Roommates
"Huh?" Raku awoke with great confusion. Sure, all of his personal items were with him, but the theme of the room was western. This clearly wasn't his house.
Panicking, Raku tip-toed his way towards the door. Unfortunately, the room he was in had no windows so the only means of escaping was through this door.
"Here I go." Raku mentally prepared himself as he started opening the door as slowly and as quietly as he could.
Once cracked open, Raku first smelled an incredible aroma and heard sizzling along with a person's humming.
"Wait a second." Raku wondered as the humming sounded familiar to him. Peeking out the door, Raku saw Marika who appeared to be cooking.
This relieved Raku who thought he was kidnapped by another yakuza family for ransom again. Refocusing on the problem at hand, Raku desperately wondered "Okay, so why am I here again? Is this another kidnapping by Marika so that she-" His thoughts were cut off as he slowly started remembering the events of yesterday and finally realized that he was to stay with Marika for a month.
"Oh no…" Raku uttered in despair at his situation.
As Marika continued working on breakfast for herself and her beloved, she heard someone muttering something. Turning around, Marika saw Raku peeking out of his room.
"Good morning, Raku. Breakfast will be ready soon." Marika greeted Raku with a smile.
Reluctantly, Raku slowly made his way towards the table and sat down. Raku had a mountain's worth of questions to ask Marika, but he didn't want to take her focus away from cooking so he sat there silently and listened to Marika's humming.
"Here you are!" Marika smiled as she placed a plate of food in front of Raku.
"Umm… thanks." Raku tried being polite; however, he was still utterly confused by the situation he was in. Despite his mixed feeling, the food smelled delicious and found himself in heaven after taking a small bite. It's been far too long since he tasted great food that he didn't prepare.
"It's good!" Raku couldn't help but compliment Marika's cooking.
This put a blush on Marika's face as she beamed "R-Really?! I mean, I made sure to prepare my love with only the best of food."
Breakfast went by with silence; although, Marika's previous statement made Raku feel embarrassed once again. Once they were both done eating, Raku began his attack.
"So, what am I doing here?" Raku popped the question yet again.
"Didn't we discuss this yesterday? You're here because of the bug- I mean, because of the gas leak in your room." Marika replied.
Not satisfied with her answer, Raku went on "Look, I was completely exhausted last night. That's why I didn't push you further about it. Now that I'm rested and can actually think rationally, I know that this is a very bad, no, terribly bad idea. I have a girlfriend, you know, and I can't just-"
"A fake girlfriend." Marika interjected.
"…Huh?" Raku uttered from shock. How was he found out? Did Marika have some sort of "Answer Talker" ability that grants her any amount of knowledge on him?
Truth be told, Marika was very uncomfortable about going forward. If she wanted to make any progress with Raku, she couldn't pretend to be ignorant anymore and so she confessed "I've known the truth for a very long time. I know about your fake relationship with Chitoge and I know who it is you actually like... Kosaki. Don't look so surprised. After all, you're the sole person of my attention."
Raku's mind was being assaulted by Marika's knowledge. If it were anyone else, Raku wouldn't have been able to make sense out of it. Since its Marika, it's not completely outrageous but it still makes Raku wonder just how she learned of the fake relationship and about his crush.
"How long have you known?" Raku asked with a mad blush on his face.
"I assure you, I've known for quite some time now." Marika forced a smile with her response.
Going back to the question he has been dying for an answer to, he asked yet again "If you know about my situation, then just why are we living together? If Chitoge's family found out-"
"My reasons are selfish, I know." Marika interrupted Raku and went on with bitterness "But it's just not fair! You've been going to school with Kosaki for years and now you're in forced relationship with Shitoge. So I decided it's about time for my upper hand. We'll keep this a secret between us and our families."
"But what if we're found out?" Raku asked as a dreadful image of an all-out war ran through his mind.
Already prepared for this question, Marika stated "My father promised to side with your family should a war break out. With that, the mafia would have no choice but to surrender and my dad promised to make it as peaceful as possible."
Having the police on his side was really assuring, but Raku didn't want a war to break out in the first place and said "I don't know. I think it would be a whole lot simpler if we didn't live together."
Raku's words hit Marika in a vulnerable spot. Slowly accepting her defeat, Marika's head sunk as she whispered "I can't go against your wishes, Raku. So if you wish to return to your family, I won't stop you."
Raku couldn't believe his ears. Marika was actually letting him off the hook but Raku couldn't feel relieved or happy in the least.
"Please, son, just do it for her sake." Raku remembered his father's words from yesterday.
"Okay, I'll stay." Raku finally gave in.
"…Huh?" Marika said whose expression changed from sullen to dumbfound.
Trying to say everything in one go, Raku explained "Everyone's pushing me to stay with you and if it means I'll get great food, then how can I say no? Besides… I feel like there's another reason why I'm here. At any rate, you win, Marika. I'll live with you for a month."
"Raku!" Marika shouted the name of her love as her face started shining with hope and joy. Dashing out of her seat, Marika swiftly wrapped her arms tightly around Raku.
"G-Geez, there you go again." Raku stuttered who was embarrassed by her embrace.
After Marika's clingy moment, Raku had her sit down as he explained "If we're going to be living together, there's going to be some rules."
"Ugh." Marika complained to herself quietly. Noticing that Raku heard her, Marika added with a sweet voice "I mean, please go on, Raku."
"First off, I need my privacy. When my door is closed, that means I don't want to be disturbed. If I don't mind your company, I'll keep it open. Secondly, we don't speak to anybody about this. Since a war could break out, we need to keep this top secret. I won't even tell Shuu about this. Third, we'll split costs evenly. I have some money saved up and-"
"Raku, that's unnecessary! I promise it's no trouble for me to-"
"Nope. We're living together, so expenses and duties will be divided evenly. That also accounts for stuff like cleaning and cooking. Deal?" Raku stated adamantly.
Having no other choice, Marika gave in "Wow, Raku. Sometimes, you can be just as forceful as me. Very well. I will comply with your wishes. Besides… now it feels like we're really supporting each other." Marika couldn't help but smile with delight.
"We are supporting each other, but just as roommates." Raku clarified but was happy to see Marika smile.
And so, the two started living together and things were surprisingly normal for a week; although, there were a few "Marika moments".
"How is everything, Raku?" Marika asked behind the door.
"The bath's really nice. It's really relaxing and it takes my mind off things. I bet you can't wait to get in here." Raku called out to her from the bath tub. If Raku were a cat, he would be purring nonstop.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it. You're right, I can't wait to enjoy a nice bath." Marika answered back, taking out a cotton swab.
As Raku relaxed, he heard a strange noise near the door and saw the doorknob shake slightly. Starting to feel uneasy, Raku asked "Umm, Marika? What are you doing?"
"Hmm? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Raku." Marika answered as she started humming with glee.
"Oh no. Don't give me that! I know you're doing some-" Raku started to say before the door was opened.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Raku wailed once the door was wide open, revealing Marika. Raku's first reaction was to get far, far away. So he bailed from the tub but he made the floor slippery and well…
BAM
Raku fell face first onto the floor. Unfortunately, his face wasn't the only thing that hit the floor. Raku didn't even have the strength to scream. What he was experiencing transcended pain and so he squirmed pathetically on the floor.
"KYAAAAA!" Marika squealed from the whole scene and bolted out of the room. Sure, she wanted to tease him a little bit, but she didn't plan on seeing him in such a state.
After quite a long time, Raku collected himself as best he could and dressed himself. Once leaving the bathroom, Raku saw Marika sitting in a chair and facing away towards the wall.
"Um… you can have your bath now… if you want." Raku muttered embarrassingly.
"T-That's okay. I reckon I'll just… have one later." Marika replied, still facing away from him to hide her crimson face.
Although the awkwardness was already intense, Raku had to ask "So… how much did you see?"
"I-I… I saw your behind. I didn't see anything else though, I swear." Marika confessed.
Taking her at her word, Raku sighed and took a seat at the table and laid his face down.
"Did it hurt?" Marika faced him and asked almost in a whisper.
Lifting his face for a moment, which Marika saw was pale as a ghost, Raku groaned "N-Nah, I didn't even feel it."
Once a week had passed since the two started living together, Marika checked to see if Raku's door was opened, which it was.
"Raku, I'm coming in." Marika informed as she entered. Once inside, she found Raku laying sideways on his bed reading something.
"Hey." Raku greeted Marika as he continued reading.
"You keep your door open a lot these days. A week ago, you rarely left it open; but lately, you've been keeping your door open at all times. Could that be your way of saying you want to spend more time with me?" Marika asked as her lips formed a soft smile.
"It's more like I don't mind your company." Raku replied, turning his attention to his roommate.
"My, how cruel, Raku." Marika complained as she put her hand over her mouth.
Raku couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction and apologized "Sorry, I was just joking."
Wanting to be next to him, Marika laid down beside him and took interest in what he was reading.
"W-What are you-"
"I just want to read along with you, that's all." Marika assured Raku as she starting taking in the page. It wasn't a novel, but a comic book.
"Okay, but no funny business this time." Raku warned and refocused on the book.
Surprised by what she found on the page, Marika questioned "Why is that child fighting that king?"
Marika's curiosity excited Raku as he tried explaining the plot "Well, the boy fell down a hole and now he's in an underground civilization filled with monsters. The monsters hate humans; but none of them could bring themselves to kill the child who refused to hurt them. The little guy was just trying to go home but the king was blocking him. The king really is a good guy, but he has to stop the human because- why are you giggling?"
Marika couldn't help but giggle and she replied "You must really love this story, Raku. You just seemed so passionate in your explanation that I couldn't help myself. You really are adorable."
"H-Hey! Don't say that!" Raku muttered and became flustered.
Marika could only giggle more from his reaction. Taking another look at the child, Marika asked "Isn't the child scared? He's facing something he can't beat and he's practically staring death in the face."
Taking a second to think, Raku answered "If I were this child, it wouldn't be about being afraid or fighting something he can't beat. It's more like he's determined to do the best he can, despite being so weak."
Something resonated with Marika and felt like she truly connected with the child and asked "Raku? Can we read the whole story together?"
It wasn't every day that someone asked him to read one of his favorite stories, so he couldn't help but say "Sure! We can read this from start to finish!"
The two spent the rest of the day reading the story. Wondering about the time, Raku looked at his alarm clock.
"Whoa, it's already nine!" Raku exclaimed who was startled by all of the time that went by.
"Wow, it seems that you're right, Raku." Marika replied who was equally as shocked.
Raku wanted to continue reading the story; however, he also felt like there was a point where they should've stopped and they have clearly passed it. Remembering the homework, Raku closed the comic and started to say "Well, I think that's enough of-"
His words as well as his thoughts ceased once he looked into Marika's face which was an incredibly short distance away. Was Marika that close the entire time? Raku was too into sharing the story with Marika to notice her closeness.
"Hmm?" Marika muttered who turned her head to face him.
Raku found himself lost in her face and he started remembering the last time he was this close to Marika.
"Let's kiss, Raku. You and I." Raku flashbacked to that day on the Ferris wheel.
Thump thump
Rising quickly from his bed, Raku stuttered "W-Well, I-I think I'm going to go work on homework now."
Although Raku's behavior was interesting to Marika, she decided to ignore it and proposed "We should work on it together. Two minds work more effectively than just one."
Wanting to finish the homework as quickly as possible, Raku agreed "That sounds like a good idea."
As Marika started getting up, Raku scratched the back as his head and admitted "Hey, Marika? Thanks for letting me share that story with you. It made me happy."
Overjoyed by Raku's thanks, Marika bolted upwards and wrapped her arms around his neck and beamed "You're quite welcome, Raku! I'm always willing to spend time with you no matter what it is we're doing!"
-The next day at school-
"You don't look so good, Raku." Chitoge observed her "boyfriend" who was resting his head on the desk.
"Didn't get much sleep last night. Did homework at the last minute. Wasn't fun." Raku answered who stifled a yawn.
"Hmpf, that's what you get you procrastinating beansprout." Chitoge scolded.
Not having the energy to respond, Raku simply looked towards Marika's desk and saw that she was in about the same condition that he was in.
An idea popping into Chitoge's head, she suggested with a slight blush "Since you aren't responsible enough, how about I come over today to help you with your homework?"
"Sure, that would be nice." Raku accepted Chitoge's offer without a second thought.
"I'm sorry about reading that comic for too long yesterday. I'll make it up to you somehow." Raku apologized to his sleepy friend and roommate.
After a very slow day at school, Chitoge and Raku were walking together in the hallways to chat and act like a couple. As Raku chatted with Chitoge, Marika came into view.
"Hey, how are you feeling, Marika?" Raku asked the still sleepy girl.
"Greetings, Raku. While I must say that I was feeling rather sleepy, reuniting with you is enough to completely dispel me of exhaustion." Marika greeted Raku.
"That's good. Well, me and Chitoge were just about to go do some homework at my house. Want to tag along?" Raku asked as he yawned once again.
"I-Idiot! Don't tell her that! And cover your mouth when you yawn!" Chitoge exclaimed. She secretly wanted to spend some alone time with Raku but that was surely about to be ruined with Marika joining in.
"M-My, I'm not sure if I can go to RAKU'S HOUSE today." Marika answered with heavy emphasis on "Raku's house".
Confused by the heavy emphasis, Raku asked "Um, why did you put so much emphasis on my-"
Shatter
Raku's mind has just been crushed. How could he have forgotten that his current home was an apartment that he was sharing with Marika. Was he really that sleepy to forget such a crucial detail? Sleep deprivation just became Raku's sworn enemy and promised to always get eight hours of sleep every night.
Trying to get out of his plans with Chitoge, Raku lied "Um, yeah… about that, Chitoge... I forgot to tell you that there's a, um, gas leak- bug infestation in my house."
"… A gas leak, bug infestation?" Chitoge asked who was clearly not buying it.
"…Yeah." Raku could only utter that simple response.
Not only did Chitoge know Raku was lying, but it seemed like it had something to do with Marika which added to Chitoge's annoyance.
"Whatever." Chitoge snarled before walking away.
Once Chitoge was out of earshot, Raku sighed "She's pissed."
"I'm sorry, Raku. Our situation has already caused you trouble with your friends." Marika apologized.
Scratching his head, Raku replied "I'll make it up to her somehow. Don't worry about it." Although the main crisis had been avoided, Raku couldn't help like something dangerous was watching them so Raku whispered to Marika "I have to take care of the animals today so you can go home first."
"I understand." Marika whispered back and parted ways with Raku. The two left school at different times so they wouldn't get caught walking to the same apartment together.
Once Raku finished tending to the animals, he was just about to leave when he was stopped by a familiar voice.
"Hey there, Raku."
"Hey, Shuu." Raku greeted his best friend who was wearing that familiar wide smile.
"How about we walk home together and get something to eat?" Shuu offered.
Wary of his earlier mistake, Raku apologized "Sorry, Shuu. But I'm not walking the same way as you today. I'm visiting a friend."
"Oh, really? I didn't know you had any friends other than me." Shuu joked with a light chuckle.
Taking slight offense, Raku tried defending himself "Of course I have more than one friend. There's…" Unfortunately, Raku didn't have many friends and all the names that came to mind were girls and there was no way Raku could imply he was visiting a girl.
While Raku wanted to confess his whole situation to Shuu, he couldn't break his promise to Marika and so he said "Hey, Shuu? You've probably already guessed that I've been hiding something from you. I just want you to know that I trust you, but I've pretty much been sworn to secrecy. I promise I'll explain the whole thing once it's over."
Startled by Raku's honesty, Shuu answered "Hey, don't worry about it. This is something between you and Marika. It is Marika, right? Anyways, I may not know what's going on exactly, but I have a general idea so I get why you can't tell me."
Once again, Raku's best friend has pulled through for him as he thanked "Thanks, Shuu. You're honestly the most understanding best friend in the world."
"I know, I am pretty awesome after all." Shuu boasted with a wide smile. Once his smile softened, Shuu questioned with a more serious tone "Hey, Raku? Do you have a crush on you-know-who?"
A little startled by his sudden question, Raku blushed and answered "Well, yeah. Of course I still like-"
Raku found himself unable to finish his sentence which didn't puzzle Shuu in the slightest.
Raku finished his answer more honestly and with more thought "Kosaki is my dream girl and I'm definitely interested in her; however... Remember when you said that I may like Chitoge? I've been thinking it over, and it definitely seems like a possibility now. Every day is an adventure with her, and I've experienced so many things just being by her side so I can't ignore my desire to be with her anymore."
"So… you like both of them?" Shuu asked for closure.
"Yeah, I'm the worst." Raku muttered as his head hung low.
"Wow, you sure did a lot of homework since I asked you about your romantic feelings!" Shuu praised Raku and was impressed but added "But I have one more assignment for you."
"Stop acting like a teacher, Mr. Maiko." Raku groaned who was currently sick of words like "homework" and "assignments".
"How do you feel about Marika?" Shuu asked the question he had been saving for over a week.
A blush instantly rose to Raku's face who stammered "W-What?! N-No way! I already have feelings for Chitoge and Kosaki! How could I possibly have feelings for a-a third person!"
"You know, a simple 'no' would be much more believable. You tend to outburst when you're lying to yourself." Shuu pointed out.
Shuu had a fair point which Raku couldn't think of anything to counter it. Being honest once more, Raku said "I… I just don't know. Over winter break, I accepted her feelings for me; but to be honest, I have no idea how I feel about her."
"Okay, then what don't you like about her? She seems like the perfect girl if you ask me." Shuu picked Raku's brain.
Taking a second to think, Raku remember something Marika once said to him.
"What kind of girl do you prefer now? I know I can transform myself in any way, as long as it's for your sake."
"The problem is… she's trying to become a perfect girl based on my preferences. She talks about transforming herself to look more appealing to me, but that makes me feel more distant from the real Marika." Raku admitted and started scratching the back of his head.
This came as a shock to Shuu who replied "Whoa, now that's a little extreme. Still, don't you think Marika has become a better person because of her dedication to you? She's become an excellent cook, learned good manners, and recently started excelling in school. Refining her skills is fine, but I can see it being a problem when it comes to changing her personality, but I don't think that's an issue either. When you think of Marika, do you think of someone who strives for perfection?"
Shuu's sudden question caught Raku off guard who took yet another few moments to think of an honest response. "No, I think Marika just wants to put her all into everything she does. She's crafty, smart, pretty, passionate, strong willed, and loyal, but she's definitely not perfect."
"But is she perfect for you?" Shuu asked, partially to tease Raku.
"How am I supposed to know?!" Raku exclaimed as the blush reformed on his face.
Laughing, Shuu said his goodbye "Hahaha! You're so easy to embarrass. I almost feel bad that you're stuck with a best friend like me! Anyways, I have to head home now."
"Geez, I can't believe we're leaving off with a question like that." Raku complained.
Although Shuu already started walking away, he had one last question for Raku.
"One more thing. Out of all the girls, why is Marika the only one you remember from your childhood?" Shuu turned around to ask this question.
Out of all the questions Shuu's asked in the past five minutes, this one impacted Raku the most who couldn't even begin to think of an answer.
"Think of that question as a little extra credit assignment." Shuu teased before walking away.
Raku walked back to his apartment, just as he had done the past week; however, he couldn't shake this feeling of uneasiness. It was like he was being followed.
"I'm just being paranoid again. Shuu's interrogation doesn't help either. I mean, what am I supposed to do about my situation?" Raku complained to himself as he walked home.
Once he entered his apartment, Marika was sitting at the table and appeared to be reading for class.
"Welcome home, Raku." Marika beamed at Raku.
"Thanks, are you doing homework?" Raku questioned as he took off his shoes.
Remembering the events of last night, Marika answered "Yes, I am. I did not want a repeat of last night. Besides… that creature was supposed to help you with your homework. While I must confess that my test scores do not match that woman yet, I will do my best to help you."
Once again taken by Marika's generosity towards him, Raku apologized "Sorry, Marika. It was my fault for reading that comic to you for so long last night. And are you sure you want to start on homework right away? It's the weekend so it's okay if you take a nap instead. You looked pretty tired at school earlier."
Shaking her head, Marika replied "Don't worry, Raku. The fault also goes to me for wanting to spend more time with you. If it's alright with you, I'd like to get this homework out of the way so we can enjoy the weekend without thoughts of school. Besides… I have plans for tomorrow."
Taking a seat next to her, Raku asked "What plans?"
Becoming timid, Marika blushed and revealed "Well… I was hoping to go on a date with you tomorrow."
"H-Hold up. A date?! Don't you think that's going a bit too far?" Raku questioned with shock in his voice.
"We've been spending a lot more time together, but that's only within this apartment. I was hoping to go out and have some fun. I'm hoping that you'll agree, but I won't push you on this." Marika finished explaining as she averted her eyes from Raku out of embarrassment.
After a short silence between the two, Marika finally asked "So, will you go on a date with me tomorrow, Raku?"
Already knowing what he was going to say, Raku answered "Okay, but if anyone askes, we're just hanging out, deal?"
"Of course! I agree to those terms! I was expecting you to say no so I'm incredibly pleased to hear you say yes." Marika beamed with a sparkling eyes and a wide smile.
Marika happiness rubbed off on Raku who smiled as well. Remembering something he wanted to address, Raku asked "Hey, Marika? Remember when you said that you'd change your personality to match my wants?"
"Of course I do, Raku. That offer still stands and I'm willing to transform myself if it's what you wish." Marika answered.
Having a lot to say, Raku took a breath and explained "Well, last time I told you that you were fine as you were and that you were, well, cute. To be honest, I don't want you to change, Marika. Sure, training yourself to learn new skills like cooking and studying is fine, but I don't want to change the core of your personality. So I'm now telling you to just be the Marika I know, okay? Not some perfect image of a girl that's going through my mind or anything like it."
"Raku…" Marika uttered almost speechlessly and continued "To be honest, I regretted offering in the first place. Not that I wasn't willing to change myself for you, but because I knew you felt like that. You're still the Rakkun I knew from childhood, so I still have a good idea of what's going through your mind. If that's what you wish, Raku, then I am happy to oblige. I hope you know that this means I can still pursue you as much as I please. After all, the desires I have for you are the strongest part of my being."
Already feeling used to Marika's constant pursuing, Raku chuckled "If that's what you want, then go for it. Just don't wear me out too much."
"Oh, trust me. I'll wear you out to the point where you can't do anything but love me." Marika declared with fire in her eyes.
After their conversation, the two started doing their homework. Whenever Raku struggled on a problem, Marika was able to help Raku flawlessly and her explanations made perfect sense.
Once finished with the homework, Raku beamed "Wow, that went by fast! You should think about becoming a tutor, Marika. You were incredibly helpful."
Blushing from the praise, Marika couldn't help but smile "Do you really mean it? B-Boy, it feels great to get praise from you, Rakkun! I'm so darned happy!"
As Marika got a little carried away, Raku got up and said "I know it's early, but I'm really tired from staying up so late last night so I'm heading to bed."
Snapping out of her happy thoughts, Marika had a question for Raku before he retired to bed "Hey, Raku? Can I asked you something?"
Stifling a yawn, Raku replied "I've been asked so many questions today, but one more won't hurt. What do you want to know?"
"Before we started homework, you told me to be myself. So I was curious, what comes to your mind when you think of me?" Marika asked with longing in her eyes.
Scratching his cheek, Raku took a few moments to think of a response "When I think of you, I see somehow who exerts more effort than anybody else. You do all of these incredible things on a daily basis and you're always so energetic. Let's see here… oh! You're also really passionate too; although, most of that passion is used on a guy like me. I also think you're beautiful and-" Raku stopped his rambling once the word beautiful came out accidentally.
"Did… did you just… call me beautiful?" Marika stuttered as her face became crimson.
So many thoughts and feelings were being discovered by Raku who was shocked by most of them. It was at this very moment where Raku finally started viewing Marika more as a woman than anything else. He couldn't take it back, after all, she truly was beautiful in his eyes. Of course, it was too embarrassing to repeat the word, so he simply nodded.
"W-Well, I reckon I'm overdue on sleep. G'night, Rakkun." Marika quickly said as she darted towards her room at super speed.
Once Raku was left alone in the living room, he remembered "I almost forgot, but Marika can get really embarrassed as well."
In another household completely, a certain teenage boy was still up from his thoughts.
"Was it really okay to push Raku like that?" Shuu thought to himself and then flashbacked to a recent memory.
-Flashback to one week ago-
"I believe these are all of the books that were requested. I'm sure to get praised from Yui- I mean Ms. Kanakura! Maybe I'll even get bonus points on the next test!" Shuu voiced his inner thoughts as he carried documents Yui requested for. It was after hours so Shuu wasn't worried about anyone hearing his motives.
Once Shuu got to the door of his homeroom class, Shuu was about to open it but heard Yui discussing something with another person.
"What can you tell me about Marika's condition? I need to know in case she has an episode during class so I can respond appropriately." Shuu heard Yui say from the other side of the door.
There was another voice that belonged to a man and he replied "Well, Ms. Kanakura, I'm going to be blunt with you. Marika won't be part of this class for much longer. You see-"
After the father of Marika's long speech, Shuu felt numbness in his arms as the documents fell and littered the floor.
-End of flashback-
"No… Raku has to make a decision before Marika is taken away." Shuu muttered to himself.
Author's notes- I think this is the first time things didn't go as plans in terms of following my outline. You see, the date was SUPPOSED to be included in this chapter, but once I hit 5000 words I realized that there was a point where I should've stopped and I have clearly passed it. Sorry, but I hope you're looking forward to the date... in the next chapter. In all honesty, I'm not too happy with this chapter. I mean, I like it, but it's something that could've been better. To make up for this, I'll try getting out the next chapter as quickly as I can and not take a year to update. Also, chapter 4... things are going down in chapter 4. I can tell it's going to be incredibly difficult to write, but it SHOULD be awesome (unless it gets pushed back like the date, in which case never trust anything I say ever again).
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I'm celebrating today by posting this chapter, doing homework, studying... going to work... Okay, so I'm single haha. I mean, "Single? No! I'm in a relationship with freedom!"
Anyways, I will see YOU... in the next chapter. BYE BYEE!