My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 385

"I am aware of my own shortcomings..."

"You should also remember to remind yourself that you can graduate from being a tsundere."

"Who are you calling arrogant!"

We chatted about these trivial topics, and before we knew it, it was our turn.

The six takoyaki, packaged in a paper boat box, were drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with seaweed powder and gently floating bonito flakes. Yui's seemed to be drizzled with mayonnaise.

We carried our food as we squeezed through the crowds on the approach to the shrine. It wasn't convenient to eat while walking, so we decided to eat here instead.

So I picked up the two toothpicks stuck in the takoyaki, but...

"……Come."

Before I even started eating, Yui stuck one of her own takoyaki pieces in her mouth and brought it to my lips.

(Illustration 008)

"Since the flavors are quite different, how about we swap one?"

"...So you've already started acting all tsundere?"

"No, that's not it."

The girl was a little upset.

"There is no arrogance, only coquettishness."

great.

I caught the mayonnaise-flavored takoyaki, which was offered to me as proof of our love, with my mouth.

"—It's so hot!"

Kawanami Kogure's Journey to Osaka - Part Two

"—It's so hot!"

The moment I put the takoyaki in my mouth, I screamed.

Nan, who was sitting next to me, chuckled.

"Of course it's hot! You need to blow on it. Blow on it~"

"Huff... Huff..."

"Phew~"

"Wow!"

Nan suddenly leaned over and blew on the takoyaki near my mouth.

I almost got kissed by her, and I quickly pulled my face back.

Nan chuckled again.

"It's cold by now, isn't it?"

"Let's see how you compensate us if you destroy it..."

I complained as I put the takoyaki back into my mouth, shouting that it was too hot as I savored it.

"tasty……"

"Is it qualified to be included in the Michelin Guide?"

"This is absolutely Michelin standard, no wonder it's Michelin."

"You're just relying on intelligence."

"Hey, which comic book reference is this? I've seen it online."

Nan put her piping hot takoyaki into her mouth and exclaimed, "It's so delicious!" Her eyes lit up.

"This is truly local cuisine; it's so different from frozen food or chain stores!"

"How can it be made so melt-in-your-mouth? I can never make it like this at home, no matter how many times I try."

For a while, we were just focused on enjoying takoyaki.

We sat on a concrete bench in Triangle Park. Besides tourists like us, the only other people nearby were young people who seemed to breakdance on the street after dark.

The two of us high school students skipped our class reunion and came all the way from Kyoto here, which made me feel a little out of place. But that was definitely just in my head; the pedestrians on the street were too busy shopping to notice us at all.

Nobody is watching me.

No one will have a crush on me.

Whenever I have this real feeling, I feel my mood lighten up...

"Where should we go next? Just eating takoyaki isn't enough, is it?"

After finishing her takoyaki, Nan talked while using her phone to find a restaurant.

"Why don't we just go try some other takoyaki places? There are plenty of others, aren't there?"

"Oh, great idea! Let's go!"

Later, we ate at every takoyaki and takoyaki shop in the vicinity, then browsed secondhand clothing stores, and even tried our hand at claw machines in the basement of a commercial facility.

Don't think about anything.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

It's like going back to childhood, where time flies by.

Finally—

—Sunset is approaching.

As the sky gradually turned orange, feelings of loneliness and unease swelled within me.

It's getting late... I should go home.

And we also need to apologize to everyone for sneaking out of the class reunion without saying a word...

"Don't you want to go back?"

I think I could tell from my expression, because Nan leaned closer and looked at my face as she said this.

"It's okay, then let's not go back. Let's stay a little longer, that's what I was planning anyway."

"What do you mean, 'stay a little longer'... But if we don't leave now, it might be late at night when we get back. We look like high school students; if the police see us, they'll definitely arrest us and send us for counseling."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I've already thought about this."

Nan looked at something on her phone, then said, "Let's go this way," and took my hand.

We moved from American Village toward Namba, walking for a while next to a huge Takashimaya, and the number of pedestrians on the road gradually decreased.

"It should be around here—"

While looking around, he said, "How should I put it... it's an alley with a strange atmosphere."

Rest, accommodation, REST, STAY, flexible hours, welcome to girls' gatherings, 2900 yen, 8000 yen, no entry for those under 18.

"You...you wouldn't—!"

"I did some research with a certain bad senior beforehand."

Nan showed a smug smile, clearly pleased with his successful prank.

"I asked her if there were any crime hotels that minors could stay in."

To put it bluntly, it's just a street full of love hotels.

It really is all love hotels. Next to a hotel is another hotel, and then another hotel right next to that. Love hotels are more densely packed here than ramen shops are on Ramen Street.

"Ah, it seems to be a little further out."

Nan strode forward, and I followed cautiously.

As I passed by a building that resembled a giant pink candy castle, its overtly romantic hotel-style decor startling me, another building unexpectedly came into view. Its exterior looked no different from a small or medium-sized enterprise office, yet it bore signs for "Rest" and "Accommodation." If I had simply walked past it without thinking, I might not have noticed it at all.

Passing by signs that had nothing to do with minors, Nan stopped just as we crossed a street and found the surrounding landscape had changed dramatically.

"This is it—"

It's practically urban camouflage.

At first glance, it doesn't look like a hotel at all. It's just an ordinary storefront in an ordinary building, with room rates discreetly displayed. The entrance is a hidden design, like a public restroom, creating an atmosphere of clandestine activity.

"Hey... are you serious?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Just walk in openly and honestly and everything will be fine... I heard that."

I was so frightened that I stood still, while Nan seemed quite happy in comparison.

She took my arm, leaned against me in a very seductive way, and practically dragged me into the hall.

In the dimly lit space, there were brightly lit vending machines, almost blindingly so, like those used in late-night vending machines. The machine screens were divided into about twenty sections, each displaying a photo of a guest room and its price.

"Which one should we choose?"

Nan asked me in a relaxed manner, but I was so nervous that my whole body stiffened.

Some of the cubicles were lit, while others were dark; the lit ones were probably empty. In other words, the dark rooms meant someone was currently resting…

"...Anything cheap will do."

To suppress my inner turmoil, I deliberately spoke in a rougher tone.

Calm down, calm down. As it stands, this is supposed to be a self-service counter, so you shouldn't encounter anyone before entering the room… There's nothing to be afraid of; it's just for the night, no different from a regular hotel. Calm down, calm down…

"This one will do."

Nan gently pressed the grid at the bottom of the screen with her slender fingers. That seemed to have selected a room; the machine dispensed a receipt with the room number and a key. Was payment due upon check-out?

After Nan received the receipt and keys, we walked together from the dimly lit lobby into the interior.

We stepped into the elevator. I listened to the soft hum of the machine, surrendering to the gentle force of gravity. The elevator doors opened quickly, and we walked down the deserted corridor.

I felt so nervous that even my toes went stiff. I took a deep breath and tried not to let Nan notice.

"This one, please."

South compares whether the numbers on the receipt match those on the room number plate.

This is the one.

She opened the door with her key.

"It's so dark!"

The room was like a moonlit road at night, with only a faint light source. We went inside, closed the door, but the light still didn't turn on. It seemed we'd have to find the switch ourselves.

We went straight to the bedroom.

In the dim lighting, a single double bed came into view. I instinctively gasped, and at the same time noticed a control panel on the bedside table.

"Is that the one?"

I temporarily left Nan's side and walked towards the coffee table, squinting as I examined the control panel. It seemed I could use it to fine-tune the color and brightness of the lights, and so on. Completely different from a typical hotel.

I pressed the control panel a few times to increase the brightness, and the room immediately became bright.

"Oh oh──"

Nan looked around at the entire room and exclaimed in admiration.

The room's four walls were covered with unsettling floral wallpaper. It was about the size of a single suite, with no room left after a double bed, a round table, and two chairs. The disco ball on the ceiling above the bed illuminated the furniture.

The most shocking thing is...

"Wow! Look, look at this! Look at everything!"

The bathroom is right next to the bed.

And it's a glass wall.

You can see the white bathtub clearly just by sitting on the bed.

Nan excitedly ran into the bathroom and flashed a V-sign at me from inside. I could only manage a twitching smile.

Utterly pornographic.

The entire space was designed specifically for erotic purposes.