Clovel - Premium Web Novels

Chapter 19: We’re not alone! As soon as I stepped into the house, the smell of mom’s cooking hit me like a warm hug. "Hey, Mom. What’s for dinner?" I asked, kicking off my shoes by the door. "Ara, welcome back, Haru. I’m making karaage tonight," she said, smiling as she peeked out from the kitchen. Karaage? Jackpot. But something felt off. I glanced toward the living room, expecting to see Nishi lounging around, probably with one of her stuffed animals. She wasn’t there. Sigh... She was supposed to pop out and yell, "Welcome back, Onii-chan!" like she always does. Aunt’s not here too. Are they playing SFO already? "Mom, where’s Nishi? And aunt too?" I called out, plopping my bag onto the couch. "Oh, she and your Aunt Marika were together" Mom replied. "They went to Tokyo to pick up some things and grab stuff for Marika’s room." Right, Aunt Marika was moving in. I’m the one who suggested that because I felt that she’s not safe. But dragging Nishi along for a shopping spree?And packing up things? That seemed a bit much. Knowing Aunt Marika, she probably had Nishi carrying half her bags. At least she should go with me, my cute little sister would be so tired. And then it hit me. This was bad. Like, really bad. Nishi and Aunt Marika wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, which meant it’d just be me, Mom, and Shiori-san in the house. Overnight. Alone. That would be so awkward. I dropped onto the couch and pulled out my phone, trying to distract myself. Might as well check my SFO account while I waited for Shiori-san to show up. As expected, my chat box was flooded. "Play with me, Harucchi!" "Can I join your exploration party?" "I’m a newbie—help me out!" sigh.. how did I get this popular in just a day? If I created an exploration party, the max was 20 players. But there were hundreds of requests. No way could I manage all of that. I scratched my head, trying to figure out a system. Maybe I could rotate players every day? Newbies today, different newbies tomorrow, and so on. Then, once I’d cycled through everyone, I could start over. It wasn’t perfect, but I hope it will work. The bigger issue was... how was I supposed to stream tonight with Shiori-san around? She’d be in the same room as me! What if she found it weird or embarrassing? Or worse, what if she’s against it? The fact that me playing together with others, I’m sure she will be against it. She’s a yandere after all. Maybe I could ask her to join me? Then it wouldn’t feel as awkward. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even notice the time until the door opened. "Hello, Haru-kun! Hello, mom!" Shiori’s voice rang out, cheerful as ever. "Ara, Shiori, welcome! Come on in," Mom called from the kitchen. "Dinner’s almost ready, so make yourself comfortable." Shiori-san walked in, balancing way too many shopping bags. "uhmm, Shiori-san, you bought too much stuff again?" I said. "I just got the essentials, and this was supposed to be a whole weekend supply you know?" she shot back with a grin. "Oh, and I brought ice cream for dessert!" Mom’s face lit up. "You’re such a sweetie! Go ahead and put it in the fridge so it doesn’t melt." Mom and aunt both like ice cream. After putting away the ice cream, Shiori plopped down beside me on the couch. A little too close, if you ask me. "I didn’t see Nishi or your aunt," she said, leaning in. "They’re in Tokyo," I replied. "Probably staying overnight." Shiori’s lips curled into a sly smile. She leaned even closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "So that means we’re alone tonight, huh? Just the two of us? We can do all sorts of things, you know..." "We’re not alone! Mom’s here!" I nearly choked. My face turned so red I felt like a tomato. "But knowing your mom, she won’t interfere to us ~" She’s right. "W-We’re just going to play games, right?" I stammered, trying not to let my imagination run wild. "I wonder~" she teased, giving out a seductive grin. Damn it, Haru, stay focused. I should change the topic "Um, Shiori-san, there’s something I need to tell you—" "Haru! Shiori! Dinner’s ready!" Mom’s voice cut through the moment like a knife. Perfect timing. Or the worst timing, depending on how you looked at it. I should have told Shiori-san about my livestreaming. Shiori-san gave me a playful look. "You can tell me later, Haru. When we’re alone~" I ignored her and headed to the dining room. Dinner was... awkward, to say the least. Sitting across from Shiori-san while Mom made casual conversation was a test of my sanity. "By the way, Haru," Mom said, breaking the silence. "Your aunt might need help cleaning the storage room tomorrow. I hope you’re free." "I’ve got plans, but I’ll make time," I replied. Shiori-san chimed in. "We can help your aunt together, Haru-kun! And after that, let’s play!" Wait. Did she think my plans involved playing SFO together with her? After dinner, Mom volunteered to clean up while Shiori and I headed to my room. I helped her carry her bags, trying not to think about how this whole night was playing out. When we stepped inside, Shiori’s eyes immediately landed on my gaming setup. "Haru-kun, is this your new gaming rig?" I forgot to keep my Livestreaming things. "Oh, uh... yeah," I said, scratching the back of my head. "That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about earlier." She tilted her head. "Oh? What is it?" "I, uh... started livestreaming yesterday."