Nisekoi: The Promise Girl Unlocked

Chapter 3: Introductions

Raku's P.O.V.

When I start to regain consciousness, I feel warmth in my left hand. I crack one of my eyes open to see Chitoge holding my hand. I want to jerk my hand away, but I realized that she is sleeping. There is no point in waking her up because of that. I also notice that her head is leaning on my shoulder like it's a pillow. For sure now, I don't want to wake her up.

Besides, we've held hands plenty of times, so why do these gestures make me feel all happy inside? Am I actually starting to like like Chitoge? Hana-san's words echo in my mind. I shake my head. No way is it true. I like Onodera and that's it. If I liked the both of them, my love for either of them wouldn't be pure. 

I hear the limo divider go down. It's a smooth transition, but I can still hear the machinery moving the divider. The faint clicking as it reaches the very bottom.

"Mistress," Claude says. He has stopped the car. "We're here." He turns around to look at Chitoge and me. He instantly spots my hand in Chitoge's hand and takes out a gun. "Why you..."

I jerk my hand away from Chitoge's and Chitoge stirs. "What? What's going on?"

She lifts her head of my shoulder. Although I shouldn't admit this, but it felt like a boulder was literally lifted off my shoulder. Some drool is out from the corner of her mouth. I take a tissue out of my pocket and wipe it. She seems startled because all of a sudden her face gets red.

"What are you doing?" she asks. 

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I roll my eyes. "A young lady shouldn't have drool coming out of their mouth. Especially not when we're going to see your mom."

"Raku Ichijou..." Old Four Eyes growls. "How dare you -" I was waiting for him to actually react.

"Are we here, Claude?" Chitoge asks, saving me from getting pummelled. 

"Yes, Mistress," he replies, suddenly calm. One second ago, he was ready to pump my head full of lead, the next he's as calm as a summer sea. It's like he has serious mood swings or something. "Unfortunately, we appear to be late though."

"Oh, is that so?" Chitoge says. It takes a moment before the words sink in. "Wait, WHAT?! We're late!" She opens the limo door before Claude can open it for her and grabs me by the hand and out the door, me protesting about how she's going to pull my arm off.

"Ow! Chitoge! Stop it!"

She lets go of my hand as we stand in front of a large building. Another limo is parked right in front of the entrance. The doors are wide open and a bunch of figures stand in the doorway. Inside, there seems to be cowering figures. A person who I can't see is yelling at the people inside.

"Where's my daughter, Chitoge?" a familar voice cries out.

"Hana-san...?" I ask Chitoge.

She doesn't even answer my question before she runs to her mom and gives her a hug. 

"Mom!" Her happiness is obvious. 

Hana-san hesitates for a moment before hugging Chitoge back. I smile. Nothing like a family reunion to warm your insides. I was worried for a second that Hana-san would reject Chitoge's hug and go back to the mother she had appeared to before I had explained to her about her misunderstandings. 

She pulls apart from Chitoge and turns around, looking straight at me. I walk forward toward her. The men dressed in dark suits who are surrounding her, allow me to get through. Everyone inside the grand hall is hushed. 

"Boy, you look the same."

I scratch the back of my neck. "Uh, yeah. You do too. It hasn't been very long since we last saw each other after all. Maybe only a year or so?"