This way no one will root for them!

“Great dump of information on the last chapter! This way, no one will root for Sumiye and Daichi! Congratulations!”

“Koshiro.” it was Nobu.

“Well… maybe they want to see Sumiye’s happiness as much as I do…” Koshiro held his chin and smiled, “Yeah… maybe when they see that my brother isn’t 100% an idiot they can root for them!”

“Koshiro-kun!” it was Nyoko.

“No... I still think it was too early… Although foreshadowed, Daichi is new to the cast…”

“Koshiro idiot!” Sawada shook him, “Stop spacing out!  Can you please not mess everything up when we’re so close to the end?!”

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN…”

“Oh! So you are Sawada-san, rigth?” Daichi looked at the girl. “Nice to meet you, my name is Daichi Koike.” he bowed, “Thank you for taking care of my brother and Sumi.”

“N-Nice to meet you…” Umiko looked at Daichi with caution, "He's still a Koike..." “My name is Umiko Sawada.” she lifted the sides of her princess skirt. "I can't trust him!"

“That’s a really nice princess outfit!” Daichi smiled, “Do you want a piggyback ride? Sumi told me you like those.” he turned around and crouched.

“I’M ALREADY IN LOVE!” Umiko jumped onto his back, “Yay!”

“Hey, Koshiro.” Nobu whispered to him, “If your assumption is correct, Daichi should start making some moves, right? Since he’s on the story now.”

“I don’t know. It was a bit of a shot in the dark.”

"Well, I just hope he follows my advices."

"What?"

“Anyway!” Nyoko-chan was the one whispering now, “Nyoko-chan thinks it’s good to leave them alone anyway!” she looked at Koshiro.

“I think so too.” Nobu looked at Koshiro as well.

“Why are you two looking at me?”

“Sawada-chan is between them now…” Nobu replied while Nyoko agreed with a nod.

“Wait, do you want me to take the happiness out of that child?” he pointed at Sawada.

“Yaaaaay! Piggyback ride!”

“W-What?!” Nobu feigned surprise, “I would never! And I repeat: I would NEVER suggest something like that!” he then pointed at Nyoko: “It was her idea.”

“Brother, you said you wouldn’t turn Nyoko-chan in!”

“I’m sorry Nyoko.”

“Did you really suggest something like that?” Koshiro turned to Nyoko.

“I did! But it’s only because I want Sumiyechi and Daichi-nii to be happy!” she explained herself, “I don’t mean any harm to Sawada-chan! I actually offer my brother’s back so that she can ride on it!” Nyoko indicated Nobu’s back.

“You see, Koshiro? Everything is fine, so go and talk to the girl.”

“Aargh, okay” Koshiro sighed and then approached the girl on the back of Daichi. “Hey, Sawada.” Koshiro whispered to her, “We were going to leave them alone, remember?”

“If you have the time to tell me that story, I can have this!” she whispered back.

Koshiro sighed, "No, you should..."

“Why don’t we eat?” Daichi suggested. “Mc Daisy is right here in front of us.”

“Yes!” Sawada replied, “When I stole from them the food was really good!”

“You did what?”

“Yes! Let’s eat at Mc Daisy! A place I’ve never seen before!”

"Sawad..."

"Wait Koshiro, this may actually be a good thing..." Nobu prevented him from shouting, "They having a child to take care of, I mean."

"Now that you mention it..." Koshiro picked a notepad, "it might be..."

"Yes! Having a child to take care of is sure to awake their instincts! That way they can finally get married and have a child!" Nyoko added.

"Nyoko-chan, are you sure you aren't jumping a few steps?" Koshiro turned to her, "As far as I know they have to take all of them. Since their love is so 'pure'."

"Huh?" Nyoko tilted her head. "Nyoko-chan didn't understand."

"You will in the future."

"Koshiro, you shouldn't underestimate the power of kids." Nobu advised, “Besides, can you please explain what the hell are you doing with a notepad?"

“I started to carry this around so I can take notes of things I want to add to my story."

"Why don't you use your phone?"

"Nothing can replace paper."

“That's the type of thing you say when you're about to lose your notes.”

"Shut up."

"Just saying!"

With that, the three followed Sumiye, Sawada, and the horse Daichi to the Mc Daisy. There, they sat on a booth, Sawada between Daichi and Sumiye and the other three in front of them.

"Notes about love... what should I put on it? There's not much going on for me..." Koshiro pondered, "Actually, for some reason, a face is popping onto my min..." "Huh?" the boy stopped when he noticed something odd about Sumiy's outfit.

"What is it, Koshiro?" Nobu asked.

"What is that?" Koshiro whispered and pointed at a shining thing in Sumiye's chest.

"That's the first move!" Nobu replied, "It's the personalized necklace he gave Sumiye for her birthday!"

"Huh?" Koshiro squinted his eyes to read what was written: "'D & S, love forever'?"

"Yes! I told him it could serve as a friendship necklace as well."

"Hmm..." Koshiro took some notes.

"Koshiro, what are you doing with this thing on the table?" Sumiye asked him.

"I'm just taking notes for my story."

"Hmm... so what are you writing now?"

Koshiro looked at what he had written: trick the idiot redhead with a necklace.

"Oh, it's nothing." he looked at Sawada eating a hamburger, "It's just about a... cute monster princess...?"

"C'mon Koshiro, you know that I've seen your browser history, right?

"Well, yes."

“So, we both know this story exists in a very, VERY dark place.”

"Huh?" Koshiro searched for it in his mind until: "Oh, I remember!" he exclaimed, "Oh..." he stared at the ground with a shocked expression. "I remember..." 

“Yes.” Sumiye did the same, “I have to wash my eyeballs every day because of it.” 

The table remained quiet (with only the sound of Sawada eating, that is) until Nyoko cleaned her throat and looked at Daichi.

“Oh!” Dachi turned to Sumiye, “Coming here doesn’t remember you of our high school days?! Like that time we came here with our club, and they joked about how we would make a good couple!” he laughed.

“Huh?!” Sumiye almost choked with her drink, “Why are you talking about this all of the sudd…”

“So now it was your turn, Nyoko-chan?” Koshiro looked at the girl.

“Nyoko-chan just texted Daichi-nii some of the topics Sumiyechi likes to talk about nowadays.”

“What exactly are those topics?”

Nyoko showed her hand and started to count: “How Sumiye is pretty, how she’s cute, how she would make a great wife…”

“Is there anything that isn’t related to Sumiye?”

“Hmm…” Nyoko pondered for a moment and then started to count again: “About their relationship, about the times people thought they were a couple, about how great a couple they would make, about how they love each other…”

“You mean, as friends?”

“...” Nyoko started to drink her soda, diverting her eyes and ignoring the boy.

“He’s not making the moves because he’s in the story!" Koshiro frowned, "It's because you are forcing him to!” he looked to both of the Furukawas. “Why do you keep interfering with their lives? Why do you want them to enter a relationship so bad?!”

“You don’t understand Koshiro!” Nobu grabbed his shoulders and started to shake the boy, “I can’t sleep anymore! It has been days since we won a game against that OBAREJI and AKUADO!”

“You don’t understand Koshiro-kun!” Nyoko did the same, “Brother is making me train every day to get at his level!”

“Umm… and what does this have to do with Sumi-nee and my brother?”

“EVERYTHING!” the Furukawas exclaimed at the same time.

“If they get together they’ll do everything together!” Nobu’s eyes started to shine with the possibility, “And this includes gaming with me and Hirata! We’ll finally have a great team!”

“If this happens Nyoko-chan will finally be able to rest!”

“Thank you for considering my feelings in this one.” Koshiro murmured. The boy started to drink his soda as well and looked at Daichi, that kept touching on the topics Nyoko had suggested:

“There was that time your parents caught me stripping in front of you as well!” he scratched his nape, “By the way, you were really pretty and cute on that day Sumi! Well, it's always been like this...” he smiled at her. “Oh, and then there was that tim….” he was interrupted by a punch coming from Sumiye, whose face had already been replaced by a tomato.

“Stop saying such embarrassing stuff, you idiot!”

***

“Why do I have the impression we came to the shopping district, but we’re not going to shop?” Etsuko asked when Hayami told her to hide.

“Why Yasutake is not here?” Hayami ignored the question.

“She had to study.” the girl explained, “We’re only two weeks away from midterms, you know?!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“So, what are we doing here?”

“I saw Koike going into that Mc Daisy with a bunch of other people.” Hayami indicated the place.

“And…?”

“Something is fishy… Suto-Sensei and Sawada-san were with him…”

“Hmm… what did Suto-Sensei told you about Sawada again?”

“She told me ‘It’s okay now, Koshiro is 100% reliable, he’ll take good care of her.’”

“It seems like everything is fine then…”

“Of course not! The fact that she told me that, means she can’t be trusted Etsuko! Haven’t you learned anything?” Hayami stared at her, “When I give him the obento every day, it’s always like he’s about to take off his cl...”

“Hey Hayamichi, they are leaving!” Etsuko pointed at the group, a man carrying a child on his back with Suto-Sensei by his side, and Koike accompanied by Princess and another boy. “Who is that man, is he Sawada-san’s dad or something?”

“That little girl is Sawada?!” Hayami was perplexed, “She is dressed like a princess…?”

“Oh! She looks so cute!”

“That would be the case if I wasn’t sure this is part of some weird ritual…” Hayami held her chin. “Let’s go Etsuko, let’s follow them.”

***

Koshiro, Nobu, and Nyoko kept a little distance from Sumiye, Daichi, and Sawada (who was having a piggyback ride) while they walked through town.

“I found out about a bunch of interesting places to go around here.” Daichi started out of nowhere.

“This is your thing as well, right?” Koshiro asked Nobu and Nyoko.

“Yep.”

“Really?” Sumiye looked at the young man, “Where?”

“Oh, I’m glad you asked!”

And that’s how they started their trek that day, they ended up going to the aquarium…

“Oh! That fish is so big!” Sawada exclaimed.

To the amusement park…

“Yaaaaay!” Sawada put her hands on the air when they were at the rollercoaster.

To the arcade…

“Daichi! You are so good!” Sawada cheered the man.

"Thanks!"

"Koshiro, you are so bad!"

"Hey! I'm at least average! I even managed to win a present!"

"So, where is it now?" Sumiye asked.

"Huh?"

"The present, where is it?"

"Hmm... it's with Nobu, but he went to the bathroom now..."

"Just as I thought!" Sumiye held Sawada's hands, "C'mon, Umiko! Don't mingle around with the riffraff!" 

They went to many other places (don’t ask me how they had the time to do so). The constant being an always happy and fascinated Sawada. while Koshiro started to get bored from trying to take notes.

***

“So, we’re back at the shopping district. What are your conclusions Etsuko?” 

“Huh?” the girl was covered by different souvenirs she bought during the stalking they were making and things she had won at the arcade.

“Your conclusions!”

“Oh, Suto-Sensei and that man look like a great couple! I’m definitely rooting for them!”

"C'mon! Stop being deceived by hushed development!" Hayami rebuked her, "What about the other thing?"

“This ‘Aquarium Water’ is surprisingly good for its price, and so are this hat and this sunglass, but I got these as a prize from the arc…”

“The other thing.”

“Hmm… they look like a family...?”

“Yes… I got that impression as well…” “Maybe I misjudged Koike? That’s not possible!”

“Hey, Hayamichi…” Etsuko called.

“WHAT?” Hayami growled.

“Why are you so obsessed with Koike-san being a pervert?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” the girl glared at Etsuko, “If he can see who I am, he has to be broken in some way.”

“Oh, thanks!”

“You know what I meant.”

“Yes.”

“So, besides you, Hirata does that thing… Suto-Sensei is a drunkard… and my parents…” Hayami clenched her fists, “...it’s obvious.”

“So, Koike-san got to be the pervert, right?”

“Yes.”

“But he’s the protagonist, maybe that’s how things roll for him.”

“No, no, no, I don’t buy it… if he was such a great guy it wouldn’t be fun to read, so I’m sure something is up…”

“So, we’ll continue to follow them, right?”

“Right.”

***

They were back at the shopping district, "I don't think I got tons of inspiration today, but I should keep taking n..."  “Wait, where is my notepad?”

“I told you you were gonna lose it!”

“Aaah!” Koshiro sighed, “it’s not like a date with so many spots would work anyway…” he looked crestfallen.

“Well, it seems to be working just as intended.” Nobu pointed at Sawada walking in the middle of Sumiye and Daichi while holding their hands.

“Did you have fun today, Umiko?” Daichi looked at the girl.

“I had!” Sawada smiled.

"Yes... maybe the day wasn't completely pointless..." Koshiro observed the happy-looking Sawada.

“Great! How about you Sumi? It’s your birthday after all.” Daichi turned to Sumiye.

“Well, it looked m-more l-like a d-date…” Sumiye murmured.

“What?”

“N-Nothing!”

“It’s just a matter of time until they start dating and Nyoko-chan is finally free!” Nyoko voiced her dreams to Nobu and Koshiro.

“I wouldn’t be so sure…” Koshiro took a sip of the soda he was drinking, “They sti…” he stopped when he heard something unusual.

“It’s pretty fun taking care of Umiko-chan, right Sumi?”

“Well, when you’re here it makes everything much easier…” Sumiye fiddled with her fingers, “When I’m alone she’s a big pain…”

“Haha, it must be just like a single mom!”

“Yeah, it’s not an easy job…”

“It should be more valued…”

“Mom?” Sawada tilted her head and looked at Sumiye, her eyes began to shine.

“What Umiko? Would you like if I were your mother?” Sumiye joked.

“Well… I wouldn’t complain…” Sawada murmured.

“What?! Are you serious?!” Sumiye stared at the girl.

“Hmm…” Sawada looked away, “...being with you was the most fun I had my entire life…”

“Aaa... I see…” Sumiye held her chin, “You are an orphan, so it can be done…”

“Hmm…” Sawada tried to hide her embarrassment.

“Hey, Sumi! Why don’t you go for it?” Daichi asked her.

“What?! But we just talked about how difficult it is to be a single mom!”

“Don’t worry about it! We can adopt her together!”

“WHAT?!” Koshiro spat all the soda he had on his mouth and saw two fishy-looking guys doing the same to their “Aquarium Water”. Nobu almost fainted while murmuring something like “I’ll never lose a match again.” Nyoko had to prevent him from falling.

“This is it brother!” Nyoko told Nobu.

“What the hell is going on??! There’s no way Sumiye would…”

“Yes, let’s do it!” his teacher’s exclamation changed Koshiro’s line of thought.

“Does this mean I’ll become an uncle?”