✔ | At Least We Have Forever

Chapter 13 - A Promise Beneath The Moonlight

It was exactly 11:30 in the morning when Riya and Kurama reached the Minamino household—just in time for lunch. Along the way, the two enjoyed a pretty good conversation that made them unable to notice some familiar people.

Ayako noticed them when they passed by the cake shop she was managing which made the said maiden smile. Soujiro and Yukari saw them, as well, as the siblings watched outside the restaurant that they were in at that moment. As for Yumi, she had just gone out of the bookstore when she noticed Riya and Kurama. It didn't give her much of a surprise, though. She satisfyingly smiled at the sight.

Riya heaved a heavy sigh for her to calm her erratically beating heart the moment she stepped on the gate of the house. She couldn't tell why her heart was beating that fast. But she somehow knew that it wasn't a bad sign or anything negative. She might be nervous for some other reasons.

"Are you alright? Your hand is cold," Kurama said that startled her a bit and made her face him. She answered him with a smile that eased her tension for a bit. But when she looked at her left hand, she couldn't help but blush.

She saw him blush, too. But this time, he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he held it tighter. The sensation that traveled through her veins coming from that touch made both hearts pound but at the same time, it also made her calm for some reason. And she loved it.

"I'll hold your hand so that you wouldn't feel nervous, okay?" he suggested, and then he smiled.

That made her giggle and looked at his eyes. "But don't you think your family would then think that I'm already your girlfriend when you do that?"

"You think they would object if it would be like that?" he countered and looked at her eyes, as well.

She looked at him surprised but she never showed that to her face. 'What in the world are you thinking, Kurama?' Then she sighed. "That depends on what would they think about me," she said, not realizing what she said after it had slipped from her mouth. She kicked herself mentally after that. 'Sheesh! Why in the world did I say that? It's like I'm saying something that I accepted to be his girlfriend... or maybe I was thinking far advanced.' "I... I mean, they still need to know the girl who wanted to be your girlfriend. And I guess a lot of girls in our school would be willing to go through that kind of ordeal just to prove themselves to be worthy of you. Right?"

Kurama just laughed at that. But his mouth said something that wanted to contradict her statement. 'I know they would like you, Riya... since you're the only girl I wanted to be my girlfriend. But I guess it won't happen for now. I still wanted to know you more—without secrets and pretenses.'

"Let's go. Your family's waiting inside. I bet they're already excited," Riya said with a smile.

Kurama smiled, as well and they proceeded inside. It was Kurama who pushed the doorbell.

"Mom, we're here," he said through the intercom.

They got no response but they waited. And after a few seconds, they heard footsteps growing closer to the door. Running footsteps, to be exact.

"I bet that's Suuichi-kun," Kurama said before glancing at her. She smiled as a response. After that, the door opened and a panting teenage boy appeared.

"Sorry about that. We're busy preparing the food for lunch," the brown-haired boy said in between his pantings. Then he looked at Kurama and Riya. But after a few seconds, Suuichi's stare got fixed on Riya. "Wow, she's really pretty. No wonder you got fixated on her, Shuichi-san."

That statement surprised both Kurama and Riya and also made them blush.

"Now I know why you kept on saying that I have to blame your stepbrother for it," she whispered, making the redhead smile. Then she faced Suuichi. "Nice to meet you, Hatanaka-kun."