Chapter 23: Jun and Zi’ai
I couldn’t react in time.
I couldn’t even confirm if I was dreaming, nor did I have the chance to doubt reality. Our eyes met in mid-air.
She was still in the middle of stretching, her expression dazed, clearly as caught off guard as I was.
Of course, I got a full view of her chest. To be honest, she was quite well-endowed, and her chest shape was lovely…
…*blub blub blub blub!*
The black-haired woman snapped out of it then, gurgling and blowing bubbles in the hot water, her eyes wide.
Her gurgling snapped me back to reality too.
What the heck!
An unknown naked black-haired woman is leisurely bathing in my home’s bathtub! This is like something a shut-in would experience. I have to admit, Thought Acceleration is incredibly useful.
It always gives me time to buffer at critical moments.
First, let me confirm, this is indeed my bathroom. I haven’t transmigrated into someone else’s bathroom. This means… And then there’s this woman’s appearance.
I have no impression of her, nor have I seen her at school. She’s definitely someone I don’t know.
Huh? Why is there a little yellow duck floating in the bathtub? Even Kerling wouldn’t bring such a childish toy into the bath. *Splash splash splash splash!* Accompanied by the sound of water, I heard a sharp female scream.
Wha- wha- wha-?! Why is she moving?! Thought Acceleration clearly… No, it’s gone?!
Why did Thought Acceleration suddenly stop?!
Anyway, I should apologize first!
While covering myself with a towel, I backed away into the locker room, pulled the door shut, and apologized while looking down.
“S-Sorry!”
Wait, why am I apologizing?! This is my bathroom! She’s the intruder!
Thinking this, I suddenly felt I shouldn’t be so timid. What if she’s a thief? Although, analyzing rationally, there are no thieves who sneak into someone’s house to take a bath.
But! No matter the reason, entering someone’s home without permission from the owner… no matter how you think about it, the fault lies with her.
Moreover, I’m home alone right now! Mom and Dad entrusted me with looking after the house, so how can I let this female thief go!
So, I self-righteously pulled open the door and yelled at her.
“No! Who the hell are you!”
As soon as I finished speaking, I saw a complete darkness before my eyes…
She actually threw the shampoo bottle at me! The wronged feeling of being mistaken for a thief, combined with the anger of being hit on the head, instantly ignited my temper.
I already hated unreasonable things. A strange woman suddenly appearing in my bathroom and acting like she’s in the right… just what kind of impudent woman is she!
“Ah. So that’s how it is? Then it seems it’s all my fault… Sorry my ass!”
I sprang up like a carp, clenched my fists, and shouted,
“How could I possibly apologize! Don’t think I’ll forgive you just because you’re a woman!”
Sneaking into someone’s house in broad daylight and leisurely bathing… even Lanhua wouldn’t do that!
“Huh?! What are you talking about! This is clearly my house!”
What—could it be that this guy is some kind of delusional character from an anime?
“I don’t know if you’re a thief or a pervert, but just barging into someone’s house and leisurely taking a bath, do you have any common sense at all!”
“Speaking of which, you’re the one. Suddenly barging into the bathroom while someone is bathing… do you have any common sense!”
“…Thieves these days are really something else! Not only a female pervert, but also a delusional patient! Which mental hospital did you escape from!”
“…Thieves these days are really something else! Just stealing underwear isn’t enough anymore, you pervert! You even deliberately took off your clothes and walked in brazenly!”
“Even someone with mental problems wouldn’t just barge into someone else’s house! Doing something like this, I’m calling the police!”
“Even if you desperately want to peek at a girl bathing, you can’t just barge into someone’s house! Doing something like this is a crime!”
“By the way, don’t come in!!! How long are you going to stare! You pervert!”
… Get out of here already!”
Damn it, just because she’s a woman,
Is she that confident?
The black-haired woman got out of the bathtub, grabbed a towel to wrap herself, and walked over cautiously. I noticed she was trembling slightly. It definitely wasn’t from the cold. Was she still afraid of me? And what was with that glare? Why was she looking at me like that? As if it was all my fault… q,. However, it’s true that from a gender perspective, a grown man like me suddenly barging in while she’s bathing, and me not even wearing clothes… anyone would be startled…
But—the problem is, this is my house! My house! MY HOME! MY PRIVATE PROPERTY!
Why is she acting like the victim?
And why is this guy so insistent that this is her house?
Ah… what is going on… Right, if I just check her title and name, I’ll know who she is.
I was in a state of confusion earlier, so I didn’t notice.
Huh? Wait, no matter how inattentive I was, I shouldn’t have only just noticed that I hadn’t even seen her name/title until now—
Realizing this, I looked up at the woman’s head.
As expected, there was nothing.
How could this be? I can’t see her title?
Ever since Yata no Kagami entered my head, everyone I’ve seen has had a title above their head, without exception!
Only once, in a dream, did I briefly lose this ability… Could it be that I’m dreaming right now?
Thinking this, I raised my hand to pinch my cheek.
Seeing my movement, the woman reacted strongly, immediately covering herself and stepping back. Perhaps she thought I was going to do something to her. Hmph, I just wanted to pinch my cheek.
At that moment, the woman accidentally slipped! Her towel came undone, and she fell backward dramatically. Just as she was about to hit the ground, I caught her, landing on my shoulder to successfully prevent her from hitting her head. If it were a dream like the spiral nightmare Nana made, I wouldn’t be able to tell if I was dreaming at all. However, it shouldn’t be a dream now, because as a zombie, I can’t fall asleep without actively taking medicine and losing consciousness.
“Um, are you okay?”
The stranger shyly lowered her head. After I let her go, she quickly sat up, covering her chest and looking away.
She’s even blushing? That’s not the reaction of a female pervert…
It seems there’s a misunderstanding between us.
Perhaps some anomaly occurred, causing her to be teleported into my bathroom, or maybe her bathroom and my bathroom are connected somehow… Anyway, it must be some kind of anomaly.
Well, it’s best not to escalate the conflict and just explain things properly.
I also sat up, checked my body, picked up the towel, and handed it to her, saying:
“Ahem, in any case, it seems we were both a bit too worked up just now. How about we talk calmly? I won’t do anything to you. Here, take the towel.”
“Yes, you’re right. Although your actions could be a trap to lure me in… If you were to use force, I, a weak woman, wouldn’t be able to resist. So, since you’re willing to communicate, I won’t be unreasonable. However, if you try anything, I’ll scream with all my might, and my parents will come to catch you—”
Oh~ That’s good, she’s reasonable. And quite calm, too.
It’s so much more comfortable talking to someone sensible.
“Very well. Then, let’s go back to the beginning. As I said before, this doesn’t justify you coming into my house freely. But from the brand of the toiletries to their placement, nothing differs from my memory. This is my house. If your house had the exactly same toiletries as mine, that would be too far-fetched.”
Almost in unison, we said the same thing.
“Look at the rubber duck in the bathtub. I always bring it when I take a bath; it’s my personal item. If this were your house—”
I glanced at the little yellow duck floating on the hot water. Indeed, it was something I’d never seen before.
You’re so mature-looking, woman, yet your hobbies are so childish.
Ahem, since she’s produced evidence, I should offer something as well.
“What, can’t think of a reason? Then that means you are the intruder, sir.”
“Right, since you were just taking a bath, you must have heard the sounds outside too, right?”
“I heard them, so what?”
“Then you must have heard the voice of a lively girl. That’s my younger sister’s voice. If I were a pervert, I wouldn’t be able to have a conversation with someone in my family, would I? Do you understand what I mean?”
—?!
The woman’s expression turned to one of surprise. She covered her mouth with her left hand, looking at me in disbelief.
“M-m-maybe you investigated beforehand…”
“Also, you just said ‘my parents will come to catch you,’ right? But actually, there’s no one home right now?”
“—.”
CJ SF Light Novel
I casually glanced at her, pointing at her with my index finger, then at myself.
“In that case, earlier I heard Kerling happily call out ‘Brother’… I thought I misheard, but I didn’t. This means Kerling did see a ‘Brother.’ The possibility of role-playing is slim… That child wouldn’t—”
“But, that voice was my younger sister— what is going on— My memory is correct, I sprained my left foot, and I’m not dreaming… This means it’s all real. Could it be, ‘I’… ”
After muttering to herself for a long time, the woman looked up and met my gaze with a serious expression.
I was stunned by her gaze, flinched, and couldn’t help but ask.
The woman’s expression became incredibly complex. After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked me,
“…Your name isn’t by any chance, [Juncheng An], is it?”
“Huh? Yes. Wait, how do you know my name? Wait, could you be…?”
[Stalker]
The title flashed in my mind instantly! Hearing my name from a stranger’s mouth, the first thing you’d think of is a stalker!
So, this guy was just pretending to be oblivious all along! Everything that just happened was an act, merely a play directed and performed by this stalker!
She deliberately staged this fantastical, surreal ‘encounter’!
Fine…
I hate stalkers the most!
One Lanhua is already enough for me, I don’t want to encounter another one!
I’ll just find an excuse and call the police!
“Ah, um, this situation isn’t good. I’ll go get some clothes first.”
“Then…”
No, you stay here. You just finished bathing, you’ll catch a cold if you go out. Besides, getting clothes is something I can handle alone.
“Uh… I understand. Please, then.”
This time, I lied very naturally! I’ll just go out and call the police. Let the police deal with this delusional girl. I don’t want to get involved! As soon as I stepped out of the locker room, I rushed to the landline on the second floor and dialed.
In my haste, I dialed the numbers for 110 wrong twice. Finally, when I made the call, no one picked up immediately.
Hurry, hurry! Pick up! Is it because it’s nighttime that no one’s there? No, this is a 24-hour hotline!
“Hello, this is…”
As soon as the voice answered, I heard the woman screaming and running out of the bathroom, not even bothering to rewrap the towel around her. She rushed up and tried to snatch the receiver from my hand.
“Hey! You! You’re trying to call the police, aren’t you!”
She guessed it!
A woman’s intuition? That’s too sharp!
“Don’t be so hasty! Let’s talk properly again.”
Who’s being hasty! You’re practically pouncing on me! SF Light Novel
“Um, sir…”
A confused voice from the receiver. I need to answer quickly!
“What else is there to talk about! It’s obvious you’re the one acting weird—”
“Just wait a moment! Put down the receiver first, let’s talk properly!”
The woman pressed herself against me. Plus, neither of us was wearing clothes. Visually and tactually, it was incredibly awkward. I didn’t know where to look. Is this some kind of seductive maneuver!
“Fine, let’s meet halfway. I’ll put down the receiver, and you step back, okay?”
No problem!
I hung up the phone, and she took a few steps back.
Anyway, I’ll create some distance, and then I’ll find an opportunity to call the police.
“I think I understand what’s going on!”
“Hey, you’re not wearing clothes…”
“That’s not important. Look at me!”
She leaned in and pried my head to force me to look at her.
“W-what do you want! Men and women should not touch!”
“Just look at me!”
“I’m not looking!”
“If you don’t look, I’ll break all your treasured game discs and smash the Princess Four!”
That move is too cruel! Princess Four and the game discs are my greatest entertainment at home!
There was no choice; I had to look at her.
By now, she was close to me, and I could only see her face.
“Do I look a little familiar?”
“What?”
“I mean, do ‘we’ look a bit alike?”
Come to think of it, our face shapes, eyes, and various other features are subtly similar.
But so what? Looking a bit alike, does that prove anything?
“Although I personally enjoy reading fantasy stories… I never thought something like this would happen to me…”
She looked up and asked me.
“Do you remember the origin of your name, as told by Dad?”
A boy’s name, right?
Do I remember? Dad mentioned this too. Grandpa came up with two names. If it were a boy, he’d be called ‘Juncheng.’ Could it be…? I widened my eyes, looking at her in disbelief.
We said the name together.
“…This can’t be happening…”
She nodded and replied,
“That’s right. My name is [Zi’ai An]. It seems… we might be the same person.”
I never dreamed that I would run into myself!
