♥Futarigurashi♥Kotarou lives Alone♥

Chapter 28 - Shin-chan's dilemma part 2

Rio ignored Karino and timing seemed to have caused the two to unable to meet; she's either starting work too early or working into the night. Akane was happy to see this result because now Karino could focus only on manga. 

Sighing heavily, Karino felt annoyed with the panel he's drawing. No, that's wrong. He's not annoyed because of his own drawings. He's annoyed because he still had no idea what Rio's doing right now and he's not seen her for a few days.

'What is she doing? Why isn't she coming round to see me?' Karino wondered if Rio was angry. 'I don't usually make such a face in front of her, but even I can e angry when pushed too far...' He wanted to have a drink-

"You can't be drunk, Shin-chan. You still have work to do." Akane said like a mindful girlfriend. 

"Geh..." He forgot she's still here. "Of course." He gave up on getting a can of beer.

'The deadline for his draft submission is getting closer and closer. I can't have him doing something else.' Akane thought to herself. She still kept the happy party performance that invited parents and carers in the afternoon. She needed to make sure Karino stayed focused. 'That girl hasn't been bothering Shin-chan either. I wonder what she's doing?' Akane thought as she checked on her phone. She saw annoyed messages from her boyfriend telling her to come home before the end of the week or they're through. Akane then received a message from her best friend and there was an attachment inside...of a young girl leaving her boyfriend's home. That girl in question was Rio. When Akane saw that, she's not very happy but she didn't put it on her face. "Shin-chan, I'm just going out for a bit. Make sure you stay working." 

"I always work. What do you take me for?" The door opened and shut again. There's no time for moping because he's got work.

At the same time, Rio's coming back from work. Rio noticed Akane coming down. 

"Why were you with my boyfriend?" Akane questioned the attachment she had received from her friend who warned Akane of Rio coming out from her boyfriend's apartment looking all smiley and happy. 

"He had a blocked toilet so I went to unblock it for him. He had various things in his place that needs fixing so I fixed it for him for half the original price. He said he will use my service from now on. Shame I can't help him mend whatever relationship it is you have with him that he can accept his own woman living in one dingy apartment with her ex." She made the most condescending face she could be capable of when she said that last bit. 

"You told him where I am? Why did you do that? He's now annoyed with me and I don't appreciate that." 

"I didn't find him on purpose to rat you out. He called for my service, I answered. He asked me questions, I answered. There are pictures of you two together, you know? I told him where you're staying because he asked- Oh~! You didn't tell him you were staying at your ex boyfriend's place~?! My bad~!"

"You're too young to understand anything. I am doing this for Shin-chan."

"Putting it nicely is doing this for him. Putting it in a terrible way, you just want to exert your position in Old man's eyes that you still exist even if I am around him. And I am not too young to understand. This is the problem with you 30 something year old women. You look down on younger women because you think you have more life experience so anything you do has to be correct."

"I never said that." 

"Then please justify to me why it's right for you, who has a boyfriend, to be in one room with your ex boyfriend. I discussed with your boyfriend and even he had a hard time to come up with an answer that makes sense." Rio was telling the truth but there were bits of lies in there; she did not show up because she was called. She showed up by creating coincidence.