*Note: sorry for yesterday, I uploaded a bet version of chapter 85 due to an error. I didn't check it the chapter, I usually check them but I didn't do yesterday... Well, here you have the true chapter 86 and sorry for the inconvenience.
Have a good day :)
...
When she heard that, Kari simply felt her heart start beating faster, but she didn't show it. She just kept a poker face so Akira wouldn't notice what she was truly feeling.
Throughout the afternoon, Kari had managed to get used to Akira's presence and no longer act so shy when she was around him—but that was only when there were other people present. She didn't know what would happen if they were left alone together.
To be honest, Kari had never been interested in romance. Her only interactions with men were with her father and her brother, as one might expect. Because of their close relationship, some jealous classmates once spread a rumor that Kari had a brother complex, but that rumor was quickly crushed by her fan club. Yes—Kari had a fan club, just like Mikan, Sachie, and Mami.
Anyway, since Kari had never been interested in romance and had never interacted with a boy for that long—other than her father and brother—she couldn't quite understand what was happening to her. Although she seemed calm on the outside, her heart was pounding hard as she looked at Akira's face, a face she thought looked as if it had been sculpted by the gods (at least from her point of view). Could she have fallen in love at first sight? But this isn't a manga—love at first sight isn't real... right?
As Kari struggled with her feelings, she gripped her small whistle tightly in her hands—a clear sign of nervousness that Mikan immediately noticed. Kari was one of her best friends: smart, honest, cheerful, caring, and always ready to help others. But she also had one little quirk—she loved teasing her friends. Of course, her jokes were harmless and never meant to hurt anyone. They were just friendly teasing among close friends. So when Mikan saw Kari acting so nervous, she didn't want to miss the chance to tease her and get some playful revenge for all the times Kari had made fun of her before.
Mikan wasn't stupid, and she could tell that Kari felt something for Akira—but she didn't mind. In fact, since Akira already had a harem, she didn't see any problem with him winning over her three best friends too. That way, they could all become real sisters. Besides, she wanted to introduce them to Yami, whom she had recently grown very close to and was sure they would get along with. That's why Mikan didn't care if Kari eventually became part of Akira's harem. Akira already had five women, including Mikan herself. So what difference would three more make? And honestly, wouldn't it be better if those three were her best friends? The answer was obvious.
As for whether she felt jealous—the answer was equally obvious: yes. Mikan did feel jealous whenever she saw Akira being affectionate with other girls. But… what could she do? Akira already shared deep bonds with Lala, Yami, Momo, and Nana, and those ties could never be broken. Besides, she was the last one to join his harem and had no right to interfere with the relationships Akira already had before she came along. Not every girl was like Lala, Yami, Momo, or Nana, who didn't feel jealousy toward the others because polygamy was completely normal throughout the galaxy. For human women, it was perfectly normal to feel jealous if your man was too close to another woman—or vice versa—since harems were considered "abnormal."
"If Kari-san doesn't mind, I wouldn't mind walking her home," – I said.
Miss an opportunity like this? Only a fool would. Is she a kid? Obviously—but you can't waste opportunities; you have to plant seeds to harvest them later.
"Y-You can just call me Kari. And I don't mind if you come along. In fact, I'd appreciate it. Mikan-chan's right—there have been a lot of perverts around lately," – said Kari shyly.
Being as smart as she was, Kari saw right through Mikan's teasing intentions and tried to counterattack, though her attempt didn't seem very effective.
"All right then. I'll leave you two. Rito should be home any minute, and I need to make dinner. Luckily, we don't have any homework today, so I'll be able to rest," – said Mikan.
The girls and Akira had already helped her clean up before leaving, something she greatly appreciated.
"See you tomorrow, Mikan," – I said.
"See you tomorrow, Mikan-chan," – said Kari.
"See you both tomorrow," – replied Mikan.
She turned to go inside, but before closing the door, she looked at Kari with a mischievous grin.
"And enjoy your little night walk," – said Mikan.
Kari blushed all the way to her ears, but before she could say anything back, Mikan closed the door, leaving her alone with Akira.
"Well, we should get going. I don't know where your house is, so I'll just follow you," – I said.
"Okay," – Kari nodded.
Then both of us began walking in the opposite direction from where my house was located.
For several minutes, neither of us said a word. We simply walked in silence, unsure of what to say.
On my end, I was trying to figure out how to approach Kari considering her age. With the other girls—Lala, Yami, Momo, and Nana—it had been easy to get close since they were all my age or close to it. But Kari was different. Being just eleven years old, I had to be careful not to cause misunderstandings or unnecessary trouble. As for Mikan, she doesn't count—she was the one who confessed first and made the first move, so I didn't have any issues with her. But Kari… Kari was different.
Even though we had grown closer throughout the afternoon, she was still acting very shy around me. I'm not stupid—I've noticed the expressions she makes when she looks at me, so I can tell she's starting to feel something. But… what if I'm misinterpreting her behavior? Nobody's perfect, and it's possible my assumptions are wrong, which could make things awkward. That's why I didn't know how to talk to her.
Besides, Kari had been one of my favorite characters from *Digimon Adventure*—in fact, my first waifu. Back then, I was thirteen, watching *Digimon Adventure 02*. I liked the younger Kari too, but when I saw the teenage version, I fell in love instantly. That's why I didn't know what to say to my "first love" now that she was standing in front of me. Sure, back then she was just an anime character—a drawing on a screen—but at thirteen, I was just a lonely kid. I didn't start making friends until I was fourteen, and back then, I was completely on my own. Only when I started sharing my love for anime and manga did I begin to find people who accepted me.
As for Kari, her silence came from a completely different reason. Normally, she was calm, observant, and very sociable. Kari was never shy—she could talk to anyone depending on the situation. But with Akira, it was different. Ever since meeting him, she had practically lost her voice. Words refused to come out, her face blushed easily, and her heart pounded every time she looked at his face. Spending the entire afternoon with him hadn't helped—it had only confirmed that Mikan hadn't exaggerated. Everything she said about him was true, which only made things worse.
"Why can't I just start a conversation? Come on, Kari, you can do this! You can talk to anyone! So why can't I say a single word when I look at Akira?" – Kari thought.
After a while, she finally realized what was happening. The truth was that Kari had fallen in love at first sight. She didn't know how or why, but she couldn't deny it anymore. Ignoring or denying her feelings wasn't her style—she preferred being honest. There was a time when she was shy and found it hard to express herself, but thanks to her beloved brother, she overcame that and became much more sociable. Her brother was her role model, and she loved him deeply—platonically, of course.
"I have to do it! I'm going to say it!" – thought Kari.
Akira had the same thought at the exact same time.
"This!" – we both said in unison.
"Go ahead," – I said.
"No, you first," – said Kari.
"Hmm… I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed meeting you today. You were all very kind and understanding. Mikan's lucky to have friends like you," – I said.
I decided to compliment her while using Mikan as an excuse, easing into it slowly so she wouldn't take it the wrong way.
But far from being offended, Kari only heard the word "enjoyed." Everything else faded into the background. Did he feel the same way she did? But they had only just met—becoming a couple right away was unthinkable. Besides, Akira had a harem, and she wasn't sure he'd be interested in her, especially with Mikan around, who she believed was much prettier than her.
"Uh… are you okay?" – I asked curiously.
Kari didn't respond—her face was red as a tomato. What did I say? I just complimented her a little, using Mikan as the focus. It seemed like a solid plan to get closer… So why was she blushing like that?
"Ah, no, I just—!" – Kari tried to explain.
But in her nervousness, she didn't notice the rock in her path—something she normally would've avoided easily—and she tripped. Just before she could hit the ground, I caught her.
"Are you okay?" – I asked.
At that moment, our eyes met, locking onto each other. Time seemed to stop as we stared in silence.
Looking at her up close, I realized this loli had the same face as my first waifu—the one I'd fallen for as a kid. Although my waifu had been a teenager, this version of Kari looked almost identical, which left me momentarily stunned.
As for Kari, being held in Akira's arms made her feel like a princess in a fairy tale—or the heroine of a romance manga. The heroine stumbles, and just before she falls, the protagonist catches her with his strong, protective arms, saving her from harm—and winning her heart in the process.
Feeling that way, with her face so close to Akira's, her emotions overflowed. Her heart raced wildly, her cheeks burned, and a wave of warmth spread throughout her body.
They stayed like that for a few seconds, eyes locked, and perhaps due to the heat of the moment or the romantic atmosphere, their faces began to move closer together. Kari closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss, but suddenly—
"Sorry to interrupt your romantic moment, but I'd like to ask you something," – said a voice out of nowhere.
Upon hearing that voice, both of us quickly stepped apart.