Chapter 125: Chapter 124 - Invited to Rika’s House

Kuro Kurogane was standing outside a suburban house on Saturday afternoon when he first laid eyes on Rika Sainoji.

However, this encounter seemed somewhat different from other such encounters with Rika.

She appeared to be quite stiff, as if she were about to take an exam or something rather than watching anime with him--the very reason we were standing here, after all.

"This is merely for anime," Rika again indicated.

Kuro glanced at her.

"You’ve pointed out this fact as stated three times already," Kuro said.

"This is significant to me."

"...Watching anime is important to you?" Kuro asked.

"Yes."

That seemed to have sealed it up for Rika, I guess.

The name of the anime we were going to watch together was "The Academy Professor is Lvl 999".

Kuro couldn’t understand the naming scheme, but he realized it was in his best interest not to question Rika’s interests too deeply--that wouldn’t go well for Kuro.

Before any further convos could take place, the front door of the Sainoji home suddenly opened.

A woman stepped outside.

Straight posture; sweet smile; eyes appeared to take in everything at once.

Rika’s mother.

Haruka Sainoji.

The moment Haruka’s eyes fell on Kuro, her expression changed.

No shock.

No confusion.

Just very interested.

"Oh my!" she said, sounding quite shocked.

Rika immediately became tense.

"Mom!"

Haruka tilted her head slightly.

"Oh, so I now see what Rika meant by ’he’s cute’."

"No!" Rika quickly stated. "He is nothing like that."

"He appears polite."

Kuro bowed slightly.

"Hi! I’m Kuro.Nice to meet you . "

It had more weight than it should’ve had.

Haruka’s smile became gentler.

"I understand." That was the green flag.

Rika picked up on this instantly.

This was dangerous territory; where did this misinterpretation come from.

She quickly stepped up to say "He only came here to watch anime."

Haruka looked at her.

Then at Kuro.

Then back to her.

"...Only here to watch anime."

The tone was soothing.

Too soothing.

Immediately afterwards, Rika regretted saying anything; it sounded worse than what ever else she could’ve said.

Kuro, oblivious to the emotional field that had developed next to him, lifted his snack pack slightly.

"I got these," he said.

Haruka’s eyes lit up a little.

"Oh, so thoughtful," she cooed.

Rika froze.

This reaction was not neutral.

It was an affirmative response.

This was a strong supportive feeling.

This reaction made the situation permanent.

Inside the house, everything looked neat and felt like an overwhelming amount of control.

The floors were very clean.

The atmosphere was warm.

The furniture was arranged just so.

It was the type of house that did not allow for any kind of mess.

Rika lived in this house.

So she had been living under this type of control for her entire life.

Kuro had taken off his shoes before entering the house.

Haruka had noticed this right away.

Rika had noticed that Haruka had noticed this.

This just made the situation worse.

They moved to the living room.

Rika was the first to take a seat; she then realized she had picked a spot way too close to Kuro. She adjusted her position slighty, then stopped moving altogether because the slight change had already made her look suspicious.

Across from the two, Haruka sat back and watched quietly, not interrupting or talking much at all. Just figuratively collecting data on both Rika and Kuro without asking any questions at all. Rika could feel every second of time going by.

Kuro was looking around calmly as she was talking about the anime.

"We’re going to be watching the anime here?" Kuro stated.

Rika quickly responded with "yes".

Haruka looked at Rika as if to acknowledge her response with an expressionless smile and then stated she would get some snacks.

Rika turned towards Haruka and said "You do not have to get snacks".

But before Rika could finish her sentence, Haruka had already gotten up from her chair and had left the room before Rika was finished. Haruka left the room rather quickly and confidently.

For a split second the room was quiet. Kuro laid back in his chair and stated, "It is really quiet at your house".

Rika stated, "It is not normally quiet".

"That explains the tension in the room".

"There is not any tension".

Kuro looked at Rika.

Rika quickly looked away.

Kuro stated for the second time that "There is not any tension in the room."

There was a brief pause as Kuro accepted Rika’s statement like he did with most of her incorrect statements, by not challenging her statement.

After a few minutes the anime started.

The screen lit up with bright colors.

The opening sequence played out while the main characters were being introduced in a rather overconfident way.

Rika slightly leaned forward, and stated, "This show is actually interesting".

Kuro asked, "How is it interesting?".

The methodical choice of organization is deliberate, hence the intention of creating dramatic tension through disproven expectations.

Kuro nodded.

"So you’re trying to mislead the viewer?" he asked with interest.

"That’s the idea," she answered; glancing sideways at him.

He was silent momentarily as they both were lost in thought.

Rika then softly added, "Many things mislead the audience, and that’s what we use as our main theme."

He still did not answer her.

Not due to being unable to hear, but rather due to his confusion over how to relate what had been said in some logical fashion.

That type of confusion is common when Rika and Kuro have conversations

As soon as Rika finished speaking, the sliding door was opened again by Haruka.

This time she entered with a tray.

Composed of snacks.

Drinks.

More snacks.

Too much food.

She methodically arranged the food and drinks onto the table.

Then returned to her original position, immediately behind the snacks and watches.

Rika turned to her slowly.

"Mom, you may sit with your legs crossed," Rika said. "You look silly."

"I’m not sitting like that . I’m only watching the anime," Haruka replied.

Rika did not believe that at all.

While Kuro was still close enough to thank Haruka when she handed him the water.

"Thanks," he said politely.

"You’re welcome," said Haruka her tone softening as she responded.

"In addition you are quite thoughtful," she added without making a big deal out of it.

As soon as Kuro heard her say that; Rika sat up with her back straight.

That type of tone was what her approval sounded like.

Heard by Kuro, and somehow making that whole situation worse for both of them.

After a few more moments of watching the anime, the anime started an emotional romantic scene.

A traditional romantic misunderstanding of some sort.

The main hero of the anime will be thrown into a close space with a female character.

Very near.

Too near.

Rika swiftly reached for the remote.

Kuro reached for it simultaneously.

Their hands brushed against one another.

Both instantaneously paused.

The whole environment fell silent.

Too silent.

Rika slowly retracted her hand from near Kuro.

"Sorry." She said.

"That’s okay," Kuro responded.

Neither of them relocated their bodies from one another.

Haruka sipped her tea.

Observing.

Way too much processing going on.

There was a faint smile forming on her lips.

Rika saw the smile from the corner of her eye.

This was going to become problematic.

Always!

The anime continued, but the atmosphere changed.

At one point, Rika leaned slightly forward to explain something about the plot of the anime.

Kuro leaned in slightly closer to hear.

Far too close for comfort.

They both definitely noticed this.

They both stopped.

They both remained in position.

Silence hung in mid-air for one second too long.

Then -

Accidentally.

A cushion shifted slightly.

Rika lost her balance for a moment.

Kuro caught her instinctively before she fell.

And it all happened so quickly.

So naturally.

So easily.

But the end result left Rika and Kuro...

Far too close to each other.

Rika completely froze.

Kuro completely froze.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them moved.

The entire world felt like it had stopped.

There was a faint sound coming from behind them.

A cup being rested down.

Carefully.

Slowly.

Rika turned her head slowly to see Haruka watching them.

She was very quiet.

She was very calm.

She was smiling at them.

Another smile.

Rika sat up straight immediately.

"Mom, this isn’t how it seems."

Haruka nodded once.

"I didn’t say anything."

That was a worse way to say it.

That was an even worse way to put it because it didn’t even require her to say anything.

The anime finished eventually.

Kuro stood up first.

"Thank you for the invitation."

Haruka stepped in the doorway once more.

Still calm.

Still smiling.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Kuro."

After a short pause, she continued, "You should come and visit again."

Rika swiftly turned around.

"NO."

Too quickly.

Too loudly.

And far too late.

Haruka just looked amused.

Kuro generously nodded.

"If it isn’t too much trouble."

Rika frozen.

That was a dangerous response because it was not a reject.

It was agreeing to the invitation.

Haruka grinned just a little bit more.

"Very much so."

Rika felt as though her soul just left her body for the second time that day.

As they walked outside, Rika was slightly ahead of the two other people.

Quiet.

Dismayed.

Kuro walked behind.

"You appear stressed."

"I am."

"Is it because of the anime?"

"...No."

Kuro accepted that without further questioning.

The door to the house closed softly behind them.

Haruka stood silently for a moment inside.

And then she smirked to herself.

"This is going to be such fun."

Rika heard those words through the door.

And she knew with complete certainty that her peaceful existence was over.