🥀 Blinded by Rose Petals 🥀

Part 5 - A new friend

{Rantaro's POV}

It's not raining anymore.

As I'm finally heading back home, it's not raining anymore.

I wonder what my sisters are gonna tell me when I'm back. I'm late for dinner and I didn't even call them to tell them where I am. I don't want to look at my phone at all. I know that there will only be hundreds of missed calls on it.

The door is unlocked, as usually. I slightly push it open and then come inside, leaving the red umbrella by the doorway, as well as take my shoes off. Further into the house I'm already greeted with familiar faces of my sisters - some of them running around and playing, others tending to the house or simply just relaxing.

The youngest up runs up to me. "Taro! You're back! Why are you late?" She looks around for the umbrella. A heartwarming smile pops up on her face immediately when she finds it. "I'm glad you didn't lose it!"

"Don't worry, I never would..." Avoiding the first question, I smile back at her. I pat her head to reassure her more and kneel down to finally get the heavy bag off my back. I can already hear my other sister shouting from the kitchen. "Rantaro! Don't leave your things on the floor!"

I sigh, then pick the bag up again, however I don't put it fully on and just carry it in my hand. I begin to head towards my room, but suddenly, I'm stopped by something pulling on my uniform.

I turn around to see my youngest sister again. She looks slightly upset. "What's wrong?" I ask her. With the rumor around, it's hard for me to focus.

"You didn't answer my question!" She replied. I in fact avoided it. It was about why I happened to be late, right? I'll just tell her what's on my mind.

"...Just made a new friend. Nothing much." I smile at her, trying to reassure her that I'm fine. She grins back at me to signalize that she's happy with my answer. She looks... happy, because I made a friend.

I decide not to bother her anymore and let her go back to playing around. She's just a kid after all. But, before I can even get to my room, one of my older sisters comes up to me as well.

"Rantaro! Aren't you going to eat dinner? Or were you out with your friends again?" Her annoyed tone clearly indicates that they got quite impatient whilst waiting for me to get home. I sigh. "I'm not really hungry. Just leave it for later, I'll heat it up myself."

I'm finally left alone after all the questions that I got from my sisters. Sometimes, it's even annoying for me, but deep down, I know that they all care for me. I'd rather have them than be completely alone, like some people have it.

. . .

I fall onto my bed. Today was, well, a lot to go through to say the least.

I befriended a person who was literally stalking me. Crazy, right? I didn't think it would happen either. I guess, maybe I just felt bad for him, since he seemed to be so lonely.

Actually, no wonder he is. Stalking someone just because you want to be their friend...? That definitely crosses some sort of boundaries that humans have. But, then again, I just confessed to him out of the blue without even knowing anything about him...

I guess you could say that we're both freaks.

Me, who is hiding under some sort of mask, just to have a group of friends to rely on. Who pretends his problems are practically non-existent, so he can help others out without making them feel bad. Who acts like an absolute playboy when in reality he hasn't experienced love at all.