Chapter 96: Rika’s return home and new thunderclouds
The time I spent with Rika-chan went by quickly.
On the second day, Kaede and Rika-chan went out shopping to buy matching pajamas, as they had announced. I couldn’t accompany them because of club activities, but I’m sure they had a fun day. It was clear from the smiles on their faces when they greeted me with their brand new pajamas when I got home.
On the first day we had a problem with the bath, but to my surprise, Rika chose to take it with Kaede. I was grateful, but when I asked Kaede if there was something wrong with her sudden change of heart…
“Fufu. The answer to that is… it’s forbidden.”
The usual answer came back to me. Then I asked Rika about it, and I kind of knew the answer.
“You know what! Kaede-onee-chan, she was so sweet, she was like a mother!”
Yeah, yeah. I know that feeling. Rika must have sensed the air of a holy mother that Kaede-san exuded. I guess they got to know each other better through shopping.
“Yuya-onii-chan, I won’t forgive you if you make Kaede-onee-chan cry!”
“I know, I know. I’d never do anything to make Kaede cry. I love Kaede, you know.”
I didn’t expect Rika to turn into my mother-in-law, but I’m glad to see that the two of them become as close as sisters, or even as parents and children. I’m relieved that there would be no more unnecessary fighting.
On the third day, we didn’t go anywhere, and the three of us spent another relaxing day playing games and watching movies. Taka-san and Harumi-san were coming to pick us up that night. Feeling somewhat lonely, we played to the fullest.
“Ahh mou! Yuya-onii-chan, you’re too strong! You should take it easy on me!”
“That’s right, Yuya-kun! I don’t think it’s a good idea to blow up mercilessly against a pretty maiden!”
We were playing a two-on-one irregular team battle, which was a huge handicap for a big brawl, but I still didn’t lose to them even once.
Their expressions changed from angelic smiles to evil smiles and they started tweaking the rules. They made it easier for me to blow up, they made it so that the only items that fell on me were bombs, and they didn’t want to beat me, they just wanted to have fun with me.
“Hey! Yuya-onii-chan got caught in a bomb and blew up! Oh, no! I’ve blown up too!”
“Yuya-kun! It’s not fair that you use your invincibility in time to rush in with a bomb!”
It was a hellish situation even if it was just for the sake of it, so it was a fine strategy to go in prepared to self-destruct. I’ll be with you when you die, Kaede!
“Mou! You’ll have to say those lines some other time! I’m glad to hear it, though!”
“I’ll be with you until the day I die, Kaede! So please accept my bomb!”
“Don’t fall in love with me while playing a gameeee—!”
In the end, Rika-chan’s self-destructive suicide attack defeated me.
The sun had completely set and we had finished our dinner when the time came. The doorbell rang, announcing their arrival.
“Daddy’s home, Rika—!”
When I opened the front door, Taka-san lunged at us vigorously to hug his beloved daughter whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. Immediately, Rika let out a small scream and hid behind Kaede’s back.
“…Welcome back, Taka-san.”
“… Oh, I’m back.”
Taka-san lowered his hands and leaned forward to straighten his back. Harumi-san smiled and held out the paper bag she was holding in front of me.
“Here’s a souvenir. You two can eat it together. Was Rika fine? Did she bother you or anything?”
“Well. Rika-chan is a very nice girl and she didn’t bother us at all. It was three days of great fun.”
Stroking Rika, who was glaring at Taka over her back, Kaede answered with a smile, as if to dispel Harumi-san’s unfounded fears.
“Listen, Mom! Kaede-onee-chan bought me matching pajamas!”
“Ara ara, I see. That’s good to hear. Thank you very much, Hitotsuba-san. The money is…”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s just that I wanted to wear matching pajamas with Rika-chan. Let’s wear them together again and sleep together, Rika-chan.”
‘Yes!’ Rika-chan nodded cheerfully and dragged her carry-on case, which was now a little heavier than when she came here, to Harumi-san’s side. Taka-san held out his hand to hold hers, but it ended up grabbing the sky, and I did my best to hold back my laughter.
“… Mmm! Well then, Yuya, Hitotsuba-san, thank you for taking care of her.”
“Don’t worry. It was rather fun, Taka-san.”
“Yes, please come back anytime, Rika-chan.”
“Yes! I’ll come visit you again, Kaede-onee-chan! Yuya-onii-chan!”
“Don’t be selfish anymore, Rika. Don’t interrupt Yuya-kun and Hitotsuba-san’s time together, okay?”
“That’s not true! They were flirting with each other with or without Rika-chan!”
Rika-chan, there was no need to tell Taka-san and Harumi-san anything unnecessary. You see, Taka-san now had an evil, impersonal smile on his face. Harumi’s eyes were wide open and she looked curious.
“It’s not surprising that youthful mistakes can happen, but you should do it in moderation, Yuya.”
“What the h**l’s with that advice? Don’t worry, I know what it is without being told.”
“That’s good. Well, I’m sure you guys will be fine.”
“Keep attacking, Hitotsuba-san. Yuya-kun, as you can see, his guard is tight, but you have to push through with a series of strikes, okay? If you can’t push, hit. Don’t pull back, okay?”
“Yes! Thank you for your valuable input! I’ll just keep punching away!”
Hearing the conversation between the two women, Taka-san and I both sighed at the same time. Wasn’t this conversation gender reversed? Hey, Taka-san. Why were you putting your hand on my shoulder?
“I’m sorry for your loss, Yuya. Be careful not to get eaten at the very least.”
What the h**l does that mean? Don’t give me that pitying look! It’s not fair for you to just walk away, Taka-san!
“See you later, Kaede-onee-chan, Yuya-onii-chan!”
Harumi-san took Rika-chan by the hand and they went home. Kaede smiled and waved them off. I was really tired at the end of the day.
“Fufu. That was a very fun three days.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m glad Kaede and Rika-chan got to know each other, too. That last conversation was unnecessary, though.”
“Oh, no need to go on and on, okay? I’ve heard some very good things. Be prepared for tonight—oh, there’s a phone call. From my mother?”
Kaede’s phone vibrated as she took it out from her pocket. It seemed to be a phone call, and the person on the other end of the line seemed to be her mother — Sakurako-san. What could she want?
“Hello, Mother? What’s going on? Yeah, yeah… I don’t really have anything to do tomorrow, but…eh!? Yeah… yeah, I get it. I’ll let Yuya-kun know. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”
When the call ended briefly, Kaede’s smile was gone and she had a serious expression on her face. I couldn’t help but straighten my back.
“Yuya-kun. I know this is sudden, but my father and mother will be here tomorrow.”
Is this what people mean when they say that one problem goes away and another one comes back?
Chapter 96: Rika’s return home and new thunderclouds
The time I spent with Rika-chan went by quickly.
On the second day, Kaede and Rika-chan went out shopping to buy matching pajamas, as they had announced. I couldn’t accompany them because of club activities, but I’m sure they had a fun day. It was clear from the smiles on their faces when they greeted me with their brand new pajamas when I got home.
On the first day we had a problem with the bath, but to my surprise, Rika chose to take it with Kaede. I was grateful, but when I asked Kaede if there was something wrong with her sudden change of heart…
“Fufu. The answer to that is… it’s forbidden.”
The usual answer came back to me. Then I asked Rika about it, and I kind of knew the answer.
“You know what! Kaede-onee-chan, she was so sweet, she was like a mother!”
Yeah, yeah. I know that feeling. Rika must have sensed the air of a holy mother that Kaede-san exuded. I guess they got to know each other better through shopping.
“Yuya-onii-chan, I won’t forgive you if you make Kaede-onee-chan cry!”
“I know, I know. I’d never do anything to make Kaede cry. I love Kaede, you know.”
I didn’t expect Rika to turn into my mother-in-law, but I’m glad to see that the two of them become as close as sisters, or even as parents and children. I’m relieved that there would be no more unnecessary fighting.
On the third day, we didn’t go anywhere, and the three of us spent another relaxing day playing games and watching movies. Taka-san and Harumi-san were coming to pick us up that night. Feeling somewhat lonely, we played to the fullest.
“Ahh mou! Yuya-onii-chan, you’re too strong! You should take it easy on me!”
“That’s right, Yuya-kun! I don’t think it’s a good idea to blow up mercilessly against a pretty maiden!”
We were playing a two-on-one irregular team battle, which was a huge handicap for a big brawl, but I still didn’t lose to them even once.
Their expressions changed from angelic smiles to evil smiles and they started tweaking the rules. They made it easier for me to blow up, they made it so that the only items that fell on me were bombs, and they didn’t want to beat me, they just wanted to have fun with me.
“Hey! Yuya-onii-chan got caught in a bomb and blew up! Oh, no! I’ve blown up too!”
“Yuya-kun! It’s not fair that you use your invincibility in time to rush in with a bomb!”
It was a hellish situation even if it was just for the sake of it, so it was a fine strategy to go in prepared to self-destruct. I’ll be with you when you die, Kaede!
“Mou! You’ll have to say those lines some other time! I’m glad to hear it, though!”
“I’ll be with you until the day I die, Kaede! So please accept my bomb!”
“Don’t fall in love with me while playing a gameeee—!”
In the end, Rika-chan’s self-destructive suicide attack defeated me.
The sun had completely set and we had finished our dinner when the time came. The doorbell rang, announcing their arrival.
“Daddy’s home, Rika—!”
When I opened the front door, Taka-san lunged at us vigorously to hug his beloved daughter whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. Immediately, Rika let out a small scream and hid behind Kaede’s back.
“…Welcome back, Taka-san.”
“… Oh, I’m back.”
Taka-san lowered his hands and leaned forward to straighten his back. Harumi-san smiled and held out the paper bag she was holding in front of me.
“Here’s a souvenir. You two can eat it together. Was Rika fine? Did she bother you or anything?”
“Well. Rika-chan is a very nice girl and she didn’t bother us at all. It was three days of great fun.”
Stroking Rika, who was glaring at Taka over her back, Kaede answered with a smile, as if to dispel Harumi-san’s unfounded fears.
“Listen, Mom! Kaede-onee-chan bought me matching pajamas!”
“Ara ara, I see. That’s good to hear. Thank you very much, Hitotsuba-san. The money is…”
“No, don’t worry about it. It’s just that I wanted to wear matching pajamas with Rika-chan. Let’s wear them together again and sleep together, Rika-chan.”
‘Yes!’ Rika-chan nodded cheerfully and dragged her carry-on case, which was now a little heavier than when she came here, to Harumi-san’s side. Taka-san held out his hand to hold hers, but it ended up grabbing the sky, and I did my best to hold back my laughter.
“… Mmm! Well then, Yuya, Hitotsuba-san, thank you for taking care of her.”
“Don’t worry. It was rather fun, Taka-san.”
“Yes, please come back anytime, Rika-chan.”
“Yes! I’ll come visit you again, Kaede-onee-chan! Yuya-onii-chan!”
“Don’t be selfish anymore, Rika. Don’t interrupt Yuya-kun and Hitotsuba-san’s time together, okay?”
“That’s not true! They were flirting with each other with or without Rika-chan!”
Rika-chan, there was no need to tell Taka-san and Harumi-san anything unnecessary. You see, Taka-san now had an evil, impersonal smile on his face. Harumi’s eyes were wide open and she looked curious.
“It’s not surprising that youthful mistakes can happen, but you should do it in moderation, Yuya.”
“What the h**l’s with that advice? Don’t worry, I know what it is without being told.”
“That’s good. Well, I’m sure you guys will be fine.”
“Keep attacking, Hitotsuba-san. Yuya-kun, as you can see, his guard is tight, but you have to push through with a series of strikes, okay? If you can’t push, hit. Don’t pull back, okay?”
“Yes! Thank you for your valuable input! I’ll just keep punching away!”
Hearing the conversation between the two women, Taka-san and I both sighed at the same time. Wasn’t this conversation gender reversed? Hey, Taka-san. Why were you putting your hand on my shoulder?
“I’m sorry for your loss, Yuya. Be careful not to get eaten at the very least.”
What the h**l does that mean? Don’t give me that pitying look! It’s not fair for you to just walk away, Taka-san!
“See you later, Kaede-onee-chan, Yuya-onii-chan!”
Harumi-san took Rika-chan by the hand and they went home. Kaede smiled and waved them off. I was really tired at the end of the day.
“Fufu. That was a very fun three days.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m glad Kaede and Rika-chan got to know each other, too. That last conversation was unnecessary, though.”
“Oh, no need to go on and on, okay? I’ve heard some very good things. Be prepared for tonight—oh, there’s a phone call. From my mother?”
Kaede’s phone vibrated as she took it out from her pocket. It seemed to be a phone call, and the person on the other end of the line seemed to be her mother — Sakurako-san. What could she want?
“Hello, Mother? What’s going on? Yeah, yeah… I don’t really have anything to do tomorrow, but…eh!? Yeah… yeah, I get it. I’ll let Yuya-kun know. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”
When the call ended briefly, Kaede’s smile was gone and she had a serious expression on her face. I couldn’t help but straighten my back.
“Yuya-kun. I know this is sudden, but my father and mother will be here tomorrow.”
Is this what people mean when they say that one problem goes away and another one comes back?
