The Story of Making a Popular Girl Dependent on Me

After finishing lunch, Riho and I returned to the classroom just before lunch break ended.

As soon as we entered the staff room, I felt someone’s gaze, and when I looked over, Setsune and I locked eyes.

Setsune seemed to be chatting with her usual group, but she seemed concerned about when I would come back to the classroom.

So, I smiled at Setsune once, then returned to my seat.

(Seems like Setsune is so interested in us that she can’t focus on her friends’ conversation. Well, I guess it would feel bothersome if I, who keeps my distance, suddenly linked arms with Riho. But Setsune is cute when she’s jealous.)

While thinking about that, Riho turned to me and started talking.

“Hey, I feel like Setsune-san is totally watching us.”

“Well, considering you linked arms with me, who is Setsune’s girlfriend, her concern about me is natural, isn’t it?”

“No, it was Rokka who linked arms with me, so I’m the victim here. Totally caught in the crossfire.”

“What? Are you unhappy about it? By the way, Riho was the first person I linked arms with. I haven’t done anything like that with Setsune yet.”

“…Huh? Really? That’s definitely the reason. I didn’t need that kind of first. …Please, just don’t involve me in this.”

Riho said that while covering her eyes with her palm and looking up at the ceiling.

Seeing her like that, even I felt a bit sorry, so I decided to apologize.

“Well, I do feel bad for dragging you into this. Though it’s not exactly an apology, how about I treat you to something you like after school today?”

“Then, parfait at the cafe in front of the station.”

“Got it. You can customize it however you want.”

“Alright!”

Riho may not look it, but she’s actually quite a sweet tooth.

I also like sweet things to some extent, but Riho loves sweets even more than I do. Whenever we go out together, we always end up eating extremely sweet desserts.

“Seriously, how come you don’t gain weight when you eat such sweet things?”

“Who knows? Maybe it’s just my metabolism.”

Riho is slightly taller than me and has a slender figure. I wonder where all those nutrients go when she eats so many sweet things.

But at least I’m sure they’re not going to her chest. After all, she’s smaller than me there.

With such thoughts in mind, as I talked with Riho, the chime signaling the end of lunch break rang, and soon the teacher came in.

(Well then, let’s do our best in the afternoon classes.)

Since I had just eaten lunch, I felt a little sleepy, but I told myself that and decided to do my best in class, even though I felt even more gazes on me than in the morning.

***

The bell rang to signal the end of the day, and as I was getting ready to go home, I called out to Riho.

“Riho, let’s go home.”

“Yeah. I’m just finishing up here, so wait a bit.”

“Wait a bit,” I feel like I’ve heard that in a movie somewhere, but Riho sometimes says things that make me wonder if she’s just being silly or genuinely serious, so I’m not sure how to react.

As I pondered whether to retort or let it go, Riho seemed to have finished getting ready and called out to me.

“Alright, all set. Let’s go. …Wait, what’s with that difficult look?”

“Oh, I was debating whether I should retort or let it go.”

“Someone made a joke?”

It seems this reaction was genuinely just her being herself. I’m glad I didn’t retort. If I had, she might have thought I was the one joking.

“It’s nothing. It was just my imagination. Let’s head home quickly.”

“Alright!”

Even though Riho’s reply seemed indifferent, it’s usual for her, so I decided not to mind and just head home.

As we left the classroom, I glanced over at Setsune, who was still getting ready to leave. Since her usual friends were talking to her, she’s probably going home with them.

I wondered if she noticed us, but since a friend who spoke up was standing right between Setsune and me, she probably didn’t notice.

If she had, I thought about waving or something, but it seems I missed the right timing.

So this time, I decided to go home without doing anything.

Still, I distanced myself a bit too much today, so tomorrow morning, I’ll be the first to greet her.

To make someone rely on you, managing distance is crucial.

***

Riho and I are currently at a cafe near the station.

I decided to order a cafe mocha and a Mont Blanc, and I confirmed Riho’s order.

“Riho, have you decided on your order?”

“Yeah. I’ll have the parfait with four kinds of fruits, extra whipped cream.”

“What about your drink?”

“Then, cafe au lait with extra milk.”

“Sugar?”

“I’m good without today.”

“Got it. I’ll call the waiter.”

Once our orders were placed, I called over the waiter to finalize them.

While waiting for our orders to arrive, I decided to ask Riho about what she thought of Setsune’s cuteness.

“Hey, Riho.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think Setsune was super cute today, being jealous of you?”

“Well, as the one being envied, it’s nerve-wracking, you know? Normally, I’d agree that Setsune is cute, but today, I can’t quite relate.”

“Why not? The usual composed Setsune is now paying attention to every little thing I do. There’s nothing more heartwarming than this. And on top of that, she’s even showing jealousy, mixed with anxiety. That expression was just so adorable ♡.”

“You’re still as twisted as ever… So, what’s your purpose in doing all this today?”

“It’s nothing major. I just wanted Setsune to rely on me a bit.”

“I see… So this is the last time we see the pure Setsune, huh…”

Having known Riho for quite some time, she’s aware of my somewhat twisted affection towards Setsune. Despite that, she didn’t deny it or ask me to stop. She simply cut it off with, “Each person has their own way of love, and as an outsider, I’m not going to meddle in it.”

Because of that understanding, I can talk to her about anything and rely on her. This time, involving her was no problem. She’s the type who can listen to my plans without hesitation and even offer advice when needed. That’s why, as a friend, she’s the one I love and cherish the most.

While we were talking about Setsune’s cuteness, the waiter brought our orders and placed them in front of Riho and me.

Feeling a bit parched from our conversation, I sipped my cafe mocha to quench my thirst, then took a bite of the Mont Blanc.

Then, looking at the huge parfait in front of us that seemed big enough for two people, I asked the person who ordered it.

“So, are you going to eat all of this massive parfait you ordered?”

“Of course. I occasionally eat something like this without any trouble.”

Riho’s parfait had layers so numerous that I couldn’t count them, filled with whipped cream, fruits, and fruit sauces between each layer.

On top of that mountain of whipped cream were strawberries, peaches, mangoes, and muscat grapes in a variety of colors, making it look like it could give you heartburn just by looking at it.

“Well, as long as you finish it without leaving any.”

“Leave it to me!”

With that said, she eagerly grabbed her spoon and started devouring the parfait with shining eyes. I thought her delighted expression was a bit cute, but it wasn’t something I needed to expressly point out, so I held a fork in one hand and continued eating my Mont Blanc.

A few minutes later, Riho had neatly finished the massive parfait in front of her.

“I’m speechless that you really ate all of it…”

“Didn’t I say I could handle it?”

With a truly confident look, she sipped her cafe au lait with extra milk.

As I watched her like that, I decided to ask what we would do next.

“So, what’s next? Are we going somewhere?”

“Mm, I think I’ll pass today. I have to go home and look after my little sister.”

“Got it. Then, let’s call it a day for today.”

“Yeah. Let’s hang out somewhere next time.”

“How about the weekend? I’m free, if Riho’s okay with that.”

“I’m free on Sunday, so that works for me.”

“Alright. Let’s hang out on Sunday then. I’ll decide what we’ll do.”