Chapter 226 – Everything About Aoki Kei, Ryou Wants to Know

After a moment of studying him closely, Tougou-san finally spoke again—her voice scolding, yet full of warmth and worry.

“Let’s not talk about that first. Kei, you’ve lost weight, haven’t you? You’re thinner than the last time you came back!”

Tougou-san knew all too well how tough life in Tokyo could be for him.

When Kei had just moved there, she couldn’t help much—managing an orphanage left her no time to spare.

So from tuition to living expenses, he had paid for everything himself, juggling part-time jobs to stay afloat.

Later on, she’d heard through his occasional messages that he’d found a new goal in life—singing, performing on stage, chasing his dream.

Still, even if he was making more money now, it was hard not to notice that he looked thinner than he had the year before.

Kei seemed to catch the concern in her eyes.

He smiled faintly and shook his head. “It just looks that way. I’ve actually been working out lately—my weight’s gone up a bit, promise.”

“Working out, huh? Well, that’s good too. Just make sure you take care of yourself.”

Tougou-san nodded, seemingly reassured.

Then her gaze shifted toward Ryou, her expression softening into a bright, approving smile.

“So, you must be Kei’s girlfriend! I heard from Yuu-chan—goodness, you’re adorable! Kei’s a lucky one.”

“N-no, that’s not—” Ryou froze.

She wanted to explain, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

Her usual calm, cool voice trembled slightly, and nothing coherent followed.

How was she supposed to explain this kind of misunderstanding?

She couldn’t!

Her only hope now was that Kei would save her—

Kei, however, after a brief pause and seeing her pleading eyes, sighed and decided to intervene.

“Ah, no, Tougou-san—it’s not like that. Ryou and I are just friends. We’re not, uh… together.”

“What are you saying!” Tougou-san’s gentle face suddenly turned stern as she glared at him. “Yuu told me she heard it from Ryou herself! Don’t you dare lie to me!”

“And besides, if she’s just a ‘friend,’ how come you didn’t bring the other girls from your band, huh? They’re your friends too, aren’t they?”

“Honestly, this girl came all the way here to spend New Year’s with you, and that’s what you call her? Really, Kei!”

Kei: “……”

He froze, his mouth twitching slightly before giving up entirely.

How was he supposed to explain that?

Tougou-san had a point—Ryou herself had already admitted to being his girlfriend!

So... yeah.

He’d better just stay quiet and let Ryou handle the fallout.

He shot her a quick, apologetic look that basically said, “Sorry. You’re on your own.”

And Ryou—

When she caught his look, her face stiffened completely.

Across from her, Tougou-san’s expression was radiant, full of warmth and expectation.

What do I do…?

There was no way to untangle this now….

From the moment she’d stepped into this orphanage, Ryou had been surprisingly composed—but now, her heart was pounding harder than it ever had, not even when she’d done that bass solo on stage a few nights ago.

But… since there was no way out— And since she was already in this deep—

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and decided to face it head-on.

“Yes, Tougou-san. I’m Kei’s girlfriend.”

That’s right. Ryou chose to own it.

She spoke clearly, nodded firmly, and her tone was serious.

“Mm-hmm!”

Tougou-san’s smile brightened even more.

“Oh, Kei’s lucky to have someone like you! He’s mentioned you before, you know! Always talking about how wonderful you are!”

“Eh? He’s… mentioned me?” Ryou blinked, her curiosity instantly piqued.

But before she could press further, Tougou-san cleared her throat with a small, embarrassed laugh.

“Ehem… Let’s go inside first, shall we? It’s freezing out here.”

As the two of them walked toward the building, the kids gathered around Kei again, tugging at his sleeves and chattering excitedly.

Kei, still standing outside, stared after Ryou’s retreating figure for a long moment—utterly speechless.

Only when she disappeared from sight did he finally mutter under his breath,

“...Huh!?”

———————————————————————

Inside, with the heater warming the room, the atmosphere felt much cozier.

In Tougou-san’s small office, she looked just a touch awkward as she remembered what Ryou had asked earlier.

Kei had indeed talked about Ryou before.

...But she also remembered he’d mentioned a few other girls, too.

For the first time, Tougou-san found herself wondering:

Could her quiet, well-behaved Kei—who’d always been the polite, responsible one—actually be… a bit of a playboy?

No, no, ridiculous! she scolded herself a second later.

There’s no way! Kei’s too kind, too serious for that.

If he was surrounded by girls, it had to be because he was talented, smart, considerate, and—well—quite handsome too.

That’s all there was to it. Absolutely.

Tougou-san smiled warmly again.

“Kei said you’re very thoughtful, Ryou. That being around you makes him feel relaxed and happy. He told me that himself, you know.”

Ryou listened carefully, then blinked in mild disbelief.

“Really, Tougou-san? But when I’m with him, he hardly ever smiles…”

“Oh, that’s just Kei’s personality! He’s always been a quiet one. You just have to be patient with him. In modern terms—” she chuckled, “—he’s a bit of a tsundere. Keeps all his true feelings to himself.”

“Tsundere…”

Ryou thought about it for a moment.

Yeah, that actually did describe him pretty well.

And when she realized that even though he always looked so calm and unreadable, he’d apparently been telling people he enjoyed being with her…

A tiny smile crept across her face before she could stop it.

Heh. That guy…

“Ah, look at that!” Tougou-san beamed. “Just talking about him makes you smile like that—you two must really be close.”

“Eh? Ah—uh, I guess…”

Only then did Ryou realize her own expression had softened.

Her cheeks grew faintly pink.

But after a second, she smiled again—this time, a little more knowingly.

Actually, maybe it wasn’t so bad letting Tougou-san think they were a couple.

At least this way… she could learn more about Kei’s past.

“Tougou-san, could you tell me more?” she asked gently. “About Kei… when he was little.”

———————————————————————

Meanwhile, outside—

Kei sighed deeply.

Surrounded by the kids who adored him, he picked up a rag and joined them in cleaning the windows again, the faintest hint of resignation on his face.