Chapter 77
Ryosaku and Rika were greeted by Ryosaku's mother, who was wearing an apron, at the door.
"How was it, Ryosaku? How's school going?"
"Yeah. It was destroyed in no time. It just...didn't happen."
"I see...and what about this one?"
"She's my classmate from elementary school. Her name is Rika Toyama."
"I'm Toyama. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, I understand. Nice to meet you, Rika-san. Ryosaku, this woman has a much more mature charm than the girl who came to my house the other day, and she's a very nice girl.
You brought such a beautiful woman to me...you are quite shrewd, even though you are my son."
"Mom, come on. Don't be rude to Rika-chan. You and Rika-chan are still meeting each other for the first time, right?"
"That's right...I always say a lot of unnecessary things. Rika-san, I'm sorry."
"No, I don't care at all..."
Rika's cheeks turned red with joy and embarrassment at being welcomed so favorably by Ryosaku's mother.
"Hey, both of you, don't stand there, why don't you go into Ryosaku's room...? Now, I'll prepare some snacks and juice for you."
Ryosaku's mother seemed very happy that her son had brought his girlfriend, who is about the same age, to the house.
Ryosaku remembered Lisa Tanaka, who used to come to visit him almost every day... and somehow felt sorry for her.
After Lisa went to Hokkaido, Ryosaku frequently communicated with her by phone and letters for a while, but as they both became busy with their new environments, they lost contact with each other.
(...Will I continue to become estranged from Lisa-chan? Also, will we end up severing our ties like Mieko-chan, who finally didn't come over for Obon this year... )
Ryosaku was waiting for Mieko.
He believed in the advice of Chii Omori, a female candy store owner, and waited patiently for a year, but she never came to Y City.
(I'm sure... Setsu-san contacted Tokiko-san again, to get me away from Mieko-chan. Or maybe that was a strategy of her mother, Tokiko-san, who received the call... ・Or maybe Mieko herself...)
"...Hey, Ryosaku-kun...Ryosaku-kun."
Ryosaku suddenly came back to his senses as Rika shook his shoulder.
Before he knew it, he was sitting next to Rika Toyama on his bed in his room.
