"Are you still going on dates with Chitoge-chan?"
'Oh. Asking the real questions huh? Courageous! That's my girl!' I thought. Welp, even if I said we're not dating, Onodera is the last person to have the courage to tell her feelings.
That's just how she is. Onodera is built differently. She's innocent, cute, timid, and an airhead. She's a wuss basically, just like Raku but she got her moments like daringly asking Raku— I mean me to go to her house and ask such direct questions.
'Anyway, drunk Onodera is the most dangerous and I want to see that.'
"Um... Ichijou-kun?" She asked worriedly.
"What?" Oops, it seems I got too deep with myself. "Ah right, the question!" I added.
Onodera blushes, I think she realized how ridiculous she is sounding. I mean there is no wrong with her question, I and Chitoge are pretending to be dating but the daringness of this girl is enough for her to grow some balls than the guy named Raku.
"I didn't know that Onodera is so direct!" I teased, the already blushing face of hers reddens more.
"N-No!" She said while stuttering, what a cute girl! A teasing material she is! Seeing her embarrassed face is making me something that The Rock will give me the SUS look for.
'Cute! I want to play with her more — wait, that sounds weird.'
Throwing away what is in my mind I throw another teasing question: "Asking questions that you already knew the answer huh?" I teasingly smiled.
Conveniently I remembered just now that in the manga, Chitoge has already revealed to Ruriko and Onodera that we are pretending to be dating.
Smiling teasingly at her makes her avoid eye contact with me once again, she has that cute embarrassed look I like very much, it is fulfilling something in me. It's like I am collecting some sort of energy. Very energizing. This can be a hobby of mine now.
"... So it is t-true." She mumbled under her breath. She said that with a voice that only mosquitoes could hear. She sounds so relieved.
'Maybe I am a mosquito.' I questioned my existence. Anyway, I pretended to not hear her mumbling.
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"N-No, not a thing at all." She said as she shook her head and still avoided my eyes, her blushing face was still there. 'Cute.'
I'm still waiting for that right situation you know? I want it to be explosive and cool, telling her that I like her and this time in front of the store is not the brightest idea and let me remind you, I'm still wearing the worker's clothing, if it isn't lame then I don't know what is.
Now she confirmed that I'm not in a relationship, the situation became awkward, or at least for her. I wonder what she is thinking now.
---
'AAAAAAAH! I-Ichijou-kun and Chitoge-chan are not dating, t-this is my chance! Calm down Kosaki, calm the hell down! And remember Ruri-chan's advice!' Onodera tried to calm herself.
While she still has some questions about the photograph Chitoge-chan got, that's out of the way now. The most important thing now is Chitoge-chan and her Ichijou-kun are not dating and now Raku confirmed it himself!
'AAAH I can't remember Ruri-advice now!' Quite expectedly of a woman named Kosaki, her head is a mess.
Keeping her outside appearance to be calm is the best power she got now or at least she thought.
'Why is it so quiet! Kosaki! Think! Think! Think of a topic to talk about with Ichijou-kun!!' As one can see, Onodera is now desperately looking for something to break the ice.
Wooosh! Her attention is now on the sudden strong winds that happened outside the store.
'Eh?' Confused as she is, there seems to be a light bulb in her that lit on, 'Yes! A topic!'
"It seems like the wind's getting pretty strong outside." Onodera said visibly proud that "she" broke the ice. 'Praise me Ruri-chan!'
"I guess so. Is there a typhoon?" Raku questioned. Unknown to him, he said the magic word and the heavens took notice.
Pussssh! Heavy rain immediately fell from the sky.
'Wow, what a coincidence. Is there a typhoon? Is mom going to be okay?' Countless thoughts go through her mind.
"It's raining." She added.
"Yep, and It's pretty hard too. Is mother-in— Ehem. Is your mom going to be okay?"
'Mother-in?' Coincidentally as she was about to ask her Ichijou-kun what he meant, a loud sound interrupted her thoughts.
Ring! The landline sounded.
She immediately answered it because this is the store's landline, people order or deliver some stuff to the shop.
"Hello! This is Japanese Candies Onodera..."
"Oh, Kosaki?" She is surprised at first but then, of course, the voice is someone she knew who continued saying: "It's me your mom!"
"Mom?" At least now she does not need to worry about her mom, she thinks her mom is fine now.
"Mommy can't go home, the typhoon is too strong. Could you please take care of the shop for me?"
"Eh?"
"And you could also be alone with a boyfriend there, satisfied now? Nyohohaha~ later!" And the call ended without even giving her a chance to process it.
"EH?!?!" Realizing just what her mom had said, she blushes so hard that she could faint.
"Did something happen?" Raku asked, now she feels much better since Raku could not see her front.
---
Hearing the loudest "Eh?!". I turned to the source of the sound. Onodera jolted when I tried to inquire about what happened.
I patiently waited as she calmed herself, I didn't know what she heard from the call but I hope she's alright, well thankfully I'm not going to wait for long.
Still not facing me she started talking: "My mother said the typhoon was so strong she couldn't come home."
'Understandable.' I too would be flying like a ragdoll with the current strong winds outside. Her mom better stay indoors.
"Well then, as long your mother is alright..." I stopped words there as Onodera herself is still not done yet and I'm right.
"And it'd be dangerous I'd let you go home so..." She slowly turned her face to me. Her face with a light blush seemed to be a woman who steeled herself for the next words she's going to say: "So you need to stay the night."
"..." The face she is showing to me now got me stunned.
'Does this girl want me to ground pound her so badly right now that she'll stay bedridden the whole day tomorrow? — Okay, bedridden is not the right word but you get it.'
As you see, I am surprised again and again by the boldness of this girl. Should I just go straight to the cake now? I think it is pretty open and easy to snatch. 'Ah, what am I thinking? She has been acting cute in front of me and daring since earlier, should I ground pound her or not, should I? Should I not? Should— '
'What am I thinking, of course, this is their house, she's not alone. And now I'll stay the night here?' Now I think about it, maybe I am just horny or something. Welp, it is what it is, such a cute daring girl she is.
Why am I reacting too much? Assertive girls are "my" (not Raku's) personal preference. You see girls that follow the policy of Only the boys should do the first move are the ones generally my least favorite. Now you can see why am I single, who would approach a man with nine pending cases of bullying?
Anyway, Onodera, at least the unusually daring Onodera today, which is weird, passed my assertive girl meter even though she is subtle. I think Ruriko bullied her and tempered like steel just for today, she's giving her 100 percent now. Hmm, what should I do? Should I confess now or something?
As I stood there stunned, Onodera then blushed and turned her back on me.
After composing myself, I saw Onodera about to arrange some stuff like she is about to close the shop so she started closing and moving things now I replied:
"Is it okay to stay here, I don't want to intrude. I mean I don't mind running back to the house."
"No, no. It's okay!" She replied hurriedly with genuine worry visible on her face then she continued: "It's also not safe to go back with this strong typhoon and—"
"Dad had something to do and can't go back, and my little sister lives in a dorm. So..." She said as she averted her eyes, there was a light pink hue on her cheeks.
'I swear I'm going to impregnate this girl.'
'And what the f*ck she means by this, why is she telling she's alone at home in detail, is she seducing me? Is she giving me signs to let go of my reason?!' This girl is driving me nuts but looking at her, she is genuinely innocent and didn't know the words she just uttered and the effects they had on my sanity.
'She's not only cute but also assertive. I must say the girl this wuss-Raku liked is indeed an 11/10 girl. Hah~ what is this girl even thinking?'
---
While Raku is on the verge of losing reason, Onodera who is currently arranging the stands and other things in the shop is making quite a face.
'T-This isn't good.' Onodera right now has a reddish face she'll probably ever have.
'What do I do? I-I can't stop smiling.' Her blushing is accompanied by a silly smile. Her face felt hot.
Holding both her cheeks, she could feel the hotness of her face and the silly smile was not disappearing.
'I was more than overwhelmed just when he was going to work with me... ' She thought. recalling the events, about the embarrassment that happened earlier with her mother, her daringness to invite Raku to work with her, realizing he just said she is honored to be a son-in-law(Yep, remembered just now) She is indeed more than overwhelmed.
Thinking about the whole ordeal, she finds herself having a silly smile more: 'W-What do I do?! I can't help smiling!!! T-This isn't good, I can't face him with such an unsightly look! Go back, go back face!'
While busy telling her face to be back to normal, unbeknownst to her Raku is now enjoying her look. Still unaware of the grinning Raku, her thoughts continued.
'Umm, what should we do Ichijou-kun? What should we eat for d-dinner?' Yes, she is having a simulation of a future event and already is practicing for it.
"Oho, why are you smiling Onodera?"
"W-WHAAAT?!" The sudden question caught her off guard and the source of the voice she knew too well made her jolt.
Slowly looking up, she saw Raku smiling at her too and having an innocent curious look.
Forget about the embarrassment, her mind goes fast and furious as she thinks too hard what to answer his question!
"U-Umm... T-There was a funny show on TV yesterday and every time I think about it I laugh ha-ha." She said unconvincingly, and Raku had the "OK" look not minding it but the atmosphere is becoming awkward and for her, she can't let it happen!
'OWHAAAA!!! W-What should I do?! I can't stop smiling! P-Panicking will do me no good! Right! I should just start a conversation!' Composing herself once more she deduced she must remove the awkwardness!
"W-Well, let's talk about it as we go..." Her face is not as red anymore and even feeling a bit confident now while also thinking of Ruri-chan's encouragement. She continued saying: "Why don't you come to my room?"
"Eh?"
'Why did I have to say something daring?!?!'