Erii is worried about Ryo. I sighed and say,
"You can go after him. I think he needs someone to be with him at the moment."
Erii looked at me and replies,
"Is it alright to leave you here on your own?"
I scoffed and say,
"I'm fine. Hurry before Ryo get too far."
Erii nodded and hurriedly left the cafe after she said goodbye to us.
Erii and Ryo have known each other since elementary school. Their friendship is more precious compared to mine. I really don't want their friendship to end because of me, that's why I told her to go and accompany Ryo. I don't even feel jealous to send her off to be with Ryo.
After Erii left, I looked at them and then ask,
"Was that the truth?"
Ren replies,
"Which one? All that I said earlier are the truth."
I ask,
"If so, are you going to go against the government? Even the emperor himself?"
Ren smirked and scoffed. He replies,
"Against his Majesty? No. We plan to replace the current prime minister and replace him with someone that's working under our family, and make the current prime minister fall with the Sakurai."
I stared at Ren and sighed. I scratched my head and then looked at the ceiling. I say,
"So everything just for the benefit to your own family. Nothing is going to change, only a different owner."
Kuro replies,
"You thought that we were the good guys here? Don't make me laugh."
Ren says,
"We do have our own rules and privileges, but that doesn't mean we are going to do bad things."
I laughed derisively. I reply,
"Really? You? I'm not blind, and I know what kind of things you would do by just watching you few times."
Ren smiled and Kuro stared at me and started to get annoyed. Aiko coughed and stood up. She says,
"I'm leaving... I have to prepare for tomorrow's shootings."
When she passed by me, she stopped and turned around. She smiled and then says,
"Nii-Sama, can I borrow Norl-Kun?"
Ryo nodded and replies,
"Sure, go ahead."
Aiko smiled and then she looked at me and moved her head towards the stairs. I stood up and followed her downstairs after we said goodbye to Ren and Kuro.
Aiko put her mask on and stretched her arms. She let out a big sigh. She says,
"Alright, let's get going."
I'm following her and walking beside her. She's looking around and humming a song. She then says,
"There are things that must stay in the dark. Either it's a good thing or a bad thing. With that, I want you to understand that not all of us are like what you think. Even though most of them are like that."
I'm looking at her and asks,
"Then what about you?"
Aiko replies,
"Me? I wouldn't say that I'm not the same, but at least I want you to see it for yourself. I can say that I get involved in just a tiny part of it. As you can see, I'm doing what I want and live as I please, but deep down, I'm still one of the heirs of the Hasegawa family. Someday, I might've become like those people you despise."
I didn't say anything and walked in silence.
We are walking and about to pass the shrine. Aiko pat my arm and she says,
"Can I stop by to pay respect?"
I reply,
"Sure."
She went upstairs to the shrine. I followed her from behind. She threw a coin and started the prayer. I watched her pray for quite a while and then she approached me. She says,
"Sorry, it took so long. It has been a while since I visited a shrine, so might as well pay respect since we are here."
I shook my head and reply,
"It's fine, it always gave me a small excitement whenever I visit the shrines. I always feel that shrines gave a peaceful atmosphere."
Aiko nodded with agreement and then says,
"I agree with that."
We stayed silent and enjoyed the breeze and the sound of the winds hitting the leaves. After that, we left the shrine and I followed Aiko once again.
We stopped at the park because Aiko bought some snacks from the convenience store and forced me to eat them with her.
Aiko removed her mask and immediately grabbed one of the snacks and opened it. She looked at the people that were passing by. Aiko asks while watching people around us,
"So what kind of relationship that Yamaguchi-San and Inoue-Kun have?"
I took a glance at her face, she didn't show any expression but her eyes showed me that she understands what is going on with them. I reply,
"Erii and Ryo have known each other since elementary school. So yeah, something like that."
Aiko hummed with understanding. She then asks,
"So you knew that Inoue-Kun has feelings for Yamaguchi-San?"
I scoffed and reply,
"Yeah, I knew."
Aiko nodded with understanding. She then says,
"Do you love her?"
I reply,
"I do. I love her."
Aiko then looked at me and asks,
"What do you like about her?"
It took me a minute to think about the answer. Then I reply,
"She's my type, I guess. I really can't tell."
Aiko asks again,
"What is your type?"
I reply,
"I love short-haired girls. A bit tomboyish. Can defend themselves. Personality is number two for me."
Aiko is staring at me for quite a while and then she says,
"So if I cut my hair and change my fashion style to a bit tomboyish, would you likely fall for me?"
I laughed nervously and reply,
"Yeah, I think so..."
Aiko says,
"Doesn't that means you only cared about the appearance?"
I reply,
"I hate to admit, but yeah, you're right."
Aiko swallowed her food then says,
"You know, Ritsu-Nee once said to me that if you fall in love with another person, you should go for that person than the one you're currently in love with."
I raised my eyebrow and ask,
"Huh? Why is that?"
Aiko replies,
"It's because if you're really in love with the one you're currently with, you won't fall in love with another person."
I say,
"So you're saying that I'm not really in love with Erii?"
Aiko is chewing her food and shrugs. She replies,
"You should ask that to yourself. You're the one who knows about yourself the most."
I sighed and sat lazily. Aiko also leaned back on the bench. She says,
"How are you?"
She offered me a chocolate energy bar and I took it. I opened it and munched half of it. I reply,
"Getting better. But you guys made it worse."
I chuckled. She looked at me and chuckled as well. She says,
"Sorry for that."
I shook my head and replies,
"Honestly, right now, you're the only one that seems to know me inside out... I don't know was it because my mother talked a lot about me to you, or she just couldn't stop talking in general."
I laughed quietly then it went silent for quite a while. Aiko didn't say a word after I said that. Her breathing went heavy and I could tell she tried so hard to not cry. Then I say,
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin the mood. It's just... I miss them."
Aiko shook her head and replies,
"No, I'm sorry. I'm the one who started it."
Aiko clears her throat and stands up. She says,
"Let's go."
I stood up and ask,
"Where to next, Hime-Sama?"
Aiko laughs and replies,
"Arcade!"
I scoffed and nodded.
We left the park and went to the arcade place.
We enjoyed some of the games there. We played for fun and there was a time when we played competitively against each other. It surprised me that Aiko is really good at playing games. I lost almost half the games we played. Then Aiko checked the time and said that she has to go back home since she has to prepare for tomorrow's shootings. We left the arcade place and it's nighttime already. Aiko says,
"That was super fun. I never had so much fun like that before. This is also my first time going to the arcade. I really want to stay there a whole day and play all the games."
I reply,
"Then hit me up the next time you want to play."
Aiko smiles and nods. She then opens her phone. She says,
"Then give me your contact. I'll message you when I want to play."
I took my phone out and gave her my contact. She smiled and then says,
"I guess I have to go now. Thank you for accompanying me today, Norl-Kun."
I reply,
"No problem. It's my pleasure. You can call me Aze, Aiko-San."
She says,
"Okay, Aze-Kun. Then I'll see you later. Bye."
I reply,
"Bye."
She then left. But she stopped and turned around. I approached her and then she says,
"It's nothing, I just want to ask you if it's alright for me to come over to your ramen restaurant."
I smirked and reply,
"Of course! You're welcome to visit. Miyazaki-San also came almost every day. She's my regular customer."
Aiko says,
"I know, she always told me that your ramen is the best in town."
Aiko continues,
"Then, I'll get going now. Bye, Aze-Kun."
I reply,
"Bye, Aiko-San."
She left and I went home.