"Ignorance is bliss, so they say."
"Young Master!" the men bellowed, "A spirited day of education!"
I waved the yakuza off with a sigh. Did they really have to do this every morning?
Today was a very special day. April 10th, 2012. I've lived this day once before— twice before, if you count my time outside this world. Today, Chitoge was transferring into my class, and today, the Nisekoi story truly began.
I glanced about, catching the tail-ends of stares and whispers as the students went by. It was typical for Raku to get this kind of treatment in the morning, arriving in the limousine the way he did. Even when I walked to school, there'd always be one or two.
So what was different about today?
"Did you hear? That guy confessed to Kosaki Onodera!"
"Kakitani saw them walking home together!"
"That guy? Isn't he the yakuza boy?"
Right… My mistake from yesterday. Asking her in public to see her in private… not the best move. Kosaki isn't the type to care about gossip or anything, but… Anyway, I need to clear this up later. For her sake.
Gossip trolls are savage.
I began to walk, taking the longer way to class again. The dirt path lay in between two sets of school fences, so there were never any people around… I hear it's a popular spot to take your girlfriend though.
I shivered.
Usually, Raku would walk this way to avoid the other students. The boy had a brusque demeanor at times, but the anxiety and animosity he roused in his peers… it really got to him. Just like it would anyone else. He took this path to get away from it all.
Today... I walked here for a different reason.
As I walked, I found my eyes torn between glancing at the outer wall and the dirt path below me. In a few minutes, Chitoge was gonna come barreling over that fence… and hit me in the face. Knowing that made my nerves all jittery.
Sure they were nice legs, but damn they hurt.
A thought crossed my mind, and my hand traced the outline of the locket beneath my shirt. Good, I didn't forget it… although that won't matter soon. I won't be seeing it again for a week or two.
When Chitoge hits me, the locket vanishes. Poof. Gone. I wonder why that is? Chitoge finds it eventually, so it has to go somewhere…
Oh yeah. I can just ask.
'Hey! Otama!' I called, 'Are you there? I have a question!'
I heard a tired groan. "Mmm… five more minutes…"
'Five more minutes? To what? Until Chitoge gets here?'
"...Wha…?" there was a rustling noise, "Oh… it's you... Kid, do you have any idea what time it is?"
I sweatdropped. Was she sleeping? It was almost 8 AM!
"Some of us graduated high-school a long time ago…" she yawned, making a sound like she was stretching, "...Then again, I guess you did too. Ufufu~"
I sighed. I missed waking up at noon.
'...Wait, you went to high school?'
"You think I popped out the womb all-knowing and omnipotent?"
I rubbed my temples. Gods were confusing.
"But to answer your question," she cut in, ignoring my pun, "There's really nothing to it. It didn't disappear, you just can't find it. It's the same color as the grass and all. Besides, the girl probably hit you hard enough to send that thing a couple hundred meters, at least."
That… was kind of terrifying.
"Anything else you… 'kneed' to know?"
'...'
"Give it a few seconds."
'...I understand your joke, I'm just not laughing.'
"That's not what I meant."
"H-Hey, look out!"
Something struck me between the eyes, and I toppled over, blood trailing from my busted nose. Strong arms swung me around like a ragdoll, and I hit the ground like a brick, the girl straddling my back.
I let out a muffled groan as she adjusted her weight, and pushed herself off me.
"Sorry about that! I'm in a hurry!"
She ran off to class, leaving a dust cloud in her wake. She called out another apology as her voice faded into the distance… I remained facedown in the dirt this time.
"See? Funny!"
'Schadenfreude…'
"Hn? The BeeHive?"
It was right after dinner last night when I chose to make my move.
An impressed looking Issei Ichijou— my "father"— looked over me with interest. It wasn't often I sought an audience with him; surprisingly, it was usually the other way around. Raku never talked to his dad about the family business, and avoided the topic like the plague. It was a good thing his father understood that, and respected the boy's wishes. The man was really laid back for the boss of an underground/aboveground criminal organization.
"S'prised you already heard…" his voice was like gravel, "They been givin' some o' our boys trouble."
The Shuei-gumi and BeeHive had been in a vicious turf war over the past two weeks. It started off as some members of our group going over to "warn" members of theirs… which led to their group attacking ours to "teach 'em a lesson". It only escalated from there. The conflict over the town would reach its peak eleven days from now, and the head of both groups would meet to discuss future plans.
In short, Chitoge was transferring in tomorrow, and we'd be forced to date in eleven days. I was on a time limit.
"They're no threat ta' us for now, " the man continued, "If they din't back off by then, I was plannin' to talk wit' you 'bout it come next week 'r so…"
"Actually, that's why I'm here."
That got his attention. The dim light of his chamber cast shadows upon his face, cutting a truly imposing figure. The man was carefree in his boyhood, and even moreso upon his retirement, but this was business. And this was his business face.
"Out wit' it."
I gulped.
"I thought we were on good terms with the BeeHive?" I started, "You're friends with their boss, right? Chitoge's dad?"
"Oho!" he stroked his chin, "You remember! News to me!" If he was interested before, he was invested now. "We cut a deal 'round that time. Problem is, our boys ain't seein' eye ta' eye."
"They're not listening to you?" I frowned, "We brought Ryuu and some others on that trip, and they got along with the other gangs just fine!"
"Nnn…" his deep voice rumbled, "That was 'cause o' you and them kids. Playin' together like that, lookin' all happy… none of the boys dared step outta' line."
Oh. I… wasn't expecting that. It made sense, now that I thought about it, but it hadn't even crossed my mind. I guess the bosses are the head of the gang, but the heirs are the heart, huh?
"So if everyone knew that Chitoge and I were friends from back then..." I fiddled with the sharp ends of my pendant, "Do you think that'd stop them from fighting?"
. . .
"Nnn…" he mused, "...it ain't a bad plan." He looked back to me, "Somethin' make you think this up?"
"I… guess I was just concerned," I admitted. "We got a lot of wounded. The dining hall smelled like blood. One of the members lost an ear today..." I crossed my arms, "Our guys can definitely take the heat, but I don't want people getting hurt. Especially over something that can be solved so simply."
The yakuza boss looked impressed. "I see…" he nodded, "You sure yer' not up for leadin' this faction when I retire?"
"Absolutely not."
The man shrugged, getting up from his chair. "Worth a shot. Nn…" he nodded, "That's a good idea you got, Raku. If it was me though, I'd call you and his girl 'lovers' 'stead of 'friends'..." he stroked his chin again, "That'd shut up the riffraff."
Crap. Exactly what I was trying to avoid…
"Buuut, it's yer' first business deal, so bein' rough around the edges ain't so bad. I'll leave it your way. Good learnin' experience."
...I'll take it.
"Thanks dad. You're a lifesaver."
"Whoa!"
I was forced out of my memory by almost walking into a pole.
The good news was, I'd made it to class on time. The bad news was, I almost busted my nose again. Also, I'm pretty sure that people saw that.
Ignoring more stares and whispers, I opened the door to the classroo—
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
—and promptly fell over in surprise. Apparently, a large group of classmates were waiting by the door to welcome me this morning. Wish I'd gotten the memo. Good thing Raku's body can take a beating…
"U-Um…" I stuttered, "What's this about?"
"Maiko said we were wrong, but we know better!" Kikitaki yelled as she grabbed me by the collar. Whoa. Strong grip. "You and Kosaki-chan are dating, right? I even saw you walking home together!"
She started shaking me towards the end. Ohh man… I'm feeling lightheaded…
"We're not dating!" I assured her, my voice thrown about by the action, "I just had some stuff to tell her, that's all!"
The shaking stopped. "Stuff? What stuff?"
"Th-That's personal!"
"Let him off, Kikitani," Shuu called, "If he doesn't wanna' talk about it, that's his choice."
After some internal debating, the girl finally released me, giving Maiko a mock-glare. She pouted to herself but took her seat, and the crowd dispersed.
"Are you okay?" Kosaki jogged up to me, "Sorry about that… They wouldn't listen when I told them…"
"It's fine! I'm fine!" I grinned, rubbing the back of my head, "Don't worry about it. It's my fault for being so tactless yesterday, when I asked you in front of everyone."
All the girls in the class seemed to relax. Looks like they had been planning on chewing me out for that. They returned to their own business.
"A-Are you sure you're alright, Raku-kun? Your nose is bleeding!"
Those heads whipped right back around. Kosaki Onodera, calling a boy by his first name? And they weren't dating? Likely story.
"I-I'm fine, Kosaki," I smiled, "It's not from them. I had a little run-in with Chitoge… or I should say, she ran into me…"
And now I called two girls by their first names? The class burst into whispers.
...Screw it. Who cares what they think? Go suck an egg, judgemental high-schoolers.
Kosaki gasped. "Chitoge? So it's true! She's really here!"
"Oho, what's this about~?" Shuu poked his head in, Miyamoto behind him, "Who'd you say you ran into, Raku?"
"An old friend," I muttered, wiping my nose on a tissue, "An old friend of mine, and Kosaki's. That's what I had to tell her about yesterday."
A collective ohhh swept through the classroom. Guess they were eavesdropping… Ugh, teenagers, I swear.
"Oh!" Kosaki saw me throw away the bloodied tissue, "I have a bandage!"
A few moments later, and a pair of delicate hands geeently applied it. Oh...! Her fingertips brushed my cheek. Awesome.
I barely got to thank her before the bell rang. We all took our seats.
"Alright class, listen up!"
In walked Kyouko Hihara, the beloved glasses-wearing teacher of Class 1-C. The anime gave her a weird spin: every time she showed up, she was in a still pose on a sparkling background. Aside from that, while she didn't have any particular traits that screamed anime character, she was a favorite among fans. She left partway through Raku's second year though…
I glanced at Shuu. The guy was hard to read— blame the eccentric personality— but it's a wonder no one noticed it before. His feelings for her, I mean. Having a crush on a teacher is somewhat common (I've never had one, but apparently it's true) and he volunteers to help her out all the time… Then again, chalk it up to his personality. Good luck understanding anything about Shuu Maiko.
"We have a new student joining us today!" the woman called, "Come on in, Kirisaki-san!"
I straightened in my chair. There was work to do.
The door slid open, and the girl walked in.
Black stockings wrapped around long legs, coming up to mid thigh. Her uniform seemed normal, but her skirt seemed a bit shorter than most, and she had a pink minibag instead of the standard blue school one. A red ribbon was tied into her hair: golden tresses that fell to her back, and faded into strawberry. Bright blue eyes, bright white smile. Chitoge Kirisaki, straight from America.
"Hi everyone! My name's Kirisaki Chitoge!" she did a little wave, "I just moved here from the U.S.! My mother's Japanese and my papa's American, so I'm half, but I can speak Japanese just fine! So don't be shy~! I look forward to getting to know you all!"
A slight deflating of her shoulders and a held breath told volumes. That greeting was practiced. Probably in front of a mirror, and for a couple days… or maybe she practiced with the gang. Or Tsugumi. Was Tsugumi in Japan yet? I sure hope so.
"Whoa! She's cute!"
"What a hottie!"
"Those legs go on for miles!"
"How do you ask for a girl's number in English?"
Looks like the class is loving her. She seems happy though. I'm glad.
"All right, why don't you take a seat?" Kyouko offered, "There's an empty one next to Ichijou in the back."
The girl nodded and did just that.
…
…
...!
Chitoge almost tripped when she saw my face. She looked ready to scream…
With a worried smile, I put a finger to my lips. Seeing that I'd keep the secret, she continued to her seat silently, and Kyouko started homeroom.
"L-Listen…" the girl leaned over and whispered, one hand cupped around her mouth, "Sorry about knocking you over back there…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it," I whispered back, "My name's Raku Ichijou. I hope we can be friends!"
That got the girl to smile and nod. She turned her focus away from me and to the lecture, but I could see a goofy grin forming on her face. She'd made her first friend.
...For the second time, and with the same boy. But she didn't know that yet.
"Aw crap…"
I felt the empty space in my shirt with exaggerated motions. It was lunchtime, and I could start looking for the pendant now… I had to make that fact known though.
"What's wrong, Raku-kun?"
Onodera came walking over, hearing my curse. She didn't enter the conversation this early before… It's probably because we were friends now.
"Oh! Kosaki!" I waved, "I uh… lost something important…"
She tilted her head in confusion. That little lock of hair followed. "You did? What was it?"
I traced the outline of the pendant for her. She got the message.
"Oh…" she nodded, "When do you think you lost it?"
"Hmm…" I put my hands in my pockets lazily, "I put it on this morning, and I know I had it when I got to school… but I just noticed it was gone, now."
"Then you must've dropped it on the way to class!"
!
An involuntary jerk came from Chitoge Kirisaki. I guess she'd been listening.
"When do you think you dropped it then?" Kosaki asked, "You hit your head on something this morning, right?"
!
Chitoge twitched again, and I sweatdropped. "I-It really wasn't that bad..."
Kosaki continued, apparently oblivious. "Raku-kun, your nose was bleeding. You don't have to act tough."
!
The blonde beside us was clutching her stomach, as if every absentminded word from Kosaki drove a stake of guilt into her heart. Ahh... Kosaki, your innocence is adorable and I know there's no intention behind it at all, but I really wish you'd notice Chitoge right now...
"If we retrace the path you took, it should be easy!" Kosaki clapped her hands together, "And with two sets of hands, we can find your pendant in no time!"
"E-Excuse me…"
The blonde called for us, drawing our eyes. She looked up at us shyly, before averting our own.
"I… um…" she bowed her head slightly, "I wanna' help too… if that's alright?"
Kosaki gasped. "K-Kirisaki-san! You were listening?"
I sighed. So pure. "I-It's fine, both of you. I don't want to trouble you… And like Kosaki said, it shouldn't take long. I can do it myself. Besides, Kirisaki... are you sure you wanna spend your first lunch at your new school, hunched over in the grass?"
The new girl shook her head, "I... need to help you. I'm probably the reason you lost it in the first place..." she gripped her forearm with her free hand, "Please let me look too? I'll feel guilty all day, otherwise."
This was… surprising. It was in-character of her to feel guilty about it, yeah, but her speaking up— that was new. She's usually pretty bad at saying what she feels… and trust me, I've read 229 chapters of it. This was progress. Good for her.
"Are you sure? The grass is spindly and pokes at your legs…"
"It's okay!" the girl affirmed, "I'm wearing thigh-highs!"
You don't have to tell me.
"Let me help too!" Kosaki pumped her fists, adorably, "I can do more to help than give out bandages!"
Ah… Kosaki loved helping people. Moreover, she hated not being able to help people. I think I touched on that yesterday… She wasn't gonna' take "no" for an answer.
"If you insist…" I sighed, "Let's do this quick though. I can tell our classmates really want to have lunch with you, Kirisaki."
It was true. The girls stalked around, eyes trained on us, like predators waiting on their prey. Vultures, I tell you.
"Alright!" she chirped happily. Her mood had done a full 180. "Then let's get started! Oh, I'm Chitoge Kirisaki, by the way!"
"I'm Kosaki Onodera, and this is Raku Ichijou!" she introduced us, "It's a bit of a strange circumstance, but I hope we can all be friends!"
"Back at'cha!" Chitoge's smile grew wider, "Okay, I think I know where you dropped it! Let's go!"
She dashed off in a blur with a smile on her face.
...
"...She doesn't seem to remember us, does she?"
"Seems like it…" I admitted, putting a hand on Kosaki's shoulder, "But I think it may be better this way. It'd be harder to explain without the locket, right?"
The girl nodded, eager to get her best friend back.
...We didn't find it.
We got to the scene of the crime pretty quickly, and fanned out from there. But even with three sets of hands, finding a gold and silver pendant among the tall, yellow grass was… tough. Really tough. Half an hour went by in a flash, and we barely had enough time to get back to class.
"It's okay!" Kosaki consoled Chitoge, a dark cloud of depression forming over the blonde's head, "School's over now, so we can help him look again! It'll be fine!"
"Guuuh," Chitoge groaned, "I feel really bad… I'm so sorry, Ichijou-san…"
"It's really no problem…" I assured, "And you don't have to help me search anymore. I'd forgive you, but there's nothing to forgive in the first place! It was an accident! So you don't need to feel guilty."
"Bweeeeh," her head turned to the ground again, "You say that, but I still feel guilty…"
I sweatdropped.
"Anyway, I don't want to keep you out too late Kosaki— you have work today," I pointed out, "And Kirisaki, I've already taken lunch from you; really, it's fine. Club activities will be starting soon, so why don't you check them out? Maybe you'll find one you like and end up joining?"
Kosaki pouted. "Friends help each other, Raku-kun. And we're friends, right?"
Chitoge gripped her forearm with her other hand, shyly. "If you don't want our company, I understand… but I still want to help, Ichijou. If I can't help you because it was my fault, I'll help you because I want to. How's that?"
Kosaki may have been the softspoken of the two, but the heroines of this series were quite stubborn. They pined after one boy for thirteen years, after all.
"...If you say so…" I nodded, "Thank you for the help. And sorry for stealing you away again."
"Oh, don't you go saying sorry too!" Chitoge put her hands on her hips, a bit of her spunk back, "If I can't feel guilty then you can't feel guilty either, mister!"
She said that last bit in English. "Mister", that is. Kosaki looked like she was taken by surprise, as if we'd started a pop-quiz in English class. If I remember correctly, her English wasn't the best…
Then again, Raku's wasn't either— at least, before I showed up. He was fluent now. Chitoge and Tsugumi were fluent speakers too, Marika's ability was far above average, and Shuu's skill with the language was passable at the very worst. Out of all the non-native speakers though, the best would have to be—
"Oh? Kosaki. Ichijou-kun. Kirisaki-san."
Ruri Miyamoto walked over to us, crossing the empty hallway. It was by the vending machines, so it was a little out of the way... What was she doing here?
"Hi, Ruri-chan!" Kosaki greeted, "Raku-kun lost something, so Kirisaki-san and I are helping him look!"
I blinked. "Oh, Kirisaki. This is Ruri Miyamoto. Miyamoto, this is Chitoge Kirisaki, the transfer student."
"Nice to meet'cha!" the blonde extended her hand, "I hope we can be friends!"
"I remember," Miyamoto replied, shaking it, "The new girl from America, right? It's nice to meet you."
She said that last bit in English. Chitoge smiled.
"Wow! Your English is pretty good!" the foreigner's ribbon bounced with her excitement, "How long have you been speaking?"
"Thank you, I started learning when I was eight. In Japan, it's a required class, starting in high-school, so I decided to get a head start," Ruri pushed up her glasses idly, "It's… how do you say? Advantageous?"
"Yeah! That pronunciation was perfect!"
The two were carrying on a conversation in the language now, in the sliiiightest of accents. Chitoge still sounded like Nao Toyama, but her English was far better. Meanwhile, I'd never heard Ruri's voice actress speak anything but Japanese before. Cool.
"R-Raku-kun…" Kosaki whispered, her head turning back and forth between them as the engagement progressed, "Do you know what they're saying? We started English class two weeks ago! I'm so lost…"
I waved off her concern. "It's nothing important. They're just talking about Miyamoto's speaking skill. She's telling Chitoge about why she learned English, and translating that favorite book she had."
"Wow, King Lear!?" Chitoge gasped, "I'm surprised! Shakespeare's difficult even for native English speakers, trust me!"
"I'll admit, I'd read a Japanese translation prior," Miyamoto said, clearly happy she was getting a bit of a chance to show off, "But I just had to read the original. Some literary value get lost in translation, and all."
"That's true. Culture doesn't translate," I said in perfect English, surprising everyone, "Macbeth's more my speed though. It's not quite as dense."
"Whoaa! Ichijou-san, your English is really good too!" Chitoge applauded, "Is everyone in our class this fluent!?"
Kosaki pouted cutely. "I… I'm not sure what we're talking about, but can we bring it back? I'm a little lost…"
I smiled apologetically, switching back to Japanese. "Sorry, Kosaki. Like Miyamoto said, Chitoge, English becomes a required class starting in high school. So, Kosaki here has just started. Miyamoto and I began learning early."
"Ohh, that makes sense…" Chitoge nodded, happily, "You're both naturals though! And Onodera-san, don't worry! It takes time, but you'll get there!"
Kosaki seemed to take it, nodding back with a smile. Idly, I noted how Chitoge totally talked to her like a parent just there.
"If you're looking for something, I'll help," Miyamoto offered, "The swim team is buying uniforms today, and I already have mine. I haven't grown from last year, so…"
Her expression darkened a bit. "...the point is, I'm not busy."
"Don't worry, Ruri-chan!" Shuu appeared from nowhere, "Your three sizes are nothing to be ashamed of!"
...
A fist found its way into his cheek, sending him bounding across the dirt. Ruri stood with her arm outstretched, shaking the feeling back into it. Apparently, she slugged him pretty hard.
"...Anyway, I'm free." she said with a stoic smile, "Do you have a problem with that, Ichijou-kun?"
"...None here. Thanks for the help," I said, nervously.
"I'll help too!" Shuu popped off the ground like nothing happened, "I'd never turn down a chance to hang with some looovely ladies~"
Ruri pulled Kosaki behind her, and Chitoge took a few unconscious steps back.
"Glad to have you…" I nodded, "...I think."
He clutched his chest theatrically, like he'd been hit in the chest. "That's cold, dawg."
"...Don't ever say that again."
"Wurd-up."
"Stop."
We split off into groups, Shuu and Ruri going left, Kosaki and Chitoge going right. I tagged along with the two girls, knowing Miyamoto could handle herself.
Kosaki searched the side closer to the outer fence, since the grass was shorter there, and she was wearing kneesocks. Chitoge and I took the… more heavily forested area. It was slow going; I'm sure an hour or so had gone by, and we've managed to find a shoe, a water bottle, some spare change, and a daruma doll (how did that get there?) but no locket. Nothing close.
I stepped on something in the grass, making a squelch noise. Hoping it wasn't what I thought it was, I looked down to see a clump of mud. Thank god… If it's true that girls and guys came here to make out, and if this was anything like the high school I went to…
I shuddered. Back to searching, please.
"Hey…" Chitoge beckoned me over.
I bent down beside her. "What's up?"
She squeezed her own arm again. She seemed to do it every time she got all shy.
"I've been thinking…" she murmured, "I'm… I'm sorry if I forced myself onto you guys. I should've just taken the hint that you didn't want me around…"
Oh, no. I was shutting that train of thought down now.
"Don't you dare think that…" I muttered, "You've known me for less than a day, and you spent half of it helping me look for a needle in a haystack. I might not know you very well, but I can tell you're a great person. I'd love to have you around more. I'd love to be your friend. And I know Kosaki, Shuu, Miyamoto, and everyone else feels the same."
Her self-destructive thoughts clammed up pretty quickly, as I decisively destroyed each of them, one by one. I knew what I was doing. I'd been there before. Every moment, you're second-guessing, wondering what you did wrong, hoping you did right… Every single second of every single day. It was exhausting. No one deserved to go through that. No one.
"I've… been in your shoes…" I confessed, "People around here don't really like me. Shuu, Kosaki, and by extension, Ruri… they're the only ones that've really given me a chance."
"My old man's the boss of a yakuza syndicate…" I heard her gasp, "They're pretty big in this area, and everybody knows. Kids my age are afraid… they think I'll bite their head off if they talk to me."
I pulled out the friendship notebook from my bag, and opened it up. "I used to make these friendship notebooks all the time… I was so desperate for friends…"
I looked over at Kosaki, who was walking around the base of a tree stump. "...But I have friends now. Good friends. And they want to be friends with you. I want to be friends with you."
I stood up. "So don't worry. You're just fine, Kirisaki."
...
The girl blinked, before smiling wide. "Wow… you know exactly what to say."
I blushed, "L-Like I said, I've been there before…"
"Well…" she shook her head, "I think that's my line. See…"
She looked around her, checking if anyone else was listening.
"...I'm... the heiress... of a gang," she said each word slowly, like it was painful, "Back in America, they'd run background checks on all of my classmates, and guard me like rabid dogs. No one ever approached me... and if they did, they disappeared…"
"That's why I was so excited about the move to Japan," she said, standing up as well, "No one knew me here, so I could finally have friends! I was so happy…" her expression drooped a bit. "Then I knocked you over this morning, and I was so embarrassed I ran away. I thought for sure that you were gonna' tell everyone… and when I saw you in class, I almost cried, thinking it was all over."
She stared me right in the eye and smiled. "Thank you for keeping my secret, Ichijou-san."
I grinned right back. "Please, it was what any decent person would do. Hitting me was an accident, so no worries," I scratched my cheek, "And just 'Ichijou' is fine. You can call me 'Raku' too, if you want."
"R-Really? First names?" she raised a hand to her mouth in surprise, "Is that alright? I heard from Papa that I couldn't do that in Japan…"
"It's totally fine among friends," I said, "And we're friends! So it's totally fine!"
The girl's smile was positively bursting with joy. I could tell she was just about to bounce off the walls. "Thanks Raku! But call me Chitoge then, okay?"
I smiled.
"Thanks, Chitoge."
