Futaba Rio's relieved attitude wasn't so much about her having faith in Futaba Rio herself, but rather about her believing in Rei Ao, that man who had entered her heart the first time they met.
Because she trusted him, she believed that Futaba Rio (the introverted "her") would be changed by him.
Although she couldn't see all that was inside her counterpart's heart, Rei Ao could sense Futaba Rio's calm acceptance and relief.
It seemed he'd have to use some methods today. He had no intention of letting the "little wife" he'd had his eye on for so long vanish for no reason.
So he stood up, gently ruffling Futaba Rio's hair with his big hand and said:
"From now on, you will never disappear again. I promise you that."
Futaba Rio hadn't yet processed such a serious assurance. By the time she came to her senses, Rei Ao was already gone, leaving only his retreating figure.
She touched the strands of hair where he had patted her, whispering anxiously, "A promise..."
Inside the art club, Eriri—was so upset she ruffled her hair in frustration.
Originally, she'd thought her passionate union with Rei Ao meant she'd found happiness that could last a lifetime. But suddenly, her mother dropped two shocking revelations on her.
1. Her "mom" wasn't actually her real mother.
When she first heard that, she was both stunned and filled with complicated emotions. But after a while, she was able to accept it—because whether or not this woman was her biological mother, the bond of mother and daughter between them was very real. Eriri didn't mind at all; she would forever see that person as her mom.
2. The second matter she absolutely, absolutely couldn't accept!
Her mom had also obtained "a future" ...and it was the same big "future" that Eriri herself had!
Like a thunderbolt, that flood of shocking information overwhelmed her. She'd never expected to see, in her own life, a situation similar to Takagi Saya from the chat group—the same kind of thing that had once been gossiped about.
For a moment, Eriri didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
On the one hand, she was happy she and her mother could stay together forever;
On the other, she was dismayed that she and her mother would be "sharing the same big future" with Rei Ao.
Eriri was frantic, not knowing how to face that kind of scenario.
And Mom told her she didn't mind at all, that everything still depended on Eriri's own choice.
What would her mom do if she (Eriri) did mind?
She didn't know. But she was sure her mom would yield to her in some way.
"Hmph, it's all Rei Ao's fault!"
Eriri was extremely angry. If he weren't such a twisted pervert, they wouldn't be stuck in this predicament.
"What am I supposed to do..."
She wanted to talk to someone about her troubles, but she didn't really have any friends. The only people close to her were Rei Ao and her mom.
"Hmph, I'm not gonna ask him for help!"
The thought of him, who would reap all the benefits of this situation, made her grind her teeth in fury. No matter what she decided, that perverted wolf would profit.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went on in her head—she thought of someone:
They'd met a few times, but they were both members of the chat group. Even if Eriri confided in her, it probably wouldn't spread all over the place, right? She could just private-message her in the chat!
She was desperate for someone to talk to about her gloom.
Eriri: "Ahem, Kasumigaoka-san, do you have a moment?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was resting her head on her desk, raised her head curiously. This "Eriri" was messaging her for... what reason? She felt they weren't exactly close. But they were groupmates, so she politely replied:
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Mm, Sawamura-san, is there something you need?"
Eriri: "Uh, I have a friend who has some issues and wants to gather some opinions."
Kasumigaoka Utaha lifted an eyebrow. That classic line: I have a friend who...
Eriri: "My friend just got into a mutual, 'they like each other' relationship with a boy she really likes."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Oh, how nice—mutual feelings are always worth celebrating."
Eriri: "Mhm, indeed. She was really happy."
Eriri: "But today, she ran into some extremely shocking trouble."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "How shocking?"
Utaha was intrigued. Love topics might spark creative ideas or new inspirations.
Eriri: "Well, just last night she and her boyfriend got very intimate. Then, early this morning, she hears two bombshell pieces of news."
Eriri: "First, she found out her mother isn't her real mom."
Kasumigaoka silently nodded. That's pretty sad news.
Just as Utaha was eager for more gossip, Eriri's words cut off. Ah, this is driving me nuts, Utaha thought. She sensed that the second piece was an even bigger bombshell. She didn't dare rush, though, only waited impatiently.
After a while, Eriri, having made a tough decision, couldn't hold back sharing her friend's secret:
Eriri: "She discovered that her boyfriend and her mom are also..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "..."
Even though Eriri didn't finish the sentence, Kasumigaoka Utaha already understood what it meant.
This is... unbelievably bizarre?
She suddenly felt this "friend of Eriri's" was pretty tragic.
Eriri: "What do you think she should do about a situation like that?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Uhh..."
Utaha had wanted just to hear a bit of gossip for writing inspiration, but she never imagined an ultimate, taboo-laced drama about "family ethics" and so on. She had no idea how to comfort this... friend.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Cough, so did your friend catch them in the act or something?"
Eriri: "Hmph, apparently her mom told her first thing in the morning."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "..."
Oh, wow. They're not even hiding it from her?
She felt Rei Ao—uh, the friend's boyfriend—was stepping into some insanely perverted territory. The chat group had had such precedent after all.
Eriri: "Utaha, in your opinion, what should my friend do?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyelids twitched. Eriri even changed how she addressed her—calling her "Utaha"—like they were buddies. She's basically treating Utaha like a confidante. Utaha wasn't thrilled. This was a huge emotional burden!
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