My Sweet Roomies Re-Written (Reimako Ikagami/Mitsuka Ibuki Route)

Chapter 24 - A Dark Cloud

Ever since then, somehow,

Rei seems to be acting a little differently.

One day Reimako is preparing dinner.

"Rei, the water is boiling..."( it's been boiling for a while now...)

"Huh? Oh...Mina, I didn't notice you there, are you waiting for dinner? this will be over soon." 

"No, it's not that."

"Hmn? What is it then?"

"A-are you gonna put the whole radish in that miso soup?" 

"Huh...? Oh! Right, sorry my mistake i need to slice this to bite size first."

(She seems to be absent-minded for some reason.)

Then at dinner...

"Hmm...this is unusual...aren't we having miso soup today?"  said Raika 

"S-Sorry, one-chan..."

"Awe, no worries sis' i'll take some warm tea instead."  smiled Raika while she patted her sisters head who's sitting beside her.

"Here you go Raika." said Miyoko while pouring hot tea into her teacup.

"Thanks, Miyoko." she replied.

Reimako has been making mistakes a lot recently which isn't like her at all.

(Ever so often i noticed her sighing a lot as well.)

(What on earth could be wrong with Reimako.)

A few days later...

"Have you got a moment, Mina."

"What is it Miyoko?"

Miyoko pokes her head into the living room.

"Say...don't you think Rei has been acting really weird, recently."

"Yeah, i kinda noticed it as well." (She noticed it as well huh)

"I'm a little worried about her," she said as she sats in front of me.

"Yeah..."

"What could it be? Do you have any idea?" she asked with a worried look on her face.

"Hmn?" (Sort of, but...talking about it behind Reimako's back is a bit...)

She started acting strange since we saw her parents on the way back from the school festival.

(I'm not sure if it's alright for me to mention that...)

Reimako seems really troubled by it...

i fall silent and Miyoko doesn't press it any further.

"So, Mina, you were worried about Rei too, huh?"

"Well yeah, of course."

I think back to what Reimako is normally like.

"Reimako doesn't usually say what's on her mind..."

"So her not seeming herself like this makes me feel worried." i wallowed while i slump my back lean my head at the sofa and look at the ceiling.

"Do you feel like you wanna stand by her side and protect her?" said Miyoko as she smiled mischievously.

"Huh?" (What's this all of the sudden.)

"So? Do you?" she uttered now the grin has been replaced by a smug smile.

"W-well, yeah, i do want to protect her, but..."

I find myself answering this, when just then...

*Clatter*

"Hm?"

"Oho..." smuged Miyoko

We were cut off by a sudden noise, and as i turn around.

"R-Reimako?!" ( how long has she been standing there...wait did she hear me?)

"Oh!" she uttered then she suddenly dashed away.

"Wait Reimako."

(She hear that, did she?)

"Reimako, wait! Sorry, Miyoko let's talk later."

"Huh? Oh! O-Okay."

I run hurriedly out of the living room and after her.

"R-Reimako, Wait!"

I catch up with her upstairs as she's about to open her room. She blushes looking at me with a bewildered expression.

"U-Umm..."

"J-just now in the living room, Mina..."

"Uh...u-umm..."

(She did hear that after all..)

"S-Sorry..." i said sheepishly.

"N-no don't apologize..."

Just then, murmurs in a voice so quiet that i can barely hear...

"It's ok, You're different, Mina..."

"Huh?" ( did she say something?)

(Something about me being different?)

(What does she mean?)

Reimako averts her gaze, looking flustered.

She stares down at the floor, as if thinking, then...

"Mina..."

Eventually, she looks at me, a slightly worried look at her face.

"Did you mean what you said...?"

"Huh? Oh! Uhh..."

Taken aback, I hesitated for a moment.

I decide to say how what i really feel, though.

"Y-yes."

"If something were to happen to you, Reimako, I want to protect you..."

(I said it!)

I nervously wait to see how she reacts...

But then, her expression brightens slightly.

"U-umm, thank you."

"I-I believe in you, Mina."

(S-she believes in me?!)

For a moment,  i don't understand what Reimako meant by this...

(B-but... it seems that she trust me, so...)

"You can count on me."

As i say this back...

"R-Really?"

Suddenly, Reimako's expression becomes cheerful.

But then, she quickly gasps...

"Oh! S-sorry, it was nothing!"

"Oh...okay."

"I'm going to go into my room now..."

Saying this, she rushes into her room.

I don't know what she means by what she said, and i don't want her to end up distancing herself from me, like before, because of this...

I feel worried but...