Chapter 34: CHAPTER 31: “Back into the fray”

- “Hey… John…”
 
- “Hm?”
 
- “I love playing Uno with you… Actually, I love playing just about anything with you… But shouldn’t you be studying? Your college entrance exams are rapidly approaching. I don’t want you to get behind-”
 
- “You trying to get rid of me already?” (Powdy wowdy voice).
 
- “WHAT?! No… What gave you that idea?”
 
- You’re always hanging out with everyone else, but you barely hang with me. Aren’t I, your best friend?!”
 
- “Of course, you are-”
 
- “I thought you came to Eagle High to be in the school that I was in, so we could hang out again. This is my last year here, we didn’t meet since we were kids, and I’m about to leave again, and I feel like we’ve barely interacted…”
 
- “That’s not it-”
 
- “We had a deal. You asked if you could set up chances to hang out between me and my other friends, to grow closer, and I agreed, but only if I could hang out with you…” (Tears in his eyes).
 
- “I know, and that hasn’t chan-”
 
- “We live under the same roof for heck’s sake, but it’s always, you with Gita, or you with Mattari, or you with Sanagi, or Shuzen… What happened with you and me huh?”
 
- “Nothing happened, I still want to han-”
 
- “If this were one of your stupid harem anime, I would be the protagonist’s best friend who is always forgotten after a couple of seasons, and fades into the background, in favor of more interaction with the girls!”
 
- “First of all, ‘ouch’, what I watch are rom-com anime’s, in which the protagonist ends up with one girl, and not many, contrary to 'harem', which is left either unresolved, up to interpretation, or he ends up with all of them. Second, they are not stupid, as some have cool plots. Third, if anyone was the protagonist of a harem or rom-com, it would be you, since girls are not pinning after me!”
 
- “I think I’m gonna just kidnap you and have you hang out only with me!” (Pouty voice).
 
- (Playful). “Don’t let Kiken hear you say that?”
 
- “What?” (Confused).
 
- “What?” (Paniked).
 
 
 
   Why do I feel like I’m suddenly on the route toward a bad ending?
 
 
- “…”
 
- “Anyway, if you truly feel like that, then let’s just keep playing.”
 
- (Smiles mischievously).
 
- “You just wanted to keep playing, didn’t you?”
 
- “Yep.”
 
- “…”
 
- “…”
 
- “HAHAHAHAHAHA”
 
- “HAHAHAHAHAHA”
 
 
    We were having fun. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do this. He might have been joking, but there is truth in what John stated, he has been so focused on shipping, reconnecting with Shuzen, and dealing with my love for Sanagi, that I haven’t had a chance to hang with Joh-
 

- “UNO!”
 

   Dangit…
 

<BLIN>
 

- “Oh man… And just when I was winning! I totally forgot! I had something to do today.”
 
- “What happened to us not being able to hang out much, eh John…” (Smirks).
 
- “Yeah… (Sighs sadly), but I had to do this first. And I can’t postpone…”
 
- “Don’t worry, I’m fine. We could always pull an all-nighter!”
 
- “You got it.”
 
 
   John got ready while I packed the cards away, and no I’m not counting him as the winner, if you don’t reach the end of the game, you simply don’t win. 
 
   Now, what to do? I have nothing to do today. I could always show up at work since my shift contract is of total flexibility, but I just had one that ended at 5 AM today…
 

<DING DONG>
 

Hm… Someone is at the door. Strange... John didn’t tell me he was expecting anyone, but he did tell me I was allowed to check the door if someone rang the doorbell.
 
   Walking towards it, I open it and feel an immediate aura of intimidation at who I see.
 
   It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. Kiken, objectively speaking (based on student opinion), is the second most beautiful girl in school. That charming yet eerie smile permanently engraved in her, was ever present at this moment, as she looked down on me. Thankfully, as intimidating and eerie as she is in the moment, I feel no hostile intent, so I can allow myself to calm down.
 

- “Hello Kiken, it’s been a while.”
 
- “Yep, it has, how are things going?”
 
- “John’s not home.”
 
- “Read right through me, huh…” (Smiles genuinely).
 
- “Yep…” (Smiles genuinely).
 
- “But don’t worry, I already knew, I wouldn’t be here if he was still home.”
 
- “I can’t let you in…”
 
- “I know that I’m not here for that… I wanted to ask if you could help me plan something with John.”
 
 
   There was no way to hide my giddiness. It’s time to get my shipping on.
 

- “Sure thing, where do we plan? In the open?”
 
- “Nop… In my place!” (Eerie smile).
 
 
…
 

   Going to a ‘yandere’s’ home. One that has arranged for students to disappear. One on which I have no evidence to incriminate. One who has shown the power to go over authoritative figures to get what she wants. Too many red flags have been triggered, and no one in their right mind would accept going... But… I’m not everyone.
 
   Two reasons that keep me at ease, I know the love interest of this ‘yandere’ is not me, but rather my best friend, and secondly, I’m confident she hasn't forgotten all the methods we’ve worked on to control her violent tendencies in regards to her John obsession.
  As I enter her home, I can’t help but see how big her mansion is, as cliché as it sounds, she seems to be well off.
 

- “Make yourself at home, I’ll go fetch some tea, and you can watch as I make it if you have doubts.” (Smiles mischievously).
 
- “It’s ok, I’ll be on the couch…”
 
- “Sure thing, help yourself to some T.V. or something, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
 
 
     As I sit on the couch, I decide to look around seeing portrait after portrait, of whom I assume to be her parents. I see some pictures of Kiken, but not nearly as many as those of her parents.

 
- “I smell a cliché…” (Mutters).
 
- “So… You like Cho… Right…”
 
 
WHAT? Where did that come from? And how does she know?
 

- “I know because I keep tabs on you?”
 
- “What?”
 
- “Not like that… You are My beloved’s best friend. If something were to happen to you, he’d be really sad. True, that would give me chances to comfort him, but I rather he is happy. So that means I must protect you. That expression you made in your last interaction with her said it all." (Nonchalant).
 
 
   The feeling… That feeling is back. For some reason, the feeling that I am en route to a bad ending…
 

- “You were there?”
 
- “I think it’s better if we leave that part a mystery, don’t you agree Nio?”
 

    Sometimes I forget that Kiken is still Kiken, I may help her control her urges, so she can willingly avoid self-sabotage in her interactions with John. But I am not in this to change who these girls are, so Kiken is still Kiken. She must have heard me gulp because she giggled as she placed the tea in front of me, serving herself from the same cup, she served me, without adding anything to either. It’s like she can read my mind on the possible red flags when dealing with her personality.
 

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- “Won't your parents be mad that you invited a boy they don’t know while they aren’t present?”
 
- “As cliché as this might sound, they don’t care what I do. They know I can defend myself, (shows her knife), and that’s enough for them. They’re willing to bail me out of any mess I get in, they fund all my wishes, and gave me the authority to go over the authority…”
 
- “… I don’t… I don’t know how to feel about that…” (Worry).
 
- “Aww… That’s sweet. I can see why you’re my beloved’s bestie… But I’m rule-less… I have one rule. If at any point I do something bad enough, that their power can’t bail me out… I’m on my own.”
 
 
   She says this with a smile on her face. As if this were the most normal and obvious thing ever. Why is she telling me all of these personal details? Should I keep down this track of conversation? Or ignore my worries, and address the reason that she invited me here?
 

- “Your parents, they’re-”
 
- “Too busy to care… It’s not bad though, gives me more freedom regarding my pursuit of MY WONDERFUL! MY PRECIOUS, BELOVED JOHNNY! Ever since their argument with the Sanagi’s, it’s been work, work, work…”
 
- "Wait… The Sanagi’s? Ah… yeah… Sanagi is your cousin.”
 
- “Yep… She told you huh... She doesn’t like me.”
 
- “Yeah… She told me… Due to your ‘unique’ personality… Does your parent’s argument have anything to do-”
 
- “Nop… It was due to what I did to her…”
 
 
   Why do I keep asking this? This has nothing to do with helping her with John…

 
- “This does help me with John… If I open up with you about this stuff, maybe you’ll help me find more ways to control my urges and impulses of possessive instinct, that might scare John away rather than bring him into my warm embrace… OH JOHNNY, DON’T RUN AWAY… I LOVE YOU?!-”
 
- “Don’t lose yourself…”
 
 
   Can she read my mind? How did she know, I was wondering if this had anything to do with John.

 
- “You are far easier to read than you think Nio… Upon seeing your ability to read the feelings of others for your shipping purposes, I decided to learn how to read you, you know... In case you were considering to stop helping me (circles her knife holder with a finger), not that you ever would, or that I’d employ my methods, after all, I won’t backtrack my progress for stupid reasons like that, but giving you a 'wittle' scare might help keep you in line…” (Smiles).

 
   Thank gosh I’m not her love interest…
 

- “And you never will…”
 

Scary…
 

- “Anyway, you are probably wondering why she hates me so much. Cho, I mean.”
 
- (Nods).
 
- “I kidnapped her…”
 
 
…

 
{Outside the Gita residence}
 

   I haven’t been this happy before. I love Nio-chan. I want to spend all my days with him. To hold him close, go on dates like that day (excluding the fact that he felt sad before the date), hold hands, and greet each other with 'good morning' and 'good night'. Wake up with him, and maybe even kiss him. Yes definitely kiss him. I’ve never kissed a boy before, but I want it to be Nio-chan. Nio-chan being my first kiss, is all I could ask right now. I could barely hold the urge when we woke up after our sleepover, but I have to confess first, and I want it to be perfect. Sure… He could always say no, I’m not like Nio-chan, I can’t read people’s feelings, enough to know if I have a chance with him in love or not. I can understand if someone feels down, happy, jealous, angry… The basics, but love is not one of them. But even if the answer is no, I am confident our friendship won't die, and I’ll never know if I don’t ask. But I don’t want to give myself away until I have the perfect confession plan, a Nio-chan-worthy plan. That is the only reason I haven’t been able to hang with him as much, I doubt I’d be able to hide it.
 
   Ok, but enough thinking it is time to ask. Nio-chan’s parents don’t live here in Okinawa, but I feel like I need to ask for someone’s blessing. I thought to ask John since he is Nio-chan’s best friend, but based on what Nio-chan has said, and what little I’ve seen of him, he is wise in friendship, but dense in love. Might think I’m asking to date Nio-chan as friends. I need to ask someone that might understand.
 
   So, I’ll as Gita, his second-best friend.
 

…
 

Well, that happened. Our protagonist’s mission takes a backseat, as he attempts to learn more about his most dangerous ship, and what she has to do with the girl he loves. While said love prepares to ask for the blessing of the shipper’s second-best friend, to confess. What will our protagonist learn? How is he to help the dangerous Cyan-haired ‘yandere’, and how will the shy guitarist react to the blonde’s confession? Find out next on “Protagonist is a Shipper” part 3.

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