CH 37

I put down my luggage, got ready and waited for Riko in the living room.

“Nee chan, I’m going to go with Riko, so can I ask you to clean up?”

“No problem.”

“Thanks.”

My sister didn’t seem to be planning to come along.

It’s hard to do three days’ worth of laundry at once, so I wanted to get the clothes and other things done as soon as possible.

It would be great if my sister could do it for me.

While I was talking with her, Riko came in, all dressed up and ready to go.

We’re just going to play though.

“Yuuki Nii, let’s go.”

“Oh, let’s go. Then, Nee chan, please take care of it.”

“Okay, you two, go.”

Since it’s Riko who decided on where we’re going, I followed her side by side.

When she said go out to play, is it maybe to the arcade in front of the station? No, we might go to a café or something. She’s all dressed up.

“Where are we going, Riko?”

“Hm, a nearby shopping mall, perhaps?”

“Is there anything you want to buy?”

“Nothing.”

If you say shopping mall, it must be that place where I went after getting a haircut the other day.

Since she said she didn’t want to buy anything, I wondered if there was some kind of event going on there.

☆ ☆ ☆ 

As we come to the front of the mall, Riko looked at me straight in the eye and,

“Yuuki Nii, today is the continuation of the date we had the other day. I couldn’t go because I left first.”

“Ah…come to think of it, you left first, Riko.”

“That’s right. So you’re going on a date with me today….also, tell me what happened while you were at the beach.

“Well…fine…”

So Riko can call it a date, too.

More importantly, how much do I have to tell her about the past three days?

Should I tell her about what happened with my sister and Natsuki…I don’t want to. It would be embarrassing.

I felt a little uneasy, but Riko called me, so I decided to go along.

“Riko, what do you want to do after all?”

“Ah, there’s a place that offers a discount for couples only. So Yuuki Nii, can you pretend to be my boyfriend?”

“No, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

:It’s fine as long as they don’t find out about it, right? So, you have to pretend to be my boyfriend, okay?”

“Oh…”

I see. So that’s how it is.

It’s not a very good thing to do, but if we want to get it cheaply, I understand. Otherwise, Riko wouldn’t have done that.

However, Riko was much less prickly than usual today. Just like she used to be a long time ago.

I followed Riko to the store she wanted to go to.

It was a café, and there was a sign at the entrance that said, ‘Couples Discount’.

“Well, let’s go in.”

“Okay.”

Riko’s mood was a little different from usual, and she seemed cheerful.

We entered the cafe.

“Welcome, are two people all right?”

Yes. It was written that there was a discount for couples, can I use it?”

“Yes, that’s fine. But you have to prove that you are a couple.”

Proof…it might not be good for some reason, right?

Riko instantly nodded and decided to prove it.

I didn’t even know what we’re supposed to do. …No, maybe Riko knows.

“Then, please list up five things you like about each other.”

Parts that we like. That should be okay.

“Well, let’s start with Mr boyfriend. You can’t say ‘all of them’, okay?”

“Okay. Then, her cute parts. Her single-mindedness. Sometimes sweet. She’s mature. And serious.”

“Yes, OK. Next, Ms girlfriend……Ms girlfriend?”

I looked at Riko next to me and she turned bright red.

I was just being honest about what I felt during our time together as a family, but I wonder if she was embarrassed.

I shook Riko’s shoulder to bring her back to reality, because it would be bothersome if it took too long.

“Are you all right? Then, please continue.”

“Uh…yes. The cool part. His kind part. He doesn’t get angry no matter what I do. And that he cooks delicious food. And he’s careless.”

“Yes. You’ll both be fine. Then, please make yourselves at home.”

Well, I’m quite embarrassed.

Well, I’d like to hear about the last “careless” part.

I don’t think I am, though.

As we were heading to our seats, a voice suddenly called out to us from the side.

“Hm, Riko? Is that your boyfriend?”

From the sound of it, it looks like they’re her school friends, and three of them are here.

Riko was not sure if she could say it out loud or not, so she went over to them and seemed to be talking about something.

Well, I’m not really her boyfriend.

“Hmm, then, that person…”

“Yeah, well. I won’t give it to you guys.”

“…? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I won’t be in anyone’s hands, okay? And you are Riko’s friend, right? Please take care of Riko from now on.

“Ah, yes ! Don’t worry, Riko and we are very good friends !”

“I see. ….Well, let’s go, Riko.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you all at school.”

With that said, we left. Riko looked down and I don’t know what kind of expression she had on her face, but she didn’t seem to be in a bad mood or anything, so it should be fine.

“Hey, did you say you’ll never leave me?”

“Hmm? Well, I’m your brother after all.”

“What the heck…so as family…”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Here, come on, sit down.”

I didn’t catch what she said, but she rushed me to sit down and I missed the timing to ask her.

Indeed, it was annoying to stand there all the time, so we sat down at the back seat.