'Why did I have to say something daring?!?!'
"..." Immersed in her thoughts, Raku is staring at her, dumbfounded.
"Is it okay?–"
Not yet finished with his words, the flustered Onodera replied immediately: "O-Of course! I-It's just… It's nothing… R-Right?" She is more like questioning herself.
'AAAA! I just didn't approve of it. I also doubled down!'
----
How the hell did it develop this way? I am more than confused. Exactly a few minutes ago, I saw this cute girl, looking silly, with a silly smile on her face that I can't help but call her out for her cuteness.
Who would have known that I am now going into her room? Parkour I must say.
"B-But wait a minute! Let me clean up a bit! And I want to change!" She said while simultaneously avoiding eye contact.
I then calmly nodded at her, and she instantly escaped like a bunny.
"..."
I stood there calm as a mountain or at least that's how I thought I looked but it doesn't matter anymore. 'Okay, her running away is cute.'
Deep inside me, I'm just at loss now. 'Am I that desirable? Sigh. Girls nowadays are desperate to devour me. Okay, I'm kidding.'
I know deep inside me that this is just Onodera stuff. Onodera is one the purest humans out there and no one can convince me otherwise!
I could hear Onodera frantically cleaning and running all over the place. The sheer dedication of hers for me as she prepares because I am now going to her sanctuary is making my head big. (That's not the only thing getting bigger. Amirite?)
Anyway, I did some finishing touches. Clean the unclean vicinity of the store and arrange some unarranged tables, chairs, or whatever it is here but one thing occupies my mind.
I then removed the yee-yee-ass cook outfit that they let me borrow and changed it to my original much cooler outfit.
'Good. Fresh as I came here.' I thought while looking at my handsome appearance and overall existence.
You see… A girl invited me over to her room. Like what the hell am I supposed to do there. To be honest, my palms are sweating.
'I can't believe I'm nervous about something like this. This is not me at all!' I reprimanded myself.
'Maybe I am heading home as an unsingled man!' I thought excitedly.
---
Inside Onodera's room, one could hear the breathing sound of a girl.
"Haa~ Haa~" Onodera is now desperately breathing. Her heart is beating fast as countless thoughts scrambled into her already messy mind.
'W-Would this be okay?' She thought as she momentarily calmed herself. She just sprinted like a competitive athlete, and that's the fastest she has ever been.
'AAAA what am I thinking?! Inviting a man into my bedroom! W-What does he think of me now?!' It seems everything is going nuts. Her mind's a mess and cannot even catch a break.
She then scrambled to her wardrobe, looking for the most beautiful clothes she could wear. 'This? Or maybe this?' She thought as she compared the cute dresses she has.
Her face feels hot as she races against time and prepares herself for letting a man in. She does not want to let her Ichijou-kun wait for a long time.
Finally decided on what dress to wear that would make Raku most impressed or at least she thinks that would make him go wow.
'Yosh! I-I think this is fine now. R-Right?' She thought while inspecting herself in front of a mirror, she picked a cute white dress.
'He's waiting, I'd better hurry.' She thought as she was about to open the door to call him out.
"!" She remembered something, her already hot face became hotter as she looked back to her desk.
This is the place she does her work and study, the one she is specifically looking at and the one making her face blush is the picture frame.
The picture in it is the marathon race event that happened in her previous middle school, it looks like a normal picture of schoolboys running. One may ask why she is keeping it.
She reasoned that she wanted to keep it because it looks cool and a memorable, fun event at the school.
But unknown to many that one of the contestants there was Ichijou-kun. It does not look obvious because Raku is in the far back of the picture but that is the only place she is looking. This is one of the only pictures of Raku she got and the one that looked less obvious for her family and the one that is motivating her and keeping her in love. And now that very exact man is coming into her room.
'AAAAA!'
Pah! She sprinted towards it and immediately put it down facing the wooden desk. "Haa~ Haa~"
---
"Sorry for making you wait! You can come in now!" I heard Onodera's shout from upstairs.
'This is it. This is officially my first time going to a girl's room.' I thought. My palm is sweating, I just do not know what to feel nor expect.
'Expect the unexpected they say.' I stepped onto the stairs. Every step I take is increasing the tension inside me.
'Is this okay? I think she just slipped on saying this and maybe she is not really into this sh*t. I mean she's alone, and then invites me to her room. What the hell is she thinking, seriously.'
Finally, I'm in front of the door of her room. 'Let's go with the flow.'
I opened it. And finally got in.
'I see. This is Onodera's room.' I thought while looking around, it was girly-ish of a room too.
'It's so cute and smells so good too — wait a minute, why am I smelling a girl's room.' I thought. The room is spacious, and the vibe is very Onodera-like. Okay, I don't know what I am thinking anymore.
I then glance at Onodera. She looked calm as if this is normal and all. Maybe I am the only one making a big deal out of this. I'm disappointed she is not blushing and all.
'Onodera's room… My face feels hot. God damn it, do I have a fever?'
"I'll go make some tea. Just wait a minute." Her voice pulled me out of my mind space.
"Yeah, thank you," I replied while keeping my calm or so I thought. She then proceeded to get out of the room.
"..." Now alone, I breathe a mouthful of air to calm the weird tension I am feeling.
'Calm down, I could do it with her next time, her mom already approved of me.' What am I thinking? Who knows.
With that maxim, I calmed down a lot. No need to tear your face this early. I'm two days in this world, I could take my time, I don't want to scare her. I want to experience a real relationship.
"Hm?" I then noticed a picture frame on her desk.
---
'Ichijo-kun is in my room!!!' Onodera is getting crazy and cannot even finish properly making the tea.
'I told him to stay the night, then where will he sleep?!' She then blushed so hard when she imagined him and herself in the same bed.
'Furthermore, we haven't had dinner yet, s-should we eat together at the same table?!'
'L-Like husband and wife…' Her face felt hot and she felt dizzy even thinking of such things, her mouth turning into a silly smile.
'Wawawa w-what am I thinking?! Ichijou-kun is in my room! I need to hurry.' She urgently reminded herself.
Then a thought instantly emerges in her head. "What if he looks in the picture frame?"
She is terrified! 'I NEED TO HURRY!'
Finally finishing the task of making the tea, she quickly walked her way through the hall then to the direction of her bedroom.
Opening the door. This was the first time she felt more pressure on opening her room. Her eyes quickly found the man of her dreams.
Her heart tightens as she realizes where he stood. Raku is currently in front of her study desk holding a picture frame.
'I-It's over…'
"Oh, Onodera, you are back." She jolted from the voice she knew too well, almost dropping the tea from the tray.
Onodera right felt more embarrassed that she could die. She couldn't even make eye contact with him.
'I-Ichijou-kun saw the picture frame!!'
---
When I saw the picture frame. I felt uneasy for the first time. I don't remember this from the manga and why is it facing down? Is this a picture of a man that is not me? I can't help but frown.
If there is a guy in this picture. I swear to the Chaos gods that I will castrate that man. Slowly lifting it for my eyes to see.
I instantly frown. 'Who the fuck is this guy? There is another man that Onodera likes?! I thought I was the only man she likes?! I will kill that f*cking guy!'
I then noticed the door being opened.
'Before that, it seems I need to do something first.'