Chapter 191 Rikus Trouble (1)

Since we decided to have our dinner at the same time as yesterday, we took a bath first. Like planned, Riku-san would be entering the bath with me.

Umi had entered the bath earlier, so I told her to wait for us in our room.

All according to plan.

[Umi: My brother is such a handful Ill leave him to you, okay?]

I replied to her message with a yes and entered the bath with Riku-san.

We were walking side by side, but neither of us tried to start a conversation.

It wasnt like we had nothing to talk about. Both of us had similar hobbies, gaming, and we could even talk about how much of a handful Umi could be if we wanted to. The problem here was, neither of us were the type to start a conversation.

Sorry.

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Huh?

You know, the thing earlier this afternoon Making a scene like that out in public We got in the way of your date

Not really, you dont need to worry about that, Riku-san Did Umi say something to you?

Lets talk about that later. That idiot gave me a really strong head flick. Damn it, its still hurting

When he brushed his bang away a little, I could see a red bump right in the middle of his forehead. Her head flick was stronger than I expected. Daichi-san or Sora-san probably taught her how to do it.

Anyway, it seemed like there were no other guests in the bath, so we could talk as long as we wanted.

After rinsing off the dust from my body, I followed Riku-san to take a dip into the bath.

Jeez, dont you think you two are meddling a little too much into my affairs? I didnt even ask you two to do this. Besides, why do you care so much about me?

Well, how do I put this? From your perspective, Im nothing more than Umis boyfriend, just a stranger with an extra step, right, Riku-san?

Thats one way to put it.

But, you see, Riku-san. To me, youre Umis brother. You arent a stranger to me. Umi cherishes her family a lot, so as her boyfriend, I would also act the same. An important person of hers is also an important person of mine.

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Of course this also applied to Daichi-san and Sora-san too.

Both mom and I were extremely indebted to the Asanagis. After I started dating Umi, the Asanagis always tried to help me as much as they could. When I was sick, they let me stay at their house for a while. Occasionally, they would invite me over for dinner with them. Honestly, the Maeharas were closer to the Asanagis than our real relatives.

Is this the friend of my friend is also my friend trope?

Close, but not quite. Honestly, if you are just her friend, I would only do the bare minimum to get along with you, Riku-san. But you are her family. I have to get along with her family. If I want to have a bright future with her, I have to do this at least.

Ah, I see If you guys are serious about your relationship, youll have to do it whether you like it or not, huh?

Ive never had a talk with Umi about our future yet. Personally speaking, I didnt want my relationship with the Asanagis to grow estranged.

That was why I wanted to get along with them.

Also, I respect you a lot, Riku-san. You always treat us like were troublemakers, but Im aware thats just your way to show that you care. I mean, this trip wouldnt have happened if you didnt step up back then. Aside from that, you always seem so mature. Its actually hard to believe that youre currently unemployed.

Do you really respect me that much?

Yes. As much as Umi respects you at least.

Are you messing with me, brat?

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After saying that, he moved his hand and touched my head. He was probably about to give me a light chop, but he was afraid that it would hurt me. In the end, he settled for a head pat.

What a kind person he was.

Ive always liked Shi-chan, you know?

He let out a deep sigh before continuing.

Back when we were little, she always got herself into trouble. She was small and sickly, but she couldnt stay still in one place to save her life Before I knew it, I acted like her caretaker. I always thought that she was a troublesome girl, but the more time I spent with her, the more I thought that I couldnt leave her be and I had to protect her as a friend And eventually, that feeling turned into love. By the way, she was the cutest girl in town back then.

I knew it, they both liked each other ever since they were little. I mean, if they didnt, they wouldnt have bothered to keep in contact for that long.

Then, why did you reject her confession? Did you already have someone else you liked back then?

Of course not. There are other girls that I found cute, yes, but the one that I always liked was her and only her.

Nevertheless, he still rejected her confession.

I know what youre thinking. If we both liked each other, then why didnt I just accept her confession? Well

Well?

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Ugh Looking back, Im realizing how dumb it was, but back then, I felt like it was the correct answer

The story goes back to Riku-sans high school days, more than ten years ago.