Chapter 22: The Counterattack

Riku's Tuesday started with a mission: kill the rumors before they killed him. The school chat had exploded overnight—wild tales of him and Aiko sneaking off during the festival, holding hands under fireworks, even a fake photo (badly edited) of them kissing by the bonfire. His phone buzzed nonstop, classmates spamming him with winking emojis and "When's the wedding?" texts. He'd muted it after Yuna sent a meme of him in a tuxedo, captioned *"Cousin or lover? Why not both?"*

Breakfast was a war council. He slumped at the kitchen table, shoveling rice into his mouth while Aiko lounged across from him, sipping tea like the chaos was a morning sitcom. She wore her usual sleep shirt—too big, slipping off one shoulder again—and her hair was a messy halo, giving her a deceptively innocent look that clashed with her smirk.

"We need a plan," Riku said, jabbing his chopsticks at her. "This is out of control. People think we're… you know."

"Dating?" she supplied, arching a brow. "Engaged? Secretly married?"

"Stop it!" he snapped, rice flying from his bowl and sticking to his cheek. He swiped it off, glaring as she snickered. "It's not funny. Haruka's upset, Mika's avoiding me, and Yuna's fanning the flames. We've gotta shut it down."

Aiko leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "Why's it bug you so much? Afraid your harem's jealous?"

"It's not a harem!" he shouted, then winced as his mom poked her head in from the living room.

"Everything okay, kids?" she called, oblivious.

"Fine, Mom!" Riku yelled back, lowering his voice to a hiss. "Aiko, seriously. Help me fix this."

She sighed, stretching with a yawn that lifted her shirt just enough to flash her stomach. Riku's eyes flicked down, then snapped to the ceiling, his face heating. "Fine," she said, dropping her arms. "What's your genius plan, knight?"

He swallowed, forcing focus. "We go public. Tell everyone we're just cousins, nothing more. No dating, no fireworks romance—just family. Maybe a class announcement?"

"Boring," she said, tapping her mug. "But effective. Okay, I'm in. Let's crush the gossip."

They marched to school like soldiers, Riku clutching a scribbled speech, Aiko strutting beside him in her uniform, tie loose and skirt swishing. Her confidence was unshakable, while his stomach churned with nerves. The halls buzzed as they entered Yamato High—heads turning, whispers trailing them like a bad soundtrack. He caught snippets: "There's the couple!" "Bet they're faking it." His ears burned, but Aiko just smirked, nudging him forward.

Class 2-B was their battleground. Riku stood at the front, palms sweaty, as their homeroom teacher—a wiry woman with a perpetual frown—nodded for him to speak. Aiko leaned against the chalkboard, arms crossed, looking amused as he cleared his throat.

"Uh, hey, everyone," he started, voice cracking. Snickers rippled through the room, and he gripped his paper tighter. "There's been some dumb rumors going around about me and Aiko. They're not true. We're cousins—*just* cousins. We live together because her parents are overseas, that's it. No dating, no… uh, anything else. So cut it out, okay?"

Silence. Then Taro, a lanky kid in the back, raised his hand. "So you didn't hold hands at the festival?"

"No!" Riku said, too fast. "Well—yeah, but not like that! It was… casual!"

"Casual hand-holding," Kenji piped up, grinning. "Sounds romantic to me."

"It's not!" Riku's voice shot up, and the class erupted in laughter. He glanced at Aiko, desperate for backup, but she just shrugged, smirking.

"He's right," she said, stepping forward. "We're family. No sparks, no kissing—just me bossing him around like always. Sorry to disappoint."

That got a few chuckles, but Yuna's voice cut through from the doorway—she'd snuck in, still in her fox-ear headband. "Aw, come on, princess," she teased. "You two looked *cozy* dancing. Admit it, there's chemistry."

"There's not!" Riku and Aiko shouted in unison, then glared at each other, which only fueled more laughs.

The teacher clapped her hands. "Enough! Sit down, Sato. Rumors die when you ignore them, not when you feed them."

Riku slunk to his seat, defeated, while Aiko sauntered back, whispering, "Told you it wouldn't work."

"Shut up," he hissed, burying his face in his arms. Plan A: flop.

Lunch brought Plan B—confront the harem head-on. Riku tracked down Haruka by the courtyard fountain, where she sat poking at her bento, her usual bounce dimmed. She looked up as he approached, her eyes wary.

"Hey," he said, sitting beside her. "You okay?"

"Fine," she mumbled, stabbing a piece of tamagoyaki. "Just… embarrassed. Everyone's talking."

"I know," he said, rubbing his neck. "That's why I wanted to clear it up. Aiko and I aren't together. Never were. I'm sorry if I made you think—"

"You didn't," she cut in, forcing a smile. "I just misread stuff. It's fine. Friends?"

"Friends," he agreed, relieved. She perked up, offering him a rice ball, and he took it, the air lighter between them.

Next was Mika, who he found in the library, shelving books with mechanical focus. She flinched when he tapped her shoulder, her glasses slipping down her nose.

"Riku?" she squeaked, clutching a novel to her chest. "I—um—"

"About the rumors," he said, keeping his voice low. "They're fake. Aiko's just my cousin. I didn't mean to weird you out."

She blinked, then nodded, her blush creeping up. "I didn't think… I mean, I hoped not. Not that I—oh, never mind." She fumbled the book, dropping it, and they both bent to grab it—hands brushing, heads nearly colliding. Her sleeve slipped, revealing a hint of her shoulder, and Riku jerked back, red-faced.

"S-sorry!" they stammered together, then laughed awkwardly. "We're good?" he asked.

"Good," she murmured, hiding behind her hair. Mission half-successful.

Yuna was last, lounging by the vending machines with a soda. She grinned as he approached, tail prop still swishing from her belt. "Here to scold me, cutie?"

"Stop spreading crap," he said, crossing his arms. "You're making it worse."

"Me?" She batted her lashes, leaning close enough that her chest brushed his arm. "I'm just the messenger. You're the one dancing with your hot cousin."

"She's not—" He stepped back, flustered. "Just knock it off, okay?"

"Fine, fine," she said, laughing. "But you're too fun to tease."

He groaned, retreating, but the day wasn't done with him. After school, Aiko dragged him to the roof again, her plan B gleaming in her eyes. "New strategy," she said, hands on her hips. "We act *so* normal, they'll get bored."

"Normal how?" he asked, wary.

"Like this." She grabbed his arm, linking it with hers, and started walking him around the roof like they were strolling through a park. Her side pressed against his, warm and soft, and her skirt flared as she spun him, flashing a glimpse of her thigh. His brain stalled, face flaming.

"This isn't normal!" he yelped, pulling free. "You're making it look worse!"

"Relax," she said, laughing. "It's sibling vibes. Totally platonic."

"Platonic my ass," he muttered, but she just grinned, tugging him back. They bickered and stumbled—her tripping into him, him catching her waist—until a gasp from the stairwell stopped them cold.

Mika stood there, eyes wide, a book slipping from her hands. "I—I didn't mean to—" she stammered, bolting.

"Crap!" Riku groaned, chasing after her, Aiko cackling behind him. The counterattack? Total backfire.