Tokyo: Oreimo

You have to choose between the two....

Ryosuke had never felt that making a choice was so difficult.

This reminded him of the White Album 2 he had written.

"Now I can truly understand Kitahara Haruki's feelings..."

The thoughts swirling in my mind were like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel.

"Never mind, I'll just go to sleep. Ling Nai probably won't be coming again tonight..."

Chapter 277 Please take care of me starting tomorrow, brother.

Ryosuke was awakened by a feeling of pressure coming from his chest.

Not a dream.

Something warm was pressed against his chest, carrying the citrus scent of lingering shower gel, its breathing slow and even, each breath seeping through the fabric of his pajamas into his chest.

He opened his eyes.

The room was dark, the curtains weren't fully drawn, and a sliver of light from the streetlamp shone in, landing right on the loose head of blond hair beside the pillow.

Ling Nai curled up in his arms, her forehead pressed against his collarbone, her hands gripping the front of his pajamas tightly, as if she were clinging to the only piece of driftwood in the water.

She curled her knees up, pressing them against his legs, shrinking into a small ball and clinging tightly to him.

No pillow, no excuse, no unnecessary movements.

She just held him.

Ryosuke's hand hung in mid-air, unsure of where to put it.

The streetlights outside the French windows cast their light onto the opposite wall, and he could see that Ling Nai's shoulders were trembling slightly, not from cold, because her body was warm.

"Ling Nai."

His voice was very soft, almost inaudible in the darkness.

The body in his arms stiffened for a moment.

"Don't speak." Ling Nai's voice was muffled, coming from his chest, with a nasal tone. "Just for a little while."

She didn't look up, but buried her face even deeper into his chest.

“I know you’re not asleep, and you know I’m not asleep, so there’s no need to say anything. Just let me stay here for a while.”

Ryosuke's hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, finally landed on her back.

She didn't cry; she just buried her face in his chest, breathing in the scent of laundry detergent on his pajamas and listening to his heartbeat.

One, two, three—she had heard this sound many times, when he was asleep, on those nights when she secretly slipped into his room, pressing her ear to his chest, letting this sound fill her mind.

But this time is different.

This time he was awake, his hand on her back. He knew she was there, not sneaking around, not deceiving himself while he was asleep.

"What the hell..." Ling Nai's voice was muffled, "They were being all lovey-dovey in front of me, it's infuriating."

"Holding your hand, standing in the activity room, everyone is looking at you, and everyone thinks you are a perfect match."

"The president is talking about you guys, Okubo is envious of you, and Ayumi-senpai is secretly watching my reaction."

Do you know what I was thinking at that time?

Ryosuke did not answer.

"I was thinking, how wonderful it would be if that were my position."

Ling Nai said softly.

Her fingers clenched even tighter.

"What a despicable thought. It's all your fault that I did this."

"I hid in the cubicle and pretended to help Ayumi look at her drawings, but I wasn't really paying attention. I just didn't want to sit outside and watch the two of you standing side by side."

Ryosuke's hand gently stroked her back.

"Ling Nai."

"I told you not to speak." Ling Nai raised her face, her black eyes shining brightly in the darkness. "Let me finish, or I'm afraid I won't dare to speak again."

She took a deep breath.

"The giantess once said, 'If I really like you, I'll come and take you away.'"

“From that day on, I’ve been thinking about how to steal you away. Should I sneak into your bed? Should I casually take your hand? Should I be secretly happy when others mistake me for your girlfriend? I did all of these things, but it was no use. Because no matter how much I did, you would still stand by her side and look at her with that kind of gaze.”

"So I've made up my mind."

Ling Nai released her grip on his clothes, propped herself up, and looked down at him.

Her blonde hair fell from her shoulders, brushing against his cheeks and casting both of their faces in the same shadow.

"Starting tomorrow, I will no longer hide."

Her voice was trembling, but she enunciated each word clearly.

“I will no longer use ‘siblings’ as an excuse, and I will no longer do those things in secret. Since she allowed me to steal from her, then you listen to me.”

She stretched out her finger and poked Ryosuke in the center of his chest.

“Starting today, I will openly tell everyone that I like you. I will let you judge for yourself who is better, me or her. I will no longer let you use ‘slowness’ to escape. You, don’t think you can fool me anymore.”

Ryosuke looked at her.

Her eyes were red, but there were no tears. Her fingers poked at his chest, not with much force, but each poke felt like a nail driving words into wood.

"So get ready, starting tomorrow, your sister will no longer be able to obediently hide in the corner and watch you walk side by side with others. Even if you feel annoyed, troubled, or think I'm unreasonable, I won't stop."

"You brought this on yourself. Who told you to be so good to me?"

Ryosuke didn't say anything.

His hand was still on her back, and he could feel her heartbeat through her thin nightgown, fast as a drumbeat.

The blonde girl lowered her head and moved closer to him, so close that he could see his reflection in her clear pupils.

"Whether it's the Giantess or anyone else, I will prove to you that I am the one most suitable for you."

Her lips landed on his lips, very lightly, as lightly as a cherry blossom petal falling on the water.

Then it deepens rapidly.

Her golden hair brushed against his cheek.

Ryosuke's mind went blank for a moment, and then countless voices exploded at the same time.

Unlike the kisses she had given him while he was asleep, this was the first time Ryouno had kissed him after confirming that he was awake.

She didn't give him time to think.

She lifted her head, her lips parted from his, her cheeks flushed red as if they were about to bleed, but she did not flee as she had before, nor did she bury her head in the blankets.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with a determination he had never seen on this girl's face before.

"Remember this, and don't forget it."

She rolled off him, her bare feet touching the wooden floor. She walked to the door, her hand on the doorknob, and paused for a moment as she turned it.

Ling Nai did not turn around.

"Please take care of me starting tomorrow, brother."

......

When Ryosuke woke up the next morning, the room across the hall was empty.

On the table was a sandwich covered with plastic wrap and a sticky note. The sticky note had a few lines of writing on it, in Ling Nai's unique, forceful handwriting.

"Breakfast. I'm going to school now; there's an orientation for new students today."

The signature area featured a simple drawing of a cat, with a crooked five-pointed star next to it.

Ryosuke held the note for a while, then put the sandwich in his mouth and took a bite.

The taste was alright.

Because Lingnao probably knew that she was helping Saori move today, she didn't wait for him to leave for school together.

"This is truly... a terrible thing."

Ryosuke couldn't sleep all night, his mind filled with what Ryosuke had said to him in the middle of the night.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly, as if things were developing in a direction he couldn't control.

Ryosuke folded the note and put it in his pocket, then picked up his phone and opened his chat with Saori.

What time do you start moving?

The reply came very quickly.

"At 10 o'clock, come to where I am now. There is a rented car downstairs, and the key is at the front desk."

And then another one.

"I'll give you a reward tonight."

Ryosuke stared at the words on the screen, his ears slightly burning. He put his phone in his pocket, finished his sandwich in a few bites, picked up his coat, and went out.

Chapter 278 You can invite her to eat together.

Saori currently lives in an apartment in Nerima Ward, less than a five-minute walk from ANIPLEX.

When Ryosuke arrived, the receptionist had already handed him the car keys. Saori was standing at the entrance of the apartment building, with three or four cardboard boxes and two of the largest suitcases piled up beside her.

Today she was wearing a dark blue sports sweatshirt, and her long curly hair was tied in a ponytail, a style completely different from her usual one. The first thing she did when she saw Ryosuke was to take off her mask and reveal that familiar smile with a hint of mockery.

"On time. I thought you would be late."

"You carried all of these down by yourself?" Ryosuke asked, looking at the pile of cardboard boxes.

"The guy at the front desk helped me carry the two heaviest ones, and I did the rest myself." Saori stretched her wrists. "Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm still quite strong."