“Looking for a place to eat.”
“B-By yourself?”
“Do you see anyone else apart from me?”
Tension left her face in relief. “I-I see. We’re one and the same, you and I! Yes, one and the same! Ahahahahaha!” Rio burst out into a fit of maniacal laughter like some villainess.
That’s a little disturbing. He thought, when she suddenly snapped back to normal.
“Laugh, come on. Isn’t it hilarious?”
“I’m not your underling. It really isn’t that hilarious either.” Yuuki replied.
Rio slumped her shoulders, her energy completely depleted. She doesn’t seem very mentally stable either.
Setting Rio aside for a moment, Yuuki took in his surroundings.
The spot was in the shade, a cool breeze blew past every now and then, and, above all, it was quiet.
Concrete protruded right where Rio just was, making it perfectly sittable. Beside it sat a handbag and a half-empty bento box. Yuuki sat down and found it quite nice.
“What do you think you’re doing? I don’t remember giving you permission to sit there.” Rio gazed down at Yuuki, her arms crossed. It appeared solitary eaters were quite territorial.
Yuuki, however, had zero intention to fight. “Alrighty then.” He got up to leave.
“W-Well, I might consider it if you ask nicely.”
“It’s fine. Wouldn’t want to be a bother; You seem angry enough already.”
“A-Angry? I’m not angry! What makes you think I’m angry!?”
“You even sound angry.”
Rio made a weird face, like she was trying to put on a smile but failed miserably. “Just do as I say and I’ll give you an octopus sausage.” She said in a commanding tone.
“Yipee.” Yuuki sat back down on the concrete as told.
Rio sat down beside him, grabbing the almost empty bento box and holding it out. Yuuki fished out the sole surviving octopus sausage, tossing it in his mouth.
Rio smirked as she watched him enjoy it. “Heh, that makes us birds of a feather. Partners in crime, if you will. Disrespect me again and I’ll tell everyone you came here to eat by yourself like the loner you are.”
“So?”
How is that supposed to hurt me? If anything people’ll think you’re the weirdo for going around telling everyone that. Yuuki thought.
“What if I told Yui you ate lunch alone?”
“Y-You wouldn’t dare! How cowardly...” Rio glared at him like a captured female soldier.
I just thought I’d ask Yui to join you. Actually, why doesn’t she just ask her directly? Although, to be fair, it definitely isn’t easy to join a pre-existing friend group. She seems to enjoy eating alone either way, so who am I to interfere? I’m just happy I found a cool new spot.
“Okay, Rio, as thanks I’ll--”
“Stop right there. Who let you call me Rio?”
“Yui calls you that.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Yuuki thought she wouldn’t mind as they weren’t exactly strangers anymore.
“Ok, what should I call you then?”
“H-How should I know? Figure it out yourself.”
That doesn’t help.
After a bit, she added, “Well, I guess you could always just call me by my last name, as is standard.”
“You know the mass-produced MS Leo? The one that gets stronger when the protagonist pilots it?”
“No. What about it?”
Yuuki tried to lighten the mood, only to get the “call me that and you’re dead” eyes. “Rio it is.” Her face stiffened as if she wasn’t quite pleased.
But she’s all smiles around Yui. Yuuki thought, struck by a sudden flash of brilliance as he imagined them together.
“That reminds me. I have a cute picture of Yui.”
“Eh?”
He took out his phone, pulling up a cool picture of Yui she had sent him over Lime some time ago. Yuuki had it saved as he liked it quite a lot.
“What really makes this picture is the smile, that smug, detestable smile. You should give it a try yourself sometimes.”
“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”
“Everyone says the way you smile around Yui is cute.”
“H-Huh? Who is this everyone and why don’t they mind their own... How does anyone expect me to smile when I’m not having fun? Also, why do you have that picture?”
“Because she sent it to me? Actually, let me send it to you. Lime’s good?”
“L-Lime? Does that mean I have to add you to my friendlist?”
“How else would I send it?”
Why do you ask the obvious?
Rio’s gaze began to wander.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to.”
“F-Fine, since you want it so bad.”
She reluctantly pulled out her phone, taking seemingly forever to get ready. Her hands, shaking as if she was about to perform open-heart surgery, halted progress.
“No, tap that.”
“I-I know! I just forgot for a second.”
She’s so not used to this. Yuuki chuckled on the inside, despite fumbling just as much when he and Yui exchanged ID’s.
Eventually, the two managed to successfully friend one another.
“Who uses their full name? Newbie alert.”
“R I O. Pff.”
“Wh-What’s so funny? It’s completely normal! Whatever, just send it already!”
“On second thought, maybe I should ask for permission first.”
“P-Permission? N-No, you’re supposed to be discreet with these things...”
He ignored Rio’s rapid-fire mumbling, hitting Yui up. “Mind if I send Rio that picture of yours from before?”
He wasn’t expecting a quick response regardless, only to get one back almost immediately. “Noooooo way! I’ll kill you if you do! Delete it right now!”
“She said no way.”
“Wh-What? Why would she...”
“What a cheapskate, am I right?”
Why not just give her the picture? You sent it to me without a care.