After this matter was handled, it was already close to the start of the new semester, and the winter vacation was almost over.
Rikka's mother, needing to catch a flight, had just returned but had to leave again quickly, not even having time to say a proper goodbye to Rikka.
She simply smiled and asked Yuta to apologize to Rikka on her behalf.
After seeing Rikka's mother off, Yuta arrived at Yuta's home. Upon entering, he saw stacks of cardboard boxes, even more than the pile she had accumulated when she briefly abandoned her chuunibyou phase. Forget about anyone else; Yuta felt a headache just looking at them.
A few days ago, Rikka's grandfather had sternly demanded Rikka return home, and Rikka, following her mother's advice, had prepared for the worst, packing all her luggage.
She was unwilling, but she still listened to her mother and tidied up obediently.
Although these were packed just yesterday and unpacked today, it was best that they weren't needed.
This is the best...
"In the end, I still have to tidy up... and there's so much!"
Rikka stood in the middle of a large pile of boxes, a hint of pride on her face.
"These are all necessities."
Inside were all her treasures! Her most precious treasures, painstakingly searched for!
"If your grandfather saw these, he wouldn't even need me to persuade him; he'd probably just let you stay here alone."
Yuta couldn't help but joke, surveying the boxes with a feeling of helplessness.
He had to help Rikka unpack all these things again... So much, but... it was best that Rikka could still live here.
"Yuta..."
"Hmm?"
"Where's my mother?"
At this, Yuta remembered that Rikka's mother had just asked him to apologize and say goodbye to Rikka. He took two steps forward, bent down, picked up a box, and deftly tore off the tape.
"She still needs to catch a flight; it's taking off soon, so she had to leave first... She said she'd formally come to say hello next time.
She also said that after her work training ends, she hopes to live with you again."
"Really?"
Rikka's voice was filled with excitement. It seemed she would soon have a loving home again.
Yuta looked up at the overjoyed Rikka, a doting smile appearing on his face. It would be good if she could continue to live happily like this.
Suddenly, Yuta saw several white specks floating down from the window behind Rikka. Seeing this, Yuta stood up, opened the door, and walked out onto the balcony.
It was snowing.
When Rikka saw Yuta go out, she naturally followed him.
Yuta looked at the falling snow, inevitably recalling his conversation with Rikka's mother earlier. Knowing the origin of Rikka's name and what it represented, he couldn't help but think of other things.
He turned his head to look at Rikka, who was standing beside him, gazing blankly at the sky.
"I like snow.
Although I didn't like winter or the cold before, now... I like it the most."
Yuta's face was flushed. He held out his hand to catch a snowflake; it happened to have six petals. It melted in his hand, and he felt a tiny bit of cold. Yuta tilted his head and looked at Rikka, who was beside him with a puzzled expression.
It seemed Rikka didn't understand this confession... But that was fine; if she really understood, he would be quite embarrassed.
By the way, Rikka didn't even know what her name meant, did she?
Yuta turned his head, touched his somewhat red face, and was still thinking of hurrying back to unpack when he suddenly heard a car engine downstairs. Out of curiosity, Yuta poked his head out and saw a truck parked downstairs. The back of the truck had a familiar logo printed on it.
It was the moving company that had handled Rikka's move last time. Soon, several people got out of the truck and headed straight for their apartment.
A very bad premonition suddenly appeared in Yuta's heart.
Sure enough, shortly after, the doorbell rang outside...
"Hello! Stag Beetle Moving Company at your service!"
The staff member outside looked at the many cardboard boxes piled on the floor inside, a characteristic smile on his face.
"Looks like it'll be a big job! So, we'll start moving the luggage now~"
"Ah, no..."
The staff member looked at the seemingly flustered Yuta with some confusion. The next second, he saw an unsealed cardboard box not far behind Yuta.
Seemingly understanding something, he immediately resumed his smile, pulled out a roll of tape from behind him, stepped forward, and expertly resealed the cardboard box. Then he picked it up and walked out the door.
"Don't worry! We are professionals! We only provide the best service to our customers!"
Yuta's head was pounding, and Rikka was also flustered, constantly swaying behind the staff members, seemingly wanting to stop them but not daring to speak.
Don't forget, Rikka is a shy child.
"Wait... Did you make a mistake! We've already decided not to move!"
"Made a mistake?"
The staff member's face showed visible confusion. He then put down the box in his hand and picked up his phone to recheck.
"Impossible to make a mistake! XX Community, Building X, Room 304, that's right! The full payment for this delivery has already been made!"
Yuta was dumbfounded. Soon his phone started ringing, and he quickly picked it up to see.
It was a call from Toka, who seemed to know about the situation here.
But Toka's call couldn't achieve a miraculous effect like before; rather... it was a death notice.
"I just heard from Grandma that Grandpa had completed all the procedures and work for checking out and moving a long time ago."
"How could that be?!"
Toka was currently sitting by the window at her old home, with an open bottle of red wine beside her, clearly enjoying life.
"Although Grandma called just now to try and cancel, it seems it's already too late..."
"Then... then what should we do?"
"I don't know... I just got permission to live alone with great difficulty. If the luggage is moved back now, this matter might go to waste. With Grandpa's personality, he would never let Rikka's luggage leave again."
Yes... With that old man's personality, if Rikka's luggage went there, Rikka would definitely not be able to come back.
"Ah, Grandpa's here, I'll hang up first, Togashi, good luck."
"Eh? Hey! Hey!!"
Yuta put down the phone with a helpless expression. Why were the adults on the other end so unreliable... But now, the most urgent task was to keep Rikka's luggage here! The luggage was almost all moved out; this company was too efficient!
Yuta sighed deeply and made a difficult decision...
He asked the staff to move Rikka's luggage, including what was already in the truck, back up to the second floor, into Yuta's home.
The staff members were dumbfounded when they heard this. Well, you two aren't a family after all? Moving from upstairs to downstairs... Young people sure know how to have fun!
Just don't make us part of your play, okay? Do you think we don't use effort when moving things up and down?
Under the staff members' resentful gazes and Yuta's apologetic face, the movers completed their work and left, leaving only Yuta and Rikka standing in his home's hallway, looking at the luggage that filled the entire corridor, covering their faces and wailing.
This scene... seemed familiar... He remembered that when Rikka first moved in, since no one was upstairs, she had also moved her luggage into their home, and it also occupied the entire corridor...
"This déjà vu... Could it be that the Administration performed a memory operation?"
Yuta delivered a hand chop to her head.
"No! This isn't déjà vu! This is present!"
"Ugh... Then does that mean we've gone back to the past?"
Rikka weakly spoke, covering her forehead, and then Yuta delivered another hand chop.
"No! Your home is already gone!"
Yuta covered his head, troubled. The new semester was about to start, and now this happened...
Rikka, however, seemed completely unconcerned. She was still happily unpacking and taking out her treasures to play with.
"You still have the mind to play?!"
Yuta was furious. He stepped forward, pinched Rikka's forehead, and twisted it with his fists.
"Yuta~ Yuta, it hurts~~"
"What are you going to do? School starts soon, and you might not have a place to live!"
"About that, don't worry."
Rikka already had a highly feasible plan: to be a parasite and stay at Yuta's home.
"Until I find a new base, I'll just move the base of operations here!"
Yuta was speechless, but he had to admit, hearing that suggestion actually made his heart beat a little faster...
However, it was clear that this was not the time for them at their age, and it seemed... Rikka still didn't know? Even though it had been some time since they left.
Yuta led Rikka to look around the room. It was empty now, which made Rikka a little confused.
Then, Yuta informed Rikka that his entire family had moved abroad.
Rikka's eye patch fell off in shock right there; this was absolutely not part of her plan.
"Kuzuha and them went abroad?"
"Yes."
Rikka was a little disappointed and wilted. Kuzuha and she had a good relationship, and she was so cute. Now that she was gone, Rikka was a bit sad...
But soon, she realized an even more serious problem.
Kuzuha and them were all gone, leaving only Yuta here alone. If she stayed, wouldn't that mean...
"If you stay here, it means we're... we're... living together..."
Rikka's face instantly turned completely red. Living together... it was too early...
"Just now... just now was a joke..."
"Then what should we do? School starts soon, and there's no time left to find another place..."
The sky outside the window gradually darkened, signaling the arrival of night. The two of them looked at each other, their faces flushed, remaining silent for a long time.
And so, in an atmosphere that made their hearts pound, the two of them began their cohabitation.
...
Fang Wuwei: What about me? Why didn't I appear in this chapter? Who is the protagonist?