We continued eating in silence, and when I was about halfway through my lunch...
Riran, who had been glancing at me repeatedly, finally spoke up.
“Akito, about Saturday...”
“Hm? Oh, you mean the dinner I was invited to?”
“Yeah... Um, about that... I-I'm so... sorr...”
“You don't need to apologize.”
In fact, if she apologized, it would only make me feel more awkward.
I rinsed my mouth with some water and looked at the dejected Riran.
“Sooner or later, I was going to have to go and give my greetings. It just happened to be this Saturday.”
Yes, sooner or later.
I had sworn to spend my life with Riran, and she had responded to those feelings.
If that’s the case, then giving greetings to her parents is a path I cannot avoid.
Well, she said they invited me under the pretext of having a meal together.
But no matter how I look at it, it feels like: 'Get over here and give your greetings, kid. Got it?'
I was acting tough in front of Riran, but honestly, I’m seriously nervous. I feel like I'm going to puke. Rerorerorero.
Sigh... What should I even do for a greeting?
“For now, I should probably bring a gift. Do you know what your parents like?”
“Let's see... Strawberries, maybe.”
“Strawberries?”
“They especially love really sweet strawberries. Hey, do you know? There's a variety called Amazuhime that is soooo sweet. It's even better if you add condensed milk. Eating that while drinking milk is like a piece of heaven on earth! ...Ah.”
Realizing she had become quite talkative, her face turned as bright red as a strawberry.
“You like strawberries too, don't you, Riran?”
“I-I-I don't like them! They're just normal, normal!”
“No, that's a bit of a stretch.”
But strawberries, huh? For a first-time visit, just strawberries feels a bit off.
“Is there anything else? Like Western sweets or Japanese sweets?”
If they like strawberries, they probably like Western-style sweets nine times out of ten.
Riran thought for a moment and said, “Well...”
“...Oh, how about strawberry daifuku with lots of whipped cream?”
“That's a curveball answer!”
I didn't expect a Japanese-Western fusion. And it even has whipped cream on top.
The Kuonji family really does love strawberries.
“O-Okay. I'll try to find some.”
“...In that case, why don't we go buy them together before you come to my house on Saturday?”
“Eh, is that okay?”
“Yes. There's a Japanese confectionery shop that our family is friendly with.”
“...Then, I'll count on you.”
“Mm. Leave it to me.”
Riran puffed out her chest proudly.
When she puffs it out like that, it looks like her buttons are about to pop any second.
I mean, they really are huge.
“? Where are you looking... ah. ~~~~!!”
Ah, crap. I got caught looking.
She hid her chest with both arms and glared at me with teary scarlet eyes.
I mean, it can't be helped. I'm a boy. Boys admire things filled with dreams and hopes. Especially Riran’s dreams and hopes, which are super-high-school-level. So, it's only natural for my eyes to be drawn to them. Q.E.D. End of proof.
“...Lecher. Pervert. Hentai. Womanizer.”
“Who are you calling a womanizer?”
“Hiyori. And Anrakuji-san.”
Now that she mentions it, that was true.
“...Sorry.”
“I-I'm not really blaming you. Even if there's a red thread, you fall in love when you fall in love.”
Riran slid closer to me.
She timidly placed her hand over mine.
It was hot. It felt like we might melt together from this heat.
Nervously, I gripped her hand back, wrapping mine around hers.
Riran's hand twitched in response. But then, she squeezed back as if to answer.
What people call a 'lover's grip.'
It’s a warm way of holding hands that lets you feel the other person even more.
We leaned our backs against the wall, snuggled together, and stared blankly into space.
But... my heart was thumping so loud it was noisy.
Probably Riran’s too.
When I looked, Riran's face was as red as it was back then.
I'm probably making the same face...
“...I never thought I'd be connected to Akito by a red thread.”
“Yeah, me neither. After all, I thought we were natural enemies for the longest time. I never dreamed I'd be connected to the person I thought was the most incompatible with me in the world.”
“...Natural enemy?”
“You were always picking fights, you'd snap at me as soon as anything happened, you were always picking fights, you were always glaring at me, and you were always picking fights. I thought you were the worst natural enemy in my history.”
“Was I really that argumentative!?”
Actually, I had only seen the argumentative side of Riran until now.
Normally, no one would think that was just a reversal of affection.
“W-Well, certainly, given my attitude until now, it can't be helped if I'm called a natural enemy... but from now on, I'll make an effort to be more honest...!”
“Compared to before, you're plenty honest now.”
“It's not enough. I want to be like Hiyori or Anrakuji-san.”
Those two are a bit *too* honest, though.
...Well, she's free to aim for it.
“Don't push yourself too hard.”
“...Mm. Thanks...”
With that, she rested her head on my shoulder.
A time that felt like our past bickering was all a lie.
Until the chime for the end of lunch break rang, we enjoyed this extraordinary time together.