11. The Yeti's house

"So, was there any reason you were waiting for me in front of my door? Couldn't you have just texted me?"

"Heh, heh..."

Shibata had her distinctive devilish smile on.

I have a bad feeling about this...

"I have cookies for you!"

"Oh?"

Showing me a red handbag adorned with a green ribbon, I could smell the scent of the treats inside.

Surprised by my mistaken intuition, I accepted the gift, making brief contact with her hands.

"Ah!"

After handing over the gift, Shibata hid her hands behind her back.

With a blush on her face, she was visibly embarrassed.

"..."

Her hands... were cold.

Although she told me that she was reading a web novel, she didn't deny the fact that she had been waiting for me for a long time.

It would have been better if that lie about the cameras was true....

"So, now let me into your house!"

"...Huh?"

Due to the thoughts clouding my reasoning, it took a few seconds before I managed to react to her words.

Completely ignoring my concern for her, she had just made an incomprehensible request to me.

"It's the Owner's right!"

With the bag of cookies in my hand, I couldn't even hold up my forehead for the migraine she was giving me.

"..."

With eyes full of expectation, Shibata was waiting for my answer.

... I'm sure that if I had refused it, she would not have insisted further.

Despite using this pretense of "right," she never acted overbearingly.

Her kindness...was terrifying.

"... There's nothing interesting, is that okay?"

Hearing my approval, it seemed that Shibata could no longer contain the happiness spreading from her body.

"Of course!"

... I was beginning to regret my decision....

Using my apartment key to open the door, I welcomed her in.

"So this is your apartment!"

Unfortunately, my mood was opposite of hers.

"This is the living r..."

Shibata interrupted her words.

Without realizing she was being rude, she was looking at the entire apartment.

Turning to face me, Shibata had tears in her eyes.

"Show me your room!"

Her panicked voice gave me no room to refuse her.

Both of us with heavy steps, we were in front of the door to my room.

Slowly, even this room was at the mercy of Shibata's eyes.

The desk, the bed, the bookshelf.

I wasn't worried... since I had nothing to hide.

Suddenly, Shibata fell to the floor as if her knees had given in.

"Shibata...!"

I knelt down to ask her what was wrong, but Shibata wasn't even looking at me.

"Why... is there nothing here...?"

"..."

What Shibata was saying was not that the room was completely empty, but why my personal belongings could NOT be seen.

Unable to answer her, the atmosphere between us was far really heavy.

It took a minute before Shibata tried to get up.

I tried to offer her a hand, but she refused my help.

To my surprise, Shibata was not depressed, quite the opposite.

"I'll be right back!"

With burstling energy, she walked out of my apartment.

"..."

Without being able to understand the situation, all I could do was wait for her to return.

When I heard the sound of footsteps, what greeted me was.... a bear.

It was the giant stuffed animal that was in Shibata's room.

"From now on, Mr. Kuma will live in your room!"

Without me having time to retort, Shibata added a statement.

"It's my girlfriend's right!"

... It seemed that my duties had multiplied.