Episode 22: Picking Up Girls

TL: lime
ED: Spynine01

At the food court.

“Wah~ Taro, I’m done.”

“Hah~ I’m tired Rin-san…”

Rin, who was currently sitting in front of me, was in a very good mood and smiling pleasantly.

Sipping, Rin sipped on her iced tea quietly.

“I’ll go and put the empty plate back.”

“Eh, no, I’d feel bad.”

“It’s okay. I want to get a drink while I’m at it too.”

“I see. Then, please, Captain Taro.”

Rin said with a salute.

“I’m off, Captain Rin. Don’t get tangled up with any strange people, alright?”

“No, no. Don’t worry about it.”

I nodded and left to keep the plates back.

While at it, I bought a drink at the takoyaki shop and went back to my seat.

“Rin, I’m… back…”

On the way back, I could see some strange guys surrounding her at the table.

University students, maybe? They were a pair, and they were busy tangling with Rin.

“You’re beautifulー, hey, are you a model?”

“Heyー, heyー, do you want to have some tea with us?”

…It seemed that Rin was currently getting picked up by some strangers.

Rin is beautiful, so it’s no wonder that sort of thing happens often.

…But what’s this?

My heart is in turmoil at that sight.

“You’re a little annoying.”

Rin, on the other hand, was busy glaring back at the college students.

“Uwah, you’re so cute.”

“It’s because you’re so beautiful, that I can’t help but look at you twice.”

The university student reached for Rin’s face.

…I noticed that I was running straight to Rin.

“Rin!”

“Taro…”

I hurried up and ran straight to her.

“Ah. What the hell?”

“Don’t get in my way.”

The two bad guys were attempting to glare at me.

“Your brother? Get the fuck out of here, you damn brat.”

“…No.”

“AH?”

“No!”

I threw the tray in my hand onto the floor.

“Whoa!” “What!?”

While the university students were freaking out, I grabbed my luggage and Rin.

“Come on, Rin!”

I pulled Rin’s hand and hurriedly left the place.

“W-Wait, hey!”

“I’m sorry, but since you’re not wet by my drinks, I’m not going to pay for it! I’m sorryー!”

I frantically ran through the shopping mall.

“Run, run, run…”

I kept running, thinking only of keeping Rin away from the college students.

After a while.

“Gasp…! Hah~…! R-Rin… are you okay…?”

We’re in a shopping mall, in a courtyard of sorts.

“U-Un… I’m okay.”

“I see… I’m glad…”

I slumped down on the spot.

Ah… my lack of stamina…

“What about Taro, are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m fine.”

“I’ll get you a drink.”

Rin left me to go to a nearby vending machine.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

“R-Rin, w-wait…!”

I grabbed her hand tightly.

“Eh?”

“Ah, well… that… again, if you get entangled with… no, right?”

“Taro….”

She looked at me and gave me a small smile.

“You’re worried about me.”

“Ah, of course! I don’t like it! Rin is…”

Rin is… what?

I don’t know what I was going to say, I…?

“Taro? What about me?”

“Ah, no… that’s… I wonder. A-Ahaha…”

My heart is buzzing.

My heart was pounding and the sound of my heartbeat was unnecessarily loud. What is this?

“You know what, Taro?”

“Yeah… Yes?”

Rin hugged me from the front.

“Hii-! R-Rin…?”

There were a lot of people in the courtyard.

In the midst of it all, you could see the both of us hugging each other.

Naturally, we stood out from everyone. It was far too conspicuous to stay hidden from their eyes.

But… I wonder why.

This was the only time I felt like I could not push her away.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Eh…?”

At a close range, Rin smiled at me.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never be anyone else’s. I’m only going to be Taro’s wife, okay?”

“Rin…”

When she said that, I finally realized the continuation of my earlier words.

I didn’t like it.

When Rin was with a man other than me.

I didn’t like the idea… of Rin getting touched by a stranger.

“Hey, Taro. My heart is pounding really, really fast right now.”

“Eh? W-Why…?”

Rin continued to hug me tightly.

I could feel Rin’s heart beating strongly.

“When Taro helped me. You were really amazing and it was really cool.”

“Ah, that was… help? That was more like…”

It was more of a poor way of saving you, wasn’t it…?

“…Taro. I was scared at the time. I got tangled up with a stranger all of a sudden.”

“I-Is that so… No, that’s right.”

Unlike me, Rin is not a slouch.

As her name suggests, she is always upright.

I thought that she would be undaunted at all times, like a flower that would stand tall and strong at any difficulty in its path.

But… that’s not the case in reality.

Rin is also a girl. If an unknown man suddenly gets really close to her… of course she’d get scared.

“I’m sorry… I thought Rin was a strong girl. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. The coolest husband ever saved me in the coolest way possible.”

Hug, Rin hugged me tightly again..

…I was pathetic.

Rin never blames me for anything that happens to her.

If I hadn’t left Rin there alone, she wouldn’t have to get scared by those two.

“I’m sorry, Rin. I’ll never leave you alone again.”

“Taro…”

I… hugged Rin back.

I put my hands around her thin waist.

…I didn’t care about the eyes that were staring at us this time.

I was only thinking about the girl in front of me at this moment.

“Thank you. Taro. I’m really happy to hear you say that, so much so that I want to cry.”

…Rin’s smile was so beautiful that I couldn’t believe that such a pretty girl was actually my wife…

But today it became clear to me.

When Rin was about to get taken away by that college student… I hated it with all my might.

Yeah. In other words, I…

I love this girl with all my heart.

A/N:【※To all readers】

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