Suzune poured tea for Ryunosuke and also sat on the tatami in front of him, her eyes staring straight at me.
"What business do you actually have coming here?"
Ryunosuke sipped the tea Suzune poured and praised inwardly. "Delicious tea!"
Suzune folded her arms across her chest and mercilessly exposed his lie. "That's cheap tea bought at the supermarket, just ordinary loose-leaf tea."
The corner of Ryunosuke's mouth twitched. "Do you have to insult me like that? Can't you cooperate with me just a little?"
"Hmph." Suzune snorted. "Too lazy to deal with you."
Ryunosuke put on an innocent face. "What did I do wrong to you that you treat me like this?"
"I'm always like this. If you don't like it, then leave." Suzune replied just as sharply.
Ryunosuke slumped over the table listlessly. "You're really difficult to deal with. If it weren't for your brother ordering me to look after you, I'd be too lazy to deal with you too."
Suzune's eyebrow raised. "How much money did you receive from my brother?"
Ryunosuke thought for a moment. "Maybe all of your brother's points after he graduates. Anyway, there's no point hiding it from you, you'll find out sooner or later."
Suzune's expression became complicated. "I'm troubling Nii-san again..."
Ryunosuke waved his hand. "It's natural for an older brother to help pave the way for his younger sister. Don't feel burdened."
Suzune rolled her eyes. "Of course you're not burdened, you're the one profiting. My brother's personal points must reach tens of millions, you're really making a killing, Akasaka-kun!"
*THUD!*
Suzune mischievously kicked Ryunosuke's leg from under the table.
"That hurts! Can you stop kicking me? Suzune~"
"I told you not to call me so familiarly, our relationship isn't that close!" Suzune glared fiercely and extended her leg again to kick.
Ryunosuke quickly caught her ankle to stop her action. "Alright, alright, stop kicking! I have something serious I want to talk about."
Suzune finally lowered her leg, combed her straight long black hair, and put on a haughty face. "Say what it is? If it's not important, please get out of my room."
Ryunosuke shortened the story and immediately explained about Kushida. Hearing that, Suzune's brow furrowed deeply, looking confused.
"Why does she want to be friends with me? Am I even close to her?"
If Kushida heard this answer, she would definitely vomit blood from frustration. Considering that "Miss Sweetheart" always tried to approach Suzune to prevent her middle school secrets from being exposed, it turned out Suzune didn't consider her existence at all.
Ryunosuke asked curiously, "Aren't you and her from the same middle school? You don't know her?"
"I know her, but I don't want to deal with her." Suzune answered bluntly. At that time she only focused on studying to chase after her brother's footsteps, where would she have time to deal with others.
Back in middle school, Kushida had tried to be friends with Suzune, but was always ignored and treated like air. Since then, Kushida knew that Suzune was a "tough bone to chew" and never looked for her again.
Ryunosuke actually laughed, making Suzune furrow her pretty eyebrows. "What are you laughing at?"
Ryunosuke immediately waved his hand, afraid of receiving a counterattack. "It's nothing, I just suddenly understand why you have no friends."
Suzune raised her leg again to kick. Ryunosuke immediately stood up, not wanting to play anymore. He opened the door and ran like lightning.
Watching him flee, Suzune took a deep breath and slammed the door hard—clearly she was emotional, and the door became her outlet.
While running out, Ryunosuke called Kushida to announce his failure.
On the other end of the phone, Kushida, who was twirling the phone cord, didn't say much. As if she had already predicted the result, she just nodded.
"I understand, Akasaka-kun. Thank you for trying."
Ryunosuke immediately got to the point. "Last time I made you cry, has your anger subsided?"
"Hehe~" Kushida laughed. Her laughter sounded very cheerful, but felt so cold... "If you hadn't brought it up, I almost forgot. You bullied me very badly back then, Akasaka-kun. How are you going to compensate me?"
Ryunosuke started acting shameless. "Didn't that just now count as compensation? My task is done, we're even."
Just as Kushida was about to respond, the phone was already hung up unilaterally. She froze for a moment. After realizing that Ryunosuke had really hung up on her, she gritted her teeth furiously, almost slamming down the phone receiver.
"Damn you Akasaka Ryunosuke! Just wait for my revenge! Don't think this matter is over just like that!!!"
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
"Hum hum hum~"
On the other side, Ryunosuke hummed softly, feeling happy to have escaped from the problem named Kushida. However, after walking only a short while, he encountered another problem.
It was Ichinose Honami.
The corner of Ryunosuke's mouth twitched.
Why so unlucky? What kind of luck is this today? But he still walked over resignedly and greeted her.
"Yo, what are you thinking about, Honami-chan?"
Honami, who was sitting on a park bench confused about how to reject a male student's confession, reflexively looked up when she heard Ryunosuke's voice, and her face immediately brightened.
"Akasaka-kun! What a coincidence to meet you here."
"Yeah, what a coincidence..." Ryunosuke also sat down next to Honami.
Honami didn't maintain any distance at all; she sat with him and chatted intimately without caring about gender differences. Perhaps because she was already used to their closeness.
After all, Ryunosuke had once done things far bolder than just sitting together, so to Honami, this felt ordinary.
Honami said in a slightly troubled tone, "Akasaka-kun, how do you reject someone's confession without hurting their feelings?"
Ryunosuke was stunned. Is this that plot development? Don't tell me it's Shiranami Chihiro?
He reflexively answered, "The person you mean... don't tell me it's a girl?"
Honami showed a surprised expression and covered her mouth. "Akasaka-kun is amazing! How did you know?"
Ryunosuke joked, "Because I'm the worm in your stomach, I know everything you're thinking."
He gently flicked Honami's forehead.
"Oww~" Honami let out a cute sound, pretending to be in pain while holding her forehead and saying with a pitiful face. "Akasaka-kun is bullying me again, I don't want to talk to you."
She turned her face away, pretending to sulk.
Ryunosuke chuckled and stopped teasing her. He asked seriously. "What kind of result do you want? Continue interacting normally as usual, or do you want to completely cut ties?"
Honami shook her head confusedly. "I don't know, but I want to be able to maintain a good relationship with her like before. Does Akasaka-kun have a good method?"
"Why do you think I have a method?"
"Because I think Akasaka-kun can do anything!" Honami looked straight at him, as if convinced that the other party was someone who had solutions for everything.
Ryunosuke spread his hands. "I'm not Doraemon with a magic pocket, don't place too much hope in me."
"Oh..." Honami showed a cute disappointed face, but Ryunosuke's next sentence immediately made her smile broadly.
"But I can try. Don't expect too much though."
"Excellent!"