Chapter 338

"That's not true at all," Sumiida Mana muttered. Only then did she realize that she was still leaning against Riki 'Riki chest, able to smell his warm and relaxing scent, like the sun. His muscles were a bit firmer than a girl's, but very reliable, and his heart was beating fast.

Are you angry because I almost got hit?

Riki released Sumiida Mana, respecting the proper distance between men and women, and walked to the vending machine next to them, saying, "Mana, would you like a Coke?"

"Drinking too much carbonated sugar water at night is bad for your health," Sumiida Mana couldn't help but say.

"I've already drunk Coke, how could I not know if this stuff is good or bad?" Riki retorted.

Forget all that fluff, bro, I just love that satisfying, bubbly feeling of carbonation in my mouth.

Sumiida Mana was amused. Perhaps because Riki had just saved her, she didn't say anything more. She sat on the steps with her hands on her thighs and quietly watched Riki press the buttons on the vending machine. She was surprised to see him hand her a bottle.

"Here you go, it's a hot drink, something like eight-treasure porridge. I can't read katakana, but it has red beans printed on it, so it should be healthy." Riki said, "You were scared just now, weren't you? Drinking something hot can calm you down. This stuff will be fine for me."

Riki shook the can of cola in her hand.

Sumiida Mana was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously took the hot drink and held it in her hands. A cool night breeze blew by, but her palms were still warm.

"Thank you," Sumiida Mana said to Riki, who was sitting next to her, her face slightly flushed.

"You're welcome. I'm just a naturally kind and gentle handsome guy," Riki said.

Sumiida Mana was amused again.

No, that's a bit impolite of you to laugh like that.

Riki's face darkened.

Seeing this Sumiida Mana quickly said, "I also think Riki is a good person."

Okay, now they're giving out "friend zone" cards.

Donut Lady, perhaps you should just keep quiet.

"By the way, were you just writing down your classmates' information?" Riki asked.

Sumiida Mana felt a little embarrassed and scratched her face lightly, saying, "It's been half a year since school started, but I still don't have a single friend in my class. Everyone has their own circle of friends, so it will take me a lot more effort to make friends."

Initially, her idol work meant she spent very little time at school. After the start of the semester, everyone had their own friends, and her overly serious personality often caused awkward silences in class.

So now she has no friends except Chu Hua.

"It's probably because I'm a bit strange. I often talk without looking at the classroom, making my classmates and teachers feel awkward." Sumiida Mana lowered her head. "It was the same this morning. Even though it was the first time I met Riki, I said so many lecturing things to you. Riki must have felt very confused."

"Mana's not surprising, you're just doing the right thing," Riki said after thinking for a moment.

Since it's something everyone knows is right, there's no harm in saying it.

Besides... people tend to be more forgiving of those who are kind to them.

Mana is that kind of person who cares about others.

So although her overly serious personality makes people hesitant to approach her for the time being, Riki is certain...

"No one will dislike you," Riki said with a smile.

"Really?" Sumiida Mana couldn't help but ask.

"I guessed," Riki said.

"...Hmm." Sumiida Mana pouted and sulked.

Riki smiled and said, "After all, I can only guess what others think, but I can be sure of one thing—I definitely won't dislike Mana."

The summer breeze made Mana's hair flutter, and she lowered her head, her face burning hot.

"Sorry, I forgot to hang the clothes to dry. I have to go back now!" Sumiida Mana suddenly stood up and said in a panic, turning and running towards the shrine on the mountain.

"The clothes haven't been washed yet!" Riki called out hurriedly.

But Sumiida Mana ran very fast and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Back in her room, Sumiida Mana felt her face burning and her heart pounding.

"Could it be a cold?" Sumiida Mana murmured, her heart pounding. "This is the first time something like this has happened. I should ask Hatsuka."

The sun was shining brightly under a clear blue sky.

Riki had expected a large number of worshippers at the shrine, but she hadn't anticipated this many. The crowd was immense, stretching from the shrine entrance all the way down to the torii gate at the foot of the mountain.

So Mana wasn't just making excuses when she said the shrine needed help; she really did need it!

Although Riki was only helping to sell Ema votive plaques) and Omamori, she was still working up a sweat.

"Here, wipe your sweat with your handkerchief."

A delicate handkerchief appeared before Riki's eyes, and when she looked up, she saw a magnificent face.

"My name is Mikumura Shioka. Are you the Riki that Mana mentioned?" Mikumura Shioka smiled at Riki.

Riki looked at the stunningly beautiful Mikumura Shioka in front of her.

I feel like I'm being watched by a wild beast; my shoulders feel so heavy.

Side Story: Mana Route 02 (Thanks to jh for the Silver Treasure Chest)

Riki wouldn't mistake that magnificent face.

Mikumura Shioka.

One of the duo members of Sumimi, the other member is Sumiida Mana is wearing Miko Outfit with her sleeves rolled up and is seriously managing order.

But Hatsuka actually knows me! When did Mana take my picture without my permission?

Now we have no choice but to check Mana's phone.

"Ah, are you wondering how I recognized you?" Mikumura Shioka blinked her bright eyes and smiled. "Mana told me that a young man came to the shrine, and besides Junta's father, you're the only newcomer here."

Oh, so there was no secret filming after all.

Sorry, mine.

"Want a piece of Ema?" As a part-time worker at the shrine, even if the other party was a famous beautiful idol or an anime girl, Riki's heart was as cold as the knife that had been used to kill fish for ten years at RT-Mart. Right now, he only thought about one thing—Japanese yen.

Try promoting the shrine's specialties to Hatsuka and popping her rice.

Otherwise, if he doesn't meet the quota, he'll be kicked out of the shrine by the Yasuo.

"Does it work?" Mikumura Shioka asked curiously, picking up a piece of Ema).

"A shrine is not important for its height, but for the presence of a shrine," Riki said.

"The gods will be angry if they hear this." Mikumura Shioka covered her mouth and laughed. Her beautiful and majestic face made people's hearts race when she smiled, and even the sunlight seemed to brighten. It was as if there was a faint, pleasant fragrance around her.

What a Succubus.

No wonder the lights were all charmed.

"Then I'll buy one." Mikumura Shioka handed over the banknote.

Riki took it, but couldn't take the banknote from her hand, and looked at Chu Hua with a puzzled expression.

Want to buy something for free?

Your skin color is incorrect. Take back your dangerous idea.

"What do you think of Mana?" Mikumura Shioka asked Riki curiously.

Riki's back tensed instantly, and sweat broke out. She quickly looked at Junta's father, who stood coldly on the shrine lawn like a demon-slaying Vajra, and said seriously to Chu Hua, "This kind of joke is not good, otherwise my life will be in danger. Mana's father is standing right next to us, and Mana and I just met yesterday."

"You already have a first impression of me since we just met yesterday?" Mikumura Shioka's eyes were bright as she whispered close to Riki's ear, "By the way, Mana has a very good impression of you!"

Riki jumped, partly because the beautiful Mikumura Shioka was whispering sweet nothings in his ear; and partly because of the content of her words— Mana to have a good impression of him?

A deep, unrequited love!

Riki couldn't help but look at the woman standing next to the donation box. She was dressed in a red and white Miko Outfit, with a slender figure, upright posture, and a meticulously beautiful face. She was advising worshippers not to put too much money in.

"The gods don't care about the amount of money; please use it for your own life..." Sumiida Mana said earnestly to the elderly worshipper, smoothing a strand of hair behind her eye, her clear brown eyes glancing at Riki almost imperceptibly.

I don't know if it's just Riki's imagination.

Does Mana look a little unhappy?

To be precise... I'm vaguely a little unhappy.

Did Mana find out I was slacking off?

No, if that were the case, given Mana's personality, she would definitely come over and lecture me.

"Maybe she got jealous because I was talking in your ear?" Mikumura Shioka whispered.

"So jealous?" Riki asked suspiciously.

"I've never seen Mana in love either, so I can only guess," Mikumura Shioka laughed. "See you later, I'm going to write down my wishes."

Riki waved goodbye to the magnificent Mikumura Shioka, then turned to look at Sumiida Mana under the blue-tiled eaves of the shrine. Her face seemed to have regained its clean and transparent smile.

Strangeness.

That's strange.

Riki shook his head, thinking that he didn't understand the matter of beautiful girls.

Two hours later, as noon approached, the number of people at the shrine decreased slightly as they went to have lunch. Those who remained at home planned to come in the afternoon, which would then be another big battle.

Sumiida Mana came over and handed Riki some water. "Are you tired? Take a rest."

Riki was indeed covered in sweat after a busy morning and needed to replenish her fluids. She looked up and gulped down two mouthfuls of water, then subconsciously handed it to Mana, saying, "You must be tired too, want a sip?"

"Huh?" Sumiida Mana stared blankly at the unscrewed mineral water bottle in front of her, the water droplets at the bottle opening glistening in the sunlight.

Seeing that she was in a daze, Riki realized what was happening and wanted to slap herself.

It's because they spend so much time with those monsters; how could a two-dimensional anime girl drink water he's already drunk from?

"Sorry, I forgot..."

"I'll have a sip too. I haven't had any water all morning, and I'm really thirsty."

Sumiida Mana took the mineral water bottle from Riki's hand, took a small sip at the bottle opening, her rosy lips quickly becoming wet with water. She tilted her head back, squinted her eyes, and gulped down the water with her slender throat, exuding a captivating beauty in the summer heat.

Guys, I really love this.

She didn't care that this was water I had drunk from.

Mana Tetsu has a crush on me.

"It wouldn't be good to waste it; water is the source of life," Sumiida Mana said to Riki, seemingly explaining something, her face slightly flushed.

Mana, you're not good at geography. Water resources are constantly circulating within the Earth, so there's no such thing as waste, unless some water overflows into the Earth.

"I've always supported the principle of not wasting food; I've always been a 'Clean Plate Campaign,' and I even finish all the water," Riki said earnestly.

Sumiida Mana blushed even more, standing there at a loss for what to do.

Sumiida Mana, dressed in a red and white Miko Outfit, looked like a beautiful girl straight out of an anime. She had a pretty face, smooth hair, a slender waist, and healthy beads of sweat from a busy morning on her fair face. Her smile was incredibly sweet.

No, Mana is indeed an anime/manga character.

"Riki, would you like to write down a wish?" Sumiida Mana quickly changed the subject, picking up Ema).

"Alright, I'll buy one then..." Riki took out her money.

Even close brothers should keep clear accounts, and so should laborers.

"No need!" Sumiida Mana stuffed the Ema into Riki's hand, looked up at Riki and smiled, "This is a perk for working at the shrine, Riki, write down a wish."

Are there any shrine welfare girls?

Can Mana be my "welfare girl" (a term for someone who provides attractive but unsatisfactory services)?

Look at the breast wrap.

Holding the Ema), Riki thought for a moment under Sumiida Mana's curious gaze and wrote a line on Ema: "I want to date the girl who currently likes me the most."

"Huh?!" Sumiida Mana covered her mouth in surprise, looking at Riki, and stammered, "Wasn't writing it like this... a bit inappropriate?"

Mana, what are you surprised about?

You like me so much?

That wish must come true!