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~☆”

After To-san visited the house, some time had passed and the temperature was gradually rising.

It was currently spring break.

“Hmm, maybe I should find some active hobby to get into by the summer break…”

As usual, I was wrapped up in my futon in bed, cutting off all contact with the outside world.

It’s so decadent that it gives me the chills, but living alone means just that for me. I guess it suits my nature.

“Well, at least I’ll get up.”

I head downstairs to the living room and decide to absentmindedly watch some videos.

I need to think about food too, but going out feels like a drag.

Maybe I should order delivery? Just as I pick up the phone, the intercom rings.

“Huh?”

Did they anticipate my need and deliver without me even ordering? A silly thought crossed my mind for a moment, but that couldn’t be the case.

I could only think of one person who would visit.

It must be To-san.

I don’t count salespeople or solicitors as visitors, by the way.

“Another lecture, maybe?”

I don’t exactly think, ‘Oh boy,’ but it does make me a little gloomy.

While I appreciate that To-san is concerned about me, I do feel guilty about making him go out of his way.

“Coming, coming. Opening up now.”

I think of an excuse for To-san as I open the door.

“—Huh?”

“Hello there, Seiichiro-kun.”

“Yo, Sei-onii-san.”

…Damn it.

I haven’t learned.

I forgot to check the monitor at the entrance again.

“You guys, why—”

Standing at the door were not To-san but my former housekeepers.

“This time, we won’t let you escape.”

Escape? What are you guys talking about—your own lives, right?

“Here we are~”

“Hey, stop!”

Erika slips past me and enters the house on her own.

“Erika, shouldn’t you at least say ‘Excuse me’?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about?”

You should be asking for permission!

“In that case, excuse us.”

“What do you mean ‘in that case’?”

Bowing politely, though it doesn’t seem like she intends to leave, Karen also steps into the house.

“Excuse us.”

“Enough, okay? Fine!”

They close in on me, and I give up.

Following Erika, who had already entered, I also let Karen in.

“What is this mess?”

“Wow, the kitchen is terrible too. How did you manage this in such a short time?”

Annoying.

This is typical for a man living alone… probably.

“Leave it be. You guys aren’t living here anymore, it’s my business.”

I sit facing the Kamishiro sisters in the living room.

There’s a nostalgic feeling, as if we had been doing this until just yesterday. Captured by that strange sensation, I keep the conversation going without showing it on my face.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“Do we need a reason to come by~?”

Erika pouts, looking somewhat annoyed.

She’s saying the same thing as To-san.

“Of course you do. You both show up without any prior notice, obviously I’d think there’s a reason.”

“Well, we had preparations to make until today. Once those were done, we planned to come and ask you openly.”

“Ask? You need something from me?”

“Yes. Currently, we’re living with our mother. She’s been discharged from the hospital recently, and finding work is difficult for her, so we’re a bit tight on funds.”

Ah, that makes sense.

Is this a ‘can you lend us some money’ situation?

The reason is rather straightforward, at least.

Once money is involved, relationships can get messy, almost like a curse.

It’s a common story.

Normally, this would be a reason to send them away—.

“Sigh… How much do you need?”

I still asked for the amount.

I haven’t decided if I’ll actually lend them the money, but I do feel a bit stupid for even asking.

But in the end, this is a ship I’ve already boarded. As for these two, at least for now, I trust them enough to lend them money.

“…Judging by your reaction, you would really lend us the money if we ask, wouldn’t you, Seiichiro-kun?”

“Ah?”

“Seiichi-san, you’re really hopeless. I can’t leave you alone like this; it’s too worrying.”

“What!?”

What’s going on? Are they picking a fight?

They’re talking like I’m some vulnerable old person who lives alone and is prone to scams.

Wait, is that actually not far from the truth…?

“Even if you have money, if you spend it like that, you’ll end up penniless, you know?”

“Shut up. That’s why I’m saying I don’t want to get involved with people anymore.”

“Well, I wonder about that~? Even though you’re nosy. Anyway, we didn’t come here today to ask for money. We wouldn’t even dream of asking for something like that.”

If you’re seriously in trouble, then come and ask for help before things get complicated.

No, what did they come for then?

“We came today to job-hunt. It took a while to check on my mother’s health, explain the situation to her, and persuade her, but…”

“Job, hunting?”

“Yes. Please employ us to help with household chores.”

“I’ll take care of cooking, and Sis will handle the other chores. We’re a package deal and super affordable~! Plus, we’re planning to get other part-time jobs too, so you’ll save on food expenses. It’s a great deal!”

“If you let us manage the household finances, we’ll aim for a net zero after deducting our salary. It’s a bargain.”

…These two, they just don’t learn, do they?

“I don’t need that. Just giving me money would be better.”

“Come on~ You’re just lonely without us, right?”

“As if. I was finally getting comfortable being alone.”

Admitting to loneliness is out of the question.

It’s a feeling I’ll have to get used to and accept over the next few decades.

“Seiichi, you just want to be alone because you’re scared, right?”

“…Well, something like that.”

Karen and Erika probably already know, so I might as well admit it.

I am, beyond help, a cowardly, rotten person.

Now accept it and leave. Just leave me be.

“Living with you was fun. ‘Where could we go when summer comes? What could we do next winter?’ I even caught myself thinking about those things.”

That was true when we lived together.

“So that’s why I don’t want to be together anymore. I want a peaceful life. Alone or empty, a life with fewer risks is better. After all, risks and rewards come in pairs. You guys would be better off living a regular life with a family, right?”

Karen and Erika were too dazzling for me.

They could become poison to someone like me.

“Then what if I become your girlfriend? As a girlfriend, it’s normal to be together. I’ll do anything for you, even naughty stuff?”

“I don’t need a girlfriend. A normal romantic relationship is impossible for me.”

Considering the final breakup rate for high school sweethearts, it’s probably not good.

Especially for someone as high-spec as Erika, it would be like a toxic substance to me.

I don’t want to feel miserable later.

“What if I marry you? That would be a stronger bond than a girlfriend. It’s a contract set by the country, after all. I’ll dedicate myself to becoming your ideal family.”

“Look, I absolutely don’t want a family. Contracts don’t govern human emotions. The risk is too high.”

Thinking about divorce rates and the complications of raising children, I don’t even want to consider it.

How much risk is involved in starting a new family in this day and age?

Especially with someone as ideal as Karen, it would be the ultimate poison for me.

I don’t want to end up regretting it so much that I’d rather die.

“So you can’t trust in normal relationships or family, Seiichi. Then, is it back to household help?”

“Ha ha, that makes us complete strangers, huh? But you know the saying, better a close neighbor than a distant relative. We can be the closest strangers to you, Seiichi~”

“Wait, wait! That’s why I’m saying I won’t employ you!”

Neither lovers nor family are an option, and neither is employment.

“Seiichi, you’re so selfish~”

“Me!? You’re the ones forcing yourselves onto me!”

Why am I the one being treated like a spoiled child?

“Seiichi, you don’t want to take on any risks in your future life, but you still give us money when we’re in trouble. Doesn’t that already make your risk high?”

“That, well…”

I haven’t actually said I’d give them money yet, though.

“Right? And while I get that you’re worried about risks, it’s a waste to let an opportunity like this slip by, don’t you think~?”

“What do you mean, opportunity?”

“Well, the opportunity to have cute girls like us always around, of course.”

She really just said that. Well, it’s Erika, and it’s true.

But they don’t understand that the cuteness itself is the risk.

The emotional loss isn’t something you can cover up with any amount of money.

“Don’t you think life is a gamble, Seiichi?”

“It’s not like it, it is one.”

People make around 35,000 “decisions” each day.

Life is a series of choices and decisions, and no matter how carefully you choose, there’s always an element of luck. Of course, life is a gamble.

“So, this is just another gamble. Would you like to place a bet with us?”

“What?”

Bet, with Karen and Erika?