Chapter 7: Ren's Resolve, Yui's Interrogation
(Joseph): You want to kill them yourself, son?
(Ren): Yeah.
(Jack): But son, do you have the power to carry that out. I mean, sure you could or take Rito Yuuki himself, but those Devilukeans are strong. Taking out Lala will be no easy feat for one Memorzian, and that's not even factoring in the inevitable interference from her sisters and those Devilukean body guards that I know she has.
(Ren): Yeah, I took all of that into consideration. That is why I want to undergo our people's special training.
(Jack): *Gasp* You mean…THAT training?
(Ren): Yes I do. I need to get stronger quickly if I'm going to take down Yuuki and Lala and anyone else.
(Lisa): But Ren dear… didn't you love Lala.
(Ren): That was before she hurt my sister and then came to OUR house and dared to hurt and threaten our family!
(Jack): I couldn't agree more son. Alright…I'll let you do the training. I'm sure you already know that this training puts one's life on the line. However, I can see the determination in your eyes. Even so, we will still send soldiers to do reconnaissance and information gathering from time to time. We will leave the execution of Rito Yuuki and Lala to you however.
(Ren): Thank you father.
With this, the call between Ren and his parents cut off. Ren began making preparations for his departure back to Planet Memorze for his training. Of course, he did not tell Run his true reason for leaving Earth and going back to Memorze. He just told her that recent events made him homesick and that he wanted to return home for a while. Run, who was still emotionally in shambles, understood and assented to Ren's departure. By the next morning, Ren was gone. He had invited Run to come with him, but Run decided to stay on Earth. She still cared about her career as an idol, and she honestly didn't want to return to her subjects on her home planet in such a depressed state.
Meanwhile, back at the Yuuki household, days were for the most part passing relatively peacefully. Haruna continued to stay at the Yuuki residence for the sake of safety (just in case the Memorzians tried to target her as well). Akiho was informed about this via a phone call from Haruna.
Kyouko however, was in a bit of a bind. Run stopped showing up for rehearsals for Magical Kyouko, and people kept bugging Kyouko about her relationship with Rito. Rumors started spreading that Run and Kyouko's friendship had dissolved because of the two fighting over Rito. Kyouko really wanted to patch things up with Run, but she didn't know how.
Meanwhile, back with Rito and company, the days of their suspension ultimately passed without further incident, and the suspended crew (and Momo) were able to return to school on that Monday morning. Upon returning however, the group (especially Rito) was met almost immediately with a variety of receptions.
(Student 1): Well, if it isn't heart breaker Yuuki!
(Student 2): So it wasn't enough to have Lala, Haruna and Run fighting over you, but now you've even got Magical Kyouko herself wrapped up in all of this?!
(Student 3): Seriously…making out half naked in the street?! How far does your perversion go?!
Rito kept receiving jeers like this about as soon as he arrived. Of course, there were some guys who gave Rito props for gaining the affections of so many high profile girls, and there were also those guys who envied Rito. Rito did his best to ignore all of this, but of course it took its toll on Rito's mood. Rito wasn't the only one getting undesired attention however. Lala and Haruna were getting some comments too.
(Student 1): Goodness Lala…Did you have to beat the brakes off of Run that badly?!
(Student 2): Oh my gosh Haruna…I can't believe you got in a fight. Girl, you need to get your rematch!
(Haruna): I don't want a rematch!
Rito, Lala and Haruna continued to have to endure such comments. Fortunately, their friends didn't really give them any grief, and being in class offered them some respite. It was after the lunch bell, when their usual friend group approached them. Risa ran up and hugged Lala and Haruna.
(Risa): Haruna, Lala-chi, are you two okay? Especially you Haruna. I can't believe what happened between you two and Run! We've all been so worried about you guys.
(Mio): Yeah, especially since those videos of Haruna went viral.
(Haruna): Yeah, we're fine, and Lala deleted those videos from the internet, so that problem has been taken care of. Also, my parents are suing the news station.
(Risa): Seriously?! Wow!
Just then, Yami, Mea and Nemesis approached the group.
(Yami): Rito, I heard that you were being targeted by Memorzian assassins. Is that true?
(Rito): Yeah. We talked to Run about it, and at one point she said that she was going to talk to her parents about calling off the assassins, at least for me anyway, but the overall conversation went horribly, especially when Ren came in. I wouldn't expect any help from Run.
(Yami): I see. Well in that case, I have a proposition for you. Let the three of us (me, Mea, and Nemesis) stay with you at your house. That way, if something happens we can protect you.
(Rito): Hmmm… I suppose that could be helpful. However, with Haruna already staying with us, I'm not sure if we have enough space to…
(Lala): Don't worry about that Rito. I can just make more space in the house for them using spatial distortion.
(Rito): I see. Well in that case I suppose it could work. Mikan would also love to have you around Yami.
(Yami): Yes, I too would like to be around Mikan.
(Mea): Cool, but my party is still going to be at my place.
(Rito): Alright.
(Nemesis): *Whispering to Momo* So Haruna is still staying with you all? Has anything interesting happened between Rito and Haruna?
(Momo): *Whispering* Surprisingly not yet.
(Nemesis): Well, we'll have to fix that.
The bell then rang for everyone to get back to class. Aside from the pestering from other students about the fight, the school day proceeded smoothly. It was notable however, that Run did not come to school. Of course, neither did Ren. Nevertheless, as school ended for the day, Rito picked up Celine from Mikado's office and then called Mikan and informed her about Yami, Mea and Nemesis coming to stay with them for the time being. Mikan was happy about this (particularly about Yami staying over), and she was glad to have someone else to help her and Haruna and Momo cook.
Just as Rito, the Deviluke sisters, Celine, Haruna, and the transform weapon sisters were all about to head home to the Yuuki household, Yui approached the group, with Risa and Mio behind her.
(Yui): Wait…Yuuki-kun!
(Rito): Kotegawa, what's up?
(Yui): I honestly have a whole slew of questions to ask you, but to get to the gist of it, are you…actually making a harem after all?
The mouths of several members of the group dropped wide open.
(Rito): What makes you ask that?!
(Yui): Well, to begin with, there was already that whole rumor about you being engaged to Lala. Then Nemesis comes and reveals this whole harem plan business. Then you've got girls getting into fist fights over you. Then there are reports about you making out with Magical Kyouko of all people in the middle of the street. Even now, you seem to be going home with several girls, a few of whom are not known to live with you. Nana even dropped a hint the other day that you and her kissed. What is going on with you?!
(Nana): *Blushes* :O Ko.. Kotegawa!
(Lala/Haruna): YOU KISSED NANA?!
(Momo's thoughts): I remember that. Cheeky little…*Stares at Nana enviously*
(Yami): *Stares at Rito with a slight blush*
(Mea): Oh wow! *Gives Nana a smug look*
(Nemesis): Oh…ufufufu
(Rito): Okay um… let me explain. The kiss with Kyouko was actually just one of my usual pervy accidents. The Lala engagement thing is still pending. The reason why Haruna, Yami, Mea and Nemesis are coming home with us is for safety reasons. Long story short, Lala and I are being targeted by assassins from Planet Memorze. That's Run's planet. Haruna is staying with us because she was involved in the fight with Run, so there's a chance that she might be targeted as well. Yami, Mea and Nemesis are coming to stay with us to help protect everyone.
(Yui): Hmm…Wait…There are assassins after you?!
(Rito): Yeah.
(Yui): I see. Well, that all makes sense except… What about the kiss with Nana? How do you explain that?
(Rito): Well um…
(Nana): I kissed him!
Everyone stares at Nana in shock. Lala once again feels that uncomfortable feeling that she can't quite explain. Even Haruna looks at Nana and feels some type of way.
(Nana): He and I had been talking, and I just kind of got lost in the moment.
(Yui): I see…well, putting that aside, this is exactly what I'm talking about when I asked you these questions. You say that you have a pending engagement with Lala, and yet Lala's own sister is kissing you. Then you've got girls fighting over you and several girls living with you who aren't related to you. Who knows what you're doing with other girls? Rito, just what is your love life?! Have you kissed or been kissed by any other girls?
(Lala): He kissed Haruna twice, once on accident and once on purpose. On the second occasion, they kissed for a long time too.
(Rito): :O
(Haruna): :O
(Rito/Haruna): LALA!
(Momo/Nemesis/Mea/Yami/Yui/Risa/Mio): *Shocked expressions*
(Momo's thoughts): Note to self, I need to get the details about that later.
(Yui): You…made out with Haruna?! Does this mean that you and her are in a relationship? Come to think of it, you two have seemed much closer for a while now.
(Rito): Well, it's complicated.
(Yui): *shouting with slight tears in her eyes* It's complicated?! Is that all you have to say?! You're over here engaged to one girl, kissing several others, and having perverted accidents with many, and all you have to say is that it's complicated?! Rito, are you some kind of playboy?!
Rito, Yui and the rest of the group did not even register that Yui's shouting had attracted gasps and murmurs from onlookers. Moreover, Momo donned a dark look in her eyes. She did not like the thought of Rito being slandered like this. Furthermore, this was exactly the kind of thing that Momo had feared. Momo had feared that this whole conflict with Run would lead to other girls starting to see Rito in a negative light.
(Momo): Now wait just a minute, Kotegawa! Rito is no playboy! Up to now, most of these events with other girls have either been accidents or they have been things that happened to Rito unexpectedly without Rito actively pursuing it or having any say in the matter! For starters, big sister literally just appeared in Rito's bath tub one night, and the next thing you know, she had declared Rito as her fiancee. Rito didn't ask for that, and he couldn't just decline it for fear of what our father would do! Furthermore, Nana was the one who kissed Rito unexpectedly! The Kyouko incident was an accident. Honestly, the only girl Rito has ever actually purposely kissed was Haruna from the sounds of it. I wasn't there to see the kiss with Haruna, which is why I say "from the sounds of it". However, the fact remains that Rito up to now has remained steadfast and monogamous in his romantic pursuits, despite my deepest wish for him to open his mind to the harem plan *Momo has tears in her eyes as she says this*! So no Kotegawa…Rito is no playboy! It is not a wrongdoing on his part that many girls love him, and let's be real…I know that you are one of those girls, whether you are bold enough to admit it to yourself or not!
Yui went silent, as did the crowd of students that had gathered to see what the commotion was about. Not knowing what to say next, Rito's group just turned around and walked home. They walked home in silence, as everyone had a lot of their minds due to that conversation with Yui.
(Lala's thoughts): He's kissed Haruna. He's kissed Nana. He's kissed Kyouko (even if it was an accident), and yet when it comes to me…
(Haruna's thoughts): Hmm…I'm the only one who Rito has made an active effort to pursue huh? Tee hee…I kind of like that. Still, why did Lala just throw us under the bus like that during that conversation with Yui? That…didn't seem like the Lala I know.
(Momo's thoughts): He made out with Haruna? I should be happy about that, but why does this development actually frighten me? Rito said that it was complicated when Yui asked if Rito and Haruna were in a relationship, so I guess they're still not officially an item yet. However, if those two get together in a monogamous relationship…
(Nana's thoughts): I can't believe that everyone knows that I kissed Rito.
(Rito's thoughts): What am I going to do? I appreciate Momo for sticking up for me back there. However, I can't say that Kotegawa was entirely wrong. While I don't think of myself as a playboy, certain aspects of my life are certainly playboy-esque.
The group continued in silence like this all the way home. The next few days would pass without too much incident. Run continued to not show up at school or work, and students kept murmuring about Rito and the others, but nothing too significant happened. Finally, the weekend arrived. Finally, it was the day of Mea's birthday party.
To be continued…