I paid off the debt for the most beautiful sisters in the school, and then they barged into my house where I live alone. “Please go back home; you don’t need to repay the favor.” “No way.” “We don’t want to~☆”

“I was really surprised to be called out all of a sudden. Seriously, what’s going on here, Seiichiro-kun?”

“Sorry, Azuma-san.”

A little while later, a passenger car with “Azuma Law Firm” written on it parked in the apartment’s parking lot, and a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties got out.

She has never told me her actual age, though.

“This kid, really…”

“Shut up.”

The debt collectors are glaring at us with a tense atmosphere.

Well, if a lawyer suddenly intervenes, they would be somewhat bothered.

But we don’t intend to prolong this situation either. We’ll pay the money properly.

Issues that can be resolved with money should be settled with money to avoid any lingering problems.

“So, shall we move soon? You wouldn’t want to waste time either.”

First, to the bank. Maybe we can settle this matter today.

I have to talk to Kamiyo’s parents as well.

“Come on, Kamiyo, don’t just stand there dazed. Let’s go.”

“Eh…? But, I, I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“It’s fine. Just do as I say for now.”

I don’t feel like explaining the situation to the bewildered Kamiyo.

Rather, I intend to completely end my relationship with her because of this incident.

One should never trust a connection made with money.

A life lesson for me. That’s why talking to Kamiyo will be the first and last time.

In conclusion, we were able to settle most of the matter in one day.

Kamiyo’s father is deceased, and her mother is hospitalized, so we couldn’t finish everything related to her parents that day.

But, well, I can leave that to Azuma-san. I’ve already paid her for this time.

The debt collector also backed off quietly after receiving the money.

As long as they get what they want, they probably don’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble.

It seemed that they found out along the way that Azuma-san was a lawyer who had dealt with various cases like this one.

“Ha. I never thought you’d actually pay. What on earth are you?”

“Nothing special, just a regular high school student. I just happened to have a large amount of savings.”

“Is that so? You’re quite generous. Lucky girl, having a crazy guy like you as a classmate. Make sure you thank him properly.”

“…I, I am…”

Kamiyo was confused until the end.

Of course. I directed it that way.

I ignored her wishes and pushed the matter forward, intending to settle it as quickly as possible, and immediately went home.

To Kamiyo, everything must have ended before she knew what was happening.

I’m aware that I acted rashly.

Therefore, I think I have to listen to Azuma-san’s complaints over the phone.

“I was really surprised by what happened today, Seiichiro-kun. It was sudden, and I don’t want to say this to you, but don’t you think this matter was too reckless?”

“I know. But this will be the first and last time.”

Looking back, the events of today were indeed too rash, even from my perspective.

I don’t understand why I did so much for just a classmate.

“Ha~. Considering your financial assets, you could certainly pay that amount. Well, it’s fine. I’ve known you for quite some time, and Mr. Izumi asked me to take care of you too. Contact me immediately if something else comes up.”

“Thank you.”

“…I’m genuinely pleased that you moved for someone else’s sake.”

I felt Azuma-san’s emotions draw a little closer.

An older sister who personally worries about me, perhaps?

I’m grateful, and at the same time, I feel sorry.

After all, I didn’t help Kamiyo out of kindness or compassion as she might think.

“It’s nothing. The money wasn’t even earned legitimately in the first place. This was purely a coincidence. I have no intention of getting involved with Kamiyo in the future.”

“Isn’t that too extreme? Even though I won’t tell you to trust others more, I think it’s good to have some interaction between students, right?”

“I’ll at least greet her.”

I heard Azuma-san sigh over the phone.

A deep sigh mixed with concern and resignation.

“Why don’t you ask her to be your lover in exchange for paying her debt? She was really cute.”

“Don’t say something so stupid. Wouldn’t that make me look like a villain?”

“It’s a joke. But, considering your past, it seems like you won’t be able to have a lover without such a strange reason.”

A lover, huh? I probably can’t have one.

There’s no way a person who can’t trust others can form such a relationship.

“Anyway, talk to her at least once. She must be confused.”

“I know.”

But it’s a hassle.

Getting involved with people is truly troublesome.

“Good morning, Kagami-kun.”

“…Good morning, Kamiyo-san.”

“I need to talk to you about yesterday.”

I knew this would happen.

After everything was settled, the next morning, Kamiyo approached me without hesitation as I arrived at school.

Of course, she must be seeking an explanation about the debt.

“Ah, can we talk about it later? It’s not something to discuss here.”

We were already attracting attention in the class.

To be precise, Kamiyo talking to someone as inconspicuous as me is what caught everyone’s attention.

“Understood. See you later, then.”

Later, huh? That’s fine, but I hope this is the last time.

However, as expected, Kamiyo promptly came to me after school.

I stood up, and she followed as I began to walk. We remained silent.

We didn’t speak a word to each other until we left the school and entered a nearby cafe.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Are you aware? It’s about yesterday.”

“The debt? It’s been resolved. Azuma-san should have explained everything to you.”

“Yes, she told me that you took over my debt. She said to accept it as a simple kindness and gave me her business card in case I need help again.”

Azuma-san sure knows how to provide after-service, even if her explanation seems rough.

“That’s the end of the story, right? The debt is gone, and it’s a happy ending.”

“It’s not over, nor is it gone. The debt has just been transferred to you, Kagami-kun.”

“I don’t need it. Didn’t you hear from Azuma-san?”

I’m not lending or borrowing money. Did Azuma-san forget to tell her?

“I did. She said not to pay it back, just thank you, and that was it.”

“What, you heard her. Then that’s fine. Now, let’s go home.”

“――You can’t seriously think I’d be satisfied with that, can you!?”

Kamiyo suddenly raised a loud, angry, and almost painful voice.

Her emotions seemed to crack like ice, spilling from her face.

Confusion and bewilderment, things like that.

“Why would you spend so much money on me? Why would you do this for just a classmate you’ve hardly talked to? I don’t understand what’s going on… How should I thank you for this? Just saying thank you doesn’t come close…!!”

――Ah, this is really troublesome.

Kamiyo is probably scared.

I would be too if a stranger suddenly paid a huge sum of money.

But that’s fine. Being cautious is natural and right.

That’s why anything I say will be in vain.

No words will be trusted, nor should they be.

In other words, not saying anything and not getting involved with each other is the correct answer.

“If you want to thank me, I have two requests.”

“…What?”

Hope seemed to light up Kamiyo’s face for a moment, but I must completely shatter it.

“End this conversation here. And never talk to me again. That’s it.”

“What?!”

“Also, I didn’t help you because you’re Kamiyo. It was just a coincidence that I noticed. And it happened to be a problem I could easily solve. So I just stuck my nose in to kill time. That’s all. Sorry, but there’s nothing complex about this matter as you might think.”

I stood up, leaving her unable to move in silence.

“See you.”

“…………”

Kamiyo didn’t respond.