Chapter 447: BCL Chapter 443 Hitori: No! Getting married right after high school is too early!

"Tomori-chan, are you free this afternoon?"

After agreeing on a time with Taki, Kitahara Makoto sent a message to Tomori, asking if she was free this afternoon and if she wanted to go fishing together.

As expected.

Tomori naturally happily agreed.

"Makoto-kun, have some ice cream."

Mutsumi brought over an ice cream, a slight look of anticipation on her pretty face.

"Okay."

Kitahara Makoto had never actually eaten ice cream with anyone else, so he was inevitably a little curious.

A moment later.

"Mutsumi-chan, thank you for the treat."

Looking at Mutsumi, whose eyes were hazy and who was slightly panting, Kitahara Makoto contentedly wiped the corners of both their lips clean and then gave a perfect rating.

The texture of ice cream was completely different from fruit.

If fruit was refreshing, then ice cream was smooth in the mouth, with a cool and sweet taste, in short, it was quite comfortable.

After resting for a while, once Mutsumi’s breathing stabilized, she looked up expectantly:

"Makoto-kun, another one?"

Kitahara Makoto: "..."

Hey, hey, too much of a good thing, don’t get addicted!

"Let’s eat it tonight." Kitahara Makoto reached out his right hand and rubbed Mutsumi’s little head. "Eating too much ice cream can cause a stomachache."

"Oh..."

Mutsumi’s pretty face remained as expressionless as ever, but her voice clearly held a hint of disappointment.

After the curse was lifted, Mutsumi was finally no longer an NPC in Earth OL. She gradually began to develop emotions, joys, sorrows, and now especially enjoyed physical contact.

Kitahara Makoto said softly:

"I’ll give Mutsumi-chan a task. I’ll write down the ingredients I need to buy, and you can take Hana-chan to the supermarket to buy them. When I get back, I’ll cook."

"Mission accomplished."

"..."

After arranging things at home, Kitahara Makoto quickly tidied up, then rode his bicycle to Hitori’s house, preparing to pick up Hitori for driving school.

A typhoon was approaching, and it was likely they wouldn’t be able to practice driving for the next few days, so they naturally had to seize the opportunity.

"Onii-chan!"

Just as he parked his bicycle and sent a message to Hitori, a joyful cry entered Kitahara Makoto’s ears, containing the unique childishness and softness of a human cub.

"Futari’s voice..."

Kitahara Makoto instantly recognized who was calling him. Following the sound, he met a pair of flustered, shy peach blossom eyes.

At the street corner, a human cub with a bob haircut spread her arms and ran happily towards Kitahara Makoto with her short legs. It was Futari.

Behind Futari was Mrs. Goto, with her hair tied in a bun and a shopping bag slung over her arm.

Behind Mrs. Goto, there was even Hitori, hiding in her Mom’s shadow, as if worried about getting sunburned.

Goodness, the whole family was here!

"Ki-Kitahara-kun..."

Upon seeing Kitahara Makoto, Hitori visibly panicked, her small face quickly turning red. She clearly wasn’t ready to meet her parents now.

Unfortunately, it was already too late to do anything.

"Onii-chan, hug~"

Futari spread her arms and happily pounced forward.

Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn’t disappoint the child. He reached out, embraced Futari, and lifted her high.

The joyful laughter of the human cub instantly echoed throughout the entire street.

"Futari, who is this boy?"

Mrs. Goto’s face was filled with curiosity.

Futari hugged Kitahara Makoto’s neck, her voice clear, completely disregarding her sister’s embarrassment:

"It’s the Onii-chan who kissed my sister that day!"

"Ugh..."

Hitori’s embarrassment instantly exploded, white steam billowed from the top of her head, and she directly overheated.

(N-no!)

(Mom finally calmed down, and now that she’s seen Kitahara-kun, she’ll definitely send red bean rice to the neighbors and relatives again. That must not happen!)

Kitahara Makoto looked at Hitori and quietly winked, his gaze reassuring:

Don’t panic.

He forgot today was Sunday and Mrs. Goto had the weekend off, but it wasn’t a big problem.

He would deal with whatever came his way. Besides, he and Hitori had secretly escorted Mrs. Goto home so many times before, so he basically understood Mrs. Goto’s personality.

"Auntie, good morning."

Kitahara Makoto bowed, his attitude and manners impeccable:

"Nice to meet you for the first time. I am Kitahara Makoto. Please take care of me."

"Ah, good morning. I’m Hitori’s Mom." Mrs. Goto’s face was full of pleasant surprise and smiles. "You must be Kitahara-kun, who is dating Hitori, right?"

Kitahara Makoto smiled:

"I wanted to visit you earlier, Auntie, but I was very busy a while ago. Today is the first time I’ve had the chance to come. I apologize."

"Why apologize?" Mrs. Goto smiled radiantly. "When you and Hitori get married later, we’ll be family. There’s no need for so much formality."

"M-marriage..."

Hitori, whose brain had just barely calmed down, suffered another embarrassing blow from her Mom, and her embarrassment exploded again.

(It’s only a dating relationship. It’s too early to talk about marriage now!)

(How much does Mom want to marry me off?!)

(I wish I could go back into Mom’s womb, then I wouldn’t have to be embarrassed...)

"It’s hot outside." Mrs. Goto warmly invited, "Kitahara-kun, come in and sit down."

Kitahara Makoto readily agreed:

"Then I’ll impose."

It would have been fine if he hadn’t met her, but now that he had, it was impossible to just leave. He had to go in and say a few words.

"Mom, I’ll open the door!"

Futari ran towards the door with her short legs.

Kitahara Makoto quietly slowed his pace, falling beside Hitori, and whispered:

"We agreed yesterday to go to driving school today. I sent a message to Hitori when I left, but she didn’t reply."

Hitori’s small face was explosively red, and she tearfully whispered back:

"My phone was in my bag, so I didn’t see the message..."

"Don’t panic, I’m here." Kitahara Makoto comforted her gently. "We’re definitely going to marry Hitori in the future, so we’ll naturally meet Uncle and Auntie. Today just moved the time forward."

"Ugh..."

Hearing Kitahara Makoto say the word ’marriage,’ Hitori quickly lowered her head to stare at her toes. If her body structure allowed, her little head would have directly buried itself in her chest.

As they spoke, Futari had already opened the door.

"Kitahara-kun, come in quickly."

Mrs. Goto warmly invited.

"Excuse me."

Kitahara Makoto stepped into the entrance and then took out the gift he had bought earlier from his backpack.

It was a good thing he had developed a habit of carrying small gifts when he went out. He had just bought some wagashi on his way over, which now served as a perfect souvenir.

"Kitahara-kun, quickly sit down." Mrs. Goto warmly entertained. "Hitori, go turn on the air conditioner and get Kitahara-kun something to drink."

"..."

It was clear that Mrs. Goto’s first impression of Kitahara Makoto was extremely positive.

In interpersonal interactions, the initial impression is quite important. Kitahara Makoto’s charm value was quite high now. He looked like a standard upright protagonist from a TV drama. Plus, his attitude was gentle and polite, his words thoughtful and considerate, and his calm personality also had the brightness of a young man, making him completely beloved by older women.

If the full score was one hundred, Kitahara Makoto scored at least ninety-nine points in Mrs. Goto’s mind!

"Hitori is a bit introverted and not very good at communicating with others. When she went to such a distant school by herself, Mom was very worried she would be taken advantage of." Mrs. Goto clasped her hands together, not hiding her satisfaction with Kitahara Makoto. Her peach blossom eyes, identical to Hitori’s, curved into crescents. "I never thought she would meet Kitahara-kun. This high school was truly worth it!"

Clearly, Mrs. Goto had already learned Kitahara Makoto’s basic information from Hitori, knowing that they attended the same school.

Kitahara Makoto smiled gently:

"It’s my luck to have met Hitori."

Mrs. Goto’s eyes sparkled, her face full of gossip:

"Kitahara-kun, how long have you and Hitori been dating? Mom asked Hitori many times, but she wouldn’t tell Mom. So mean!"

Hitori: "..."

Of course she couldn’t tell Mom, because she didn’t even know herself.

Dating... when did that even start?

She didn’t know.

She had no idea at all.

It seemed like she had unconsciously become inseparable from Kitahara-kun. She was very happy when she saw him, and missed him when she didn’t...

Kitahara Makoto said softly:

"It was a rainy night two months ago."

"Eh, eh, eh?" Mrs. Goto raised her hand to cover her mouth, her face showing a gossipy expression. "You’ve been dating for so long?"

Kitahara Makoto seemed to fall into a memory:

"That night, the moonlight was beautiful. Hitori was blocked by two fighting cats. I took Hitori on a detour, and along the way, I couldn’t help but confess to Hitori."

"Cats fighting..."

Hitori quietly raised her burning little face, shyly looking at Kitahara Makoto, and the memories in her mind instantly became vivid.

That night, it was late, and the bright moon hung high. Kitahara Makoto was walking her home when they encountered two cats fighting, blocking their way. Then she pulled Kitahara to take a detour, and who knew, in the alley, they met a strange woman wearing a windbreaker.

And then...

And then she was kissed...

Hitori, of course, couldn’t forget her first kiss with a boy.

(S-so, in Kitahara-kun’s mind, it was already considered dating back then?)

Hitori lowered her head, staring at her toes, her heart pounding non-stop.

(I remember Kitahara-kun also said he would take responsibility. If I had agreed back then... Kitahara-kun wouldn’t have a harem, right?)

Hitori quickly shook her head, dispelling the subtle emotions in her mind.

There was no ’if’ in the world.

It was too late to regret now.

(And it’s also good that everyone can be together forever...)

In her wild thoughts, Hitori suddenly heard her Mom’s words:

"Kitahara-kun, when do you plan to marry Hitori?"

Kitahara Makoto said earnestly:

"If possible, I’d like to marry right after graduating high school."

Immediately followed by Futari’s cheers:

"Yay! I want to eat at my sister’s wedding banquet!"

"..."

Hitori looked up in a panic, her small face like a ripe tomato, about to drip blood:

"M-Mom! Don’t make decisions without me!"

Marriage, that kind of thing, wasn’t it too early to consider now?

"When you meet a boy you like, of course you should marry early." Mrs. Goto gave a thumbs up, speaking with conviction, "Your father and I got married right after graduating high school."

"Red bean rice!"

Futari had no social anxiety at all; instead, she inherited Mrs. Goto’s social butterfly trait, excitedly shouting, "Mom, I want to eat red bean rice for lunch!"

Even Jimihen, the dog in the house, started barking along, and the atmosphere was exceptionally joyful.

Only Hitori felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, completely unable to stay. With a face full of embarrassment, she grabbed Kitahara Makoto’s right hand and ran out, head down:

"I, I went to driving school with Kitahara-kun!"

Mrs. Goto called out from behind, "Bring Kitahara-kun home for lunch."

Kitahara Makoto turned around and replied, "Auntie, I have something to do at noon. I’ll come bother you again when I have time."

"..."

Escaping from the house, Hitori clutched her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.

(So scary!)

(Getting married right after high school is too scary. That kind of thing... at least wait until after college, right?)

As for whether she could get into college, Hitori wasn’t worried at all right now.

With Kitahara Makoto there, getting into college together would definitely not be a problem.

Kitahara Makoto pushed his bicycle over: "Hitori, get on. We’re going to the driving school."

"Oh..."

Hitori’s face was burning hot. She carefully sat on the back seat of the bicycle. Before, she would reach out and hug Kitahara Makoto’s waist, but now she was blushing and holding onto the corner of his clothes.

"Let’s go."

Kitahara Makoto pushed off with his foot, and the bicycle whizzed away.

There’s no need to say more about what happened next.

Kitahara Makoto and Hitori arrived at the driving school and began their lessons. Both of them had already mastered the corresponding driving skills in the Dream World. Now, they just needed to complete the required hours to take the exam.

After finishing their lessons at the driving school, Kitahara Makoto rode his bicycle to take Hitori home. On the way, he even invited Hitori to have lunch with him, but as expected, she refused.

After returning home, Kitahara Makoto began preparing today’s meal. During this time, the girls arrived one after another. While enjoying the meal, they could also provide energy for the Kessoku Band.

"Not bad, I should be able to open the Kessoku Band tomorrow."

Looking at the almost full water droplet on the Kessoku Band’s surface, Kitahara Makoto expressed his satisfaction.

"So, should I open it directly tomorrow, or continue to save it until the Kessoku Band can drop higher-grade items?"

Kitahara Makoto sighed, "This is the trouble of happiness, isn’t it?"

As for the calamity in the Kessoku Band... sorry, with the four great beasts of physics by his side, he wasn’t afraid at all.

1:50 PM.

Akasaka-Mitsuke Station subway station.

Kitahara Makoto followed the crowd out of the subway and soon saw two girls standing in a corner. One girl wore a sun hat and had a short bob, while the other black-haired, straight-haired girl stood with her arms crossed in a defensive posture, as if she were a guard, firmly protecting the short-haired girl.

It was Tomori and Taki.

"Sorry, I’m late."

Kitahara Makoto stepped forward and raised his hand to greet them.

"Hmph~"

Seeing Kitahara Makoto approaching, Taki lightly snorted and turned her head away, as if she didn’t even want to look at him.

Tomori pressed one hand on her sun hat, looked up with her small face, and said softly, "Makoto-kun doesn’t need to apologize. Taki and I arrived early. The agreed time is two o’clock, and it’s not even that yet."

Kitahara Makoto reached into his pocket and pulled out a box of band-aids: "Here, ocean-themed band-aids."

Tomori’s eyes sparkled as she happily took them: "Thank you, Makoto-kun."

"Hmph~"

Seeing this, Taki couldn’t help but snort again.

This guy not only sweet-talks but also gives gifts that cater to preferences. No wonder he makes Tomori so devoted...

Taki’s peripheral vision fell on Tomori’s hand, and for some reason, she felt a strange discomfort in her heart.

(Wh-what’s going on?)

Taki quickly noticed the change in her emotions and couldn’t help but be startled.

(This dull, uncomfortable feeling... could it be... that I’m jealous?)

At this thought, Taki’s small face instantly flushed, and then she bit her teeth in annoyance.

(Impossible!)

(Absolutely impossible!)

(It must be too hot, that’s why I’m so annoyed!)

Kitahara Makoto turned to look at Taki and pulled out a gachapon from his backpack: "Taki, this is a gift for you."

Taki’s face tightened, and she quickly turned her head away: "I don’t want it."

Kitahara Makoto lightly clicked his tongue and directly put the gachapon into Taki’s hand: "Before you refuse, take a look at what’s inside the gachapon."

Taki casually opened the gachapon: "No matter what it is, I don’t want it... Eh?!"

The gachapon opened.

Inside was a charmingly clumsy panda.

Taki was a severe panda enthusiast. Her phone wallpaper and accessories were all pandas, and the pillows in her room were also pandas. Now, seeing the adorably clumsy panda gachapon, her eyes immediately lit up.

She wanted to refuse.

But who in the world could refuse such a cute panda?

She loved it immensely in her heart, but the girl’s reserve prevented Taki from accepting it openly, let alone with Tomori right next to her. It was so hard.

She turned her head away, just about to speak, when Kitahara Makoto’s voice already rang out: "Let’s go, it’s time to fish."

Tomori said softly, "Taki, put the gachapon away."

"I..."

Facing Tomori’s quiet gaze, Taki suddenly felt a pang of guilt, feeling as if her secret with Kitahara Makoto had been seen through.

Seeing Kitahara Makoto leaving with Tomori, Taki had no choice but to quickly put the gachapon into her backpack and then hurry to catch up.

Five minutes later.

"Benkei Fishing Club, check-in successful." Kitahara Makoto turned to look at the two girls beside him, "Tomori-chan, Taki, have you two ever played here before?"

Tomori gently shook her head: "No."

Taki crossed her arms and lightly snorted: "Only you boys like fishing. Girls definitely wouldn’t come to a place like this, would they?"

Kitahara Makoto retorted: "There are also quite a few girls who like fishing."

Taki lightly snorted: "Anyway, it’s definitely fewer than boys."

Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow and looked over: "Taki, do you want to make a bet?"

Taki looked up with her small face, her lips tightly pursed: "What do you want to bet?"

"It’s simple, we’ll bet on whether there are more males or females inside." Kitahara Makoto held up a finger, "The loser has to grant the other person one request."

Taki lightly bit her teeth: "What if you, that guy, make a terrible request?"

Before Kitahara Makoto could speak, Tomori’s voice already rang out from beside them: "Makoto-kun isn’t that kind of person. If Taki truly doesn’t want to, Makoto-kun definitely won’t force Taki."

Taki: "..."

(Tomori... she’s beyond saving.)

Taki sighed inwardly.

(Not only is she not jealous, she’s even helping him speak. She really is beyond saving, isn’t she?)

"Bet, then." Taki crossed her arms, lightly bit her teeth, and looked over with an unyielding gaze, "Just wait to lose!"

Kitahara Makoto said with his usual expression: "Taki, don’t cry later."

"Tsk." Taki lifted her chin, "I’m going to win."

"..."

Benkei Fishing Club is located in the city center, surrounded by concrete jungles, and is a beginner’s fishing spot for players.

Kitahara Makoto chose this place for two reasons: first, he didn’t need to travel far, and second, fishing is actually very troublesome, requiring preparation of fishing rods, tackle, bait, etc. Kitahara Makoto only needed to complete a daily task, so he naturally didn’t want to prepare so many things. Coming to such a mature fishing spot, everything was provided directly, making rental easy and convenient.

Passing through the gate, Taki eagerly began counting the number of males in the fishing ground, clearly having a strong desire to win: "One, two, three... Huh?!"

However, when she turned the corner and the entire fishing ground came into full view, Taki could no longer count.

"How can there be so many elementary school students?"

Kitahara Makoto smiled beside her: "I forgot to tell Taki, there’s a parent-child event today."

A parent-child event naturally means the whole family of three participates, but the reality is that many fathers have to work, so only mothers can accompany them. Therefore, at a glance, the number of females in the fishing ground significantly exceeded the number of males.

"Damn it!"

Taki clenched her small fists in anger and looked up to glare at Kitahara Makoto: "You knew all along, didn’t you?"

Kitahara Makoto said calmly: "That’s right."

Taki bit her teeth: "Then why didn’t you say anything?"

Kitahara Makoto said righteously: "Why didn’t Taki ask me?"

Taki: "..."

"A bet is a bet." Kitahara Makoto looked down and smiled, "Taki wouldn’t go back on her word in front of Tomori-chan, would she?"

Tomori said softly:

Taki always keeps her word."

Taki: "..."

She really wanted to go back on her word, because it wasn’t fair from the start, but now that she heard Tomori’s words, she couldn’t refuse no matter what.

Next, Kitahara Makoto was busy.

First, he rented three sets of fishing gear from a nearby shop, then he rented a small boat from the manager, and finally, the three of them moved everything onto the small boat together.

Here, one could choose to fish from the pier or from a boat, the difference being the cost.

The pier was basically occupied by elementary school students and housewives, and Kitahara Makoto was worried he wouldn’t catch any fish, so he directly chose to rent a small boat.

"Let’s put the things on the boat for now." Kitahara Makoto clapped his hands and said, "We’ll go to the store first to buy some drinks."

"Okay."

The two girls naturally agreed.

The weather was hot, so buying a few bottles of drinks was indeed necessary.

Kitahara Makoto then said:

"And buy Taki a hat."

Taki turned her small face away and hummed softly:

"No need, I already applied sunscreen before I left."

"Sunscreen isn’t enough." Tomori said softly, "Taki should still wear a hat, the sun is very strong, I don’t want Taki to get sunburned."

Taki’s eyes immediately softened:

"Thank you, Tomori-chan."

Kitahara Makoto’s voice was faint:

"Why don’t you thank me?"

"Hmph, go away."

"..."

The three of them walked into the convenience store together and began to select drinks.

"Eh?"

Kitahara Makoto picked up a sports drink, and just as he was about to leave, his gaze suddenly narrowed, falling on a shelf in the corner.

"A glowing item?"