He looked down at Nagasaki Sose leaning against him and thought of Wakaba Mutsuki's words.
'Sose-chan seems to like you a little.' Wakaba Mutsuki was the stranger who understood Nagasaki Sose best... Er, her good friend, so her words couldn't be too far off.
So it really was true.
Miss Sose had a hopeless crush on him.
With her forehead against Riki's chest, Nagasaki Sose felt his heartbeat and sensed her own heart slowly calming down.
"You're such an idiot." Nagasaki Sose spoke in a low voice, though she didn't know whether she was talking about Riki or herself.
"It's all your fault for making such a fuss about coming into my house. Now I'm hungry." Nagasaki Sose sighed and turned toward the kitchen, clearly intending to make something to eat.
"Please make a portion for me too!" Riki followed her in.
"Why should I cook for you? You were the one who barged into my house, weren't you?" Nagasaki Sose shot him a glance.
"You don't want my grave to—"
"Fine, fine, I'll cook, okay?" Nagasaki Sose sighed.
Food again, brothers!
Riki watched Nagasaki Sose boil water to make noodles, then walked over and said, "Add cilantro to my portion. We cilantro-lovers can only get through a relatively failed day if we don't eat at least one sprig every day."
"Then go fail!" Nagasaki Sose snapped, but she still started chopping some cilantro.
She seemed to be in a slightly better mood.
"When are you planning to return to the band?" Riki asked after a moment's thought.
"There's no need." Nagasaki Sose stopped her knife and said quietly, "I don't need that band anymore. Everything I do ends in failure anyway, so let it be. Aine won't forgive me for trying to ruin her performance either. From now on,