{My 20-Year-Old Girlfriend and 19-Year-Old Me (2-1)}

Satou-san—will she really be okay living on her own? It’s not that I doubt her. I don’t, but maybe just a little… She does have a tendency to push herself until she’s barely hanging on.

Maybe it’s best to check in on her regularly once she starts living alone.

“So, does becoming an adult mean taking responsibility for everything yourself?”

The noodles finished boiling, so I drained them and rinsed them in cold water. After they cooled down a bit, all that was left was to plate them and add the toppings.

My mom gave a small smile at my question.

“Maybe. You’ve got to be prepared for living alone.”

Freedom comes with responsibility.

It’s a simple truth, but maybe becoming an adult is like that too.

You get to do things your way, but you have to take full responsibility for all your actions.

“Here, it’s done, Mom.”

I handed her the plate of cold noodles, and she clasped her hands together gratefully.

“It looks delicious! Seriously, you’re ready to be married off anytime.”

“Are you that eager to marry me off?”

I sighed in exasperation, and my mom replied with a grin.

“I don’t really care either way, but it might not be that far off.”

“No way. I’m still a student.”

“But isn’t the topic of moving out already on the table?”

My mom slurped the noodles while staring at me intently.

Why would she think that? I averted my gaze and let out a deep sigh.

“I said earlier, it’s not about me.”

“But it’s about your girlfriend, right?”

How did she figure that out? Was it written all over my face?

Still, this whole conversation about marriage is way off the mark. Absolutely not. My mom is reading too much into it.

“If you’re thinking of living together, bring her over at least once. Then we can talk.”

“I never said anything like that!”

“It’s written all over your face! I can read you like a book.”

“No, it’s not… I’ve never even thought about it.”

I mean, I won’t lie—there’s something appealing about the idea.

Living with Satou-san, just the two of us—that’s basically cohabitation. It’s true that with me being a student and her already working, we’d have different schedules, but living together would definitely allow us to spend more time with each other. And honestly, I’m a little worried about her living alone. If I were there, she’d be safer.

At the very least, I can cook, clean, and do laundry.

But again, I’m still a student. It’s nice to dream about it, but it’s not something I can seriously consider right now.

At 11 a.m., I met up with Satou-san at the station, and we headed to the real estate agency.

“What kind of room should I go for, I wonder…”

As soon as we arrived, she pressed her face against the listings displayed outside the agency. Her side profile as she meticulously examined each one was incredibly serious.

Even though Satou-san just turned 20, she didn’t seem all that different from when she was 19. She was wearing the off-shoulder dress she bought last year, had minimal makeup—just mascara and lip gloss—and her hair was in its usual ponytail.

She looked more grown-up than in high school, but turning 20 hadn’t brought any dramatic changes.

Still, the fact remained that Satou-san was now an adult standing beside me.

As I gazed at her, I felt a deep sense of gratitude that I was the one by her side on the day she turned 20.

“It’s tough to find something good for 30,000 yen.”

While I was lost in thought, Satou-san sighed.

I followed her lead and scanned the property listings. Sure enough, rooms in the 30,000-yen range didn’t offer great conditions. It was common to find places older than we were, apartments a 30-minute walk from the station, or buildings in rundown areas with cramped one-room or 1K layouts.

“I did some research, and I heard it’s not safe for a girl to live on the first floor alone.”

Satou-san whispered seriously.

“I also read that rooms with tatami mats are hard to keep clean, that you should definitely check if there’s space for a washing machine, and that if it’s an apartment, it’s good to know what kind of people live nearby.”

“There’s a lot more to consider than I thought.”

I had no experience apartment hunting either, so I found her explanations really interesting.

“Ideally, I want a place that’s convenient for commuting.”

She gave a wry smile as she looked at me.

“That’s the excuse for moving out, after all.”

“Yeah, if commuting from home is easier, there’s no point in moving out.”

With that in mind, anything too far from the station was out of the question. Her family would dismiss it right away, saying it’s quicker to stay at home.

I had only met Satou-san’s mother once, so I wasn’t sure how she would react to all this.

“And also…”

She hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“I’d prefer somewhere as clean as possible… but that might be asking too much.”

“Well, that’s understandable. Anyone would want that.”

I recalled our trip to the amusement park a month ago.

She can get pretty scared sometimes. If she moves into an old, creepy place and ends up being too scared to sleep at night, that’d be a disaster. It’s better if the place is as new and clean as possible.

But considering her budget, it was tough to find a good match. She wanted something convenient for commuting, new and clean, with enough space, and in a safe neighborhood—requirements I couldn’t help but agree with.

After going through all the listings posted at the agency, we still hadn’t found anything promising.

“Yamaguchi-kun, can we check out another agency?”

“Of course. I’ll come with you.”

With that, we decided to hop between real estate agencies on Satou-san’s birthday.