Chapter 19: The Convenience Store

Haruka Himuro was still reeling from the shock Quillan had given her, so much so that she didn’t even notice when he greeted her.

Quillan felt a bit awkward. He had just stepped in to save her, thinking that after playing the hero, even if Haruka Himuro wouldn’t throw herself at him or anything, he’d at least get a word or two of thanks, right?

But Haruka Himuro gave no reaction at all—didn’t even say a word...

Quillan awkwardly put away his smile. Since Haruka Himuro had no intention of greeting him, he naturally couldn’t say much either, lest things get even more awkward. He shook his head and walked toward the residential area. It was a little past seven in the morning, and he hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. After the workout of teaching those thugs a lesson, he was feeling a bit hungry, so he wanted to find a convenience store to buy something to eat.

The convenience store in the residential area was easy to find—it was right at the entrance in the most visible spot. Quillan set down his luggage, but then he heard someone calling out from behind him: "Q... Quillan, wait for me, okay?"

He turned around and saw Haruka Himuro, tall and well-developed with above-average looks, dragging a suitcase as she caught up to him.

Seeing her like this, and recalling what Haruka Himuro had said to those thugs earlier—that her family’s house had been taken by them to pay off her father’s debts—Quillan understood. It seemed Haruka Himuro was just like him: here to find a place to rent.

Toward this girl with the tragic family situation, Quillan gave her a friendly smile. Then he turned back to the convenience store shelves, grabbed two cups of milk tea and some bread. Haruka Himuro stood outside watching Quillan bustle about for a moment, and finally Quillan came out with an armful of food.

Two steaming cups of milk tea, two pieces of bread, and a bit of chips. Quillan gave Haruka Himuro a share of each, then sat down on the bench outside the convenience store and started eating heartily. As he ate, he smiled at Haruka Himuro and said, "Don’t be shy—this is my treat for breakfast. Dig in!"

"Is it really okay?" Haruka Himuro blushed. She felt a bit embarrassed, standing there uneasily, occasionally stealing glances at Quillan.

Seeing Quillan smile back at her—a smile so bright and sunny—Haruka Himuro’s face turned even redder for no reason. Her nervousness finally subsided quite a bit, and then she sat down gracefully beside Quillan, closed her eyes adorably, and said, "Itadakimasu!"

"Hehe, what fine young people!" The convenience store owner was a kindly old woman. Seeing that Quillan and Haruka Himuro were both quite young, and that Haruka Himuro was even wearing a St. Sakura Girls’ High School uniform, she sighed with emotion. After thinking for a moment, she took two braised eggs from the shelf and walked outside. Smiling warmly at the two of them, she said, "You two must be students, right? Hehe, seeing you reminds me of my grandson and granddaughter."

At the mention of her grandson and granddaughter, the kindly old woman’s eyes grew moist, and she actually began to sob.

"Grandma, why... why are you crying?" Haruka Himuro quickly put down the food in her hands and hurried over to the old woman’s side, asking with concern.

"It’s nothing..." The old woman shook her head, patted Haruka Himuro’s small hand, placed the two braised eggs in her palm, and then smiled as she explained: "My grandson and granddaughter, along with my son and daughter-in-law, all died in a car accident several years ago. Sigh! If they were still here, they’d probably be about your age too!"

Since it was early morning and there were no customers at the convenience store, the old woman simply sat down and chatted with Quillan and Haruka Himuro, giving them free braised eggs on top of everything else.

The kindly old woman’s name was Matsumoto Hitomi, in her late fifties. Her husband had been a few years older than her and passed away three years ago. Later, her son and daughter-in-law had been driving to Tokyo with her grandson and granddaughter to visit her when they got into a fatal accident on the highway—everyone died.

Hearing Matsumoto Hitomi’s story, Haruka Himuro couldn’t help but cry: "Grandma Matsumoto, so... you’re just like me—no family left either!"

"Haruka-san has no family either?"

Matsumoto Hitomi seemed to have taken a real liking to Haruka Himuro, holding her hand and talking endlessly. Quillan sat by, listening to them pour out their hearts to each other, and thought to himself: Maybe it’s because of their age difference, and this Matsumoto Hitomi must really miss her granddaughter, so she’s especially warm toward Haruka Himuro. And actually, they really do have one thing in common—both of them are all alone in the world, with no family left!

Haruka Himuro finished telling her story—from her mother’s fatal car accident, to her father racking up gambling debts and vanishing without a trace, to her now being homeless and hounded by thugs demanding payment, all the way up to Quillan rescuing her just moments ago. By the time she finished, Haruka Himuro was in tears.

Matsumoto Hitomi held Haruka Himuro’s hand and sighed with emotion: "How could anyone bear to abandon such a good daughter?"

A kindly old woman holding a pitiful young girl—two women forty years apart in age—Quillan had a strange feeling watching this scene.

It was almost as if Matsumoto Hitomi really was Haruka Himuro’s grandmother. Of course... reality wasn’t like that, but the image before him was so harmonious nonetheless!

This outpouring of hearts went on for over an hour. By the time Quillan came back to his senses and checked the time, it was already nearly nine in the morning. So no matter how reluctant he was to interrupt Haruka Himuro and Grandma Matsumoto, he had no choice but to awkwardly break the mood: "I’m sorry, Grandma Matsumoto and Himuro-san, but it’s getting late and I still need to find a place to live. I really have to go—I only took the morning off from Mr. Harada, after all!"

Hearing Quillan’s words, Haruka Himuro suddenly snapped back to reality, and then she said anxiously: "Oh no, I... I thought I’d be able to find a new place quickly and get to school, so... so I didn’t ask for time off!"

Haruka Himuro was clearly panicking, and she cast a pleading look toward Quillan.

"Excuse me, are you two looking for a new place to stay?" Matsumoto Hitomi suddenly spoke up: "If I’m not mistaken, Quillan and little Haruka, you two don’t have a place to live right now, do you? Well, it just so happens I have an apartment in this complex—a three-bedroom unit. But I always stay at the store, so if you need it, I can rent it to you!"

"Eh?"

Having such a stroke of good fortune dropped into her lap, Haruka Himuro clearly couldn’t react for a moment. She stared blankly at Matsumoto Hitomi, having forgotten to even respond.

As for Quillan, he looked at Matsumoto Hitomi and asked, "A three-bedroom apartment—the rent must be pretty expensive, right?"

Matsumoto Hitomi smiled kindly, and then her gaze shifted meaningfully toward Haruka Himuro.