Kuro Kurogane was standing outside a suburban house on Saturday afternoon when he first laid eyes on Rika Sainoji.
However, this encounter seed sowhat different from other such encounters with Rika.
She appeared to be quite stiff, as if she were about to take an exam or sothing rather than watching ani with him--the very reason we were standing here, after all.
"This is rely for ani," Rika again indicated.
Kuro glanced at her.
"You’ve pointed out this fact as stated three tis already," Kuro said.
"This is significant to ."
"...Watching ani is important to you?" Kuro asked.
"Yes."
That seed to have sealed it up for Rika, I guess.
The na of the ani we were going to watch together was "The Academy Professor is Lvl 999".
Kuro couldn’t understand the naming sche, but he realized it was in his best interest not to question Rika’s interests too deeply--that wouldn’t go well for Kuro.
Before any further convos could take place, the front door of the Sainoji ho suddenly opened.
A woman stepped outside.
Straight posture; sweet smile; eyes appeared to take in everything at once.
Rika’s mother.
Haruka Sainoji.
The mont Haruka’s eyes fell on Kuro, her expression changed.
No shock.
No confusion.
Just very interested.
"Oh my!" she said, sounding quite shocked.
Rika imdiately beca tense.
"Mom!"
Haruka tilted her head slightly.
"Oh, so I now see what Rika ant by ’he’s cute’."
"No!" Rika quickly stated. "He is nothing like that."
"He appears polite."
Kuro bowed slightly.
"Hi! I’m Kuro.Nice to et you . "
It had more weight than it should’ve had.
Haruka’s smile beca gentler.
"I understand." That was the green flag.
Rika picked up on this instantly.
This was dangerous territory; where did this misinterpretation co from.
She quickly stepped up to say "He only ca here to watch ani."
Haruka looked at her.
Then at Kuro.
Then back to her.
"...Only here to watch ani."
The tone was soothing.
Too soothing.
Imdiately afterwards, Rika regretted saying anything; it sounded worse than what ever else she could’ve said.
Kuro, oblivious to the emotional field that had developed next to him, lifted his snack pack slightly.
"I got these," he said.
Haruka’s eyes lit up a little.
"Oh, so thoughtful," she cooed.
Rika froze.
This reaction was not neutral.
It was an affirmative response.
This was a strong supportive feeling.
This reaction made the situation permanent.
Inside the house, everything looked neat and felt like an overwhelming amount of control.
The floors were very clean.
The atmosphere was warm.
The furniture was arranged just so.
It was the type of house that did not allow for any kind of ss.
Rika lived in this house.
So she had been living under this type of control for her entire life.
Kuro had taken off his shoes before entering the house.
Haruka had noticed this right away.
Rika had noticed that Haruka had noticed this.
This just made the situation worse.
They moved to the living room.
Rika was the first to take a seat; she then realized she had picked a spot way too close to Kuro. She adjusted her position slighty, then stopped moving altogether because the slight change had already made her look suspicious.
Across from the two, Haruka sat back and watched quietly, not interrupting or talking much at all. Just figuratively collecting data on both Rika and Kuro without asking any questions at all. Rika could feel every second of ti going by.
Kuro was looking around calmly as she was talking about the ani.
"We’re going to be watching the ani here?" Kuro stated.
Rika quickly responded with "yes".
Haruka looked at Rika as if to acknowledge her response with an expressionless smile and then stated she would get so snacks.
Rika turned towards Haruka and said "You do not have to get snacks".
But before Rika could finish her sentence, Haruka had already gotten up from her chair and had left the room before Rika was finished. Haruka left the room rather quickly and confidently.
For a split second the room was quiet. Kuro laid back in his chair and stated, "It is really quiet at your house".
Rika stated, "It is not normally quiet".
"That explains the tension in the room".
"There is not any tension".
Kuro looked at Rika.
Rika quickly looked away.
Kuro stated for the second ti that "There is not any tension in the room."
There was a brief pause as Kuro accepted Rika’s statent like he did with most of her incorrect statents, by not challenging her statent.
After a few minutes the ani started.
The screen lit up with bright colors.
The opening sequence played out while the main characters were being introduced in a rather overconfident way.
Rika slightly leaned forward, and stated, "This show is actually interesting".
Kuro asked, "How is it interesting?".
The thodical choice of organization is deliberate, hence the intention of creating dramatic tension through disproven expectations.
Kuro nodded.
"So you’re trying to mislead the viewer?" he asked with interest.
"That’s the idea," she answered; glancing sideways at him.
He was silent montarily as they both were lost in thought.
Rika then softly added, "Many things mislead the audience, and that’s what we use as our main the."
He still did not answer her.
Not due to being unable to hear, but rather due to his confusion over how to relate what had been said in so logical fashion.
That type of confusion is common when Rika and Kuro have conversations
As soon as Rika finished speaking, the sliding door was opened again by Haruka.
This ti she entered with a tray.
Composed of snacks.
Drinks.
More snacks.
Too much food.
She thodically arranged the food and drinks onto the table.
Then returned to her original position, imdiately behind the snacks and watches.
Rika turned to her slowly.
"Mom, you may sit with your legs crossed," Rika said. "You look silly."
"I’m not sitting like that . I’m only watching the ani," Haruka replied.
Rika did not believe that at all.
While Kuro was still close enough to thank Haruka when she handed him the water.
"Thanks," he said politely.
"You’re welco," said Haruka her tone softening as she responded.
"In addition you are quite thoughtful," she added without making a big deal out of it.
As soon as Kuro heard her say that; Rika sat up with her back straight.
That type of tone was what her approval sounded like.
Heard by Kuro, and sohow making that whole situation worse for both of them.
After a few more monts of watching the ani, the ani started an emotional romantic scene.
A traditional romantic misunderstanding of so sort.
The main hero of the ani will be thrown into a close space with a female character.
Very near.
Too near.
Rika swiftly reached for the remote.
Kuro reached for it simultaneously.
Their hands brushed against one another.
Both instantaneously paused.
The whole environnt fell silent.
Too silent.
Rika slowly retracted her hand from near Kuro.
"Sorry." She said.
"That’s okay," Kuro responded.
Neither of them relocated their bodies from one another.
Haruka sipped her tea.
Observing.
Way too much processing going on.
There was a faint smile forming on her lips.
Rika saw the smile from the corner of her eye.
This was going to beco problematic.
Always!
The ani continued, but the atmosphere changed.
At one point, Rika leaned slightly forward to explain sothing about the plot of the ani.
Kuro leaned in slightly closer to hear.
Far too close for comfort.
They both definitely noticed this.
They both stopped.
They both remained in position.
Silence hung in mid-air for one second too long.
Then -
Accidentally.
A cushion shifted slightly.
Rika lost her balance for a mont.
Kuro caught her instinctively before she fell.
And it all happened so quickly.
So naturally.
So easily.
But the end result left Rika and Kuro...
Far too close to each other.
Rika completely froze.
Kuro completely froze.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them moved.
The entire world felt like it had stopped.
There was a faint sound coming from behind them.
A cup being rested down.
Carefully.
Slowly.
Rika turned her head slowly to see Haruka watching them.
She was very quiet.
She was very calm.
She was smiling at them.
Another smile.
Rika sat up straight imdiately.
"Mom, this isn’t how it seems."
Haruka nodded once.
"I didn’t say anything."
That was a worse way to say it.
That was an even worse way to put it because it didn’t even require her to say anything.
The ani finished eventually.
Kuro stood up first.
"Thank you for the invitation."
Haruka stepped in the doorway once more.
Still calm.
Still smiling.
"It was a pleasure eting you, Kuro."
After a short pause, she continued, "You should co and visit again."
Rika swiftly turned around.
"NO."
Too quickly.
Too loudly.
And far too late.
Haruka just looked amused.
Kuro generously nodded.
"If it isn’t too much trouble."
Rika frozen.
That was a dangerous response because it was not a reject.
It was agreeing to the invitation.
Haruka grinned just a little bit more.
"Very much so."
Rika felt as though her soul just left her body for the second ti that day.
As they walked outside, Rika was slightly ahead of the two other people.
Quiet.
Dismayed.
Kuro walked behind.
"You appear stressed."
"I am."
"Is it because of the ani?"
"...No."
Kuro accepted that without further questioning.
The door to the house closed softly behind them.
Haruka stood silently for a mont inside.
And then she smirked to herself.
"This is going to be such fun."
Rika heard those words through the door.
And she knew with complete certainty that her peaceful existence was over.
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