Noticing the situation, Ringo pouted, feeling just a little sad.
She had originally been supposed to watch this movie with her boyfriend too.
Although Dazai had suddenly been called away for work and there was nothing anyone could do about that, so she wasn’t angry…
It was impossible to say she didn’t mind at all.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Yamamoto was still looking at his phone, so she quietly took out hers and checked it as well.
There were no messages from Dazai.
Unable to stop herself from feeling disappointed, Ringo put her phone away and quietly ate her popcorn.
Yamamoto also seemed strangely busy. He didn’t put away his phone until two minutes before the movie started.
Seeing that made Ringo feel even heavier.
Did I end up causing Big Brother Takeshi trouble…? QAQ
Preoccupied with her thoughts, Ringo remained distracted throughout the entire movie. Even though it was a genre she genuinely liked, she barely paid attention to it. Yamamoto, on the other hand, watched with great interest and still looked reluctant for it to end when the credits rolled.
“That was a really good movie,” Yamamoto said as they walked out. “The story was excellent.”
“Ah… yeah.”
Since she hadn’t really watched it, Ringo could only respond guiltily.
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“Hm?” Yamamoto looked puzzled. “Why do you say that?”
Ringo lowered her head, nervously twisting her fingers together.
“Because… you seemed really busy. You were looking at your phone the whole time before the movie started, so…” She looked dejected. “It felt like I was causing you trouble.”
“What are you talking about?” Yamamoto said dismissively. “I was delivering things your mother asked me to bring you, and you treated me to a movie. Doesn’t that work out perfectly?” He smiled. “Thanks to you, I even got to take a little break. I was looking at my phone because people in our work group chat were arguing, so I was just watching the drama. Hahaha.”
Come to think of it, he had actually been the one who started that drama.
After wrapping up the business with the Port Mafia, Yamamoto had posted an update in the Vongola Guardians group chat.
Yamamoto: I met with Boss Mori of the Port Mafia. The discussion went pretty well.
Tsunayoshi: Ahhh, thanks for your hard work, Yamamoto!
Yamamoto: Hahaha, it wasn’t too bad. I’m getting ready to watch a movie now.
Gokudera: What? A movie? Who gave you permission to watch a movie? I’ve barely accepted that you’re the Tenth Boss’s other right-hand man, and after finishing your mission, instead of reporting back to the Tenth Boss immediately, you’re going to watch a movie? That’s outrageous!
Lambo: Aren’t you being way too controlling?
Gokudera: Should I be like you instead, loafing around all day and never doing any real work?!
Gokudera: You’re the Tenth Boss’s greatest hidden danger!
Lambo: ? Why are you suddenly making this personal? I didn’t do anything to any of you!
Mukuro: Kufufu… The Vongola is fighting amongst itself. Excellent. Now it can be destroyed.
Tsunayoshi: Mukuro, don’t make things worse!
[System Message: Kyoya Hibari has left the group chat.]
[System Message: Tsunayoshi Sawada has invited Kyoya Hibari back to the group chat.]
Since the movie was about to begin, Yamamoto hadn’t bothered reading the messages after that.
Ringo’s eyes widened slightly as she looked up at him.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
Yamamoto’s expression was utterly sincere.
Only then did Ringo finally relax, a smile appearing on her face.
“That’s good!”
The two of them chatted as they walked outside.
Yamamoto rubbed his chin, frowning slightly as his expression suddenly turned serious.
“By the way, did you notice something in the movie?”
“W-What?”
Ringo’s heart instantly leaped into her throat, and she swallowed nervously.
She’d been too distracted by her own thoughts to pay attention to the movie at all.
Can you even ask a question like that…? QAQ
“Even though it was only in the background for a split second, during that baseball game playing on the TV, that batter almost hit a home run!” Yamamoto lamented dramatically. “What a shame!”
Ringo: “…”
“Big Brother Takeshi… I think you’re the only one who would notice something like that.”
Yamamoto blinked blankly.
“Huh? Really?”
“Really!”
Good. It looked like she wasn’t dwelling on what happened earlier anymore.
Smiling, Yamamoto looked at Ringo.
“It’s getting late. Want to have dinner together? I’ll drive you home afterward. I don’t know Yokohama very well, so you can recommend somewhere.”
“Sure!”
After dinner, Yamamoto drove Ringo back to her apartment.
She rented a small apartment near her university and lived there alone.
Ringo’s mother had sent her quite a lot of things—enough to fill three large bags.
Feeling bad about making Yamamoto carry everything, Ringo volunteered to take one of them herself.
She tried lifting it with both hands.
She immediately put it back down.
…How embarrassing.
“I’ll carry them.”
Yamamoto effortlessly picked up all three bags with one hand before casually closing the car door.
“You lead the way.”
“Okay!”
When they reached the apartment she rented, Ringo searched through her backpack for her keys.
Just then, the neighboring apartment door opened, and a head of pink hair poked out.
“Ringo, you’re back?”
“Satsuki!”
Ringo’s eyes lit up.
“You’re home! Ah—”
As though suddenly remembering something, she turned to Yamamoto.
“This is my neighbor, and my best friend here—Satsuki Momoi.”
Yamamoto raised a hand in greeting.
“Hello. I’m Takeshi Yamamoto.”
“Ooh—”
Momoi sized Yamamoto up from head to toe before turning to Ringo with a mischievous grin.
“So this is your boyfriend? He’s really handsome!”
Not only handsome—he also looked calm and dependable.
He was nothing like the scumbag Ringo had described, the kind of boyfriend who showed up late, left early, and stood her up during dates!
“N-No, he’s not!”
Ringo frantically waved her hands.
“He’s the older brother who lived next door to my family back home. He came to visit me!”
After saying that, she instinctively looked at Yamamoto, worry filling her eyes as she wondered whether he would mind the misunderstanding.
“I came to Yokohama for work,” Yamamoto explained with a smile. “Her mother asked me to bring her some things while I was here. You’ve got the wrong idea.”
“Ah, sorry, sorry!”
Momoi hurriedly apologized.
“It’s just that this is the first time I’ve ever seen Ringo bring a guy home, so I automatically assumed you were her boyfriend.”
So he wasn’t.
Momoi couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”
Yamamoto’s bright smile never wavered, and he looked completely unconcerned, which finally put Ringo at ease.
Yamamoto didn’t stay long.
After carrying the bags inside for her and reminding her to lock her doors and windows that night, he prepared to leave.
“Oh, right.”
Just before leaving, he remembered something.
“The number I contacted you with today is my personal number. If you ever run into any trouble, give me a call. I know people in Yokohama too, so I can help you sort things out.”
Ringo obediently nodded.
“Okay.”
Though inwardly she thought, I probably won’t run into any trouble, right?
“Then I’m off.”
Grinning, Yamamoto ruffled Ringo’s hair.
“See you.”
Ringo blinked at him with an innocent smile.
“Bye, Big Brother Takeshi.”
She watched him leave before patting down her now slightly messy hair.
Did he pat my head because I’m already home and won’t be going out again, so it didn’t matter if my hair got messed up?
Thinking that, Ringo was about to close the door when Momoi, who had apparently already gone back inside, suddenly opened her own door again and raised an eyebrow at her with a teasing grin.
“Ringo—”
“Satsuki, do you want to come over?”
Unlike around strangers, Ringo never became socially anxious around her best friend, and she eagerly invited her inside.
“My mom probably sent me lots of tasty things!”
“I’m coming!”
Momoi had a bright, outgoing personality.
Since they lived next door to each other and were close friends, they often visited one another’s apartments.
After going inside, Ringo changed into comfortable clothes, and the two of them unpacked everything Ringo’s mother had sent.
It wasn’t just food.
There were also several new clothes.
“What’s this?”
Momoi pulled a stuffed animal out of one of the bags.
“Your mom even sent you this.”
“Huh?”
Ringo tilted her head.
“I do love stuffed animals, but why would Mom send me one?” She looked puzzled. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Looking at the pile of things spread all over the floor, Ringo covered her face.
“But… I think she still treats me like one.”
Resting her chin on one hand, Momoi said,
“I think that just means she loves you very much.”
She casually opened a bag of potato chips.
“By the way, I thought you’d come home by yourself after your boyfriend stood you up, so I came over after I finished what I was doing. I didn’t expect you to still be out.”
“Big Brother Takeshi happened to have time, and he was already delivering things to me, so I invited him to watch the movie with me,” Ringo said happily.
“At least the tickets didn’t go to waste!”
“Your boyfriend is awful.”
Momoi sounded indignant.
“So… are you and your Big Brother Takeshi childhood friends?”
Ringo thought about it.
“I guess? Before he started middle school, he used to take me out to play all the time.”
“Then hurry up and break up with your boyfriend and get together with your Big Brother Takeshi.”
Momoi spoke with absolute conviction.
“Childhood friends ending up together is only natural. When you two get married, I’ll give you a wedding gift of 100,000 yen.”
Wasn’t a mature, dependable childhood friend at least ten thousand times better than a boyfriend whose job she didn’t even know, who constantly disappeared without contact, and who even stood her up on dates?!
“Don’t say that.”
Ringo’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“I really like my boyfriend! Besides… Big Brother Takeshi probably already has a girlfriend.”
“Probably?”
Momoi munched on her chips.
“You don’t know?”
“We hadn’t been in touch for a long time. I was really surprised when he suddenly contacted me,” Ringo answered honestly. “He was already very popular with girls when he was in school. Now that he’s working and meeting even more people, he probably has a girlfriend.”
“Ah… I see…”
Momoi sighed.
Another day in which both her campaign to break up a couple and her matchmaking attempt had failed.
Ringo looked at her curiously.
“Satsuki, why do you look so disappointed?”
“I don’t.”
Momoi answered casually.
“By the way, what do you even like about your boyfriend?”
She had never met Ringo’s boyfriend herself, so she was naturally a little curious.
Ringo’s eyes sparkled.
“He’s really good-looking!”
“And?”
“Hmm… every now and then, he has a really cute side too.”
Just then, the phone on the table rang.
The moment Ringo saw the caller ID—Osamu—her entire face lit up.
“My boyfriend’s calling me!”