Riruka stopped her ponytail attack, and Yuta let his hand fall from the steering wheel. At that moment, Riruka's face flushed red, and she turned away, unable to meet Yuta's eyes. Whatever thoughts were running through her head, she didn't voice them. Instead, she slipped behind him and began massaging his shoulders. Her movements were hesitant and uneven, sometimes too light, sometimes pressing too hard, as though she had never done this before.
"How did you even think of massaging the shoulders of someone like me?" Yuta asked as he took a sip of tea, his tone carrying a trace of surprise.
Riruka, who usually spoke endlessly, stayed quiet. She seemed to have grown accustomed to silence when she was with him.
In the days that followed, Riruka helped Yuta regularly. She massaged his shoulders, tapped lightly against his legs, and even tried to cook for him. Her lack of experience was obvious; the first time she attempted to cook in the open kitchen, black smoke quickly filled the entire space. Yuta used Kidō to manipulate his spiritual power like wind and pushed the smoke away. When the haze cleared, Riruka's face was soot-black, her skin darkened like ash except for her bright pink eyes, giving her the appearance of a soot-stained doll.
She also brought warm water for Yuta to soak his feet. Although she lacked skill in providing such service, the softness of her hands carried its own comfort. She even washed his clothes, but when she finished, the fabric was left wrinkled and misshapen. Yuta could only wonder how she managed to wash them into such a state.
One day while Yuta was away, Inoue Orihime came to the villa. Riruka was sitting on a chair with a box of donuts, eating one contentedly. When Orihime saw them, her eyes brightened and a thin stream of drool slipped from her lips.
"What are you staring at? You're not getting any even if you keep looking," Riruka said while turning her face aside.
However, Orihime's drool only grew into two streams as she kept staring. Though Riruka did not turn her head again, sweat formed on her forehead under Orihime's fixed gaze. Before long, that drool became three streams, her eyes shining with expectation.
"Fine, I give up. Just eat already," Riruka muttered.
Orihime took a bite, and tears welled in her eyes. "Wow… ahhh! It's so delicious!"
"Then be grateful and eat slowly for once-" Riruka began to scold, but before she could finish, Orihime shoved a donut nearly half the size of her face into her mouth at once. Riruka stared in shock. Was this girl really human?
When Orihime reached for another donut, Riruka snapped. "Wait! You only get one!" Orihime froze mid-reach, her eyes filling with pitiful tears. Riruka sighed heavily. "Forget it… just eat." She turned her chair away and crossed her arms. "I'd really like to know what kind of parents raised someone as shameless as you."
Orihime didn't take offense. Instead, she smiled softly. "Actually, I'd like to see what they look like too."
Riruka stiffened. "You don't have parents?"
"Well… they were very violent. My older brother thought my life would be in danger if I stayed, so he took me away from home." Her voice was calm, but her words held weight.
"So your brother supports you now? I want to see what kind of person he is," Riruka said.
"Sorry… my brother passed away. But some distant relatives send me money. If my grades slip, the amount decreases, so I've had to keep them up."
Riruka slammed her hand against the table and stood abruptly. "I'm leaving. How can you talk about something like that without even changing your expression?"
Orihime looked at her quietly. "Because for me, it's already in the past. I'm living well now, and that's because of Yuta-san."
"Are you stupid? I didn't ask about that, and I definitely didn't want to hear about your past! I'm going back to my room," Riruka snapped before turning and walking away without looking back.
"Are you really leaving? I haven't finished my donuts yet," Orihime called after her.
Riruka stopped at the door and answered coldly. "I don't want them anymore. If you want to eat them, do whatever you want." She slammed the door shut behind her.
Inside her room, she slid down to sit against the door, releasing her breath slowly. She hadn't expected Orihime to speak of something so painful with such gentleness. For the first time, Riruka wondered just how much that girl had endured.
When Yuta returned later that day, Riruka was hanging laundry on the balcony. Though she had struggled before, she was beginning to improve at washing properly. Afterward, she hurried to bring him some warm water to soak his feet.
"Tell me, why are you doing all this?" Yuta asked, glancing down at her as she crouched in front of him.
Riruka looked up at his face for a moment before turning her eyes away. "I… I just want you to save those idiots like Ginjō Kūgo when they pull something reckless and get themselves killed…"
Her cheeks flushed red as she quickly added, "And don't get the wrong idea. It's not because I care about them!"
"As for Ginjō Kūgo, that bastard always orders me to do things. He acts as if he's above me, but we're on the same level. He's not my boss, so why should I listen to him?"
She pulled at her ponytail in irritation and continued, "And Yukio? He just plays video games all day. That kind of brat is the worst. Tousawa Kiriko is no better. He brags about how he can make any drink in the world, yet he can't even get one simple order right. All I wanted was a royal milk tea, and he made a mess of it!"
Her voice softened slightly at the end. "Those annoying guys… If they all died, I'd have no one left to vent my frustration on. That would be even more irritating."
"If you agree to my terms," she said awkwardly, "I'll have no problem serving you every day… but don't think too much about it!" Her face was bright red now. "Ding-ding-ding! It's not because I like you, okay? Who would like a brute like you, a big demon who only uses force and even locks people up?"
Before she could finish venting, Riruka felt her chin lifted gently. Yuta's fingers held her face steady as she froze in place, startled into silence.
PS GOALS: 150 PS= 5-10 extra chapter on an update.
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