242 I Want You to Drink with Me! (1/2)

A long period of silence fell between them.

”Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Mika felt embarrassed when her two friends stared at her, dazed, and her face flushed even redder.

”Do you want us to say anything?” Seiji asked after he'd returned to his senses.

”Of course, this... was obvious, wasn’t it!?” Mika said, her face crimson. ”I... was just playing a joke to lighten the mood.”

‘Your joke was a little too much for us, Uehara-san!’ Seiji and Chiaki exchanged glances and both smiled wryly.

”You succeeded in scaring us, Mika.” Chiaki sighed. ”Your level is far too high, and we can only admire you from afar.”

”What’s this... don’t you guys always act like this?” The double-pigtailed girl looked genuinely surprised. ”I was only imitating you.”

”Imitating... okay, I suppose that’s fine,” Seiji said with an air of helplessness.

It seemed that Mika had only wanted to play a joke on them, but her acting was too convincing, making it difficult to respond.

Another period of silence fell between them.

”Alright, I’ll be serious—what was it that you guys wanted to tell me?” Chiaki asked. She ignored what had just happened and led the conversation back to a serious direction again.

”It’s like this...”

Seiji summarised the ”mystical” world to Chiaki.

Chiaki was rather surprised to hear all this, but she was able to accept it quickly.

”A hidden side to our world... Yin-Yang Masters and Spirit-branded Retainers... I didn’t expect that real life was just as wondrous as a movie. But that’s just how it is, since real life is always... stranger than fiction.”

Currently, the three of them were drinking some refreshments purchased from a vending machine in a park.

After speaking, the tomboy fell silent for a moment before looking towards her two friends again.

”Thank you guys for telling all this to me.” She smiled at them. ”I’m very happy that you chose to be honest with me rather than concealing the truth. I don’t know what else I can say... We’re good friends, and always will be, just like before, right?”

Seiji and Mika also smiled.

”Of course,” the two of them said simultaneously.

The three of them exchanged grins.

Seiji first took Mika back to the Uehara apartment, before taking Chiaki home.

They walked back to Chiaki's house in silence.

”Seiji... I’m actually slightly downcast,” Chiaki said, breaking the silence.

The tomboy sighed; she'd decided to reveal her true thoughts to Seiji after remaining silent earlier.

”I’m indeed happy that you were willing to share this secret with me, but despite this... I also feel like as if I’m only an ‘ordinary person.’ I feel different from you guys. I know that I’m thinking too much about it, but I can’t control my own emotions... that’s how it is.”

”That’s all, you’ll only listen to my complaints?” Chiaki asked.

”What else do you want, then?”

Chiaki looked at him, and a strange light flashed through her eyes. ”I want to drink alcohol! I want you to drink with me!!”

Seiji was rendered speechless.

”You’re not allowed to refuse!” she said merrily. ”You’re not allowed to talk back; that’s how it is then!”

Chiaki was acting spoiled before Seiji could get a chance to speak.

‘She’s just like a kid throwing a temper tantrum.’ Seiji inwardly sighed.

”How do you want to do this?” he asked helplessly.

”Let’s go to a bar!”

Seiji silently raised his hand and made it into a fist in an imposing manner. It felt as if he was saying ‘If you make any unreasonable requests, you shall be punished.’

Chiaki cowered in fear. She recalled being vanquished by the fist of justice.

”Then... come over to my place for some drinks,” she said, relenting.

Seiji silently mulled it over.

”Come, have a little drink in my home; it won’t be anything.” Chiaki grabbed his arm and shook it. ”I... I really am a little depressed and just want you to accompany me.”

Seiji could only sigh in front of how spoiled she was acting. ”You can only drink a little.”

”You actually agreed!?”

”Even if I didn’t, you would probably drink on your own.” Seiji looked at her face.

”Hehe~” Chiaki stuck out her tongue and giggled.

While this pose was unbearably cute, Seiji had the urge to give her a smack on the head!