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~☆”

“So you’ll be living here?”

“…Huh?”

Hold on a minute. Something’s off.

“Ah, you’ve heard from Mr. Higashi, haven’t you?”

The moment I saw Kami-shiro’s bewildered expression, I felt a connection in my mind.

I jumped up and quickly dialed the phone.

The other party answered after a few rings.

“Yeah, yeah. I thought you’d be calling about now.”

“Hey, what’s the meaning of all this?”

“You’ve got quite a mouth on you. Probably just what you’re thinking. Kami-shiro came crying to me, saying ‘No matter what, I want to repay Kaga-mi’s kindness!'”

I recall that she did say something about giving me her contact information…

“That’s why I introduced her to a live-in job. A simple job taking care of a lonely boy who doesn’t do housework and lazes around all day,” she said.

“Are you out of your mind!?”

“Yeah. Because you might really go through life without interacting with anyone. It’s a good opportunity, so you should really do something about it.”

“But I…”

Trusting others is…

“I’m not saying you should trust Kami-shiro with all your heart. Considering what you’ve been through, I can see why you wouldn’t easily trust people. But even if it’s a whim, isn’t it okay to take some responsibility for helping her?”

“Re… responsibility?”

“Whether it’s for any reason, you should be prepared to receive gratitude for extending a hand. And hey, even if you pick up a dog, you’re supposed to take care of it until the end, right?”

She’s talking nonsense.

And treating me like a dog is simply rude. But then again, dogs are cute. That’s beside the point, though.

“She has her pride, too. It’s not enough to just give her money and tell her to do as she pleases. If it’s really uncomfortable, you can kick her out halfway, but why not give her a chance?”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“But it is simple. And it’s good for her too. If it turns out to be a long-term live-in, she’ll save on rent. You have extra rooms, don’t you?”

Sure, there are plenty of extra rooms…

I had bought a large house at a discount because it was supposedly haunted.

Incidentally, I’ve never experienced any paranormal phenomena.

I was living alone and wouldn’t have minded a ghost or two for company…

“Her mother seems to be in the hospital for quite some time. She has a younger sister, too, and their living situation is rather strained.”

“Ah, enough already. Alright, alright. I give in.”

“I’m glad you understand! If you have any problems, just contact me. And don’t do anything inappropriate with the cute girl, okay?”

“Who would do that?”

I hang up the phone.

And I’m feeling pretty ticked off. I don’t care what happens now.

“Um…”

Kami-shiro tentatively starts talking to me.

From what I’ve heard, is there a possibility that she might have trouble finding a place to live if I refuse…?

“I understand. You’re going to live here, right?”

“Yes! The only thing I can do now is… well, I think I can handle the basic housework…”

For some reason, Kami-shiro stands up and bows her head very politely.

Housework, huh? I certainly don’t cook or clean, and I’ve been living a slovenly life. But I never thought of paying someone else to do it for me.

But now that I’ve decided to have it done, I’ll have to make various decisions.

“You can use the entire second floor as I sleep on the first floor. Feel free to use the kitchen and bathroom. As for the small rules, we’ll decide on those later.”

I speak in a resigned tone, and Kami-shiro diligently takes notes.

She’s undoubtedly a beautiful girl.

And her chest is bigger than I thought…

Living with her from today on makes me feel dizzy, and I open my mouth to discuss the most important matter.

“Oh, we need to talk about money, your salary. What’s the going rate for live-in house help? Should I look it up online, or would it be safer to ask Ms. Higashi?”

“It seems that daily wages range from one to fifty thousand yen. But of course, I don’t intend to take any money! I came here to repay my debt with my body, not with cash.”

“…What did you say?”

What is she talking about?

She’s not here to live in lieu of money, right? And “repaying with the body” sounds vulgar; can’t she stop saying that!?

“I came here on my own accord, so it’s natural that I don’t receive a salary. …This is the only thing I can do… This is the only way I can repay your kindness. So please, give me time and opportunity!”

Again, Kami-shiro bows deeply, leaving me dumbfounded.

She really came here just to repay a favor.

That’s insane.

“Look, if you think of it simply as repaying a debt through labor, a daily wage of one hundred thousand, or two hundred thousand, or even three hundred thousand is fine. Then you’ll be done quickly.”

Even with rough calculations, it would take several tens of days. Like the entire summer vacation.

If she’s as cute as Kami-shiro, she should be able to enjoy a rosy school life as much as she wants.

It’s probably best to finish as quickly as possible and live a carefree student life, free from debt.

That’s probably what ordinary youth is like.

“No, I will assist you as long as you wish, Mr. Kaga-mi. Of course, if I can earn money in the future, I will gradually repay you in cash as well.”

Wh-what? What’s that!?

“Wait a minute, wasn’t it about living here to repay the debt?”

“No, this time I came to repay the favor you did for me. So I think cash repayment is separate. That’s why I’ll do anything without pay now!”

She’s too conscientious! Or rather, too damn serious!

What kind of person is she, not suitable for social life at all?

She could get by in the world with her looks, but with this personality, I can only see a future of hardship.

“You’re an idiot! You can’t just tell a guy that you’ll do anything without setting a limit!”

“Eh? Ah. Well, I do want to trust you, Mr. Kaga-mi, but I won’t do anything very… extreme, right?”

“I wouldn’t, but still!”

But to trust and live with someone based on that is dangerously naive.

I’m a healthy male too. Well, my lifestyle is unhealthy.

Ah, I’m getting a bit confused myself.

“Anyway, I can’t approve of live-in work without pay. Whether you consider it as debt repayment is up to you, but I’ll pay you at least the going rate.”

Human relationships can easily be broken by money.

Conversely, a relationship that can be settled with money is what I can tolerate.

An employer who pays and an employee who receives. That’s acceptable.

Purely goodwill-based relationships might easily collapse someday.

The damage from such a relationship would be far greater than from an employment relationship.

“I can’t accept it. I came here solely for my pride and feelings. It’s not right for me to receive money for my selfishness.”

Kami-shiro looks at me with soft, yet determined eyes.

No matter how hard she tries to look stern, she’s just cute.

But then, she suddenly averts her gaze and looks down at the floor.

“…If you hadn’t come that day, Mr. Kaga-mi, I don’t know what would have happened to me. Or to my sister. This is a problem that arose from money, but it’s not something that can be settled with money alone, so please…”

Kami-shiro, as if suppressing a slight tremor, holds her body with one arm.

Perhaps the fear from that time still lingers vividly within her.

“So I want you to grant my selfish request. Please, I beg you.”

Once again, Kami-shiro bows deeply.

She really is here just to repay a favor.

I can’t believe it.

“…Ugh. Alright, fine. It’s on hold.”

“What?”

“It’s on hold. Do as you please with the live-in arrangement. The salary issue is on hold for now. Well, I haven’t seen your work yet. We can decide the amount later, based on commission.”

I’ll consult with Ms. Higashi later and decide the salary on my own.

“You’re more stubborn than I thought, Mr. Kaga-mi.”

“That’s my line. I didn’t think Kami-shiro-san would be so pushy. You seemed more gentle at school, didn’t you?”

“I have to maintain a surface-level relationship at school, don’t I?”

…So she’s not just a good-natured, naive honor student?

Having many surface-level relationships means that she has another side to her in private.

“But I’m glad. You’re even kinder than I thought, Mr. Kaga-mi.”

“—What?”

“With this, I can wholeheartedly repay your kindness.”

She clenches her fist with determination, and I feel a genuine sense of dizziness.

She’s REALLY not suited for human society!

Judging a person’s inner character just because they gave you a little money is the height of folly.

“I mean, I…”

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Kami-shiro says this with a smile that seems even more beautiful than the one I often see at school—a smile filled with some sort of determination.

I’m at a loss for words, looking at such a beautiful smile.

This is why I hated getting involved with women.

I’m a healthy male, okay? Naturally, I’m weak against beautiful women.

Even though I’ve learned from watching my parents that male-female relationships are one of the factors that can ruin a life, I’ve avoided relationships with girls as much as possible.

“…Damn it. Alright, I got it. For now, let’s just say we’ll get along for a while.”

“Yes!”

And so, the life with the troublesome female acquaintance who came to live with me because of money began. Kami-shiro Karen’s life with me had just started.