Rio listened in blank amazement, suddenly snapping back to reality. “Y-You said the seatmate killer thing was a farce! You lied to my face!” She yelled, her lips quivering.
“The seatmate killer will do anything it takes to win, even if it means lying.”
“I-I hate liars! I’ve told you this countless times before!”
“Heh, tough one, aren’t you? The struggle only makes it more satisfying.” Yui smiled, ignoring her vehement protests.
Rio was at a complete loss for words, staring blankly at Yui for a while before eventually mumbling, “Yui…” She covered her mouth as she fell onto her knees. “Why? why would you…” Tears poured out of her downcast eyes as she frantically shook her head. “Y-You don’t understand! I don’t deserve this! Us becoming seatmates was just a coincidence! A coincidence!”
“What’re you talking about? Everyone becomes friends by coincidence, that’s just how it works. You, coincidentally, had the misfortune of getting me as your seatmate, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”
Rio began weeping as if something inside her had erupted all at once, her shoulders bouncing up and down.
Yui crouched down beside her, placing a hand on her back. “Sorry, Rio.” She softly whispered. “I’m not a harem expert, you see. I have trouble tracking multiple flags at once, so I can get a little short-sighted sometimes. I had no idea you were having lunch all by your lonesome. Even now, I’m not sure why you’re so angry at me.”
“I’m not angry! It was all my fault from the very start! All of it!”
“It can’t all be your fault, that’s absurd. Don’t say stuff like that.”
“No, it is! I snitched on him because I wanted attention from my teacher! I didn’t care if it was right or wrong, all I cared for was the praise! I’m the real liar! I’m the very thing I hate most!” Rio lowered her head and began wailing. Yuuki could’ve never imagined her breaking down this bad.
Yui froze up, having seemingly lost track of the conversation.
Yuuki stopped thinking, deciding to move instead. He leaned over, giving her a gentle pat on the head almost on instinct. “It’s okay, I know you’re the best, Rio. I don’t think there’s any need for you to get so hung up on this. Remember how you helped Mina out? That reminds me, I forgot to thank you for the notes. Thanks, Rio.”
“No, I’m not. I’m…” Rio shook her head in denial.
This reminded Yuuki of his sister.
“But you have to be upfront with us. We’re not mind readers, you know?” Yuuki said to Rio just as Mina had said to him that day, smiling.
Rio stared back at him, a glimmer of hope in her eye. “Exactly, everyone hates me because I’m not upfront. I’m not strong. I’m weak, hopelessly weak. So I run, telling myself I can get by on my own, telling myself everyone else is wrong. But in reality I... I can’t stand the loneliness.”
“I see.” Yuuki nodded, continuing to gently pat her.
Eventually, little by little, Rio’s ragged breathing went back to normal. Rio timidly lifted her head up, gazing at Yuuki with puffy eyes. “You’re... not mad? Even after all the horrible things I said?”
“I figured you were under some weird misunderstanding. Besides, I’m used to oddballs.” Yuuki shot Yui a glance, getting a confused look back. “Also, you keep using the word weak but you’re the seatmate breaker, remember? Even your nickname is powerful.”
“Not again. You never did explain what it means…”
“The seatmate breaker smiles when her seatmate least expects it, melting their heart through the power of contrast, you know, with her usual scary self.” He said, smiling.
Rio’s gaze softened, her watery eyes faintly glistening.
As they stared at each other, Yui suddenly shoved Yuuki aside, stealing his spot. She also slapped his hand away, proceeding to pat Rio’s head herself. “I’m telling you, your smile is moe character tier cute, Rio. Or should I say, seatmate... break, was it? Seatmate giga drill break.”
“No, it’s seatmate breaker.” Yuuki immediately corrected her, only to be pushed away.
“I want you to be upfront with me, Rio. I’m not a mind reader, you know? I promise I won’t get mad or anything.”
And have his line partially plagiarized.
Rio, nonetheless, did just that, as if she had been offered salvation. “You never notice how much effort I put in learning about the things you enjoy. When you find out I’m better than you at something, you just happen to lose interest all of the sudden.”
“I see... Sorry.”
“You do this sneaky thing where you say ‘hope you’re not mad’ when flaking on me. You constantly lie about the smallest of things. You brute force lame, grade school level puns all the time.”
“I feel you.”
“The way you touch me feels oddly inappropriate. You look at my legs weird. You sound and act like a middle aged man sometimes. You suck at video games. You–”
“I understand. I understand completely.” Yui wrapped her arms around Rio, attempting to bring her avalanche of complaints to a premature close.
“Hear out to the end, come on.” Yuuki said.
“I’m already dead. Don’t overkill.” Yui glared at him.
Hit her where it hurts, it seems.
“Are you mad? Do you hate me?”
“What? No, why would I be?” Yui said with a smile. Although, judging by the twitch in her cheek, she was probably a teeny tiny bit angry. Rio started looking worried again and Yui appeared to have noticed. “It’s okay Rio. It’s okay. I was just playing it up, you know, for comedic effect, okay? L-Look, I’ve got just the thing for situations like these.” Yui got up, practically sprinted over to the sofa, and began rummaging through her bag.
“No, Yui. Don’t.”
Yuuki tried preemptively stopping Yui before she could,as expected of her, pull out her joke book. Yui froze up in a “don’t what?” face when the door suddenly came open and shut, a set of loud footsteps rapidly approaching the living room.
“You’re here already?!” Mina exclaimed the second she turned up.
She looked at Yuuki, then Yui, then finally Rio, crouching on the ground. “Cat-fight!” She abruptly yelled, putting her bag down and pulling out two separate boxes of sweets. “You’re mushroom-like so take this, Yui. Rio, you take this.” She said, shoving a box into their hands. Mina got in between the two as they tilted their heads in confusion, making an X with her arms. “Fight!”
“Enough.” Yuuki flicked her away.
Mina pouted, flaring up at him. “Oh, I see. You made Rio cry.”
“No I did not. Why is the bag full of balls?”
“Because it took me way too many tries to score this baby.” Mina pulled out one of the many gacha balls inside the bag. “Look Rio, cleft chin panda! Isn’t it lovely?” She said, waving a tiny animal figure in front of Rio. Rio hastily wiped away her tears but, before she could respond, Mina peered into her face. “You don’t look so good, Rio. Allow Mina to lift your spirits with an amusing gag!”
In an unexpected twist, Yui suddenly had her role stolen.
Yuuki shot her a glance, only to see Yui with her arms cockily crossed. “I suppose I’ll let my disciple handle this one.”
“Yui has a cleft chin, athlete’s foot and hemorrhoids!”
“That’s just a bunch of insults thrown together! Remember, you’re trying to cheer Rio up!”
“Yue has hemorrhoids, a cleft chin and athlete’s foot!”
“You just switched the order around! That’s it, you’re officially expelled!”
“Fool, elder Rio was my master all along! I experienced nothing but negative growth under your wing, Yue!”
The two’s petty arguing soon devolved into a full out brawl.
“Rio and Yukkie have some nice chemistry.” Mina said, shoving Yui’s face back.
“S-So?”
“But it’s okay. Yukkie said they were just friends.”
“Friends?” It appeared Mina had kept his words from when Rio first came to visit in mind. Yui suddenly became very excited. “Friends. Hmm... yes, friends! Yes, that’s right, friends!”
“Okay Rio, that’s enough crying for one day. We’ve got a party to throw!”
Mina grabbed Rio’s arm, pulling her up to her feet. Rio appeared hesitant to cry in front of Mina, putting on a bashful smile.
“Says the crybaby.” Yui commented, laughing. Yuuki nodded, laughing along.