Chapter 49: A Sudden Confession

After several tens of minutes, the food on the table was completely wiped out.

Although Riko's dishes could be described as "ahead of their time," considering the effort she put into making them, Kira forced himself to finish all the food.

At least the ingredients were safe.

Fortunately, the remaining dishes were made by Kagetora Aida, and they tasted really good, enough to suppress the discomfort caused by eating a whole piece of beef.

By the time they finished their meal, it was already getting late. Kira helped clean up and prepared to go home.

"Well then, I'm going to leave! Thank you, Uncle and Riko, for your hospitality!"

"Mm."

Riko nodded beside him, her mouth slightly opened as if she had something to say. However, after hesitating for a while, she pursed her lips and said to Kira ,

"Um, I was actually thinking of going for a walk. How about joining me?"

"Sure."

Kira responded with a smile and followed Riko outside.

The two of them walked together on the streets at night. Although they didn't say much at first, they both unconsciously slowed their pace.

"Um..."

Riko spoke thoughtfully.

"What's the matter?"

"Kira, you're leaving tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yeah, I can only be out for twenty-four hours, and I have to be back by noon tomorrow."

"I see, it's such a rushed trip..."

Riko spoke while pursing her lips.

Two weeks might seem short, but for some reason, Riko felt like it was dragging on.

Just the thought of Kira needing a long time to return made Riko want to say a few more words to him.

"So, you have to score another ten goals before you can come back, right?"

Riko looked up, her gaze focused on Kira.

"In theory, yes. But now that we've secured our spot, our schedule will likely change after the next round of matches. So, the timing can't be certain then."

Kira replied.

In the original work, after the first round of matches, there were mainly sporadic assessments.

The rules for the second round of matches were completely different. It was no longer an 11-player team competition but a selection match with fewer participants.

"Oh..."

Riko responded softly.

"But I will definitely score the remaining ten goals as soon as possible and come back. Don't worry, I will return as quickly as possible. Oh, by the way, you'll have a match soon too, right? Remember to get me a ticket!"

Kira said with a smile.

"Really! Will you come!"

Riko's eyes widened as she heard Kira's words, and a sense of anticipation flashed in her gaze.

"You seem really happy, Riko."

Kira teased.

"Oh!"

Riko realized that she might have acted a bit too excited. Her face turned red in an instant, and then she lightly tapped Kira's chest with her hand.

"What's wrong? Won't you be happy if I come?"

"We'll see when you actually come!"

Riko smiled, pouted her lips.

Riko unconsciously touched Kira's hand back with her own hand, intentionally or unintentionally.

"Oh, by the way, Kira, um, Kira."

Riko hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more.

"That... Will I cause you any trouble?"

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

Kira inquired.

"Like... like... other people misunderstanding us... misunderstanding that we're a couple..."

Riko's face turned even redder, and she shyly lowered her head.

"No, that won't be a problem! Besides, I don't have anyone I'm dating at the moment."

"That's good, then!"

Riko felt a sense of happiness upon hearing Kira's words.

At the same time, a thought brewed in her chest. Some words had reached the tip of her tongue but she couldn't bring herself to say them.

"What's wrong, Riko?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really!"

"We've arrived at my house. Thank you for accompanying me all the way."

"No need to thank me. I just wanted to take a walk anyway."

Aida Riko hurriedly said as she looked at Kira's house next to them. She knew that if she didn't say certain things now, she might not have another chance in the future.

"Gosh, Riko, Riko! Why are you so timid all of a sudden!"

Riko scolded herself internally. Meanwhile, she tightly clenched her right hand behind her back, mustered her courage, and asked,

"Um... Kira, what kind of girl do you want to date?"

"Me...?"

"Would someone like me be okay?"

Before Kira could finish his sentence, Riko blurted out the words she had prepared to say.

She was too nervous, and her usually sharp-thinking brain seemed to have crashed at that moment.

But as soon as Riko spoke, she immediately realized that she had said something extraordinary, and she became even more embarrassed.

She buried her head deep, afraid to make eye contact with Kira, and her body trembled with nervousness.

Riko now regretted her impulsive confession. After spending time together, she had developed genuine feelings for Kira, making her emotions easily influenced by him during the day.

Upon careful consideration, Riko believed that Kira would most likely reject her. After all, he was already a somewhat famous Football player, and even during his first visit to Seirin High School, he had gained many fans.

On the other hand, Riko was just an ordinary girl, quite different from the cute or mature types. Her focus was primarily on sports, and compared to Kira, she felt too plain.

"It's probably a nine-out-of-ten chance of being rejected."

Riko thought to herself, already starting to worry about how she would interact with Kira after this.

"Sure."

"I'm really sorry for causing you trouble, Kira. I..."

Riko was about to apologize when she suddenly realized that Kira's response was different from what she had expected.

"Huh? Kira, what did you just say?"

"I said... Sure..."

Seeing the girl in front of him, Kira's face broke into a smile. The current Riko, who was cute and even a bit silly, was not something he saw every day.