“Um, Rikka-san? You seem to be in a great mood so it’s hard to ask, but that seems heavy: let me carry it.”

“Sure. Also, it’s not Rikka-san. Rikka.”

Takanashi Rikka-san’s – I mean, Rikka’s – happy smile turned into a pout. As usual, her face changes when I call her that.

September 1^st.

Yesterday was the last day of summer vacation – today’s the day of the school’s opening ceremony.

Since Rikka said she wanted to go to school together today, we’re going to school together.

Since the day I confessed, excluding the time when we were late, this is first time that the two of us are going to school together. To get to Rikka’s apartment from my house, I have to walk past the school gates.

If I may say so myself, walking past the school so that we could go to school together is really stupid, but since it was our first time I ended up agreeing to it.

And, well, I’ve always wanted to go to school together!

While having such thoughts, I turned towards Rikka and asked, “Anyway, what’s that?”

Her happy smile instantly returned.

“A present,” she happily replied as she stared at what she was embracing.

That – Rikka was carefully embracing a large rabbit doll.

I’ve seen something similar to this blue rabbit somewhere before. It looks like Rikka made it herself.

“I wanted to show it to you first Yuuta. Thoughts?”

“Rikka, you made that, right? Yeah, it’s extremely cute!”

“… Cute?”

“Yeah? It’s cute, isn’t it?”

“…This is the first time Yuuta’s called me cute.”

“……”

What an unexpected response!

Then again, it’s true that I usually praise her as the strongest or the coolest.

While I had call her cute once before, back when we were on our first date, since I didn’t manage to say it properly back then I guess it didn’t count…

Wait, wasn’t I talking about the doll!?

Still, to have called the doll cute without having properly told Rikka that she was cute, just how worthless was I!?

“Err, ah… that, wait. Please wait. Certainly, that doll is cute too. That doll is cute, though… Rikka’s even cuter!”

I’ve been behaving recklessly this morning.

“Huh!? Yu-Yuuta, what’s with you all of a sudden!?”

“N, nothing! Wasn’t it really strange that I haven’t been calling you cute even though I’ve called the doll cute!?”

“Well…! It, it’s fine! This doll contains my soul so talking about it the same as talking about me!”

“I, I see! Then Rikka’s the first I’ve called cute! I’m glad!”

“Ugh… Devilish Truth Stare · Sealed Form – perfect complete activation!”

And.

Being unable to endure it, Rikka hid her blushing face behind the huge rabbit doll, abruptly ending the conversation.

If I had gotten any more out-of-control, I not sure what other weird stuff I would have said, so I’m saved! Thank you!

I really need to change the topic.

“So, err, whose present is that?”

“Eh, Kazari’s.”

“Ah, Kazari-chan. Kazari-chan, is it her birthday or something?”

“Yeah, it’s a prize for winning a tournament – the Monster Rancher tournament championship prize.”

“Why did you add that detail to the explanation…”

So that’s why the rabbit seemed familiar…

But well, both Rikka and Kazari-chan really love games. Particularly retro games. They are both quite skilled at them too. It’s not Monster Hunter, it’s Monster Rancher.

Or perhaps I should say, the Monster Rancher tournament, even though it wasn’t really a tournament.

How sad…

“But I would have gotten Kazari’s life if I won the tournament… How disappointing.”

“Why did Kazari-chan wager her life!?”

“Don’t worry! It was an equivalent exchange!”

“That’s really cool, but isn’t Kazari-chan’s life being treated too lightly!?”

“But Kazari’s the one who proposed it… She was probably confident that she could beat me.”

“Even if it was like that, it still seems…”

“Still, I’m glad I made this. I’ll be happy if Kazari is pleased with this.”

True to her word, Rikka looked really happy when she stared at the doll.

The rest of our walk to school was just like that, with Rikka and I having our usual fun conversations, until we finally, when we just arrived at school – at that exact moment.

A voice from behind suddenly addressed us.

Well, to be precise, it was more of a shout.

“Please wait a minute!”

 

Surprised by the sudden shout, Rikka and I turned towards the source of the voice at the same time.

There was a girl standing imposingly, wearing a very refreshing smile. And, again with a loud voice –

“Hahaha, you’ve finally been caught!”

“……”

Er, who…?

I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before, but it might have been just my imagination.

Maybe I felt that way since part of her outfit consisted of our school’s uniform.

Since the colour of her uniform’s ribbon is different, she must have been an upperclassman.

Hmmm… Apart from the ribbon, various other parts of the uniform were also different… In terms of colour alone.

“…Uhhh…?”

I was stumped by a variety of different reasons. Not only did it happened so suddenly, her uniform was so different as well, and to top it all off being told to “wait a minute” by a stranger left me completely speechless.

It was different for Rikka, however.

“You’ve come…!”

“Haha, that’s right! Takanashi Rikka-chan!”

Wait, what?

Rikka’s so unusually shy of strangers that she won’t respond to anyone she hasn’t met before; is this one of her acquaintances?

Her social circle seems to have expanded ever since she started playing with Kazari-chan.

“!? … Why do you hinder us! …By the way, Yuuta, the word for ‘hinder’ is really cool!”

“Don’t just suddenly talk to me after putting on airs!”

It’s quite hard to handle when you suddenly turn towards me with sparkling eyes.

But, then again… it certainly is a cool word!

“Ahaha! Either way, as we expected you’re as talented as the rumours say. Yes, very good. It seems that you possess a very strong power.”

“Huh!? How do you know about my powers!”

“We can tell if a person has special powers by looking at them.”

“Wow, amazing!”

“Right, isn’t it amazing?” the girl in front of me says while nodding her head in satisfaction.

Shifting my gaze over to Rikka – just like I thought, since she had been told that she had ‘special powers’, she looked satisifed.

Hmm.

I’m getting the sense that I’m the only one being left out.

However, I wasn’t able to join in with them in their conversation and could only watch as they continued their back and forth.

“How’s that? Don’t you want to become our subordinate?”

“Never! Yuuta and I are already contracted!”

“Damn… rejected! And so quickly too!”

“Of course! The Devilish Truth Stare is the strongest!”

“So, as expected… Looks like it can’t be helped. There’s only that method left…”

…Those lines feel like they belong to some battle manga.

Or maybe it’s just me.

Since I was lonely by myself, I was playing the straight man in my mind. While I was thinking that, the girl suddenly turned towards me and asked:

“You, the normal-kun over there, are you her boyfriend?”

She was glaring at me so intensely that I could almost hear the glare.

Her glare was so intense – it even looked like that there was an aura flowing out of her. It was so overbearing that it made me groan “ugh” as I was forced to take a step back.

But well, the question of whether I’m her boyfriend had to be answered properly.

“I’m her boyfriend,” I declared.

After hearing my words, the girl’s expression turned serious and –

“Please hand over your lover!”

 

Said those words while kneeling on the ground.

“………Huh?”

No, that, this is…

Sadly, a situation like this occurred.

It seems like I’ve encountered the greatest crisis of my life.

Since entering high school I’ve already encountered several life crises, but this one is by far the greatest crisis I’ve ever faced.

I had completely forgot that this exchange was being held right in front of the school gates. By the time I noticed, I could feel cold stares directed at me from my surroundings. On top of that, more and more bystanders were beginning to gather.

It felt like with each passing moment, the situation was getting worse and worse.

If I were to briefly explain the current situation, it would that a high-school girl suddenly kneeled before me in front of the school gates, right before my girlfriend – and under these simple circumstances, my mind went completely blank.

Although the reason behind it was unclear, it was a simple situation like that.

But, from a bystander’s point of view – a high school girl is being made to prostrate herself by a scumbag in front of the school gates (and in front of his girlfriend, too). What are they going conclude!

Also, that scumbag is me.

Even though I didn’t know how things ended up this way, I do know that if this continued, my school life would be over.

No matter what, I have to destroy the current situation immediately!

Making up my mind, I called out to the girl (temporarily Prostrate-senpai) kneeling in front of me.

“U-umm… for now could you please lift up your head…? While you’re at it, could you also please stop kneeling…”

I finally managed to say something, but it seemed like Prostrate-senpai missed my point, since she suddenly raised her head and said:

“No can do! Not until you hand over your lover!”

After emphasising her request, she deeply lowered her head once again.

She even forcefully planted her forehead on the ground.

It was like she was trying to get permission to get married from an obstinate father-in-law, displaying the proper etiquette despite the fact that she could fail, but…

“Th-this place is kind of… umm, err, I’ll definitely listen carefully to what you have to say in a more suitable place.”

“There’s no need to change: it’s fine here! Besides, isn’t it too normal to talk about this in a place like a café!?”

“No, no, no! Prostrating in a place like this just makes other people think you’re really strange!”

That line of thought applied to me as well!

“How wonderful!”

“Why are you pleased!?”

…This was beyond my expectations.

At any rate, I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Compared to before, it seems that there were more strong gazes directed at me and an increased number of bystanders.

In addition, Rikka was also completely stunned.

…Guess it can’t be helped.

“Rikka, let’s escape!”

“Hm?”

I careful took Rikka’s – who was blinking in surprise – hand and ran at full speed to flee into the school.

The grip I had on Rikka’s hand as we fled was so light that you couldn’t feel the power behind it.

In the background, I could hear voices saying stuff like, “What’s this?”, “What’s happening”, and “Isn’t that person…”, but I wasn’t concerned by any of that.

After passing the school gates, we kept on running until we reached the back of the gym, where it was devoid of people.

“… Ha, ha whew… tired…”

Since I was part of the going home club, I had never needed to run with all my might before, and so I was completely out of breath. Rikka, on the other hand, seemed completely fine.

Damn… Being part of the going home club is really uncool…

How.

Just when I started having stupid thoughts.

Next to me, who was catching his breath – Prostrate-senpai only needed one deep “whew” to catch her breath.

She caught up to us as if it were normal.

We didn’t escape at all!

After Prostrate-senpai took her deep breath, she fixed her hair that got dishevelled from running, then she turned towards me and looked straight at me.

“Geez, there was no need to come to a place that had no people.”

With that, she paused the conversation momentarily, and after a short moment a daring smile started to slip out.

“Whatever, it’s still fine. Now then, we ask of you once again – please hand over your lover!”

And then.

For the second time today.

As if she was showing her gratitude in a tea ceremony, her balance and posture was perfect as she prostrated before me.

It seems like the tragic series of events are far from over.