Chapter 2 - Rito's Choice
The next morning.
Breakfast time. Mikan works the kitchen while the others eat at the table. Lala feeds Celine in her high-chair. Momo steals a piece of Nana's food, angering the latter.
Rito sits in silence, staring at his food, lost in thought.
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Later, everyone heads off to school.
At the street intersection, Mikan parts ways from the group, walking to her school while the others walk to theirs.
Lala carries Celine while she walks and talks with her sisters. Rito trails behind, still lost in thought.
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Another day at Sainan High School.
Rito walks the hall alone, passing other students with his head still in the clouds.
"Oh, Rito," says a soft voice.
Rito stops and looks up. His cheeks redden as Haruna stands before him.
"Oh, good morning, Sairen-I mean…Haruna," he says.
Haruna smiles and touches her cheek as she blushes.
Ever since they confessed to one another, they've started calling each other by their first names. It makes them both happy, but still takes some getting used to.
"Good morning to you too," she replies.
Then she bashfully shuffles her feet, not sure what to say. Rito does the same.
Come on, man. Say something, he thinks. But before he can-
"Rito!" yells an energetic green-haired girl who comes flying out of nowhere, hugging Rito from behind, and making Haruna a tad jealous.
"Run!" says Rito.
"Good morning, Rito!" she says. "You're looking as handsome as ever."
"Uh, thanks. You, uh, look nice too," he replies.
"Ah. You're so sweet," she squeals. "Listen, Kyouko and I are performing a big concert tomorrow night, and I was hoping you could make it."
"Oh, well, I," he starts.
Run digs into her pocket and hands him a VIP backstage pass. "Here. I already got you a ticket."
"Run, this is…" he says.
"Backstage access to the show, free of charge. You'll come, won't you? Please?" she asks, looking up at him with big, puppy dog eyes.
"I, uh," he says.
Run only just now notices Haruna standing next to them. "Oh. Hey there, Haruna."
"Good morning, Run," says Haruna.
"Perfect timing. I've got your pass here as well," says Run, giving Haruna a second VIP pass.
"Oh, thank you," replies Haruna.
"I snagged a bunch of them before my manager caught me," says Run. "When he tried to take them away, I told him I'd refuse to do the show if he did."
"Wow, really?" asks Haruna.
"Uh-huh," replies Run. "I'm gonna give the rest to Lala and the others. You'll come too, right, Haruna? Rito?"
Rito looks between the two girls. "Well, um..."
I mean, if Haruna and the others are coming too, it would make things easier, he thinks.
"Okay. Yeah, I'm in," he says, smiling.
"Me too. I'd be happy to come," says Haruna.
"Yay!" cheers Run.
She jumps for joy, and hugs Rito and Haruna so hard, she's practically suffocating them.
"Thanks, you guys," she says. "Rito, I'll be sure to make it a special show just for you."
"Uh, okay," he says.
"Well, I better run. Gotta give out the rest of these," says Run, darting off down the hall. "Later!"
"Later," says Rito.
"See ya," says Haruna. "Oh, that was so nice of her."
Rito watches Run disappear down the hall. "Yeah."
Do my feelings mean nothing to you? Do I mean nothing to you?
Her sharp words from the dream echo in Rito's mind, blocking everything else out.
"Rito?" asks Haruna.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was spacing out," he says.
At that moment, the school bell rings.
"Haruna, do you, um, wanna walk to class together?" he asks.
"I'd love to," she responds.
"Great. Shall we?" he says.
He and Haruna walk down the hall with rosy-cheeked smiles.
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The rest of the day carries on as usual.
Rito attends class, enjoys lunch with Saruyama, and visits the infirmary where Mikado plays with Celine while Tearju and Oshizu drink tea.
He wanders the halls, all the while, lost in thought. The conversation he had with Nemesis and Momo from the night before always on his mind. Every now and then, he notices the girls from his dream.
In the hallway, Nana and Mea chat by the windows. When they see Rito, Mea says hello while Nana just scowls.
In the classroom, Yui lectures Risa and Mio for their perverted behavior, and of course, they don't listen. When Rito enters the room, Mio waves at him, and Risa gives him a playful wink, making him blush. Yui, being the jealous tsundere that she is, clocks the exchange and shouts at Rito for no reason.
On the stairs, Saki boasts about herself as she strolls down the steps with Aya and Rin in tow. As Rito steps out of their way, he catches Rin looking at him for a split second before walking off.
In the library, Rito spots Yami reading a book in one of the aisles.
You're the target of my love.
Rito still can't believe he heard those words from her of all people.
Yami feels his presence, and looks at him. He freaks out, fearing the worst, and sheepishly waves. She spins around, ignoring him. He sighs and walks away. As he does, she buries her head in her book, hiding her blushing face.
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On the school roof, Rito lays on the ground, staring up at the sky.
The harem plan, he thinks. Could I really do it? Should I?
...
"Oh, there you are, Rito," says an unseen voice.
Rito stands up and sees Lala closing the door behind her. "Oh, hey, Lala."
"I've been looking everywhere for you," she says.
"What for?" he asks.
Lala presents a VIP pass. "Look at this! Run gave me one of these during lunch. I'm so excited! I can't wait to see her and Kyouko perform tomorrow night."
Rito lowers his head and stares at the ground. "Oh, yeah. Me neither."
"Hmm, something wrong?" she asks.
He returns his attention to her. "No, I…"
His voice trails off, unsure of what to say. Then he notices Lala looking at him; really looking at him.
...
He takes a deep breath and straightens his posture.
"Actually, Lala," he says. "There's something I need to tell you. You and Haruna both."
Lala tilts her head, wondering what could be so important for him to say.
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Night falls on Rito's house.
In the living room, Ringo (Rito's mother) and Saibai (his father) sit on the couch. Rito stands before them, having just dropped a bombshell.
"So, uh, yeah, Mom and Dad. That's how it is," says Rito.
Saibai and Ringo say nothing for a moment.
"Rito, you realize what'll happen if you go through with this, don't you?" asks Ringo.
"This is some pretty heavy stuff, son," says Saibai. "Sure you're prepared to deal with the consequences?"
Rito looks at them, eyes full of determination. "Yes, I am."
...
Saibai and Ringo trade looks. Then they both smile at their son.
"I'm proud of you, Rito," says Ringo.
"Huh?" asks Rito, taken aback.
"You made the right choice, kiddo. If anything, I'm jealous of you, haha," laughs Saibai.
"You mean, you're not upset?" asks Rito.
Saibai and Ringo rise from the couch, and embrace their son together.
"Of course not," replies Ringo. "You're a young man now, free to make his own choices. All we want is for you to be happy and live without any regrets. If this is what you want, we'll support you."
"Ditto," says Saibai.
Tears of joy well up in Rito's eyes as he hugs his parents back. "Thanks, Mom and Dad. Seriously, thank you."
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In the steamed bathroom, Mikan and Rito dry themselves off with towels.
While bathing together seemed unusual at first, both siblings have grown accustomed to it.
"Wow," says Mikan. "So you're really going through with it?"
"Well, I gave it a lot of thought...and I've decided it's what I want," replies Rito.
"Is that so? What did Lala say?" she asks.
"Well, I, uh, was going to tell her back at school," he replies. "But then I realized it'd be better if I told her and Haruna at the same time. Besides, Momo insisted she be the one to fill Lala in, at least a little bit, before I told her the rest."
"Oh. Is that because the plan was originally Momo's idea?" she asks.
"I guess so," he responds. "Momo means well, but she feels guilty for orchestrating the whole thing behind Lala's back. And I didn't wanna deny her the chance of being honest with her sister."
"And here you are, being honest with yours. How mature of you," she smirks.
All dried off, the two siblings get dressed.
"Wait, does this mean I'm the first you're telling about this?" she asks.
"Well, I already told Mom and Dad," he replies. "At first, I just wanted their advice. But really, I think it was their approval I was looking for. Now that I've got it, I wanted to tell you next. So yeah, I guess you are the first, in a way."
Mikan finishes getting dressed, smiles and whispers under her breath. "I was first."
Then she heads for the door as Rito finishes getting dressed.
"This calls for some ice cream," she says. "See ya in the kitchen?"
"Wait, Mikan," he says.
She stops by the doorway. "Hmm?"
Rito has a serious expression on his face, and bows to his sister. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?" she asks, blinking twice.
"I'm sorry for everything," he says. "When Mom and Dad got busy with work, you stepped up and took care of me when I should've been the one taking care of you. Instead, I've done nothing but worry and embarrass you. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've put you through, and I know this decision of mine is gonna put you through a lot more of it. I also know saying sorry isn't enough, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. And I hope you understand that no matter how many wives-I mean, lovers I have, I'll only ever have one sister."
Then he steps forward and grips Mikan's shoulders, baffling her.
"Rito, what're you…?" she asks.
"And I'll only ever want one sister," he says with a gentle smile. "Mikan, I adore everything about you. I'm prouder of you than you'll ever know. And I love you. I love you so much."
He presses his lips against her forehead.
...
Mikan's face flushes red. Overwhelmed and embarrassed, she shoves Rito back, causing him to trip and fall onto the floor.
"You pervert!" she shouts.
Then she opens the door, and slams it behind her as she darts off down the hall.
Rito remains on the floor, flabbergasted. Then he drops on his back and rubs his head.
"Ah, man," he laments.
...
The sound of approaching footsteps catches his attention.
The door opens, and Mikan comes running back into the bathroom. Before Rito can speak, Mikan tackles him back onto the floor, and hugs him tightly.
"Uh, Mikan?" he asks.
She snuggles against his body.
"I love you too, big brother," she says with a smile on her face and a few tears in her eyes.
Then she leans up and kisses his cheek.
"And I always will," she says.
Rito smiles and hugs her back.
The two siblings remain on the floor, locked in each other's embrace.
Outside in the hall, Momo leans against the wall, having eavesdropped on everything. She smiles and walks away with purpose.
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Later in Lala's bedroom.
Lala sits on her bed while Momo sits seiza-style on the floor.
Momo tells her sister about the harem plan, apologizes, and softly begins to cry. Lala is at a loss for words; it's unclear how she feels or what she'll do next.
Then Lala stands up, kneels down and embraces Momo. She's smiling, not angry in the slightest.
Momo cries even harder and hugs Lala back, overjoyed to have such a forgiving sister.
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Meanwhile in Rito's bedroom.
Rito chats with King Gid via a holographic communication device built by Lala.
Gid listens in earnest as Rito explains his plan.
When he finishes, Gid grins and gives him a thumbs-up. Rito returns the gesture.
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In outer space, the Dark Rover navigates through the asteroid belt.
Onboard, Stem practices his combat skills in the training hall.
First, he fights a dozen training robots with only his fists and feet. Using an impressive volley of punches and kicks, he completely destroys all of the robots.
Then, a range of moving targets slides out of the wall. Stem's left robotic arm transforms into a laser cannon, and he blasts every target to smithereens.
Finally, a cage containing a rabid alien hound (the size of a polar bear) opens up, releasing the beast. Stem draws a red energy sword from his utility belt.
The alien hound releases an ear-splitting roar.
Stem and the beast charge each other, and-
SLASH! - the dead alien hound slides across the floor, bisected.
Stem sheathes his sword, and turns to a holographic map of the universe; his gaze fixed on the planet Earth.
"You're next, Rito Yuki."
Author's Note: There haven't been many moments between Rito and his parents, so I included my own. And I'm gonna spoil this now; Mikan will NOT be part of the harem. She is Rito's sister, and that's all she needs to be. Speaking of sisters, I really enjoyed Momo apologizing to Lala and the latter forgiving her. Now Rito's about to begin his harem plan just as Stem approaches Earth. What will happen?
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