Shishio went to the convenience store because he thought that he would be able to meet Rui. Even though he had never shown it, he knew that his relationship with Rui in the past had become something akin to a boulder on his chest, and he needed to move this boulder off if he wanted to move on.
Shishio wanted to know how Rui felt about what had happened between them, whether she regretted her decision or not, but when he saw her right here, he felt doubt.
'Has she always been here?'
Even though Rui's house wasn't that far from the convenience store, there was still some distance, and even though Shishio didn't want to be so narcissistic, he couldn't help but think that the reason why she came to the convenience store was that she wanted to meet him.
However, Shishio felt weird since he knew that in the original story, when the main character from "Domestic Girlfriend" met Rui again for the second time, she didn't show particular interest toward him or, rather, her attitude toward him was quite indifferent. Still, he thought it was quite normal, considering how bad the main character was at sex, unlike him, who was an experience and gave full pleasure to her.
'But...'
It was only a moment, but Shishio could see some happiness on Rui's face, which made him at a loss for a moment.
Even though he might lose his calm for a while, Shishio quickly recovered since there were really many questions that he wanted to ask her, but before that...
"It has been a while, Rui-nee. How are you?" Shishio asked.
"It seems that you are trying to avert my question right now, right?" Rui said while looking at the gravure magazine with maid theme on Shishio's hands.
"..." Shishio was lost for words. He put the magazine on display smoothly then acted as if he had never held the magazine at all. "Is there something that you want to buy, Rui-nee? I'll treat you."
"....." Rui looked at Shishio and had to admit that this guy really had a lot of tricks. "Have you cut your hair?" But the thing that shocked her the most was when she saw how he cut his hair.
"Um." Shishio nodded and said, "As you have said before, long hair is troublesome, so I have cut my hair."
"It's better." Rui nodded, then asked, "So why are you here? It has been a while since you have been here, right?"
Shishio raised his eyebrow and asked in doubt, "Rui-nee, have you been here after that?" Of course, he didn't expect that Rui would let out such a blunder, so he asked her directly since he really wondered whether she had been coming here from time to time after what had happened between them and if he was right, then the reason why she came to this convenience store was that she wanted to meet him.
"..." When this question fell, Rui was dumbfounded before a blush gradually covered her face and neck, but with her personality, there was no way she would admit it. Her expression quickly turned into a deadpan, and she said, "You're wrong. I just want to buy something. Don't be so narcissistic."
"....." Shishio.
"So, what do you want to buy?" Shishio asked helplessly.
"This!" Rui took the gravure magazine with a maid theme that was taken by Shishio before.
"..." Shishio and Rui.
"....Are you sure?" Shishio asked, and the corner of his lips twitched.
"Of - of course!" Rui said with some blush on her face since she knew that she had made another blunder, but she wouldn't admit it!
Shishio then extended his hand toward Rui.
"...What are you doing?" Rui titled her head and looked at him in confusion.
"I'll buy that magazine for you." Shishio looked at Rui and said, "How about you wait outside?"
Rui then looked at Shishio in doubt and asked, "Didn't you just want to buy this magazine by yourself?"
"..." Shishio.
"Well, I won't tease you again." Rui gave the magazine to Shishio and said, "I'll wait outside." When she turned, there was a smile on her face, and her mood was good at that moment.
"Un." Shishio nodded and watched Rui come out from the convenience store with a helpless smile before going to the cashier to buy the magazine.
---
Waiting outside of the convenience store, Rui stared at the starry night and couldn't help but be in a good mood when she met him at this place. In truth, after what had happened between them, she just couldn't get him out of her mind, and she also often recalled when she kept asking him to pound her at that time, which made her flush.
Even though Rui had decided not to meet him anymore after that sex, she just couldn't help but keep recalling what had happened between them and always went to the convenience store at night in the past week since she thought that she might meet him.
Unfortunately, in the past week, Rui didn't see him, which made her mood quite bad for the past week, but now, when she saw him standing on the magazine corner while reading a gravure magazine with a maid theme, as usual, she couldn't help but smile and quickly approached him.
'That guy's like a maid, huh?'
Rui wondered where she could get such a maid uniform, but her thought was broken when she heard the sound of the automatic door being opened.
"Sorry to make you wait, Rui-nee."
Rui turned her head and saw Shishio come out from the convenience store with an extra plastic bag in his hands. She looked at him, curious what kind of things that he had bought inside.
"Sweet bun or meat bun, which one would you like?" Shishio asked while showing two buns on his hands.
Rui was surprised, but then, she pointed her finger at the sweet bun. "Sweet bun."
"Here you go." Shishio gave the sweet bun to Rui.
"Thanks." Rui accepted the sweet bun and felt her hands were warm. In truth, the temperature was quite cold, but the warm sweet bun on her hands gradually warmed her up.
Shishio sat down on the outside of the convenience store and ate his meat bun. He didn't have a hobby to eat while standing since it wasn't good, so he had always sat down whenever he ate something, if possible. However, if the situation didn't allow him, he could only stand up, even though he didn't really want to.
Rui also followed and sat next to him while eating the sweet bun in her hands.
"It's my first time eating a meat bun, and I have to admit that this tastes good, especially when it is eaten during cold weather," Shishio said and thought that this meat bun might be one of his favorite foods now.
"There isn't one in Kyoto?" Rui asked.
"...There might be one, but I have never eaten it," Shishio said speechlessly.
Both of them talked together about many random things, and they didn't mention what they did on the first day they met each other since they were still eating.
"I have a warm lemon and tea. Which one do you want?" Shishio asked.
"Tea," Rui answered.
Shishio took out the bottle of warm tea, helped her to open the cap, and gave it to Rui.
Rui thanked Shishio and drank the warm tea.
After he had eaten it, Shishio clapped his hands and stood up. He then extended his hand towards Rui to help her stand up.
Rui looked at his hand for a bit and held his hand, letting him help her. Holding his big hand, somehow, she felt it was nice.
"I'll send you back, Rui-nee," Shishio said.
Un." Rui nodded and accepted his offer.
Shishio threw the trash into the bin then sent Rui back to her home. He looked at her then asked, "How are you after that, Rui-nee?"
When Shishio asked this question, Rui couldn't help but grumble. "After that, I stayed in bed for the entire day. I couldn't even wake up, and my entire body was sore." She had to admit that it was so enjoyable, but her body was so sore that she couldn't wake up from her bed after that. Luckily, he had helped to clean up the room a bit since if he didn't help him, then her mother and sister might realize what she had been doing since she was too lazy to move the next day after they had sex for the first time.
The only thing Rui regretted was that she told him to go home. If she knew that losing her first time would be so troublesome, she wanted him to stay so he could take care of her since he had offered her before.
"I'm sorry, Rui-nee." Shishio didn't hesitate to apologize, even though the one who told him to go home was Rui, but he also knew that she would be in a weak state after losing her first time, and they were quite wild for the first time.
"But you were also at fault, Rui-nee."
"Huh?" Rui was confused.
"You were the one who said, "More, more, more!" right?" Shishio said with a smile.
Rui's face flushed in red, then she didn't hesitate to hammer him with her fists!
"Sorry, sorry, it was all my fault." However, Shishio had to admit that Rui's reaction was adorable when he teased her.
"Hmph!" Rui pouted and looked away, but her face was still flushed in red since what Shishio said was the truth since she was the one who screamed, "More! More! More!" when they were having sex before, but even so, she didn't want him to mention it!
Rui then glanced at him and asked, "You have something to ask me?"
Shishio raised his eyebrow and asked, "Why do you think so?"
"Well, I just have this feeling," Rui said.
Shishio looked at Rui, who was staring at him right into his eyes. He then nodded and said, "Yes, I have something to ask you."
"What do you have to ask?" Rui asked.
"It has been on my mind for a while after we have parted that day, but have you regretted doing it with me, Rui-nee?" Shishio asked the question that he wanted to ask the most since, after that day, he had been riddled with guilt, thinking that he had been using her.
Rui stopped her steps, looked at Shishio, and asked, "Have you been troubled by this question for a while?"
Shishio also stopped and nodded gently.
Rui smiled and said, "You're thinking too much."
"..." Shishio.
"But to answer your question, I have never regretted it. It was my choice, and even though I knew that it didn't change me, I'm glad that my first time is you, Shishio-kun," Rui said with a gentle smile.
Shishio looked at Rui, and somehow the burden on his chest was lifted after he heard those words.
"I have to admit that sometimes I wonder whether you were still a virgin at that time since you were so skillful," Rui said while asking her doubt.
"I was a virgin when I met you before," Shishio said sincerely.
"I see..." Rui nodded, then asked, "So how about you? Did you regret losing your first time to me?"
When Rui asked him this question, Shishio might regret taking her virginity since if he didn't take her virginity, he might not be riddled with guilty feelings and could move on easily. However, he didn't regret losing his first time to her. Everything was his decision, so his answer was obvious.
"No, I don't regret losing my first time to you, Rui-nee."
"Is that so?" Rui somehow showed a relieved expression on her face. Then, she looked at him and said, "We have met again, so we're friends now?"
"Well, we're friends now," Shishio said with a strange expression. "Should we exchange our numbers?"
"Why not?" Rui nodded.
Both of them exchanged their numbers, but then Shishio realized something and looked at Rui in wonder. "Rui-nee, do you have a favor to ask me again?"
Rui was surprised but nodded. "Shishio-kun, can I ask you a favor again?"
"......"
Listening to her request, Shishio nodded and was about to go back, however...
"Shishio!"
"What's wrong, Rui-nee?" Shishio turned and looked at Rui.
"Are you going to bring that magazine back?" Rui asked as she looked at the gravure magazine with the maid theme in Shishio's hand.
"...." Shishio looked at the maid gravure magazine in his hands, and somehow, he almost forgot about it.
---
After sending Rui back, Shishio quickly returned to his room, and he sat on his seat since he couldn't wait any longer. He felt that his body was lighter and his head was clearer than before, but more importantly, his fingers started to move, and he knew that he could write now.