*Note: sorry for yesterday but I felt bad and I don't know the reason so I go to bed early. Fortunately, today I'm fine so here you have the chapter.
And don't forget to comment if you want to give me your opinions or suggestions.
One thing more. Some people can think that a relationship with Mikan can be innmoral because the protagonist is a reincarnation. Did you really think the same? And if in the case you said no: Do you want the protagonist to have sex with Mikan? This is important so please comment or don't blame me in the future.
And have a good day :)
...
"Talk about the conversation we had on the roof of the school?" – I asked curiously.
"That's right, I'd like to talk about it" – Mikan nodded.
Wow, apparently Rito couldn't contain himself and told Mikan the whole content of our conversation. Should I make him pay for speaking when I warned him not to? I won't, but simply because the one he told is Mikan, a heroine and, surely, my future wife, so it doesn't matter if he tells her or not.
"Okay" - I nodded.
"What I want to know is if it's true what you said about you being planning to make Haruna-san your girlfriend" - Mikan said.
"Yes, I didn't lie about that, I really like Haruna and I want her to be my girlfriend" – I nodded.
"Even though you have a fiancée?" – Mikan asked again.
"Yuuki-san must have already told you that my fiancée allows me to have a harem. Why should I restrain myself then?" – I asked.
"I see... so he was also telling the truth about that matter, I thought you just told him that to scared him" - Mikan sighed.
"Do I need to? If you want, I can introduce you to my fiancée so that you can ask her yourself" – I said.
"No need, I believe you" – Mikan denied.
"Perfect... anything else?" – I asked.
"Actually, I also came to find out if it's possible for you to give my brother a chance" - Mikan said.
"A chance of what?" – I asked confused.
"From being alone with Haruna-san, because I heard from him, you are now part of the same group of friends and you don't separate until school is over" - Mikan replied.
"You said it yourself, we are together until school ends. What's stopping Yuuki-san from confessing her feelings then?" – I asked.
That question didn't make any sense, in fact, it seemed like Mikan was asking off-the-cuff and meaningless questions.
"I see... I guess you're right" – Mikan sighed.
It's weird, in the manga, Mikan was a very mature girl for her age but also extremely intelligent, but now, for some reason she's not giving me that impression.
"Is something wrong with you?" – I asked.
For a few seconds, Mikan was silent staring at the horizon, so it's normal for him to ask.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to apologize to you for bringing you here for this nonsense" – Mikan said.
After all, it had been foolish to come here and tell Akira all of this. If Rito was so distraught, all he had to do was wait until Akira and the others went home and then confess his feelings to Haruna. Akira was right—this had been a complete waste of time.
"Don't worry, I don't mind. I didn't have anything to do this afternoon anyway. We weren't assigned any homework today" - I said with a shrug.
"Thank you for not getting angry... I think I should go now. I don't have time to waste" - Mikan said.
As she said those words, I got the feeling that... I don't know, she seemed kind of stressed.
"Mikan-chan... is it okay if I call you that?" - I asked.
In Japanese culture, how you address someone matters a lot, so it's polite to ask before using a more familiar form.
Mikan looked at Akira and hesitated for a second. Should she let him call her that? They weren't close enough for such familiarity, but maybe it was the stress, or maybe just because Akira seemed kind... either way, she nodded.
"Sure" - Mikan said.
"Mikan-chan, are you stressed about something?" - I asked.
Mikan, who had already stood up from the bench, sat back down again.
"Why do you say that?" - she asked.
"I just got the impression that you're under a lot of stress" - I replied.
Mikan was surprised. Was it really that obvious?
"Well... yeah, I guess you could say I'm not exactly going through the best time right now" - she admitted.
"What's wrong?" - I asked.
"I don't know if I should tell you. I mean, we barely know each other, and I don't want to bother you with things that don't concern you" - Mikan said.
Akira had nothing to do with what was happening to her. In fact, they barely knew each other. How could she burden him with her problems?
"I already told you I've got nothing to do this afternoon. Besides, I'd actually like you to tell me. Maybe I can help" - I said.
Mikan hesitated for a second, but not for long. The truth was, she had built up a lot of stress and frustrations she hadn't been able to share with anyone. So when Akira offered to listen, she didn't think twice before accepting.
"Alright, I'll tell you, but it's kind of a long story" - Mikan said.
"Don't worry, I'm sure I won't get bored" - I replied.
"Anyway, I'll give you the short version. You see, it used to be my dad, my mom, my brother, and me at home. We were a normal family, like any other, and we were even happy... but that didn't last" - Mikan explained.
Seeing that I was listening attentively, she continued.
"My dad's a mangaka, and my mom's a professional photographer, so they're almost never home—except during the holidays. I'm the one who has to take care of all the housework" - Mikan said.
"And Rito? Why doesn't he help you?" I asked curiously.
"He tried a couple of times, but he's a total disaster. When he helps, my work actually doubles because he messes everything up. So I ended up telling him it's better if he doesn't do anything at all… but it's gotten to the point where I just can't take it anymore" - she said.
I stayed silent, listening closely to her vent.
"Why are my parents always away? Why can't they just come home? I just want to live my childhood like a normal girl. My classmates get to play after school and homework, but do you know what I have to do after finishing my classes?" - Mikan asked.
"Household chores" - I said.
"Exactly! I have to cook, iron, sweep, mop, wash dishes, do the laundry, hang the clothes, fold them, and put them away! And when I finally finish everything… it's already nighttime, and I still have to prepare dinner, do my homeworks and study! Tell me something: when am I supposed to rest? Why can't I have normal parents who take care of all that? I just... I just... I just want to be a normal girl" - Mikan said.
And in that moment, tears began to fall from her precious eyes. All that stress she had bottled up finally came out, and she could no longer hold it in.
Seeing her cry made me sad. In the manga, Mikan always seemed strong and unfazed by her parents' absence. In Japan, it's normal for parents to be away for work—it's not usually questioned. But I guess it's only natural that an 11-year-old girl would want to enjoy her childhood like any other kid her age.
What do I think? Personally, I believe that kind of custom should be illegal. Parents should be there for their children, not leave them alone for months at a time—especially not children as young as Mikan.
"Don't worry. Cry as much as you need. Let it out" - I said with a soft smile.
I gently hugged her. Right now, what anyone would need is a warm hug.
Feeling Akira's embrace, Mikan cried even harder, releasing all the stress she had kept inside. She clung to him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear.
As I held this poor, crying girl in my arms, something important dawned on me. In my previous life, this was just a manga—an invented world filled with fictional characters. But now? This is reality. These are real people with real feelings and real problems, not just puppets guided by an author's pen.
This girl just wants to be normal, but her parents' choices prevent her from doing so. And what surprises me most is this: if you want to be free, why even have children? If you have kids, isn't it your responsibility to take care of them and be there for them? At least, that's how I see it.
After a while, Mikan stopped crying.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like that" - Mikan said, lowering her head in embarrassment.
She had just met Akira, yet she had poured her heart out and even cried in his arms. What an inappropriate way to behave, right?
"Don't worry. Everyone has bad days, and sometimes even whole streaks of them. When that happens, it's important to have someone to talk to someone who listens and lets you vent. So don't be ashamed of it" - I said, smiling.
"B-but we just met. What I've done is quite rude of me..." – Mikan said still embarrassed.
"It's true, we just met… but does it really matter?" - I said.
"What do you mean?" - Mikan asked, confused.
"Why do you have to know someone well in order to help them? Isn't it normal to help someone when they're struggling? At least, that's how I see it. So don't worry about anything. In fact, if someday you ever feel like venting again, you can come to me anytime. I'll even give you my address" - I said with a smile.
Normally, this would be a terrible idea—giving your address to someone you barely know—but since I already knew Mikan from the anime and manga, I knew exactly what kind of person she was.
Hearing that, Mikan was stunned. Was there really someone this kind in the world? He didn't know her at all and could have easily ignored her problems, yet instead, he had listened and offered her comfort. How could someone like Akira be a bad person?
Surely, when Rito had spoken about Akira, he must have misunderstood something or provoked him somehow. After all, with someone this gentle and kind… how could Akira have threatened Rito just for talking? Maybe Akira only wanted to protect his own secrets. And if he liked Haruna, then why shouldn't he pursue her? Just to give her brother a chance? They barely even knew each other, and Akira wasn't doing anything to harm Haruna.
If Rito didn't have the courage to confess, then why should Akira be the one to back off?
Now it all made sense—Rito was the one in the wrong, not Akira. So when she got home, she was going to give her brother a proper scolding for speaking badly about someone who hadn't done anything wrong. If he truly loved Haruna, then he needed to confess already and stop blaming others.
"Thank you… I will" - Mikan said quietly.
Normally, she would have never accepted such a thing—especially from someone she had just met—but Akira was different. He had already seen her most vulnerable side and hadn't judged her for it. So she just couldn't bring herself to say no.