CHAPTER 43 – THE CONFUSION OF RITO

*Note: well, here you have another chapter, enjoy it!

And don't remember to comment if you want to give me your opinion or say me "thanks".

Amd have a good day :)

...

The entire house—except for the second floor—had been thoroughly cleaned and was completely dust-free.

"It's true, this alien is really practical. Its speed is terrifying and allows me to get a lot done in a very short time, although it's not that great for combat" - I nodded.

XLR8's super speed is certainly an impressive ability, but it has one major drawback—its combat strength is practically zero. However, that's only a limitation if I can only stay in one form for 20 minutes. Since I can transform into another alien whenever I want, I can use XLR8's speed to confuse my opponent, then switch to a stronger alien to finish the fight. It's an extremely effective combo.

"Still, that speed is really useful and could surprise even powerful people. I mean, even I couldn't follow your movements" - Lala said.

And Lala was certain that even Zastin would struggle to keep up with XLR8's movements. Sure, Zastin's speed was impressive—but not that impressive. In that aspect, I clearly had the upper hand. Still, Zastin shouldn't be underestimated. His strength and instincts, forged through countless battles, made him a formidable opponent.

"Anyway, I think I should return to my normal form now that everything's clean. Besides, I don't want Mikan to see me like this. She might get scared" - I said.

I reverted back to my original form and re-camouflaged the Omnitrix.

"Do you like that girl?" – Lala asked.

Hearing that made me feel a bit embarrassed. Seriously, this girl has no filter at all.

"Ahem… well… denying it would be lying" - I admitted.

Is it really worth hiding something that's already obvious? Better to just be honest.

"Hehe, I knew it. Even though we haven't been together long, I already know you really well" - Lala said with a smile.

It was obvious that I was interested in Mikan. Otherwise, why would I go out of my way to help someone I had just met? My intentions were clear enough.

"Doesn't it bother you?" – I asked.

"I've already told you, you need to stop worrying about things like that. If you want a girl, go for her. Besides, Mikan seems like such a sweet and kind girl. The idea of having her as a sister someday actually makes me happy" - Lala said, still smiling.

This girl… Even after all the sex we've had, she's still as pure as when I first met her. Her personality hasn't changed one bit—and I really like that.

"Well… approaching her might not be easy. But I think this gesture improved the impression she had of me" - I said.

"Don't worry. I'll help you! I'll speak very highly of you during dinner. And I'm sure that if you keep helping her like today, she'll eventually fall for you. My intuition tells me so" - Lala said confidently.

"And Lala-sama's intuition is almost never wrong" - Peke added.

Up until now, Peke had remained silent for obvious reasons. But since Mikan wasn't around, she could speak freely.

"Ahem, alright, I'll accept your help" - I said.

If I told someone that my own girlfriend was helping me pursue another girl for my harem, they'd definitely call me insane—but luckily, it's real. And I'm not about to complain. Better to be honest about my feelings for Mikan now than regret it later.

"Ah! I almost forgot dinner! You two go sit down while I finish preparing it" - Lala said.

With all the conversation, she'd nearly forgotten the dinner she had promised Mikan.

"What are you planning to make?" – I asked curiously.

"I looked up a few recipes online during my free time, and I think I can make something interesting. So for now... it's a surprise!" – Lala said cheerfully.

Since she didn't want to say anything, I simply didn't insist.

With that, Lala started cooking while I sat at the table and got lost in my thoughts—at least until Mikan returned about 15 minutes later.

"I finished cleaning the bathroom... is there anything else I can help with?" – Mikan asked.

"Everything's already clean, and Lala's handling dinner, so the only thing left is the laundry, which you told me not to touch" - I said.

Mikan was stunned.

"You already cleaned the whole downstairs?" – she asked, surprised.

"I finished about five minutes ago or so" - I nodded.

Well, I actually finished way earlier than that, but telling her I was done within seconds would've been too surprising.

"Impossible..." – Mikan muttered in amazement.

She quickly peeked into all the rooms on the ground floor to confirm what I'd said, and—surprisingly—it was all true. The entire downstairs was spotless, even the windows were sparkling. How was that possible?

"How did you clean everything so quickly?" – Mikan asked.

It had taken her over 15 minutes just to clean the bathroom. Cleaning the whole house in that time was amazing.

"I've been handling household chores for a long time. I've had a lot of practice" - I replied casually.

"Akira is amazing! At home, he does the chores too, and finishes in no time!" – Lala added happily.

"Thanks for the help, Lala" - I thought.

While Lala cooked—something that looked like pasta—we sat and talked for a while, until…

"I'm home, Mikan! Sorry I'm late, but that idiot Saruyama kept goofing off and—!" – Rito called out.

But when he saw me and Lala chatting with his sister in the kitchen, he froze in place. First, he rubbed his eyes, thinking maybe he was hallucinating from exhaustion. Saruyama had insisted on playing soccer so they played for a long time, and Rito was tired, so he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But after blinking and rubbing his eyes a few more times, he realized this wasn't a dream.

"Hi, Rito. Welcome home" – Mikan said.

"Uh... not to be rude, but... what are they doing here?" – Rito asked, still confused.

He had no idea why Akira and Lala were in his house.

"Well, like I promised, I talked to Akira-kun about your problem. But since that took time, I didn't get around to doing the housework, so Akira-kun and Lala-san offered to help—and I accepted" - Mikan explained.

It was a pretty short summary, but it got the point across.

Rito stood there in shock. As far as he knew, Mikan had only just met Akira today. So how had a simple conversation ended with Akira and Lala at their house helping with chores? It made no sense. Also—Akira-kun? Since when were they on a first-name basis?

"That's right. Since Mikan-chan spent so much time talking to me, I figured the least I could do was help her with the chores. And when I told Lala, she insisted on helping too" - I nodded.

Rito still didn't respond. He just couldn't process how things had escalated to this.

"By the way, Rito" Mikan added, turning to her brother, "after talking with Akira-kun, I realized something: he never forbade you from confessing your feelings to Haruna, right?"

"Of course not" - Rito replied instantly.

Just hearing Haruna's name seemed to snap him back to reality.

"Then my whole talk with Akira-kun was pointless, wasn't it? He never threatened you to stay away from Haruna or anything like that. The truth is, as always, you just don't have the courage to confess your feelings. So how is that Akira-kun's fault?" – Mikan said firmly.

"Well... when you put it like that, it's really not his fault at all..." – Rito admitted.

But Akira was moving very fast in his relationship with Haruna, while he had been stagnant for years, so if everything continued at this pace, it was only a matter of time before Haruna was conquered by Akira. That Akira has a harem and Haruna would never agree to be with someone like that? Akira has already managed to convince that exchange student to be part of his harem. Who can assure him that Haruna will not fall into that trap? Nobody!

"Well, that's settled then. From now on, no grudges, no threats—just fair competition" – Mikan said firmly.

"Exactly. Yuuki-kun, maybe there was a misunderstanding between us. I never stopped you from approaching Haruna-san. You may have misunderstood me. If you want to confess your feelings to Haruna because you like her, go ahead—I won't stop you. But please don't go around saying that I threatened you or anything like that" – I nodded.

"But… what about what you said to me at the end? You know, about keeping your secret?" – Rito asked, still unsure.

"Oh, that? Tell me, Yuuki-kun, if someone discovered an important secret of yours… would you want them to go around telling everyone?" – I asked.

"No, of course not" – Rito replied quickly.

"Then there's your answer. I just don't want anyone knowing my secret—at least not yet" – I said calmly.

"But the way you said it… it felt like a threat" – Rito insisted.

"A threat? Maybe it sounded like one, but I only meant it as a warning. You don't strike me as a bad guy, and I have nothing against you. So, if it's alright with you, I'd like to start over—let's make amends" – I said, extending my hand.

Rito stared at me, surprised. Was this really the same Akira who had "threatened" him the other day? He seemed like a completely different person. Or maybe… he'd misunderstood everything from the beginning? Thinking back, his own request had been absurd, so maybe Akira had simply reacted in a way anyone else would have. If the situation had been reversed, Rito would probably have done the same.

"Alright... let's start over," – Rito said, shaking my hand.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't doing this to be his friend or anything, but getting along with Rito was a necessary step if I wanted to win over Mikan. In the manga, Mikan was very close to her brother—so if I didn't get along with him, my chances would plummet. This was strategy, not friendship.

"See? You were wrong. You completely misunderstood Akira-kun, and even so, he decided to forgive you—but you still haven't apologized" – Mikan said pointedly.

Her opinion of Akira improved even more in that moment. Apparently, her brother had been completely mistaken about him. Akira wasn't a bad person at all—in fact, he was kind, honest, and thoughtful. His actions had proven that. And Lala had only said good things about him while they talked earlier, so it was clear: the one in the wrong was Rito, not Akira. After all, how could someone as gentle as Akira be the bad guy Rito had described the night before?

"You're right. I'm really sorry for the misunderstanding between us, and I hope we can have a fair competition from now on!" – Rito said.

 {Note: Rito don't deserves our time, so let him alone. Anyway, he won't conquer Haruna. However, a reader recommend me to make Rito a girl and let him marry with another girl. What's your opinion?}