Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 1 - Reluctant Blaze

Chapter 3.4 - Spending the Night

Jay pushed the door open and stepped aside courteously, allowing Yumi and her parents into his abode. What the Manaka family found within could easily be described as a slacker's dump.

"Figures," Kentaro deadpanned, earning him an elbow from his wife. "But it'll do for the meantime. Since we didn't have our wallets with us when we got out, and no other relatives in the city, we don't really have many options."

"Sorry about the mess, I'll clean it up to make it a little more comfortable for you guys," Jay said, thoroughly embarrassed. On the inside, he kicked at himself for not really thinking this through.

Yumi faced his way with a concerned look on her face. "Are you sure you'll be fine having us here?" the young Day Witch asked her friend. "It doesn't look like you have much space for all of us, even after you tidy up."

"Oh, uh, maybe you and your mom can take my bed, then? It might just barely be big enough to fit in the both of you. I'll just have to change the sheets, and maybe flip the mattress...again." He felt the urge to palm himself in the face even more now. Admittedly, he really needed to learn some better hygiene for his personal environment. "I don't really have a sofa, so, hmm, maybe your dad can try borrowing several of my sheets and spreading them out on the floor, or something. Sorry sir," he apologized to the man behind his friend.

He shrugged stoically. "Beats sticking around a hospital stocked with people who'd want to sue us or sleeping out on the streets."

"I suppose," Jay said, scratching the back of his head.

"And what about you, Jay?" Yumi asked.

"The bare floor's always an option," he said, putting up an assuring grin. He gestured to his desk. "I'm no stranger to sleeping on a chair either."

"Or you could just ask for some help, or are you too proud to do that much?"

"Jeanne?!"

The golden haired landlady leaned against his open doorframe with a hand on her hip and an incredulous expression. "It's just like you to try and do a good deed and muck up its execution."

"What else could I do? I couldn't just leave them out in the cold like that."

"I see, and I suppose they're the reason you left me while I was still heaving that icky stuff out of my mouth."

Christine and Kentaro immediately shot Jay a dirty look, sending chills up his spine. Now he actually did physically introduce his face to his palm.

"It's not like—didn't you cook that stuff? And even then I still ate some of it, like I promised." The boy paused for a moment and dared to inquire more from his landlady. "Er, what did happen to the rest of it?"

"I put it in your fridge," Jeanne said simply. "What? Were you hoping I'd throw it away?" she said accusingly, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course not! I just wanted to know, so maybe I can finish the rest of it," he said, his voice trailing off a little.

Jeanne's cheeks went a little pink, but she remained indignant outwardly. "Good! I put a lot of heart—I mean, you'd better not waste good food."

Self-confident, aren't we? Jay thought silently.

Yumi peeked from behind Jay to get a better look at the golden haired girl he had been conversing with. The two girls made eye contact with one another, and silence dropped into the room suddenly.

The already surprised Jeanne blinked when the beautiful, rosy-haired young girl close to her own age approached her and examined her from top to bottom with her amber eyes. Yumi turned to Jay while gesturing at the golden haired girl who was around her height and asked a simple, innocent question.