Chapter 1
After the opening ceremony of the second year of high school, during homeroom.
“My name is Amelia Lily Stafford. I come from England. Please call me Amelia.”
The girl, with a fairy-like delicate beauty, introduced herself with a voice as if an angel had rung a bell.
Her beautiful silver hair shone brightly in the morning sun.
The transfer student looked around the classroom with her jewel-like twinkling blue eyes.
After a safe self-introduction about her hobbies and skills, she began to take questions.
What is your favorite Japanese food?
What is the impression of Japan in England?
To such typical questions, the transfer student answered in fluent Japanese, albeit with a slight accent.
And then someone asked the last question.
Why did you decide to study in Japan? What sparked your interest in Japan?
To that question, the transfer student, who had been answering smoothly until now, showed a slight sign of contemplation.
Then she smiled faintly and turned her gaze towards me—Kudo Sota.
...This girl.
“That person there, Sota, was my classmate in England.”
Naturally, everyone’s gaze turned to me.
Everyone knew that I had studied abroad in England last year.
“As I got to know him, I became interested in Japan. That’s the reason.”
After that, the transfer student revealed a mischievous smile.
“I am currently doing a homestay at his house. In other words... we are living together.”
Living together.
For some reason, the transfer student emphasized this point.
“Please take care of me.”
The transfer student—Lily—clearly directed those words to me and winked.
Then she sat down in the seat next to me.
As soon as homeroom ended, a crowd quickly formed around me and the girl.
Our classmates bombarded us with questions.
“What does living together mean!?”
“Are you two lovers!?”
“Did she follow you from England!?”
“How did you two meet?”
“Is it like an international long-distance relationship!?”
“Uh, ah, wait. Calm down...”
I tried to calm down my excited classmates while giving Lily a look.
You explain, I gestured.
Then Lily nodded as if she understood perfectly.
“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
She added fuel to the fire.
What is she thinking...
Time rewinds to one month ago.
One day, my mother suddenly said.
“Sota. What would you think if a foreign exchange student came to do a homestay?”
“Huh? Well, I don’t mind...”
Until six months ago, I had been studying abroad in England.
It was a boarding school, so I didn’t do a homestay, but I can speak English.
It’s not strange for our house to be considered.
“It depends on what kind of person they are.”
A homestay means living together.
Of course, I wouldn’t want to live under the same roof with someone with a bad personality.
“That won’t be a problem.”
My mother said with a grin... no, a smirk.
I have a bad feeling about this.
“It’s someone you know well.”
“Oh, I see.”
That means it’s someone I met while studying abroad.
Suddenly, the image of a girl named Mary with blonde hair and blue eyes came to mind.
She loved Japanese culture... or rather, anime, and she often asked me about Japanese subculture, saying she wanted to go to Japan someday.
“Could it be a girl?”
“You’re quick to catch on.”
My mother’s smirk grew stronger.
Could she be misunderstanding that we’re lovers?
We were close, but not lovers.
“It’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of.”
“Oh, you’re such a shy boy.”
My mother seemed oddly happy.
For some reason, she seemed certain.
I should have noticed the discrepancy then.
A few days before the new semester started.
The one who appeared at the airport was a beautiful girl with silver hair.
“Hi, long time no see...”
The one who appeared with an awkward expression was Amelia Lily Stafford.
A noble’s daughter who became friends and then parted ways on bad terms during my study abroad.