At that moment, Nagasaki Sose heard the sound of a door opening outside her room.
"Mom!?" Nagasaki Sose cried in alarm.
Her mom was back!
Normally, Nagasaki Sose looked forward to her busy mom coming home, but today she was terribly nervous and wished she hadn't come back.
How else could she explain why she and Riki were in her bedroom?!
Chapter 36: Sakiko: Riki, I Missed You So Much!
"Soye, are you home?"
Her mom's voice and the sound of the door opening came one after the other from outside the bedroom. Nagasaki Sose was at a loss.
She was a model student famous throughout school, and a perfect example of good manners even among the rich girls. In her mom's eyes, she was a sweet, innocent daughter. But if her mom found out she and Riki were in her bedroom, the consequences would be something she absolutely didn't want to face.
I don't want her thinking we're dating!
"Y-you have to hide!" Nagasaki Sose hurriedly told Riki.
"Can't we just explain things to your mom? Like, say we got transported to another world?" Riki said.
"Do you think anyone would believe that?!"
Nagasaki Sose was frantic and exasperated.
Wait, are you doubting Ultraman?
If it weren't for my light, Tiga wouldn't have unlocked his Glitter form.
"Then I'll hide in the closet."
Riki sighed. As a mighty Silver-ranked player from Ionia, he was now being forced to hide in the spot reserved for the cuckolded husband, like a new account accidentally ending up in Demacia.
All I can say is, Demacia is my home, but I'll never forget Ionia.
Brother Riki, be mindful of your flexible citizenship.
"Wait!"
But Nagasaki Sose grabbed his hand, her face red. "You can't hide in there."
She hadn't tidied it up yet. There was no way she could let Riki see how messy it was.
And she had lots of personal clothing in there. How could she possibly let him see those?
"Soye, why aren't you answering?"
Her mom's voice came from the doorway. The footsteps were getting closer. Panicking, Nagasaki Sose hurriedly shoved Riki onto the bed and covered him with a blanket.
The door opened, and Nagasaki's Mom looked at Nagasaki Sose standing in the room with an awkward expression.
"Soye, why are you standing in your room with the lights off?"
"It's nothing. I was practicing playing bass without looking at the strings," Nagasaki Sose said, waving her hands nervously.
"Is that so? Remember to take care of your eyes." Nagasaki's Mom didn't suspect a thing. She was about to leave when she turned back. "Oh, right..."
"Yes!!"
"Why are you so jumpy? I was going to say, that boy Riki you mentioned before—next time, bring him some dessert. You seem to be close to him, and you talk about him at home a lot. Don't you chat on your phone all the time, too? You wouldn't happen to have feelings for him..."
"Mom, I don't talk about him at home all the time!"
Nagasaki Sose blushed and kept glancing at Riki, who was lying motionless under the blanket like a corpse.
He's right here!
And how is he so good at pretending to be dead?
"Mom, hurry up and go. I still need to practice bass!"
After finally pushing her mom out, Nagasaki Sose carefully locked the door, then turned and whispered toward the bed, "You can come out now."
Come out from where?
Be clear about what you mean. Don't get me caught in a Blue Silver Bind!
Riki pulled the blanket off and took a deep breath. The bed was filled with Nagasaki Sose's faint fragrance.
Riki suspected that whenever this shut-in wasn't at school, she did nothing but shower and lie in bed playing on her phone. Maybe she played mobile games based on anime, too.
I mean BanG Dream.
Seeing him take such a deep breath, Nagasaki Sose blushed again and hurried over to push him. "Get off. Don't lie on my bed!"
"Come on, are you mistreating a sick person? Have you forgotten how I caught this cold?"
"...Uh."
Faced with Riki's moral blackmail, Nagasaki Sose hesitated for a moment.
"Then lie near the edge. The middle is where I sleep," Nagasaki Sose said after a pause.
"No wonder it smells so nice here."
Riki muttered.
Nagasaki Sose glared at him.
This guy really was a terrible, terrible person.
If she could help it, she absolutely didn't want him in her room.
"By the way, what did your mom mean when she said you talk about me at home a lot?" Riki asked.
"Huh? Did she say that?" Nagasaki Sose turned away.
She often secretly called Riki a tall idiot or a poser fool at home, but she wouldn't say that to his face.
He was still sick, after all.
I'm only looking out for him.
Riki eyed her suspiciously. He obediently lay on the bed and played dead. Nagasaki Sose came over, touched his forehead, and said, "You're still a little warm. Once Mom goes to bed, I'll get you some medicine. You'll be fine tomorrow."
Can't you do it now?
"Not now. Mom will worry that I've caught a cold and come to check on me."
Mind reader!?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Nagasaki Sose asked, puzzled.
"Nothing. I just think it's rare to see you being considerate," Riki said.
"That's rude. I care a lot about everyone in Crychic. I know each of them very well," Nagasaki Sose said with a frown.
"What about Mygo?"
Nagasaki Sose paused, her brows drawing together. She didn't want to discuss it.
"What does that have to do with you?"
Riki thought for a moment. "Isn't it normal for a landlord to care about a tenant's mental health?"
"You're the tenant now," Nagasaki Sose said coolly. "No matter what happens, I won't change my mind. Crychic is the only place I want to be. I don't need anything else."
"Do you really think that?"
"You're so annoying!" Nagasaki Sose suddenly snapped. "Whatever I do has nothing to do with you. If Sakiko didn't know you, I wouldn't even talk to you!"
"...Fair enough."
As soon as Nagasaki Sose said it, she regretted it. She looked at Riki lying on the bed with his eyes closed, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Although Riki often made her angry, he was the only one who was willing to listen to her and would actively protect her.
Was I... hurting him?
He'd caught a cold because of her, too.
The room fell silent. Neon lights flickered outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the room feel lonely.
After a while, Nagasaki Sose suddenly felt someone poke her waist. She yelped and jumped, glaring at Riki, who had reached out and poked her. She clutched her waist, furious and embarrassed.
"Where's my medicine?" Riki asked.
What, am I supposed to heal by breathing?
At least give me some medicine. I'm no athlete; my constitution isn't superhuman. If an arts student fails, all they can do is try again next year.
Riki gazed at Nagasaki Sose resentfully.
Seeing that he didn't look angry at all, Nagasaki Sose suppressed her relief and huffed. "Wait a bit. I'll go get it now. Remember, don't leave my room. Mom leaves early every morning, so you can go then."
"Sure thing, dear."
Nagasaki Sose pressed her ear to the door. When she heard her mom go to her bedroom, she quietly opened the door and brought back some cold medicine.
"Do you have hot water?"
"Cold water's fine!"
"I'm Chinese. I can't drink cold water. It's a rule passed down by our ancestors."
"Then swallow it dry."
"Holy crap, don't!"
Watching Riki take his medicine, Nagasaki Sose couldn't help smiling a little.
This guy could be pretty cute sometimes.
As expected, Nagasaki Sose's mom left for work early in the morning. She was nowhere to be seen. No wonder Sose was so lonely. In a huge house all by herself, there was nothing for her to do but get depressed.
Riki was heading out, too. He had already gotten in touch with Sakiko, and she'd been delighted. She was on her way over.
"Why are you coming along?" Riki asked, looking at Nagasaki Sose beside him.
"Of course I have something to say to Sakiko," Nagasaki Sose replied coolly.
"Riki!!"
A familiar, sweet voice came from up ahead. Toyokawa Sakiko, wearing her Haneoka uniform, smiled and ran toward him.
"Sakiko!" Nagasaki Sose cried happily, too.
Toyokawa Sakiko ran with youthful energy, a radiant smile on her face. As soon as she reached Riki, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly around the neck.
"Riki, I missed you so much!"
Toyokawa Sakiko looked at Riki with shining eyes and spoke joyfully.
Nagasaki Sose watched them embrace, stunned.
*****
There'll be another chapter later, but you don't need to wait. Just read it when you wake up.
Chapter 37: Sakiko's Gravity
Toyokawa Sakiko had received a message from Riki the night before.
Riki: [Little Riki's made it through the loser's bracket, dear. Can we meet in front of the Hachiko Statue at eight tomorrow morning?]
Toyokawa Sakiko: [Sure. See you at eight tomorrow.]
Late at night, Toyokawa Sakiko smiled as she looked at the message in her "bedroom," her heart torn between nervousness and anticipation as she waited for morning.
Toyokawa Sakiko, unusually indecisive, put together a new outfit, wondering what style Riki would like. It took her a while to settle on one. When she came out of her "bedroom" and saw her father passed out drunk in the living room again, she frowned slightly, then turned and left the house.
It had only been a week, but it felt like ages since she'd last seen Riki.
Toyokawa Sakiko held back her joy, her steps seeming to grow lighter as she looked forward to seeing Riki.
Before you continue