between women wasn’t that unusual. Even I had friends in high school who’d fling themselves at me for a cuddle. But Ibuki, who guarded her personal space so carefully, letting someone get that close to her… That truth settled over me like a crushing weight.

1. TLN: A play on a popular japanese child song Humans Are Nice

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