At the elementary school I transferred to, there was a silver-haired girl who was treated as an outcast, so I continued to harass her. - Soichi's POV part 2

After the game, we took a bath and ate dinner my mother cooked for us.

Time passed and We were watching a movie I rented in the living room.

It was a trendy horror movie. I had no fear at all because I consider myself the scariest person in the world.

“It’s pretty funny.”

“Ye-Yeah. Not scary at all pyatu!……not afraid.” (TL: pyatu is like when someone jumps from being scared)

“What’s this. You’re so scared.”

“I-I can’t help it. Soichi’s the one who’s weird for being so calm.”

“…..guess I don’t have a choice.”

I then held out my hand to Ririka.

“You can hold it if you’re afraid, okay?”

I could forcefully hold her hand, but I dared to give Ririka a choice.

It must be absolutely humiliating to willingly hold my hand, a member of the opposite s*x.

If she refuses, so be it. She will continue to watch the movie alone, scared to death.

“………Thank you”

『GYAAAAA！！』

Tch. Ririka said something, but I couldn’t hear it because it was masked by the screams from the movie.

Well, It’s fine. She was probably complaining about it anyway, but this guy took my hand.

She tightly grasped it like it would never come off.

“……..Soichi?”

“What? Want me to let go?”

“…….u-un. I want to stay like this today.”

“I see. Then have it your way.”

You are a cocky little b***ard for being so bossy.

I’m telling you, you should look more disgusted, it’s not funny.

But, how long will that last.

She’ll separate as soon as the movie is over.

However, Ririka would not let go of my─ hand unless it was necessary, if anything, she would connect it herself─ and we remained connected even when we went to bed.

After that, I continued to do things that Ririka would not have liked.

“Kukuku, Ririka. Wake me every morning starting tomorrow!”

“We’re going to school together! Okay!”

But, this guy kept smiling at me and didn’t once make a disgusted face.

“Ririka. I’m going to this high school. Of course you’ll follow me, right?”

“Un, I know. I’m fully prepared for the entrance exam, so let’s study together, okay?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah…”

On the contrary, she went to the same middle school and high school as me.

“Did you get confessed to again?”

“Yeah. And of course I rejected.”

“I’ve always wondered, is there a good reason?”

“Certainly I do. I, have a person I like.”

“Surprising. Well, I’m not complaining about that. Do as you please.”

“….che. Now you don’t say “ In that case go out with me”, Soichi.”

“Did you say something?”

“…nuh, nothing!”

“Oi, Soichi. It’s morning, wake up?”

I heard a familiar voice in my ear. I rubbed my eyelids and saw Ririka with even longer hair than before.

“What, Ririka………it”s morning already?”

“You were up late again, weren’t you? You need to get some sleep.”

“Don’t worry. I slept properly for six hours.”

And even if I stay up late, you’ll wake me up every morning.

I suggested it because I thought she wouldn’t want to come all the way to my house in the morning to wake me up, but this guy had never once broken her word.

If anything, she even happily cooked breakfast.

My parents had already gone to work and it was just me and Ririka at this time.

“How is it? Delicious?”

Ririka always asked for feedback from me as I ate the hamburgers she cooked.

My opinion hadn’t changed since the first time I had her home-cooked meal.

“……Yummy.”

Right now it would be easy to say that it’s not good.

But that wouldn’t be very graceful.

Ultimately, if I don’t take the initiative and make her cry, it’s a de facto defeat.

“I see. Thank goodness.”

She always smiled when she said that.

“…..cute, huh.”

With that smile on her face, all the boys in the class would have murmured in unison.

Ririka was very popular. I knew that she had been confessed to a lot, especially around the second year of junior high school.

Well, if you only look at her appearance, I’d agree she’s “cute” ……n?

Plop, I thought I heard the sound of chopsticks falling, but Ririka was petrified with a very silly look on her face.

“Ri-Right now, what did you just say?”

“Cute…….but, so what?”

“Re-Really? I’m, cute?”

“Why would I lie”

If you don’t consider the inside, then she’s certainly pretty.

“I-I see. Ehh hehe.”

She’s a fickle person with changing expressions one after another.

“…..yeah. I can tell you now.”

“Thank you for the food. Oi, Ririka. If you’re going to space out, I’ll leave you behind.”

“Soichi!”

“Uwaa!”

When I returned after carrying the dishes, Ririka held onto me.

My arm was pulled, and don,  I was between the wall and Ririka. (TL: KABEDON!)

I couldn’t even run away because Ririka, who was shorter than me, had her arms stretched out.

“……Soichi.”

“What? The pressure is too strong…..”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time.”

“I’ll listen to you so release me.”

“No. I won’t let you go.” (TL: Kyaa! Kakkoi!)

Her eyes as she said so had a seriousness that I had never seen before.

Facing her, I gulped and swallowed my saliva.

Ririka, her cheeks flushed red, took a slow breath and opened her mouth.

“I’ve loved you since a long time. Go out with me.”

…………Ha?

Did I hear her wrong?

Did she just say that she loves me?

No no no no, impossible.

I had never done anything to be liked by Ririka.

……….haha, I get it. I see.

Ririka had always been complaining about this.

Saying things like 『It’s just painful to receive confessions from people you don’t like.』

In other words, this is her way of retaliating.

You don’t want me to confess to you, do you? And you’re just trying to get back at me this time.

Kukuku, Idiot……!

Do you think I won’t realize your intention?

How many years do you think we have been together?

I usually know everything that Ririka thinks.

In that case, I have only one answer.

I’ll just return the same words exactly as they are to you!

“I love Ririka too”

“……ehh, really?”

“Like I said before, what’s the point of lying to you when I don’t have a reason to.”

“Then, then, you’ll go out with me?”

“Yeah. If it’s okay with you? I can’t retract what I just said──”

“You can’t do that! Yatta! We’re lovers from today, Soichi!” (TL: If you couldn’t guess, ‘yatta’ is like Yay!”

“Oh, oh, right.”

“I can go to school proudly with our arms crossed and we can flirt in class!”

“Tha-That’s not it.”

“Well then, let’s get to school! I have to tell everyone!”

“Hey, Oi! Idiot, wait! You didn’t take your bag!”

After that things took a sharp turn.

“We are finally dating!”

Wow! Ririka-chan Congrats!”

“NO WAY! GO EXPLODE from happiness! Hasoyamaaaa!”

The bold confession in the classroom earned me malicious blessings.

“””CONGRATULATIONS!”””

“You did it, Ririka-chan!”

“Please take care of my son….”

“Ririka, Soichi…….may you both find happiness!”

“If it’s Soichi, I can entrust my daughter with peace of mind. Hahaha!”

When we got home, both families were bursting crackers and gathering for celebration.

“From now on, let’s have all kinds of fun together here every day, right, Soichi?”

A large apartment was brought for us to live in.

Ririka held my hand and said something that reminded me of the time we met.

“Ehehe, I really love you”

That was when I saw her shed tears for the first time.

No, I got my wish, but I didn’t want that happy, crying face!

How did this even happen!

And so, I went with the flow and married Ririka, and we had a daughter and two sons in this order, and spent the rest of our lives together with her smiling happily by my side.

_______________________________________________

TL: Shinigami-san
Also, there’s Ririka’s POV left, So I’ll post that after I finish translating it.