Chizuru watched as Kazuya's face morphed from a smile to horror . Barely managing to get the words out he sputtered,
" W...What are you ... d.. doing here ... "
Chizuru whipped her head around, the horror now reflected in her face as well as she took into her sight the two people in Kazuya's apartment , as Kazuya managed to finish.
" Grandma? And R... Ruka-chan as well? "
For the next few seconds, both Chizuru and Kazuya could do nothing but stare back at a confused Grandma Nagomi and a furious Ruka .
Chizuru snapped out of it first, her acting instincts kicking in . She immediately pulled her shoes off , and walked past the threshold of his apartment, like it was second nature. A beaming smile was now displayed on her face as she walked towards the older woman saying,
" Grandma, it's so good to see you " .
Grandma Nagomi , as was her custom, immediately got teary-eyed, got up from where she was seated at the table , and ran to Chizuru, pulling her into a hug and exclaiming ,
" Oh , my princess ! How long has it been since I laid eyes on your beautiful figure? Your skin is so much more smooth and soft . Your hair is so silky . And your outfit is fabulous. You look stunning. An absolute dream . "
" Oh , geez , Grandma, you're making me blush " , Chizuru replied with a bit of color in her cheeks, on cue .
Chizuru glanced at Ruka who was still visibly furious and staring at Kazuya. She could see Kazuya in her periphery , gesturing to Ruka discretely . Fortunately Ruka was keeping her mouth shut .
Grandma released Chizuru from her hug and sat back down at the four-sided table. Chizuru immediately turned towards Ruka ,
" Oh Ruka-chan, early as always. We had planned for 7 pm didn't we ? " , she asked her .
" Mmhm" , Ruka nodded, staring daggers at Chizuru .
" Well, it's no problem anyway " , Chizuru decided out loud and refocused on the older woman .
" Would you like some tea , Grandma ? "
" Tea made by my princess ? Of course " , Grandma heartily told her.
" Ruka-chan? " , Chizuru enquired.
" Sure " , she muttered.
Chizuru finally looked towards Kazuya.
" You sit down too. I'll take care of it " .
Kazuya glanced back and forth between all parties , hesitating before dropping the grocery bags and sitting down at one side of the table , between Ruka and Grandma.
Chizuru walked towards the kitchen and stopped for a second trying to remember , or guess , where Kazuya kept the tea .
" He's not the type to move things around " , she thought and then opened a drawer and found the tea . Soon enough she had found the kettle as well and put the water to boil , but even after a few attempts she couldn't locate the sugar .
She glanced at the table and saw all three looking intently at her . Grandma with a slight frown , Ruka with a hint of triumph and Kazuya trying his best to tell her without them noticing.
Chizuru cleared her throat and asked out aloud,
" Kazuya-san , did you move the sugar again? "
He blinked for a second, before catching on and hurriedly replying ,
" Oh , yeah . Sorry. I did . It's in the bottom drawer " .
She smiled triumphantly and retrieved the sugar and soon made the tea . As she did , she could see the frustration on Ruka's face growing.
The two made eye contact for a second, both unflinching . Then Ruka suddenly smiled and shifted slightly closer to Kazuya. Chizuru understood what she was signaling . Kazuya had sat on one side and Grandma and Ruka had sat adjacent to him . Meaning that the only seat left was the one opposite him , in other words , the one furthest from him .
Chizuru felt a wave of frustration as she thought to herself ,
" I've let her get away with a lot . I've kept my silence as she flirted with him and lorded her closeness with him over me . But I'm not letting her have her way anymore " .
Chizuru picked up the tray of piping hot tea and walked slowly to the table. She then carefully placed one in front of Ruka , Grandma and Kazuya.
Then she placed the remaining cup , right next to Kazuya and promptly sat down beside him , on the same side of the table that he was already sitting.
Kazuya nearly yelped as he felt her skin brush against his, the side of her chest and her legs in close proximity with his . Thankfully he managed to hold it in .
Ruka's eyeballs nearly popped out of their socket. If looks could kill , Chizuru would have been six feet under .
Grandma smiled , absolutely delighted at the closeness between Kazuya and Chizuru.
Chizuru smiled quite normally ,giving off the impression that she had done nothing out of the ordinary for her, despite her heart beating like a drum, as she felt his touch on her body .
She reached for her glass of tea and sipped a bit .
The others also drank some of their tea , Both Kazuya and Grandma immediately praising Chizuru.
" Had you been waiting long ? " , Chizuru asked Grandma.
"Oh , not at all , dear " , Grandma assured her.
" I had just let myself in with the spare key , when Ruka-san turned up as well . We had just sat down when you two came back " .
She looked straight at her grandson and continued,
"I was sure that you had left my princess alone and gone off with those deadbeat friends of yours. So I'm actually quite pleased with you for going shopping with Chizuru. And for having the sense to carry the bags " .
Before Kazuya could say anything , Chizuru immediately stepped in.
" It's not like that at all , Grandma " , she assured her politely.
" Kazuya-san's always helping me and spending time with me . In fact I'm the one who ends up pushing him to go out with his friends, at least , once in a while . And even then , he argues with me , because he always wants to take care of me " .
A few tears began to pool in Grandma's eyes again , but before she went any further , Kazuya , embarrassed slightly by Chizuru's words , asked ,
" So Grandma why did you visit us ? " .
Grandma cleared her throat and announced,
" I want the two of you to come on the family trip this year ".
Absolutely shocked , all Kazuya could say was
" Huh ? " .
Grandma went on to describe the details of the trip. When, where and so forth . She even invited Ruka and was describing the minutiae of the itinerary when Kazuya finally manged to interrupt her ,
"Wait hold on for a second, Grandma. We can't come on a trip this month " .
" Why not " , she sternly questioned .
" Umm ... " , Kazuya tried to come up with a reply fast but it was Chizuru who managed to answer,
" I'm sorry Grandma but it's because of me . The truth is I took a lot of time off my job this year and my manager threatened to fire me . After pleading for hours , she finally decided not to, on the condition that I work off my shifts and that I'm available throughout the rest of the year . There's no way I'll get time off " .
Chizuru turned to Kazuya , regretting what she was going to say next , but nevertheless steeled herself and continued,
" But you should go . It's a family trip right? You shouldn't miss it for my sake " .
Before anyone else could get a word in , Ruka jumped into the conversation,
" Yeah, that's right , Kazuya... san. You should go on the trip. And I'll come with you and keep you company. "
Kazuya however, without blinking turned to Grandma and told her firmly,
" No , I can't come too , Grandma. If C..Chizuru's staying here, its my responsibility to stay with her " .
Chizuru felt that warmth flower through her again, this time because of the dual effect of him looking out for her and the usage of her name .
" He doesn't have to do this " , she thought to herself.
" He could just go and enjoy himself on the trip . He doesn't have to stick around here " .
Of course, she was over the moon that he wouldn't be away for a week .
Grandma had been staring unflinchingly at Kazuya since he had spoken . Kazuya returned her determination and finally she spoke , turning to Chizuru,
" Chizuru, can I talk to you? Privately ? "
Kazuya and Chizuru glanced at each other for a second, before Chizure turned towards Grandma and replied,
" Of course , Grandma " .
Ruka immediately stood up and announced,
" Kazuya-san , we shouldn't disturb them . Let's go out " .
She quickly walked out of the apartment, glancing back , daring him not to follow her .
Kazuya stood up, took a few steps and lingered there, looking back at them . Grandma's back was towards him , but Chizuru met his eyes.
She nodded and smiled , just a bit, sending the message.
"It's okay " .
Kazuya sighed and headed outside.
The second he stepped out and closed the door behind him , Kazuya turned straight back towards the door, wishing desperately that he could hear what was going on inside . His face creased into a frown , worrying about what Grandma wanted to talk to her about ,
" What could Grandma possibly want to talk to Mizuhara about ? " , he wondered for a second before he thought about a terrible reason.
" Mami-chan? " , he gasped internally .
" Don't tell me, she let the cat out of the bag ? And Grandma knows . "
Kazuya stood in place twitching, before deciding ,
" I can't let Mizuhara take the blame for this " .
He reached out for the door handle , fully intending to go back inside when he suddenly heard a sound from behind him .
" What do you think you're doing?" .
" Oh ,crap " , Kazuya swore in his mind. He turned around slowly and faced the smoldering, furious high school girl staring at him .
"Umm , Ruka-chan.. I .. Uh " .
" How was your date today ? Was it nice ? " , she interrupted.
" Huh ? What dat... "
"Stop lying to me " , Ruka exploded .
" Is this what the two of you do all the time? Go out on dates behind my back ? I checked Chizuru-san's schedule on the app . She had no bookings . So what ? You two just decided to hang out together? "
" No , no . It wasn't like that. It was a coincidence. We just happened to run into each other " .
" You seriously think I'll believe that lie ? After the hundred different times you've said it to me ? "
" I'm telling the truth, Ruka-chan. She was out with her friends and I was at home. We bumped into each other at the convenience store. "
Kazuya glanced at his clothes for a second and then continued ,
" See how I'm dressed ? I just got out of bed and walked to the store . Mizuhara is dressed up . Why would we go on a date dressed so differently? "
Ruka glanced up and down at him , calming down just a bit , seemingly accepting his sound explanation.
Then she asked again ,
" Oh and after your happy coincidence, you decided to walk back together " .
" We were headed back here anyway . I offered to carry her bags . That's all . Nothing happened. If you and Grandma hadn't come then , we would have said goodbye at the door. It was only because Grandma was there that.."
Ruka exploded again ,
"What ? Because Grandma was there , she decided to act like your wife ? Knowing where you keep your things, making tea , sitting beside you , being all lovey-dovey with you ? "
" That ... She ... had to make it believable , so that Grandma wouldn't get suspicious. You were staring at us and you were obviously angry, so Mizuhara had to .. "
Ruka laughed sarcastically and spoke,
" Oh , of course . So perfect Chizuru-san had to clean up my mess " .
" No , Ruka-chan, I didn't mean it like that . I .. "
" And you ! How come all of a sudden when your Grandma came , you called Chizuru-san by her name without honorifics? And now you're back to Mizuhara in front of me ? "
" That was for Grandma... "
"Then why am I Ruka-chan? Why don't you call me Ruka ? "
" I can't just .. " .
" Why not? " , Ruka asked , the fury and volume of her voice growing .
" I'm supposed to be your girlfriend right ? You should call your girlfriend by her name right ? Or is that privilege only for your precious "Chizuru" ? That's what you call her when I'm not around right? That's what you call her when you two mess around right ? I'm just a distraction, a figure head right ? You two probably laugh at me while you're screwing ...
"Stop it " , Kazuya interrupted, getting a but angry himself
"I would never treat you like that . I wouldn't, I swear. And Mizuhara isn't my girlfriend " .
Ruka was silent for a few seconds and then asked quietly ,
" But you want her to be your girlfriend right? "
" I .. no . I don't.. " , Kazuya tried to deny it but Ruka's cold stare forced him to admit ,
" Yes , I do " .
Kazuya looked away from Ruka but he could feel her anger seething. He swallowed hard and continued,
" I do want Mizuhara to be my real girlfriend, but she's not . I promise that everything that happened today was a coincidence. We didn't plan any of it .And everything Mizuhara did was only for Grandma's sake. And if things ever do work out between Mizuhara and me , you'll be the first person I tell " .
Kazuya and Ruka stood in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up again, this time much softer , her voice breaking as she spoke ,
" B.. But ... I'm already y..your real g...girlfriend. Why do you want another? Why am I not... "
Kazuya stung by the sorrow in her voice , tried to find the words to apologize or make her feel better . He could only watch a few tears appear at the corner of her eyes and hear the sound of her sniffling.
Chizuru sat at the table directly across from Grandma Nagomi, all smiles on the outside, but much more worried on the inside .
She poured Grandma another cup of tea which she accepted and drank a bit of before placing it down . Then she met Chizuru's eyes and began ,
" Chizuru, how are you feeling ? "
Chizuru was slightly confused by the question but answered with a bright smile that she was perfectly fine .
" Are you sure? " , Grandma asked.
" Of course , Grandma. I'm happy and completely fine . "
Grandma asked again ,
" You can tell me if something is wrong , Chizuru ".
The smile on her face was as bright as ever but Chizuru was slowly getting more worried.
" Where's she going with this ? " , she wondered.
Grandma seemed to hesitate for a second before speaking again ,
" Chizuru, I know it's been a difficult year for you. Because of ... Sayuri " .
" Well there's my answer " , Chizuru realized,sobering slightly as her smile dropped in intensity .
She fiddled with the empty teacup in front of her before slowly replying,
" Frankly speaking ? Yes , it's been a very difficult year . It's been tough, but I got through it and I'm fine now " .
Grandma sighed and spoke ,
" You know Chizuru ? Earlier this year, maybe it was in January, Sayuri called me one day . Asked me to come visit her at the hospital. She told me about your parents. Sayuri had already told me about your mother and your Grandfather but not the complete story . That day she explained everything about how she was your last living relative. I don't know why she chose to do it back then . But Sayuri was an incredibly smart woman . Maybe she was aware that her time was running out. She asked me to ... she entrusted you to me . She asked me to be there for you when you need it. "
Chizuru was taken back upon hearing this revelation, but she steadied herself and answered,
" And you have Grandma. You've always been there for me . Even before my Grandma passed away, you were always a mountain of support to me "
Grandma smiled a bit and continued ,
" If I'm being perfectly honest, I'm organizing this trip for you . I want you both to come with me . I feel that you need to get away from it all and have a nice relaxing holiday. I know Kazuya's trying his best, but it may not be enough, to take care of you " .
Chizuru felt incredibly touched on hearing Grandma's words . She thought to herself ,
" Grandma Nagomi is so kind and caring, just like him . I can't believe she's ready to spend so much money just for my sake, to cheer me up . Organizing an entire trip is too much . But she's wrong about one thing " .
Chizuru smiled with genuine warmth and replied,
" I'm really really so grateful to have you in my life Grandma. I'm so grateful for your thoughtfulness and for looking out for me. But I'm all right . I don't need a trip or anything like that to cheer me up . That's the one mistake you made ".
" What mistake ? " , Grandma asked confused.
Chizuru's smile reached a new brightness as she answered,
" Kazuya-san's best is more than enough for me " .
" What ? "
" Honestly I was sad for quite a while after the funeral. Then he cheered me up . He reminded me of everything I had left on this earth. He reminded me that I still had him . And that's all I need to be happy . What I told you earlier was true . He's always spending time with me , always taking care of me , always making me laugh , always making sure I'm happy. He's always doing everything for me . And he's always been everything for me " .
Chizuru stopped for a second as her smile became almost heavenly , before finishing,
" So you don't need to worry about me at all . Because I have Kazuya-san. And he's all I need " .
Grandma was clearly stunned when she heard that, the surprise evident on her face , but finally she also smiled and replied,
"Well if Kazuya's got it handled , then I shouldn't worry. But .. if things get too difficult and you need help or someone to talk to, call me ,okay ? "
" Of course , Grandma " .
After Grandma finished a couple more cups of tea and after they chatted for a bit more , both women stood up and Chizuru walked Grandma to the door . She opened it and found Kazuya and Ruka standing a little distance away from each other.
" Ruka-chan seems as upset as I expected " , she thought to herself before turning to Kazuya who met her eyes . She raised her left eyebrow slightly and he returned with an imperceptible nod , both signaling that they were fine .
Grandma's taxi was already waiting for her at the parking lot and so the three youngsters walked her down .
Chizuru couldn't help worrying about Ruka's fury that would surely rear its head the second Grandma had left .
And then a much needed, much appreciated stroke of luck .
Ruka's mother called her and demanded her immediate return to their home. Crestfallen, Ruka attempted to argue , but it was futile.
Grandma offered to drop Ruka on her way back, an idea to which she agreed and which caused Kazuya and and Chizuru to exchange a nervous glance .
She stared daggers straight at Chizuru, who met her stare unflinchingly, right until she climbed into the taxi .
Grandma glanced at her grandson for a second before telling him ,
" Keep taking good care of my princess, understood? And don't think I'll take no for an answer next time I plan something. "
Kazuya was confused but nodded in the affirmative.
Kazuya and Chizuru waved cheerfully until the taxi peeled out of the parking lot .
Then Kazuya sat straight down on the street , seemingly worn out.
Chizuru brushed her hair back and crouched down next to him ,
" Geez , don't just sit down here " , she told him.
He glanced at her worried and asked ,
" What did Grandma talk you about ? Does she know? Did Mami-chan tell her? "
She smiled and replied,
" Not at all . She just wanted to know how I'm feeling and if I'm alright after my Grandma's passing away " .
" Oh ! That's it ? " , Kazuya asked , decidedly less worried .
" Yeah " , Chizuru replied and continued,
" So I guess we were right about Mami-san. She hasn't said anything to Grandma " .
" That's good to hear " , Kazuya told her relieved.
Chizuru then asked him ,
"What about Ruka-chan? "
He sighed and replied,
" Well , this is the maddest she's ever been. I explained everything to her though. I swore up and down that we hadn't been out together or anything like that. She calmed down a bit but she's still pretty upset " .
Chizuru was silent for a bit and then asked,
" Do you think she'll say anything to Grandma? "
Kazuya exhaled and replied,
" I don't know for sure, but I don't think, or maybe I'm just hoping, that she won't. I'll call her a little while later and apologize again and then I'll ask her " .
Kazuya picked himself up and dusted the back of his clothes . The he turned back to Chizuru and remarked,
" Either way , we definitely dodged a bullet with that whole trip thing " .
" That we did " , she agreed heartily as they both began walking back , and then she added ,
" Despite it making Ruka-chan mad , this was good for us . Grandma seeing us together on an unplanned day would definitely put any doubts she had to bed " .
" Yeah , that's true " , Kazuya agreed .
" Silver lining , I guess " .
They reached the door of his apartment and instead of the usual "see you later" , Chizuru casually strod into his apartment.
" Wait , Mizuhara what are you.. " , he sputtered
She laughed and replied,
"We have to split up the groceries remember ? "
" Oh yeah " .
Her smile became a little mischievous as she told him ,
" Maybe I should take a look at your fridge and see if there's any junk food or soda , I should throw out " .
She had barely said the words when she darted straight for his kitchen. Kazuya blinked for a few seconds before running behind her .
Ruka sat in the car watching buildings and trees and people pass by her line of sight as the taxi sped past them. She was furious. She felt miserable . She felt betrayed. She felt like she was standing under a waterfall, receiving a cascade of emotions that she was barely able to withstand.
Grandma Nagomi was talking about this and that, her experiences and stories in the particular area they were driving past. Ruka was barely listening till Grandma addressed her,
" So , I suppose you're not coming on the trip either ? "
Ruka though about the implications and realized that that would leave Kazuya and Chizuru free for an entire week to do as they please.
She smiled and replied,
" I'm sorry Grandma but since I don't know anyone else there... "
" Oh, it's fine , dear " , Grandma assured her and then continued,
" Actually I really wanted Chizuru to come on the trip . I've been so worried about her since her grandmother passed away. I guess I wanted to fill the void . But she says that Kazuya's been taking care of her " .
Ruka felt a wave of sympathy towards Chizuru once she was reminded about her grandmother's death.
Grandma Nagomi resumed,
" I can't help feeling worried though. Like I need to do something " .
Ruka was quite for sometime, thinking to herself.
" I have to do something " , she decided.
" Otherwise , next time Grandma may pull them into the trip and I won't be invited. And I can't let them go on a trip together . Not when the atmosphere around those two is like this . Not when Chizuru-san is acting like this " .
She cleared her throat and replied,
" Grandma, you don't have to worry about Chizuru-san so much . Kazuya...san already cheered her up " .
Grandma raised an eyebrow and asked,
" You know about that too ? Chizuru said the same thing. That Kazuya helped her. But I can't help wondering if that's true or not. "
Ruka debated her next move , within herself. She knew that if she told Grandma about what had happened, it would strengthen Kazuya's and Chizuru's relationship in Grandma's eyes , but on the other hand , it would keep Grandma away from the trip idea .
She steeled herself and told Grandma
" Actually what happened was , Kazuya-san took a lot of extra shifts at his job , saved up a lot of money and took Chizuru-san on a really special day out. I don't know the specifics of what happened but I know that Chizuru-san's been much happier since then".
Grandma blinked in shock for a couple of minutes before asking,
" Kazuya did that ? "
Ruka nodded.
Grandma was silent for a bit longer and then she smiled and remarked
" I guess my Grandson's not that useless after all . At the least, he certainly knows how to keep Chizuru happy and I guess I can't ask more of him . That's the priority after all " .
Ruka bit down her frustration and held back her tears until she reached home. She went straight into her room and pulled out her phone to find a call from Kazuya.
" He must be worrying if I said anything to Grandma " , she realized.
" Of course I can't. That woman is head over heels for Chizuru-san. I doubt she'll care if Chizuru-san's a rental or that they lied to her as long as they end up together. And after what I saw today ... "
The images of Chizuru and Kazuya flashed through her head . The sheer happiness and joy on their faces as they pushed open the door before seeing the people inside. Chizuru bustling away like the perfect wife , sitting next to him, as always much closer to him than she ever was .
That unseen world she was further than ever from .
" The only leverage I have is the threat of telling Grandma " , Ruka reminded herself.
" As long as I have that, he won't jump into a relationship with her " .
She ignored the call and threw herself on her bed as the tears began flowing
"The least he deserves is to sweat over it for some time " , she decided
" I'll text him in the morning and tell him that I didn't say anything" .
Her sobs overtook her as she became painfully aware that her chances were slipping away .
Inside the car , Grandma pulled out her phone placed a call and began talking,
" Kazuya and Chizuru aren't coming in the end. I tried to talk them into it but they were firm . So I suppose you wouldn't want to spend a trip if it's just us old folk ? "
Across town in an expensively decorated bedroom , a frown broke out on Mami's face as she replied,
" I wouldn't put it like that, Nagomi-san . But yeah ... "
They talked for a bit more and then cut the call .
Mami stared at the blank screen of her phone, the frown spreading.
" Things are not going according to plan at all " , she thought to herself.
" Kibe-chan doesn't seem to have told Kazu-kun. And now those two have resisted the idea of the trip. My plan is stalling and I can't let that happen".
She stretched out her fingers watching her carefully manicured nails.
" If they had agreed to the trip, I would have had them dancing on my palm . I could have controlled their every action with a snap of my fingers " .
She smiled now to herself as she thought about what she had planned for them and then spoke out aloud,
" But not to worry . I'm still in control .
"Time to improvise . And take it up a notch".
As was custom for him , Kazuya yawned loudly as he made his way through his University, slowly dragging his feet . He always felt tired going to Uni in the morning, but today it was worse .
Last Night, after pleading with Mizuhara she had finally left his snacks alone but made him promise to cut down on them. She had returned to her apartment after that .
He had then decided to message Ruka trying to find out if she let anything slip to Grandma and also to apologize to her .
She had seen his message but ignored it and so Kazuya called her a couple of times , only to get no response .
He had ended up staying awake for most of the night panicked and worried. Usually in these situations, he would chug a can or two of Monster but his promise to Mizuhara prevented him from doing that.
And so he had stayed awake until he fell asleep on the sofa . And now he had dragged himself to Uni after a few measly hours of sleep .
Thankfully Ruka-chan had messaged him in the morning , telling him haughtily that she hadn't said anything. And reminded him that she could have and that he should be grateful to her .
Kazuya had been relieved all the same and had texted Mizuhara immediately who had replied with a " Thank goodness " and a thumbs up .
He yawned again and stumbled his way across the Uni till he spotted his friends , all five of them including Ichinose and so headed there.
He walked up and greeted them . Kibe glanced at him and remarked,
" You look terrible man " .
" Yeah I agree " , Kawanaka put in
Making sure to make eye contact with the braided , bespectacled young woman on his right side , Kazuya grumbled, slightly cranky ,
" Well my uh ... girlfriend forced her healthy food agenda on me . She got rid of my snacks and I had to stay up to do a project . And now I'm wiped out " .
Chizuru chuckled just a bit and replied,
" Well I'm sure she's just looking out for your health " .
" That's right " , Kibe added .
" Just be glad to have such a caring girlfriend, you bastard " .
The group chatted for a little while longer before going their separate ways. Kazuya went to his lecture hall and promptly fell asleep , shortly after his attendance.
He ended up blissfully sleeping through the entire lecture. He wasn't woken up even by the sounds of the others leaving. Finally his deep sleep was broken by someone gently patting his head.
Kazuya blinked repeatedly, disoriented , as his eyes tried to adjust to the light . He registered the silence in their surroundings however and immediately began to thank the person who had woken him up .
" Come on , you don't have to be all formal and thank me for that " , the person replied.
The voice was very familiar to Kazuya. One he would normally be able to recognize anytime but this time he couldn't and so he waited till his eyes finally bestowed vision upon him once again.
Once it did , he recoiled in shock at the sight of those familiar blonde curls and that dazzling , angelic smile .
" M.. Mami-chan, what are you.. " , he began but was interrupted by her sliding across and taking a seat next to him .
" Why don't we catch up , Kazu-kun ? " , she asked , cheerfully
A/N :
Ruka feels more hopeless than ever while Mami's confidence is sky high. All while Chizuru moves closer to Kazuya
Things are certainly heating up.
Next time : Mami-chan takes matters into her own hands.