Rock Girl Descends Beside Me!

"Focus a little." Riki said without looking up.

"...I know." Nagasaki Sose retorted.

I won't lose to him either!

"Für Elise" was a piece Beethoven wrote when he had a crush on a female student, with the words "To Therese" written on the score. It is a widely known piece throughout the world.

When she was at Tsukinomori, Nagasaki Sose had also learned this piece, but her teacher always told her she wasn't playing the essence of the music. She didn't really care at the time, as she couldn't hear the essence anyway.

But now, she felt she was starting to understand. As her fingers landed on the keys, it wasn't anyone else who appeared in her mind, but Riki.

Why?

Why am I thinking of Riki?

As she played, Nagasaki Sose secretly watched Riki, who was focused on playing beside her.

If I'm thinking of him now, who is he thinking of?

Am I in his thoughts?

When the piece finished, thunderous applause erupted from below the float.

"Amazing, who was that?"

"My girlfriend, who's level ten in piano, isn't even this good."

"Are the two people up there a couple?"

"When do we get to the kissing part?"

I hope you die of impatience.

Kissing? Sakiko-bao and I haven't even kissed.

"Sorry, I didn't play very well just now." Nagasaki Sose said with an embarrassed expression. She had hit a few wrong notes.

"It's fine, I actually think you played much better than the standard version." Riki shrugged.

"...Really?"

Nagasaki Sose blinked, seeing Riki's face flush slightly.

What if I were playing this with Riki while wearing a wedding dress?

The float stopped at its destination, and Nagasaki Sose stepped off. "Riki..."

She stopped mid-sentence, seeing Riki surrounded by several young students, including two pretty girls.

Nagasaki Sose's previously happy mood plummeted to the bottom, shrouded in gloom.

Riki turned and looked over, walking towards her with the young students. Nagasaki Sose quickly put on a nonchalant expression.

"They're my juniors from high school. I didn't expect to run into them here. They're trying to decide on their majors, so I was giving them some advice," Riki said with a smile.

So they're juniors... Nagasaki Sose's expression softened a little, and she smiled at the students.

"Senior Riki, can I major in land engineering?"

"How are your parents doing?"

"They're fine. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

"Tell them to have another child. You're already a lost cause."

"Senior, I'm majoring in painting, but I'm worried I won't get in."

"It's okay, worst case scenario, you can take the exam again."

"Okay... Huh? Which 'exam again' are you talking about?"

Nagasaki Sose watched Riki happily chatting with his juniors, unable to interject for a moment. She could only stand to the side.

He's really popular, isn't he? Even his high school juniors rely on him so much.

Especially those two pretty girls. When they smiled at Riki, Nagasaki Sose felt a pang of discomfort.

To him, I'm just an ordinary friend he knows, right?

Nagasaki Sose grew increasingly unhappy. Suddenly, she looked up and realized everyone else had left, leaving only Riki standing in front of her.

"Where are your... juniors?" Nagasaki Sose asked, looking around.

"Ah? They went off to have fun, of course. Where else would they go?" Riki asked, puzzled.

"I see." Nagasaki Sose said glumly.

Riki thought for a moment and decided to bring up an interesting topic. "You know, those two girls just now are lesbians. The principal doesn't know, but they're pretty famous at our high school."

Les... bians?

Nagasaki Sose was greatly shocked. She had actually seen two girls who liked each other.

They're so pretty, but they like girls?

Does that mean they don't like Riki?

"I thought you were popular!" Nagasaki Sose immediately felt more relaxed, looking at Riki and scoffing.

Have you been a bit too aggressive lately?

Riki and Nagasaki Sose walked forward. Since they had unlimited free drinks, he planned to indulge himself and ordered a triple cheese double beef burger he'd never even dreamed of before!

Let's get a drink first... Riki walked up to the store's freezer and suddenly saw Ramune inside.

"What's this foreign stuff? Is the moon in other countries really rounder than ours?" Riki muttered. He really didn't know how to drink it.

"Isn't this just a normal Japanese soda?" Nagasaki Sose leaned over and said, "I drank it when I was little."

"Please teach me!"

Riki humbly asked for guidance.

Nagasaki Sose held the Ramune and said, "First, press down hard on the top to push the glass marble into the groove in the middle of the bottle opening. That way, when you drink the soda, you'll hear a crisp 'clang clang' sound. Ah!"

Nagasaki Sose pressed down the glass marble at the top of the Ramune. Carbonated soda immediately fizzed out with a 'hiss.' She hurriedly drank from the bottle opening. Dewdrops glistened on her rosy lips, and her young face looked anxious. Seeing Riki looking at her, she shot him a glare.

The wind moved, or the flag moved?

Riki felt that anyone who saw this scene would be moved. He was a bit entranced.

"Ha... What are you looking at!" Nagasaki Sose put down the Ramune, her expression embarrassed and annoyed.

She had originally wanted to show off to Riki, but instead, she made a fool of herself because the soda spilled out. How annoying!

"Nothing," Riki said, a little embarrassed, turning his head away from her.

Nagasaki Sose stared at Riki.

Why is he acting so strange?

"It's okay, it's okay, let's go check out the facilities over there," Riki quickly said.

Almost failed the Sakiko technique.

Once a day, Sakiko punch...

"Well, that's fine," Nagasaki Sose said. She walked straight ahead, then suddenly heard a sound approaching rapidly. By the time she reached the railing, she realized everyone around her was wearing a raincoat.

Raincoat?

Nagasaki Sose found it strange. Then she heard a group of screams approaching from a distance, followed by the sound of water being disturbed.

Speaking of which, there's a ride called 'Log Flume' that splashes water onto the banks, and I'm on the bank right now.

"Whoosh!"

A curtain of water poured down. Nagasaki Sose was stunned, then suddenly felt herself being pulled into an embrace that shielded her, only getting half her body wet.

Riki hugged Nagasaki Sose and asked with concern, "Are you okay? Your wet clothes will show off your figure, don't let others see."

Nagasaki Sose's heart warmed. She couldn't pretend to be indifferent anymore and nodded, "I'm fine."

"We've played enough anyway, let's go back. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"Okay."

Nagasaki Sose leaned into Riki's embrace, her face slightly flushed as she nodded.

What Riki didn't expect was that Nagasaki Sose actually caught a cold. As soon as she got home, her forehead was burning hot.

She's a homebody, after all. Although she's a pure and scheming girl, she's still just a normal girl.

Everyone's constitution is different. Some people can slide tackle a tiger, while others catch a cold just from being splashed with water.

Riki had Nagasaki Sose lie down on the bed and said, "I'll go make you some porridge. Do you want cilantro?"

"No," Nagasaki Sose said, her face flushed, insisting.

She can still talk? The plan to secretly add cilantro has failed.

People who don't like cilantro can only live a relatively unsuccessful life... But now that Nagasaki Sose has a cold, she has to make a decision that goes against her ancestors and let her temporarily become a successful person.

Nagasaki Sose hid half her face in the blanket, watching Riki in the kitchen through the bedroom door.

Every time something happens to me, he comes to take care of me.

Why is he so good to me?

Nagasaki Sose's face turned even redder, seemingly not just from the cold.

"Here's the porridge. Don't worry, I didn't add cilantro..." Riki said. "The video we posted seems to have gotten a lot of attention on Bilibili. Let's watch it later, you'll feel much better."

"Okay," Nagasaki Sose nodded slightly and opened her mouth.

Should I feed you?

Riki nervously scooped some porridge with the spoon and brought it to Nagasaki Sose's mouth.

"Is it hot?"

"It's not hot," Nagasaki Sose said.

Normally, Riki might have teased her, but Nagasaki Sose wasn't feeling well right now. She wouldn't get angry even if he did, so there was no point. He'd tease her properly once she was better; hearing a healthy, straightforward insult would be much more satisfying.

Nagasaki Sose obediently opened her mouth and ate the porridge, staring blankly at Riki's focused expression.

This was the first time anyone had cared about her like this since her family's problems began.

Someone who would be by her side no matter what.

Nagasaki Sose's heart raced, and her eyelids drooped.

What should I do?

I think I'm starting to like Riki.

But... he's the one Sakiko likes, right?

Nagasaki Sose's heart ached, a sharp pain twisting inside her.

******

Let's have a vote.

Chapter 65: Holding Sakiko's Hand Tightly (Seeking First Subscription!)

"Are you full?" Riki asked, tidying up the empty bowls.

"Mm."

Nagasaki Sose's face was flushed from the fever, and she lay quietly in bed. Her slightly curly brown hair was spread across the soft pillow, complementing her beautiful, fair face, giving her the look of a sleeping beauty.

"I'll be in the living room. Just call me if you need anything. As long as I'm not in Summoner's Rift, I'll come right away... Actually, I'll risk being insulted by my teammates. Call me if you need anything, and I'll come." Riki sighed.