“By any chance, if today is a day off, can we discuss the details at your house?”

“Uh?! Oh, sure! Got it!”

“If you send me the address, I’ll be there soon. I should arrive in about 30 minutes, so see you then.”

With those words, the phone call abruptly ended.

Once the call was disconnected, Yoon Si-woo, who had been standing in shock, took a moment to realize the situation he was in.

Wait? Scarlet is coming over to our house? In 30 minutes?

“Ugh?! Only 30 minutes?! Should I clean up first? No, I just woke up, and I haven’t even showered yet—should I take a shower first? Ugh, this is driving me crazy… What if there’s a weird smell at home or something?”

There was only 30 minutes left until Scarlet arrived.

Yoon Si-woo was so flustered that he wondered if he had ever been this panicked in his life.

The only time he could think of being this embarrassed was when he and Scarlet had gone to a somewhat questionable lodging facility together.

Anyway, that was then, and this was now.

It wasn’t just anyone; the girl he had feelings for was coming to his house.

Caught in this unexpected situation, he fell into a moment of panic, unsure of what to do first. Deciding that cleaning was the best course of action, he hurriedly opened the windows for ventilation and started tidying the mess of his home.

Fortunately, since he was not the type to live in complete chaos, he felt he could manage to tidy up just in time.

Given the circumstances, he was grateful that Lucy had always been with him.

Although Lucy said it was perfectly natural for a healthy guy, he couldn’t help but be conscious of it. After all, there shouldn’t be any particular scent in his house that boys of his age would typically have.

Still, he thought it might be prudent just in case; he set up some diffusers around the house that he had bought but never opened.

If Scarlet came and wrinkled her nose at a strange smell, he felt like he would want to just die…

As Yoon Si-woo put more effort into cleaning than ever before, Lucy muttered in a voice full of disdain.

“Si-woo, watching you panic over such trivial things makes me feel embarrassed. It’s truly a shame that such a man is my master and family…”

At Lucy’s words, Yoon Si-woo felt a momentary embarrassment and paused, but he quickly reminded himself that there was no time to lose and resumed his cleaning and grooming.

After what felt like a war, the 30 minutes passed, and when the doorbell rang, Yoon Si-woo greeted Scarlet at the door with the most natural smile he could muster.

“Wow, you made it! Come on in!”

“Thanks, I’ll be intruding.”

However, in his eagerness to maintain a natural smile, he accidentally bit his tongue while greeting her.

His face turned red with embarrassment, but fortunately, Scarlet seemed to care little, displaying a stoic expression as she took off her shoes and entered through the entrance.

Scarlet, Scarlet is at our house…

In a state of utter disbelief, his heart racing, he overheard Scarlet quietly muttering to herself as she casually scanned the house.

“… It’s cleaner than I expected. I thought you’d have a bit of a messy personality.”

…I’m glad I cleaned up.

That moment was when his effort to not give her the impression of being a messy guy paid off.

As Yoon Si-woo exhaled a secret sigh of relief, he noticed a large bag that Scarlet had brought with her.

Now that he thought about it, the reason she came to his house wasn’t just to see him.

Leading Scarlet to the dining table and sitting across from her, he swallowed hard and asked her.

“Um, about what you mentioned earlier—asking if you could live with me… what do you mean by that?”

When she asked over the phone if she could live with him, his heart nearly stopped.

Could it be a request to cohabitate?

He had heard stories about couples living together before marriage.

If that were the case, this was practically a confession that she wanted to be his girlfriend.

However, Yoon Si-woo pondered.

Of course, he wanted their relationship to develop in that direction, but there had to be certain stages to this.

It might be a conservative thought, but it felt a bit sudden to propose living together when he hadn’t even confessed his feelings yet.

Nonetheless, recognizing that Scarlet had a rather unique perspective, he decided to clarify her intentions.

If she meant it that way, he could formally confess his feelings to her.

And just when he was anxiously awaiting her response, Scarlet replied.

“What do you mean what does it mean? It means exactly that.”

“That means…”

“Yeah, I want to live with you at your house and become roommates.”

Caught up in imagining the many ways he could confess if this were true, Yoon Si-woo momentarily paused, then in a dazed voice, he asked.

“… Huh? Roommates?”

“Yeah, roommates. Didn’t you know? It’s common for students to share a place to reduce their financial burden since it’s hard to pay rent alone. And finding a room around here can be quite expensive, so living together would be good for both of us. It just happens to fit perfectly with what I had in mind.”

Seeing her speak so casually, Yoon Si-woo realized that she had come to him purely to find a place to stay.

He had been the only one getting carried away with excitement for no reason.

His face flushed with embarrassment, but he recognized that she had played a part in leading him to that misunderstanding.

What kind of girl chooses a male roommate in the first place?

Who would be so naive as to not understand a thing about the world…?

As that thought crossed his mind, Yoon Si-woo finally understood.

This girl was Scarlet Evande.

The kind of girl who would choose a motel as a quiet place to talk with just the two of them.

Considering her past, it would be rather natural for her to have an unconventional view of such matters.

With a mix of frustration and dismay, Yoon Si-woo hung his head low, but Scarlet seemed unfazed as she went on about why she had chosen this place.

“You have to leave home for work often anyway. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to look after the house while you’re gone? It’s a bit spacious for just one person. I wouldn’t burden you much if I took one of the rooms.”

“… Yeah, that’s true.”

“Uh, by the way, are you not okay with living with me?”

“… No, not particularly…”

Feeling a sense of inexplicable self-doubt, he answered somewhat absentmindedly, and to his surprise, Scarlet began to give him anxious glances, perceiving it as a sign that he was displeased.

That couldn’t be.

He welcomed the idea of living with her.

But something was still off… what could it be…?

Seeing Yoon Si-woo’s mixed response, Scarlet seemed to panic, exclaiming.

“Uh, um! Since I’ll be often using most of the house myself, I’ll take on a larger share of the rent! And I’ll do the cleaning and laundry, and when you’re home, I’ll even cook for you!”

“No, there’s really no need for all that…”

“No way! Don’t worry about it! It’s something I want to do! Besides, I’ve already made an unreasonable request of you, so I want to at least repay that…! Other than that, I’ll do anything you ask… okay?”

“… Don’t feel pressured by such things. Instead, let’s look for another place where you could stay comfortably. I’ll help you find one…”

At her promise to do anything for him, Yoon Si-woo found himself momentarily swayed, but then he quickly regained his composure and gently shook his head at Scarlet, who was practically begging him.

Staying with him might actually be more of a burden for her.

If he thought about her well-being, it might be better for her to find a place elsewhere.

However, at his words, Scarlet seemed taken aback, her head dropping low as she trembled, then she timidly grabbed the sleeve of her own clothing, whispering.

“… I don’t want to stay anywhere else. I like it here.”

“… Why do you want to stay at our house so much?”

At that question, Scarlet lifted her head which had been bowed and looked up at him.

“… Because I feel most at ease by your side.”

“Uh?!”

Unintentionally letting out a strange sound, his heart raced.

Her saying that she felt most secure by his side, accompanied by the notification from the Holy Sword of Truth stating [This is the truth.], revealed a side of the girl who always seemed so strong, now appearing pitifully vulnerable.

Unable to refuse her, Yoon Si-woo nodded.

“I’m glad to hear that…”

Seeing her smile brightly as if truly relieved, he couldn’t help but fervently wish for his heart to endure through this.