"Yay!", Yumiko happily pounced forward, like a friendly golden retriever.
-
[Saturday Morning]
A rare day off, the train station platform was a bit quiet.
Kaito was waiting for someone.
They had agreed yesterday morning to go to Gotou-san's house for tutoring, but that night, Yumiko sent another message, saying she wanted to meet in Ikebukuro first and then ride the train together.
Ding~
With a crisp chime, the train quickly arrived at the station.
A familiar blonde figure got off and looked around for a bit before quickly spotting the person she wanted to see.
Her pretty face bloomed into a big smile as she ran over, "President, good morning~"
"Morning."
Kaito greeted her and paused before adding, "That outfit suits you well."
The girl in front of him had clearly dressed up carefully.
A pale yellow shirt, matched with a beige coat, and a stylish gray pleated skirt on the bottom, paired with slightly sheer black thigh-highs, together forming an irresistible absolute zone.
"Hehe~", Yumiko grinned proudly like a smug little fox, glad she woke up early to do makeup and pick clothes.
Very naturally, she stepped closer and hugged Kaito's arm. Her earlobes turned a little red, but she pretended to be calm, "Let's go!"
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[Two Hours Later]
This wasn't Kaito's first time at Bocchi's house, but the sight before him still made the corner of his mouth twitch.
In front of the ordinary single-family home, a huge horizontal banner with black letters on a white background hung high on the wall.
[Warmly Welcome the Members of the Supernatural Research Club for Guidance!]
Below that was another line in smaller text: [We hope everyone can enjoy a moment of healing here]
"This is too over the top, right?", A few black lines appeared on Yumiko's forehead, "It's just simple tutoring, come on"
Kaito also thought it was a bit much but didn't say much. He just looked at Yumiko who was still tightly clinging to his arm, "More importantly, when do you plan to let go?"
It was one thing to be clingy on the train, but they were about to be guests at the Gotou household, so it was time to show some restraint.
Yumiko understood this well, but even when she let go, she still looked reluctant.
The doorbell was pressed, and not long after, a panicked voice came from inside.
"J-j-j-j-just a moment! I'm coming to open the door!"
As the door opened
BANG!
A burst of party poppers exploded before them, and colorful confetti rained down.
Bocchi, dressed in a pink tracksuit, stood at the entrance, looking like a completely different person.
She wore a Santa hat, glowing star-shaped glasses, and a fake black beard.
She also had a sash that said "One-Day Patrol Captain" slung diagonally across her chest.
Party Ronin " Hitori Gotou, grand debut!
[ Shoutout to Tiago for joining patreon. Thank you very much.]
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Chapter 34: Stick your head over, Ill give you a buff
'This kind of welcoming ceremony really is quite unique,' Miura Yumiko laughed with a "haha," showing an awkward yet polite smile.
Seeing that the atmosphere seemed to be turning awkward, Bocchi stood frozen in place, her brain trembling.
'D-Did it fail'
'Even though I practiced a few times last night, it still didn't work out after all?'
'Ugh I wanna go back into mom's womb'
At the critical moment, the Gotou family, who could no longer bear to watch, stepped in.
"Ara~ So the Kaito-chan that Hitori's been looking forward to since yesterday is finally here? And this must be Miura-san, right?"
"Big brother, big sister~"
"Welcome, welcome, come on in~"
Mrs. Gotou, Mr. Gotou, and little Hitori who was holding Jimihen the dog.
The three of them displayed a completely different level of overwhelming social prowess compared to Bocchi-chan, saving the scene and smoothly bringing Kaito and Yumiko into the living room.
Serving up fruit, making conversation, full of enthusiasm, it was almost too much for Yumiko to handle.
In contrast, Kaito was much more composed.
After all, he'd already experienced this kind of hospitality once before.
After exchanging simple greetings with the Gotou couple and playing with little Hitori for a while, he hadn't forgotten today's main task: tutoring.
Mrs. Gotou had already heard about Kaito and Yumiko's visit from her daughter Hitori. She smiled warmly and said, "If that's the case, Kaito-kun and Yumiko-chan, go on up to Hitori's room~ It's the first door to the left at the corner on the second floor."
"Hitori and I will cut up some more fruit and bring it up in a bit."
"Okay."
Kaito nodded and went upstairs with Yumiko. Their figures disappeared around the corner.
Once the two were gone, Mrs. Gotou immediately grabbed her daughter Hitori's arm and pulled her into the kitchen, "Hey Hitori, who exactly is this Miura-san?"
"Miura-san?", Bocchi-chan was a little confused and replied reflexively, "She's my classmate, and also a member of the same club."
"Come on now, who asked you that!"
Mrs. Gotou gave her daughter's little head a disappointed tap, "What I mean is, what's the relationship between your Miura-san and Kaito-kun."
Her daughter was naturally shy and introverted, and it hadn't been easy for her to meet a boy she liked. As her mother, of course she hoped she'd get her wish.
But Miura Yumiko's appearance had set off alarm bells for Mrs. Gotou.
She was glad her daughter could make new friends, sure. But only if those friends didn't become romantic rivals.
It was obvious, this beautiful girl with long, straight golden hair, outgoing and generous, wasn't lacking in any aspect compared to Hitori. If anything, she might even be a notch above.
"Ugh we-we're just normal friends, I think?"
Bocchi felt a little guilty, "Probably? Maybe?"
Kaito and Miura indeed weren't in any kind of close relationship right now.
But that could change. They looked good standing together, and both were single. If they spent a lot of time together, who knows what might happen.
'If that day really comes'
Just imagining the two of them holding hands, fingers interlaced, made Bocchi feel a bit sour. Her whole person wilted like a withered bok choy, listless and gloomy.
This mood lingered for quite a while, even during tutoring. She was completely out of it.
"Bocchi-chan? Bocchi-chan?", A hand waved in front of the pink-haired girl's lifeless eyes. Miura Yumiko stretched out her voice, "Comebacktoearth"
"Umu!", Bocchi shivered and quickly bowed her head, "S-Sorry! I was spacing out"
"Did you run into some kind of problem?", Yumiko tapped the worksheet on the desk with a slightly troubled look, "You've spaced out six times in the past half hour."
"I-It's all my fault", Bocchi lowered her head even further, almost burying it in her chest.
Yumiko sighed.
She wasn't trying to scold Bocchi-chan. She just wanted her to talk about whatever problem she was having so they could figure it out together.
But since Bocchi-chan clearly had no intention of opening up, she couldn't exactly force her.
So she simply stood up, "I'll go to the bathroom first, be back in a bit."
Once she left, the only ones left in the room were Kaito and Bocchi.
Looking at the distracted pink-haired girl, Kaito thought for a moment and decided to step in himself.
Although he didn't know what inner conflict the Gotou girl was struggling with, she was clearly in no state to focus on studying.
Since he was already here, instead of wasting time, he might as well do something helpful.
"Hitori, is it okay if I call you that?"
"U-Of course you can!", Little Bocchi's pretty face turned red, and she sat up straight in a flash.
'Kaito-senpai actually called me by my name?'
'Hehe hehehe'
Though she was timid like a useless little bug that liked to hide in dark corners, she could still get carried away and lost in fantasy from others' praise or affection.
'Maybe that is part of Bocchi-chan's unique charm?'
With that thought in mind, Kaito continued, "Hitori, stick your head over, I'll give you a buff."
"Eh-eh-eh?", Little Bocchi blinked, not really understanding what he meant.
But she still obediently scooted over, lowering her head slightly to reveal a neck as pale as a swan's, untouched by sunlight.
Kaito placed his hand about five centimeters above her head. A faint white light began to glow in his palm.
Light Blessing Spell.
A minor spell that could slightly change a person's fortune for a short time, also useful for boosting clarity and dispelling negative energy.
The soft white glow split into sesame-sized particles of light, quickly surging into Bocchi-chan's body.
The girl suddenly felt her mind clear. Questions she didn't understand before started making sense. Like her brain had been replaced with a smarter one.
"Th-this is?"
"A little trick to help improve your grades."
Kaito casually patted her little head and smiled, "How do you feel now?"
"Super good!", Bocchi nodded hard, her blue eyes sparkling.
Not only did she feel much sharper, even her memory seemed a bit better.
If she could stay like this, she could totally reach the middle tier of the class. She wouldn't have to worry about being criticized for bad grades ever again.
Overcome with emotion, the girl stood up in a flash, wanting to bow deeply in thanks.
But maybe because she had been sitting cross-legged for too long, her legs had gone numb. The moment she stood up, they lost all strength.
Then, her whole body toppled forward.
A soft whiff of body wash filled the air.
Kaito reached out instinctively, just holding her out of politeness.
Clack!
"I'm back!", The door opened. Yumiko, standing there, looked at the scene before her.
The jade-like clarity in her emerald-green eyes faded completely.
[T/N: Lol]
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Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining. You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
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Chapter 35: I Crave Your Body, Im Being Honest!
Silence. Pin drop silence.
Silence fell over the Gotou household.
Kaito had a bit of a headache. If he'd known this would happen, he should've done a fortune reading before leaving the house.
Although he and Bocchi were perfectly innocent. Heaven and earth could testify. This scene right now was simply too misleading.
"Actually, this is a misunderstanding," He thought for a moment and still decided to offer an explanation.
Miura Yumiko didn't answer, only returned a gaze full of quiet grievance.
Kaito coughed awkwardly and naturally let go of his hand.
Unexpectedly, due to her shyness, Bocchi's brain had gone into overload. Without support, she was about to fall over.
To prevent a tragic head-smashing incident, Kaito had no choice but to reach out and catch her again.
Miura Yumiko: "..."
She had only seen the result before, but now even the process had been filled in.
"Bocchi-chan, Yumiko-chan, and Kaito-kun, you can come downstairs now"
When it rains, it pours.
Mrs. Gotou just happened to come upstairs at that moment to call everyone down for a meal, and caught this classic white-school drama scene.
PUPIL EARTHQUAKE!
'The future son-in-law I have long set my sights on is now having intimate contact with my daughter. That's good.'
'But what is going on with Miura-chan watching from the sidelines?'
'Is this what young people do these days?'
'Or is it just that I've gotten old? I can't keep up with the times anymore?'
Mrs. Gotou began to doubt life.
But after all, she was a mature, gentle housewife with lots of experience. She quickly calmed her mood and smiled, "Ara~ Ara~ seems like I came at a bad time?"
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[Twenty Minutes Later]
[In the Living Room]
The dining table was full, with five people seated.
Mrs. Gotou, Mr. Gotou, the two girls, Kaito, and Yumiko.
As for Bocchi
After recovering from her shy-induced brain crash and learning that her most embarrassing moment had been seen by her mother, Bocchi-chan promptly fainted.
Even when Mrs. Gotou tried to wake her, it was no use. The girl had hid herself inside the closet of the bedroom, refusing to come out no matter what, let alone come downstairs to eat.
As for tutoring clearly, that couldn't go on either.
Since Yumiko also felt it was a bit awkward to continue staying, after having lunch at the Gotou house, she dragged Kaito along to leave.
The afternoon street was very quiet.
Gentle wind and warm sunshine poured down, softly scattering across their faces, slightly intoxicating. The sky in the distance was as clear as if washed clean, and now and then, the crisp chirping of birds could be heard.
After leaving the Gotou house, Yumiko became very quiet.
But this quiet was definitely not calm; it was brewing something.
Finally
"President no, Kaito-senpai."
She stopped walking, turned around, took a deep breath, and smiled brightly, "I like you."
"I know you might think all of this is too sudden, but it's fine even if you treat this as useless rambling. I just want you to know, there's a girl named Miura Yumiko who really likes you."
"It's the kind of like where I want to be in a relationship with you, holding hands, going on dates, riding the Ferris wheel, watching dolphin shows at the aquarium."
"And someday later, I'll wear a wedding dress covered in crystal rhinestones, hold your hand, and you'll put a ring on me."
That scene at the Gotou house really shocked Yumiko.
She once wanted to go slow and steady, to let feelings build over time.
But Bocchi's appearance was like a great bell sounding, instantly waking her up.
Love is warchanging in a heartbeat.
You never know when a surprise will strike. Like a cat sneaking in and stealing affection from above, winning with overwhelming advantage and becoming the champion, watching the defeated ones howl in regret.
Then your carefully cherished boy would be claimed by another girl, and all you're left with is midnight dreams and tear-soaked pillows, wondering if things would have ended differently had you been just a little braver.
'Maybe confessing too early is a terrible move.'
