Joined in Love with You - Kawamura Reo

Kawamura Reo

How many times do I have to say before she finally gets it in her head?

Mai: Sigh...

Reo: What are you sighing for?

With her face all fully red in front of me, she asked gloomily.

By the way, her face is red because she had been running all over the place a while ago.

My face was as red as hers too.

In search for this girl in front of me, I had went high and low around the school.

I'm all sweaty thanks to her.

The weather is still quite warm, but I'll probably catch a cold if I don't do anything.

I guess I'll change into my gym clothes later.

Oh well, I can leave that aside for now...

Mai: Of course I would sigh, after what happened...

Reo: What, are you saying that I'm in the wrong here?

Mai: Yup, you are.

Reo: Then tell me why.

She yelled at me while she stood on her tiptoes with all her might trying to go against me despite her small frame.

She's... a little weird.

Her name is Kawamura Reo. Even though she looks like a little kid, she has quite a perverse and stubborn personality.

She has fluffy hair and an appearance not of a Japanese.

The way she speaks is even more childish than how she looks. Thanks to that, anyone could probably mistake her for an elementary student...

But even so, she is still a student of St. Michael's and a classmate of mine.

Well, since a month ago, that is.

Reo: Even if you say that, I had no idea, so I can't help it, okay?!

Thinking I was falsely accusing her, she threw out her chest in protest.

Mai: Sigh...

I can't help but sigh.

How many times has something like this happened within this couple of weeks, I wonder...

Mai: You know...

Reo: I know!

Mai: I've said last week, right? That we're having cooking lessons today.

Reo: Yup.

Mai: I also said that all of us will bring our respective materials. And I've written down what materials should each person bring on a memo and distributed it accordingly, didn't I?

Reo: Y-Yeah, I did remember that.

Mai: If you remembered, then why did you bring a block of lard instead of butter?!

Reo: Uuaagh!?

Mai: How did you mistake is for this block of oil? You big idiot!

Reo: Aah, you said I'm an idiot!

Mai: I can say it all I want, you idiot idiot idiot idiot! Big idiot!

Reo: Mukiiiii! Don't call me an idiot!

Mai: Seriously, why are you so inept...

Reo: I-It's your fault for asking me to go buy it. How can anyone tell the difference between butter and lard?

Mai: They can, normally.

Reo: But I never cooked before, so...

Mai: Even if you don't cook, something like that is just common sense.

Reo: Kugh, you're just picking on everything I say...

Speak for yourself.

For some reason, arguing with her really tires me out.

Reo: Why can't you understand what I'm trying to tell you?

Mai: I return those words exactly back to you.

Reo: Uuu~

Mai: *sigh* That's why I said we should go and buy it together yesterday.

Reo: Uguu...

Mai: Who's the little wise girl who said that she could buy it all by herself?

Reo: Uu...

Ah, she looks really depressed.

Mai: *sigh* Never mind. For now, let's just try and do something to remedy this situation.

Reo: What for?

Mai: We can't bake a cake with lard, can we?

Reo: We can't?

Mai: No, we can't.

Feeling exhausted, I told her.

Mai: Well, we can only try and ask the other girls in class if they have any extra butter.

Reo: Ugh...

An unpleasant expression immediately surfaced upon her face.

Sigh... Here we go again.

Mai: You know, I've told you this before already, but don't you think it's about time you should start interacting with the other classmates?

Reo: Not really.

Mai: Not really, you say...

Oh, that's right. This might be a good chance for Reo to get along with the other classmates.

Alright, let's be a busybody for a while.

Mai: Reo, this is an excellent chance for you to get along with the other classmates, you know?

Reo: I don't need a chance like that.

Mai: Hey now...

Though it has been quite some time since she transferred here, she barely even spoke to anyone other than me.

Or rather, it's more like she's purposely avoiding the other students.

She was like this the first time we met; she wouldn't speak to me nor would she even look at me.

But even so, after loads of pestering from me, she opened up to the extent that we're able to talk like this right now.

Mai: Come on, let's try and ask around together.

Reo: I don't wanna.

Mai: Why not? Don't you want to be friends with everyone else?

Reo: I'm fine without friends.

Whoa, not even a slight hesitation...

Mai: But why don't you want to make friends?

Reo: I don't need them.

...Oh, really.

Still, I'm not going to give up so easily.

Mai: No matter what you think, there's no way you can just not talk to anybody until you graduate. Come on now.

Reo: I-I have you to talk with... anyway...

Mai: Hm?

Reo: I said... if I need someone to talk to, I can just go find you.

Mai: I'm really busy, so you can't.

I wonder if I had been a little too cold there?

Hearing what I said, Reo pouted her lips in discontent.

Reo: Dense...

Mai: Huh? What did you just say?

Reo: .........

Mai: This is so that you can get used to St. Michael's quicker too, so let's go ask around, alright?

Reo: Eh~

Mai: Come on.

I secured her hand with mine so that she can't run away, while on the other side, Reo desperately tried to shake my hand off.

Reo: Whoaaaa!? W-Wh-Why do you have to hold my hand!?

Mai: You are under my custody. Please refrain from meaningless struggle.

Reo: L-Le-Le-Let go of me! I said let me go!

Mai: No matter what you say, I'm not gonna let you run away.

I gripped her hand tightly and dragged her along with me.

Reo: Nyaah!?

Mai: Make sure you start an actual conversation with the others, you got that?

Reo: Wha, wha, awawa, wa-

Mai: What's wrong?

Reo: My hand... My hand is...

Mai: Oh, does it hurt?

Reo: No... it doesn't... B-But you're holding my hand... tighter... than earlier.

Mai: Yeah, that's why I asked if it hurt.

Reo: E-E-E-Even if you're not with me, I can still go and ask them m-myself. S-So, let go of my hand, right now.

She resisted with her eyes damp with tears, but I still can't help but feel worried for her, so I didn't do what she told me to.

Mai: I'm not gonna let you go.

Reo: Mai~~

This way is a little forceful, but I could only resort to this method.

I must hurry and bring her to where the other classmates are before classes start.

Still, she has always been like this.

That's right, since that first day I met her...