The time when I forcibly slept with my friend's sister!

[BAKA!]

[BAKA!!]

[WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!]

[I swear to god, if Ichinose thinks of me as a weirdo after today, I will turn my kill count to one.]

…

[Thanks, btw. If Ichinose asks for my number, don’t tease him and give him my number immediately. I am asking this nicely so don’t play tricks on me, alright?]

Seeing the messages, Kuriyama-san had sent over the whole afternoon when she was with Ichi, I couldn’t help chuckling.

Her messages shifted so dramatically that I somehow could vividly imagine the expression she might have made if I had been present in front of her when all this transpired.

She was initially agitated that I sent Ichi to her for a direct meet-up rather than allowing her to stalk us and afterward when she had a comfortable chat with Ichi, to the point that now they were cool about sharing numbers, Kuriyama-san all became deredere.

(A/N; – Deredere means sweet and energetic.)

Me: [Already sent him your number. Have a safe journey~]

Replying to her, I pocketed my phone and walked inside the house.

It was already past eight in the evening when I walked inside.

“I am home.”

“Welcome back.” Mom walked near the entrance with her apron tied around her neck. From the fragrance, I could tell she was preparing something Chinese.

It was deliciously aromatic but didn’t seem mouthwatering since I was already too full. Ichinose and I ate almost two kilos of meat along with rice and juice. Yui never participated in the competition since she was done with just the first serving.

After eating we had to support each other so we could walk out of the restaurant. It has been a while since I have eaten that much.

“How did it go? Did Ichi-kun and Kuriyama-san meet each other?”

Mom was naturally aware of the whole incident since she was the median through which Kuriyama-san and her mother came in contact with me.

I grinned and told her vaguely how the trip went. Of course, I erased the whole part where I and Yui were practically flirting with each other and sharing the same spoon.

I know Mom wouldn’t be against this relationship but before anyone, I wanted to reveal, this bond which now I share with Yui, to Ichinose first. He’s the person who deserves to know about this unexpected development foremost.

“I am glad that everything went fine.” Mom was also interested in the topic of Kuriyama-san and Ichinose so she could gossip with her friend which made me remember that I needed to inform Miho about today as well or soon she would get to hear it from her mother.

It would be a shock for her so I need to break it to my childhood friend slowly and cautiously.

“You won’t eat anything? Even late at night?” Mom asked to which I shook my head and replied, “I have filled two stomachs worth of food inside. I will prepare some lime water after changing.”

The oil and spices needed to be detoxified and lime water seemed the best option for it. I decided to have a jog in the morning as well.

I was about to walk upstairs when suddenly Mom called out, bringing my feet to a halt, “Umm…Riku. I will be out of town tomorrow because of a medical camp. Please call Ichi-kun at night, alright?”

Mostly it has been the case that whenever Mom left I always called Ichi over on either her request or on my own initiative. After that incident in the past, Mom didn’t want to leave me alone, and definitely not with a stranger.

But, “I will take care of myself, Mom. I can’t rely on Ichi for the rest of my life, can I? Since I got over my insecurity with my scar, I need to be a little more confident and move on from my other fears as well.”

It wasn’t like Ichi ever seemed annoyed or bothered by being called by me to stay over. We enjoyed hanging out so it was natural for us to spend a night or two just while playing games or watching movies.

However, now I want to grow out of the shell that I have created because of my trauma. My best friends encouraged me when I decided to face my insecurity regarding my scar and so this time, I want to face this fear of being alone by myself.

Mom looked contemplative about it but in the end, she nodded.

****

Early in the morning nearly at five, I walked out of my house wearing jogging trousers, training shoes, and a jacket with a hoodie which I found most comfortable for a run.

“Morning, Riku-kun.”

“Ah, Miho, you really woke up this early…” Last night when I texted Miho vaguely about the meeting Ichinose had with Kuriyama-san, Miho requested detailed information regarding the whole scenario.

She was about to come to my house late at night at eleven but I immediately refused for obvious reasons. Miho asked whether I could meet her before school so I told her about my plan for the early morning jog and now, here she was.

Wearing a pink and green tracksuit with her hair held in a high ponytail, she looked refreshing for sore eyes.

“You look good in this appearance…might I invite Ichi sometime over a jog?” Miho blushed, not because of my compliment but the thought of being seen by Ichi like this.

We both soon began walking toward the nearby community park where I usually go.

On the way, I told her about the whole situation starting from the hospital to what happened in the park yesterday. I didn’t tell her about the date with Yui since it would have been utterly embarrassing and in the first place, Miho must be more interested in things related to Ichi.

“First name?! Already?! ” Her reaction to the news was the same as I assumed. It was indeed surprising for Ichinose to become so frank and casual with a girl so soon.

Miho’s astonishment soon was replaced by gloom with her shoulders dropping in sorrow.

I panicked slightly as I said, “Look on the brighter side. Maybe Ichi had a sudden enlightenment or something and he might notice your advances as well? Just be a little more confident and with my help, I am sure he would also call you by your first name as well. ”

Hearing my encouraging words, Miho’s sulky gaze looked at me before she asked in a sobbing tone, “R-Really? ”

“I promise. ” Whether I would be able to fulfill my promise or not was uncertain but I would do my best to support Miho, for sure.

‘Hmm… ‘ Suddenly, my feet came to a halt when I felt someone looking at us.

“What happened, Riku-kun? ” Miho asked as she also stopped in her tracks and turned her head in the direction I was looking.

However, how long I kept looking, no one came out as it seemed there was no one at the corner of the street in the first place.

“…. it’s nothing… ” Later I would realize, this wasn’t my hallucination and someone indeed was keeping an eye on me.

****

A/N: – Drop a comment if you are excited for the next chapter~