Chapter 23: Chapter 22: A Chaotic evening

Arawi Kenji:

   I opened the door and called my guests inside. There were five people: Tanaka, Kouta, Sakura, Minamoto and Yakishiro. While Tanaka and Kouta certainly came here to watch the match, Sakura and Minamoto came here only to be with Tanaka. However I'm not sure about Yakishiro. 

   I know Yakishiro Remon. She talks a lot about everything. She can be described as a tomboy but that is also kind of cute. 

   "What took you so much time to open the door?", Tanaka asked.

   "N-Nothing. I was just in washroom. Please enter, you all."

    I guided all of them towards the drawing room. Meanwhile Yakishiro came near me and murmured, "It would have been better if you invited Sui-chan as well."

   "Eh? W-Why so?"

   She grinned and said, "Don't pretend to be uninformed. I know she likes you and I guess you like her too."

   "W-Well... You're spot on about the second part."

   "Oh~ ho~ So you should've invited her really."

   "Yeah I guess..."

   Wait a minute, if I just have invited her that time, it would have solved the problem! She didn't have to hide in that case! I'm an absolute idiot!

   *Ding Dong*

   "Huh? Who is that now?"

   I opened the door again and saw another of my classmates. It's none other than Anjou, Kouta's girlfriend. 

   "Anjou?"

   "Please come outside for a moment."

   I guess the others don't know about her coming here.

   "Yeah what's the matter? Come inside if you want."

   "A-Actually I want to request you something, Arawi. I know it's childish of me. I feel a little insecure after all."

   "Hm?"

   "I-I want you to keep an eye on Kouta... I mean there are lots of girls so you know... I feel so insecure it's embarrassing."

   Yeah that's really a bit insecurity. However I can't blame her.

   "Oh... but then you can join us too."

   "B-But I don't want to disturb you also. I know you didn't like when others wanted to join as well."

   That is one of the reasons why I respect her. In fact apart from Amano-san, Anjou might be only girl of my friend circle who actually cares about other people's privacy. 

   "Don't worry.", I smiled and said. "As you can see, there are already so many people. It would not matter if you join here too."

   "Is that so? Then can I come?"

   "Of course! Please enter!"

   "Thank you so much."

   Kouta was obviously surprised when he saw her. 

   "Huh? Why are you here, Anjou?" (Kouta)

   "Do you perhaps NOT want me to be here?" (Anjou)

   "W-Why are you speaking like that? You're scaring me!" (Kouta)

   "Wow so we are basically full house here. Where do we sit by the way?" (Sakura)

   "Tanaka and his two heroines sit on the sofa, the rest of us will sit on the floor." (Kenji)

   "Oi! Why are you... I mean I want to sit with my bros after all." (Tanaka)

   "Nah, Tanaka-kun. You'll sit with me. I can always let you do naughty stuff with me." (Arisa)

   "W-What are you talking!?" (Tanaka)

   "D-Don't hear her Tanaka-kun! She's an evil! B-But if you really want to do naughty stuff, I'm always here." (Rin)

   "You two please shut up!" (Tanaka)

   In front of the sofa, there was a small table, and in front of it, was the TV. The rest of us sat on the two sides of the table - Kouta and me on one side, Yakishiro and Anjou on the other. There was still 20 minutes left for the match to start.

   "So, which team do you support, Tanaka-kun?" (Arisa)

  "We all support Barcelona here." (Tanaka)

   "Oh ho. You don't even know what team Tanaka-kun supports? What a pity!" (Rin)

   "Do you know what type of secret fetishes Tanaka-kun has? Because I know very well." (Arisa)

   "WHA! How did you know Tanaka-kun's fetishes? Did you say to her yourself, Tanaka-kun? Tell me too then." (Rin)

   "You two... please stop... I'm gonna cry." (Tanaka)

   So as usual those three were having a lot of fun. However I had to correct a mistake.

  "Wait, I don't support Barcelona, Tanaka. I'm an Atletico Madrid fan.", I said.

   "That's basically same thing, Kenji." (Tanaka)

   "Huh? How is that same thing?" (Kenji)

   "If you're an Atletico Madrid fan, you will obviously want Real Madrid to lose. So you're more or less a Barcelona fan today." (Tanaka)

   I couldn't argue with that logic. He was spot on.

   "Is it true? Then I think I'm the only Real Madrid fan here." (Remon)

   "Really?" (Kenji)

   I was actually surprised to know she was genuinely interested in the match when she asked to come.

   "Yes. And I can't wait to see all of your faces when we win this match." (Remon)

   "In your dreams lol." (Kouta)

   "Umm... by the way... I'm feeling a little bit cold sitting on the floor." (Anjou)

   "Ah I'm sorry. I have some carpets. Will you sit on them?" (Kenji)

  "Yeah that would be good." (Anjou)

  "Okay. I'll bring them!" (Tanaka)

   Tanaka probably wanted to get away from the two girls, so he volunteered to bring the carpets. He then stood up and went towards... THE BEDROOM!

   "WAIT!!"

   "Huh? What happened Kenji?"

   I ran towards him and stood in front of the bedroom door.

   "Why are you going towards my bedroom?"

   "Eh? Because the carpets are there, right? I know because I came here before."

   Yeah I got it. Both of my friends usually come here to have fun. So they basically know everything about my home. However things have changed by now.

   "Y-Yeah. But I'll bring them. You just sit there and enjoy haha."

   "It's okay I'll bring them."

   "No it's my room so I'll bring them. YOU JUST SIT THERE."

   I forced him to go back to his seat. Then I slowly tapped the door twice just to inform her that it was me. She opened the lock and I entered the room and immediately closed the door.

   "Damn. That was close call. Tanaka almost got here."

    "I see.", Amano-san replied with a worried face.

    When I came out with the carpets, I was bombarded with some weird questions. 

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   "What's the matter, Kenji? You never stopped me entering there before." (Tanaka)

   "It's really nothing!" (Kenji)

   "I'm sure there were some lewd books. Fufu..." (Rin)

   "My my, how many lewd books were there, Arawi?" (Remon)

   "Kenji, if really that's the case, then can I take a peek too?" (Kouta)

   "Did you say something, Dear?" (Anjou)

   "N-Not really!" (Kouta)

   "You all just shut up and watch the match! It's already begun." (Kenji)

   While the match was going on, there were finally some peace. Everyone's attention was on the match. But at that moment, I saw Yakishiro slightly grinning and messaging someone on her phone.

   In the exact same time, I too got a message on my phone - from Amano-san?

   <Don't sit too close to Remon.>

   Eh? I was not sitting close to her. She was in fact sitting on the other side of the table.

   <She is sitting on the other side. I'm not close to her.>

   I sent the message and waited for her response. 

   At that moment the door bell rang again.

   *Ding Dong*

   "I think it's the pizza delivery man. I'll go and bring them."

   I had ordered eight pizzas. I put seven of them on the table for us.

   "Huh? What is that extra pizza for, dude?" (Tanaka)

   "I-it's for me of course! I love pizzas. So I'll just keep it for later." (Kenji)

   I took that pizza with me to my bedroom. 

   

Amano Suiren:

   I looked at my phone again. It was Remon who sent me that message. 

   <Arawi is sitting so close to me! I hope you're not jealous, Sui-chan? It would have been more fun with you.>

   However, Arawi-san denied that he was anywhere close to her. Well, Remon was probably teasing me after all. She always does that.

    However I really can't take that girl for granted. If there's one girl that I fear, it's Remon. On the top of that, she did say she liked him before. However she promised that she wouldn't go after him.

   At that moment there came two taps on the door. I knew it was Arawi-san. I opened the door and he entered with a packet of pizza on his hand.

   "Here. It's for you."

   "Oh. Thanks."

   "Hey why are you pouting?"

   I didn't answer him. He came close to me and started patting my head.

   "I don't get your message. I'm not sitting near Yakishiro. How did you think that?"

   "I was mistaken then... I'm sorry."

   "No it's okay. I'm leaving now."

   

Arawi Kenji:

    I didn't get why she was so sad at that moment. To be honest I myself didn't like any of this. I just want this to end as quickly as possible. 

   After leaving her, I went to my seat beside Kouta. He was concentrating on the match. The half time was approaching fast, and the scoreline was still 0-0.

   So nothing remarkable happened yet in this game. However something remarkable was about to happen here.

   Kouta whispered to me,

   "Kenji..."

   "Yeah?"

   "You're hiding something, right?"

   "W-What... are you saying?"

   "Something's fishy going on here."

   "Why are looking at me as if I'm a criminal?"

   "I hope you're not a criminal, my friend."

   "S-Seriously what are you saying?"

   "Tell me the truth. I'm your best friend, right?"

   "I'm really telling the truth here."

   "Perhaps I myself have to explain you."

   Kouta looked at me like detective looks at a suspect. He continued to speak quietly so that only I can hear them.

   "At first, you didn't let Tanaka to enter the bedroom. We had come here just a month before. You usually don't deny entry to your bedroom to us. Then you went to your bedroom with that extra pizza. According to you, that pizza was for you. However, as far as I know, you are not a heavy eater and you don't really like pizza that much."

   "W-What all of these suggest?"

   "Nothing. However when you went outside to bring those pizzas from the delivery man, I went towards your bedroom and put my hand on the door handle. And it was locked from inside... That perhaps suggests something inside that room. More accurately someone."

   "T-That's bullsh*t. Don't try to be Sherlock Holmes here!"

   "So you won't tell me?"

   "....No."

   "Okay then, I'll find out myself."

   "Wait, what are you going to do?"

   Kouta suddenly stood up and mute the TV. Everyone was surprised by this. But he didn't reply them. He stood there and took a deep breath. And then he shouted, 

   "Kenji! What happened to you?! Look everyone! He has fainted! Call a doctor!"

   "Eh?" was probably the reaction of all of us. But just two seconds later, the door of the bedroom opened. 

   "Arawi-san!! What happened to him?! Where is he?! Is he...... EH?"

   I understood what happened now. But it's too late.

   "Eh......." (Tanaka)

   "Sui...chan...?" (Rin)

   "A girl in the room?" (Arisa)

   "Arawi... Sui-chan?" (Remon)

   "Kouta... what is this?" (Anjou)

   "Ladies and gentlemen! I present you, Ms. Amano. So care to explain now, Kenji? Currently there is half time going on the match. It will be 15 minutes break. You have 15 minutes to explain." (Kouta)

    I sighed and looked at Amano-san. She was looking at me with moist eyes.

  

[To be continued]