"Rika! Don't move further up!" Mom called out sternly.
"Don't make me come down then!" I called back, slightly panicked. I wasn't sure why I wanted to stay up in the tree. I just didn't want to go inside, where it was stuffy and full of people and warm.
She sighed. "I won't then. Just please explain to me why you're doing this."
"I don't want to," I replied. "You'll say 'Told you so,' and you'll just rub it in my face." "I promise I won't then."
"No." I shook my head stubbornly.
She sighed then nodded to the Squad members. They began to move towards the tree.
"Ah! Mom! You promised!" I grabbed the nearest branch and hauled myself up, abandoning my school materials on the lower branch.
"Oh calm down," she scolded, as she was lifted up to the lowest branch.
"What are you doing?" I asked, halting my climb upwards. I watched as she carefully climbed onto the second branch.
"Oh these darn shoes," she muttered before kicking them off. They landed on the grass.
"Uh, Mom?"
"Come down here and make this easier for me," she said. I did, and we met somewhere in the middle. "This better not be a trap," I said.
"That's absurd, Rika," she replied, settling down on a branch opposite me. "Now tell me what's wrong." I shook my head, staring at my dangling feet. "Nothing."
"Well something must have happened for you to have the sudden urge to climb a tree and not eat dinner. Do you not like the food? Should I hire another chef? Your hair's getting too long. I'll call the family hairstylist in on Friday, okay?"
"Sure," I said. "It's not the food." I sighed. "Tell me Rika. I might be able to help."
Help? Help put me and Mitsukuni together? Yeah right. She'd rather we be apart and- I gasped at the sudden revelation. "You're the one behind this!" I yelled, jabbing an accusing finger in her face. She flinched before her eyes hardened and a frown appeared. "You said something to Mitsukuni, didn't you? You made him break up with me just so that I'll agree to marry that stupid Funaki!"
"What are you saying?" she said. "You must be behind this," I said.
"Honey-kun broke up with you?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed. "What happened, Rika? I won't understand
"Honey-kun broke up with you?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed. "What happened, Rika? I won't understand until you tell me the full story."
Oh play innocent. Ha. I already know you did it. So I told her the full story, of course obliterating the part where I visited the gang. I made sure I told her how miserable I'd been and how miserable I was now.
"Now undo it!" I said.
"I didn't do this Rika," she replied, crossing her arms.
"Why wouldn't you?" I asked. "You don't want me and Mitsukuni to be together. So why wouldn't you?"
Part 54
Start from the beginning
