A Book Can't Be Judged By The Cover Chapter 39: Playing House

How could she say it out loud? There’s no way she could say it out loud!

A cough spurted out of gumi’s mouth as her face flushed a hint of red. Haji’s question caught her by surprise, and her pause just made her look like she was hiding sothing. With a doubtful expression on his face, Haji asked the question for the second ti, concluding that gumi would be prompted to answer against her will.

"I... it’s nothing! I just didn’t feel like going to school, that’s all." She forced a laugh as she continued eating, then used her trump card of changing the topic. "This curry is delicious. As expected of myself!"

How could she tell him that it was her ti of the month? Even if a knife was pointed at her, there’s no way she’d be able to tell him.

"Well, you don’t have to tell , it’s fine. It’s not like we’re close enough to be sharing secrets with each other and frankly, I don’t really want to exchange secrets with you either. Forget I asked you anything." He continued before taking in another mouthful of the curry.

Haji quietly watched gumi eat without saying another word. When she’s like that, all quiet and enjoying her al, she seed like a harmless dove, without a hint of malice or anything of the sort. Had Haji not known better, he would’ve concluded that gumi is one gentle lady. But no, he knew all too well that gumi’s hiding her bite. She only resembled a harmless dove since she was eating. That’s all there is to it.

"Can’t I just stay here? You know... for a few nights?" gumi suddenly asked, shutting her eyes tightly. It was obvious that she had to swallow her pride whole before asking the said question

"No can do, you do know that I’m a guy, right? There’s no way I’d allow you here. Last night was an exception since there’s really nothing we can do about that. But now, no, I can’t allow you to stay here." Haji adamantly refused, fully knowing that gumi would still insist. She wasn’t the type of girl who doesn’t get what she wants, and Haji was pretty aware of that fact.

"I’ll cook! I’ll clean! and... and... " gumi wracked her brain to find another reason.

"No, I don’t have ti to play house. And don’t you think you should be going ho by now? Your parents must’ve been worried by now. I an, it’s not that I’m not happy with your cleaning and your cooking, but don’t you think this is a bit too much? Aside from the roof over our heads, I can’t really return the favor you’re giving . So don’t expect anything in return, and I don’t want the pile of favors to overtake . I’ll just feel bad." Satoshi continued. "Thanks for the al,"

"I’m really sorry, just let stay here for a bit... just one more day! Just one more day is enough." gumi apologetically said. This ti she really completely got rid of her pride as she asked Haji. "Think of it as returning my favor, please?"

Two thoughts occurred in Haji’s mind when he saw gumi’s pleading face. He knows gumi by the core, and he was fairly certain that gumi wouldn’t ask him for any favor even if his grave was turned over a couple of tis. And yet right now, she was beseeching him as if he was the last person on earth.

His first thought was that maybe gumi was going through sothing and she didn’t want to worry her parents about it. gumi seed like the type to hide her problems away and try to solve them by herself. It’s pretty evident since she didn’t have any friends in school, except for Haji, of course, if one could call him that. As for his second thought, he assud that maybe gumi was having family problems and that she didn’t want to go ho since she would just be reminded of the grave reality and the pressure in her household. These two thoughts were just Haji’s assumptions though, he wasn’t really sure what gumi was thinking right now when she suggested staying over.

"Sothing happened at ho? Is it a family matter?" Haji didn’t know what to ask but he asked her anyways about what he thought.

gumi hesitantly stopped then slowly nodded her head as her eyes darted from one point to the other. She didn’t want to talk about it, and Haji imdiately understood what she ant through her body language. She fidgeted.

"Whatever it is, it would be much better if you talk to your parents about it. I’m sure you’d co to a middle ground. That’s just how parents are." Haji sounded as if he had more ti with his parents but in truth, he just wished that they were here with him, giving him the talking-to’s he needed. Whether or not he was telling gumi this sound advice because of his regrets, he still thought to help gumi out. Familial disputes are easily resolved over a course of conversation after all— or so that’s what Haji thought to believe.

"Yeah, you’re right about that. But... sigh~ it’s more complicated than you think." gumi’s pace halved as she continued to eat.

’At least they’re still alive and you can still talk to them.’ Haji didn’t speak his thoughts out loud, instead, he just gave gumi a stare that sohow made her feel uneasy.

’Now that I think about it, gumi grew up in a rich household, right? How co she knows how to clean and how to cook? Don’t they have maids in their household? No, I’m sure they have maids, they even have an exclusive butler.’ Haji told himself as he rested his chin on his palms and continued staring at gumi. He didn’t realize it though and gumi called him out because of it.

"What are you staring at, you’re creeping out," gumi comnted even though she wasn’t creeped out at all.

"Nah, I was just wondering... don’t you have maids at ho? How co you could cook, let alone clean? From what I know, rich kids don’t know what those words are, it’s not even included in their dictionary."

gumi’s eyes lit up, she completely understood where Haji was getting out. With a flick of her wrist, she started waving her hand as if what Haji said wasn’t a big deal. "Oh, that? Don’t lump in with those rich kids. I didn’t grow up in a rich household when I was a kid, you know." She continued.

"What do you an?" As Haji spoke, his chin slipped from his palm and his head almost hit the edge of the table.