Chapter 49

Currently, there was a weird standoff inside Takeru's living room, which was now feeling quite cramped due to the number of people inside, the standoff at hand was between Ayano and Kyo on one side of the table, with Kazuo, Kenzo, and Aki on the other side.

"Alright, Kyo. Spill it out, how long have you been going out with Ayano-san?"

The first one who started the interrogation was Kenzo

"I think it has been a year already, wasn't it Ayano?"

"Yeah, I think so"

"And why didn't you tell me that you got a girlfriend?! A girlfriend that has two beautiful friends!"

"Because I knew that you would start interrogating me just like how you're doing it right now. And it was also funnier to see you fail in getting a girlfriend"

"Yeah, that's true. It's funny to see you fail in getting a girl every time"

"Damnit!"

Kenzo slammed the table because of Kyo's answer and Kazuo agreeing with his words. As the three boys were messing around, Aki went on to interrogate Ayano.

"Ayano-chan, and what about you? Why didn't you tell me and Yu-chan that you had gotten a boyfriend?"

"Ermm… Well… You know… … … I just forgot about telling it to you two"

Then Ayano made a funny 'oopsie' pose and face, while Aki just smiled at Ayano

"…"

"…"

The two looked at each other with smiles on their faces… And then Aki immediately grabbed Ayano and began applying pressure on Ayano's head with her fists again.

"THAT'S THE WORSE EXCUSE I EVER HEARD!"

"BUT IT'S THE TRUTH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

As for the boys…

"How can you break our bro code like that, Kyo!? Did none of our hardships together ever mean anything to you?!"

"Dude, you don't need to get so angry about that?"

"Shut up, Kazuo! You got yourself a cute fiancée behind my back as well!"

"Who said I needed your permission to get engaged to Kohaku?"

"It's in the bro codes! Didn't you guys ever read it?!"

" "…" "

Kazuo and Kyo both looked at each other before they nodded in unison.

" "Nope" "

"Why am I the only one without a girlfriend?!" "Why am I the only one without a boyfriend?!"

" " "…" " "

At hearing the two shout very similar things, Ayano, Kyo, and KAzuo all looked at each other.

" " "Then why don't you two start going out?" " "

" "Huh?" "

At hearing that Kenzo and Aki both looked at each other and thought for a moment.

" "… … … Nah" "

"She's not my type" "He's not my type"

" " "…" " "

Kyo, Kenzo, and Ayano could only look at the other two with confused faces filled with disbelief at the two being picky even as they complained to them. They all kept complaining to one another for some more minutes before they finally calmed down.

And just as they had finished their arguing, Takeru and Yuriko returned to the living room

"We're back~ did we miss anything?"

"…"

Yuriko had a refreshed smile on her, while Takeru was quiet as his face was blushing while he avoided making eye contact with anyone. As for what the two were doing, Yuriko had dragged Takeru to his room to pamper him to calm him down, just so that he wouldn't try punching his friends.

"Nothing much… So what did you do to Takkun for him to become like that?'

"I just pampered him!"

"Yu-chan… And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"J-Just the normal stuff"

"Like what?"

"… … … Nee, don't you three know anything interesting about Takeru?"

"Oi! Don't go changing topics!"

"Well, there's the fact that Takkun was kind of a delinquent when we first met him, during his first year of junior high school"

" " "… … … What?" " "

The three girls all became confused when they heard that from Kenzo, which had the intended consequence of getting Aki's attention, as for Takeru, all he was able to do was give Kenzo a very intimidating glare while his face was still blushing, as the why he was only able to do that…

It was because Yuriko had grabbed and pulled Takeru towards her, and then she tightly hugged him with both of her arms and legs, making it impossible for Takeru to escape from Yuriko's embrace. And the reason she did that was a very simple one

"… Now, if you may, can you tell me more about that?"

She was very interested in hearing about the time Takeru was in junior high school.

"Sure, now how do I start it?"

Kenzo began making a thinking face, while Takeru was desperately trying to escape from Yuriko's embrace and punch him before he could start telling everyone about his past… His past that he very much hated and cringed.

"Ah! I know how to start it"

"…"

Before Kenzo started telling the girls about Takeru's past, he gave a look at Takeru, who was looking at him with the eyes of someone who would definitely kill him later. And Kenzo only answered Takeru by showing him a very confident and mocking face, since right now, Takeru couldn't do anything against him.

" "…" "

<Kenzo is going to get his ass kicked, isn't he?>

<Yep>

<Wanna stop him while we can?>

<Nope, different from him. I know when to stop in front of danger>

<Yeah, me too>

And of course, Kazuo and Kyo noticed why Kenzo was being so smug and reckless, but they preferred not to say anything, mostly to avoid getting inside the eventual hit zone of Takeru. Instead, the two just silently prayed for Kenzo's well-being as they sneakily moved away from him.

"Ahem… Now let me tell you all about when we first met Takkun…"

.

.

.

3 years ago

-

It was the first day of school, the Sakura trees were in full bloom, and the students were excited, most of them, for their first day of junior high school. Amongst the many new students, was one who didn't look excited at all

Instead, that student had an annoyed glare with his half-closed eyes, and his uniform wasn't proper to the required standard. Overall that student would appear like your typical delinquent… That is, if wasn't for the two seniors flanking him from each side, as they appeared to be talking to him

One had a pretty confident smile on his face, was quite tall, and was quite good-looking as well, but he still looked quite average. The other was the tallest one and had an expressionless face and was really handsome

As for the newcomer in the middle, he was shorter than average, his face leaned more on the cute side if you removed his annoyed glare, and the most eye-catching of all was his single streak of red hair on his left sidebang which stood out from his dark brown hair, and his heterochromia with a left hazel eye and a right brown eye

In order, those three were Hirano Ichiro, Hirano Yasu, and Tanaka Takeru. And they were cousins…

"Hope you'll enjoy your time here, Takkun"

"… I'm already hating it"

"The same angry tsundere as always, and now with a new yankee look to add on top"

"…"

Takeru tried to punch Ichiro, but he was quick to react and grabbed Takeru's fist

"Too bad, you missed it. Well, we'll be going to our classroom now. Make sure to make some friends, okay?"

"Get out of here already!"

"Glad you understand!"

"… Haa…"

After Ichiro and Yasu were out of sight, Takeru simply sighed in an annoyed tone as he went to change into his indoor shoes.