Aya enters the house with an awed expression, making Riku chuckles as he lets go of her hand.
"This is my... house. Yeah. My own house, senpai. Welcome to my humble home." Riku says with an amused smile.
"Your own house? What do you mean?" Aya asks in confusion. There's nobody here but the two of them. Something's off.
"My parents bought this house for other stuff but they didn't use it anymore, so... they just sort of handed it to me. Sometimes i came here when i'm in need to be alone. And the nice place i mentioned was in here, senpai. Let me show you." Riku grabs her wrist and drags her to the back part of the house. She's even more surprised because behind the house, there's a big garden with some woods and a big fish pond with a waterfall on it. She's mesmerized by the view, her eyes sparkle in awe.
"Sit, senpai. I'll make you something to drink." Riku leads Aya to a garden bench with a table. She sits and look at Riku who then walks away back to inside the house.
A few minutes later, Riku returns with a tray in his hands. He sits down across Aya and puts down two glasses of drink and a bowl of snack.
"I know you like sweet drinks, senpai. So i made you a sweet ice tea. It's in strawberry flavor, your favorite."
Aya flushes again at Riku's thoughtful gesture as she looks down at the glass of ice tea in front of her.
"You like the view, senpai? Does it feel like it calm you?" Riku suddenly asks. Aya looks back at Riku and then nods at him.
"Very beautiful house. I'm surprised that such house exist."
"Oh my parent's house has bigger garden than this but we're not going to talk about that."
Aya's eyes widen in shock again at his words. But then he clears his throat after he takes off his black jacket and black cap.
"I want to talk to you about those girls, senpai." Riku speaks in a serious tone. His face also serious this time, showing sincerity and genuineness.
"I didn't harm them at all. I didn't even touch them. I swear. I promise. I've been swearing my life to you since this noon but you won't believe me."
"Then how come they said that you hit them and throw water at them? I saw the bruises on their arms and faces." Aya replies.
"I don't know how they did it. But i didn't lay my hand at them at all! I swear on my life, senpai. I really am!" Riku looks and sounds frustrated as he explains it to Aya. But Aya still looks unconvinced.
"Are you suggesting they did that to themselves? That doesn't make any sense!" Aya asks with a louder tone, frustrated as well.
"They could be, right? They looked like they resent me after i stood up to you, senpai. They looked hateful after i confronted them and warned them. Maybe they did that to get back at me! You know how mean those girls are!"
Aya silence at his words. There's some sense to that in her opinion. But Aya is still unconvinced.
"I don't know, Riku. They can't be that bad, right? There's no way."
"Aya-senpai... i swear on my life again. I didn't do it. I didn't harm them at all. I was in my class the whole period this morning. I didn't get out of the class just to harm them like that. You can ask my classmates if you don't believe me! There were so many witnesses!"
His words starting to convince Aya since he mentioned that. Sounds convincing enough for her. "I mean... Sigh..."
"Or you can ask my classmate who sit behind me who knows me quite well, senpai? He saw me sitting in front of him the whole time since i arrived until i was called to the counselor room because of those girls. Please... please, believe me. I didn't harm them at all, I'm not a violent person like that." Riku reaches her hand and squeezes it gently while looking at her with those puppy eyes again. His tone even more pleading and there's some whine and whimper in it. Making Aya melts as she squeezes his hand back.
"Riku, how long are you suspended?" Aya asks.
"Until tuesday next week." Riku replies.
"Not that long, huh?"
"Yes. Because the counselor also didn't believe that i would ever do such things. I've been a good student, senpai. But the counselor just did her job by suspending me, following rules after i was being accused of that. That's why i hide here now since my parents won't stop nagging me. I sleep here from today on until I'm free from suspension."
"I see. Well, i believe you now. I'm sorry that i didn't and i blocked your number. Also I'm sorry for that punch earlier. It was out of survival instinct because you scared me so much." Aya smiles sheepishly at Riku. Riku chuckles.
"No, that's okay, senpai. What matters is you believe me now and it makes me so happy that nothing else matters to me. You're all that i want right now, senpai. Your view about me matters so much. I don't want to look like a bad person to you because of false accusations."
Aya smiles again. She can't help but melts again at Riku's sweet words. She never heard such sweet words in her lifetime since her childhood friends have always been rough with her.
"Though... you did throw a good punch earlier, senpai. I didn't know you'd be so good at punching people." Riku chuckles as he makes a joke about her punch earlier, trying to lighten up the mood. Aya blushes in embarrassment as she looks away.
"Sorry... please don't think bad of me." Aya says in a faint voice. Riku can't help but melts. He grabs her chin and gently turns her head back to face him again.
"No... i will never think bad of you, senpai. I just think that was such an amazing punch. I love that i discovered a new side of you. I love it. I want to explore more of you, senpai." Riku caresses her chin and then her lower lip while still holds her chin. His eyes darted down to her lips.