Sose: You're Actually a Pretty Good Person

Riki thought to himself.

"...How did you know it was Riki?!" Nagasaki Sose's expression changed. Unable to hold back her annoyance at her mother's teasing, she said, "Mom, anyway, get some proper rest!"

Nagasaki Sose hung up and turned to look at Riki.

"Everyone has their own dreams, and everyone shines in their own way. I think men and women should maintain an appropriate distance, especially when it's just a man and a woman alone together." Riki started to leave as he spoke.

"Don't worry, I don't see you as a man." Nagasaki Sose smiled and grabbed his arm.

True. Everyone said I was a giant python.

They always said it in the changing room, though. I had no idea why. I was a simple person.

Riki was helpless. Nagasaki's Mom seemed to be injured, and he couldn't just leave like this. Nagasaki Sose didn't have any friends who could help, so he had no choice but to step in.

Seeing him like this, Nagasaki Sose knew he had agreed. She gave a smug little hum and said, "Consider it a token of my appreciation. I'll cook for you later. Is there anything you like to eat?"

"Oyakodon," Riki said.

Japan's famous mother-daughter dish... It had to be tried.

"You like eating that kind of thing?" Nagasaki Sose asked, puzzled.

Sorry, I overstepped.

Although Nagasaki Sose acted rather pretentiously, she was actually quite pure at heart. She couldn't understand Riki's abstract remarks right away, and only looked at him in confusion.

Riki felt guilty.

I'm seriously awful!

"My mom injured her hand and is in the hospital. It's not serious, but I'll be the only one at home tonight. There happens to be some work to do around the house, so I'll have to handle it myself. Of course, you'll have to help too." Nagasaki Sose said, "Mom also told me to give you ten thousand yen as a token of appreciation, but I don't think that's necessary."

Nagasaki Sose muttered under her breath.

So this is what the heiress of Tsukinomori is like?

Sister Kyō, send me fifty!

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

"Then let's go buy some ingredients at the supermarket first, along with a replacement light bulb."

There was a supermarket nearby, so they didn't have to walk far.

"Get a big basket." Riki picked up a shopping basket from the supermarket entrance.

"We have chicken, eggs, and rice... but there aren't any light bulbs. Are they sold out?" Nagasaki Sose said awkwardly. "There are only small flashlights left."

It's fine. Small is good too...

"Is the light in your room broken?" Riki asked.

"The light in my room. It's scary without one." Nagasaki Sose spoke in a small voice.

I offer companionship services at my place. Only five yuan.

Nagasaki Sose continued walking, then suddenly said, "Found them... Hmm, couples?"

******

Any votes?

Chapter 52: Sose: You're Actually a Pretty Good Person

There were many young men and women gathered around the basketball machine. It was a nasty trick the supermarket used to attract customers: once you scored enough baskets, you could enter a prize draw. One wall beside it was covered with prizes. The first prize was a giant teddy bear standing one and a half meters tall, with a round, chubby face. In the fifth-prize section below, there was the light Nagasaki Sose wanted—no, an LED light.

"There seem to be a lot of people," Nagasaki Sose said softly.

"Miss Sose, please allow me to remind you that I'm a well-rounded student who has not been poisoned by capitalism. Only idiots would fall for this coin-guzzling scam." Riki held the large basket and spoke like a loyal minister.

These activities were designed to trick foolish, rich couples into wasting money. Surely no one thought he would participate. This wasn't some romance novel.

Stop showing off... Nagasaki Sose cast Riki a disdainful glance.

"Don't worry. I never intended to participate either," Nagasaki Sose said coldly.

She and Riki weren't a couple, so there was no point in participating in something like that.

Nagasaki Sose frowned and continued looking for a light in the supermarket. After politely asking an employee, she discovered that even the stockroom was empty, so she could only thank the employee regretfully.

It's a little frightening not having the lights on in my room at night, but if I say that, Riki will laugh at me... Nagasaki Sose looked conflicted.

Riki and Nagasaki Sose were just about to pay at the register when his gaze shifted. He saw a girl cheering on a boy beside the basketball machine. It was the girl who had asked Riki for his contact information at the instrument store earlier. When she turned and saw Nagasaki Sose, her competitive hostility toward another woman made her give a disdainful smile and hug the boy beside her.

What an annoying girl.

She's even more annoying than Riki.

Nagasaki Sose frowned. She had never encountered someone like this at Tsukinomori. Although she felt displeased, she had no intention of paying her any further attention.

"Let's go..."

Halfway through speaking, Nagasaki Sose saw Riki toss over the coat he was wearing. She hurriedly caught it in a fluster.

"You're missing a light, right? I'll win one for you." Riki turned to look at her. "I get really pissed off when someone looks down on my friends. I'm going to crush her boyfriend!"

Who asked you to do that... Nagasaki Sose wanted to say that, but seeing Riki stand up for her made her lips tremble slightly. Without thinking, she said, "Okay."

The moment she said it, she covered her mouth in panic. What did I just say?

Riki smiled, bought some coins at the nearby counter, and walked toward the basketball machine. Nagasaki Sose puffed out her cheeks as she watched his back.

Who needs you to stand up for me?!

I absolutely don't need it, okay?!

In the past, Nagasaki Sose would only hide her displeasure behind a smile whenever she encountered something like this. But today, Riki had said he would stand up for her and crush the other guy. For some reason, Nagasaki Sose...

felt very happy.

Her mother often left early and returned late from work. Since her mother was already working so hard, Nagasaki Sose could only keep quiet about the troubles she encountered so as not to burden her. That was why she had always kept away from troublesome people, and even when she suffered grievances, she had to face her mother with a smile. But this time... Riki was backing her up.

Having Riki around made her feel very safe.

And he had said...

Friends.

Nagasaki Sose looked at Riki's back, then hurriedly followed him with a Japanese-style running gait. The hem of her school uniform skirt fluttered slightly, revealing her fair knees. Her soft brown hair danced in the air, revealing the light, bright smile on her face.

"Wait for me, you idiot!"

Her bell-like voice was filled with laughter as well.

Riki stopped beside the basketball machine where the unpleasant Sakura girl he had encountered that afternoon and her male companion were standing, then inserted several coins.

Basketball machine, start!

The unpleasant Sakura girl casually sized Riki up, then said to her male companion, "Ryoma-kun is a member of the school basketball team. Winning first prize shouldn't be a problem at all, right?"

The school team?

Slam Dunk or Kuroko's Basketball?

If it's the latter, I'll fight to the death right now. I'm leaving.

Riki looked him over and saw no signs of strange techniques such as a "Heat Haze Shot" or "gaze manipulation," which put his mind somewhat at ease.

Nagasaki Sose had also heard the girl. She spoke softly to Riki, "Hey, he's on the school team. Are you sure you can handle him?"

It'd be embarrassing if you lost.

"Are you giving him the championship on credit?!" Riki said unhappily. "I was also on the school team in high school."

"Really?!"

"On the origami club's school team. I can fold five sheets a second." Riki said.

Seeing that Nagasaki Sose's expression was beginning to darken, he hurriedly added, "But I was the sixth... er, tenth man of our basketball team of prodigies. I guarantee there won't be a problem."

Isn't that a substitute among substitutes?

Nagasaki Sose nearly coughed in anger. She glared at Riki.

At that moment, the basketball rolled down from the machine.

Riki reached out and caught it, then shot.

"Swish!"

A loud swish from a perfect shot.

The unpleasant Sakura girl beside them looked over in surprise.

Riki caught the basketball again and shot it once more with perfect form.

"Swish!"

Another crisp swish.

This time, even the unpleasant Sakura girl's male companion looked over in surprise.

Damn, there are so many satisfying moments today.

This feels amazing.

Riki kept a calm expression. Nagasaki Sose looked at him in surprise and said, "Aren't you a substitute?"

"Two members of our basketball team went straight into the CBA after graduating. The rest were also exceptionally talented. Although I was a substitute, I was influenced by them and picked up a little divinity. Breaking through the Supreme Realm in the short term wouldn't be a problem. I'd just have to cripple myself afterward and fall from the Supreme Realm, waiting for the Dark Turmoil that would come later..." Riki explained.

Nagasaki Sose didn't understand any of that. She patted his arm and said, "Stop talking and hurry up!"

What's the rush? I'm still wearing my clothes.

Sakura girls really don't understand the profound culture of our country.

Riki grabbed the basketball that rolled down and shot it with another standard motion. With a "swish," it went cleanly through the hoop again.

"Tsk, the feel was off. I missed by five degrees," Riki muttered.

The better one's condition, the more one had to claim that one's condition was poor. On a street court, this effectively earned the jealous stares of teammates and opponents alike: What the hell are you showing off for?

Sure enough, the unpleasant Sakura girl's male companion was thrown into a daze by those words. His hand trembled, and he missed two shots in a row. One ball rolled around the rim before bouncing out, making the unpleasant Sakura girl stomp her little feet in anger.

The rules of the prize draw were that every five successful shots earned one draw. Most people only came with the intention of giving it a try and couldn't even make five shots. Even the best players grew tired after a few dozen shots and no longer wanted to continue, allowing the supermarket to make a hefty profit from the coins.

But just as a supermarket employee came over, they saw two people continuously shooting baskets with an astonishing success rate. The employee immediately panicked and called over the other staff members.

Senior, professionals have arrived!

Riki discovered that the unpleasant Sakura girl's male companion truly deserved to be on the school team. His speed and accuracy were both very high, and since Riki had arrived slightly later, he was several shots behind.

Both of them were soon sweating profusely.

The unpleasant Sakura girl kept shouting from the side, "Hurry up, hurry up!"

Nagasaki Sose was nervous as well. Noticing Riki sweating, she pulled tissues from her bag and wiped his sweat. Otherwise, it would have run into his eyes.

The unpleasant Sakura girl's male companion found the sight unbearable, especially with a pressure monster beside him. When he wasn't paying attention, sweat ran into his eyes and stung so badly that he couldn't keep them open. He had no choice but to stop.

Riki didn't have that concern, so he continued shooting several times, making every shot steadily.

"Clang!"

The basketball rolled around the rim a few times before dropping into the net with a "swish."

"Does that mean we won?" Nagasaki Sose asked.

"A small victory," Riki said.

"Hmph, you didn't do too badly." Nagasaki Sose clasped her hands behind her back and gave a hum.

"Thanks to the support from cheerleader Sose, you deserve one-third of the credit for this victory."

As for the unpleasant Sakura girl? Two words: leave it to fate.

I'm a Sakiko fan—a rational one.

"I'm not your cheerleader," Nagasaki Sose said crossly as a supermarket employee approached them.