Comet Dragon, breaking into the gravity field

Do all you taxi drivers drive so wildly?

Just as he was about to complain, Ritsu Narose saw in the rearview mirror that the driver raised his eyebrows at him with an expression that said, "I'll help you this far."

I thank you!

Forcefully pulling up the corners of her mouth to smile, Naruse Ritsu finally gave up struggling as she looked at the girl who had no ladylike manners and was clinging to her shoulder like a scoundrel.

……

It’s so late and you haven’t come back yet?

Chihaya Aine, who had just finished taking a shower, stood by the window, staring blankly at the dark house opposite.

I didn't see him in the cafe today either, it's so rare.

Holding an ice cream in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, Chihaya Aine wanted to send a message to ask Lin Kusanjiu about her situation, but she was worried that she would be regarded as a troublesome girl.

No one in the world would like someone who keeps sending messages to disturb them, right?

Chihaya Aine was constantly grinding her canine teeth with ice cream, and just as she was daydreaming and entertaining herself, she saw a taxi parked outside Ritsu Narose's house.

"ん?"

Seeing the figure that seemed to be Ritsu Narose appear, Chihaya Aine even wanted to reach out and say hello.

Then, she saw a scene that stunned her.

Another figure appeared from behind Ritsu Narushe. Judging from her movements and attire, she seemed to be a girl!

The ice cream in her hand slipped away quietly and fell onto the grass outside the house. Chihaya Aion, already dumbfounded, watched as Naruse Ritsu and a girl walked into the house opposite.

Rubbing her eyes, Chihaya Aine finally confirmed that this was not an illusion when she saw the door closed and then the lights came on in the house.

No, this... that? How should I say it?

As if she had been hit by a bullet right between her eyebrows, Chihaya Aine staggered back a few steps, then sat down on the cushion that had made her look so embarrassing before.

Naruse-kun, you're not that kind of person, right?

And maybe it's a relative or something... That's weird! Why would he suddenly have a relative when he came here to study abroad alone? I've never heard him mention such a thing!

Maybe they're just friends... After all, he never said he only knew Chihaya Aine...

She picked up her phone and opened Line again, took a look at the chat history with him on the phone, and a nameless anger rose from the bottom of her heart, which was immediately extinguished with a bucket of water.

After all, I have no right to interfere in his affairs.

but……

What's the reason for this feeling of unwillingness?

Curled up on the floor, Chihaya Aine hugged the cushion, her fingers swiping aimlessly on the screen.

“Aine——”

My mother's call came from downstairs.

Not wanting to pay any attention, Chihaya Aine completely forgot that she had just taken a shower and continued to roll around on the floor in frustration.

After calling out for her daughter several times but she still didn't show up, Mrs. Chihaya, confused, went upstairs and opened the door, only to see this scene that made her laugh and cry.

"I see Naruse-kun is back. Aren't you going to give him the vegetable meatballs I made tonight? Aren't you going now?"

"I didn't do it on purpose. I just accidentally did a little more during practice." Chihaya Aine pouted and continued to lie on the floor, mumbling, "And it feels like it doesn't matter whether I send it or not..."

"Eh? That's too cowardly, isn't it? Mom wouldn't have been like that back then."

"What do you mean you wouldn't have been like this back then?!"

Seeing her mother talking to her with the tone of someone who had experienced it, Aine felt angry and annoyed, and at the same time, a little guilty.

"Okay! I'll be there right away!"

As if giving up on herself, Chihaya Aine put her phone in her pocket and rushed downstairs without looking back.

34. Let’s order first

The TV in the living room was playing a variety show, but neither of the two people in the house paid attention to the show that was full of complaints and jokes.

With the comedian's energetic performance serving as background music, Ritsu Narose and Motoyo Nagasaki stood in the kitchen preparing dinner.

Just as she put on her apron and was about to ask Nagasaki Suye about her likes and dislikes, Naruse Ritsu heard the doorbell ring from outside.

Who would come to see him at this time?

While washing and drying his hands, Ritsu Narose secretly wondered who rang the doorbell outside the house.

When he opened the door, standing before him was Chihaya Aine, wearing cool casual clothes and carrying a lunch box.

"That, that..."

Looking at the girl in front of him who was acting out of character and was hesitant and unable to speak a clear word, Ritsu Narose already understood her intention.

Taking the food box, Naruse Ritsu said, "Would you like to come in and sit down? I'm preparing dinner right now."

It would be rude to turn someone away after they came all the way here. Besides, Aiyin and Sushi knew each other, so inviting her in shouldn't be a big deal.

Thinking of this, he saw Aine's expression immediately change from cloudy to sunny, and he couldn't help but sigh that Aine was much easier to understand than Su Shi.

But Ritsu Narose obviously forgot one thing.

——The impact of seeing an acquaintance at this time is often greater than that of a stranger you have never met before.

Trying hard to divert her gaze from the pair of loafers at the door, when Chihaya Aine saw Nagasaki Soyo appear in the living room, she seemed to have become the subject of the famous painting "The Scream", and her facial expression control went into a state of chaos.

"good night."

When she heard Su Shi's gentle words coming from behind, Ming Se Ritsu knew that she had turned into that well-educated, gentle and amiable lady again.

Maybe for her, this is a necessary way of life.

With no intention of exposing Su Shi's thoughts, he quietly retreated to the kitchen and concentrated on making dinner.

By the way, I haven’t asked Su Shi what she likes yet.

Leaning half of his body out of the kitchen, Ritsu Narose was about to speak when he saw the two girls on the sofa turn their heads to look at him.

He was clearly smiling, so why did the pressure on him make him feel like he was taking a Nergigante's finishing move head-on...

Before he could say anything, Nagasaki Suyo stood up and walked towards him.

Ritsu Naruse saw it clearly. Chihaya Aine, who was sitting on the sofa, was surprised at first, then seemed to understand something and stared at him expressionlessly.

With nothing to say, Ritsu Narose could only withdraw his body in disappointment.

Since it was a semi-open kitchen, Nagasaki Suyo did not do anything out of the ordinary after entering the kitchen.

The girl simply smiled without any pretense, moved a little closer, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Aine is very enviable."

Before Naruse Ritsu could react, Nagasaki Suyo walked to the sideboard naturally and smiled: "I'm looking forward to the dinner that Naruse-kun made himself."

Nagasaki Motoyo couldn't hide the bright smile on her face. As for Chihaya Aine, who sat in the back and watched quietly, she still maintained a guilty smile.

Naruse Ritsu didn't show any extra expression, but simply explained in a low voice: "Aine and I are not in that kind of relationship."

"That's it..."

"That's it."

"She's pretty pitiful, too."

"why?"

"Didn't you say you would leave eventually?"

"I'm just a passer-by somewhere else. I have to go home."

After saying this with a sigh, Ritsu Narose quickly adjusted his mood and asked Nagasaki Suyo what she wanted to eat.

However, when he came back from taking vegetables out of the refrigerator under Chihaya Aine's gaze again, he saw a flash of expectation in Nagasaki Suyo's eyes when she looked at him.

But Nagasaki Suyo didn't say anything else. After seeing Naruse Ritsu return to the kitchen, she took the initiative to leave and resumed chatting with Chihaya Aine, who had been sitting obediently in the living room.

I really hope everything goes well...

Looking back at them, Ritsu Narose had no idea how many times he had sighed that day.

Now that things have come to this, let’s finish dinner first.

Nagasaki Suyo had a small appetite and preferred vegetables. Chihaya Aine had already finished her dinner, and a girl's stomach couldn't handle anything other than dessert.

In addition, it was already very late, so after making all the arrangements, Ritsu Narose simply used the vegetable meatballs sent by Chihaya Aine and made a pot of soup with kelp, shiitake mushrooms, eggs and other ingredients.

By the time Ritsu Narose came out of the kitchen carrying the dishes, the atmosphere in the room seemed to have become much more relaxed.

That's right. After all, they are the same kind of people to some extent. They should be able to handle the current situation properly... right?

Sitting in the chair, Ritsu Narose felt that he might be too optimistic.

Focusing your eyes on the dinner in front of you, a rich array of colors comes into view.

Dark green kelp, milky white shiitake mushrooms, yellow and white eggs, and meatballs lying peacefully in the soup... No matter how you look at it, this is a delicacy that will whet your appetite.

But none of the three people sitting at the table took the initiative to act.

Ritsu Narose felt his stomach twitching again and again, as if it had been twisted into a dough twist, constantly hitting the desk.

Such a weird atmosphere... Namo San, is this my retribution?

Sighing inwardly, Ritsu Narose took the initiative to pick up the spoon to break the deadlock.

Since I have chosen this path, I must stick to it no matter what.

Using a spoon to scoop up a meatball, Narushe Ritsu gently put it into his mouth and chewed it. However, just as he swallowed the food, he heard a soft laugh from the two girls.

"what happened?"

Seeing their smiles that seemed like they had succeeded in a prank, Ritsu Narose was a little confused.

"It was Suyo who suggested it. She said Naruse-kun would definitely be scared."

Shaking her calves, Chihaya Aine, who was sitting opposite Ritsu Naruse, revealed the mastermind behind the scenes without hesitation.

Turning his head to look at Nagasaki Suyo on his left, facing the narrowed eyes and meaningful smile, Naruse Ritsu chose to raise his hands in surrender.

This is probably proof that they have a pretty good relationship.

After dinner, Nagasaki Suyo took the initiative to take over the task of washing dishes.

Seeing Chihaya Aine who seemed to have something to say to him, Naruse Ritsu realized that this was Su Shi taking the initiative to create space for him. Recalling Su Shi's previous opinion of Chihaya Aine, he always felt that Su Shi's action had a deeper meaning.

"Is it pitiful..."

As he ascended the stairs, Ritsu Naruse discreetly studied the girl walking in front of him. He didn't think Nagasaki Suyo was lying to him, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find any connection.

Is my vision too narrow?

For the first time, a special sense of urgency arose in Ritsu Narose's heart.

35. Lavender tea

"Does Naruse-kun have anything to say?"

It was only when they arrived at the study on the second floor that Chihaya Aine uttered her first words.

It's obviously you who wants to say something to me, why do you have to ask me first... Not daring to complain in front of the girl, Ritsu Narose could only shake his head silently.

"First it was Deng-chan, then Suyo. Could it be that my friend Naruse-kun also knows them?"

It sounded like a question, but Naruse Ritsu felt that Chihaya Aine was just a little nervous.

It's normal to feel nervous when you see your friends building a new social circle that doesn't include you, even though you're not aware of it.

When the panic of being excluded comes over you, not everyone can face it calmly.

Thinking of this, Ritsu Narose tried to comfort the other person.

However, when he saw the tension in the girl's gray eyes still lingering, he realized his mistake.

"Narose-kun and Suyo kept it a secret from me. Do they think I'm some idiot who can be fooled easily?..."

"Because it's a very embarrassing thing for me." Ritsu Narose said this with a wry smile, embarrassment and self-blame revealed on his face.

"Aine should still remember the story of 'Ichinose', right?"