Tokyo: Am I the only male tenant?

I don’t know why, but after she said this, Shimazu Mai suddenly felt that she had a greater sense of mission on her shoulders.

"That's right. By the way, your hometown is in Fukuoka. I haven't heard of it before. But living alone is not a bad thing. At least it's much freer than when you are with your family."

"Besides, we live in separate rooms, so we can take care of each other if anything happens in the future."

After Utsunomiya Maria finished speaking, she also clinked glasses with Shimazu Mai, imitating what Ginjō had done just now.

"Yeah, thank you too, Maria."

"Yeah, I've always wanted to try living alone, but when the time comes, I still feel a little anxious and scared."

"Anyway, if I hadn't met Maria and Sosuke..."

Shimazu Mai shook the cup in her hand, and the ice cubes that had not yet completely melted hit the wall of the cup, making a crackling sound.

She hesitated for several seconds before continuing.

"If I were alone, it would be so lonely..."

She accidentally spoke the truth, and a layer of haze quietly covered her big eyes.

Perhaps this sentence should not be said, but it was said anyway. No one responded, only silence filled the room.

An empty house, family members about to go on a journey, starting a life alone, this summer——

At this time, Shimazu Mai thought that maybe she felt lonely for no reason.

Now, staying in this space that she has shared with her family until now and is about to be cleaned up, everything makes her feel very lonely.

It's so lonely, maybe it's almost unbearable.

The loneliness in this place resonated and amplified without permission, attacking everyone present, causing her to blurt out words she shouldn't have said.

I was obviously with friends, and we were all sitting together in the hot summer.

Even so, I am still so lonely. Why...

The feeling that made Shimazu Mai realize what she was pursuing was like a bottomless pit: greed.

Maybe I should feel ashamed, but the hole that has been opened by shame is a hole that cannot be buried.

Unable to bear it any longer, Shimazu Mai collapsed onto the mat and stared at the wood grain on the ceiling.

Maria Utsunomiya was also lying beside her, and their hair accidentally overlapped.

For a long time, no one spoke. As the ice melted, it made a slight clinking sound in someone's cup.

When Ginjo Sosuke returned from the bathroom, he saw this scene, which was incomprehensible but extremely beautiful.

"What's wrong with you two?"

He asked somewhat confused.

"Don't ask so many questions. Sosuke, come over and lie down next to us."

Maria Utsunomiya reached out and patted the empty space next to her.

Lying with two beauties is not a bad thing at all.

Ginjo Sousuke didn't think much about it and did as she said.

"Ah...yeah..."

After a while, Shimazu Mai murmured to herself.

"...Lonely...maybe..."

When I came to my senses, I saw three young men in a room, doing nothing, just lying quietly in a row.

Everyone listened to the sound of the air conditioner, searched for each other's breathing, and lived their own lives in the warm summer noon.

Sharing this ambiguous time, like some kind of connection, some kind of relationship.

"Alas, it's almost over, my summer, this summer is so lonely, but it's almost over..."

Maria Utsunomiya murmured, and Mai Shimazu responded in a low voice, "How annoying."

I don't know who sighed first, and then Ginjo Sousuke's voice broke the silence in the space.

He sat up suddenly.

"Let's go have a drink!"

He didn't know what the two women talked about in the few minutes he was away, but he had to do something to liven up the atmosphere, so he came up with this suggestion in a flash of inspiration.

Nothing can activate a lazy mood better than a glass of ice-cold beer in the summer.

"Let's go together?! Anyway, there's still some time before the holiday ends, so we should hurry up and enjoy it."

"Otherwise, this atmosphere won't work. If it continues like this, our summer will really be over!"

Ginjo Sousuke couldn't help but glance at the two girls.

"Yeah, let's go, let's go together! Let's drink to our heart's content!"

Like a person who was suddenly awakened, Utsunomiya Maria opened her eyes wide and looked at the ceiling, then shouted and stood up.

"Mai, how about it?! The best way to say goodbye to loneliness is to have a party with your friends!"

Infected by the enthusiasm of the two people, Shimazu Mai turned over and sat up using her almost negligible abdominal muscles.

"Drink...drink? When? When do you go?"

"When else? Of course it's now! Right now, immediately!"

Pinching Shimazu Mai's chin, Utsunomiya Maria shook her violently in a mischievous manner, but her eyes were full of tenderness as she looked down at her.

"Okay! I'll go! I'm not very good at drinking, but with Maria and Sousuke joining me, it should be fine."

Said it with a joyful voice, Shimazu Mai finally stood up with a smile.

Let’s go drink together and have fun together!

After all, summer is a rare opportunity! Summers full of youth and vitality don’t come many times in a lifetime!

"Haha, don't worry, Mai. If you are really drunk, just let Sousuke carry you back. It would be a waste if he doesn't use his sturdy body."

Maria Utsunomiya's eyes darted back and forth at Ginjō, and she was already distracted before she even started drinking.

"Well, leave it to me. Not to mention one person, even if both of you are drunk, I have a way to send you back."

Ginjo Sousuke patted his chest and assured them.

When it comes to transporting drunk women, he has a lot of practical experience.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let me search to see if there are any suitable stores nearby."

Maria Utsunomiya took out her cell phone, opened a review app and started looking through it.

"I know a pub that has cheap but surprisingly delicious fried chicken. When my parents were still alive, we used to go there often."

At this time, Shimazu Mai raised her hand and said, looking cute like an elementary school student answering a teacher's question.

"Really? Then what are you waiting for? Let's go now."

Utsunomiya Maria took her arm and rushed out the door in an instant.

It was almost six o'clock in the afternoon. Even though we were just drinking tea and chatting, the afternoon passed by so quickly.

There was no sign of it getting dark yet, and the three of them walked side by side on the busy street.

Soon, Shimazu Mai pointed to a izakaya ahead.

The appearance of the shop is similar to that of a residential house, and it is obvious at first glance that it is a lively and bustling shop.

"That's it, that's it! Great, I remember the location correctly. This should be the dining peak time. I hope there are still seats available."

“What if there’s no seat?”

"Then we can only look elsewhere. There should be many other stores nearby."

"Yeah, I think that store over there is pretty good too..."

As soon as a few people stepped into the store, their eardrums were hit by the sudden burst of toasts.

This place is really popular. It is obviously a suitable place for students or office workers to relax after a busy day.

"Welcome, are you three guests?"

The receptionist immediately rushed over to greet them with the service industry's signature smile.

"Yes, is there any room left?"

Utsunomiya Maria asked her before the other two could.

"The private room is full, but there is one last table in the hall. If you three don't mind, I'll take you there."

The three of them exchanged glances and nodded almost at the same time.

They just wanted to join in the fun, and it would be even better if they were in a crowded hall.

We were led to our seats and the beer we ordered was quickly brought to the table.

The three of them couldn't wait to toast and start drinking without waiting for the other dishes to be served.

As soon as they put down their wine glasses, Utsunomiya Maria and Shimazu Mai's cell phones rang at the same time.

"It's a message from Mrs. Matsumoto."

"Huh? I'm here too."

Ginjo Sosuke curiously leaned over to see what they would receive...

Chapter 455: The First Apartment Get-together

The days in summer are always so long. If it were any other season, the sky at this time would probably have been dyed a light dark blue.

The wooden door of the izakaya was half open, and the sound of wine glasses clinking spilled out from the gap, adding a bit of worldly air to this quiet alley where few people usually pass by.

The space inside the store is not large, but it is warmly and friendly. The wooden tables and chairs are arranged in an orderly manner, and the decorations on the walls look quite old.

The aroma of food and the taste of alcohol blend together to create a unique atmosphere that allows people to completely relax.

At a table not far from Ginjo Sosuke and the others, there were several young people who looked like college students sitting around.

Men and women were toasting each other, laughing and joking from time to time, with the noises getting louder and louder.