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“Sorry, Shuu, I ended up causing trouble for you,” Rir apologized once classes were over and we got ready to head home.

After she had introduced me as her boyfriend during lunch break, the boys present reacted in two ways. The first group showed intense jealousy.

“This damn guy!”
“So that’s why she lives at his place… gah!”
“I’m so jealous. He’ll get what’s coming to him!”

Those were some things they said.

The second group reacted in the following way:

“Yep, that’s how Shuu is.”
“Right. I knew it from the moment she said he saved her life. Only Shuu could do something like that.”
“Lady Ali and Lady Mika… and now Lady Fún. Shuu has a talent for seducing pretty women! From now on, we ought to call him the ‘Harem King¹‘!”

These guys predicted such a development. Many of them had been my classmates in middle school. It looked like quite a few girls also fell into that group.

And that idiot Hunkydorky ended up sticking me with the unflattering nickname “Harem King”. No matter how looked at it, that went too far.

“Then, shall we go home?”
“Yeah!”

Among the painful gazes of several boys, Rir and I left the school side by side.

Usually, I’d have judo club today. We met three times per week there, which didn’t feel that intense. But in the past… or rather last year, we participated in the inter scholastic tournament and won, so if you asked me, Gorilla Sensei (our instructor) was a capable teacher. He went for quality over quantity.

Anyway, there were no clubs today, so Rir and I could go home together. Normally, I’d go home with Ayumu and Mika on my days without club activities.

…This year’s inter scholastic tournament will be soon, but I guess it’ll work out.

“Going to school… studying and chatting with friends… and going home with my lover. And then coming home. Ah… this is bliss.”

Rir was holding my hand and hugging my arm.

“Right. Well, this will be common from now on… I guess. I’ll make sure you have fun.”
“Heh-heh-heh, will you, now? I’m looking forward to it, but try not to overdo it, will you?”
“Sure.”

A short time later, we arrived at the café close to the train station Rir had noticed this morning. It didn’t look unusual from the outside, but as for its interior… Maybe since there were so many students around here, they gathered cute accessories and furnishings to attract the attention of young people.

Rir and I entered the store. We then sat down at a small table for two people that an employee recommended to us.

“There are lots of cute things!”
“Right? I heard they pick stuff popular among high school girls to exhibit.”
“Is that so? Are these Dakko Chan dolls²?”
“Dakko… Chan dolls?”
“Woof, you don’t know them? They apparently used to be popular in Japan.”

I mean… I heard ’bout ’em… I dunno. They’re from before Mom’s generation… or even earlier.

“Nah, I never saw those.”
“Huh. Well, if you don’t know them, then that’s it. Let’s order something.”

Rir opened the menu while smiling.
In the end, her tone of voice is different when she talks to Mika and me compared to when she talks to others.

“I’ll go with a blend.”
“Same here… ‘Scuse me!”

We ordered our coffees from an employee, who brought it just a few minutes later. Then, Rir and I had a conversation typical for high schooler couples.

“I was the target of attention all day long today.”
“I think that’ll stay the same for this week.”
“Say, Shuu… can I ask you something weird?”
“What’s up?”
“Am I… cute?” she asked, fidgeting as her face turned slightly red.
“What, didn’t I tell you that all the time?”
“Ah, well… you did. But today, everyone said that. Look, I have good ears, too, so I heard quite a few boys mutter that I’m cute.”

I see… it’s true that some people in our school look way too pretty (mainly Mika), so people often comment on others’ appearance. Rir probably heard those comments.

“It’s true, so try to be more confident.”
“All… all right. I’m glad that you don’t find me unsightly. You saying that makes me happy.”

She took a sip of the coffee (she drank it black).

“On the contrary, there are now people sayin’ that I drag you down.”
“Woof~!? You don’t!” she exclaimed angrily after taking another gulp of her coffee. “Why would they even think that you drag me down!? That would be impossible!”
“Th-Thanks for sayin’ that.”
“Awoo! Obviously!”

Maybe me stroking her head calmed her down, as she happily narrowed her eyes. Wasn’t she acting a bit too dog-like?

“Alright, shall we go home?”
“You good now?”
“Woof.”

Rir seemed to be satisfied after we finished drinking our coffees. After paying and leaving the shop, we walked home while holding hands without a care in the world.

1. The original is ハーレム大魔王 (“Harem Great Demon King”). I decided to shorten it a bit.
2. Dakko Chan Dolls (orig. 抱っこちゃん人形) are inflatable blackface dolls that were popular in Japan in the 1960s. And yes, they are super racist.

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