My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

Kitahara Hideji went straight back to his apartment. He tapped the wooden sword against his palm, feeling like there was no need to go to the appointment in the evening—after all, he hadn’t agreed to it; it was just Fukuzawa Yukari talking to herself.

That little girl… is she just being playful, or is she actually mentally challenged?

However, he couldn’t help but blame Fukuzawa Fuyumi again. All this trouble was caused by that little rascal… but come to think of it, what did he do to offend her? It couldn’t be that someone would hate him for no reason, right?

As he reached the fourth floor and turned onto the corridor, he saw Ono Yoko sitting despondently, hugging her knees, and hiding in the shadow at the end of the hallway. Her school bag was placed in front of her. Kitahara Hideji was slightly surprised and approached her, asking, “Yoko, did you forget your keys again?”

Ono Yoko’s expression seemed a bit embarrassed as she gently shook her head, but she replied, “No, Onii-san. I’m just sitting here for a while… Can you let Hyakujirou out to play with me?”

She seemed unwilling to have Kitahara Hideji stay there, so she used Hyakujirou as an excuse.

Agreeing to play with Hyakujirou, Kitahara Hideji asked with concern, “Is something wrong…?” He didn’t get a chance to finish his question before he heard muffled laughter coming from inside Ono Yoko’s apartment—a woman and a man, using suggestive language while drinking and flirting.

He immediately understood the situation. Ono Yoko’s mother had brought a man home, and they were likely engaging in intimate activities. Given the small size of the apartment, Ono Yoko probably couldn’t enter her own place at the moment.

Ono Yoko realized that Kitahara Hideji had heard something, so she stopped him from asking further. She sat there hugging her knees, not moving, her eyes fixed on her toes, and her lips tightly pressed together.

Kitahara Hideji remained silent for a while. There wasn’t much he could do. He couldn’t intervene in someone else’s private affairs—Yumiko, Ono Yoko’s mother, had the right to be with whomever she pleased. He certainly couldn’t kick the door open and beat up the couple inside.

First of all, it wasn’t his place to do that, and secondly, if he did such a thing, the police would soon be coming after him.

Ono Yoko looked at Kitahara Hideji, who remained silent, and bravely raised her head. She forced a smile and said, “It’s okay, Onii-san. It’s okay… it’s okay…”

She said that, but her eyes eventually turned red from the embarrassment and frustration.

Kitahara Hideji couldn’t resist reaching out to pat Ono Yoko’s head. Her hair may have lost some of its luster, but it felt as smooth as silk under his fingertips. He said softly, “Don’t sit here, Yoko. Let’s go out for a walk… Hmm, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Big brother will treat you to something delicious!”

How could there be such a mother who completely disregarded her daughter? She didn’t even care if her daughter could come home after school. It seemed even worse than his own situation, having lost parental support from a young age.

“No need, no need, Onii-san. You go about your own business…” Ono Yoko tried to decline, but Kitahara Hideji picked her up before she could finish her sentence. He half-squatted down and looked into her eyes, saying earnestly, “Let’s go out for a walk together, Yoko. Don’t stay here.”

Her mother was busy with that “something” in the house, but she didn’t consider where her child should go. How heartless. This was a slum area, and the streets were chaotic. Even a grown man like Kitahara Hideji wouldn’t stroll around without a care, let alone a young girl.

Ono Yoko looked at Kitahara Hideji’s eyes for a moment and then turned away, wiping away tears. When she faced him again, she wore a brilliant smile and nodded vigorously. “Alright, Onii-san!”

Kitahara Hideji smiled back at her, ruffled her head again, and then turned to leave. He said, “Bring Hyakujirou along; that guy must be going crazy inside the house.”

Ono Yoko put on her heavy school bag and followed him, still nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, bring Hyakujirou along!”

Once Hyakujirou was let out, it seemed very happy to see Ono Yoko. Being held in her arms, its frustration seemed to dissipate a bit. Kitahara Hideji led them downstairs and asked with a gentle smile, “What do you want to eat?”

Ono Yoko tilted her head in thought for a moment and then said hesitantly, “Eating outside is expensive, right, Onii-san? Actually, just taking a walk nearby is fine… I don’t feel safe alone, and it’s already nice of you to accompany me…”

“It’s okay, actually, I wanted to treat myself today.” Kitahara Hideji interrupted her and offered a more acceptable reason for her.

“Treat yourself?”
Kitahara Hideji smiled and said, “Yes, after dealing with an annoying person, I’m in a good mood and want to reward myself a bit.” Fukuzawa Fuyumi did get on his nerves. Although she didn’t cause any substantial harm, she always wore that arrogant expression, as if she wanted to beat him up just because she had practiced Sword Technique. It was really irritating.

Having given her a good beating, he must have felt relieved now. After all, everyone has some temper; it’s not like she’s the only tough one around here.

Ono Yoko didn’t understand the context, but seeing Kitahara Hideji happy made her happy too. She sweetly suggested, “I see. Then how about going for ramen?”

Ramen shops could be found everywhere on the streets, and the prices were relatively affordable. Ono Yoko probably wanted to save money for Kitahara Hideji. However, he shook his head and said with a smile, “Let’s have some meat!”

Although they needed to be frugal in their daily lives, they couldn’t live like complete penny-pinchers. Some expenses were necessary. He looked at Ono Yoko’s slightly pallid face and felt a strange affectionate desire to feed her something to make her feel better.

Meat?! Even before Ono Yoko could react, Hyakujirou got excited. It stood up from her arms, its doggy face filled with anticipation.

Apart from the government-subsidized meals at school, Ono Yoko didn’t have much experience eating outside. She obediently followed Kitahara Hideji as they looked for a place to eat.

As they strolled down the street, they passed by a small park near the station. Kitahara Hideji hesitated for a moment and intentionally took a detour to glance inside. As expected, he saw Fukuzawa Yukari playing with a group of kids, swinging the giant wooden sword with great enthusiasm. Chickens, dogs, and monkeys were cheering her on, creating a lively atmosphere.

Kitahara Hideji felt a slight headache coming on. He looked at the sky and thought that Yukari would probably go home soon, so he ignored her and continued on his way with Ono Yoko and Hyakujirou.

Eventually, they arrived at a commercial street and found a semi-open-air yakitori shop near a market. The stall had just opened, so there weren’t many customers yet, but the aroma of the grilled meat was already enticing. Hyakujirou, with its keen sense of smell, had its tongue sticking out, salivating eagerly.

“Shall we try that?” Kitahara Hideji felt a sense of familiarity with this semi-open-air Yakitori shop, much like the Chinese barbecue stalls. Chinese skewers had evolved from the Turkish method of grilling meat and had become popular street food. Similarly, Japan’s roasted bird skewers were developed from American broiler chickens and aimed at ordinary people’s mass consumption.

Ono Yoko seemed to be salivating a bit, feeling a little embarrassed, she mumbled, “I’m fine with whatever, Onii-san.”

Kitahara Hideji smiled and led her over. The stall was run by an elderly couple who warmly welcomed them, and they didn’t mind the presence of the dog either—this kind of stall was already on the borderline between legal and illegal, so they weren’t too strict about it.

Kitahara Hideji carefully examined the ingredients for a while and found that they were mainly items like “Food: Regular Chicken Meat” and “Food: Slightly Not Fresh Fruits.” There were no mentions of “spoiled” or “rotten,” so he felt relieved. The prices also seemed reasonable, so he made some choices based on what he guessed Ono Yoko would like—knowing her personality, she probably wouldn’t feel comfortable ordering a lot, so he decided to do it for her.

After placing the order, they casually picked a corner to sit down. The stall owner brought a small charcoal stove with a wire mesh on top. He slyly asked Kitahara Hideji if he wanted a glass of draft beer, but Kitahara Hideji politely declined with a smile.

Japan has strict regulations on alcohol consumption for minors, and while the stall owner didn’t seem to mind, Kitahara Hideji didn’t want to cause any trouble, and besides, drinking alcohol wasn’t a good idea.

Ono Yoko carefully cleaned the utensils and set them up. Hyakujirou seemed a bit uneasy in such a crowded place and kept moving between Ono Yoko and Kitahara Hideji. Once Ono Yoko finished setting the first set of utensils, she poured tea for Kitahara Hideji. He thanked her and said with a smile, “Yoko, let’s eat well! To avoid wasting any food, we’ll eat everything cleanly!”

Ono Yoko looked up and smiled, revealing two dimples on her cheeks, and nodded firmly, “Yes, Onii-san!”